ALL IN III - 8/25/2024

[Leonidas]

Interesting tidbit about the staging this year. Taylor swift still has another concert at the venue meaning there is no way to get her staging down before Sunday, means we could get an elevated ramp and much grander stage than last year, but I'm sure we'll see photos over the coming days. 

[peachchaos]

22 minutes ago, Leonidas said:

Interesting tidbit about the staging this year. Taylor swift still has another concert at the venue meaning there is no way to get her staging down before Sunday, means we could get an elevated ramp and much grander stage than last year, but I'm sure we'll see photos over the coming days. 

The last of her dates is tomorrow so this really won’t conflict at all. 

[AxB]

The Ticketmaster layout for the building has had the massive stage in place this whole time.

Also, UK peeps:

ITV4, Thursday the 29th, 2100 hrs. So if you bought the PPV, you could have had it for free on a 4 day tape delay.

[JLowe]

I wasn’t really interested in the tag title match (they’ve really done a shitty job with the division in 2024) and making it a 3-way made me have zero interest. That and a 4-way trios match (and a ladder to boot) feel like a huge combination of “booking with no clear direction” and “cramming as many (male) wrestlers as possible onto the PPV.”

[Kevin Wilson]

1 minute ago, JLowe said:

I wasn’t really interested in the tag title match (they’ve really done a shitty job with the division in 2024) and making it a 3-way made me have zero interest. That and a 4-way trios match (and a ladder to boot) feel like a huge combination of “booking with no clear direction” and “cramming as many (male) wrestlers as possible onto the PPV.”

The main issue I have with the tag title match is I can *see* what they were going for booking-wise, but I have no interest in it. The current version of the YB aren't interested, the Acclaimed are way off their peak interest, and FTR is just swooping in for lord knows why. Its one of those matches that may in fact be good as in-ring they are all good teams but its not something they made me excited about in any way.

I'm holding off judgement on the ladder match until I see the fourth team. Ladder matches I don't mind not having great stories going in as all anyone remembers is the spots and the carnage anyway. I don't think every match on every PPV needs a long story and there are other matches on the PPV that do have them, I just want it to be entertaining chaos. But I also want the fourth team to not be something dumb (won't know until I see it, if I audibly groan then its dumb).

[JLowe]

5 minutes ago, Kevin Wilson said:

The main issue I have with the tag title match is I can *see* what they were going for booking-wise, but I have no interest in it. The current version of the YB aren't interested, the Acclaimed are way off their peak interest, and FTR is just swooping in for lord knows why. Its one of those matches that may in fact be good as in-ring they are all good teams but its not something they made me excited about in any way.

I'm holding off judgement on the ladder match until I see the fourth team. Ladder matches I don't mind not having great stories going in as all anyone remembers is the spots and the carnage anyway. I don't think every match on every PPV needs a long story and there are other matches on the PPV that do have them, I just want it to be entertaining chaos. But I also want the fourth team to not be something dumb (won't know until I see it, if I audibly groan then its dumb).

There are a few good, or at least potentially interesting, tag teams in that trios match. Remember when Juice and Switchblade had that 5-star tag match on Collision earlier this year? And now (admittedly, because of injuries) they’re mired in the trios morass. Being stuck there helped kill The Acclaimed. Let the fucking titles be fought under Freebirds rules so Malakai doesn’t have to be on TV without his besties.

[Hail Sabin]

10 hours ago, Kevin Wilson said:

I think that is just an estimate they block off in case the show goes 4 hours, 10 minutes or something. I don't think the main show will be five hours as they don't spend as much time with fluff. I could be wrong but from the match card it just looks like a "normal" length AEW PPV, although people's takes on if normal is good or not will vary. 

True it might be like Double or Nothing & go 4 hours 30 mins or so. 

[Dolfan in NYC]

I wonder how Birdie will feel when Flight of the Valkyries hits at #30 in January.

[hammerva]

On 8/19/2024 at 3:10 PM, AxB said:

The Ticketmaster layout for the building has had the massive stage in place this whole time.

 

Well I assume that stage will be used by Jericho and Fozzy when they perform at All In as planned.  

I look forward to Dave and Bryan say the complete opposite to everything they usually say about any musical performance at a wrestling show

[JLowe]

I missed being able to comment much on Collision but it fits here too. Loved the segment where they asked the different wrestlers for their pick in the main event. Gave it even more of a “major event” feel.

[Zimbra]

7 minutes ago, JLowe said:

I missed being able to comment much on Collision but it fits here too. Loved the segment where they asked the different wrestlers for their pick in the main event. Gave it even more of a “major event” feel.

Yes!  That and the Eddie segment made it seem like something the locker room can't stop talking about, which is exactly what you want out of your top angle.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

17 hours ago, JLowe said:

I missed being able to comment much on Collision but it fits here too. Loved the segment where they asked the different wrestlers for their pick in the main event. Gave it even more of a “major event” feel.

 

17 hours ago, Zimbra said:

Yes!  That and the Eddie segment made it seem like something the locker room can't stop talking about, which is exactly what you want out of your top angle.

Thirded for sure - I'll say this, too: I gotta give everyone involved a ton of credit, because where they've landed with this is definitely a difficult "happy medium" to summon; too far in one direction or the other, and it becomes the "Where's Poochy?" thing we've joked about over the years with regard to the NWO, Cena, Roman, and others. We're definitely in the sweet spot here IMO.

[Go2Sleep]

That segment was a nice touch of "pure sports build" to program that has been all sports entertainment so far (but will no doubt be completed with a top tier wrestling match). The program with Swerve and Danielson has been very well done, where it just started as the top 2 guys meeting at the biggest show for the title, but with enough time in between that both guys gradually started to resent each other and the narratives surrounding the match. I know people were kind of second guessing if this match was the right one for the show, but I think it definitely feels "top show main event" now.

