Timbo Slice

Good Guy Phil with a shoutout to DEAN~!

MJF going all shtick against a physically-limited opponent

The card was haphazardly put together and has some suboptimal matches outside of the main event, but the big question is how much the NJPW folks outside the two big matches are gonna dog it.

Love that reaction for One Bill Phil, don’t matter if they love or hate him, they are LOUD.

I meant it more as metaphorical, especially with their personalities and egos. They do good business in the aspects you described, but their self-awareness makes it seems like they seek out situations to be magnanimous, even in defeat. In their eyes, they’re taking the high road, but they come off as holier-than-thou instead. The fact that they weren’t a part of that pull apart at the end of the show and did a pre-tape backstage makes me think they feel they need to show they’re above all this, but all the reporting on it says they’re just not engaging a party who wishes to engage and figure out a way forward. I want to be worked in this situation, but I don’t think I am given they’re not exactly frothing at the mouth to punch back against Punk.

My guess is, like usual, availability became an issue for most talent (KENTA drama notwithstanding) along with the unfamiliarity of mixing Punk back into the fold. It also speaks volumes about how much the shows are laid out: Collision already seems self-sufficient in a lot of ways, whereas Dynamite seems like a place serving many bosses.

Because they are independently wealthy on account of knowing the modern business of wrestling better than most while also having a presence in a part of the fan base that had a big time following. The problem with them is they were subject to overexposure when they actually had to do more than put themselves over. Which is why the “counterfeit Bucks” line landed so well.

Edward Kingston in the final segment of the show as God intended

Couldn’t even get the KENTA/Punk match together, Tony, you’re fumbling the bag

Except all those players were under contract like these guys all are and worked together. Kobe and Shaq hated each other and won three rings. Elite are being petty asses and wearing it, especially when Punk, who a lot of folks like to point as being in the wrong for throwing the punch, has tried to reach out after the fact. If they are truly being this petty, I imagine the head of WBD seeing Punk as the draw for the fed is bruising their ego, too.

I’d imagine he can’t show the title on TV due to legal ramifications (which again, is the Flair Real World Champ thing blurred out on television) so this is just a well done homage to the Flair WWF intro.

So he did the Flair Real World Title promo, the Cena Hate Me Or Love Me promo, and threw shade at all the Boots In The Ring Retirement nonsense from Paul and Taker. In 10 minutes. Efficient.

He’s doing the Cena promo, what a night

LOL they put Punk last after MJF in the intro, amazing

Everyone wants the Punk interview to be a giant work but yeah, that wouldn’t be good for any exposure AEW is trying to do.

Between the submarining and the desperate click bait bullshit, this is becoming something else.

Heck of a show ender, Eddie is back and all is right with the world, him and Claudio will rule. This card is stacked to the damn gills.

The match was a whole bunch of nothing, the time limit stuff wasn’t really brought up, came out of nowhere, etc. Cole didn’t have the type of performance you’d think allowed him to hang with MJF, and MJF was derivative as all hell.

The real meta Shawn Michaels thing MJF did was eat a blood capsule and dispose of it under the ring apron in front of the ring cam, big Bad Blood midair blade energy

MJF is orange, Cole looks TINY.

Now if it was Costanza coming back…

I feel bad for Eddie with the block he got put in. Ishii and Shingo matches have an opportunity to stand out but there’s a lot of blah there.

As much as we hate it, MJF’s promos are for the live crowd who eat it up so they have something short to react to , which even with Cole correctly pointing out he’s just a Reddit troll only makes those fans feel even more threatened and want to respond more.

It’s literally so they can say something like “Every Bullet needs a Gunn” or something similar and stupid

Orange Cassidy continues to be the best TV wrestler going, Vance hits a gusher, and CMFTR vs. Bullet Joe for Collision. And they let Adam Cole talk to MJF. Good night of TV IMO.