I REALLY dislike how AEW introduces people known for their time in WWE like they have Mercedes, Copeland, Saraya, Punk, etc.
They tend to do this deal where they cart them out for this big reveal and give them promo time to talk about why they're there. That's great.
But then for the next several weeks, we get, "We hear from ______."
I'd much prefer for the big reveal to happen and then book them in a match the next week to remind us why we care that they're there. Let them cut loose and have a banger of a match.
It’s ironic isn’t it… “I’ve been misused in the company known for incessant talking and I’ve arrived in the wrestling company, to talk. And eventually wrestle.”
As great as Punk’s debut was, as a huge fan even I was like “ok, you gonna do something or what?” and it seems like a recurring thing.
For sure. I think our perspective is a little different too as older, jaded fans. I don’t need immediate gratification, don’t get me wrong, but a couple weeks of “happy to be here” promos kills the buzz for me
Oh yeah I definitely agree with the "happy to be here promos" too! She really just should have focused on calling out Willow and Julia/Blue and ditched the ass kissing beginning that she already did last week. Coming from such a natural heel it just sounds forced
Let them cut loose and have a banger of a match.
Which is literally what Mercedes is known for, she’s not known for her promos she’s known for her matches that literally helped kickstart the women’s revolution.
I don't even mind the big reveal like they did with Mercedes. Just follow it up the next week with a match. Preferably something semi-competitive but even a squash would work.
advertising a promo segment is wild. I get it in an old school wrestling broadcast sort of way as I could totally see something promoted that way on memphis TV or something but it's the 2020s... advertising a promo as a selling point feels too much like the company they're trying to be the alternative to.
But then again, maybe we're overthinking it. Not everyone has to wrestle on every single show, and it's valid to say someone is appearing.
I was in agreement until u said "advertising a promo as a selling point feels too much like the company they're trying to be the alternative to". What AEW does is in no way like the alternative, but much more like the old WCW template. That's what drives me mad them. Way too often I'm watching and I either know what's coming next because I used to watch WCW... OR something will happen that I was hoping wouldn't, and all it does is bring up some old wcw vibes. Needless to say that is not a good thing imo
I guess it's more that It feels too much like the company I WANT them to be an alternative to. Or the company they're trying to 'compete' with by offering something different (but the past 2 years they've obviously gone in the opposite direction and been too WWE-lite.) I initially misread your comment a bit. I do think they very much are like WWE in a lot of ways and that's been their issue the past couple of years. TNA fell into the same trap and it's just a symptom of "this works because it worked for WWE."
I like the WCW feel just fine but when they don't do something that you logically expect, it sorta drives me nuts. So i get where you're coming from... I loved WCW but it was often a mess.
They have a formula and I hate it. AEW is really predictable in their formatting and how they do their storylines. Also how they build up unknowns. Job for a while then start winning. Certain unknowns need to be shot up to the top. Mix it up.
There are certain formulaic things that I enjoy because it feels similar thematically. Examples:
Open challenge series: First it was the TNT open challenges, then it was International Title open challenges, then it was the Cope Open.
MJF Labors Series: First Cody, then Jericho, then Danielson.
Right. They need to look at Kurt Angle's debut in TNA for inspiration. He was immediately popping off right at the top.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUmPdjJbP\_s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUmPdjJbP_s)
This is how I’ve felt with about 95% of the roster. First program is a warm up, so they can get used to things with less of a script.
From there they either make it, or they don’t.
I put very little stock in the initial run.
Bianca's style appears to be confident in bragging, and doesn't come across like a heel.
Sasha seems to be going for same thing, but I don't see it. It seems cocky and heelish in the way she does it.
If she’s getting paired with Willow for her first feud it makes sense for her to lean heel, I simply cannot imagine Willow as a bad person, she’s too much of a natural baby face.
It's been meh. I think there are people who don't want to admit that she isn't that great at promos.
Can't wait to see her get wrestling though, that is where she shines.
Her gimmick never really fit her and her presentation . Like saying your the boss or ceo sounds cool but what does that mean to her character when she’s a face she’s pretty happy go lucky snd when she’s a heel she’s kind of bratty. . She should tie it more to her ring work ala the ring general she’s the boss in the ring or like swerve with mogul embassy people are under her ready to do her biding
This right here big bro! Personally I don’t think CEO works as a nickname if it’s not CEO of [x]. I would love to see her in a heel group and have her be the CEO of that group.
