Rampage - 7/15/2022

[DEAN]

MAX LARD!

 

[DEAN]

Respect!

 

[onelegbrynn]

The only thing I really was interested in was from Rampage this week was the ROH Title match. I thought it was fine and I'm all for Claudio vs. Gresham at the PPV. Otherwise, the rest of the show bored me.

[Go2Sleep]

I really hope the Moriarty/Dante match ends with both of them turning on Sydal and joining Stokely. The Lio/Dante team was too good for this world, but I'd definitely take this as a consolation. I'd love to see them heel their way up the ladder until Keith Lee pounces Dante into a parallel universe.

Edited July 17, 2022 by Go2Sleep

[JLowe]

4 hours ago, Go2Sleep said:

I really hope the Moriarty/Dante match ends with both of them turning on Sydal and joining Stokely. The Lio/Dante team was too good for this world, but I'd definitely take this as a consolation. I'd love to see them heel their way up the ladder until Keith Lee pounces Dante into a parallel universe.

Ohhh, I like this idea a lot! Except I would have Dante leapfrog the pounce.

[HarryArchieGus]

On 7/14/2022 at 8:51 PM, Gordlow said:

I am glad that AEW is easing off on the gas slightly here. I personally need a cool down. I have been marking out non-stop since (at least) the week before Forbidden Door.

No wait, you were completely right.

20 hours ago, DEAN said:

SATURDAY REFLECTIONS:  I like the John Silver and Brodie King section of the opener.  I like that it leads up to Alex Reynolds fighting for his AEW career, taking an assbeating like a CHAMP.  Reynolds is better than Stu Grayson and Alan Angels, though he isn't as flashy as they are.  He is like Malakai Black- always in the right place and can really work.  I love the preposterously elaborate set-up to Reynolds getting slaughtered by Brodie's Lariat and the EVEN MORE ELABORATE set-up to get up Brodie getting German Suplexed With A Bridge to set up the Van Daminator by Malakai Black.  I wonder who is planning out these straight up lucha situations for this match.  Dean Malenko?  Maybe Andrade is coaching them.  Maybe it's John Silver since they always have something elaborate when he is in a match.  Either way, it's cool.  Awww, Jonathan Gresham's last title match.  The beginning of Lee Moriarty becoming a desperate wrestler is fun.  I await Moriarty's reaction to Matt Sydel turning on him.  Gresham needs to be the next in a long line of wrestler's that take after the Spoiler/Super Destroyer Don Jardine.  Don't cheat, just be a complete dick and make the crowd hate you because you are so good and YOU know you are so good.  I love that this match is the Friday night match they set up on TV the previous Saturday afternoon.  I love the territory feel of the ROH stuff so far.  I guess they are going to be pieces of the PURE Division after Claudio takes the title.  That was some workrate technical wrestling.  Very much like World of Sport in speed.   Tully is great using the term "scientific" to describe Gresham.  If they want to go completely territorial, they could have Gresham steal a pin by CHEATING via Tully Blanchard and have Claudio actually chase the belt.  That would be fun.  But Claudio is definitely winning first time out.  No doubt about it.  HEY!  I think that was Ashley D'Ambroise in the back of the Baddies Section.  Man,  Charlette or Robin Renegade took the O Face like a KING. Every week, I watch OVW wrestling when I feel like fast forwarding A LOT and I watch the ladies matches.  Leila Grey, who is the OVW champion as of the last episode they showed on NXT LVL network,  is either not very good in the ring or she is just in with gals who are really uncarryable.  I'm glad she's getting her shot- which I'm thinking is based on making me feel really really old than how good she is in the ring.  We'll see.  Maybe if you put her in the ring with Toni Storm, she'll rise to the occassion.  Hopefully.  I just realized that Isiah Kassidy did a regular Tope while MArq Quen hits the Tope Con Hilo- as Isiah didn't actually want to try to match the crazy athleticism of Quen.  The crowd gets WAY into PENTA getting giant wads of heat beaten on him while YOU had to watch picture in picture.  The Lucha Brothers are over in Savannah- because Savannah is the greatest wrestling town in the South.  Marq Quen is great beating the fuck out of PENTA.  Isiah is good gathering up the heel heat needed to get the crowd behind our babyface comeback.  Man, I wish they would bring in Dragon Lee already so we can experience Dragon Lee vs Rey Fenix.  This match is super old school Southern as they have a second heat segment on Rey.  PENTA screwing up the hot tag kill some of the momentum of the match but the Canadian Destroyer counter to whatever Quen was attempting set up the first Steiner Squaredriver I've seen in prolly ten years.  That was a good episode.  Poor Jonathan Gresham....

