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AEW Dynamite - 8/18/2021


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1 minute ago, Shartnado said:

It should have been exceedingly easy

Imma stop you right there and say that the list of people that it should have been exeedingly easy to get some sort of enjoyable midcard value out of could start at Titan Towers and be long enough to find you in Finland.

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Just now, DangerMark said:

Imma stop you right there and say that the list of people that it should have been exeedingly easy to get some sort of enjoyable midcard value out of could start at Titan Towers and be long enough to find you in Finland.

Point taken.

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Alright, so wife and I got back from the show. The crowd was nuclear the whole night. Something I found interesting when checking out some YouTube videos when I got home - they shot that really well (television wise.) You wouldn't know that the Fertitta Center (Hofheinz Pavilion to you old schoolers) only holds about 7,000. Crowd was slow getting in, maybe halfway full when Dark Elevation started (I was about to get concerned that it was going to look empty on TV) but the rest of the crowd showed up about 10 minutes before television time.

 

Biggest pops -
Sammy
Jericho
(Both) Tonys

 

Spoiler

Death Triangle

 

There were maybe...12 to 14 matches taped for Dark Elevation, about 7 or 8 before Dynamite started, the rest afterwards.

Dark Elevation spoilers:

Spoiler

Anthony Bowens had a singles match against Dante Martin. Crowd chanted "WE WANT MAX!" during Bowens' intro. Sadly, no Chaos Project or Wingmen for this episode, but there is Best Friends, Death Triangle, and Dark Order. ALL OF THE CROWD DANCED TO ANGELICO's THEME WHEN HE CAME OUT.

And speaking of the last bit -

Spoiler

They filmed a segment at the end of the main event teasing dissension in the Dark Order between Uno and Five.

Tony Khan came out and gave a really nice speech complimenting the crowd, and it didn't sound like fan service, that genuinely felt like one of the liveliest crowds in not on AEW history but wrestling history I've ever been a part of. Eddie Kingston also came out and gave another amazing, heartfelt speech.

Edited by The Green Meanie
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Nice show tonight, the first hour specially flew by and was awesome. The hot crowd helped, funny what delivering and not fucking over your audience does for crowd reactions. Random thoughts below:

- The show looked very dark tonight and a lot less polished than usual, looked like an early episode or All In a bit. The set looked kinda cheap too. Feels like they used a different production crew tonight. Maybe the main one is setting up in Chicago for the big Rampage?

- Guevara-Spears really went all out with their match, that top rope cutter was smooth AF. Awesome finish and I was surprised Spears kicked out of the 630 but he got properly murdered right after. Sammy should get a whole gear overhaul, I don’t think what he wears now really works at all as a face.

- Cutler using the flare to distract Luchasaurus was glorious, he's basically a cartoon character but i'm enjoying his goofiness. For a moment I thought they were gonna pull a surprise title switch here and I really liked the fast desperate finisher by the Bucks, a million times better than when they shout “B T E Trigger!” which I always find very cringe.

- Kenny with the Cookie Monster shirt first and Chick Magnet this week. FORESHADOWING

- Ugh, do we really need Big Show in the ring? 

- Eddie Kingston vs Miro? Take all my money.

- Took a while to get going but that Jericho a Capella entrance was pretty damn cool. Loved the "MJF cam" with Jericho waiting at the end, fun sequence, and MJF is a much better cameraman man than the shoddy work we’ve seen from Jericho in the past. Jericho pulling a perfect Lionsaults and a jumping top rop rana was a sight to see.

Bring on Rampage baybay.

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3 minutes ago, eikerir said:

The show looked very dark tonight and a lot less polished than usual, looked like an early episode or All In a bit. The set looked kinda cheap too. Feels like they used a different production crew tonight. Maybe the main one is setting up in Chicago for the big Rampage?

Not a different crew, a verrrrrry small arena compared to the arenas they usually run. WWE more then likely has Toyota Center sewn up, so there aren't many options left in Houston where they could have gone. It was fairly obvious how small everything was (the two tunnels, ringside area, etc) being there, but I wasn't sure how it'd show up on TV.

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7 hours ago, Jiji said:

Cutler is approaching S-tier stooge status. The Jurassic Park flare was so money. 

Welcome to the Cutler Cult! He has consistently gotten genuine laughter from me for weeks now without detracting from the main action. I can't believe how much better he is in this role (and I liked his feud with Avalon but this is so much better). 

Was worried that we were gonna start the show with an in-ring promo which AEW has avoided so far so was happy to see that subverted. Fair play to 2.0 taking their shot and running with it. I get the nostalgia of Sting wrestling on TNT but if they are priming us for Darby v Punk, why not have him seal the win rather than the old dude?? 

Having said that, they seemed to be steering towards Mox being Punks first interaction, what with him in the main event Friday as well as his promo at the end. Nothing is very obvious at the moment and I'm loving it. 

