What do y'all make of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk coming to AEW?

[i suck at nicknames]

Just testing the waters of DW to see whether it has hardcore wrestling fans like me :3 

 

But back to the Q, what do y'all make of these rumors? All signs point to this being a done deal, and I am so unbelievably ready and excited for this :')))

[[McD] James]

I'd be a lot more excited if AEW didn't endlessly frustrate me with its hamfisted booking and inane comedy skits. I say this as someone who regularly watches AEW and wants to see it succeed. 

[i suck at nicknames]

43 minutes ago, [McD]James said:

I'd be a lot more excited if AEW didn't endlessly frustrate me with its hamfisted booking and inane comedy skits. I say this as someone who regularly watches AEW and wants to see it succeed. 

Even though I agree to an extent and think they definitely need some improvements in alot of places (esp. the women division), its still way way better than anything on WWE television (including NXT, which has been awful for almost a year) minus maybe Romans current heel run. 

 

That said, maybe these two acquisitions and the debut of AEW Rampage could inject some much needed hype and momentum to really give them that extra kick to truly be competition as they have the potential to be. 

[BaileyTW]

Don't have much of the motivation I used to have to follow wrestling these days unless a friend is watching something big and I join, but I do know the management of WWE is a shit to sum up something big, so I'm glad whenever any other wrestling gets some sort of momentum. Maybe it'll give me the motivation to watch again.

[i suck at nicknames]

1 hour ago, BaileyTW said:

Don't have much of the motivation I used to have to follow wrestling these days unless a friend is watching something big and I join, but I do know the management of WWE is a shit to sum up something big, so I'm glad whenever any other wrestling gets some sort of momentum. Maybe it'll give me the motivation to watch again.

I feel you bruh- I was burned out on wrestling until I discovered NJPW in 2017- now my passion for pro-wrestling has been at a peak for a bit.......now the landscape for wrestling as a whole is so refreshing and exciting that it makes me feel great being a fan as I was years and years ago. 

 

To you, I'd suggest trying to get a taste of other promotions like AEW, MLW, NJPW, Stardom, etc if you havent, because the product they present is very different from what WWE has normalized in the mainstream, and it can give you a fresh perspective. Especially given AEWs recent buzz and their PPV "ALL OUT" being held next Sunday, now is as a good time as any to acquaint yourself with the product. 

As far as WWE goes, NXT usually does present the best and most consistent product in the company, though nowadays Smackdown is must-see TV, especially with John Cenas return and Roman Reigns current GOAT-tier heel run. RAW has been shit for years and years now so don't bother (I just follow storylines on podcasts and whatnot). 

[The_Trve_Raith]

What's AEW?

[i suck at nicknames]

4 minutes ago, The_Trve_Raith said:

What's AEW?

All Elite Wrestling. 

 

It was a wrestling promotion started in early 2019 by Cody Rhodes and backed by the billionaire Khan family (which owns the Jacksonville Jaguars). 

It got alot of press after WWE main eventers Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley (FKA Dean Ambrose) left WWE for it. It currently airs on TNT on Wednesdays. 

[[McD] James]

Funny how Roman had go home heat with me (and many others) a few years ago, and today he's one of the few things WWE have managed to not screw up.  

 

And yeah, NJPW and Stardom are both way better than anything in America.

[Biodegradable]

4 hours ago, The_Trve_Raith said:

What's AEW?

 

WWE's reckoning, that's who! >:^)

[ReaperAA]

11 hours ago, i suck at nicknames said:

Just testing the waters of DW to see whether it has hardcore wrestling fans like me :3 

 

But back to the Q, what do y'all make of these rumors? All signs point to this being a done deal, and I am so unbelievably ready and excited for this :')))

 

Not hardcore, but I used to watch WWE almost regularly up until around 2010-ish. After that, I grew out of it and WWE got boring for me. Stopped watching it for many years until I heard of Edge's return and then the Roman's Heel turn some time later (seriously, Roman's heel turn should have happened YEARS ago. He is much better at being a heel than being a babyface). I still only watch Edge and Roman Reign's segments nowadays.

