strobogo

I think we have our wires crossed at what we see as legitimate heat. In nearly 2024, if someone is genuinely making me mad or upset, it's because they're doing something in incredibly poor taste or I just can't stand watching them. Perhaps I'm projecting, but I don't think people are going to pay money to see a heel that genuinely upsets them get comeuppance at a wrestling show. If someone is getting me to react in a "man fuck that guy", I'm just not going to watch what they're doing. If someone is getting that legitimate heat, I think it is going to be much more of a detriment than anything because people are going to not only not watch, but tell others not to watch as well.

Legitimate heat to me in nearly 2024 is "fuck this person, I don't want to watch this shit", which is not good in my book. Using Bully Ray is a good example, because I legit don't like him and do not want to watch or hear anything he's involved with, so if he were to be involved in an important angle in TNA in 2024, it will turn me off to the product.

Big Show looked borderline late stage Andre immobile. His hips and knees look completely fucked. I remember something about when he's done the pre-show things, he has to sit whenever not on camera because he can't stand for more than a few minutes without being in pain. I'm sure Ibushi will try a phoenix splash standing on his shoulders or something, though.

Probably, since a number of the princes are legit marks

Well that Alex Wright rip off is way more over than anything else he's done. The hips don't lie, pal.

There was a drop down trip spot every show for the first 4-5 weeks of Collision.

Yeah he's pretty good. Never could I have imagined being interested in Big Cass in 2023 5 or 6 years ago, but dude has been a good pick up for AEW for sure. TNA has really been in such a good spot as rehab your reputation type of promotion the past couple of years that I'm almost a bit worried about them trying to move to bigger venues and budgets going forward.

I think the TV has been better post All-In than it was in the run up to it.

As a fan I don't really care if stuff is "given away" on TV. I never did as a kid, still don't know. On a logical smart point of view, yes, a match like MJF vs Kenny should probably have been a PPV match with a month or two of build up. However, I don't give a shit if it was on TV or PPV, how much or how little build it had. I think more than anything it was cementing that MJF can hang at the top level with that style, and does more for MJF vs White-O as a result. One of the best things about AEW is they actually treat a huge tv match like it was a PPV match and work accordingly instead of how WWE always does it with going 3/4 speed and doing nothing for breaks. Yes, AEW sometimes does slow down a bit during commercials, but since they keep the feed going for FITE and international (and man the commentary bits during those are almost always hilarious), there's rarely a "as Raw rolls on" spot perfectly timed 10 times a show. And having been to WWE shows in the modern era (although it has been a decade), they don't do a damn thing during a TV break, and sometimes they'd actually dim the lights to play in arena ads during commercial breaks DURING AN ON GOING MATCH).

Nigel was right all along about Brittle Bryan :shambles

Quite sure it's just an angle

You know, when Christian made the challenge, I was like "oh well of course Ric will get Andrade and he'll move to the TNT title or something" and then later the interview with Edge happens and I realize I had completely forgotten Edge was in AEW already.

Flair was originally supposed to be the one to reveal the title that Bret end up doing. He was also supposed to come in around the time of the DSOTR episode that put everything on hold. TK has wanted Flair since day one, which makes sense as AEW = WCW 2.0 (3.0 I guess if we count TNA) on Turner and all the JCP/WCW nostalgia they've always had going on.

I feel like that actually isn't a good thing in modern wrestling. Legitimate heel heat in a long post-kayfabe era is the same thing as X-Pac/go away heat.

I don't watch the current product. I did watch Bully Ray era TNA, and Aces & Eights was so dogshit that's around the time I completely checked out of TNA entirely until sometime into the Don Callis era. Also Bubba Ray fucking sucks and always has, even if Bully Ray was his peak.

I'm completely sick of the "both almost hit their finish in the first 2 minutes" spot that has been a staple of "we are using psychology for this epic match" at least in the US since Rock/Austin. I know it was more common in Japan earlier than that, but it is so overplayed and no one ever hits the finish that early to make it actually seem dangerous. The only times I can recall that happening is with Brock, either hitting an instant F5 for a kick out and laughing, or Cena hitting an FU on him and him kicking out immediately and laughing. It's as played out and ultimately somewhat of the evolution of the indie respek stand off, which I also hate.

It's 2023 and we got mfs saying it's actually good that Tommy Dreamer and Bubba Ray Dudley on TV. That wasn't even a good thing in 2003. TNA did their ECW nostalgia shit nearly 15 years ago, yet they're still using these dudes.

I agree, first time I checked out TNA in quite a while and it was definitely a big step up from the last PPV I watched which was probably during the Kenny Omega title run. Did think Trinity/Mickie was quite bad, though. A few things I hope they improve with the rebrand and bigger budget: Get straighter ropes. Nothing says rinky dink to me than wobbly, bent ropes. Unless it's some random JCP from the early to mid 80s. The ring seems too...I don't know what. I think the lack of sound just makes it seem soft and floppy. Mic that mf up. Tell the announcers to stop yelling or at least adjust where they sit in the mix, because at least to me it feels like they're constantly yelling and it is ear tiring. Ease up on the ex-WWE guys. There's all the talk about AEW overdoing it, but they're taking in guys like Bryan, Christian, Edge, Joe, Adam Cole. TNA has a gang of 2010-2016 WWE mid carders. Like I'm watching the battle royale and it seems that the bulk of their mid card is comedy, ironic, or former mid card WWE guys from 8 years ago. Also, why the fuck is Tommy Dreamer still around? With Sting retiring, PCO should be Darby's new dad, and then they can see who can take the most horrific bumps for no reason.

BOTB usually aren't even added to the schedule until the week of, I wonder if it is just a "hey we have an empty hour" thing from the network

It's wild that it took them over a DECADE to recover from Hogan/Bischoff killing the brand. What a disaster they were for TNA.

I think Brock's literal first match was on Dynamite with a few months of training. Dude is 26 with 2 years of experience mostly in sub-7 minute matches on the youtube shows. Little early to write him off as a failure. I've seen some Marty Lunde matches and you'd never know that guy was going to be as great as Arn got in his formative years. Even early into the Horsemen run, he hadn't put it all together yet.

Bennett doing Head Neck Strong by Trapt popped me.

I see it more as doing the Bret/Owen thing. White-O giving Penta his best singles match in AEW. Would really like to see White take the belt off of MJF and then MJF do some weird love rectangle with Cole/Strong/Caster.

Man the majority of Edge's top run when not working with Cena was hard came side is empty arenas. Not to mention, he's been on TV for a company that is extremely focused on making sure you are facing hard cam at all times for 25 years, back to the camera should be antithetical to all of his instincts.

Does evil Skye Blue go by Skye Black or Black Skye?