Sicho100
Hank Scorpio
Easily Confused.
Posts: 5,964
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Post by Sicho100 on Sept 3, 2018 17:12:05 GMT -5
I feel the WGN part is something people are easily ignoring too. I literally could not think of a time when either WCW or WWE weren’t on the Superstation in some capacity even for a short term thing. They wanted wrestling for ages but nobody was really biting, TNA said no years ago. But a lot of people saw talent like Jordynne Grace, Ethan Page, the Best Friends, Rocky Romero, Brian Cage etc on a channel that has a 77m reach and it wasn’t from WWE. That’s crazy. When should we have ratings for Zero Hour in? I know WWE's usually show up the next day on here, but with it being a weekend/holiday, I'm guessing tomorrow? They'll be interesting to see. Per ShowBuzzDaily, we'll have to wait until Wednesday morning.
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Post by mattyc on Sept 3, 2018 17:44:55 GMT -5
I watched this just now on NJPW World, that near 4 hour show flew by!
I honestly got chills on a few occasions while watching this, especially during the Cody/Nick Aldis match. While many of us have been paying attention to other companies, the rebuilding of the NWA has been bubbling away under the surface, it's beautiful how it has all come together. The NWA couldn't have been given a better kickstart of new life than this match, I just hope the NWA continues to go onwards and upwards from this point on.
This show was an incredible achievement for a multitude of reasons that so many people have already articulated better than I shall attempt to. The crazy thing is that with the MSG show coming next year, this growth is only looking set to continue. We've had some false dawns before, but I really do think that this show was a true turning point towards change. Following Wrestling long term is a rollercoaster ride, but this year has provided so many awesome moments. I still enjoy a great deal of the modern WWE product, but it's great to have healthy competition. To me, The Wrestling World hasn't been this exciting since 2001.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2018 20:01:29 GMT -5
I feel the WGN part is something people are easily ignoring too. I literally could not think of a time when either WCW or WWE weren’t on the Superstation in some capacity even for a short term thing. They wanted wrestling for ages but nobody was really biting, TNA said no years ago. But a lot of people saw talent like Jordynne Grace, Ethan Page, the Best Friends, Rocky Romero, Brian Cage etc on a channel that has a 77m reach and it wasn’t from WWE. That’s crazy. When should we have ratings for Zero Hour in? I know WWE's usually show up the next day on here, but with it being a weekend/holiday, I'm guessing tomorrow? They'll be interesting to see. Probably Wednesday. Typically Saturday, Sunday, and Monday ratings all come out within an hour or two of each other.
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
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Post by chrom on Sept 3, 2018 20:03:46 GMT -5
I think Funk was going to be in Aldis corner before he had to pull out of Starrcast due to illness. That's why he had to settle for Shaw and Daivari
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El Pollo Guerrera
Grimlock
His name has chicken in it, and he is good at makin' .gifs, so that's cool.
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Post by El Pollo Guerrera on Sept 3, 2018 21:22:57 GMT -5
Any news on whether/when this will be on DVD/BR?
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Post by corndog on Sept 4, 2018 1:16:32 GMT -5
I just finished the show on New Japan World, my goodness that was very entertaining. Loved the special appearances, especially Sean Mooney, Jerry Lynn reffing the Daniels/Amell match and Lanny Poffo coming out with Jay Lethal. I really liked how they played the "Being the Elite" storylines into the show.
I actually enjoyed a lot of the stuff people complained about. The Joey Ryan return was great and while the dick druids were definitely odd, the fact that it led to a "Rest in Penis" chant made it completely worthwhile. Aldis/Cody wasn't a masterpiece, but seeing Cody win the title in Dusty like fashion and Aldis's disappointment really added a strong emotional element at the end of the match. I was impressed with Stephen Amell, solid match. A lot of people crapped on Joey Janella vs Hangman, but I thought that match was great, especially playing into the Joey Ryan murder. Lethal vs Flip was a solid and fun match. To no surprise, Omega vs Penta El Zero was really good, especially the finish. I also noticed people complaining about Scurll/Okada, but I absolutely loved the match and thought the story telling was top notch. I got a kick out of Okada's 2-0-5 before the rainmaker and of course Scurll blocking a rainmaker with the umbrella. The main event was a blast, but it would have been nice if it had more time.