 

As for AEW, I haven't watched much of it, but I should probably give it a chance.

[Mr. Freeze]

*angry Jim Cornette noises*

[hybridial]

I feel this would have been huge news to me a year ago, I've kinda not been interested in wrestling since around the time the pandemic started. I'm not really sure why, and not sure if I'd go back. And that was mostly NJPW as well, I gave up on the WWE about three years ago. 

 

But I kinda do love the idea of the true comeback of the American Dragon, Bryan Danielson. Especially if he goes to New Japan too, which from what I read he is definitely considering. Seeing his rise from Ring of Honor to a legitimate fan favourite star in the WWE was great, if nothing else, probably why Wrestlemania 30 was the last time I was truly invested there. 

[King Know-Nothing]

I would very much love for the rumors to be true, if for no other reason than to see those guys be in an environment a bit less restrictive and wearing, but with that being said I am also tentative about it for a number of reason; if it is true, will the runs go well if they do go there, will AEW be able to properly juggle the growing influx of talent and avoid over saturation, and plenty of other things of that nature. I have no doubt it, much like other acquired stars, will do good things for ratings and numbers, but I am hoping that beyond that there can be a good balance of what the company can do with them and what they can do for the company.

[i suck at nicknames]

20 hours ago, [McD]James said:

Funny how Roman had go home heat with me (and many others) a few years ago, and today he's one of the few things WWE have managed to not screw up.  

 

And yeah, NJPW and Stardom are both way better than anything in America.

Stardom definitely. NJPW has been very very underwhelming since the pandemic happened, and I can't even completely blame the pandemic for that. I mean its matches still deliver (Shingo vs Tana from earlier today was incredible), but booking-wise its been very crap. AEW has it beat IMO.

 

Also definitely with you on the Roman Renaissance. Before this run, I legit could not stand him (tho that's more on how Vince booked him).........now I feel he's the best heel WWE has seen since Jericho in 2008. 

Edited July 26, 2021 by i suck at nicknames : added an extra para

[i suck at nicknames]

16 hours ago, ReaperAA said:

 

Not hardcore, but I used to watch WWE almost regularly up until around 2010-ish. After that, I grew out of it and WWE got boring for me. Stopped watching it for many years until I heard of Edge's return and then the Roman's Heel turn some time later (seriously, Roman's heel turn should have happened YEARS ago. He is much better at being a heel than being a babyface). I still only watch Edge and Roman Reign's segments nowadays.

 

As for AEW, I haven't watched much of it, but I should probably give it a chance.

I'd suggest going back a bit and rewatching NXT (especially its TakeOver events), because its booked by HHH and it was the most consistent product put out by WWE for the better part of the last decade. Especially 2013-2019 were its golden years IMO. 

 

As far as AEW goes, its a much fresher product that a lot of what WWE put(s) out, even though it does tend to fall into WWE-isms at times. It also regularly features talent from other promotions, which can be a gateway for you to maybe branch out and seek out other product. I'd suggest tuning in now (or rather Wednesdays on TNT) because its getting a lot of buzz over these two potential signings and hopefully this'll launch AEW into greater heights. 

[i suck at nicknames]

8 hours ago, Mr. Freeze said:

*angry Jim Cornette noises*

*Vince Russo bro noises*

[i suck at nicknames]

7 hours ago, hybridial said:

I feel this would have been huge news to me a year ago, I've kinda not been interested in wrestling since around the time the pandemic started. I'm not really sure why, and not sure if I'd go back. And that was mostly NJPW as well, I gave up on the WWE about three years ago. 

 

But I kinda do love the idea of the true comeback of the American Dragon, Bryan Danielson. Especially if he goes to New Japan too, which from what I read he is definitely considering. Seeing his rise from Ring of Honor to a legitimate fan favourite star in the WWE was great, if nothing else, probably why Wrestlemania 30 was the last time I was truly invested there. 

