*AEW Chat*

[Pippen94]

To be fair considering the recent reports surrounding the Hurt Syndicate and the way they've been handled creatively the past month or so I think it has some validity.

The MJF/Hangman and the Tag Title feud has been a mess.

Guess everybody is tribal these days?! Anyway here's signings this year

 

[Big Pete]

Guess everybody is tribal these days?!

No, I think fans can call a spade a spade and acknowledge the flaws in the things they like.

Your point that AEW has improved their recruitment is valid but Marlins wasn't completely off-base or 'trolling'.

 

[Pippen94]

No, I think fans can call a spade a spade and acknowledge the flaws in the things they like.

Your point that AEW has improved their recruitment is valid but Marlins wasn't completely off-base or 'trolling'.

Can't be signing too many male (or female for that matter) ex wwe guys when they've signed zero this year. Look at Kross, nobody even suggesting he be signed because a) ex wwe b) can't work.

 

[Big Pete]

C) Don Callis.

 

[Pippen94]

C) Don Callis.

Whatever let's you sleep at night

 

[Big Pete]

D) Kross is still working a 'Loose Cannon' shtick and trying to build a movement to get himself re-hired by the WWE.

Also who's nobody? It's been brought up all across social media and the response is usually 'Don Callis'.

 

[Pippen94]

D) Kross is still working a 'Loose Cannon' shtick and trying to build a movement to get himself re-hired by the WWE.

Also who's nobody? It's been brought up all across social media and the response is usually 'Don Callis'.

I'm sure jd from ny and all your news sources that think everybody not re-signed, signs with aew, lol

 

[Big Pete]

I'm sure jd from ny and all your news sources that think everybody not re-signed, signs with aew, lol

Does JD report on anything other than getting himself banned from shows with Mercedes on them?

Your earlier point was fine. AEW has listened to feedback and appears to be making less MXM type signings. By the same token, I don't recall fans begging Tony to sign the Hurt Syndicate and yet here they are reportedly being a headache. So this talk about Kross is ridiculous.

 

[Pippen94]

Does JD report on anything other than getting himself banned from shows with Mercedes on them?

Your earlier point was fine. AEW has listened to feedback and appears to be making less MXM type signings. By the same token, I don't recall fans begging Tony to sign the Hurt Syndicate and yet here they are reportedly being a headache. So this talk about Kross is ridiculous.

Don't know what to tell you but social media is full of morons.

 

[Big Pete]

With that said.

Forbidden Door is LIVE this Monday at 3am. The show will take placed infront of a packed O2 arena and is shaping up to be a fun show.

In the headline spot you have Hangman Page defending his AEW Championship against long term rival Maxwell Jacob Friedman. It appeared that Hangman had finally forced MJF out of his comfort zone and to challenge him mano e mano. However being the edge lord that MJF is, he threatened the life of a colleague, forcing Page to give into his demands. So now MJF can win the title via DQ, Count-Out and he's entitled to keep his contract that he can cash-in whenever. The match will likely see MJF stoop to any trick he can to win the title, only for Hangman to kick his teeth in likely leaving MJF to work a program with Mark Briscoe.

There's a Lights Out Steel Cage match where Will Ospreay and Darby Allin will continue their fight against the Death Riders. On Team Ospreay you have Tanahashi and the Golden Lovers. Meanwhile on Team Death Rider you have The Young Bucks and Gabe Kidd. Kidd is a NJPW wrestler and a rival to Omega. Plenty of returns and stars in this one, so it should be a nice chapter in lieu of a Moxley/Allin match.

The IWGP Champion and the best technical wrestler in the world Zack Sabre Jr defends his title against indie legend Nigel McGuinness. 15 years ago, Nigel's career appeared to be over and yet here is on a big stage challenging for one of the richest prizes in all of Professional Wrestling.

Kazuchika Okada will defend the AEW International title against Swerve Strickland. These London shows have been an unhappy hunting ground for Swerve, can he finally reverse the hoodoo or will he go down to the best big match wrestler in AEW?

Adam Copeland and Christian Cage (fka Edge and Christian) will make their tag team return against Killswitch (fka Luchasaurus) and Kip Sabien. Athena has cashed in her championship opportunity and will challenge Timeless Toni Storm. The AEW Tag Team Eliminator tournament went to a draw, so the tag team titles will now be defended in a three-way as Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin of the Hurt Syndicate defend against FTR and Brodido.