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Push R Truth
Patti Mayonnaise
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Post by Push R Truth on Sept 4, 2018 9:25:54 GMT -5
I held my expectations in check going into the show and I felt satisfied after watching it.
I liked it. Hope so see some more corporate money take interest in non-WWE wrestling and get some more options on TV that isn't at 11:30pm on a tuesday on a dot channel.
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Post by eJm on Sept 4, 2018 11:36:38 GMT -5
According to Nick Jackson, the official attendance for All In was...
11,263
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Post by corndog on Sept 4, 2018 12:13:59 GMT -5
It will work as a one off, but I don’t see it viable as a long term type of thing. I'm not replying to you specifically, Akeem, but I'd like to use your comment as a jump-off point of conversation. Everything I'm about to write I say as someone who didn't watch All In and who also only occasionally followed the online buzz about the show. In hindsight, a show that had 9 months of time to prepare, that mobilized fans via social media, was held in an airport-accessible city like Chicago, and that featured a hefty amount of indy star power, it's surprising that anyone would think that All In wouldn't be successful, especially as a one-off (so far). If people are legitimately comparing this show to something like the first Nitro, I think they are missing the point of why Nitro was a game-changer for its time. The first Nitro is important because it was the first episode, because it went head-to-head with WWF TV, because Eric Bischoff snatched Lex Luger away from Vince McMahon, etc. But I think the second Nitro is way more important, despite the lack of attention that episode gets compared to the series premiere, because it demonstrated that this show was going to be sustainable, that people like Bischoff and Ted Turner were going to commit to it for a significant amount of time and dollars. Can Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks do All In 2? Absolutely. Could it be as successful as All In 1? Probably. More successful? Maybe. Is All In a threat to WWE? Insofar that a segment of wrestling fans are hungry for different types of wrestling styles and stars that WWE can't and won't provide. Most people view this event from a glass-is-half-full perspective, i.e. it did its 10K attendance, it was well-promoted, it used social media in a way that WWE really can't, it showed that there's a demographic of niche wrestling fandom willing to spend big money on non-WWE shows, that it was fun because it's a non-mainstream form of wrestling entertainment, and so on. For those reasons, Rhodes and the Bucks absolutely and unequivocally deserve all the credit for saying they were going to do something, committing to doing it, then actually doing it. However, and again I say this as someone who hasn't (yet) watched All In, I wonder what a glass-half-empty perspective about All In would look like. That the 'wrestling business' has contracted so much that a one-off indy show that pops 10K in attendance is touted as the Next Big Thing? The desert between WWE and All In is vast, at least in terms of consistency of running wrestling shows. But the desert between wrestling in 2018 and the territory days is also vast in terms of lapsed fans who no longer pay to watch wrestling every week or month, even if the attendance for such shows was smaller overall than modern shows, but much more consistent in terms of attendance than what WWE even does. Modern wrestling can't and won't ever go back to the 70s or the 80s, despite the desires of Jim Cornette, but I don't know if we're confusing the success of All In and ROH's upcoming show for that period in wrestling history which there was more competition and equality between promotions either. One last point: I don't doubt that people liked All In or found it fun. I once saw an indy show a couple of years ago that tried to do what Rhodes and the Bucks did, albeit on a smaller scale. And I thought that show was fun, like people found All In to be, in many cases because it was most definitely not like a WWE show. But I also said to myself that I wouldn't want to watch that kind of wrestling every week or month because it would tire and go stale. That show was both fun and unique, or fun because it was unique, or unique because it was fun. That was the draw. Would people, then, be as interested in and excited by All In 8 if the booking and content of the show stayed the same as All In 1? In what ways is All In viable and sustainable as a show and a brand? That is, if Rhodes and the Bucks are even interested in making All In into a regular deal. I think the key point here is not realizing what a big deal it is for a non WWE show to do over 10,000 in attendance in the US. It hasn't happened since WCW, ECW never did it. Since 2001, something like this was almost unthinkable, but eventually I thought someone would fill the void of WCW/ECW/territories. Obviously