NJPW was literally the reason he left WWE for AEW and I'm right there with you. 

Bryan facing the likes of Tanahashi, Okada, Shingo, Ospreay, Ishii, ZSJ.......just inject that shit into my veins .-.

[i suck at nicknames]

6 hours ago, Mr. Robutt said:

I would very much love for the rumors to be true, if for no other reason than to see those guys be in an environment a bit less restrictive and wearing, but with that being said I am also tentative about it for a number of reason; if it is true, will the runs go well if they do go there, will AEW be able to properly juggle the growing influx of talent and avoid over saturation, and plenty of other things of that nature. I have no doubt it, much like other acquired stars, will do good things for ratings and numbers, but I am hoping that beyond that there can be a good balance of what the company can do with them and what they can do for the company.

I think they'll do fine. They have a second show called Rampage anyways.....that'll help spread out the roster evenly I imagine.

[Dark Pulse]

Punk would be an interesting case, because we know he's been out of it for a number of years. Still, being older doesn't matter much if you can still go and got gas in the tank - as long as you know when your time is up. (Case in point of not knowing when his time was up: Ric Flair. No, not his WWE sendoff, that was about as good as it could get, but his appearance in TNA-Impact over three years later. It was not pretty, at all.)

 

Bryan, on the other hand, would be a big deal. Y'see, Vinnie Mac does not enjoy people he feels he helped turn into stars jumping ship. (We will, of course, ignore his ROH career for the sake of this argument - Vince sure does.) CM Punk is probably more than fine with pissing Vince off and never being in WWE's good graces again, but Daniel Bryan would definitely have to think about that a little bit.

 

Either way, competition is good. I'm still not fully sold on AEW being "real" competition, but it at least still seems to be more than an afterthought/also-ran like TNA was. We do need a "big two" again at the very least, but when they can really begin creating their own stars is when they will have arrived.

 

That said, don't count WWE out yet. Triple H knows what the fuck he's doing; anyone who's watched NXT can see just what the WWE will be like when he finally takes over from Vince.

[i suck at nicknames]

11 hours ago, Dark Pulse said:

Punk would be an interesting case, because we know he's been out of it for a number of years. Still, being older doesn't matter much if you can still go and got gas in the tank - as long as you know when your time is up. (Case in point of not knowing when his time was up: Ric Flair. No, not his WWE sendoff, that was about as good as it could get, but his appearance in TNA-Impact over three years later. It was not pretty, at all.)

 

Bryan, on the other hand, would be a big deal. Y'see, Vinnie Mac does not enjoy people he feels he helped turn into stars jumping ship. (We will, of course, ignore his ROH career for the sake of this argument - Vince sure does.) CM Punk is probably more than fine with pissing Vince off and never being in WWE's good graces again, but Daniel Bryan would definitely have to think about that a little bit.

 

Either way, competition is good. I'm still not fully sold on AEW being "real" competition, but it at least still seems to be more than an afterthought/also-ran like TNA was. We do need a "big two" again at the very least, but when they can really begin creating their own stars is when they will have arrived.

 

That said, don't count WWE out yet. Triple H knows what the fuck he's doing; anyone who's watched NXT can see just what the WWE will be like when he finally takes over from Vince.

Punk doesn't need to go in the ring to justify whether he'd be valuable as a wrestler for AEW IMO- even in WWE the best thing about Punk was his promos and his ability to talk fans into buying tickets. Like...can you imagine the promos he'd cut against guys like MJF or Eddie Kingston or Jon Moxley or Cody Rhodes or Jake The Snake Roberts....or even Bryan Danielson himself? Thats going to be the main selling point for Punk going forward IMO, and I think that's completely fine. I don't think he'll do his legacy dirty- if anything, him even being associated in AEW and establishing them as the #2 to WWEs #1 is something which'll strengthen his perception as "Voice Of The Voiceless" even more. 

