chrom
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Post by chrom on May 26, 2019 9:44:48 GMT -5
All the people who wanted last night to fail, how does that heap of crow taste right now?
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markymark
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by markymark on May 26, 2019 9:49:43 GMT -5
AEW needs to bring some luchadoras from AAA to complete their women division(Maravilla, Hiedra, Keyra would be my choices).
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Post by cabbageboy on May 26, 2019 10:08:58 GMT -5
Right now AEW has a quality top tier of wrestlers but I do worry about their roster depth when they hit TNT. I dunno if the answer is raiding disgruntled WWE guys but they should look at expiring Impact contracts or ROH (Scurll duh). I do think that preshow battle royale was a mistake though. A lot of it was the sort of bush league indie trash that will have zero business being on a nationally televised wrestling product. So yeah, bring in people who actually look like professional wrestlers and that would be a start because if your first impression on TNT is washed up old guys, indie geeks, legless amputees, Sonny Kiss, etc. then that show won't last 3 months.
I wonder what this federation will look like long term? Right now it is basically a place for those top Elite guys to be involved in major matches. When they get older and stop wrestling full time will they close shop? Or promote a new generation of stars? Obviously this is a long time away but at some point it's an issue.
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Post by EoE: Well There's Your Problem on May 26, 2019 10:28:19 GMT -5
With all due respect to your friend, did he miss the shitload of guys and girls on the show who haven't been in a WWE ring recently, if not ever? Like you said, it'd have been dumb not to bring him in given the chance, but really, if someone still has something to offer and new talents are still being showcased and promoted, I don't really think it is a problem. This is definitely not a Junior Fatu/Andrew Punisher Test kind of thing. He's very much the sort where certain negatives will outweigh any positives. After the show had ended he was legit pissed, going on about how they're starting with Moxley, and before you know it they'll be bringing in Ryback, Darren Young, and anyone else who comes knocking. He's...a pessimist, even by my standards. The weird thing here is many of these openly dissatisfied wrestlers from WWE that could come in, the likes of Sasha Banks, The Revival, Luke Harper... They’re not what you’d consider the “traditional” scrubs of yore like what TNA would bring in for a cup of coffee (in the Impact Zone, yeah). They are among the best wrestlers on the WWE roster, any company would be mad to pass them up if they came up on the market. That said, goodness knows those scrubs are out there, but I don’t expect them to get a look in. |
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r.
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Post by r. on May 26, 2019 10:39:51 GMT -5
All the people who wanted last night to fail, how does that heap of crow taste right now? Dunno, You'll have to find that forum because as far as I can tell nearly everyone on this one was rooting for them. Breakdown: - The production issues were very minor.
- They do need to produce some better themes.
- Commentary, when it was Excalibur and JR jiving, was really fun. Marvez, however, needs time.
- I was fine with the blood and I like that they are willing to go there if done correctly is a great selling tool as long as it isn't overdone to death. A side note for Dustin, Don't take blood thinners beforehand.
- The crowd stayed hot almost bell-2-bell even for people they may not have known
- The WWE pot shot was fine, A one and done call out. They need to now never do it again including promos less they turn into TNA
- I'm a guy who likes a few false finishes. The bucks match had 20 something which makes each kick out and move fest seem less important.
- Moxely's debut was perfect, It felt raw, Through the crowd, No music magically cued up
I said this in the PPV thread. We all ate WWE's turd sandwiches for much longer than we should have, We owe it to AEW to give them a chance. |
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Dub H
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Post by Dub H on May 26, 2019 10:44:11 GMT -5
Cool. brentrambo.gif I’m actually not into deathmatch wrestling and extreme violence, but I thought the blood is this match was extremely powerful. I was more bothered by the staple gun from Jimmy. The staple gun barely even scratched the skin, Dustin's blood made that basically unwatchable. I could deal with an occasional blade job, stupid though they are, had that one not demonstrated how hideously wrong that can go. Idislike blading too(probably less than you) but Dustin probably did it because his body is alreayd busted up.The damage of blading is done on him.I don't think the younger guys would do it. |
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Post by Prince Petty on May 26, 2019 10:47:13 GMT -5
Okay, so lengthy first impressions (of a lot of the wrestlers as well):
Commentary - JR was good, and got better as the night went on. I felt like you could tell he was genuinely impressed by a lot of guys who were new to him. The other two didn't make much of an impression, other than to think that if anyone tunes into AEW as a wrestling newbie, and the first thing they see is a dude in a tuxedo wearing a mask, it's a litmus test as to whether they're going to enjoy wrestling.