Interesting notes here. I would never put Reynolds in front of Grayson, but I very much respect that opinion. I like Reynolds, but I'm wondering if he and every member of the Dark Order doesn't need to run as fast they can away from this stable. I appreciate the scouting report on Leila Grey. She presents well and I'm hoping for the best. Yes, let's all WILL Dragon Lee vs Rey Fenix. 

You're always on the money with Gresham. I'm truly pleased by this heel transition.  Loved that bout. 

13 hours ago, GuerrillaMonsoon said:

Statlander and Athena beat up a couple of jobbers. Then another jobber. Then the heels run out for the save, womp them and send them packing. Unless you're doing the double turn, it made the faces look like losers. Don't feel as though they progressed the interim-baddy angle as much as they could have here.

Main event finish was also pretty lame. Heels run in behind the refs back and succeed in interfering, only for it to be no-sold and the faces win anyway. Private Party look like losers for not being able to capitalize. Rush and Andrade look like losers for not being able to execute a run-in properly. Not even sure the Lucha Bros look great going 50/50 with Private Party either. Sort of early 2010s John Cena overcoming the impossible odds on a throwaway Raw main event type finish.

I liked the tag opener - I think they've done a great job of building up to the House of Black vs Sting and Darby program, and I'm really looking forward to it. So much more left to do with it.

Gresham's Octopus persona I think needs to go with the heel turn. It's a cool idea that's terribly executed - as much ridicule as Randy Orton gets for the Viper mannerisms, he lives the character, his mannerisms leak into his in-ring movements, his entrance, it makes a casual viewer understand why they call him the Viper (and of course Michael Cole mentions it a million times). Gresham wearing the mask and stomp-marching down the ramp looks like a cross between Pugsley Addams and Louise Belcher as rascal upstart kid up to no good about to star in a straight to DVD Daddy Day Care sequel doesn't lean into the idea that this guy is going to stretch you and you be all over you the minute the bell sounds. I think leaning into the Tully influence is a welcome improvement, as the sleazy little guy working underneath that never seems to be working from a disadvantage. Still think he's a dork though and needs to go away with Matt Sydal somewhere and never return. I want more Lee Moriarty. That guy has potential, speaking of guys who work from underneath - he has that Bret like quality of taking a beating and you buy in to watching him be able to make his comeback.

I think I agree on the Baddies beatdown making Stat and Athena look weak, but I'm also not against Jade being that unstoppable. 100% agree on that Main Event finish. Seems like some mistakes were made outside of what it was supposed to be. 

You're comparing a seasoned veteran successful Main Event heel, Randy Orton, to a week old heel run from, a clearly still developing, Jonathan Gresham. I am with you on that silly halloween costume he wears to the ring. He needs a polyester jacket like Tully's. I expect in the not so distant future he'll be nicely slotted in the mid-card battling around the Pure Title. And gatekeeping the emerging stars. All the while teaching new and current talent excellent grappling techniques. 

[GuerrillaMonsoon]

2 hours ago, HarryArchieGus said:

No wait, you were completely right.

Interesting notes here. I would never put Reynolds in front of Grayson, but I very much respect that opinion. I like Reynolds, but I'm wondering if he and every member of the Dark Order doesn't need to run as fast they can away from this stable. I appreciate the scouting report on Leila Grey. She presents well and I'm hoping for the best. Yes, let's all WILL Dragon Lee vs Rey Fenix. 

You're always on the money with Gresham. I'm truly pleased by this heel transition.  Loved that bout. 

I think I agree on the Baddies beatdown making Stat and Athena look weak, but I'm also not against Jade being that unstoppable. 100% agree on that Main Event finish. Seems like some mistakes were made outside of what it was supposed to be. 

You're comparing a seasoned veteran successful Main Event heel, Randy Orton, to a week old heel run from, a clearly still developing, Jonathan Gresham. I am with you on that silly halloween costume he wears to the ring. He needs a polyester jacket like Tully's. I expect in the not so distant future he'll be nicely slotted in the mid-card battling around the Pure Title. And gatekeeping the emerging stars. All the while teaching new and current talent excellent grappling techniques. 