I don't think at this point, "All In" is a brand viable enough to compete with Vince, but this is the closest anyone has gotten since Vince gained a monopoly on professional wrestling in the United States. The boom in the 90s was fueled by wrestling becoming "cool" again. The nWo kickstarted that mentality and then the Attitude Era took it to a new level. While the Bucks, Bullet Club and the Elite aren't as big as the nWo or "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, they are cool and modern, unlike the current WWE product. The main point about this is actually bringing in new fans to wrestling, which really hasn't been seen in the last 15+ years. On the other side, wrestling is booming outside of the United States. Japan, England and Australia are currently having strong resurgences in the business. Everything points to the wrestling business booming again, except for one place, the United States. The WWE's stranglehold on wrestling in the United States and declining attendance/ratings has been stunting that boom here. However, the indy scene in the United States is incredibly healthy. ROH is drawing record numbers, independents across the country are doing well and New Japan has drawn fairly well in the states too. What "All In" proves is, maybe there is a chance for wrestling to boom again in the US and it could come from the grassroots in the same fashion as Australia and England. So is anyone threatening Vince's empire? Of course not, especially with the stupid TV deals coming up. But with the New Japan/ROH/indy alliance there at least could be a viable product outside of the WWE and who knows, maybe in a few years they could knock on Vince's door. For now, I would rather they just continue to grow the product and focus on themselves.
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Post by abjordans on Sept 4, 2018 12:20:59 GMT -5
So, I just watched All In... I think a lot was lost not seeing it live and knowing the results. I did not like the Joey Ryan stuff at all, I agree with anyone who thinks that was dumb. I was anticipating a rabid crowd, but the crowd noise was very subdued. I have no doubt they were live as hell in person and this was likely a production thing, but you couldn’t feel the energy like when WWE or NXT is streaming a show in front of a rabid crowd. I was again disappointed in Kenny Omega. He has no presence, he is no AJ Styles. Why didn’t he come out with the belt? Pentagon came off like a bigger star than him. Pentagon is can’t miss, I predict he will be NXT Champion. The Cody win was cool. Why did he have Glacier come out with him? Was that just to be funny? Rey’s gear was dope. Don’t get The Bucks. Okada seems like a star, only my second or third time seeing him. Jericho is a genius.
Those are my stream of coniousness thoughts on the show.
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Allie Kitsune
Crow T. Robot
Always Feelin' Foxy.
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Post by Allie Kitsune on Sept 4, 2018 12:22:26 GMT -5
I'm not saying that it's not big for a non-WWE show to bring in over 10,000 people, but I'm not sure that anything lasting is really being built, as far as "The Business Has Changed Forever".
This is still pretty much completely centered around the Core 5 BTE crew (6 if you include Marty), and nobody else has really picked up the ball and really got their brand even close to as over in the public consciousness.
Who has taken steps to maintain this level of hype and relentless marketing when the BTE crew decides to do other things?
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Post by corndog on Sept 4, 2018 12:37:02 GMT -5
I'm not saying that it's not big for a non-WWE show to bring in over 10,000 people, but I'm not sure that anything lasting is really being built, as far as "The Business Has Changed Forever". This is still pretty much completely centered around the Core 5 BTE crew (6 if you include Marty), and nobody else has really picked up the ball and really got their brand even close to as over in the public consciousness. Who has taken steps to maintain this level of hype and relentless marketing when the BTE crew decides to do other things? As much as I hate to agree with you, this is a good point. Guys like Okada and Naito are over in the states, but they still aren't at the level of the BTE crew. I can only imagine Vince is going to make a stupid offer to the Bucks and Kenny with their New Japan deals expiring early next year. But now the Bucks have more than just money to weigh on their minds, "All In" proved that other wrestlers success depends on them as well. Kenny could leave and I still think everything will be fine, Hangman is coming into his own and Scurll is one of the best characters out there, able to get over in any market. On the good side, the Bucks really hate travelling and I can't see them working a full time WWE schedule. Also, they are making pretty good money at the moment, so the question is do they want or need more money over everything that is working in their favor?