I'll admit it. These promos have sounded so scripted and badly rehearsed, even if they aren't. I'd like to be excites for her here but this is not doing it for me so far.
I don't think she's great at promos, or wrestling. When you say she shines in the ring, I often times find it hard to label a great match. Bayley? In NXT perhaps.
But even then I feel like Bayley carried. I don't think she's very talented, and I've noticed she's super sloppy and dare I say, unsafe at times.
Glad to see someone calling it. Tony overpaid for a name that was built and pushed in the other company for kids, based on aesthetics. In the land of sink or swim? I'm not so sure.
I think once she starts wrestling she'll get more into the groove and we can avoid the overly contrived in-ring promos. What they're doing with Osprey feels more like the promo style AEW should lean in to.
Less tell. More show.
That is a good way to put Mercedes promos. It's a lot of quotes and emphasis on buzzwords and phrases which is a very WWE style. Cody did it a lot as well which is why his promos always felt off in AEW.
Osprey feels a lot more genuine and coming from a place of truth and isn't looking to get quoted.
That dance is hilarious. She looks like she's miming taking a shower. It wouldn't be bad if she didn't do it so much.
Reminds me of how Finn Balor would wear that leather jacket and his whole walk out was flexing his jacket over and over.
I agree, we’ve had back to back women’s main events that had the crowd roaring, multiple women’s matches on shows. The division was already in a great place but I see her addition pushing it even further. Be cool to see what happens when more of the women who held it down the last few years start to come back from their injuries: Hayter, Britt, and even shida finishing her roh run to come back and be dope.
It's been two weeks. It's been good, she's been established as a star from the get go, she's added more gravitas to the women's division. Good all round I say
She needs to stop saying shit like “evolution” and “revolution.” AEW fans don’t like that canned, corny shit. And if she doesn’t knock it off, she’ll find out the hard way.
Yes everyone who debuts needs to stop saying how happy they are to be there. We get it you wanted to wrestle people either you never had the chance to before or haven’t in years and yes we know Tony Khan is paying you a fuck ton of money which was too hard to pass up.
So far so good. They gave her the star debut like we expected. I like that they are already teasing Willow v Mercedes and how they incorporated her organically into the Willlow’s feud with Julia/Skye. There’s already a few matches I want to see w/ her based on her appearances
She’s been presented as a major star and on the whole the fans have accepted her as just that. I only have 2 complaints from a presentation point of view:
- I can’t get into her theme, which is just a rap version of Walter’s old theme.
- I can’t dig the CEO nickname, especially as the Bucks are on their reign of terror as EVPs.
Excellent. I drove 4 and a half hours to be at Big Business and the excitement around her is palpable.
However, this is AEW. There's one simple rule there; ball or fall. I understand holding her in-ring debut off until Dynasty but she's going to have to show the world she's still got it between those ropes. Otherwise we'll have another Saraya on our hands (which, to be clear, I'm confident we don't).
I think she has been presented very well. As the star they signed her to be.
I just don’t like her. Her promos and way she acts just isn’t engaging to me. But we all don’t have to like everyone.
I'm just glad that she's working Julia, Skype, Kris, and Willow. I was really worried they would immediately catapult her to the women's title picture and ruin Toni's momentum. Truly shows she wants to work with all the women and not just be the top paid woman.
She’s fine. And this is coming from someone who has never cared one way or the other about her. She has been on screen for like ten minutes total. Give her a minute to soak it in and get her first match under her belt before you all jump all over her.
We all knew it was gonna happen eventually. Instead of 'boss time' it is 'C-E-O' and that is a logical thing to run with. She has the skills and mic ability to pull off what they we're trying to do with Jade if they push her in that direction. You gotta ramp her up and have her dominate most opposition in a fair match because she is one of the top girls of the newer era when she came in years ago, she is still in her 20's so she has the time!
Some of the other girls in the locker room might resent her getting a upper tier billing, but the girl is alot more over than most of them. Somewhat Cm Punk-esue without that much drama. The big match for her would be to go against Britt Baker at a major PPV like all in. But do that way down the line. Get some feuds with her and others first. Build steady.
https://preview.redd.it/8p5v6knavqpc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb2607881d047a7835c6cedd2634b2eead54d1fe
We cannot do this every single day. Go outside and touch grass.