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2 hours ago, The Green Meanie said:

Tony Khan came out and gave a really nice speech complimenting the crowd, and it didn't sound like fan service, that genuinely felt like one of the liveliest crowds in not on AEW history but wrestling history I've ever been a part of. Eddie Kingston also came out and gave another amazing, heartfelt speech.

I noticed this last week when I saw fan cam footage. I guess TK realizes he’s not a hype, So they got Eddie on duty for that. 

Not only does Eddie have a job with a major wrestling company, he’s now a trusted member of the roster to be a wrestler, commentator, and pep rally leader.

Also this is just observation. Roberts not being there, and the lack of matches on the main show have me worried about the roster contacting COVID between episodes.

Edited by LoneWolf&Subs
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15 minutes ago, The Green Meanie said:

Not a different crew, a verrrrrry small arena compared to the arenas they usually run. WWE more then likely has Toyota Center sewn up, so there aren't many options left in Houston where they could have gone. It was fairly obvious how small everything was (the two tunnels, ringside area, etc) being there, but I wasn't sure how it'd show up on TV.


Ah ok, makes sense that it looked a bit "House Show-ish" compared to how good the last few Dynamites and Rampage have looked.

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24 minutes ago, The Green Meanie said:

Not a different crew, a verrrrrry small arena compared to the arenas they usually run. WWE more then likely has Toyota Center sewn up, so there aren't many options left in Houston where they could have gone. It was fairly obvious how small everything was (the two tunnels, ringside area, etc) being there, but I wasn't sure how it'd show up on TV.

You know, I bet you the tunnels are at the United Center too. The Knight Center being even smaller didn’t stop them from using the usual set there. Probably saving some doh with that.

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Enjoyed the opener. I have no problem with how Ever-rise were used in WWE, but it's a point worth re-iterating how much better they've been treated by AEW, even as cannon fodder. Surprised they didn't have Darby cut a promo or do anything further to tease Punk though, especially as the Rampage trailer later in the show focused on the 'Darby is close to calling himself the best in the world' tagline. Missed opportunity there to add some more juice to it.

Sammy vs Spears was enjoyable though definitely went overboard for the 2nd match on a run of the mill TV episode. Would rather see them save some of that stuff for high profile matches, but that would mean Sammy has to have more high profile matches.

Dan Lambert was tremendous. This guy is made for pro wrestling in 2021. What an outstanding promo that was so good at targeting the stereotype of the AEW fanbase. The idea of Arlovski and JDS having a match is very exciting. Teasing them getting involved then switching to freaking Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky is a master troll job. I am interested if this actually leads to any of these MMA guys doing something in AEW, because if not then what is the point?

Bucks vs JE was whatever. JB had some good moments but typical Bucks/Elite noise, but I did enjoy the beatdown afterwards. They're doing everything they can to make Omega vs Christian a hot match.

I'm a big Big Show fan but am mixed about him having a match at ALL OUT. Cool to see him step in the ring, but him vs QT doesn't seem to lead to anything. Is Wright gonna have more big matches or is this a one-off? I'd be much more interested in a 6-man with The Factory vs Wright and 2 others.

The Cage-Starks feud getting a completely rushed segment is becoming a running meme at this point. Have they even been given 10 minutes in total on Dynamite since Starks won the belt? I know Cage can't talk but Starks can, so it's a shame this program is treated as such an afterthought.

Lucha Bros vs Bucks for the 87th time does zero for me, and the build for Andrade vs PAC has also been a wet fart so far. I'm willing to give Andrade time because all of AEW's acquisitions seem to have lukewarm feuds on arrival before hitting their mark. Speaking of - Miro vs Eddie Kingston!! Please can this be an actual rivalry with promos rather than just a one-off match? I can hope.

Main event was whatever. Thought the finish was a bit dumb, the referee is distracted long enough for Jericho to use the bat, but he hesitates to use the Judas Effect why? Made him look a bit of an idiot. The Labours of Jericho has been a pretty hot angle over the last few weeks but the resulting match was entirely forgettable. MJF goes over clean, now what? Is he getting heated up for Punk or Bryan? Is Jericho just going to walk away now? Questions I am interested in seeing the answers to, but still feels like an anti-climax.

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58 minutes ago, LoneWolf&Subs said:

I noticed this last week when I saw fan cam footage. I guess TK realizes he’s not a hype, So they got Eddie on duty for that. 

Not only does Eddie have a job with a major wrestling company, he’s now a trusted member of the roster to be a wrestler, commentator, and pep rally leader.

Also this is just observation. Roberts not being there, and the lack of matches on the main show have me worried about the roster contacting COVID between episodes.

 

It could have been precautionary.  TK has said that a COVID outbreak that caused a show cancellation would be very financially damaging.  Early in the pandemic, they split the roster and told half to stay home for weeks at a time just to have a backup crew in case an outbreak happened with the first crew.

 

With vaccination I think they're worried less, but that might still be a reason for less matches.

