AEW Thread: A Real Alternative To WWE?

[Symphony Steve]

Not a fan of Cody going over the young guy they tried to get super over on everyone else.
I wouldn’t have put him in the tournament if Cody was winning.

It was a good show though.

I agree on the Cody/Archer result.

Here's my take on the show: The pre-show tag was pretty sloppy. Had to do some missed spots over.

The ladder match was fun, but again some botched spots, including one near the end where they had to redo a key spot between Cage and Darby Allin. This was mostly a geek match, except for Allin and surprise entrant Cage. They're real good geeks, though. I thought they should have given Allin the win and a big push. We're seeing a trend in AEW of new 'monsters' coming in and getting immediate pushes.

I really liked MJF vs. Jungle Boy. I think there was a lot of pressure on them to deliver as future stars of the company, and they did. The right guy won. At some point, maybe about a year down the line, it'll be fun watching Jungle Boy chasing MJF for a belt. MJF may be the best smarmy heel out there.

I liked the Cody/Archer match, but I think the missing element was the crowd. Cody is so great at playing off of, and riling up a crowd. Even the celebration struck me as muted.

Kris Statlander vs. Penelope Ford went too long. I get that Ford was a fill-in for Britt Baker, but they should have cut the length of the match, and made it sorta a palate cleanser.

Dustin vs. Spears. This was a comedy palate cleanser. Not much else to say.

I really liked the Shida/Nyla Rose match. Very hard-hitting for a women's match. I think the title switch was for the best. Shida has charisma, and she's more believable than the first women's champ, who was just too small. Nyla Rose is a great foil, and she's not hurt a bit by the loss.

Moxley vs. Brodie Lee was my kind of slobberknocker. Loved both of them crawling out of that pit. A good old-fashioned rasslin' brawl.

The Stadium Stampede was memorable. Just so cool. You can see how much everybody had input into this, which is so much better than one guy calling the shots.

Easy thumbs-up.

 

[CuseRunner]

They just added the TNT Title. I don't think they need more titles, just need to keep the titles important. So far, they've done it.

Didn't even know bout that. I'm a Loyal WWE guy.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Didn't even know bout that. I'm a Loyal WWE guy.

This is the anti-WWE thread for sure.

the same people who slammed Vince for emtpy arenas and taped bits are Now championing the minor league for doing it.

IMO: both are much needed sports entertainment now. I havnt watched this in a while, I figured they went under, but good for them.

I do think the Raw & Smackdowns have gotten better and the Money in the Bank a few weeks ago was entertaining.

 

[Symphony Steve]

This is the anti-WWE thread for sure.

the same people who slammed Vince for emtpy arenas and taped bits are Now championing the minor league for doing it.

IMO: both are much needed sports entertainment now. I havnt watched this in a while, I figured they went under, but good for them.

I do think the Raw & Smackdowns have gotten better and the Money in the Bank a few weeks ago was entertaining.

It probably is the WWE Alternative thread. But I don't think that this:

...he same people who slammed Vince for emtpy arenas and taped bits are Now championing the minor league for doing it...

rings true w/o substantiation. In fact, WWE would do well, IMO, to copy some of the ways that AEW creates excitement in otherwise empty arenas, especially in using wrestlers as fans. It's one reason why I find AEW preferable to NXT.

No, AEW isn't nearly at WWE level in terms of profitability. But it's got Khan money behind, which is a lot more money than Vince has, its top stars are every bit as strong as those in WWE, and I find the programming a lot more interesting than what has become the predictable WWE formula. It's also just more fun.

I still watch some Raw, Smackdown and NXT, but I find AEW preferable. I certainly don't consider them minor league.

 

[KaiserUEO]

It probably is the WWE Alternative thread. But I don't think that this:

...he same people who slammed Vince for emtpy arenas and taped bits are Now championing the minor league for doing it...

rings true w/o substantiation. In fact, WWE would do well, IMO, to copy some of the ways that AEW creates excitement in otherwise empty arenas, especially in using wrestlers as fans. It's one reason why I find AEW preferable to NXT.