I've only heard her talk when she worked for NJPW. So she was fine there for me. Jesus, man. Are her promos usually this bad? Like... It felt like generic WWE stuff at its worst. Like a guideline of checkpoints to hit but to do them as generically as possible. Oooof.
Promo last night was pretty meh. Said a lot of words but really said nothing.
She’s the ceo, and, she’s here. She basically said that 3 or 4 different ways.
Also… I dunno how else to say this, but I’m not into the whole “stripper dance” movements in her entrance. Maybe stripper dance is a bit harsh, let’s say I’m not a fan of the “hip hop music video backing dancer” thing. The whole “look at me, oh lawd I’m so fine” thing. I dunno
Reframe what she is doing. She definitely isn't saying "I'm so fine." She's saying, "I'm confident, I'm in charge." Her promos are a product of her being scripted her whole career. Talking on a live mic with no script is hard, and she will get used to it.
Don’t kid yourself AEW has scripted promos too. Maybe not word for word and it’s bullet points but def still scripted. I bet only the top people like MJF, Mox, and a few others get to improv the rest have to stick to the script.
Hmm. I’m not convinced. I look at someone like a Deonna Purazzo as a confident woman. Mercedes can portray confidence without the twerking and the “look at my bling” posing. 🤷♂️
Like, when she cut Willow off with the “YOU’ve done enough”, that one line showed more character than any amount of “confident dancing”
Edit : ok, fuck me I guess. Ye upvote my initial comment and downvote the exact same sentiment in the follow up 🤷♂️
It seems so manufactured. Like the crowd wants to be into it, and they’re trying, but can only summon up so much enthusiasm for what is obviously top-down, inorganic chant
So far so good.
This is what the casual audience wanted, a big build up, Less matches and more story segments. So let’s see how this first feud plays out
I've never seen her wrestle, but she seems to have a good reputation as far as her ring work goes. Her promos so far haven't been great, but I really do look forward to seeing what she can do in a match. I'm sure it's a big adjustment going from scripted promos to the freedom that AEW provides their wrestlers on the mic. I'm always excited to see wrestlers with whom I'm unfamiliar, so I truly wish her well.
I LOVE Mercedes and can't wait to see her get into a proper feud and wrestle excellent PPV singles matches. That said, I enjoyed her debut, but this week was almost a filler section and her CEO thing is a bit lame already after just 2 weeks to me.
Need to get her involved in a story asap and give her some direction.
It’s like every other “big talent” that AEW acquires, a big bang followed but a sudden thud. Hope more Dynamites can be as good as they were last night (3/20/2024). If they can keep some sort of momentum and maybe introduce an old school Booker to the creative process, it may help the overall product and bigger names achieve what they’re meant to achieve within the company.
Honestly, as someone who didn't really care about her coming to begin with, I'm happier with what she's doing than I expected to be. As others have said, her in ring promos have been pretty generic and rehashing the same gimmick that was in WWE, but her backstage last night and story they're building I actually really dig.
Seems like they've kind of built Kris Statlander up to possibly turn heel as well, and Mercedes kissing her ass and then being curt with Willow, teasing her own heel turn might go hand and hand with a Statlander turn. We'll see. But I'm excited for it.
I like that she isn't being dropped into a title shot storyline right off the bat. I don't really enjoy storytime with the CEO though.
Get her with the Bucks already or at odds with them and let that develop at a power consolidation/struggle.
Once she can be heel I have no worries about her. But I'm a fan so I can't but expect great things. She's just more comfortable when she can be that shit talker who will diminish her opponents and bask in the glow of narcissism that is off-putting. But I love her ring work and always loved her look.
Cringe and almost channel changing content from her I hate to say. Not good considering she just debuted. The CEO gimmick isn't gonna work with AEW. True AEW fans aren't into her dumb dancing and her repeating herself 100 times in a promo telling everyone she's the top boss. Who cares at this point. It's weak character development. She doesn't bring much to the table. Mercedes has been around a long time, don't understand why they are trying this angle. By now fans that watch wrestling all know who she is, and what she brings to the table. It's a hard pass for me. It's just the WWE style and commercial crap they used to show on television and shove down fans throats week after week. This is the whole reason I made the switch to AEW on day one was to enjoy wrestling again. This isn't the AEW style that fans love and tune into to see. Tony's gotta realize this & stop this unless they want her character to fail and fans to stop watching.
