Alex Windsor IS All Elite, officially. Killer new theme music, which Mikey Rukus said he drew inspiration from Nakamura's classic NJPW theme, and she looked good here. Running Windsor/Athena next week on Collision for the ROH title, as a rematch from earlier this year and on Collision has me wondering if a title change could be coming with Athena officially moving onto chasing the AEW women's world title.  Megan Bayne vs Tay Melo was also delivering pretty good here.

Thekla is also officially ALL Elite, with Tony explaining that he had her on a 45 day probation due to her storyline exit from Stardom and attacking the President there, great little bit of continuity. 

Nice angle with the Deathriders taking out Cabana. I thought Colt on commentary was just a random fill in for the week but made sense there was a reason for it.

8 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

Okay, I got through these first two pages and presume the Seger talk died off, and I was gonna see a lot of stuff I shouldn't that I missed out on, so I'll just go ahead and say: all this talk and nobody brings up the best Seger song? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=487t88pz-2Y&ab_channel=VerhipBe

As far as the hits, if I ever hear "Like A Rock" again I'll just end it, but I'm hit or miss on a lot of the classics. That old old shit is great though. 

Nice choice! The Seger System's brief excellence as opposed to the long-running-hitmaking Silver Bullet Band era is pretty universally accepted by even Seger-haters at this point. Ha, our guy JLowe may have other thoughts on that. 

3 hours ago, HarryArchieGus said:

Nice choice! The Seger System's brief excellence as opposed to the long-running-hitmaking Silver Bullet Band era is pretty universally accepted by even Seger-haters at this point. Ha, our guy JLowe may have other thoughts on that. 

 

11 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

Okay, I got through these first two pages and presume the Seger talk died off, and I was gonna see a lot of stuff I shouldn't that I missed out on, so I'll just go ahead and say: all this talk and nobody brings up the best Seger song? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=487t88pz-2Y&ab_channel=VerhipBe

As far as the hits, if I ever hear "Like A Rock" again I'll just end it, but I'm hit or miss on a lot of the classics. That old old shit is great though. 

Bob Seger System is pretty damn good and definitely shows off some of that Detroit rock sound. It's like how I enjoy Montrose but really don't like Sammay Hagar.

AR Fox's gear is simple sans tacky designs. It's better than most. I wish Nigel would stop calling him out for not getting new gear with his money prize wins. 

Collision continues to roll along offering a very satisfying B to Dynamite's A. Very good if corn-flavoured Dustin promo to begin. The Don Callis and Fletcher portions were fully on point. I love Don offering Dustin a place in the family post-loss. Good start to what I suspect will be a fun little TNT Title program. The Conglomeration video was good. AR Fox-Ricochet was pretty strong. I'd love it if AEW stopped having wrestlers (without manager's licenses) walking down to ringside whenever they want. Or allowing a bunch of stablemates to hang out and run interference at ringside. It's too much. I liked the Colt Cabana-Death Riders attack. Sorta odd to do that after one segment of his commentary run, but I'm not an analyst Cabana fan. I am a wrestler Cabana fan, and hope this leads to a heated match during this Chicago run. Fun angle! Melo-Bayne was a bit hit and miss, but they brought it together where needed. I suspect this solid showing will help Tay get her groove back. I iked the Sky Flight/Callis segment. Scorpio seemed interested in Don's offer. Windsor-Valkyrie was a fair enhancement bout. Windsor looks like a nice fit. I like her using the Sharp Shooter. Athena promo was alright. Loved Toni's rebuttal - as per usual. The highlight of the show. These two are building up something nice here. Looking forward to Starks-Storm on Wednesday. What's going on here with Assy-Bowens? 4 way tag was alright. Bill got a nice shine. I'd like to see Lio/Action have a ROH tag title run. They have great chemistry, but are a bit lost in the heap. Caster-O'Reilly was mostly a waste of time - Roddy's trip on Max excluded. More KOR/Roddy tags please. Juice Robinson altering his presentation was an unforced error. I am curious to see him take his generic look into battle with Bill. Shibata-Rush was rock solid. A nice near fall and 5 more minutes would've certified it gold. And minus the blatant interference. Why is Dralistico getting in the ring? Nigel's call on the ref wanting to give Shibata a chance to get the proper victory was a nice save-try. The Hobbs save felt way late. Why wasn't he ready and waiting? Has he never seen an LFI match before? Theme music run-ins should be for specific moments, not every time a save is needed. Super fun and expected Jetspeed/Bandido/Dorada-Alexander/Rocky/Archer/Hechicero main event. Stoked to have Hechicero in the regular fold more. Archer looked good where called upon there. The babyfaces are all magnificent. Fun show. I continue to love the Aragon Brawlroom. AEDub!