No, AEW isn't nearly at WWE level in terms of profitability. But it's got Khan money behind, which is a lot more money than Vince has, its top stars are every bit as strong as those in WWE, and I find the programming a lot more interesting than what has become the predictable WWE formula. It's also just more fun.

I still watch some Raw, Smackdown and NXT, but I find AEW preferable. I certainly don't consider them minor league.

That’s fine, but IMO until they have young universally acknowledged talent, it will be an afterthought to most. Where’s Sting & Goldberg?

Nash, Razor and Hulk?

 

[OrangeDW]

That’s fine, but IMO until they have young universally acknowledged talent, it will be an afterthought to most. Where’s Sting & Goldberg?

Nash, Razor and Hulk?

WWE doesn’t have stars on that level anymore either though.

 

[KaiserUEO]

WWE doesn’t have stars on that level anymore either though.

Not on a weekly tv show for sure.

 

[Alsacs]

WWE has shifted its mission.
The brand of the company is more important than just being entertainment.

Vince and Steph feel that fans are sheep and just want to be herded in every week and react how they want no matter what the product is.

Vince has gotten old. Fans want to be invested in who they like and don’t like.
He used to listen to the fans. He doesn’t anymore. The wrestlers used to be able to speak on the mic and develop their own promos. The best at these would get over now.
Vince and his stable of failed soap opera writers script every single line these guys say and it shows how boring promos are.

I don’t care about how Vince has pandered as well. He is doing that for sponsors and since he is publicly traded shareholders.

The WWE used to be good it’s now hot garbage that survives because it was a monopoly.

AEW is going after a different audience and is playing the long game. AEW wants fans who want actual in ring wrestling, storylines and promos.

Vince wants kids because he thinks their parents will have to spend as well.
The problem is the show is so damn boring and nobody but their chosen people get over it depends on the wrestler to be interesting. Since Cena it’s been bad.

 

[OrangeDW]

WWE has shifted its mission.
The brand of the company is more important than just being entertainment.

Vince and Steph feel that fans are sheep and just want to be herded in every week and react how they want no matter what the product is.

Vince has gotten old. Fans want to be invested in who they like and don’t like.
He used to listen to the fans. He doesn’t anymore. The wrestlers used to be able to speak on the mic and develop their own promos. The best at these would get over now.
Vince and his stable of failed soap opera writers script every single line these guys say and it shows how boring promos are.

I don’t care about how Vince has pandered as well. He is doing that for sponsors and since he is publicly traded shareholders.

The WWE used to be good it’s now hot garbage that survives because it was a monopoly.

AEW is going after a different audience and is playing the long game. AEW wants fans who want actual in ring wrestling, storylines and promos.

Vince wants kids because he thinks their parents will have to spend as well.
The problem is the show is so damn boring and nobody but their chosen people get over it depends on the wrestler to be interesting. Since Cena it’s been bad.

Back in the day, WWF made stars out of Austin, Foley, HHH...guys who were either midcarders or scrubs in WCW. WWE presented them as stars and let them shine in their promos. The stuff Austin was saying when he really got over and HHH was saying in the early DX days...they’d never give someone that kind of freedom now.

AEW is now the ones doing that to a far lesser extent in being “stars” to the non wrestling fan - it’s a different era though - I’m talking about within the confines of wrestling. Jack Swagger and Cody Rhodes were midcarders at best in WWE, but now you’re seeing what they can really do. Dean Ambrose too. These guys are WAY more entertaining in AEW than they were in WWE - at least solo. The Shield’s initial run was awesome.

 

[Symphony Steve]

WWE has shifted its mission.
The brand of the company is more important than just being entertainment.

Vince and Steph feel that fans are sheep and just want to be herded in every week and react how they want no matter what the product is.

Vince has gotten old. Fans want to be invested in who they like and don’t like.
He used to listen to the fans. He doesn’t anymore. The wrestlers used to be able to speak on the mic and develop their own promos. The best at these would get over now.
Vince and his stable of failed soap opera writers script every single line these guys say and it shows how boring promos are.