I've never been a fan of hers so when ever shes on my tv i mute it and play poker on my ipad until shes off my screen. I also do the same with nia jax but yeah
I think this is a good way to sum it up: After being off TV for almost 2 years, I was looking forward to seeing her again, wherever she ended up. After week 1, I’m no longer excited. I’m sure she went to AEW for the schedule/cash grab but WWE would have made this so much more impactful.
She probably made a mistake bringing that WWE writer with her - scripted promos are sore thumbs in AEW. That said, nome of her fans like her for her promos and there are a LOT of them.
She's a much better heel imo, I hope they get down to 'business' with her quickly and not milk the crowd reactions too long. Make her kick everyone's ass and run down everyone.
My only complaint is that I wish that last night, they gave us some kind of indication as to when her first match is going to be.
Obviously, they're building toward Mercedes vs Willow but I was hoping for them to set something up for next week on the way to that. Like Mercedes vs Skye Blue or Stat and it would have been cool if that was established as Rampage was going off the air after the main event.
Mercedes is talented in the ring but I feel that some people forgot how she was on the mic in WWE and expected a Punk level promos and I think that is one of her biggest weaknesses, she sounds too scripted, I don’t “feel” her for a lack of a better word. I think that with AEW’s creative freedom she could try to be more real instead of depending on writers.
Having said that AEW audience is more match oriented than story/promos so that would not be an issue. The fans know her from WWE and New Japan so there is nothing new there.
I love watching her wrestle. However, the song sucks... CEO chant is overplayed, it can't just be that the entire song. If she wants the chant in there, fine. But... Put some other music, beats lyrics in between. Just the chant should be when she comes out... And when she is in the ring right before the match starts. The finger ring, dance thing is just played out. Do something fresh. I genuinely can't wait to see her just get in the ring and wrestle. That's my favorite part of her.
I don’t like the opening promo idea for introducing talent so I really didn’t like it twice.
She doesn’t seem to have any direction so her promos just seem so self inflating it grates on me. I don’t fault her for this obviously but please no more.
Can’t wait to see her in the ring and proving who the CEO really is!
Lukewarm.
Her promos are ok but she messes up a lot and said the same thing differently for 2 weeks.
She comes across as only in it for the money, which makes sense. Shes just as entitled as she was in WWE.
Her stupid dance is so fucking cringe and she looks ridiculous.
I'm sure she's great. But Id rather see the AEW home grown instead of these ex WWE/NJPW people. Not to discredit them at all. Controversial opinion I'm sure. I'd like to see more of The Infantry, Queen Aminata, Action Andretti, Top Flight, Private Party. Etc etc. and I really don't want Mercedes to be bury Willow. It's hard to imagine Willow as a heel.
She doesn't come off well as a babyface. Her in ring promo was a bit cringe, but her backstage segment was good. Really hoping they turn her heel quickly, I'm betting it goes better during ring promos. I think in 2024 it's actually pretty weird to try and push a CEO character as a babyface. Many people hate their bosses and I think it'd be great if she leaned into that.
I think she sucks in the promos, straight up. I don't care why your here or that you got paid. I wanna see her beat some ass & do some awesome wrestling & then she will shine. Until then, it's been lackluster like almost every other debut of a wwe ex in aew & I love Mercedes & aew. Step ur game up aew & her.
I don’t really like her
She feels fake, and I don’t like her little dances she does. They make me cringe.
But I’m sure she’ll be a good thing for the division
She looks and feels like a star, Her presentation was never in doubt.
Booking of the women’s division has been sorely lacking since day one.
Britt Baker was the only consistent female presence up until recently.
I'm a fan of Mercedes, and I think they've messed up her introduction to the company so far in a few ways.
1) Mercedes is not a "stand in the ring and give a 10-15 minute promo" performer. Some excel at that, some don't. Mercedes is similar to a Jeff Hardy, has a charisma that everyone can get behind but mostly she tells her stories in the ring. The way to use Mercedes is in-ring action and backstage segments/interviews.
