Omega. Jericho. Takeshita. Danielson. Roddy?

[Bo Rida]

Ospreay has quite the run on ppv. Beating some of the best wrestlers of all-time and one on his way to joining that list.

Some thought it would put him line to become world champion but he knows you can't be considered the best in the world until you can beat Roddy.

Tiger Driver '91 vs Neck Strong, over a year in the making, that's long-term story telling.
It's all been leading to this.

[Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby]

I gotta admit, Roddy having a whole storyline about neck problems tying into a story about Ospreay being reluctant to use a move that targets the neck is the kind of weirdly synergistic booking that I would not have expected.

It also kind of exposes the issue where no matter how protected Roddy has been, he just does not feel like a titanic obstacle - he feels like an easy target for Ospreay.

[The Legendary Ring Troll {BLM}]

Apr 25, 2024 14:09:42 GMT -5 Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby said:

I gotta admit, Roddy having a whole storyline about neck problems tying into a story about Ospreay being reluctant to use a move that targets the neck is the kind of weirdly synergistic booking that I would not have expected.

It also kind of exposes the issue where no matter how protected Roddy has been, he just does not feel like a titanic obstacle - he feels like an easy target for Ospreay.

That's why Roddy should absolutely take the Tiger Driver and kick out at 1. NECK STRONG!

[polarbearpete]

I was shocked that Ospreay won that match last night. Feels like such a step down.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Apr 25, 2024 14:48:07 GMT -5 polarbearpete said:

I was shocked that Ospreay won that match last night. Feels like such a step down.

It's really not, don't hotshot the guy to a world title, especially when you're clearly waiting for All In.

[mrbananagrabber]

Apr 25, 2024 14:48:07 GMT -5 polarbearpete said:

I was shocked that Ospreay won that match last night. Feels like such a step down.

Can’t have too much too soon, I suppose. I get it helps establish the title having big stars winning them, but between Okada with the Continental title and Ospreay with the International title it’s like they’re having their biggest main eventers win their most meaningless titles.

It’s an odd one, cos if (when) Ospreay wins it, won’t it mean he’s going to end up in feuds and matches with lower card guys? And then who do they have him lose it to, like..Evil Uno or someone?

[Gerard Gerard]

Apr 25, 2024 14:48:07 GMT -5 polarbearpete said:

I was shocked that Ospreay won that match last night. Feels like such a step down.

I was all like Okada vs Ospeay already? until I realized I was mixing up the belts. As much as Okada needed to establish himself quickly, the Continental Championship really shouldn't be in regular rotation. It makes the guys doing the round robin seem like idiots for not just waiting until the tournament is over to go for the belt and it makes any champion that hasn't won it in the tournament have an asterisk over their run considering all involved.

Anyways, on the subject of the International title, do not envy Ospreay having to lower himself to the absolute death of buzz known as Undisputed Kingdom, only to do the unenviable and try make a run with Roddy seem compelling. It recalls The Shield in mid-2013 having to go down card cause they'd already run through all the top guys in some capacity and needed to be brought down a bit.

[Kalmia]

Ospreay is 100% going to defend that belt in Uganda after he wins it.

[Malibu Albino]

The titles are only as “meaningless” as the booking makes them. Look at Christian and Copeland, before they got to the TNT title it was worse off than both the Continental and International titles are now. They both have elevated the belt and made it feel bigger. There is no reason Okada and Ospreay can’t do the same thing. If the goal is to put your other titles on some big names that you don’t have world title plans for currently I don’t see the harm, especially when the roster is this stacked.

[polarbearpete]

Apr 25, 2024 14:56:49 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

Apr 25, 2024 14:48:07 GMT -5 polarbearpete said:

I was shocked that Ospreay won that match last night. Feels like such a step down.

It's really not, don't hotshot the guy to a world title, especially when you're clearly waiting for All In.

There’s a middle ground between world championship match and wrestling Roddy Strong on PPV.

[Dub H]

Apr 25, 2024 14:09:42 GMT -5 Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby said:

I gotta admit, Roddy having a whole storyline about neck problems tying into a story about Ospreay being reluctant to use a move that targets the neck is the kind of weirdly synergistic booking that I would not have expected.