As far as Bryan goes, I agree 100% in that he has the potential to be an even bigger deal for AEW than Punk in the long run.....as far as your opinion on what Vince would think goes, I somewhat disagree. I think he's in the Jon Moxley/Dean Ambrose boat, in that WWE would be more than willing to extend an olive branch in case there's even a slight chance of him returning because he's already extremely beloved by the WWE audience (and locker room) and with Brie Bella being affiliated with WWE, there'll always be a chance of him returning sometime in the future....which is why I don't think Vince will try to piss him off in any way going forward. 

 

Finally.....HHH may know what tf he's doing, but given how NXT tends to get shafted by the main roster, I don't think Vince does. Nick Khan coming in as president and purging the locker room and management in lieu of "budget cuts", and the Peacock thing kinda gives me the feeling that WWE is preparing to sell its assets to someplace like NBC Universal. This is tinfoil theorizing, but I think NXT bombing consistently against AEW ratings and quality-wise really soured Vince on NXT and (by extension) HHH in general. Again, this is pure speculation, but this is the feeling I get. 

 

P.S. My opinion, but Flairs tenure in TNA gave us the woo-off with Jay Lethal so it was all worth it:3 

 

Edited July 26, 2021 by i suck at nicknames : added words

[Dark Pulse]

2 hours ago, i suck at nicknames said:

Punk doesn't need to go in the ring to justify whether he'd be valuable as a wrestler for AEW IMO- even in WWE the best thing about Punk was his promos and his ability to talk fans into buying tickets. Like...can you imagine the promos he'd cut against guys like MJF or Eddie Kingston or Jon Moxley or Cody Rhodes or Jake The Snake Roberts....or even Bryan Danielson himself? Thats going to be the main selling point for Punk going forward IMO, and I think that's completely fine. I don't think he'll do his legacy dirty- if anything, him even being associated in AEW and establishing them as the #2 to WWEs #1 is something which'll strengthen his perception as "Voice Of The Voiceless" even more. 

Talking on the stick sells tickets, sure, but in the end, you've still got to be able to do your work in the ring - it's wrestling, not talking. And unfortunately, Punk is on the wrong side of 40 (to be fair, so is Bryan), and past that age, some guys simply lose the ability to go. Others, like Ricky Steamboat, could still put on Broadways even into their fifties, and depending on the type of matches a wrestler has, they can go even further past that (Flair was obviously still going into his sixties, which is impressive because he's also one of those guys who could go for an hour or more - see his 1992 Royal Rumble win.)

 

Mind you, this is not an indictment of Punk; I do think he can still go, and obviously so can Bryan. The question is more "How much longer can they go?" The body gets beat up and worn down, and it's all too possible for them to give even when their minds still want to go - see what happened to Bryan himself, or Edge. Some would even say Stone Cold Steve Austin as an example, given that that botched Owen Hart piledriver took off potentially several years of his career, or Bret Hart getting that Goldberg superkick that concussed him on the spot and may have contributed to his stroke years later.

 

2 hours ago, i suck at nicknames said:

As far as Bryan goes, I agree 100% in that he has the potential to be an even bigger deal for AEW than Punk in the long run.....as far as your opinion on what Vince would think goes, I somewhat disagree. I think he's in the Jon Moxley/Dean Ambrose boat, in that WWE would be more than willing to extend an olive branch in case there's even a slight chance of him returning because he's already extremely beloved by the WWE audience (and locker room) and with Brie Bella being affiliated with WWE, there'll always be a chance of him returning sometime in the future....which is why I don't think Vince will try to piss him off in any way going forward. 

He is, but the thing is, I doubt Moxley wants to go back, at least until Vince is gone. He feels they held them back, and anyone who remembers him before (or has seen what he's done after) can certainly attest to that. Vince is also a bit of a vindictive man, though; see what he did to Paul London back in 2008, who we've barely heard from since (the next time he popped up in something remotely major was in Lucha Underground back in 2016). Most importantly, it's got to also be whether the wrestler themselves feel like they were wanting to be part of it - Bret Hart famously held out for about a decade, Bruno Sammartino famously held out from WWE's hall of fame for years and years as well, and that's kind of surprising because nearly all of Bruno's time was under Vince Sr.