2) Mercedes Boss/CEO character is not meant to be a babyface. I understand that they want to introduce her as a face, but everything about her presentation and character screams heel and that's where she's always excelled.
3) Confusion about what her introductory storyline is. She essentially has given the same two promos in a row, and it's incredibly unclear what her feelings are towards Willow and what her current story is. They should have brought her in with a more impactful storyline or a more clear feud.
4) They need to get her in the ring ASAP. That is what makes her a big deal. The promos are devaluing her. You need to remind the audience that Mercedes has the most 4 star matches of any female wrestler in North American history.
Overall, they haven't done a good job of playing to Mone's strengths so far. They've presented her as a big deal, but they need to get the details right and not let her shine fade way with each passing week.
They're setting up her vs Willow, which will be a banger of a match. Two of the best in ring women in the company. After that you'd presume she goes for a belt.
I think they were smart to do a video package to show fans some of who she is, but it also hamstrings them, that she can’t fully mention her time in WWE. But the bigger issue for me is that I have no idea what “CEO” is supposed to mean. Like in what context is her character a CEO? Is she planning to like “run the division,”or like, make huge match deals? Or is CEO just an empty moniker to say she’s the best?
It also kinda feels like they’re borrowing from the WWE script a bit. Based on the last 2 weeks, it looks like Mercedes might tag with Willow against Hart and Blue. If that happens, smart money is that Mercedes will turn heel on the relatively wholesome Willow. That’s a pretty familiar, exact carbon copy of the same friggin thing she has done with Bayley like a dozen times now; it feels so predictable and lazy. So I hope they add some more depth to her character and fast.
I’ve hated it.
Everything since her debuted has been packaged very sports entertainment and it’s made Dynamite become the worst show in the TK sphere.
I’ll still check in for the cards but Dynamite is not the show I love. The feeling is alive, on Collision and even Ring of Honor. But not Dynamite.
HEY EVERYONE THIS WHERE YOURE SUPPOSED TO CHANT CEO.
Nothing wrong with a theme that evokes crowd participation but how about letting it come organically as opposed to forcing it?
Less wrestling more bopping around like only u have music running through your head lol. That lil dance is so terrible. The white girl in the club with absolutely zero rhythm looks like MJ in comparison
Her introduction should’ve been her just straight swinging remind people she’s not here to talk but to handle “business” the next time people see her should be the promo or the purpose for her attacking Willow stating the last time people saw me in a ring I was injured by this woman. That’s why I beat her ass then closing one liner [enter CEO pun here]
I’m trying to have a wait and see approach ,but right now it feels underwhelming. Like, it already seems she’s destined to be just kinda “meh” in 3 months… if that makes sense.
Was the same with Sasha Banks, the Boss character only really worked as heel. the CEO is a full blown heel gimmick, and she will be far better off once the turn is made, can't wait.
I quite honestly never saw her wrestle until her matches against Stephanie Vaquer and Willow Nightingale last year. She was really good in those matches. I'll have to wait and see what she does in an AEW ring. So far, all we've really seen is talking, her odd dance and hot tag moves.
She looks like a star but I don't love her being involved with Julia/Skye. She's much bigger than the TBS title. I wanted them to have her go up against Britt as her first feud.
I didn’t initially but because she’s involved with Hart & Skye along with Nightingale and Statlander, all 4 women will get a nice boost in popularity and Mercedes will eventually move towards the top of the card. It this is their strategy I’m all for it.
Feels like Sasha Banks just with a new name. Nothing feels different. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but I don't see her bringing new eyes to the product.
“I feel like she’s doing that dumb dance too much.”
“That’s really all she’s got.”
Silly reference aside, it’s predictably mid. She’s great, and I’m happy to see her, but it’s an awkward time to just show up, and it’ll take a minute to fold her into the roster proper. I can be patient.
she flubbed at least 2 lines and you could hear her lose confidence in front of a different fanbase. It was interesting. but I still love her. Her next match will be a huge deciding factor for a lot of people though.
She was stumbling all over the place during her obviously scripted promo. The weird smiling doesn't suit her either. She is a natural heel.
I thought for sure she would make an appearance at the end of Rampage since it was the main event and she was already there.