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Post by YAKMAN is ICHIBAN on Sept 4, 2018 12:55:36 GMT -5
I've never seen a crowd as crazy as the All In crowd was during the NWA title match. It felt like Joe vs Kobashi or One Night Stand live. Disappointing to hear that wasn't captured on the broadcasted version.
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Post by eJm on Sept 4, 2018 13:25:44 GMT -5
I've never seen a crowd as crazy as the All In crowd was during the NWA title match. It felt like Joe vs Kobashi or One Night Stand live. Disappointing to hear that wasn't captured on the broadcasted version. Honestly, I have no idea where the subdued reaction stuff is coming from. The loudness is the crowd came through throughout the night. The start of Pentagon/Omega had the loudest reactions I heard all year and neither man had touched one another yet.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2018 13:42:29 GMT -5
I'm not saying that it's not big for a non-WWE show to bring in over 10,000 people, but I'm not sure that anything lasting is really being built, as far as "The Business Has Changed Forever". This is still pretty much completely centered around the Core 5 BTE crew (6 if you include Marty), and nobody else has really picked up the ball and really got their brand even close to as over in the public consciousness. Who has taken steps to maintain this level of hype and relentless marketing when the BTE crew decides to do other things? I think the best bet would be if Cody and the Young Bucks stay independent for a few years still while they continue to establish All In as a yearly feature. I feel like if they put enough years in, and each show is a hit, then it can become an autonomous thing like Wrestlemania where the event sells itself. I doubt there are gonna be a lot of individual wrestlers as ambitious as the BTE guys, but if you have a network of like 3 or 4 or more organizations whose TV/online storylines lead to an big conclusion at All In, even if you don't have the big names like Cody/Omega/Young Bucks, I still think the combined strength of ROH, NJPW, CMLL, Impact, LU and whoever, would still pack enough of a punch that they could sell out a big arena every September. At a certain point you don't necessarily need the BTE guys around for it, just a trustworthy person in the center who dictates what goes on the card, keeps egos in check and all that. As a fan I can't tell if I want them to take it slow, or go full mad scientist Paul Heyman, make a promotion and see what happens. Not that I know anything, but I think sticking with All In and trying to make each one bigger and better, is the winning solution without burning out their fanbase.
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y4j1981
Dennis Stamp
Rowsdower
Posts: 4,653
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Post by y4j1981 on Sept 4, 2018 13:49:35 GMT -5
I'm not saying that it's not big for a non-WWE show to bring in over 10,000 people, but I'm not sure that anything lasting is really being built, as far as "The Business Has Changed Forever". This is still pretty much completely centered around the Core 5 BTE crew (6 if you include Marty), and nobody else has really picked up the ball and really got their brand even close to as over in the public consciousness. Who has taken steps to maintain this level of hype and relentless marketing when the BTE crew decides to do other things? Can I ask why you don't include Marty in the "Core BTE Crew"?
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Allie Kitsune
Crow T. Robot
Always Feelin' Foxy.
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Post by Allie Kitsune on Sept 4, 2018 14:04:48 GMT -5
I'm not saying that it's not big for a non-WWE show to bring in over 10,000 people, but I'm not sure that anything lasting is really being built, as far as "The Business Has Changed Forever". This is still pretty much completely centered around the Core 5 BTE crew (6 if you include Marty), and nobody else has really picked up the ball and really got their brand even close to as over in the public consciousness. Who has taken steps to maintain this level of hype and relentless marketing when the BTE crew decides to do other things? Can I ask why you don't include Marty in the "Core BTE Crew"? Because when Cody said that they'd decide to make their next moves together a few weeks back, he left Marty out.