 

I wouldn't rule it out once Vince is gone, but until then, I have a feeling that's not a situation that will change.

 

2 hours ago, i suck at nicknames said:

Finally.....HHH may know what tf he's doing, but given how NXT tends to get shafted by the main roster, I don't think Vince does. Nick Khan coming in as president and purging the locker room and management in lieu of "budget cuts", and the Peacock thing kinda gives me the feeling that WWE is preparing to sell its assets to someplace like NBC Universal. This is tinfoil theorizing, but I think NXT bombing consistently against AEW ratings and quality-wise really soured Vince on NXT and (by extension) HHH in general. Again, this is pure speculation, but this is the feeling I get. 

Sure, but at the end, who is Vince going to go with - some guy who basically has no real links or connections to the industry, or the guy who literally married his daughter and sweated/bled for him for 25 years before this point? Got to remember, as revolutionary as he was, Vince is still, technically, part of the old timers; you might not get along with every guy who's in the business, but doing business is usually good business. Especially when part of the reason you're bombing against AEW in the first place is because your main programs are so stale that nobody even wants to give the up-and-comers a chance - especially when for most of its run you had to buy into a subscription service just to see it, which people who are disenfranchised with your product are not exactly likely to do.

 

2 hours ago, i suck at nicknames said:

P.S. My opinion, but Flairs tenure in TNA gave us the woo-off with Jay Lethal so it was all worth it:3 

Sentimentally, sure, but good moments on the stick do not make up for pretty much that sad-to-see performance in the ring. Flair earned his retirement, that's for sure, and I hope he's happy for the rest of his days, but that was definitely a case of the old dog's body finally giving out on him. Every wrestler knows when it's time, and that match made clear to Flair that that was his, I'm pretty sure.

[i suck at nicknames]

On 7/27/2021 at 1:11 AM, Dark Pulse said:

Sure, but at the end, who is Vince going to go with - some guy who basically has no real links or connections to the industry, or the guy who literally married his daughter and sweated/bled for him for 25 years before this point? Got to remember, as revolutionary as he was, Vince is still, technically, part of the old timers; you might not get along with every guy who's in the business, but doing business is usually good business. Especially when part of the reason you're bombing against AEW in the first place is because your main programs are so stale that nobody even wants to give the up-and-comers a chance - especially when for most of its run you had to buy into a subscription service just to see it, which people who are disenfranchised with your product are not exactly likely to do.

 

Well this aged well. 

[Dark Pulse]

24 minutes ago, i suck at nicknames said:

Well this aged well. 

Sure did. Can't predict senility.

 

How many times does he need to re-re-re-re-hire Bruce Prichard before he realizes what worked then is not going to work now?

[i suck at nicknames]

21 hours ago, Dark Pulse said:

Sure did. Can't predict senility.

 

How many times does he need to re-re-re-re-hire Bruce Prichard before he realizes what worked then is not going to work now?

I dont think he cares. At this point, WWE is making billions of dollars and pulling in max profits despite every mistake Vince could conceivably make, and I truly think that's the way he prefers it to be, if it ultimately means that whatever happens, the buck will always stop with him. He'd rather make a dime his way than a dollar anyone else's. 

As for Bruce, man should open an Onlyfans, because he knows how to kiss ass like no one else. 

[famicommander]

Both of them peaked in Ring of Honor a very long time ago.

 

Pro wrestling is dead.

 

WWE has sucked for decades, straight up.

AEW is WWE with slightly edgier content and slightly longer matches, but they pretend like it's revolutionary and different. It's a WCW 1999 nostalgia act with ROH's 2009 roster.

Impact spent the last year letting AEW bury their entire roster, and they're still just a budget WWE.

ROH is the walking dead, planning to shut down their promotion from December through April and return as an indie without contracts 

MLW seems to constantly start and pause, and has been shedding talent and having media deals fall through or underwhelm

NJPW has gone entirely off the rails

 

ROH was the only major promotion putting out good content in English and now they're waving the white flag, hoping to return in a few months as a shell of themselves.