Edited July 20, 20251 yr by HarryArchieGus

6 hours ago, HarryArchieGus said:

AR Fox's gear is simple sans tacky designs. It's better than most. I wish Nigel would stop calling him out for not getting new gear with his money prize wins. 

Fox used to wear tights a long time ago.  He switched to pants for his Lucha Underground gimmick and I guess he really liked it, because he never went back.  

On 7/18/2025 at 11:40 AM, Craig H said:

I don't think Hangman is quite done with the DRs yet and I don't think Moxley is done with him, but I think Moxley is afraid of Hangman. I would almost like to see Hangman challenge Moxley and Moxley wuss out and Darby is then like, good, now you have me.

This seems about right. Like, could be exactly on the money. Keep that one saved so you can say "I told you so" to us later.

I'm still getting through Collision right now but Yuter sleazin' up on Kris (or is he?) is interesting. Just the Dark Side of the Force teasing before him maybe sorta trying to get some play (which you couldn't blame). Fox/Rico is just not my thing these days, even if they're a perfect combo especially with Ricochet being who he is now. I'm sure I've seen them do their match in LU before this. Dustin promo got me crying, of course. Poor Cabana getting bled out felt worse because... I didn't recognize who he was, until they said "Cabana". Ooof... I'm on the Women's Hoss Match and Jesus, that facewash. The crowd should be way louder for this. 

I downloaded the first two Montrose albums because of this thread btw, keep you posted

2 hours ago, Technico Support said:

Fox used to wear tights a long time ago.  He switched to pants for his Lucha Underground gimmick and I guess he really liked it, because he never went back.  

I think I'd be a pants guy if I was a professional wrestler. What about you guys? Trunks or pants?

Collision Pt. 2

Spoiler

How many pies is Callis trying to stick his fingers in on these shows? It feels like there's at least 5-8 different angles he's working right now. It's kinda crazy and feels like that hasn't been done with just one guy that has a faction before (someone will correct me on this. It will probably involve the Horsemen or Paul Jones' Army). 

Hey, we got two women's singles matches, in a row! And judging from the participants it's like two Knockouts matches. The first one would be the one for the belt. Hell, the second one even has Taya. Good stuff. Then Athena and Toni steal the thunder. Athena blatantly saying "that wasn't part of my plan" cracked me up; "She'll be a great wrestler when she reaches puberty" too 

STOP IT WITH THE FOUR WAYS ALREADY. PLEASE. This goes for you too, New York.

Rush/Shibata was exactly what you knew it was gonna be. Rush insisting on wetting his hair down again to yell at the camera on the floor after was so on-brand. 

I immediately had deja-vu from Dynamite's open seeing most of the participants of that walk out for another four-man. (I watched that right before this. The Mascara Dorada match was the shit.) Bandido slamming Hechicero on the barricade and immediately slapping up with hyped up little kids was so fucking cool! THAT is pro wrestling. While the other match was about the Bucks, this one was about Hechicero/Bandido, and being as entertaining and crowd-pleasing as humanly possible. It got one brief "This Is Awesome" chant because it really was so awesome and fast that the crowd couldn't stop long enough to be irritating. Sometimes the Highspot Fest just hits the... spot, I guess. Good work.  

