AEW - JUL 2021

[Eoae]

1 hour ago, AxB said:

Lance Archer's ring entrance takes longer than his match, so you shave some minutes there. Generally the matches are short and squashy though. It's very much like watching TV wrestling from before the Monday Night Wars started (photo spoilered for size).

If Excalibur or Tony rocks a hip 90's jumpsuit, I'm in (edit: photo spoilered for size)

Spoiler

 

I'm assuming Dark has its own announcers though.

Edited July 11, 2021 by Eoae

[kafkonia]

19 minutes ago, Eoae said:

 

I'm assuming Dark has its own announcers though.

Dark is Excalibur and Taz. 

[HarryArchieGus]

Re: Dark
I'm pleased that AEW has done away with jobber entrances.  Cutting some of the others in half or going right to the in ring would be great occasionally too.  I don't need to see, for example, Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss' entrance regularly.  Just cut to them getting in the ring - a half entrance.  It'd be beneficial to the quality of the shows for them be a bit more judicious with clipping of bad/weak matches on Dark/Elevation.  Introduce the match as a taped set of clips from the desk.  Cut the running time down and better exmplify the quality of action.  They seem to be doing more promos which is also a huge plus for these shows, but I hope this trend continues to the point where they're always cutting to an interview set in the arena or in the back between every bout.  The mic reps are as important as the in ring.  And it would be a great way to get higher level guys on the show who have a big match on Wednesday.  Lastly, I'd love to see them do away with the jokey Taz-Excalibur style commentary.  I rarely find either of them actually funny and it takes away from the potential in ring drama.  It comes off like 'nothing to see here'.

[Guest Jimbo_Tsuruta]

8 minutes ago, HarryArchieGus said:

Lastly, I'd love to see them do away with the jokey Taz-Excalibur style commentary.  I rarely find either of them actually funny and it takes away from the potential in ring drama.  It comes off like 'nothing to see here'.

Most of the time when I see clips of Dark I roll my eyes at Taz and Excalibur arsing around. They're a good fit when their heads are switched on.

[LoneWolf&Subs]

The show wouldn’t be as entertaining without Taz & Excalibur messing around. Otherwise you’d get Show & Tony on Dark Elevation. I mean you’re watching Dark to see their stars beating the piss out of nobody’s, and looking good. Both talking heads clowning on ugly ham & eggers adds to it. 

[The Green Meanie]

39 minutes ago, HarryArchieGus said:

I'm pleased that AEW has done away with jobber entrances.  Cutting some of the others in half or going right to the in ring would be great occasionally too.  I don't need to see, for example, Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss' entrance regularly.  Just cut to them getting in the ring - a half entrance.....Lastly, I'd love to see them do away with the jokey Taz-Excalibur style commentary.  I rarely find either of them actually funny and it takes away from the potential in ring drama.  It comes off like 'nothing to see here'.

These are two reasons I actually love Dark/Elevation, and don't want them to go away. I love seeing entrances of lesser-featured wrestlers, it's a good way for them to get exposure and discover new favorites. And wacky Tazz/Excalibur commentary has not only become a staple of Botchamania, but something my household looks forward to every week.

[LoneWolf&Subs]

Plain Dark has become a very good version of weekend syndicated wrestling when it comes to commentary, and rando matches. It’s very much in the WCW Pro/World Wide/Main Event of shows.

Plea to Tony K… Ice Train might decide to return again. Call him up, and book him on a Dark for shits, and giggles. If he does well, then bring him in a few more times to see if it holds up.

Edited July 11, 2021 by LoneWolf&Subs

[HarryArchieGus]

I think they really oughta shoot for better than being modern day WCW c shows.  Which, sure, featured some good random matches (perfect for five to ten minutes on youtube), but were barely IF watchable from week to week.  

The Taz-Excalibur brand of comedy is not my bag, but obviously to each their own.  As I said, it pulls me away from the potential drama between the two to four to six people in ring.  I see commentary as an element to get over the in ring talent not the personalities at the desk.  When it does the latter it reduces the focus and point of the matches.  There are plenty of guys like Bobby Heenan (in his prime), Ventura, Callis, Heyman even Jericho who have been pretty hilarious on commentary without just blatantly ignoring the action and rambling on non-sequitors for the amusement of each other.  I think Excalibur and Taz are both capable of much better when they're focused on the point.

