AEW - SEPTEMBER 2024

[zendragon]

9 hours ago, mysterious_w said:

Random thought. Should AEW hire Scott D'Amore on a recurring contract basis, to book for the 4 months of Sep-Dec?

 

He's proven at lifting the stock of a promotion. Add to that, common knowledge is bookers fail when they get burnt out, and those are the key months for the Jags/Fulham when Tony probably has a lot of other demands.

It and interesting idea that brings to mind Jerry Jarret and Lawler taking turns booking Memphis six months at a time (and occasionally bring in someone like Eddie Gilbert as well), You'd probably want to make sure they are clued in on long term plans, and I don't know if Scott would be my pick

I also wonder how much actual "work" Tony does with his sports jobs

[HarryArchieGus]

13 hours ago, mysterious_w said:

Random thought. Should AEW hire Scott D'Amore on a recurring contract basis, to book for the 4 months of Sep-Dec?

 

He's proven at lifting the stock of a promotion. Add to that, common knowledge is bookers fail when they get burnt out, and those are the key months for the Jags/Fulham when Tony probably has a lot of other demands.

As a booker? Absolutely NOT. He's one of the worst bookers/creative heads of the modern era. The term WWE Lite was invented for the TNA model, to which Scott paid completely into. Backstage skits, magic cameras, poorly constructed and careless intergender matches, pushing Washed superstars are all part of the D'Amore playbook. D'Amore's Impact Wrestling was largely unwatchable to me (I tried). All that said, Scott has something to offer. The way Impact turned over their roster was pretty remarkable (a huge accomplishment). Maybe he's got some value as a scout/recruiter. There's no denying his experience, he may have a lot to offer backstage, but I'm wary of more TNA ppl joining the 'Creative 27'. Dutt, Jarrett, Jacobs etc. are in positions of power, and some of the worst stuff I've seen on AEW reminds me of why I was never a fan of TNA. Jacobs prominently brought his bad creative to those MJF/Cole skits. Tho, some might argue those were commercially beneficial, but i'm terribly happy that bullshit mostly ended there. Maybe foremost from the TNA past creative is the rash of Multi-person-WAY matches over the last year or so. Maybe I'm wrong to attribute that to the former TNAers. Huge no to D'Amore anywhere near AEW creative, but I would love to see somebody, new and fresh, get an opportunity to book ROH.

p.s. Of what I've seen of TNA/Impact in the last few months, the Tommy Dreamer-led creative is clearly far superior to the D'Amore led run. 

[JLowe]

12 hours ago, Casey said:

Hayter’s story was outlined in her sit down with Renee that aired tonight. She’s going after Saraya, and eventually Toni Storm. In kayfabe, they injured her and she was out for 15 months. Titles take a backseat to things like that.

Thanks, I don’t watch the YouTube stuff so appreciate the info!

[Technico Support]

16 hours ago, mysterious_w said:

Random thought. Should AEW hire Scott D'Amore on a recurring contract basis, to book for the 4 months of Sep-Dec?

 

He's proven at lifting the stock of a promotion. Add to that, common knowledge is bookers fail when they get burnt out, and those are the key months for the Jags/Fulham when Tony probably has a lot of other demands.

I’ll second the “WWE Lite” criticism.  The ONE TIME I tried to watch Impact, during the AEW crossover, I tuned in and saw D’Amore running around backstage with a headset on and playing onscreen authority figure.  I noped right the fuck out.

[HarryArchieGus]

9 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

I’ll second the “WWE Lite” criticism.  The ONE TIME I tried to watch Impact, during the AEW crossover, I tuned in and saw D’Amore running around backstage with a headset on and playing onscreen authority figure.  I noped right the fuck out.

Oh man, yeah, D'Amore on screen was far worse than anything he wrote/booked/created otherwise. His vocal delivery alone was reason enough for him to never appear on camera ever again. Yeah, extreme go away heat.

[Casey]

outside of the revived interest in TNA right now because of the WWE partnership, wasn’t the D’Amore era the most anyone has ever been interested in TNA in a long, long time?

I mean, even I was interested in the 2018-2020 years of TNA but I was mainly grasping at anything to get out of the chokehold WWE had on the business. Obviously a little company called AEW formed in that timeframe and the rest is history, but they DID have quite a few of the AEW regulars before they were signed, and people like Tessa before we knew she was a piece of shit, etc.