 

On top of that, the two major lucha libre promotions are in shambles. They can barely pay their talent and their shows have been horrible since the pandemic.

 

The other major Japanese promotions (Dragon Gate, AJPW, DDT/NOAH) are pretty much just coasting on their brands or on geezer talent.

[i suck at nicknames]

8 hours ago, famicommander said:

Pro wrestling is dead.

 

Lmao nah thats kind of a pessimistic view you have there.....pro-wrestling today has been the healthiest and most exciting it has been in a very long time.....and sure maybe its the misplaced optimism people have in AEW and the "forbidden door" being broken (I despise that term but whatever, it is what it is), but at least its a lot better than how it was when WWE was the "monopoly". The industry is coming back from when COVID smacked it silly and wrestlers/fans have way more options than they did before for work and to put on shows. 

 

8 hours ago, famicommander said:

Both of them peaked in Ring of Honor a very long time ago.

 

Punk at least did.

Danielson....he's still having bangers consistently and there are more AEW/NJPW/indie talents across the world for him to face, and I'm HERE for it. So mild disagree there (tho no doubt 2006-09 was peak Bryan). 

 

8 hours ago, famicommander said:

WWE has sucked for decades, straight up.

AEW is WWE with slightly edgier content and slightly longer matches, but they pretend like it's revolutionary and different. It's a WCW 1999 nostalgia act with ROH's 2009 roster.

Impact spent the last year letting AEW bury their entire roster, and they're still just a budget WWE.

ROH is the walking dead, planning to shut down their promotion from December through April and return as an indie without contracts 

MLW seems to constantly start and pause, and has been shedding talent and having media deals fall through or underwhelm

NJPW has gone entirely off the rails

ROH was the only major promotion putting out good content in English and now they're waving the white flag, hoping to return in a few months as a shell of themselves.

On top of that, the two major lucha libre promotions are in shambles. They can barely pay their talent and their shows have been horrible since the pandemic.

The other major Japanese promotions (Dragon Gate, AJPW, DDT/NOAH) are pretty much just coasting on their brands or on geezer talent.

 

>WWE no doubt. It had its bright spots, but by and large agreed. Wont get any better considering Vince killed NXT. 

>AEW at least is different and its putting out way a better product than any WWE product in years (save maybe NXT 2013-8). And its popularity is only rising by leaps and bounds. It has some weak storylines and bad booking spots here and there sure, but if the shows on the whole are largely enjoyable, I think its forgivable. Cant wait for Full Gear later today :')

Also, remind me when Omega, Mox, Hangman, Darby, MJF, OC, The Lucha Bros, FTR, PAC, Miro, Andrade, Malakai Black, were top stars of ROH 2009...

>Impact has a few major talents coming in, so whos to say it cant get any better? Tho yeah AEW did kinda screw them over lol. 

>ROH.....yeah thats a massive shame. It'll be back tho, tho I think they'll just book on a tour-to-tour basis as they did in the 00s....maybe like PWG did? Doesnt mean its gonna suck. I really enjoyed the Pure Title tournament they had last year. 

>I dont follow MLW enough to comment, tho all I know is they have Jacob Fatu and he's incredible and I want him to go to NJPW and overthrow Switchblade to become the new leader of BC because Samoan blood

>NJPW is coming back around, tho no doubt COVID fucked them harddd. At least they have Shingo, whos been the best wrestler in the world for over a year now. 

>Dont follow AAA or CMLL

>NOAH has Nakajima has champ and he's fucking great (check his match against Marufuji), so it may be time to check it out again? idk about Dragon Gate/AJPW/DDT tho. 

 

So yeah. Lighten up my dude. 

 

PS: Peep Stardom. Its been the best and most consistent promotion since before COVID, and its had nary a mediocre show....you should def give it a shot. 

Dont follow TJPW tho js.  