The look of the show was good. Cameras and lighting made the show feel like a big deal. The entranceway was a bit overthought. The sound levels need some work, though. Entrance music was constantly lost under the crowd noise.
I liked the preponderance of tag team matches. Obviously, tag team wrestling was always going to be a focus, but this show proved that you can have main event level tag matches. And the added bonus of that is, when you get a big singles match, it feels like an even bigger deal.
First match - Good opening match, which heated the crowd up. But wrong winners. The Stronghearts looked more impressive and I think they showed more charisma too. The GTS/Ezniguri/double suplex combo should have been the finish. Once Scorpio Sky kicked out of that, it kind of took me out of the match. This was a problem in several matches, where there were moves and spots that just should have ended it, but you get the kickout and thirty seconds later the guy is back in the ring.
Second match - Bayley without the authenticity didn't work for me. Britt Baker did though. Cocky and confident, and carries herself well. It looks like she's going to be the main woman in AEW. Awesome Kong making a surprise appearance was cool, and I guess it's one nobody predicted. But Nyla Rose kind of got punked, trying to look like a tough monster, only for Kong to come out. If Kong is remaining a part of the AEW roster, they may be able to get a connection to GLOW and Netflix, which could really help establish them. It was a decent spotfest match, which gave all the women good moments.
Third match - Jack Evans and Angelico looked incredibly indie-tastic. Particularly Evans, who doesn't look like he belongs on a stage like this. I don't care how much he can flip around, he looks like a skinny kid waiting to get his ass kicked. Maybe that's his main hook, I don't know. This was the first match where I had a clear preference for winner, and was happy to get it. Again with the false finishes, though. Too many. No idea what the beatdown at the end was.
Fourth match - I don't follow Japanese wrestling at all, but even I've heard of Aja Kong so it was cool to see her. But man, she can barely move, which I guess shouldn't be too surprising, given her almost thirty year career. She was basically Big Daddy in there - lots of charisma, but she mostly just stood in the middle of the ring and let people move around her. Hey, if you can make money doing that, then do it. I liked Hikaru Shida and Ryu Mizunami a lot. The weapons spot, with the suddenly deaf referee, was so dumb, but in a non-annoying way.
Fifth match - They did a great job of making Cody vs Dustin a huge deal. Cody smashing the Triple H throne was corny and cheap, but I'm happy to take it as a somewhat tongue-in-cheek jab at Triple H's elaborate and corny Wrestlemania entrances. If you asked me if I thought Dustin Runnels would be main-eventing anything in 2019, I'd have laughed in your face, but man, they sold it completely. Cody has genuine star quality, and Dustin always had an aura about him, and he can still go. I think I would have had Dustin get the surprise win here. It would have been a huge moment.
I don't like blade jobs. Even for the undeniable drama it added to this match, the fact it was too deep just ruined it. It was gruesome, and arguably the wrong guy did it. I'd have booked that the guy who bleeds wins, just to make it feel more even. Cody leaving Dustin in a pool of blood just felt too definitive.
Championship unveiling - The belt looks great. Page and MJF look like stars. Jack Whitehall was there for some reason. Bret looked like he was enjoying himself, and seem amused by MJF.
Sixth match - If you're going to give me luchadors, make them like these two - intimidating, crazy badasses who will beat the shit out of you. The Young Bucks are basically a Crockett Promotions era team crossed with circa 2000 Hardy Boyz. Which, I guess, is fitting for a promotion that clearly reveres wrestling history. Fun match, but again they had an amazing finish spot that... wasn't the finish. There just needs to be more discipline in the match planning, going forward. Save some stuff, if you come up with a cool spot that doesn't fit the story of the match, save it for next time. And I will never like it when people completely no-sell a move just because they've got to get to the next one and pop the crowd.
Main event - Jericho being Jericho, leaning so damned hard into the midlife crisis and the thick, dadbod. Omega probably isn't going to be my guy. He's good, but I just don't have an affinity for him. But the match was a worthy main event, and Jericho winning feels counter to the predictable story, which is good.
Moxley debuting was a surprise that wasn't really a surprise. It made AEW feel like a big deal, but they have to make sure that they don't let him undermine the other stars they want to build.
