Wrestling Thread

American Dragon

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Dave thinks she’s the best American wrestler and one of the best in the world and that’s high praise considering Dave watches a ton of Japan women’s wrestling
He really doesn’t watch much of it. He’ll basically only watch a Joshi match if pressured into it.

He’s only rated six Stardom matches all year. He’s rated three TJPW matches. He’s rated one Marigold match. He’s rated one New Japan women’s match. From all other women’s promotions in Japan, he’s rated two combined matches

13 matches for all of Joshi wrestling for the entire year. If he rates all the AEW matches from All In he’ll have rated the same # of AEW matches as Joshi matches.
 

American Dragon

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I’m legitimately fascinated at how the Roman vs. Penta match is going to be produced. Other than maybe Rey Fenix, I’m not sure if there’s a single other wrestler on the main roster whose style is more diametrically opposed to Roman’s style than Penta. It legitimately has a chance to be one of the most unique matches of Roman’s entire career.
 

BookerNoe

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I am curious as how Roman is received in Mexico City. It does not seem that the Mexican fans will cheer him like the European fans do.
 

GeraldV

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Interesting no one to fact check so they can say whatever they want
In a business filled with generally crappy people by all accounts, I don’t think I’ve ever read a bad word about those guys. I don’t think they are lying about any of it.

I could be wrong of course, but that’s been my general impression of them.
 

Laparkafan

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In a business filled with generally crappy people by all accounts, I don’t think I’ve ever read a bad word about those guys. I don’t think they are lying about any of it.

I could be wrong of course, but that’s been my general impression of them.
The last 2 posts I understand but to re-hash the whole pay cut thing just seems overly excessive at this point - they getting decent pay now and happier

bowens to nxt?
 

American Dragon

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The last 2 posts I understand but to re-hash the whole pay cut thing just seems overly excessive at this point - they getting decent pay now and happier

bowens to nxt?
Once again, it's an interview. Questions were asked. They answered the questions. Their exit from WWE is every bit as much of a story as them joining AEW if not moreso based on how things went down with their exits.

I think Bowens is in a really bad spot with none of his options screaming out to me "Yeah this would be a good idea." If he was like 32 or younger I'd be saying he should leave AEW and bet on himself. Rather that be take a chance on NXT or go on the Indies and have m0re creative liberty.

But he's turning 36 this year. Unless he finds something that catches on pretty quickly, he might be throwing away his chance at getting signed at both AEW and WWE.

Because why would WWE invest in a guy in his upper 30s who has little name recognition to the WWE fanbase unless they think he's a lock to be a future numbers guy for them? And I've never seen anything in him to suggest that he has the charisma and promo skills to be able to get to that level there.

Why would AEW bring him back in his upper 30s? He's a high floor/low ceiling guy. The only thing he's ever done in AEW that anyone cared about was the Acclaimed, and the Acclaimed will probably never be a thing again in AEW. AEW is filled to the brim with high floor/high ceiling guys. There's likely 30-40+ guys on that roster that clear him easily at this point. He'd have to like a complete transformation on the Indies to ever break thru there as a singles guy. And any tag team he does is going to be a bit doomed on arrival because it's always going to be compared to the Acclaimed and the Acclaimed at their peak was one of the most over acts in the company's entire history.
 

Laparkafan

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Once again, it's an interview. Questions were asked. They answered the questions. Their exit from WWE is every bit as much of a story as them joining AEW if not moreso based on how things went down with their exits.

I think Bowens is in a really bad spot with none of his options screaming out to me "Yeah this would be a good idea." If he was like 32 or younger I'd be saying he should leave AEW and bet on himself. Rather that be take a chance on NXT or go on the Indies and have m0re creative liberty.

But he's turning 36 this year. Unless he finds something that catches on pretty quickly, he might be throwing away his chance at getting signed at both AEW and WWE.

Because why would WWE invest in a guy in his upper 30s who has little name recognition to the WWE fanbase unless they think he's a lock to be a future numbers guy for them? And I've never seen anything in him to suggest that he has the charisma and promo skills to be able to get to that level there.

Why would AEW bring him back in his upper 30s? He's a high floor/low ceiling guy. The only thing he's ever done in AEW that anyone cared about was the Acclaimed, and the Acclaimed will probably never be a thing again in AEW. AEW is filled to the brim with high floor/high ceiling guys. There's likely 30-40+ guys on that roster that clear him easily at this point. He'd have to like a complete transformation on the Indies to ever break thru there as a singles guy. And any tag team he does is going to be a bit doomed on arrival because it's always going to be compared to the Acclaimed and the Acclaimed at their peak was one of the most over acts in the company's entire history.
Ya I starting paying attention to AEW when punk was there and the acclaimed was super over - all 3 of them are basically irrelevant now. Kind of like demolition some tag teams work and individually basically irrelevant
 
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American Dragon

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I'm setting the over/under at 6.1 stars, so are you taking the over or the under?