Plenty more, it'll be a ridiculous amount of Pro Wrestling so well worth diving into if you're in a Pro Wrestling mood.

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

C) Don Callis.

I still call him the Jackal!

 

[Marshall_magic]

They do some things right, then some other things you're like wtf.

Like they get some great crowds, and they do have a loyal fan base, but golly do they serve up some slop sometimes.

The issue with aew is that they aren't in a position to be able to get away with that - everything needs to be ON.

Quit signing ex-WWE male wrestlers, they don't move the needle (exceptions made for Main eventers and household names who can work).

Simplify the storylines. Cut out the meaningless gore (go hone angles, storyline blowoffs and special hype is different) and for christsakes the silly. Emphasize the workrate. Invest money into and screentime into slick video packages and production.

Basically 2004 ROH with money.

So many guys have gone over there and you hear all about how WWE fumbled the bag with them, and they’re genuinely massive stars. Only one has been able to prove it, Swerve. The other ex-WWE guys who have done well there are the guys who were world champions in WWE.

 

[Pippen94]

So many guys have gone over there and you hear all about how WWE fumbled the bag with them, and they’re genuinely massive stars. Only one has been able to prove it, Swerve. The other ex-WWE guys who have done well there are the guys who were world champions in WWE.

Here's wrestlers who signed in 2023 with WWE talent in bold;
Ric Flair (74), Adam Copeland (50), Katsuyori Shibata (44), Kota Ibushi (41), Roderick Strong (40), Mark Briscoe (38), EJ Ndujka (35), Stu Grayson (34), Jay White (31), Will Ospreay (30), Kommander (25), Nick Wayne (18), Aussie Open: Kyle Fletcher (25) / Mark Davis (33), The Righteous: Vincent (37) / Dutch (36), Taya Valkyrie (40), CJ Perry (38), Mariah May (25), Skye Blue (24), Billie Starkz (19)

2024; Deonna Purrazzo, Bryan Keith, Queen Aminata, Kazuchika Okada, “The CEO” Mercedes Mone, Hologram, Kamille, Ricochet, James Drake, Zack Gibson, Shelton Benjamin, MVP, Bobby Lashley

Now here's list of talent who went from aew to WWE since 2023: Dragon Lee, Jade Cargill, Lexis King (fka Brian Pillman Jr.) CM Punk, William Regal, Andrade, Shawn Spears (aka Tye Dillinger), Ethan Page, Penta, Ricky Saints (fka Starks), Rey Fenix, Rusev (fka Miro), Lana (fka CJ Perry), Mariah May

 

[Big Pete]

So many guys have gone over there and you hear all about how WWE fumbled the bag with them, and they’re genuinely massive stars. Only one has been able to prove it, Swerve. The other ex-WWE guys who have done well there are the guys who were world champions in WWE.

Even with Swerve, he was released before he ever got a chance to do anything in the WWE. He just got lumped together with the rest of Hit Row and one of the members didn't want to take the jab.

I thought it was a great get for AEW. You need variety and the show was filled with too many guys with no sense of style - Swerve at least went about fixing that.

The thing about Swerve it wasn't like he was an overnight sensation. He spent well over a year in the mid-card and going from one unfinished storyline to another before he found something with Hangman. It's one of those instances where the storyline was designed to get Hangman over but because the fans enjoyed Swerve's performance they overlooked Swerve breaking and entering into Hangman's home to cheer him.

As far as other outliers, I'd argue Toni Storm is a better example. She actually was used on the main roster and had a program in the WWE but they humiliated her and never looked to develop her character. Her gimmick was all over the place - she was a rocker chick from the Gold Coast who sounded kind of pretentious when she spoke. It took her awhile to find herself in AEW as well and she fell into this category until she started collaberating more with RJ City and they came up with that Norma Desmond persona which fits her strengths.

 

[Pippen94]

Even with Swerve, he was released before he ever got a chance to do anything in the WWE. He just got lumped together with the rest of Hit Row and one of the members didn't want to take the jab.

I thought it was a great get for AEW. You need variety and the show was filled with too many guys with no sense of style - Swerve at least went about fixing that.

The thing about Swerve it wasn't like he was an overnight sensation. He spent well over a year in the mid-card and going from one unfinished storyline to another before he found something with Hangman. It's one of those instances where the storyline was designed to get Hangman over but because the fans enjoyed Swerve's performance they overlooked Swerve breaking and entering into Hangman's home to cheer him.