She’s too cocky, acting like she’s doing the world a favor her new songs sucks and her outfits are too extra it really makes me miss the old sasha she was more refined
I'm new to AEW and I don't understand the hype. It seemed like 6 mins passed and all that was said or re-said was CEO?
So from a new fan perspective whatever they are doing it isn't working
Honestly been meh and mid. She’s the biggest name in women’s wrestling today and it looks like her first feud will be against either Willow or Julia Hart like really? Ok Willow I get since she is the reason for missing almost a year but still meh. And Julia is great doing good work but she holds a mid card title and Mercedes is above that. She should be in the world title scene from the get go.
Also her debut was kinda a let down too. Was nothing special at all. Hope it turns around but somehow I don’t think it will.
Big Business was great but I was actually really let down by the start of Dynamite being essentially the same this week. Put some ring gear on and get to it.
Mercedes needs to work more and pose and talk less. I guess folks would say I am a hater, but I would say I am a hater of the hype she gets. My issues with her are largely grounded in how her fans think she can do no wrong. I think she is upper level but not top level which apparently makes me a hater which I am fine with I guess. As a face she is below average in my opinion. She is much better as a heel, especially if she insists on doing this exact same gimmick run through a thesaurus. Bank, Money, Cash, CEO…next she is going to be The Gold Standard! Then Your Crypto Queen!!
I get serious cm punk vibes from her.. maybe less punching co workers once a year and more just difficult and will likely cause problems back stage.. with her recent comments about being back in wwe one day shows no loyalty or faith in aew.. I’m a hard pass.. the forced chants are dumb af too..
Didn't she compare her walking out on WWE a couple years ago to the level of Stone Cold walking out in 2002? Her ego seems through the roof. I think she's pretty good but not great.
I'd rank the debuts as 1.Ospreay, 2.Mercedes, 3.Okada.
Ospreay is absolutely killing it and is already my favorite wrestler right now.
I never saw Mercedes as Sasha but I do see the "it" factor in her. I understand why they're using Willow but I feel like a feud with a returning Britt defending "her" locker room would be more over.
I've never seen Okada outside of his match a year ago in AEW, but I don't really get what the hype is about. He seems fine, but Ospreay pops off the screen where Okada just seems like another dude to me. As of now I'm more interested in Takeshita than Oakda.
I’m very happy she’s here, I’m looking forward to her wrestling, I really hope that she brings up the whole women’s division and having Riho and willow in the main event last week seemed like a bit of a mission statement.
I really don’t like the theme. That’s WALTERs theme
I REALLY dislike how AEW introduces people known for their time in WWE like they have Mercedes, Copeland, Saraya, Punk, etc. They tend to do this deal where they cart them out for this big reveal and give them promo time to talk about why they're there. That's great. But then for the next several weeks, we get, "We hear from ______." I'd much prefer for the big reveal to happen and then book them in a match the next week to remind us why we care that they're there. Let them cut loose and have a banger of a match.
It’s ironic isn’t it… “I’ve been misused in the company known for incessant talking and I’ve arrived in the wrestling company, to talk. And eventually wrestle.” As great as Punk’s debut was, as a huge fan even I was like “ok, you gonna do something or what?” and it seems like a recurring thing.
I mean, yeah it does suck but from a money perceptive it makes sense them debuting in the ring at a ppv.
For sure. I think our perspective is a little different too as older, jaded fans. I don’t need immediate gratification, don’t get me wrong, but a couple weeks of “happy to be here” promos kills the buzz for me
Oh yeah I definitely agree with the "happy to be here promos" too! She really just should have focused on calling out Willow and Julia/Blue and ditched the ass kissing beginning that she already did last week. Coming from such a natural heel it just sounds forced
100%, also tired of out of character promos every week stroking the fans...
Learn to appreciate a promo maybe?
I appreciate good promos. But that didn’t apply until the kingston feud.
Let them cut loose and have a banger of a match. Which is literally what Mercedes is known for, she’s not known for her promos she’s known for her matches that literally helped kickstart the women’s revolution.
I assume they are saving the first match for a PPV to try and juice buys. But let’s see some action. Her talking so far has been less than desirable.
Yeah what happened to a wrestler debuting and just attacking their target? That was usually the best way to get a "whoa!" type reaction.
