AEW TV - 8/28 - 9/3/2024 - Strickland of Confusion

[Ziggy]

1 hour ago, Log said:

Serious question: why? I’d be happy as hell to get either of those matches for free. 

Who wouldn’t want to see theses on free tv? 
For one thing, we wouldn’t hear the end of it about TK leaving money on the table but not saving their first matches for PPV. Especially since people are like to bring up tv ratings. If these matches happen and they do a low number then we won’t hear the end about AEW going out of business. 

I could care less about the ratings right now and I don’t expect ratings to go up till about a year or two. They are turning things around creatively and  what we’ve been seeing on television overall has me hyped going forward 

[Zakk_Sabbath]

2 hours ago, Log said:

Serious question: why? I’d be happy as hell to get either of those matches for free. 

Not speaking for Zig but sounds like PTSD brought about from 20 years of repetition of the idea that not putting Bill Goldberg v Hogan on PPV in 1998 killed WCW. I totally get the logic of wanting to use that match to sell a show - it's not at all wrong or misguided - but at the same time, it's such a different landscape nowadays

Edit: sorry @Ziggyyou caught me typing - I was a little off base, but can't say I disagree

10 hours ago, username said:

Allow me to gesture towards the ghost of Ricky Starks and the theoretical world where he got half the chances Perry has, if you don't care for him pick Garcia or any of your other personal faves.

I actually went back and searched for this Tweet I saw a few weeks ago about Starks to reply to you with - I'm a big fan of Starks' and would love to see him stick around, but this guy kinda has a point:

 

 

Edited August 30, 2024 by Zakk_Sabbath

[EVA]

Yeah, the world in which Ricky Starks wasn’t given chances does not exist. At some point, you just have to acknowledge that the booking was there for them and guys like Ricky and Wardlow just didn’t make the most of it, and that’s why they’re sitting out their contracts at home while Swerve jumped WAY ahead of them and just headlined Wembley.

Ricky is just super inconsistent. In the past, I’ve compared him to a sports team that plays to the level of its competition. Can absolutely look like the next main eventer sometimes, but then at other times comes across like just another guy, totally replaceable. And true main event level guys just don’t do that. The Rock was still The Rock, even when he was working a program with Billy Gunn. Ricky worked Juice Robinson (pre-Juice getting over with the AEW crowd) and immediately felt like a 3rd-tier guy. Like, it actively hurt Jay White’s intro to AEW that Ricky was suddenly coming across like a nobody.

Edited August 30, 2024 by EVA

[The Natural]

1 hour ago, Log said:

Serious question: why? I’d be happy as hell to get either of those matches for free. 

That's one of the best things about AEW, getting PPV matches on free TV. In my Best AEW Matches Ever which I've just updated, please have a look:

https://deathvalleydriver.com/forum/index.php?/topic/9128-best-aew-matches-ever/page/6/#comments

So many TV matches are there. When I finally get round to doing my Best WWE Matches Ever, I don't think any would.

[Log]

1 hour ago, Ziggy said:

Who wouldn’t want to see theses on free tv? 
For one thing, we wouldn’t hear the end of it about TK leaving money on the table but not saving their first matches for PPV. Especially since people are like to bring up tv ratings. If these matches happen and they do a low number then we won’t hear the end about AEW going out of business. 

I could care less about the ratings right now and I don’t expect ratings to go up till about a year or two. They are turning things around creatively and  what we’ve been seeing on television overall has me hyped going forward 

Yeah, I'm with you. I just don't pay attention to those people.

[The Natural]

17 hours ago, Technico Support said:

Aubrey having to ignore Strong’s foot on the rope, and then having to step over his still on the rope leg to call for the bell, was hilarious.

No idea what Mox’s deal is but I dug his Claude from GTA 3 cosplay attire.

Hayter’s gear is weird.  Looks like she had an accident in the crepe paper aisle.

Taz was amazing during P in P, referring to himself as a “short king” and saying his has a 22” inseam but the torso of a 6’6” guy.  

 

16 hours ago, Zimbra said:

You are more generous to Mox than I because my first thought was that he dressed like Kim Possible.

Made me laugh. Cheers. You know what also made me laugh? Bryan Danielson wearing black shirt than his usual white.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

Lol I wish I got to hear that Taz inseam comment. You could have read that to me blindfolded and I'd be like "A Sicilian said this." It's a very real phenomenon. I'm 6'2, but I bet you me and Taz wear the same pants. The entirety of my height is waist-up, I look like heavy metal Cotton Hill. I knew baby me was right to support him against Sabu.