17 minutes ago, Peck said:

I think I'd be a pants guy if I was a professional wrestler. What about you guys? Trunks or pants?

Singlet. Shooter boots. 

It's probably just me, but Toni Storm's act is starting to feel played out and is wearing thin.  It may be time to evolve it a bit and add some new facets to it.  They're leaning so hard into "show up and spout some strained, tryhard sexual double entendres (they're so simplistic they're actually single entendres) for the gooners" that it's become the entire gimmick.  Like that's all there is anymore.  That's lame.

Edited July 21, 20251 yr by Technico Support

11 hours ago, Peck said:

I think I'd be a pants guy if I was a professional wrestler. What about you guys? Trunks or pants?

11 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

Singlet. Shooter boots. 

I always kinda hoped that wrestling would move more towards MMA style shorts and away from briefs style tights. I know it was a bit divisive, but I liked how ECW introduced cut off t-shirts, shorts etc. that helped make less attractive or unrefined bodies look more presentable. The ROH Gabe move towards trad gear was good in a way, but not for guys like Kevin Steen. Steen is a great example of a guy knowing how to properly present himself. Wrestler's gear in AEW is mostly fine, but could certainly be a lot better. There's a couple hundred tacky tight designs that would look a lot better without them. It's a TV product that could really benefit a tasteful designer. Especially the Women's Division. I'm not sure the sequined catfighting look with all the lingerie straps is such a great presentation for such seriously talented athletes. It sometimes feels like a lot of ppl are stuck in the Divas era. Toni's generally got cool ideas tho. I think they underestimate how big a turn off some of these outfits are to a non-adult male audience. Probably the best exmple of bad design is Hologram. He really could've benefitted a proper tasteful costume designer. That's one of the worst looking masks I've ever seen. On the otherside of the coin, is there a better presentation than the clean crisp look of Katsuyori Shibata?

Edited July 21, 20251 yr by HarryArchieGus

2 hours ago, Technico Support said:

It's probably just me, but Toni Storm's act is starting to feel played out and is wearing thin.  It may be time to evolve it a bit and add some new facets to it.  They're leaning so hard into "show up and spout some strained, tryhard sexual double entendres (they're so simplistic they're actually single entendres) for the gooners" that it's become the entire gimmick.  Like that's all there is anymore.  That's lame.

Are you just talking about her in-ring promos?  Because I felt the segment she had at 'Grand Slam Mexico' leading into her attacking Mercedes was fantastic and I felt her promo during their video package was very good as well.  Hell, both women had some great segments.  Mercedes segment where she knocks over the projector and sits down revealing she has Toni Storm stickers on the bottom of her boots was awesome too. 

10 minutes ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

Are you just talking about her in-ring promos?  Because I felt the segment she had at 'Grand Slam Mexico' leading into her attacking Mercedes was fantastic and I felt her promo during their video package was very good as well.  Hell, both women had some great segments.  Mercedes segment where she knocks over the projector and sits down revealing she has Toni Storm stickers on the bottom of her boots was awesome too. 

Yeah, I should have said the promos.  As you mentioned, the confrontation segment and package were great.  But seeing "show up and talk dirty" on back to back shows this past week soured me.  I may just be overly critical or cynical, but it feels like this character could easily become one note.

Edited July 21, 20251 yr by Technico Support

2 hours ago, HarryArchieGus said:

I always kinda hoped that wrestling would move more towards MMA style shorts and away from briefs style tights. I know it was a bit divisive, but I liked how ECW introduced cut off t-shirts, shorts etc. that helped make less attractive or unrefined bodies look more presentable. The ROH Gabe move towards trad gear was good in a way, but not for guys like Kevin Steen. Steen is a great example of a guy knowing how to properly present himself. Wrestler's gear in AEW is mostly fine, but could certainly be a lot better. There's a couple hundred tacky tight designs that would look a lot better without them. It's a TV product that could really benefit a tasteful designer. Especially the Women's Division. I'm not sure the sequined catfighting look with all the lingerie straps is such a great presentation for such seriously talented athletes. It sometimes feels like a lot of ppl are stuck in the Divas era. Toni's generally got cool ideas tho. I think they underestimate how big a turn off some of these outfits are to a non-adult male audience. Probably the best exmple of bad design is Hologram. He really could've benefitted a proper tasteful costume designer. That's one of the worst looking masks I've ever seen. On the otherside of the coin, is there a better presentation than the clean crisp look of Katsuyori Shibata?