I rather AEW go with a tested and proven (even if you don’t like it) booker rather than let, I dunno, Sonjay Dutt book AEW for 4 months.

[AxB]

AEW is being sued by Kevin Kelly and the Tate brothers (ie Dalton Castle's Boys, not the ones in Romanian prison).

https://x.com/WrestlingNewsAV/status/1831328161344246218

They're using Stephen P New as their lawyer. Apparently that's Jim Cornette's lawyer too.

[Casey]

He represented Punk and Ace Steel after Brawl Out too, apparently. But yeah he has ads on Cornette’s podcast and that’s very weird and Better Call Saul-ish.

[FourPostMassacre]

48 minutes ago, AxB said:

AEW is being sued by Kevin Kelly and the Tate brothers (ie Dalton Castle's Boys, not the ones in Romanian prison).

https://x.com/WrestlingNewsAV/status/1831328161344246218

They're using Stephen P New as their lawyer. Apparently that's Jim Cornette's lawyer too.

The boys might have something(maybe?) but I am failing to see Kelly’s argument in this unless I missed the part where he refuted all the QAnon stuff. 

[Zakk_Sabbath]

44 minutes ago, AxB said:

AEW is being sued by Kevin Kelly and the Tate brothers (ie Dalton Castle's Boys, not the ones in Romanian prison).

https://x.com/WrestlingNewsAV/status/1831328161344246218

They're using Stephen P New as their lawyer. Apparently that's Jim Cornette's lawyer too.

Cornette's producer owns the site that "broke" the story, too.

It's another one of those "independent contractor misclassification" suits, like the one against WWE years ago.

I'm certainly no expert in employment law, but given that I can recall KK doing at least one NJPW PPV during his tenure on Collision, I don't know how far they're necessarily going to get with that argument.

Theres also some nonsense in there about being defamed (on a *private* discord server... Not sure how that would work, either).

It seems to me like just some PPV-week shit stirring for the sake of it

[EVA]

I had completely forgotten about the dumbass Tate Twins. Judging by their Cagematch page, most of the business has, too.

[Death From Above]

The minute I see the word Cornette I stop reading. Ain't no one got time for that.

[Technico Support]

I saw Kevin Kelly referred to as “The MyPillow Guy of Wrestling” and god damn, that’s on point.

On a semi related note, Drake (fka Younger) Wuertz has an “anti woke” podcast.  Because of course he does.  Drugs, head injuries, and directly injecting conspiracy theories is a bitch, guys.  

Edited September 4 by Technico Support

[Zimbra]

16 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

I saw Kevin Kelly referred to as “The MyPillow Guy of Wrestling” and god damn, that’s on point.

On a semi related note, Drake (fka Younger) Wuertz has an “anti woke” podcast.  Because of course he does.  Drugs, head injuries, and directly injecting conspiracy theories is a bitch, guys.  

That actually feels a little insulting to the MyPillow guy.  He at least kicked crack and built a successful direct-sales business before he went stone bugfuck nuts.

[Technico Support]

I want to go back in time and convince Drake Younger to take that title run PWG was probably booking him toward instead of the NXT gig.  I think moving to Florida started everything.

[EVA]

AEW may have scrapped their rankings, but billable hours remain undefeated.

[odessasteps]

It certainly helps keep people on TK’s side that the people on the other said are not sympathetic. 

[zendragon]

4 hours ago, Zakk_Sabbath said:

Cornette's producer owns the site that "broke" the story, too.

It's another one of those "independent contractor misclassification" suits, like the one against WWE years ago.

I'm certainly no expert in employment law, but given that I can recall KK doing at least one NJPW PPV during his tenure on Collision, I don't know how far they're necessarily going to get with that argument.

Theres also some nonsense in there about being defamed (on a *private* discord server... Not sure how that would work, either).

It seems to me like just some PPV-week shit stirring for the sake of it

Much like Big Tobacco settled with the states in the 90's to avoid going to litigation, if one of these independent contractor lawsuits breaks through it could change the industy

[RazorbladeKiss87]

3 hours ago, Technico Support said:

I want to go back in time and convince Drake Younger to take that title run PWG was probably booking him toward instead of the NXT gig.  I think moving to Florida started everything.

