AEW Thread: A Real Alternative To WWE?

[jncuse]

One return the AEW has seemingly butchered was Saraya's.

Somehow Tony let them have promos that had Saraya come off as a bit arrogant, and Britt come off as the defender of the AEW which led to shades of grey in their feud... which is absurd when Saraya is coming back from a long term injury. Just made no sense.

Now Saraya is being used to possibly bring in somebody huge in January - putting her in to the background potentially even more.

 

[Symphony Steve]

Absolutely AWESOME match between Danielson and Takeshita tonight. AEW Dynamite has been off-the-hook the last three weeks. Plus-Adam Cole's back, Bay-Bay!

 

[OrangeDW]

Absolutely AWESOME match between Danielson and Takeshita. AEW Dynamite has been off-the-hook the last three weeks.

Danielson was such a pickup for them. He’s still the best wrestler in the world IMO, and they just….got him.

WWE tries to hype guys like Rollins, but he’s not anywhere near Bryan’s league.

 

[Symphony Steve]

Danielson was such a pickup for them. He’s still the best wrestler in the world IMO, and they just….got him.

WWE tries to hype guys like Rollins, but he’s not anywhere near Bryan’s league.

I really like Rollins. When you think what he had to do to carry Cody after his injury, that's a feat in and of itself.

BTW, it's time for Takeshita to get some wins. He's a possible future star.

 

[OrangeDW]

I really like Rollins. When you think what he had to do to carry Cody after his injury, that's a feat in and of itself.

BTW, it's time for Takeshita to get some wins. He's a possible future star.

Rollins never quite hits for me.

But I like the ground based guys better - just a preference. I’m a Hart, Hennig, Angle guy…not so much Michaels. Bryan fits the former mold better.

 

[Symphony Steve]

One return the AEW has seemingly butchered was Saraya's.

Somehow Tony let them have promos that had Saraya come off as a bit arrogant, and Britt come off as the defender of the AEW which led to shades of grey in their feud... which is absurd when Saraya is coming back from a long term injury. Just made no sense.

Now Saraya is being used to possibly bring in somebody huge in January - putting her in to the background potentially even more.

Saraya has such presence. I don't think she's at risk of ending up in the background. I'm glad to see the improvements in AEW's women's division. They sure needed them.

 

[jncuse]

I really like Rollins. When you think what he had to do to carry Cody after his injury, that's a feat in and of itself.

BTW, it's time for Takeshita to get some wins. He's a possible future star.

A number of people had Rollins as a top two or 3 wrestler of the year, and for a good part of the year he was often putting people over while having the best match on the card.

Not sold on his character presentation, but a heck of a performer, and also a heck of a company guy. For a WWE guy to consistently be involved in great matches on PPV's and on TV is quite an accomplishment.

Obviously the shield was big about 8 or 9 years ago, but by 2022 they were arguably 3 of the top 5 biggest stars in wrestling. They all had great years.

 

[Symphony Steve]

A number of people had Rollins as a top two or 3 wrestler of the year, and for a good part of the year he was often putting people over while having the best match on the card.

Not sold on his character presentation, but a heck of a performer, and also a heck of a company guy. For a WWE guy to consistently be involved in great matches on PPV's and on TV is quite an accomplishment.

Obviously the shield was big about 8 or 9 years ago, but by 2022 they were arguably 3 of the top 5 biggest stars in wrestling. They all had great years.

Couldn't agree more on his character, whatever it's supposed to be. Both he and Beck suffered from poor creative this year.

 

[Symphony Steve]

OK, I'll say it. I doubt you'll see a better regularly-scheduled TV wrestling show this year than that.

 

[jncuse]

Absolutely AWESOME match between Danielson and Takeshita tonight. AEW Dynamite has been off-the-hook the last three weeks. Plus-Adam Cole's back, Bay-Bay!

AEW programming has been quite good for the past few months.

I thought they really struggled in the summer - just too much dream match stuff at the time with nothing really built and many things were rushed and too many wrestlers on TV. Quality of wrestling was always there, but as more of a "casual" of outside wrestling just too many people coming in with no build that I just didn't know and wasn't given the time to get to know.

Now it seems much more connected from week to week as a viewer, more focused again, without giving us the same matches over and over in various combo as the WWE does.

 

[OrangeDW]

AEW programming has been quite good for the past few months.

I thought they really struggled in the summer - just too much dream match stuff at the time with nothing really built and many things were rushed. Quality of wrestling was always there, but as more of a "casual" of outside wrestling just too many people coming in with no build.