[Ziggy]

1 hour ago, Zakk_Sabbath said:

Not speaking for Zig but sounds like PTSD brought about from 20 years of repetition of the idea that not putting Bill Goldberg v Hogan on PPV in 1998 killed WCW. I totally get the logic of wanting to use that match to sell a show - it's not at all wrong or misguided - but at the same time, it's such a different landscape nowadays

Edit: sorry @Ziggyyou caught me typing - I was a little off base, but can't say I disagree

 

I was 10 or 11 at the time. I thought it was cool moment. I wasn't smart to the business and I was probably more surprised we got a clean finish and was happy Goldberg won the belt. I hindsight it got a good rating too which is another justification. 

If showing the footage of Punk and Jack Perry drew large increased ratings, no matter how cringe or reactionary a decision is may have been to air it then it would have been justified. If they book Ricochet vs Pac or Ricochet vs Ospreay on a random Dynamite or Collison and they get the same 6k views or whatever Collision averages every week, it might not add anything business wise as it would on PPV because it would probably add more buy. I like the idea of them instead booking Ricochet against lower level guys every week and showcasing his skills against guys then put him against Cesaro , Pac and those  guys.

People are already calling him a flop because he didn't do to overused trope of wrestler debuts and ends the show facing over against another top guy. Or even because his first singles match wasn't an NXT TakeOver level match. I'm not delusional,  hot free agents  have  gotten lost in the shuffle really quick in AEW but I don't think TK will let that happen with Ricochet who is still relatively fresh off WWE TV. The fact that Will Ospreay has been open with wanting to work with Ricochet on a big stage again even while Ricochet was still under contract with WWE. I think Ospreay will make sure that first match really means something.

AEW has alot going on coming out of All in and going into All Out , that Ricochet doesn't need to be in an elaborate angle. Just let him cook. Let him get consistent wins , which is watch he wasn't getting in WWE 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Curt McGirt]

That "don't give away a free main event" is definitely a hangover from the territory days where you want 'em coming to the local card. Well now, the local card with the main event is just televised. Now you use the good TV to build to even bigger matches on PPV. 

[just drew]

As someone at the Dome for Goldberg/Hogan, I fully support putting main event level matches on PPV.

[JLowe]

Two things:

First, apologies for coming across really dickish. It’s been a rough month/year and sometimes I air it out here with my dislike of certain wrestlers and angles.

Second: have we talked about how close Hangman came to having his neck broken when Ishii did the Deadeye incorrectly? 

[Zakk_Sabbath]

5 minutes ago, JLowe said:

Two things:

First, apologies for coming across really dickish. It’s been a rough month/year and sometimes I air it out here with my dislike of certain wrestlers and angles.

Second: have we talked about how close Hangman came to having his neck broken when Ishii did the Deadeye incorrectly? 

I don't mean to speak for anyone else, but I haven't seen you say anything I would call particularly outta pocket - hope things look up soon, man. DMs open per usu!

And no, we have not - but agreed, scary. What a great call/awareness by Page to get the quick side-tuck. And though obviously shit happens, the 2nd-kid reveal after by Swerve kinda makes you go "oh shit" after a close call like that, too.

[Ziggy]

3 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

That "don't give away a free main event" is definitely a hangover from the territory days where you want 'em coming to the local card. Well now, the local card with the main event is just televised. Now you use the good TV to build to even bigger matches on PPV. 

When they do book PPV quality matches on tv they book 2 - 3 weeks ahead of time. WWE started that trend afterwards, probably around 2020 which really helped them especially with Vince always changing things.

 

Luger beating Hogan was a big moment for me. I would remember that more than Foley winning on Raw if it was for WWE making it a big benchmark for the MNW. I remember Nitro did a 5th anniversary and they played it up as a big moment. Hulk never lost clean but they didn’t follow up though but I’m sure that’s no coincidence.It’s crazy to think Luger would be in the NWO a few months later but obviously Nash learned from Hogan because he picked 2 of the top babyfaces to have in his faction. That says a lot about Lex but it ended up hurting him when the Wolfpac was done.

 

I think one of these Grand Slam shows or themed Dynamites they need to do a world title change and not one of those title changes that person drops the title right back or used to quickly transition to another person 

[Shartnado]

On 8/29/2024 at 7:59 AM, SirFozzie said:

These questions, and more are answered on today's episode of SOAP!

 

(I just dated myself with that reference, didn't I?)

No, there were plenty of reruns. You could be one or two decades younger than the reference implies. That's not of course young, either, but not necessarily ancient!