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Convoy
El Dandy
Rusev admits to being a sex addict to large applause.
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Post by Convoy on Sept 4, 2018 15:06:48 GMT -5
Yes, I believe Marty's contract ends after the MSG show in April. He signed an extension, which makes him the only BTE member whose contract doesn't end in January.
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Post by Tea & Crumpets on Sept 4, 2018 15:12:34 GMT -5
On the other side, wrestling is booming outside of the United States. Japan, England and Australia are currently having strong resurgences in the business. Everything points to the wrestling business booming again, except for one place, the United States. The WWE's stranglehold on wrestling in the United States and declining attendance/ratings has been stunting that boom here. However, the indy scene in the United States is incredibly healthy. ROH is drawing record numbers, independents across the country are doing well and New Japan has drawn fairly well in the states too. What "All In" proves is, maybe there is a chance for wrestling to boom again in the US and it could come from the grassroots in the same fashion as Australia and England. Jut wanna hop on this because I can't agree with this paragraph enough. I've honestly never known wrestling be as popular in the UK as it is right now. I'm seeing wrestling merchandise goddamn everywhere, but not often WWE's- LIJ & Bullet Club mostly, a bit of Suzukigun and miscellaneous NJPW, and then probably as much WWE as ROH or other indies. I've got friends coming out of the woodwork as wrestling fans who never mentioned it before, I can actually talk about it to non-fans and they'll show interest instead of being like "Wrestling? HA!". My grandfather is watching World of Sport on ITV and bitching about how it's "not proper wrestling" and "the big fat lump in the mask, like Big Daddy", but seemed interested in New Japan when I showed him some, so I may actually be related to the world's oldest smark...Things have CHANGED a lot in the last 5 years, things ARE significantly different already. And don't get me wrong- WWE is still popular to casual fans or known about by non-fans, and much moreso than a few years ago, but the non-WWE growth is incredible. I've not been this genuinely excited to be a wrestling fan since WCW, maybe even then. There's a real feeling that the business is set for, if not already in, a boom, and All In doesn't feel like the end of that by any means, it feels much more like the coming out party to say "Wrestling is back". These are exciting times. Now, the show. Well. It was fun. It was so, so much fun. The production had a couple of tiny flubs, but overall, wow did this show feel special. I totally agree with the guy who said it was like a window into a world where WCW never died, seeing Christopher Daniels fight Steven Amell, or the NWA title, or Omega v Pentagon, in such a big arena, with the scrolling lights, the rigs, the sets, the ramps the pyro...It was like bringing back memories of things that never happened. And the wrestling? Yeah it was sloppy at times and constrained by circumstance at others but generally really good, but best of all- it was DIFFERENT, even from itself. I loved WCW because WCW at its peak was a varied product. All In was a big budget wrestling cabaret, and it knocked it out the park in that regard: -You had the "colourful dudes you may not know and Some Guys You DO Know From The Attitude Era" Battle Royale, one of the best booked battle royales I've ever seen and a great way to get eyes on a bunch of dudes while retaining enough familiarity to keep casuals interested. This felt like a worthwhile match rather than a clusterf*** of dudes leaning on each other, and was so well done I completely forgot about Flip EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE RESULT TO THIS ONE BEFOREHAND. I forgot the actual finish it was so well paced. Hats off to whoever put this together. -You had the Special Attraction celebrity match in Amell vs Daniels, which yeah they had some flubs but it's a 37 year old actor working his 3rd ever match- and when you remember that, this was really good. Daniels is a pure legend, and getting to wrestle on such a stage in the USA is so overdue. This felt like the real opener rather than MJF/Cross which definitely felt like the buffer match for people to settle in, and I mean that as a compliment to both matches because MJF/Cross was good and Daniels absolutely deserves to be the wider world's first real introduction to an alternative to WWE. It was honestly probably the best celebrity match ever, and that sets such a good first impression and again, keeps casuals invested. -You had the