I don’t care about how Vince has pandered as well. He is doing that for sponsors and since he is publicly traded shareholders.

The WWE used to be good it’s now hot garbage that survives because it was a monopoly.

AEW is going after a different audience and is playing the long game. AEW wants fans who want actual in ring wrestling, storylines and promos.

Vince wants kids because he thinks their parents will have to spend as well.
The problem is the show is so damn boring and nobody but their chosen people get over it depends on the wrestler to be interesting. Since Cena it’s been bad.

The irony of 'going after the kids' is that the average WWE viewer is now in their mid-50's.

Not only has AEW whipped NXT in the ratings most weeks, but it almost always kills WWE in the 18-34 and 18-49 demographics. And, remember, this is a fight that Vince wanted. He wanted NXT to kill AEW in its infancy, which is why he got USA to schedule NXT directly opposite AEW. Didn't work.

BTW, did'ja see that Raw and Smackdown will now have NXT and Performance Center wrestlers acting as an audience. Hmmmm, wonder where they got that idea...

 

[jordville]

Jericho still wants an apology from Tyson for this...
Looks like we may get some sort of Le Champion vs Iron Mike in AEW now!

 

[OrangeDW]

Jericho still wants an apology from Tyson for this...
Looks like we may get some sort of Le Champion vs Iron Mike in AEW now!

Will make up for the Jericho - Mickey Rourke Wrestlemania match that fell through?

 

[Symphony Steve]

AEW: 827,000
NXT: 731,000

Good news for both shows as ratings were up. Mainly because of a decline in news show viewers.

 

[OrangeDW]

Anybody been watching? I haven’t watched in 3 months. I didn’t even have any TV service until MLB/NBA came back, but might start watching again now. I see there’s a PPV coming up. Anybody getting it? Did I miss anything big this summer?

 

[jncuse]

I have been watching a bit more AWE recently. Maybe 3-4 hours of their TV over the past month,

I didn't really enjoy it much last year in the snippets I saw and never really dedicated any time to it, but I have been watching it recently and found it quite good (with a few flaws) -- just a much better product than Raw which I all watch maybe 30 minutes to an hour a week now (for past 2 years), after being a regular viewer up to then.

That being said I watched parts of RAW tonight and it was a fairly strong show. Why they didn't advertise what they were doing is beyond me. Apparently, the two last PPV's of the WWE have also been fairly strong (at least relative to what they were providing much of this year). So WWE has had positive momentum it seems for about 3 weeks -- unfortunately there is 52 weeks in a year.

 

[jordville]

Anybody been watching? I haven’t watched in 3 months. I didn’t even have any TV service until MLB/NBA came back, but might start watching again now. I see there’s a PPV coming up. Anybody getting it? Did I miss anything big this summer?

Added a 2nd belt (TNT) which Cody won and defended on a weekly basis. Just recently lost it to Brodie Lee (Dark Order has become a strong faction).

Just started allowing a small amount of fans live at Dynamite. As expected, it helps.

Jericho still doing some spots at the announce table and is just fantastic as always.

 

[djcon57]

Anybody been watching? I haven’t watched in 3 months. I didn’t even have any TV service until MLB/NBA came back, but might start watching again now. I see there’s a PPV coming up. Anybody getting it? Did I miss anything big this summer?

it was slow for awhile. Then started revving up once people could start traveling again.

The big storyline to me was Cody won the TNT title which is like the old IC title. Did a bunch of legit open challenges to people not under contract that got support on twitter and led to a bunch of great matches with Indy guys which ended up actually signing two for real (Ricky starks and Eddie kingston). So Cody has been building up wins and also building injuries and the wear and tear of wrestling every week until finally he gets totally killed by Mr. Brodie Lee like 2 weeks ago in literally 4 mins where he gets one punch in and then just killed, they punch Arn, knock him off the stretcher, the whole deal.Was one of the better months long angles in awhile.

the FTR/Bucks/Hangman&Omega storyline is going to blow up soon too. It’s getting good.

moxley vs mjf has been disappointing to me, but mox Is still great. Jericho v orange has been wacky, but that’s expected with those characters

I’m not going to get the ppv this weekend due to some fantasy drafts, but I would recommend to def start watching on wed nights. especially with some of the turns upcoming and new guys they got

 

[OrangeDW]

Added a 2nd belt (TNT) which Cody won and defended on a weekly basis. Just recently lost it to Brodie Lee (Dark Order has become a strong faction).