Yeah - I think if the sequence of events had been Kiera coming in, going 50/50 with Athena for a while before getting beat down two on one only for Jade to come in and just completely turn the tide, that's probably a cool bit of booking. Instead, it made the faces look like flat track bullies.

I'm using Orton as the benchmark in that comparison - I'm suggesting Gresham shelve it post heel turn, as the few appearances he made with it as a face looked tremendously silly - now it just doesn't fit the character, even if he did improve the mannerisms around it. 

[tbarrie]

16 hours ago, GuerrillaMonsoon said:

Main event finish was also pretty lame. Heels run in behind the refs back and succeed in interfering, only for it to be no-sold and the faces win anyway. Private Party look like losers for not being able to capitalize. Rush and Andrade look like losers for not being able to execute a run-in properly. Not even sure the Lucha Bros look great going 50/50 with Private Party either.

You forgot to mention that the ref looks like an idiot even by pro wrestling ref standards. Rush pretty much tackled Penta into him and he still missed the interference somehow.

[GuerrillaMonsoon]

You just made me remember something - the constant burial of Rick Knox on air by JR. 

I mean, a) it's valid to some extent as he's pretty ordinary at his job, b) all things considered, I don't think it's off-camera buddies ribbing each other by any stretch, and c) if you're going to allow it every episode to a point where it's just petty bullying for a guy trying to do his job for better or worse, get one of them off camera.

Edited July 17, 2022 by GuerrillaMonsoon

[BrianS81177]

Alex Reynolds is great, but I think it's pretty clear that if/when Dark Order split up he's not gonna survive as single. I hate to use the phrase, but Reynolds is definitely the Marty Jannetty of his tag team.

[porksweats]

25 minutes ago, GuerrillaMonsoon said:

You just made me remember something - the constant burial of Rick Knox on air by JR. 

I mean, a) it's valid to some extent as he's pretty ordinary at his job, b) all things considered, I don't think it's off-camera buddies ribbing each other by any stretch, and c) if you're going to allow it every episode to a point where it's just petty bullying for a guy trying to do his job for better or worse, get one of them off camera.

In this case, get both of them off camera. Rick Knox is definitely a detriment to matches.

[HarryArchieGus]

13 hours ago, BrianS81177 said:

Alex Reynolds is great, but I think it's pretty clear that if/when Dark Order split up he's not gonna survive as single. I hate to use the phrase, but Reynolds is definitely the Marty Jannetty of his tag team.

The Marty Jennetty tag split example has long been the standard, and I get it. But as every kid of that era knows - the truth of the matter is Marty wasn't all that inferior to Michaels. Jennetty didn't simply sink because he went solo. The rampant drug issues are what sunk Marty. He was a firehouse post break-up, and ready to be a great big shiny star. 

It does seem clear that Reynolds is a bit weak without the Silver team, but he's been playing the same stale Dark Order stable member (end this shit already) for his entire AEW run. We don't really know what else Alex is capable of? And he's a bit of a darkhorse in ring. I suspect there's a good heel character in their somewhere, but time will tell. 

Edited July 18, 2022 by HarryArchieGus

[Matt D]

There’s a useful bottom of the card Reynolds/Solo team waiting to happen.

[(BP)]

Could the canvas handle being drenched in that much stringy wet hair at once is the question. 

They could be called Hair2o. 

[Gordi the former AEW fan]

34 minutes ago, HarryArchieGus said:

. 
 he's been playing the same stale Dark Order stable member (end this shit already) 

Seems to me that keeping the Dark Order going is at least in part a way to pay continuing tribute to the memory of Brodie Lee. Personally, I am happy they are doing so. It feels like part of what makes AEW distinct, what makes AEW special. I sincerely hope that, for example, Negative One never stops appearing on AEW TV.  

I also hope Orange Cassidy never stops putting his hands in his pockets, Trent and Tennis Shoes never stop hugging, JD Drake goes back to wearing trunks, and Swerve and Lee never fully turn on one another and stay tag partners and friends until they are old and grey, like Ricky and Robert.

