Television Tho Prop Grops Throps

Terrible viewership for AEW this week, not sure why it was down so much but it was. Worst thing in wrestling this week, even with that awful Wyatt scene. Takes some doing to beat that but somehow they did

I'll bite, what was so bad about that wyatt angle?

Edit: Also, what does any of it have to do with AEWs diabolical and embarrassing numbers :lol:
 
Wow what an introduction this was, amazing stuff by the production team. Can’t remember seeing a better debut to a faction as this. Great for Bo Dallas as well to carry on Bray Wyatt’s great work. Looking forward to seeing how this faction does.





I think its bad.

Mostly because you should show and not tell, but there was a better way to do that too

What we got? Bray/Fiend's most recent music and the doorway. Nikki Cross crawls out towards Bray's lantern on the floor. I thought she was claiming it, but she doesnt even bother to pick it up so I guesss it wasnt important. She just stands there and points to the back. A one shot camera journey over some smoke machine smoke and sparks showing some laid out bodies with some guys in masks sitting, standing, or twirling a hammer and then uncle howdy prancing

So first off it would have been better told if... This is WWE with high end production budget. So if they are spooky guys use some cool effects. Go nuts with it. All you got was fake blood, smoke and a few sparks and you're supposed to make up what happened yourself. It would have been easy and better produced if they gave hints of what happened at least.

For example the first member we see is Erik, behind some laid out no names on the floor. We with the camera approach him from behind... Somehow we've snuck up on him. He turns around and twirls his hammer a few times. We later see Chad Gable with some fake blood on him. They should have had Erik with blood on his hammer in view of Gable telling you that Erik did it and this is how. That way although it wasnt shown, you know whats supposed to have happened and who was supposed to have done it and you give the people taken out someone to go after. I dont think we're going to see that pile of no names get revenge on Erik despite him being vulnerable to being attacked from behind as we found out.

Next scene is in the locker room a bunch of guys down and out with a guy sitting on something. Looks like some more no names but I think Braun is in there too so that would be impressive. Only its a guy who looks small, perhaps just because he's sitting down. And he has no hint of how he did it. Just make up your own story.

Then theres a guy holding his mask and Gable on the floor bleeding as mentioned. Not the most important thing but I'm sure they could have come up with someone else who fans would want to see get revenge. Gable is a midcard title contending heel. I'm assuming these guys are meant to be heel so a face that is cared about would surely have been a better pick.

Then you have Uncle Howdy prancing about. He actually trips on something as he walks in, its funny but theres always a risk of something going wrong when you do it as a live one shot. Managing to mess up walking is a new one but hey. Then he comes out and he claims the lantern. Okay so it was important after all its just we had to wait for Uncle Howdy. Fair enough. And with Howdy coming out from behind where Gable was, you could come to the conclusion he did it. Even though Gacy? is standing there holding his mask closer to Gable.

So assuming Gable was supposed to be the one Uncle Howdy took out... Thats it? A mid card heel? Especially if its Howdy who is going to be positioned as the big threat of the group and a main eventer. Why didnt he take out someone in the world title mix, or the face IC champ Sami Zayn? Or Jey Uso who just won a match?

Better yet show dont tell.

Theres no reason they couldnt have shown what happened. Its just a couple of wrestling moves and they are wrestlers. They arent particularly good ones, but clearly this was just a brawl so they just had to look tough and throw hands.

An easy example of a better faction introduction :



Even though the camera managed to miss some of it, the former WCW wrestlers are shown in the crowd during the match and mentioned. Then Road Dogg is thrown over the barricade into their front row. After he gets back ringside he starts swinging at them and they fight back and get over the barricade to ringside beating him up. Saturn hits a tbone and Eddie goes up for his first Frog Spash in WWF. Malenko with a float over suplex and Benoit hits a diving headbutt. The tag team champs are left laying after losing a fight they started.

This isnt perfect but its shown. They arent standing or sitting around doing nothing. They showcased what they can do and sent a message against pushed tag champs and it led to specific matches where all of them were involved, having to win matches to "earn" a WWF contract and an angle after they did so.

Another one that was much better was the Nexus again showing not telling. Even though they fired Bryan Danielson right after...

So yeah considering this will be the high point (well after the codes people like to get excited over, but they had to debut at some point) and its all downhill from here when they have to actually be wrestlers as we know from all the years with Bray, this was given time as a main event angle but involved mid card contenders and not even the ones people care about. To me that sends mixed signals and says they went half hearted with it, I would assume because they arent going to be pushed or do much after this

It was better than Retribution who just attacked production equipment. I'll give it that. Certainly not the worst faction debut in WWE as there have been some stinkers. But this felt extremely half hearted and poorly developed.
 
Only just caught up on Raw. At least stuff actually happens on it now.

The Drew segment was a bit of an anti climax. Could have had him raise hell and get himself suspended then quit.

Uncle Howdy...it was a cool entrance and I like the whole idea of it, but the problem I always thought with Bray's gimmick is they never gave him any kind of actual goal or agenda to go with it, and often didn't even tie it into any feud or storyline. Its fine to end the show like that but then next week they need to have a purpose otherwise its just a fireworks display that you're trying to repeat over and over to the same audience who just watched it.

Last time Bray returned they gave him pretty much the same grand entrance, then a month later nothing had progressed at all and it was boring.
 
Only just caught up on Raw. At least stuff actually happens on it now.

