AEW Discussion

[kovs27]

I think you picked the wrong week to say the main storylines make sense. What a clusterfuck of an episode.

[Lynx]

AEW to me is less than the sum of the parts. I like many acts in it, but to me they don't connect with each other and one minute I might be enjoying AEW while next minute I want to watch something else.

[Chrisvegas27]

So... what do you guys think of AEW?? Think we've seen enough of the product thus far to get a pretty good idea of it will be.

Personally i'm kinda mixed on it. Some stuff i really like, some stuff i either don't like, or don't care.

What i like:
- Live, weekly show on TNT that feels fresh, and it's new so like anything can happen.
- Darby Allin, Private Party, Lucha Bros - Not completely new, but new enough for me, to be enjoying them weekly.
- They get the marketing and promoting right. They care about the product and image.
- The main overall storylines are mostly done right with common sense. They use the talent well. pairing MJF & Cody, Jericho with Sammy & the Inner Circle. etc,
- The rankings & win-loss records.
- The Broadcast team. THey are doing really well so far.
- Future stars.... MJF , Jungle Boy, Sammy G , these guys are only going to get better and are future stars in the business.

What i don't like
- Too much wrestling not enough entertainment. I'm sure some like this, but i would prefer a little more promos. You got Jericho and Moxley, two of the best on the mic, and yet it seems like one-two promos on AEW at the most, and they are short. I get most of the roster isn't great on the mic, but you gotta have more than just those two, SCU and MJF cut promos.

- AEW fans. The AEW can do no wrong fans... I'm all for supporting the product, but also i'll be honest, if there are areas i dislike. Hope those fans don't hurt the product in the long run.

- Too many flips?!? Any match without Cody typically involves too many flips. Roster seriously lacks technical wrestling.

- The roster - Too much "ehh" talent... Butcher and the blade, Dark Order, Joey Janela, Orange Cassidy, Peter Avalon, Marko Stunt, QT Marshall, Shawn Spears, Sonny Kiss, Think this will be fixed over time... but might take a while.

- Everyone tries to get over/ lack of true heels. When watching like a AEW PPV, like it's more about the spots, than the psychology and heel/face dynamics.


Random Notes:

- Pac and Omega's stock feels like it's fading fast. These guys were best in the world caliber guys pre-aew, and now they botch stuff, slip, and seem really off their game from years past. Also Pac's character is just annoying. I get he's a heel but still.

- The Bucks, Hangman, SCU & Best Friends kinda feels like more of the same, as ive seen so much of them in ROH in years past.

- Feels like they need a midcard title soon

- Already feels like their roster is too full. (80% of the women aren't on weekly & like 50-60% of men aren't either-to estimate)


Overall, i get that i am being rather critical. Overall i enjoy the product, and hope they can continue to be successful. What do you think??

I agree with everything you said because I think one of the main problems with aew other then too many flips or too much wrestling is the fact their trying to get over at the same time which means in the long term nobody gets over

[Wilson]

So... what do you guys think of AEW?? Think we've seen enough of the product thus far to get a pretty good idea of it will be.

I'm a lot less high I was on it than I was even a month ago, but they came out of the gate with a highly watchable live TV format, which was unbelievably refreshing after TV had been almost universally at its lowest for wrestling. I tend to like the weekly shows better than the PPVs. It kind of stinks that the quarterly nature of their big shows tip their hand into making them bloated because the portions of AEW I really like are when its as brief as needed.

Seems like they have a rough go keeping their main eventers on the burner if they're not chasing for the title (except for Cody) and that the women's division just needs more care.

And JR has to go.

[kovs27]

So... what do you guys think of AEW?? Think we've seen enough of the product thus far to get a pretty good idea of it will be.

I'm a lot less high I was on it than I was even a month ago, but they came out of the gate with a highly watchable live TV format, which was unbelievably refreshing after TV had been almost universally at its lowest for wrestling. I tend to like the weekly shows better than the PPVs. It kind of stinks that the quarterly nature of their big shows tip their hand into making them bloated because the portions of AEW I really like are when its as brief as needed.

Seems like they have a rough go keeping their main eventers on the burner if they're not chasing for the title (except for Cody) and that the women's division just needs more care.

And JR has to go.

I think all 3 announcers have done a poor job of pushing storylines or doing anything to advance them. Excalibur is doing calling the matches but he isn't helping viewers follow the story at all. I like Tony Schiavone but why they signed him to chime in with a useless comment once a match is beyond me. JR is what he is at this point.

[Wilson]

Those are solid criticisms. With Schiavone, he's a voice familiar to many people (and I think he's been way better than anyone expected he would be). Excalibur was at the time one of the better unsigned wrestling commentators, so I get him too. On TV you serve the casual audience and the immediate action first, so, as much as I would like context for lesser talents from the indies or Stardom or Gatoh Move or AAA, I don't know how much better you can really do then call the match and cram in storyline information/background between spots.

[Montana]

Personally i don't mind the commentary, and overall i'd say i like it. JR and Tony are familiar voices and professional. Xcaliber does a great job calling the action. (Letting JR know what's going oin) It's not perfect, but i prefer it more to the wwe super scripted announcers.

[supersonic]

For hose wondering why I’d dare state that Meltzer is no longer an end-all, be-all anymore, here he is, being totally rational and objective about Omega.

[Montana]

A lot of rumors swirling around about Luke Harper going to AEW in March....

Anyone else find it odd, that AEW has money for a guy like Luke Harper or Brian Cage, but not Marty?? Most likely the Hardy's will pop in AEW this year as well. Just seems odd AEW wouldn't offer a Marty a better deal, considering he was a major part of BTE and supposedly good friends. They even started storylines that would involve Marty. I get they were negotiating before the renewed their deal with TNT, but still.