As far as other outliers, I'd argue Toni Storm is a better example. She actually was used on the main roster and had a program in the WWE but they humiliated her and never looked to develop her character. Her gimmick was all over the place - she was a rocker chick from the Gold Coast who sounded kind of pretentious when she spoke. It took her awhile to find herself in AEW as well and she fell into this category until she started collaberating more with RJ City and they came up with that Norma Desmond persona which fits her strengths.

Too bad the bigger movement of talent in recent years is going in the other direction. Maybe run your expert eye over the success rate of those guys?!

 

[Big Pete]

Too bad the bigger movement of talent in recent years is going in the other direction. Maybe run your expert eye over the success rate of those guys?!

Who do we have?

Andrade
Rusev
Aleister Black
Jade Cargill
Penta
Rey Fenix
Blake Monroe
Ethan Page
Ricky Saints
Shawn Spears
Brian Pillman Jr.

Am I forgetting anyone? Stephanie Vaquer? Arguably, I don't think she'd signed with AEW or just worked a show of theirs.

None of them have had the success of Cody Rhodes or CM Punk and I doubt any of them ever will. Outside of Jade, none of them came in with those expectations and in the case of Blake Monroe it's early days or in the case of the top three, they've essentially found themselves in their old spot.

Jade though, they talked a big game and after SummerSlam it appears they've had to eat their words. The presentation and in-ring style was supposed to help her but she just isn't improving and with the WWE going away from the live-event business model hasn't helped matters.

 

[Big Pete]

Pippen94 I'm happy to talk Pro Wrestling all day. Are you going to cut this tribalist nonsense off?

 

[Marshall_magic]

Even with Swerve, he was released before he ever got a chance to do anything in the WWE. He just got lumped together with the rest of Hit Row and one of the members didn't want to take the jab.

I thought it was a great get for AEW. You need variety and the show was filled with too many guys with no sense of style - Swerve at least went about fixing that.

The thing about Swerve it wasn't like he was an overnight sensation. He spent well over a year in the mid-card and going from one unfinished storyline to another before he found something with Hangman. It's one of those instances where the storyline was designed to get Hangman over but because the fans enjoyed Swerve's performance they overlooked Swerve breaking and entering into Hangman's home to cheer him.

As far as other outliers, I'd argue Toni Storm is a better example. She actually was used on the main roster and had a program in the WWE but they humiliated her and never looked to develop her character. Her gimmick was all over the place - she was a rocker chick from the Gold Coast who sounded kind of pretentious when she spoke. It took her awhile to find herself in AEW as well and she fell into this category until she started collaberating more with RJ City and they came up with that Norma Desmond persona which fits her strengths.

Didn’t think of Toni but she is there too. Often guys make the jump and you hear about how wwe messed them up, they do little more in AEW. Rusev, Black, Cesaro, Lee & Andrade immediately jump out. The likes of Jericho, Danielson, Mox, Christian, Edge, Lashley & Mone were established names in wrestling.

 

[Pippen94]

Pippen94 I'm happy to talk Pro Wrestling all day. Are you going to cut this tribalist nonsense off?

I would've thought it's tribal to push hot take that aew is signing many WWE guys despite reality saying otherwise?!

 

[Big Pete]

Didn’t think of Toni but she is there too. Often guys make the jump and you hear about how wwe messed them up, they do little more in AEW. Rusev, Black, Cesaro, Lee & Andrade immediately jump out. The likes of Jericho, Danielson, Mox, Christian, Edge, Lashley & Mone were established names in wrestling.

If nothing else, it's absolved the WWE of the blame and has exposed that the talent is just as complicit when it comes to their failures.

With that said, it's a tough balancing act. Let's say that AEW went All-In on Malakai Black in 2021 and pushed him ahead of Hangman Page - it feels like you're pushing the new toy over the fan favourite ala Shannon Moore over AJ Styles circa 2006 or Val Venis over Daniels circa 2010. There's only so many spots and since AEW wasn't transparent when it came to injuries it was difficult to know if guys were hurt or just chucking a wobbly trying to get released from the company.

Well almost everyone, Andrade did everything to get released by the WWE and then did everything to get released by AEW.

I would've thought it's tribal to push hot take that aew is signing many WWE guys despite reality saying otherwise?!

Not at all. I was just pointing out that Marlins' take wasn't completely invalid, especially given the recent reports over the Hurt Syndicate. I thought trying to paint it as a 2021 issue wasn't completely accurate either.

Now answer my question, please.