All in all, this was as good a debut show as anyone could expect. AEW feels like a legit company, with legit stars, and they have the potential to get big, fast. There are clear things that could be improved, and probably will be improved, for their TV show. One thing they definitely need to get away from - the 'angry little brother to the WWE' thing that never, ever worked for TNA.
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Pushed to the Moon
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by Pushed to the Moon on May 26, 2019 12:05:54 GMT -5
Agree with everyone about the entrance music. The set looked great though. I don't like Justin Roberts either. He's way too over the top and not in a good way. Like "Nick and Matt Jackson. The Yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyummmmm Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuss" Just say it normally you weirdo.
I thought JR sounded better than he has for years. The other guys voices kinda blended together though and didn't do much for me. Better to be bland than annoying though I guess.
I thought the battle royal wasn't a great opener either tbh. I mean it had some nice moments but if I was a lapsed fan or a non fan I wouldn't be thinking "Boy I've been missing out!" after watching that and want to spend 50 bones on it. Goofy shit is all well and good and I'm used to it by now but the first impression of your "serious" sporting company after like 2 minutes is a dude slathering baby oil all over himself? Didn't like Tommy Dreamer being so heavily involved either. I was never an ECW viewer so he holds no nostalgia value for me and just looked like a fat old hasbeen getting the better of new guys. That other guy doing that move where he repeatedly pulled Dreamer's head against his ass was too goofy too. And I don't wanna talk shit about a guy with no f***ing legs but him eliminating Shawn Spears was kinda wack too as far as "realistic" sport goes. Didn't like the staple gun shit either. That guy just screams "shock value" backyard wrestling and trying too hard to be crazy.
Didn't know what the hell the librarians skit was about but I'm led to believe it's something from the youtube show? Very corny and lame. Didn't get it. Not my thing.
I love the Lucha Bros. The match was a LITTLE too kick out heavy after the insane moves but it was great. The destroyer on the apron was INSANE. The women's 4 way was good. Don't like Kylie's gimmick cos she just seems really phony but she did some cool stuff. Love Kong. Jericho is in my top 3 faves ever so liked seeing him. Felt bad when they f***ed up that DDT reversal at the end. Once he said he had a new finish I was pretty sure he was gonna win since it would make no sense to hit something new and have it kicked out of first time (even though it's quite an underwhelming move tbh). Also makes sense having the bigger name old guy face the new young guy for the title.
I didn't see the whole thing but I'd give it an 8/10 maybe. They definitely need to tighten up the production a bit but I'll watch it every week if it's on ITV4 over here.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2019 12:15:25 GMT -5
I'm in the camp of being fine with the blading so long as it isn't a regular thing and is saved for big moments.
Why are people so against blading that this is a deal breaker? Is it the visual? Blading Doesn't cause me nearly as much discomfort as certain neck bumps (not a deal breaker, but I find most unnecessary). It just seems like neck bumps are far more dangerous and hard to control.
Not trying to judge, more just understand where the discomfort comes from.
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Dub H
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Post by Dub H on May 26, 2019 12:27:17 GMT -5
I'm in the camp of being fine with the blading so long as it isn't a regular thing and is saved for big moments. Why are people so against blading that this is a deal breaker? Is it the visual? Blading Doesn't cause me nearly as much discomfort as certain neck bumps (not a deal breaker, but I find most unnecessary). It just seems like neck bumps are far more dangerous and hard to control. Not trying to judge, more just understand where the discomfort comes from. It is visually gruesome and causes great harm to the person, it scars forever. Plus maybe not as good but there is fake blood available.I agree with neckbumps too ,no reaosn to risk the body part that lierally holds your body together |
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Pushed to the Moon
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by Pushed to the Moon on May 26, 2019 12:33:44 GMT -5
I'm in the camp of being fine with the blading so long as it isn't a regular thing and is saved for big moments. Why are people so against blading that this is a deal breaker? Is it the visual? Blading Doesn't cause me nearly as much discomfort as certain neck bumps (not a deal breaker, but I find most unnecessary). It just seems like neck bumps are far more dangerous and hard to control. Not trying to judge, more just understand where the discomfort comes from. Some people don't like gore. (Not talking about Rhyno!) |
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Post by MrElijah on May 26, 2019 12:48:46 GMT -5
My guess? Since they are video game based characters. Uno and Grayson are the final bosses while the goons are just normal enemies In fact, they’re called the “Heartless”. Seriously? If they had any real balls, they'd call them the Mad Gear! As for my thoughts. A fun show from top to bottom. Glad some of my faves from MLW got some exposure and pretty hopeful for the future. I loved that training videos were used. The Bucks getting their timing together, Kenny going Rocky, Cody showing his amature chops and Jericho boxing. It adds a lot. |