Just started allowing a small amount of fans live at Dynamite. As expected, it helps.

Jericho still doing some spots at the announce table and is just fantastic as always.

Yeah, the last thing I watched was the Double or Nothing PPV where Cody won the TNT title. Thanks for the run down!

 

[OrangeDW]

it was slow for awhile. Then started revving up once people could start traveling again.

The big storyline to me was Cody won the TNT title which is like the old IC title. Did a bunch of legit open challenges to people not under contract that got support on twitter and led to a bunch of great matches with Indy guys which ended up actually signing two for real (Ricky starks and Eddie kingston). So Cody has been building up wins and also building injuries and the wear and tear of wrestling every week until finally he gets totally killed by Mr. Brodie Lee like 2 weeks ago in literally 4 mins where he gets one punch in and then just killed, they punch Arn, knock him off the stretcher, the whole deal.Was one of the better months long angles in awhile.

the FTR/Bucks/Hangman&Omega storyline is going to blow up soon too. It’s getting good.

moxley vs mjf has been disappointing to me, but mox Is still great. Jericho v orange has been wacky, but that’s expected with those characters

I’m not going to get the ppv this weekend due to some fantasy drafts, but I would recommend to def start watching on wed nights. especially with some of the turns upcoming and new guys they got

That Cody angle sounds great. I love a “fighting champion” going back to when Bret Hart was defending the title on TV all the time in his first reign, Cena had a good angle doing it with the US title too. I like the twist of having Indy guys come in, as well.

 

[MSOrange]

Brock Lesnar is now a free agent if anyone wants a guy who will show up maybe once a month with a time limit on his matches when he is there.

 

[jordville]

Brock Lesnar is now a free agent if anyone wants a guy who will show up maybe once a month with a time limit on his matches when he is there.

Interesting. Same week Heyman Hustle links up with the Big Dog. Brock supposedly has been offered 10 mil by Kahn. If that is the case, I'd expect to see him on AEW at some point. Although every time his contract runs out, he ends up back in WWE.

Rumors out there about Brock-Fedor as well.

 

[Alsacs]

Interesting. Same week Heyman Hustle links up with the Big Dog. Brock supposedly has been offered 10 mil by Kahn. If that is the case, I'd expect to see him on AEW at some point. Although every time his contract runs out, he ends up back in WWE.

Rumors out there about Brock-Fedor as well.

Lesnar is so freaking boring.
That was part of the problem with WWE.
He doesn’t put anyone over, he doesn’t work good matches, and he does the same stuff time and time after.
I would save the money signing him and target good talent.

Also Lesnar won’t sign with AEW he would just use them as leverage to get what he wants from Vince.

 

[OrangeDW]

Lesnar is so freaking boring.
That was part of the problem with WWE.
He doesn’t put anyone over, he doesn’t work good matches, and he does the same stuff time and time after.
I would save the money signing him and target good talent.

Also Lesnar won’t sign with AEW he would just use them as leverage to get what he wants from Vince.

Was it Lesnar’s fault or WWE’s fault? Or both?

I didn’t give a hoot about Cody Rhodes or Jack Swagger when they were in WWE, but in AEW they’re quite enjoyable.

 

[OrangeDW]

Also, it’s easy to forget but that first Lesnar-Cena match when he first came back was pretty good. He was having actual matches back then. Then they transitioned to “suplex city” and him getting like 90% of the offense in every match and squashing everybody...and just KEPT doing it.

 

[CuseRunner]

Was it Lesnar’s fault or WWE’s fault? Or both?

I didn’t give a hoot about Cody Rhodes or Jack Swagger when they were in WWE, but in AEW they’re quite enjoyable.

Luke Harper also.