Edited July 11, 2021 by HarryArchieGus

[Eoae]

48 minutes ago, Jimbo_Tsuruta said:

Most of the time when I see clips of Dark I roll my eyes at Taz and Excalibur arsing around. They're a good fit when their heads are switched on.

I feel like I'm probably in the minority but I found a lot of the commentary on PWG to be annoying.  I never found Excalibur and Chuck Taylor and the crew to be consistently funny.  They did have their moments, but mostly it was like an obnoxious episode of MST3K for me.  Though, to be fair, I don't watch comedies that much and generally don't find things like MST particularly funny, so it may well just be my peeve and ymmv.

The PWG commentary did have occasional gold, but, yeah, not enough.

[LoneWolf&Subs]

I don’t think there has been a 3rd string C show that has ever had serious commentary. Expectations are way too high if you expect that. Even Baba used to chuckle his ass off during the mid tour shows. Also they do have an off switch when it’s a match clearly designed to highlight young talent on Dark.

You gotta understand, we were kids when we watched those shows. We didn’t realize they were joking so much about the talent, and using inside humor on air. these commenters spent nights recording the audio for a bunch of enhancement talent matches. They had to keep their sanity somehow. Taz & Excalibur are there live recording this till 1 AM in the morning. You won’t find anyone who will work this straight. You better be ready for a lot of employees quitting if they can’t find enjoyment working those late hours.

Edited July 11, 2021 by LoneWolf&Subs

[NoFistsJustFlips]

We all have different sensibilities when it comes to what we like out of wrestling. But some of these suggestions clearly would never make it past the wrestling bubble filter. Like cutting contracted talent's entrances? Yeah explain that to the worker and see how that works out lol. There's certain cues wrestling uses to demonstrate unspoken norms. Such as, if you get no entrance you are not important. Did anyone think QT Marshall was beating Cody when he had no entrance this week? Nah. Cutting the contracted wrestler's entrances off of Dark & Elevation would communicate to them that no one in the company cares about them. Cut Joey Janela's entrance and see how long it takes for him to publicly vent on twitter and ask for his release because the company is disrespecting him.

[HarryArchieGus]

55 minutes ago, LoneWolf&Subs said:

I don’t think there has been a 3rd string C show that has ever had serious commentary. Expectations are way too high if you expect that. Even Baba used to chuckle his ass off during the mid tour shows. Also they do have an off switch when it’s a match clearly designed to highlight young talent on Dark.

You gotta understand, we were kids when we watched those shows. We didn’t realize they were joking so much about the talent, and using inside humor on air. these commenters spent nights recording the audio for a bunch of enhancement talent matches. They had to keep their sanity somehow. Taz & Excalibur are there live recording this till 1 AM in the morning. You won’t find anyone who will work this straight. You better be ready for a lot of employees quitting if they can’t find enjoyment working those late hours.

As I've highlighted with reasons, I'm not really into the overt joking around displayed by the Tazmaniac or 'Mark' as JR calls him.  But again, to each their own.  To your first comment, I don't expect any more than I know to expect from Dark.  It's the reason I skim it at best, and often watch the matches with the volume low and little or no attention to the commentary.  

I'm fine with yesteryear inside subliminal jabs.  If done well, it's great.  And I have no sympathy over the quality of mat action for somebody in the position of calling wrestling matches.  It's a well paying and great job and should only be filled by people who really love it.  There's plenty of fun to be had calling squashes.  
 

44 minutes ago, NoFistsJustFlips said:

We all have different sensibilities when it comes to what we like out of wrestling. But some of these suggestions clearly would never make it past the wrestling bubble filter. Like cutting contracted talent's entrances? Yeah explain that to the worker and see how that works out lol. There's certain cues wrestling uses to demonstrate unspoken norms. Such as, if you get no entrance you are not important. Did anyone think QT Marshall was beating Cody when he had no entrance this week? Nah. Cutting the contracted wrestler's entrances off of Dark & Elevation would communicate to them that no one in the company cares about them. Cut Joey Janela's entrance and see how long it takes for him to publicly vent on twitter and ask for his release because the company is disrespecting him.

They've cut right to the action on a number of occasions to open Dynamite, and it works well.  QT not getting an entrance didn't really have much to do with ppl thinking he wasn't winning, but granted it was an odd (tho fine) choice for the blow off (which was barely ever in jeopardy - which is also fine).  As mentioned before, I also think sending to a 'taped match' (particularly mediocre or bad matches) and clipping it is a way to make for a better flow and less non-entertaining waste.  