Women's Wrestling match in a really good women's 4-way. I'm another person who hates the "self indulgent hug-it-out circlejerk" spot, especially as women's wrestling on the indies has been a much more respected thing than in WWE for YEARS, and I feel like it sort of detracted from that possibly presentation of "We were wrestling before the Women's Resolution", but this was a good match that in particular sold me on Tessa Blanchard. -You had the Old School match for the NWA title to evoke memories in any old-timer or lapsed fans, and honestly, while the actual ringwork was a bit disappointing, it more than made up for it in story, presentation and emotion. This had such a big fight feel- the entrances, the entourages, even the little stuff with Earl Hebner. A really nice throwback with a really feelgood moment. This match right here really, really captured the heart & soul of wrestling. -You had the insane, ECW-styled, hardcore mayhem with Page/Janela. This is the first time I've seen a full Joey Janela match, my impression of him before was always "ugh, the moron who did the idiot rooftop truck bump and the Lio Rush no-sell spot?". Consider that impression changed. This was f***ing nuts, Joey Janela is f***ing nuts and probably going to kill himself but it was horrifyingly, captivatingly watchable without any of the genuinely squicky deathmatch shit with lighttubes and glass and wheedwhackers. Some of these bumps were ridiculous and it's a testament to Page as a worker that Janela didn't get injured. And honestly, I liked the postmatch, because of my next point: -You had the comedy/parody. There's always gonna be some people who watch 'ironically', but there's also people who just enjoy a bit of a laugh and a laugh at themselves/referential humour, and Joey Ryan going full Undertaker felt much more like that than like a crass LOL PENIS (even if it literally was LOL PENIS). The snarky commentary, and fans "Rest in Penis" helped. It's a comedy bit playing off their BTE stuff, the dick wrestling stuff has gotten famous worldwide, it's perfectly fine to throw this in on what is literally a showcase supercard because each match basically exists in its own universe. -Further to the above point- You get a bit more comedy, plus some straight up American indy wrestling, in Flip/Lethal. Both these guys are athletic & charismatic, Lethal in particular, you get a bit more homage for the older fans while having some great wrestling to keep it serious, and then with Brandi there playing a different role to alongside Cody, and Bully Ray coming back and all of that you also get a glimpse of the bigger picture of wrestling storytelling. -You get the balls-to-the-wall/NJPW style with Omega/Penta and Okada/Scurll. Honestly, I didn't think either of these matches clicked like I hoped, but they certainly weren't bad matches. Jericho showing up again has people all "Oh, shit, I know him!", the crowd were red-hot especially for Omega/Penta which really gave it a great atmosphere, it's good stuff. Okada/Scurll felt long, I know it overran and it felt like it between Okada refusing to go home until he got multiple Rainmakers and false finishes in, and Scurll being really awkwardly weirdly stalling for long periods during the first 10-15 minutes. This match took way too long to get going and overstayed its welcome a bit, but it was still a good match, just slightly missed the sweet spot. I think a better call would have been to do Scurll/ZSJ or even Scurll/Suzuki if he's willing, do a real old school catch-as-catch-can technical match mixed with some Suzukigun stiffness, and do Okada/Aries, because Aries is still somewhat of a name, or Okada/Dalton Castle as a battle of former champs. But given the time constraints they had anyway, I don't know how the hell you split it into two matches. -Finally, you get a hybrid of lucha libre and indyriffic madness in Golden Elite/Rey & friends. Again you've got a big name to keep casual people interested, and then 5 other guys going freaking nuts to get the wow factor. It's such a shame this match got cut downby over half because I feel like it would have been crazy fun in full but the glimpse we got, while entertaining, was a bit 'get your shit in' due to sheer necessity. But of all the matches to get condensed down, this or Page/Janela was the best for it to happen to stylistically. I'd also be remiss to not point out how on-point the commentary was throughout even with all the booth switching, maybe I'm too used to WWE's dead-horse commentary but this was a really well commentated show, with everyone telling great stories of the matches and why these guys matter, covering for flubs very well, good banter, and just generally complimenting the show without overshadowing it by trying too