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Post by mcmahonfan85 on May 26, 2019 13:13:58 GMT -5
Very, very promising start. Most of my praise and criticisms have already been mentioned so I wanted to bring up something else that hasn't been touched on: bringing in ex-WWE guys. I'm bringing this up mainly because my best friend, who I watched the show with, was super-pissed that they brought in Moxley, since in his words "you can't claim to be a revolutionary force in wrestling while bringing in all the usual assholes we saw on Raw for years." Now I personally think they'd have been dumb not to bring in Moxley, since not only did he main event a WWE PPV three months ago, but he's incredibly talented when given creative freedom. But I do hope this isn't gonna start a trend of bringing in any ex-WWE guy that needs a paycheck, because all that's gonna' do is turn AEW into the new TNA. With all due respect to your friend, did he miss the shitload of guys and girls on the show who haven't been in a WWE ring recently, if not ever? Like you said, it'd have been dumb not to bring him in given the chance, but really, if someone still has something to offer and new talents are still being showcased and promoted, I don't really think it is a problem. This is definitely not a Junior Fatu/Andrew Punisher Test kind of thing. well having a bunch of non-WWE wrestlers on the pre-show and undercard doesn't really invalidate the criticism. look at what happened from the point of view of fans whose wrestling exposure is limited to WWE and all they know of indie and international wrestlers is what people have said about them on the internet: the main event of the debut show for the next big thing in pro wrestling is Kenny Omega, the hottest wrestler of the past few years, the man that got seven stars in the Wrestling Observer, jobbing clean to an ex-WWE wrestler who's older now than Hulk Hogan was in his last WCW match, then getting beat down by another ex-WWE wrestler who was the least successful member of a trio and left because he was unhappy with his role in the company AEW is being heralded as the promotion that's going to revitalize the wrestling industry, but they ended their first show by seemingly stealing the signature play from WCW and TNA's playbook |
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Post by mcmahonfan85 on May 26, 2019 13:18:54 GMT -5
I'm in the camp of being fine with the blading so long as it isn't a regular thing and is saved for big moments. Why are people so against blading that this is a deal breaker? Is it the visual? Blading Doesn't cause me nearly as much discomfort as certain neck bumps (not a deal breaker, but I find most unnecessary). It just seems like neck bumps are far more dangerous and hard to control. Not trying to judge, more just understand where the discomfort comes from. see Nigel McGuinness |
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Post by Prince Petty on May 26, 2019 13:43:57 GMT -5
I'm in the camp of being fine with the blading so long as it isn't a regular thing and is saved for big moments. Why are people so against blading that this is a deal breaker? Is it the visual? Blading Doesn't cause me nearly as much discomfort as certain neck bumps (not a deal breaker, but I find most unnecessary). It just seems like neck bumps are far more dangerous and hard to control. Not trying to judge, more just understand where the discomfort comes from. It's not a deal breaker, unless they do it all the time. But it's just not necessary. I don't think the benefits outweigh the potential cost to wrestlers - blood loss, blood diseases, scarring. For what? A moment where the crowd cheered a bit louder? If it happens the hard way, it happens and you make the most of it. If you go in deliberately planning a spot where someone will bleed, it's just not my thing. Neck bumps are even worse, because they're utterly unnecessary, and the sign of an unsafe worker. |
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ssdrivin
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Post by ssdrivin on May 26, 2019 14:05:17 GMT -5
AEW is being heralded as the promotion that's going to revitalize the wrestling industry, but they ended their first show by seemingly stealing the signature play from WCW and TNA's playbook To be fair, though, that really comes down to how that wrestler is booked. They might be considered WWE washouts, but that doesn't mean they are, it just means they didn't shine in WWE. How many times have indie/ex-TNA/ex-wherever wrestlers been snapped up by WWE and their respective fanbases have responded with "Yay! My GOAT has hit the big time! He's going to make RAW worth watching again! Wait... oh god, it's WWE. How are they to screw up my favourite wrestler this time?" Then that wrestler gets annoyed, leaves (or gets released), they go to Japan or some smaller US/UK promotion, and they absolutely catch fire because they're suddenly allowed to not suck again? So really I think it depends on the wrestler, not the promotions they've worked for. If AEW had hired... I dunno, let's say Kevin Nash to main event the show, because "legacy! WWE! WCW! NWO! TNA!", then I think a lot more people would be complaining about "some old ex-WWE has-been that can't go and is only there because he used to work for Vince". But someone like Jericho? Ambrose/Moxley? Cody? Even JR, judging by last night's performance, after he'd warmed up a bit. These guys are ex-WWE, yeah, but they've still got something to give, and I think Moxley is a prime candidate to demonstrate that in months/years to come. |
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Post by Ecks Ecks Ringout Ecks Ecks on May 26, 2019 14:14:09 GMT -5
Liked:
• The set design looked classy, professional and modern without going eye-meltingly overboard with LEDs etc.