Dont get me wrong. I'm very happy Marty stayed with ROH, and has a bigger role now. Just seems like a big miss for AEW.

[famicommander]

AEW isn't going to get every single big free agent that comes around.

This is a unique period in wrestling history.

WWE is still a titan
AEW is obviously owned by billionaires
ROH is owned by a multibillion dollar broadcasting giant
Impact is owned by a billion dollar broadcasting giant
NJPW is owned by a multimedia company worth at least half a billion dollars
CMLL is owned by one of the wealthiest landowning families in Mexico
MLW is on the rise
AAA, Dragon Gate, AJPW are still a thing
DDT's parent company just absorbed Pro Wrestling NOAH
Music industry veterans like Master P (worth 700 million) and Billy Corgan (peak worth of 50 million) are buying indies

WWE is still obviously #1 and AEW is obviously #2, but there are more well funded wrestling promotions out there now than at any other point in recent history.

Any of the companies listed has the funding to throw six figures at a guy if they really want to. Some have the funding to throw 7 or more at them, even if they're not known to do so often.

There are only so many top spots in each company. For some guys it makes more sense to be the #2 guy in the #3 company than the #8 guy in the #2 company.

[Lynx]

Money might be not only issue. If, lets say, AEW offered Marty 10% more than RoH, but RoH offered booking positioned? How do you weight these things?

[Montana]

All the details haven't been leaked... but i believe from what i've gathered:

- ROH offered Marty Scurll the most money, and the perks of being head booker. More flexibility to work other companies, if desired.

- Thus AEW, couldn't match/ offer to pay him more. Probably would have been in the top 5-10 wrestlers coming in.

- Luke Harper was on a 550K WWE contract,

- TYPICALLY , WWE deals are for 250-300 matches/appearances per year, AEW is about 40-50 per year, and ROH is about 40 per year.

Assumptions:

Luke Harper - i'm sure he's OK with working less dates/ less money with AEW. Say he makes half of what we was making that's 275K.


Marty SCurll is probably making between 150K -300K in ROH for 40 dates.

Crazy speculation on my behalf.... Maybe Cody and Marty don't like each other?? And/or some heat between the members. Or maybe they all were never THAT close of friends to begin with. I don't buy that AEW didn't want to "overspend" for talent.... especially when you know they are bringing in ex-wwe talent this year. Maybe AEW is willing to pay more for guys with WWE exposure opposed to an ROH star.

Or maybe it's a business move, Marty at the head of ROH may help both companies work together in the long run.


Kinda rambling... but to me, the facts don't add up. Tony of someone at AEW probably could and should have made Marty a better offer.

[DXvsNWO1994]

The problem though is that ROH offered Marty Scurll something AEW and WWE couldn't offer him. Sure, he could've ended up as an EVP in AEW, but he'd just be another voice in an already crowed room. WWE will never offer that to anyone not named The Rock or John Cena. In ROH, Marty is (seemingly) the head guy. That's not something he's getting anywhere else. The money certainly helps (again, Sinclair has A LOT of money to throw around), but being the head of creative can't be understated.

[Montana]

Really good show last night for Aew. Really liked everything, except for maybe the women’s matches.

Battle royal was fun, Cobb and moxley has a very good match, page/omega vs Lucha bro’s was fanatic, and Cody and wardlow in the cage was good.

I’d have to say it was the best aew show thus far.

[famicommander]

Not acknowledged by commentary because Jim Ross has the awareness of a drunken, blind Alzheimer's patient

[famicommander]

I think I'm dropping AEW.

It's not that the product is bad. It's just that I don't see myself buying these expensive PPVs, and it's hard to keep up with ROH, NJPW, and AEW all at once. I already dropped Impact and MLW again for the same reason.

I was considering dropping NJPW instead because their product can be a bit of a chore to follow sometimes, but Wrestle Kingdom drew me back in.

Only so much time and money to spend on wrestling. Especially with how much I already spend on actual sports.

[kovs27]

I think I'm dropping AEW.

It's not that the product is bad. It's just that I don't see myself buying these expensive PPVs, and it's hard to keep up with ROH, NJPW, and AEW all at once. I already dropped Impact and MLW again for the same reason.

I was considering dropping NJPW instead because their product can be a bit of a chore to follow sometimes, but Wrestle Kingdom drew me back in.

Only so much time and money to spend on wrestling. Especially with how much I already spend on actual sports.

I completely understand where you are coming from. There is just too much content out there and that's not even including WWE which neither of us watch. I'm trying to hang in there with AEW until I get to see a live Dynamite in March. If I'm still meh on the product I may join you. ROH (which I barely watch the weekly tv), Impact, MLW (about a month behind on tv) New Japan (which I don't even really watch now that they aren't on tv and I won't buy World)and NWA is just too much already.

[famicommander]

I'll still go to Dynamite when it comes to Denver and I may watch from time to time, if I've got nothing else going on. But I'm not watching Dark, I'm not buying PPVs, and it's off the permanent DVR recording schedule.

[Lynx]

I can't imagine how some people manage to watch WWE and various other wrestling shows as well. Do they watch 2-3 shows at the same time?

[Montana]

Yeah, you def need to pick and choose. For me:

Raw ; Yes / Fast Forward
NXT : Yes / Fast Forward
SD : Yes / Fast Forward

AEW Dynamite Yes / much less fast forward
AEW Dark - Nope, too much

ROH LIve Shows - Yes
ROH TV - Yes

NJPW - Had to give up on this one

NWA - Had to give it up

MLW - Don't watch regularly, but catch up like once-twice a month.

Impact - Yes/Fast Forward Heavily / not paying attention.

I feel like I follow a pretty good amount, much of which is through is DVR fast forward/ barely paying attention.