[hammerva]

As good as the build has been in the last week for Swerve vs Danielson, I still have bad feeling that Nigel is going to be involved in the match.   

[NikoBaltimore]

Between my wife and her friends coming back from Richmond and other friends busy with either work or something else for the first time I'm going to have to cancel a planned hangout for the show.  I could always do it for All Out but it's almost like it'd be trying to make up for something so it's just not worth it to me.

Yet in a way this might be for the best.  I'm good for the rest of the show but Danielson's match win or lose will bring the waterworks.  So in an odd way watching this solo will allow me to process everything and not try and do that while playing party host.  I still feel he's losing but they're leaning so hard into that that for all I know he's gonna win.  If so then I don't think they'd have him lose the title at All Out but if they can get him to Grand Slam a loss to Darby would be a very fitting end to his full-time career.

So if I'm watching solo then honestly I'd rather just go out somewhere and come back when it gets about the time for the match.  Which means aside from hosting stuff on Discord I'm staying offline the best I can.  The other stuff is gonna be wild yet while it's not a one-match show for me it's all I can focus on right now.

[Stefanie Sparkleface]

3 hours ago, NikoBaltimore said:

Between my wife and her friends coming back from Richmond

Tell her an internet weirdo said to eat at Perly's, if she can get in.

(Those garlic dill fries, omg.)

[NikoBaltimore]

Thanks.  I let her know though she's not sure if she'll be around there.  The menu sounds awesome though.

[SovietShooter]

10 hours ago, hammerva said:

As good as the build has been in the last week for Swerve vs Danielson, I still have bad feeling that Nigel is going to be involved in the match.   

Yeah... I agree with this. Since the day Nigel started in AEW, theyve been building to something with him and Danielson. Like, I want them to have a "clean" match, but Nigel fucking Danielson over or interfering makes too much sense here. There has to be a payoff to all the insults at some point, no?

[Kevin Wilson]

9 minutes ago, SovietShooter said:

Yeah... I agree with this. Since the day Nigel started in AEW, theyve been building to something with him and Danielson. Like, I want them to have a "clean" match, but Nigel fucking Danielson over or interfering makes too much sense here. There has to be a payoff to all the insults at some point, no?

In my ideal world (which may not exist), he won't interfere in the match but challenge him for a title match afterwards (maybe on the next Collision) and that can be one of Danielson's B-level defenses (and also give him a match he wants before he 'retires'). Having one of their biggest matches of the year end due to interference from an announcer would be lame so I hope they don't go that route.

[odessasteps]

From a kayfabe perspective, why should the world champion give a title match to a retired announcer? Unless they try and do a modified version of Flair/Funk 1989.

[Kevin Wilson]

1 minute ago, odessasteps said:

From a kayfabe perspective, why should the world champion give a title match to a retired announcer? Unless they try and do a modified version of Flair/Funk 1989.

Its wrestling, who knows. Maybe Nigel insults Danielson's daughter, maybe he keys his car, maybe he holds TK trapped in a trunk until he agrees. More likely Danielson requests it to shut Nigel up one and for all and TK shrugs and says ok. They can make it a title eliminator if you prefer, either way I see them wrestling as part of Danielson's retirement tour, not due to costing him his career.

[SovietShooter]

1 hour ago, odessasteps said:

Unless they try and do a modified version of Flair/Funk 1989.

Yeah, maybe they have Danielson defeat Swerve, and then on Dynamite Nigel interviews the new champ and insults him in some way that leads to fisticuffs, and then a match.

[zendragon]

I mean Flair/Funk was pretty awesome

[Go2Sleep]

19 hours ago, hammerva said:

As good as the build has been in the last week for Swerve vs Danielson, I still have bad feeling that Nigel is going to be involved in the match.   

I think is WWE-brain. TK is smart enough to understand that this is a huge moment for Danielson one way or the other, and making it about Nigel would be stupid especially in a place where he's likely to be cheered.

Nigel shouldn't even be on commentary for the match, but I doubt we'll be that lucky. One possibility is Swerve wins and Nigel takes a victory lap on commentary for a couple weeks, before Danielson returns and says his wrestling career may be over, but his will to fight isn't. This leads to a lights out unsanctioned match at Wrestledream where Bryan can get a proper hometown send off.

[hammerva]

4 hours ago, Go2Sleep said:

I think is WWE-brain. TK is smart enough to understand that this is a huge moment for Danielson one way or the other, and making it about Nigel would be stupid especially in a place where he's likely to be cheered.

Nigel shouldn't even be on commentary for the match, but I doubt we'll be that lucky. One possibility is Swerve wins and Nigel takes a victory lap on commentary for a couple weeks, before Danielson returns and says his wrestling career may be over, but his will to fight isn't. This leads to a lights out unsanctioned match at Wrestledream where Bryan can get a proper hometown send off.

The fact that Nigel will be on commentary alone makes me question if Tony understands the moment totally.  Or maybe he has WWE brain and thinks that the moment will be bigger if we have someone doing Nigel gimmick during this entire match as extra revenge.  I mean did Bryan winning at WM 30 feels extra sweet because it made JBL shut up after 8 months of his gimmick?     Of course if Swerve wins then it will be much worse.   

We heard Nigel in the last 8 months and nobody thinks he is going to change or tone it down because of how serious the moment is.  Especially when almost everyone include Tony Schiavone loves it .   Especially when Bryan's family is supposed to be there including Brie.   Make me wish that Jim Ross could do commentary because he may be the only person to tell Nigel to shut the fuck up and pay attention.  The only saving grace in it is that Nigel has hinted that he is training in the ring.  So it might not be a complete waste of time  

Edited August 24, 2024 by hammerva