Now it seems much more connected from week to week as a viewer, without giving us the same matches over and over in various combo as the WWE does.

Yeah, WWE had a brief blip of competence and AEW got sloppy and they were still neck and neck.

It is not remotely close right now.

 

[jncuse]

Couldn't agree more on his character, whatever it's supposed to be. Both he and Beck suffered from poor creative this year.

Apparently a lot of people liked the Bianca Belair - Becky Lynch feud -- it was mentioned in a number of year end podcasts I listened to. They had very good matches - don't remember the in between build being anything special -- probably too much quick scanning of RAW (or not watching it)

 

[jncuse]

Yeah, WWE had a brief blip of competence and AEW got sloppy and they were still neck and neck.

It is not remotely close right now.

In the numbers that do count though the WWE gap vs the AEW has stretched out quite a bit recently. (i.e. WWE increasing lead) (ratings, crowd sizes).

Part of what we see now in those is the trailing impacts of HHH coming and a tough summer for AEW so it could close.

But the WWE is fairly hot right now because of the storyline on the top - at least Smackdown. I can still watch that show fairly regularly - taped but not too much fast forwarding. RAW on the other hand.

Their presales for Wrestlemania are apparently very high.

 

[jncuse]

Couldn't agree more on his character, whatever it's supposed to be. Both he and Beck suffered from poor creative this year.

Not sure about that - next week on RAW we might see a combination of the Judgment Day vs a combination of the OC for the 29th time. That will be some top stuff (29th time might not even be exaggerating that much).

 

[OrangeDW]

In the numbers that do count though the WWE gap vs the AEW has stretched out quite a bit recently. (i.e. WWE increasing lead) (ratings, crowd sizes).

Part of what we see now in those is the trailing impacts of HHH coming and a tough summer for AEW so it could close.

But the WWE is fairly hot right now because of the storyline on the top - at least Smackdown. I can still watch that show fairly regularly - taped but not too much fast forwarding. RAW on the other hand.

Their presales for Wrestlemania are apparently very high.

Wild to me. There’s literally one angle in WWE that I care about - which is Reigns, Sami, etc. which has been quite great.

 

[jncuse]

 

[Symphony Steve]

Man, they'd FINALLY put that one ill-advised homophobic tweet behind them and were doing great.

Very sad to hear this.

 

[jordville]

Such sad news.. taking his two girls to cheer practice and was hit head on in a car accident in Delaware. The girls were both hospitalized, one worse off than the other. Prayers for his family. You just never know. Jay posted this a little earlier today with his brother, Mark (who wasn't with him)...

Say what you want about WWE, but tonight live on NXT they acknowledged his passing and sent their condolences. No matter the promotion, the wrestling community is a tight one.

I saw this video earlier that kept being shared of Jay and one of his daughters. Heartbreaking...

https://twitter.com/ringofhonor/status/1245848752092401664?t=l-66Kd7kjsxQcjAE0SeERQ&s=19

 

[Symphony Steve]

MJF is the best. 'He KILLED 'Pennies From Heaven'. He even got the crowd to do an 'A-D-D' chant.
An all-time heel.

 

[jordville]

MJF is the best. 'He KILLED 'Pennies From Heaven'. He even got the crowd to do an 'A-D-D' chant.
An all-time heel.

So good at being bad!

Also, it looks like AEW got a good one in Switchblade Jay White. Big free agent signing.

 

[Symphony Steve]

If nothing else, Vince returning likely stems the flow of talent from AEW to WWE.

 

[Knicks411]

If nothing else, Vince returning likely stems the flow of talent from AEW to WWE.

Especially since it's probably also less clear now how aggressive WWE/UFC will be with offering money to FA

 

[Symphony Steve]

Especially since it's probably also less clear now how aggressive WWE/UFC will be with offering money to FA

AEW signed 'Switchblade' Jay White, who had been rumored as going to WWE. He was the top free agent out there.

 

[orangenauburn]

Tony ain't gonna get many more gifts or chances to cut into WWE


He needs to get his shoot together now and make something happen after that terrible Raw and backlash of Vince returning and sale of company.


Bite the bullet and bring back Punk. Put him in a feud with Omega and MJF and Danielson.


FTR coming back and winning - hopefully they get a long title run and don't drop it to the Young Bucks.

 

[jordville]

Sounds like AEW will be adding a third TV show (AEW Collision) on Saturday nights from 8-10 on TNT starting this summer. Punk is rumored to be the star for this show (it could be there June 17th date in Chicago which would make even more sense for the debut). This way they get more TV time for more wrestlers while also separating some of the top talent.