• Commentary sounded natural, not grating at all. I'm sure younger fans probably think they sounded comatose, but I'm an old school fan and I remember when good wrestling commentary didn't require fake orgasm voices. I think JR proved he's still got it, despite all that's happened with him in recent years.
• Camerawork. Quality presentation that still felt more "raw" than the program actually named Raw.
• A good balance of sports-like presentation while still allowing for moments of batshit weird comedy.
• Basic, sensible storytelling that's easy to get emotionally invested in and doesn't seem like it was scripted by a confused space alien trying to understand how humans work.
• The starting roster is insanely good. Great balance of veterans/legends and younger performers with that intangible "it". I like the variety of wrestling styles, which is something I miss from prime era WCW. I've also become a Luchasaurus mark on the guy's look and moveset alone.
Needs work:
• Too many flubs on commentary. While the tone was great, there were enough mistakes/misstatements to stand out.
• A few spots were over the line, seeming too dangerous. I want to mark out to these people for years and I don't want any of them sustaining career-ending injuries.
• Assorted minor botches/production issues.
All in all, a damn good first impression.
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Post by Instant Classic on May 26, 2019 14:30:39 GMT -5
The black ropes make it look more like a big deal. Not a big fan of the white ropes for WWE ppvs.
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Post by mcmahonfan85 on May 26, 2019 14:46:50 GMT -5
AEW is being heralded as the promotion that's going to revitalize the wrestling industry, but they ended their first show by seemingly stealing the signature play from WCW and TNA's playbook To be fair, though, that really comes down to how that wrestler is booked. They might be considered WWE washouts, but that doesn't mean they are, it just means they didn't shine in WWE. How many times have indie/ex-TNA/ex-wherever wrestlers been snapped up by WWE and their respective fanbases have responded with "Yay! My GOAT has hit the big time! He's going to make RAW worth watching again! Wait... oh god, it's WWE. How are they to screw up my favourite wrestler this time?" Then that wrestler gets annoyed, leaves (or gets released), they go to Japan or some smaller US/UK promotion, and they absolutely catch fire because they're suddenly allowed to not suck again? So really I think it depends on the wrestler, not the promotions they've worked for. If AEW had hired... I dunno, let's say Kevin Nash to main event the show, because "legacy! WWE! WCW! NWO! TNA!", then I think a lot more people would be complaining about "some old ex-WWE has-been that can't go and is only there because he used to work for Vince". But someone like Jericho? Ambrose/Moxley? Cody? Even JR, judging by last night's performance, after he'd warmed up a bit. These guys are ex-WWE, yeah, but they've still got something to give, and I think Moxley is a prime candidate to demonstrate that in months/years to come. true, but again there's a difference perception and reality, and with the debut show, while the reality is Jericho is still great even though he's pushing 50 and Moxley was already a top guy on the indies before going to WWE, the perception is AEW is pushing ex-WWE guys over younger "homegrown" talent, which was a major source of frustration with WCW and TNA fans |
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Post by Cyno on May 26, 2019 14:47:30 GMT -5
In case anyone was worried about Dustin, they showed a behind the scenes picture of him post-match on AEW's instagram story. He's got a bandage over where the blade job happened, but otherwise he's cleaned up and looks fine.
It was a LOT of blood, so I can't blame anyone for being worried about his health or wondering if the blade job was botched. I think it added to the storytelling of the match, but I'm also not really a fan of bladejobs so I'd be fine if it's something kept to an absolute minimum.
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