My suggestion is: we don't need to see in every match every wrestler come out of the tunnel and down the ramp and into the ring.  In some cases, yeah, I love cutting straight to the ring for the action.  It's a nice way to open a broacast on occasion.  I also think the entrances would be a good time for an inset promo from the competitor or their rival - classic syndicated WWF style.  On Dynamite they might start an entrance and go picture and picture - this is one of the better uses of this modern technology.    

[Jenalysis]

How many folks would miss Janela?   He's nothing special in ring.  I do believe he provides value to AEW through his contacts and scouting, so using him as a JTTS/midcarder (which is his ceiling) is the right way to use him.  Sonny and Joey is a feud made for Dark though, and Sonny needs the reps because they don't have much experience.

 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2021 by alstein

[LoneWolf&Subs]

5 minutes ago, HarryArchieGus said:

the overt joking around displayed by the Tazmaniac or 'Mark' as JR calls him. 

Are you living the Cornette experience?

[HarryArchieGus]

Just now, LoneWolf&Subs said:

Are you living the Cornette experience?

Is Corny noted for calling Taz 'Tazmaniac' and/or referring to JR blunders.  It was a joke.  Perhaps, as I mentioned, we don't share the same brand of humour.

[NoFistsJustFlips]

38 minutes ago, HarryArchieGus said:

My suggestion is: we don't need to see in every match every wrestler come out of the tunnel and down the ramp and into the ring.  In some cases, yeah, I love cutting straight to the ring for the action.  It's a nice way to open a broacast on occasion.  I also think the entrances would be a good time for an inset promo from the competitor or their rival - classic syndicated WWF style.  On Dynamite they might start an entrance and go picture and picture - this is one of the better uses of this modern technology.    

I understand that is what you'd like to see. Your opinion is valid and I'm not trying to talk you out of what you like. I'm just trying to explain why it's not likely to happen. It's a business with a lot of egos and irrational emotions. There's a lot of performers that would not be okay with being featured that way and they'd be willing to throw a fit about it. For that reason alone it's not worth rocking the boat.

 

[HarryArchieGus]

13 minutes ago, NoFistsJustFlips said:

I understand that is what you'd like to see. Your opinion is valid and I'm not trying to talk you out of what you like. I'm just trying to explain why it's not likely to happen. It's a business with a lot of egos and irrational emotions. There's a lot of performers that would not be okay with being featured that way and they'd be willing to throw a fit about it. For that reason alone it's not worth rocking the boat.

I appreciate where you're coming from, but as I've pointed out - they're already doing it in a number of ways.  I don't think anything I've outlined would cause any sort of uproar with a reasonable contracted employee.  And to be clear I'm talking week to week and mainly about Dark/Elevation.  Not Dynamite and certainly not Closed Circuit Television, er Pay Per View.

Edited July 11, 2021 by HarryArchieGus

[BrianS81177]

You guys are being way too polite to each other. You're in violation of internet etiquette. One of you needs to call the other a moron. 

[AxB]

The world needs less Morons, and more Lesrons.

nb: Fewer (rather than less) would be grammatically correct but kill the pun.

[Casey]

I'm just now discovering that Cody has a podcast (Everything but Wrestling) and recently had Nyla Rose and Hikaru Shida on to discuss the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda.

[John from Cincinnati]

6 hours ago, NoFistsJustFlips said:

Cut Joey Janela's entrance and see how long it takes for him to publicly vent on twitter and ask for his release because the company is disrespecting him.

I find these terms agreeable. Offer accepted.

[Jenalysis]

Shida and Cody are both huge Zelda fans- Cody had the Triforce on his gear for years (usually boots), and Shida cosplayed it.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

5 hours ago, alstein said:

How many folks would miss Janela?   He's nothing special in ring.  I do believe he provides value to AEW through his contacts and scouting, so using him as a JTTS/midcarder (which is his ceiling) is the right way to use him.  Sonny and Joey is a feud made for Dark though, and Sonny needs the reps because they don't have much experience.

 

 

 

I actually like Janela a lot for whatever reason, but agree his indy connections are the real value he brings. I Look at it like Konnan in WCW being the pipeline to the luchadors

[Jiji]

Yeah but Konnan was cool and did cool moves and cut funny promos.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

3 minutes ago, Jiji said:

Yeah but Konnan was cool and did cool moves and cut funny promos.

Excellent point. The value in Konnan teaching a whole generation of suburban white kids about eating strawberries and tossing salads can't be undersold.