It also kind of exposes the issue where no matter how protected Roddy has been, he just does not feel like a titanic obstacle - he feels like an easy target for Ospreay.

Roddy could Squash Roman reigns in 5 seconds and he still would feel like a joke

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Apr 25, 2024 15:13:40 GMT -5 polarbearpete said:

Apr 25, 2024 14:56:49 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

It's really not, don't hotshot the guy to a world title, especially when you're clearly waiting for All In.

There’s a middle ground between world championship match and wrestling Roddy Strong on PPV.

For a title

Wrestling a really good wrestler who hasn't lost a match in months... for a title

In a match that'll likely be a certified banger.

[UN PLOMBIER NIGHTMARE #blm]

Roddy/Ospreay will be heat in the ring, hell I really liked his match with kyle at dynasty. i get the sentiment that it seems like a foregone conclusion but who could Ospreay face besides Danielson that would make anyone think Ospreay isn't for sure winning right now?

wouldn't you rather Ospreay have that International title so whoever beats him is a made man?

[mystermystery]

If Ospreay can make a Roderick Strong match interesting to me, then I will 100% concede he's the greatest wrestler alive.

[Kalmia]

If you want to feature Ospreay on TV, have him continually win, but don't want him challenging for the world title yet, then keeping him occupied with a different belt isn't a bad idea. It's probably part of the reason why Okada is Continental Champion as well.

[Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby]

Apr 25, 2024 15:49:43 GMT -5 Kalmia said:

If you want to feature Ospreay on TV, have him continually win, but don't want him challenging for the world title yet, then keeping him occupied with a different belt isn't a bad idea. It's probably part of the reason why Okada is Continental Champion as well.

And even if he loses, it's absolutely in keeping with some previous AEW booking. Khan seems to like having guys destined for a world title run lose in midcard title matches and the like along the way - Hangman losing out on the first Dynamite Diamond Ring, Swerve losing matches for every other singles title.

...damn do I not want Roddy to be the first person to beat Ospreay, though. I don't even like Ospreay, and that sounds like the definition of a big win that the winner wouldn't benefit from.

So yeah, title reign much like Okada's makes sense - one where he's main eventing or opening, having great matches, and not losing for a year sounds right for the booking plans.

[KME]

I think if you're worried about titles being meaningless then putting them on Okada and Ospreay is a pretty f***ing good way to make them mean more. I presume the Evil Uno shout is just in jest because when has he ever competed for any singles title, or someone of his level looked like winning one. AEW have such a stacked roster the challengers Okada and Ospreay would face will likely be very strong, case in point Pac at Dynasty where the title didn't feel meaningless at all. There's a lot of guys that can't compete for the world title all the time that can challenge Okada or Ospreay.

Even if you're someone who didn't enjoy Roddy vs Kyle (and the crowd did seem to enjoy it, it was objectively an excellent match) it wasn't exactly a lifetime ago that Orange Cassidy had the belt feeling like a massive deal in his first reign. The man makes the belt a lot of the time, so putting them on some of their best guys who aren't going to be in the world title picture for a while, for different reasons, is a really interesting way to go IMO.

[Instant Classic]

Anyone else think Ospreay will hold the world and international titles together after All In?

[polarbearpete]

Apr 25, 2024 15:49:43 GMT -5 Kalmia said:

If you want to feature Ospreay on TV, have him continually win, but don't want him challenging for the world title yet, then keeping him occupied with a different belt isn't a bad idea. It's probably part of the reason why Okada is Continental Champion as well.

I like the idea of Ospreay with a midcard title, I just didn’t like the idea of having a PPV match of his be against Roddy.

[Starshine]

So All In has to feature Ospreay in the biggest match, but that doesn't necessarily mean a world title match. I could see him beating Strong, and facing Okada in Wembley for both belts. AEW could stand to shed a couple of their belts, and the Continental and International seem to fit into the same box, so why not consolidate them like they did with the two six man belts?