 

[famicommander]

15 hours ago, i suck at nicknames said:

 

Lmao nah thats kind of a pessimistic view you have there.....pro-wrestling today has been the healthiest and most exciting it has been in a very long time.....and sure maybe its the misplaced optimism people have in AEW and the "forbidden door" being broken (I despise that term but whatever, it is what it is), but at least its a lot better than how it was when WWE was the "monopoly". The industry is coming back from when COVID smacked it silly and wrestlers/fans have way more options than they did before for work and to put on shows. 

 

 

Punk at least did.

Danielson....he's still having bangers consistently and there are more AEW/NJPW/indie talents across the world for him to face, and I'm HERE for it. So mild disagree there (tho no doubt 2006-09 was peak Bryan). 

 

 

>WWE no doubt. It had its bright spots, but by and large agreed. Wont get any better considering Vince killed NXT. 

>AEW at least is different and its putting out way a better product than any WWE product in years (save maybe NXT 2013-8). And its popularity is only rising by leaps and bounds. It has some weak storylines and bad booking spots here and there sure, but if the shows on the whole are largely enjoyable, I think its forgivable. Cant wait for Full Gear later today :')

Also, remind me when Omega, Mox, Hangman, Darby, MJF, OC, The Lucha Bros, FTR, PAC, Miro, Andrade, Malakai Black, were top stars of ROH 2009...

>Impact has a few major talents coming in, so whos to say it cant get any better? Tho yeah AEW did kinda screw them over lol. 

>ROH.....yeah thats a massive shame. It'll be back tho, tho I think they'll just book on a tour-to-tour basis as they did in the 00s....maybe like PWG did? Doesnt mean its gonna suck. I really enjoyed the Pure Title tournament they had last year. 

>I dont follow MLW enough to comment, tho all I know is they have Jacob Fatu and he's incredible and I want him to go to NJPW and overthrow Switchblade to become the new leader of BC because Samoan blood

>NJPW is coming back around, tho no doubt COVID fucked them harddd. At least they have Shingo, whos been the best wrestler in the world for over a year now. 

>Dont follow AAA or CMLL

>NOAH has Nakajima has champ and he's fucking great (check his match against Marufuji), so it may be time to check it out again? idk about Dragon Gate/AJPW/DDT tho. 

 

So yeah. Lighten up my dude. 

 

PS: Peep Stardom. Its been the best and most consistent promotion since before COVID, and its had nary a mediocre show....you should def give it a shot. 

Dont follow TJPW tho js.  

 

Nah, you're nuts if you think AEW is substantially different than WWE.

 

Both shows have put celebrities in physical situations. Nobody wants to see Rosario Dawson fighting male wrestlers. 

Both shows have way too many old people in matches (AEW is even worse than WWE with this now)

Both shows have horrible camera work (WWE is still worse but that doesn't excuse AEW)

Both shows have absolute trainwreck overcrowded commentary booths. Dynamite has three play by play dudes and no color commentators for some stupid reason.

Both shows have abysmal refereeing. 

Both shows have stupid musical numbers.

Both shows have done at least 5 kidnapping angles in the last year.

Both shows have done teleportation angles.

Both shows have done terrible cinematic matches.

Both shows have ignored innumerable sexual assault/harassment claims against talent.

Both shows (and Impact, for good measure) made me sit through a stupid ass wedding storyline.

 

At this point AEW is a sad retirement home for 2004-2009 ROH and TNA talent doing a bad impression of 2007 Raw.

 

Ring of Honor was the only professional wrestling promotion left operating in the US. WWE, AEW, Impact, and MLW are "sports entertainment" to their very core and they're all completely indistinguishable from each other at this point.

 

Just a few years ago we had half a dozen TV promotions and they were all wildly different. Lucha Underground, Ring of Honor, Impact, and NJPW were all crushing it. WWE still sucked at the time but that's nothing new.

 

Now we have WWE and several lower budget WWE clones. It's pathetic and fans shouldn't be accepting of this garbage.