Edited July 18, 2022 by Gordlow

[porksweats]

5 minutes ago, Gordlow said:

Seems to me that keeping the Dark Order going is at least in part a way to pay continuing tribute to the memory of Brodie Lee. Personally, I am happy they are doing so. It feels like part of what makes AEW distinct, what makes AEW special. I sincerely hope thst, for example, Negative One never stops appearing on AEW TV. 

I feel in light of Stu/Alan/Colt(?)'s departure, they should move Reynolds up the ranks in the Dark Order organization and give himself like Evil Uno/Ten's Dark Order specific gimmick rather than hey it's the non-Silver member of the team. Bring in a new member to the order and tag him with Reynolds if it means having Silver go solo.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

I enjoy Reynolds quite a bit, but agree he needs a little something to bring out the killer instinct. Maybe because they have a somewhat similar look and are both NY guys, but I think a good comparison would be Trent. Without the time spent doing indies/NJPW and tagging with Taylor, if just he showed up one day out of the blue, there's a solid chance viewers would be dogging him as just some ex-WWE guy, or he'd be slotted into a Matt Sydal-type gatekeeper role. In a perfect world, Silver/Reynolds would be cast into a semi-more-serious role within the ROH tag division to get those longer matches in and build a little more in-ring cred once that's running, or they could go on excursion at some point depending on what that situation becomes post-Forbidden Door I.

[HarryArchieGus]

10 hours ago, Gordlow said:

Seems to me that keeping the Dark Order going is at least in part a way to pay continuing tribute to the memory of Brodie Lee. Personally, I am happy they are doing so. It feels like part of what makes AEW distinct, what makes AEW special. I sincerely hope that, for example, Negative One never stops appearing on AEW TV.  

I'm sure you're absolutely correct on the continuation of the Dark Order being a Brodie Lee tribute. I'm just not sure keeping a stale stable and potentially hindering the character development of these cats is the best way of going about that. At least Cabana's free of this lengthy and monotnous run of light comedy and Dark/Elevation tags. 

[zendragon]

19 hours ago, Gordlow said:

Seems to me that keeping the Dark Order going is at least in part a way to pay continuing tribute to the memory of Brodie Lee. Personally, I am happy they are doing so. It feels like part of what makes AEW distinct, what makes AEW special. I sincerely hope that, for example, Negative One never stops appearing on AEW TV.  

I also hope Orange Cassidy never stops putting his hands in his pockets, Trent and Tennis Shoes never stop hugging, JD Drake goes back to wearing trunks, and Swerve and Lee never fully turn on one another and stay tag partners and friends until they are old and grey, like Ricky and Robert.

I want -1 to disappear so that he can make surprise during Cody's AEW hall of fame speech hitting a discus clothesline setting up Cody's final match  

[Technico Support]

On 7/17/2022 at 6:54 PM, GuerrillaMonsoon said:

You just made me remember something - the constant burial of Rick Knox on air by JR. 

I mean, a) it's valid to some extent as he's pretty ordinary at his job, b) all things considered, I don't think it's off-camera buddies ribbing each other by any stretch, and c) if you're going to allow it every episode to a point where it's just petty bullying for a guy trying to do his job for better or worse, get one of them off camera.

Absolutely.  Blaming the ref for something in a fake sport is fucking stupid.  The match is laid out the way it's laid out.  If the match takes away from the ref's authority and makes him look bad, you need to blame a bunch of other people first before you blame the ref.

Knox refs tag team fuckfests because he's reffed tag team fuckfests for going on 20 years.  Nothing can be done about a tag team fuckfest making a ref look bad because the purpose of the match is crazy-ass spots, not some Bill Watts "let's take all this too seriously" bullshit.

[Coletti]

17 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

Absolutely.  Blaming the ref for something in a fake sport is fucking stupid.  The match is laid out the way it's laid out.  If the match takes away from the ref's authority and makes him look bad, you need to blame a bunch of other people first before you blame the ref.

Knox refs tag team fuckfests because he's reffed tag team fuckfests for going on 20 years.  Nothing can be done about a tag team fuckfest making a ref look bad because the purpose of the match is crazy-ass spots, not some Bill Watts "let's take all this too seriously" bullshit.

You'd think after reffing 20 years of tag team fuckery that homeboy would have learned not to blatantly look at illegal behind the refs back spots in pretty much every match... I'm not saying you aren't 100% correct, because you are, but at the same time Knox is not helping the case in any way.