God yes, all of this. People need to work on their shit. I get that they'd just dumb wrestlers, but get a designer or something if you can't come up with something inventive and original for yourself. There's a reason WWE has them. A lot of the women need to strip those designs down and not just look like they walked through a blizzard of shiny materials and varying colored paint. And the Hologram mask is THE PITS. Aren't luchador mask supposed to look... cool? And that's their commonality through history? 😄

I kinda agree with the Toni stuff, but I still think it's funny -- right now. Her interview clips frequently show up in my FB reels and she's a card when given questions. She can do better. 

3 hours ago, Technico Support said:

It's probably just me, but Toni Storm's act is starting to feel played out and is wearing thin.  It may be time to evolve it a bit and add some new facets to it.  They're leaning so hard into "show up and spout some strained, tryhard sexual double entendres (they're so simplistic they're actually single entendres) for the gooners" that it's become the entire gimmick.  Like that's all there is anymore.  That's lame.

1 hour ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

Are you just talking about her in-ring promos?  Because I felt the segment she had at 'Grand Slam Mexico' leading into her attacking Mercedes was fantastic and I felt her promo during their video package was very good as well.  Hell, both women had some great segments.  Mercedes segment where she knocks over the projector and sits down revealing she has Toni Storm stickers on the bottom of her boots was awesome too. 

1 hour ago, Technico Support said:

Yeah, I should have said the promos.  As you mentioned, the confrontation segment and package were great.  But seeing "show up and talk dirty" on back to back shows this past week soured me.  I may just be overly critical or cynical, but it feels like this character could easily become one note.

Some repetition is bound to occur, but I think Toni's utlized her dirty dictionary particularly well throughout this run. I loved that Grandslam angle, but I've also loved most if not all of her promo work. Many highlights hidden away on little seen Collisions and Rampages. I thought she kinda saved that segment with Athena. There has to be a little leeway here with Toni. She's been far too good, like best in the business good, to start complaining after a smidge of repetition. 

20 hours ago, Peck said:

I think I'd be a pants guy if I was a professional wrestler. What about you guys? Trunks or pants?

When I first started out and was still kinda skinny, I wore a singlet.  Then as I got older and bulked up a bit, I wore trunks - both the short style, and brief cut. 

 

20 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

Shooter boots. 

Yup! 

On 7/20/2025 at 10:33 PM, Peck said:

I think I'd be a pants guy if I was a professional wrestler. What about you guys? Trunks or pants?

AKIMAN ICHIBAN~!

On 7/20/2025 at 10:33 PM, Peck said:

I think I'd be a pants guy if I was a professional wrestler. What about you guys? Trunks or pants?

Since early 2000s nostalgia is in now I'm bringing back the trash bag pants.

2 minutes ago, Zimbra said:

Since early 2000s nostalgia is in now I'm bringing back the trash bag pants.

Pleather was all the rage.

4 minutes ago, Zimbra said:

Since early 2000s nostalgia is in now I'm bringing back the trash bag pants.

I'm just going with jeans, a wifebeater and a bag of chips if we're doing 2000s indie nostalgia.  Or maybe cargo pants like Sick Nick Mondo. 

Oh yeah, I always liked Mondo's baggy pants tucked into high boots look.  Gave him an interesting silhouette. 

i've been waiting for somebody to say kickpads

I wore kickpads when I started kicking people.  I dropped them shortly after I switched to trunks. 

I wore the MMA gloves for awhile too.