The fall of Younger is sad to me. His deathmatch work was exceptional within the genre and his non-death stuff was really good as well. I heard people say really nice things about him when they met him. 

Different deathmatch guys I know are saying his recent stuff is good but, much like MAGA Butcher, I have little desire to see it and no desire to support it. 

[ExcellenceofAirPollution]

Tate twins effectively blackballed themselves from the biz because WWE ain't touching anybody who brought an independent contractor suit with a 15 ft Russo pole

Edited September 4 by ExcellenceofAirPollution
I figure if Cornette is involved might as well bring up the other idiot. Someone complete the trifecta

[Technico Support]

1 hour ago, RazorbladeKiss87 said:

The fall of Younger is sad to me. His deathmatch work was exceptional within the genre and his non-death stuff was really good as well. I heard people say really nice things about him when they met him. 

Different deathmatch guys I know are saying his recent stuff is good but, much like MAGA Butcher, I have little desire to see it and no desire to support it. 

Same!  I remember hearing him interviewed by Colt and/or Steen and he was the sweetest, most positive dude.  Damn shame.

Edited September 4 by Technico Support

[SovietShooter]

4 hours ago, RazorbladeKiss87 said:

I think moving to Florida started everything.

Drake Younger is the only motherfucker I ever saw openly dealing hard drugs in a locker room.  HWA in Cincinnati in 2008ish. So the problems were there before Florida.

[HumanChessgame]

4 hours ago, RazorbladeKiss87 said:

The fall of Younger is sad to me. His deathmatch work was exceptional within the genre and his non-death stuff was really good as well. I heard people say really nice things about him when they met him. 

Different deathmatch guys I know are saying his recent stuff is good but, much like MAGA Butcher, I have little desire to see it and no desire to support it. 

I met him at an IWA-EC (promotion Madman Pondo ran briefly) and he couldn't have been a nicer guy. His deathmatch stuff was a lot better than the standard mindless plunder spots, and he proceeded to get in great shape and focus on being a better in-ring worker. From what I heard he got involved in one of those q-anon adjacent churches after going to rehab.

[Ramo2653]

11 hours ago, Casey said:

outside of the revived interest in TNA right now because of the WWE partnership, wasn’t the D’Amore era the most anyone has ever been interested in TNA in a long, long time?

I mean, even I was interested in the 2018-2020 years of TNA but I was mainly grasping at anything to get out of the chokehold WWE had on the business. Obviously a little company called AEW formed in that timeframe and the rest is history, but they DID have quite a few of the AEW regulars before they were signed, and people like Tessa before we knew she was a piece of shit, etc.

I rather AEW go with a tested and proven (even if you don’t like it) booker rather than let, I dunno, Sonjay Dutt book AEW for 4 months.

I mean @dreambroken keeps the torch lit for TNA in the forum for sure, but Impact/TNA has had some good stuff here and there since 2014 IMO. That Callis/D'Amore era in particular was good at figuring out how to get the most out of their roster and featuring everyone. You didn't have moments of someone getting lost in the shuffle like WWE or AEW. Granted it's a smaller roster, but even when WWE had slimmed down their roster in middle of the pandemic, you had people stuck in catering.

Again IMO, but D'Amore's on screen character was less evil authority figure than overworked middle management which I thought was a good twist on the on screen authority figure trope.

But I know different folks like different stuff so I'm not here to yuck anyone's yum and I'd hope people feel the same.

I think if you told your committee of bookers, I want these matches for WrestleDream, Full Gear and World's End, figure out how we get there and maybe not let anyone stay off of TV without a match of segment for more than 2 weeks, I think they'd be able to figure it out and make it good.

[DreamBroken]

Definitely some peaks for TNA in the time since 2014. I personally loved the 2016 Corgan era, and then the mentioned 2018/19 Callis/D'Amore era where everything was clicking.  I think Callis might have added a ton more than it may seem and that them two together really excelled more than just D'Amore on his own. Now they're reuniting somewhat as Callis is joining D'Amore's new Maple Leaf Pro, at least as a commentator alongside Mauro Ranallo, but I'd be curious if he ends up doing more there.