For the record, he's only gone over 6 on four occasions. All four of those matches featured Omega, Ospreay, Okada, or Danielson:

7 - Okada vs. Omega best 2 out of 3 at NJPW Dominion 2018
6.5 - Danielson vs. Ospreay at AEW Dynasty 2024
6.25 - Okada va. Omega at NJPW Dominion 2017
6.25 - Ospreay vs. Omega at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 (2023)

 

GeraldV

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Ya I starting paying attention to AEW when punk was there and the acclaimed was super over - all 3 of them are basically irrelevant now. Kind of like demolition some tag teams work and individually basically irrelevant
I think I’d look to give NXT a shot if I were Bowens. He goes pretty good in the ring, had a good look, maybe the E can pull some charisma out of him?
 

GeraldV

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I'm setting the over/under at 6.1 stars, so are you taking the over or the under?

For the record, he's only gone over 6 on four occasions. All four of those matches featured Omega, Ospreay, Okada, or Danielson:

7 - Okada vs. Omega best 2 out of 3 at NJPW Dominion 2018
6.5 - Danielson vs. Ospreay at AEW Dynasty 2024
6.25 - Okada va. Omega at NJPW Dominion 2017
6.25 - Ospreay vs. Omega at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 (2023)


I’ll guess he throws another 6.25 and takes the easy way out.
 

Im The Village Idiot

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I'm setting the over/under at 6.1 stars, so are you taking the over or the under?

For the record, he's only gone over 6 on four occasions. All four of those matches featured Omega, Ospreay, Okada, or Danielson:

7 - Okada vs. Omega best 2 out of 3 at NJPW Dominion 2018
6.5 - Danielson vs. Ospreay at AEW Dynasty 2024
6.25 - Okada va. Omega at NJPW Dominion 2017
6.25 - Ospreay vs. Omega at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 (2023)


Has to be a 6.4 at least. Very emotional match. Was the execution as good as WK Will/Kenny? No. But the stakes, stage, story and atmosphere were epic. And the match was absolutely incredible.
 
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GeraldV

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Speaking of Bowens, he and Harley Cameron has maybe the funniest interaction in AEW history when she said he was into her, he told her he was gay, and the entire crowd chanted “he’s gay” for like 3 minutes straight!
 
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American Dragon

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Ya I starting paying attention to AEW when punk was there and the acclaimed was super over - all 3 of them are basically irrelevant now. Kind of like demolition some tag teams work and individually basically irrelevant
Ironic thing is that I though Bowens had a far higher ceiling as a singles guy than Caster. But Caster got over getting jobbed out as The Best Wrestler Alive. Bowens gimmick as the Five Tool Player was horrendous.
 
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American Dragon

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Speaking of Bowens, he and Harley Cameron has maybe the funniest interaction in AEW history when she said he was into her, he told her he was gay, and the entire crowd chanted “he’s gay” for like 3 minutes straight!
Yeah that was pretty good. That was a pretty big moment in Bowens life too. Thank god the fans played their part about as well as they possibly could because that segment could have turned into a disaster on multiple fronts.
 
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American Dragon

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I’d give it 6.5 stars, at least according to the rating system Meltzer is using. It’s certainly, to me, among the best matches I’ve ever seen.
The only thing that gives me pause at 6.5 is he specifically mentions how it's not Omega's best match. His second best match is "only" 6.25, but I don't know how much if any the production stuff outside of the bell to bell factors in to his ratings. But the magnitude of importance of this match may have been the highest.
 

Im The Village Idiot

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The only thing that gives me pause at 6.5 is he specifically mentions how it's not Omega's best match. His second best match is "only" 6.25, but I don't know how much if any the production stuff outside of the bell to bell factors in to his ratings. But the magnitude of importance of this match may have been the highest.
I agree with Dave. It wasn’t technically the best Omega match but it was as great as any. Best≠Great. Dave’s a weird guy and I doubt he sees it the way I do. I’m also biased, I almost teared up at the end. It was cinema.
 
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Im The Village Idiot

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I don't have issues with the AEW promotion. their wrestlers or the owner.

It's their idiotic, attention starved fans and the AEW shills that I despise.

And I'm saying this as someone who hated Vince McMahon and loved WCW.
It isn’t a secret. Many AEW fans are toxic.

Season 5 Nbc GIF by The Office

Just watch ya like and enjoy what ya like. Who cares? There’s gatekeepers for every company. Screw those types.
 
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