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Someone pointed it out that while Dan Lambert is doing a hell of a job playing the wrestling version of Clay Travis,  it is a gimmick that will probably work better in places that isn't already filled like Clay Travis like fucks.    tells you how good he is at pissing people off that he could get that in Texas of all  places.   I am glad that they brought in JDS as one of the heavies in the group.   I think there is something there in terms of wresting for him and not just generic MMA gimmick that was used by WWE.

Remember how people were so shocked how improved Tay Conti when all we had was her NXT work.  Well look at 2.0 right now and that was just a month after NXT.  I am not sure even people who followed their Chikara days could see this good and not in a ha ha way like usual.    

Edited by hammerva
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9 hours ago, elizium said:

I'd argue that they're trying to be as uncool as possible, but eye of the beholder and all that

This is clearly the aim of their whole act and I love it. They're all pretty much 80's ski/summer camp movie cartoon villains at this point 

 

always-sunny-gif-256.gif

Edited by eikerir
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Heh, I see what you did there.  And you know what that would be a pretty neat little feud.

So I actually missed the Penelope/Rosa match due to real life shit.  Maybe that's why it felt like a neverending series of promos hence dragging down my enjoyment of the show.  Is that match worth going back and watching?

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Another great overall show that continues to keep me swept up.  
 

Does anyone else freak out over that Jurassic Express double team into the power bomb?  That is a really crazy dangerous move without much margin for error.  Anytime I see it-I’m like “Fuuuuuuuck”!

Loved the crowd signing Judas exactly as planned.  Jericho looked pleased as punch.  The match was also a very good main event with a genuinely surprising finish.  Not that MJF won.  But a tap out victory over a big name star is cementing a young heels bonafides.  It’s a solid build.

I’m in the camp that the QT/Wight promo didn’t quite hit the mark in a show full of bullseyes.  But I’m also kinda wondering what Wight has to do to shed his skin of WWE baggage.  To me it’s pretty much THAT getting in the way of projecting the required cool factor AEW manages most of the time.

One last thing I’d like to point to in appreciation.  The large roster that AEW has and with the limited tv time they have available.  They do a really good job rotating performers in and out so that week to week so the show doesn’t always look alike.  It would be very easy to always have the biggest stars eating up all the time and end up stale from repetition.  But this young company full of young talent does a great job of staying fresh.  Keep dodging that bullet.

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50 minutes ago, NikoBaltimore said:

Heh, I see what you did there.  And you know what that would be a pretty neat little feud.

So I actually missed the Penelope/Rosa match due to real life shit.  Maybe that's why it felt like a neverending series of promos hence dragging down my enjoyment of the show.  Is that match worth going back and watching?

The crowd was hot for Rosa which was fun, but nothing worth going out of your way to see. Plus we got the dreaded Commercial Break taking half the match. Can’t wait to watch an nba game and right when a fast break starts Kevin Harlan kicks it to Picture in Picture. 

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I'm really ambivalent about the Elite these days.  I'm kinda digging the little bits like the terrible facial hair and the basketball gear and entrance.  But I also feel like it's just a good variation of the act they've been doing for a long time (especially the Bucks).  And watching most matches end with a bunch of run-ins and a group beatdown is fairly dull for me.  When Jungle Boy was fighting off the Elite B-Team, my reaction was "I've seen the nWo.  Thanks, anyway."

Dunno.  Hopefully they start putting the Jurassic Express and Page over soon.  It seems like it's about time for the babyfaces to start gaining some ground.

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Man, I really love 2point0. Listened to their podcast with Jericho last night on the way to the airport to pick up the old lady and my god, I could listen to those two talk for days. I hope they're involved in the Punk debut somehow. Whoever said those guys might find themselves a fluke title win, god I hope so.

I personally enjoyed the smaller entrance set. It made everything almost feel more "Nitro-esque". MJF winning again was the right call, but please tell me this feud is done. Maybe go to Sammy/MJF now for a blowoff? Or has that been taken off the plate for too long now. (Also congrats to Sammy and his fiance. More feel good AEW moments)

Miro/Kingston? Uhm, yes please? Thank you. My god Miro has some chops on him. Thank god they don't do scripted promos over here. This is how promos should be.

Don't care for Paul White vs. QT but it is what it is, one match on a PPV, I can live with that.

Also, did the Elite tease our idea of beating Christian so he doesn't make All Out? That wasn't exactly a beatdown worthy of "not being able to make All Out" but I chuckled when I saw that. Thought we had called something right for once!

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Penelope got badly lost on an Irish whip and ended up pirouetting to nowhere. Outside of that it was decent.

Nice to see Paul Wight has now gone two whole in ring promos without bursting into tears. WWE really loved that they had a guy who could cry real tears on cue, but they had him do it too often (and he was the last guy who should have been doing it; If, like, Drake Maverick could cry on demand, by all means have him do that every few weeks. Or if they had Cena incorporating some Onita-isms, even. Not the giant monster.

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That STF choke thing that Rosa did to end the match was pretty sick.  Her Texas flag ring gear was also very choice.  I don't always follow the women's stuff closely but she seems like a huge star in the making.

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