[odessasteps]

I was very creeped out as a kid when they did the Rosemary's Baby angle on Soap. 

[username]

13 hours ago, EVA said:

Yeah, the world in which Ricky Starks wasn’t given chances does not exist. At some point, you just have to acknowledge that the booking was there for them and guys like Ricky and Wardlow just didn’t make the most of it, and that’s why they’re sitting out their contracts at home while Swerve jumped WAY ahead of them and just headlined Wembley.

Every time they got behind Ricky consistently he got very over, then for whatever reason this was always followed by periods of cooling him off and him slipping through the booking cracks for months at a time. We saw this constantly over the years with Vince and him losing interest in folks (often for the oddest of reasons). Like let's look at his most recent stretch: got to win the Owen tourney to feud with Punk, Punk goes Punk, he gets a brief feud with Danielson, everyone is responding very well to him. Then he gets put in a tag team with Big Bill (odd move), gets the tag titles (okay), their tag team run is them mostly on the backburner (not great), he generally spends the whole run eating every pin despite being the more established guy on the team (baffling), puts over Sting (fine), disappears for a month(???), gets a stinger in a match, is never seen again(RIP). Swerve is great but if they booked him like that after he heated up he wouldn't be what he is today.

I am 100% with you on Wardlow though. 

 

[Go2Sleep]

Ricky Starks is like the AEW Dolph Ziggler. Certainly capable and reasonably charismatic, but he has to try so hard to get himself to a level that's like 80% of a true top guy. Someone that when things break right can convince people that they have all the tools and are so close the next level, but inevitably fail to deliver at that top level for consistent stretches. It takes many years of this cycle before most people finally realize this is as good he's getting.

Starks probably also needs to look in the mirror because a guy who was in the exact same booking situation as him 8 months ago is doing quite well now just by virtue of embracing his next opportunity. If Starks takes that attitude to WWE, he'll end up more like Pillman than Cody.

[Shartnado]

5 hours ago, odessasteps said:

I was very creeped out as a kid when they did the Rosemary's Baby angle on Soap. 

Those were pretty scary episodes, to be honest. And I saw them in early to mid 90's as a teenager.

[The Natural]

14 hours ago, JLowe said:

Two things:

First, apologies for coming across really dickish. It’s been a rough month/year and sometimes I air it out here with my dislike of certain wrestlers and angles.

Sorry you've had a tough time of it. I wouldn't say you've come across dickish at all. If you need to talk, my PM is there for you and that goes for anyone here. Always.

[AxB]

Holocongrameration incoming.

[Shartnado]

That was quite the deadeye there from Ishii. Hangman acted on instinct that probably saved himself from serious injury. Exciting match, altogether.

The all star 8-man was a misnomer at best, but it was a very fast way to get some heat on the Hook vs Roddy match. Aubrey hates Roddy for some reason, but it's probably because he yells her name in her ear on every two count "AUBREY!!!... that was three."

Ok, I'll bite with Mox thing.

Swerve bounced back quickly. Rage in the Cage with Page should be quite the violent affair! Bit of a modern Magnum vs Tully with the roles reversed, but not really at all!

Ricochet v Fletcher was really good, probably could have been much better in a few months time. PAC and Ospreay thing afterwards was awesome. Any combination of these 4 guys, for example, and I'll be there!

Bryan staying until he loses is definitely the right way to go. Ok, so Jungle Jesus wasn't the most exciting option, but it's not like he's going to beat Bryan for the title. Christian, that giant dick, may very well, after the match.

[Shartnado]

Holy crap! A 3-way tag match where Jarrett and Lethal are favorites to win! The Jarrett resurgence is such a thrill! Because Billy Gunn is out of even my reach, I'm going to aim at looking like Double J when I'm his age! That's going to take some work, even with my crazy genetics!

Wow, Mina looked really good in there! I'm sure nobody has ever said those words before!

I hope The Outrunners get an entrance against GYV, because a victory, they won't! They did, but that was awesome! Also, James Drake's skull mask was similar to what I own. Furthermore, I think Drake and I are very similarly built. Good on him!

I'm actually sad that Mortos and Takeshita are in the same match because one of them has to lose, although that's going to make the match about 100% more awesome!

Edited August 31, 2024 by Shartnado
OMG, Mina!!!

[Shartnado]

3 hours ago, AxB said:

Holocongrameration incoming.

No way that's a word, and you know it!

[Curt McGirt]

I played Rampage while not paying attention at all; should I go back and watch the main?

[Matt D]

24 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

I played Rampage while not paying attention at all; should I go back and watch the main?

Mortos based really well for Komander but you knew that.