hard. Probably helped by the fact that all the guys involved seemed to be having fun. All in all, All In (that was a tongue twister) was an EXCELLENT showcase of what wrestling outside the WWE can be. I absolutely agree with the Barely Legal comparisons, because that also had a bit of everything from an M-Pro 6-man to hardcore to technical to emotional, that was also a massive coming-out show that should have been impossible, and that was also a solid show without ever feeling like it really hit high gear. But All In felt bigger, because it literally was. There was no MOTYC on the show, but no dud either, and that's important- it's consistently good, but also leaves you wanting more- especially the main event- and yet without feeling short-changed. And that's the sweet spot right there. Honestly, if it wasn't for the time management, it was one of the most perfectly booked cards I've seen. Wrestle Kingdom this year would have a been better event/emotional investment, had Naito won, and was absolutely better for pure match quality, but this is up there with the best of them as an all-round show. It might not hold up if you watch it back in segments in isolation years later, but as an event, this was one hell of a show.
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Post by HMARK Center on Sept 4, 2018 15:14:03 GMT -5
I'm not saying that it's not big for a non-WWE show to bring in over 10,000 people, but I'm not sure that anything lasting is really being built, as far as "The Business Has Changed Forever". This is still pretty much completely centered around the Core 5 BTE crew (6 if you include Marty), and nobody else has really picked up the ball and really got their brand even close to as over in the public consciousness. Who has taken steps to maintain this level of hype and relentless marketing when the BTE crew decides to do other things? I think the best bet would be if Cody and the Young Bucks stay independent for a few years still while they continue to establish All In as a yearly feature. I feel like if they put enough years in, and each show is a hit, then it can become an autonomous thing like Wrestlemania where the event sells itself. I doubt there are gonna be a lot of individual wrestlers as ambitious as the BTE guys, but if you have a network of like 3 or 4 or more organizations whose TV/online storylines lead to an big conclusion at All In, even if you don't have the big names like Cody/Omega/Young Bucks, I still think the combined strength of ROH, NJPW, CMLL, Impact, LU and whoever, would still pack enough of a punch that they could sell out a big arena every September. At a certain point you don't necessarily need the BTE guys around for it, just a trustworthy person in the center who dictates what goes on the card, keeps egos in check and all that. As a fan I can't tell if I want them to take it slow, or go full mad scientist Paul Heyman, make a promotion and see what happens. Not that I know anything, but I think sticking with All In and trying to make each one bigger and better, is the winning solution without burning out their fanbase. I heard some people call All In a potential "New Starrcade"; I think that's the best way to at least initially go about things. The terrain is healthier right now on the indies than it's been in a good, long while, as well as in non-indy but smaller promotions like ROH. That said, part of what's making it work right now is that a lot of these promotions are finally accepting the full implications of what the internet has done to pro wrestling, for good and ill: fans now have access to tons of promotions from tons of different areas, regions, and countries, and acting like your show is the only one in existence isn't really a fully viable path any longer. This comes with some problems, of course: lots of competition, risk of fan burnout, a need to get around the eventual "eh, we've seen that before" reactions that come with a set up like that, but the increase in at least recognition and at times cooperation between different companies is probably necessary given the reality of watching pro wrestling in 2018. It's sad that thinking like this won't last very long, I'm sure, but basically the idea should be that everybody benefits if the entire industry grows. Hell, it's why you'll see puro promotions work together a lot, as a rising tide lifts all boats. Things tend to get more cutthroat than that over here, but a show like this offers some hope that it's a viable way forward in an industry with one massive entity (WWE) and then a whole lot of smaller ones that could add up to something great with a little coordination, even if we're not exactly talking a new full-fledged NWA or anything.
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