The Drew segment was a bit of an anti climax. Could have had him raise hell and get himself suspended then quit.

Uncle Howdy...it was a cool entrance and I like the whole idea of it, but the problem I always thought with Bray's gimmick is they never gave him any kind of actual goal or agenda to go with it, and often didn't even tie it into any feud or storyline. Its fine to end the show like that but then next week they need to have a purpose otherwise its just a fireworks display that you're trying to repeat over and over to the same audience who just watched it.

Last time Bray returned they gave him pretty much the same grand entrance, then a month later nothing had progressed at all and it was boring.
Have you seen Smackdown?
 
It’s probably safe the assume they’ll give the crowd at least one Scottish winner at Clash. Drew would be the most obvious winner, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they gave Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn the tag team belts, given what happened to Alba’s mum last month.

It would be a massively emotional moment if Alba got the pin in front of a home crowd, and WWE have a track record of cynically exploiting real life tragedy like that. It’s a triple threat match too so they wouldn’t even need to make Bianca and Jade look weak by taking the pin.
Was a great shout. Clash was decent but made better with a hot crowd

The main event was funny mostly cos I didn't go. Drew having a clash curse is something
 
Why does it feel like CM Punk is in Chicago for a show every 2 weeks?

It feels like Punk has more homecoming than any other wrestler.

8unjpi.jpg
 
Why does it feel like CM Punk is in Chicago for a show every 2 weeks?

It feels like Punk has more homecoming than any other wrestler.

8unjpi.jpg
Chicago is the only decently wrestling crowd in the United States, they should be permanently based there. The pop Chelsea Green got for winning her MITB qualifier was huge, like it was a PPV title match.
 
Chicago is the only decently wrestling crowd in the United States, they should be permanently based there. The pop Chelsea Green got for winning her MITB qualifier was huge, like it was a PPV title match.
Lyon crowd was the best I have ever seen. Crowd added so much to the event there.
 
Forbidden Door. What's Forbidden about it? Most of the guys have probably appeared in AEW already numerous times and they've all probably wrestled each other endlessly in the indies/Japan already. Moxley and Naito wrestled two months ago.

WWE doing stuff with TNA actually has a "Forbidden" feel to it.
 
Forbidden Door. What's Forbidden about it? Most of the guys have probably appeared in AEW already numerous times and they've all probably wrestled each other endlessly in the indies/Japan already. Moxley and Naito wrestled two months ago.

WWE doing stuff with TNA actually has a "Forbidden" feel to it.

Have to agree and I wonder if it's partly a reason for AEW's poor ratings recently. For me, the interest was mostly seeing Ospreay and Okada and now they're in AEW. Outside of of ZSJ I'm not all that bothered by it. The novelty is gone.
 
Forbidden Door. What's Forbidden about it? Most of the guys have probably appeared in AEW already numerous times and they've all probably wrestled each other endlessly in the indies/Japan already. Moxley and Naito wrestled two months ago.

WWE doing stuff with TNA actually has a "Forbidden" feel to it.

My understanding of the term was that it came about precisely because WWE had set their stall out to not even acknowledge other companies, let alone work with them, so when they had people like Zack Sabre Jr. appearing in the Cruiserweight Classic, or they had Alex Shelley in for a brief stint during the Dusty Rhodes Classic, it was actually a bit "holy shit, this isn't supposed to be allowed" moment. The TNA stuff now is another perfect example of that, except without Vince, they're even acknowledging outright where these people have come from.

From day one, AEW has acknowledged and worked with other companies. The entire promotion was founded off the back of a big indie show, they've regularly not just featured wrestlers from other promotions, but their championships as well, and their top star (Kenny Omega) was at one point appearing across about three or four promotions.

There's nothing forbidden about it if the door has always been wide open.

As you say, there's basically not going to be any new match-ups because they've been spamming them on TV for months. It'd make more sense if it were a one-off.
 
The funny thing is the njpw guys seem to always lose to the aew guys anyway.

With the uncle howdy stuff agree with @noodlehair
The presentation can be great but it's all about follow up and what they do with it.
I found the fiends debut great but his matches and most that followed was horrible
 
Kayla Braxton leaving WWE.

Met her once in 2018, in my pub at the time in Manchester. I wasn't really watching wrestling frequently but getting back into it, and didn't recognise her at all.

Long story short everyone on shift spoke about how stunning she was and actually quite nice. About 3 weeks later I clocked who she was whilst watching survivor series and was fuming I never got to have a chat about wrestling with her.
 
This was amazing.


The Wyatt stuff has never really been to my taste but I’m glad with the angle here. Thought they’d just have the group as a tribute of Bray’s stuff. But they’re addressing his death head on and this is a much better story. Can feel how hurt he is and the dark place Bray’s death has put him in. Like the start of a movie. Very well done. Didn’t think any of this would engage me but it has
 
The Drew Punk stuff is so good I almost don’t want the match
I reckon they can hold off until something like summerslam.

So I havent watch wrasslin' consistently in yoinks, and this clip popped on YouTube shorts and holy fcuking shit when did Christian become such a savage heel!?

https://youtube.com/shorts/ICs0x6EZ8Ac?si=GERqAYnYuxFz_nYj

This A+ stuff. :lol:
His stuff in aew especially last year or so has been awesome. But always liked him

I would like to know who this guy is as well? Everyone seems to know about him.
You need to check out his older stuff on YouTube