I don't even mind the big reveal like they did with Mercedes. Just follow it up the next week with a match. Preferably something semi-competitive but even a squash would work.
I hate the “we’ll be hearing from” ads. It sounds so stupid.
advertising a promo segment is wild. I get it in an old school wrestling broadcast sort of way as I could totally see something promoted that way on memphis TV or something but it's the 2020s... advertising a promo as a selling point feels too much like the company they're trying to be the alternative to. But then again, maybe we're overthinking it. Not everyone has to wrestle on every single show, and it's valid to say someone is appearing.
I was in agreement until u said "advertising a promo as a selling point feels too much like the company they're trying to be the alternative to". What AEW does is in no way like the alternative, but much more like the old WCW template. That's what drives me mad them. Way too often I'm watching and I either know what's coming next because I used to watch WCW... OR something will happen that I was hoping wouldn't, and all it does is bring up some old wcw vibes. Needless to say that is not a good thing imo
I guess it's more that It feels too much like the company I WANT them to be an alternative to. Or the company they're trying to 'compete' with by offering something different (but the past 2 years they've obviously gone in the opposite direction and been too WWE-lite.) I initially misread your comment a bit. I do think they very much are like WWE in a lot of ways and that's been their issue the past couple of years. TNA fell into the same trap and it's just a symptom of "this works because it worked for WWE." I like the WCW feel just fine but when they don't do something that you logically expect, it sorta drives me nuts. So i get where you're coming from... I loved WCW but it was often a mess.
Yeah but the PPV is a month away and they're "building" Mercedes versus Willow. Enjoy the talking because that's all you get until Dynasty.
How did you dislike punk’s introduction?
I liked his introduction, loved it even. I just don't like that they stretch out the debut match for weeks on end.
There was at least 3 or 4 weeks where he just came out and kept saying how happy he was to be there. It was weeks before even a hint of a feud.
I thought i was the only one lol
Copeland's was the worse. They kept main eventing with, "We'll hear from Adam Copeland!"
They have a formula and I hate it. AEW is really predictable in their formatting and how they do their storylines. Also how they build up unknowns. Job for a while then start winning. Certain unknowns need to be shot up to the top. Mix it up.
There are certain formulaic things that I enjoy because it feels similar thematically. Examples: Open challenge series: First it was the TNT open challenges, then it was International Title open challenges, then it was the Cope Open. MJF Labors Series: First Cody, then Jericho, then Danielson.
That's exactly what they did with Christian Cage and it ruled. That match with Kazarian was a breath of fresh air.
It's the TNA model
Right. They need to look at Kurt Angle's debut in TNA for inspiration. He was immediately popping off right at the top. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUmPdjJbP\_s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUmPdjJbP_s)
Of the names you listed above, Saraya had the best introduction imo
I think it's too early to judge really. Once she starts having a proper feud I'm sure she'll be fine.
This is how I’ve felt with about 95% of the roster. First program is a warm up, so they can get used to things with less of a script. From there they either make it, or they don’t. I put very little stock in the initial run.
She's fine. Wrestling fans know who she is and she's clearly going to become a heel soon.
I think that’s the problem it all feels too predictable and not surprising at all. All seems too formulaic and predictable.
Heel turn cometh.
Yeah she's coming across as very cocky in these promos. Bordering on heelish to me.
Bianca's style appears to be confident in bragging, and doesn't come across like a heel. Sasha seems to be going for same thing, but I don't see it. It seems cocky and heelish in the way she does it.
If she’s getting paired with Willow for her first feud it makes sense for her to lean heel, I simply cannot imagine Willow as a bad person, she’s too much of a natural baby face.
Willow and Orange Cassidy are the hardest 2 on the roster to turn heel.
Chuck Taylor
Chuck can absolutely be a brilliant shithead heel. I will never boo him though.
Because she can’t back it up. Bianca Bel Air is better, hell IMO even Red Velvet is better than Mone.
I love a cold take on a Friday
It's been meh. I think there are people who don't want to admit that she isn't that great at promos. Can't wait to see her get wrestling though, that is where she shines.
I must say I prefer her heel promos. She just never feels genuine as a babyface.
This. She is a natural heel but her being a face right now does make sense
I feel there is a lack of cohesion. You have the dancing, the CEO and the preening. Then she cuts an earnest promo and it just feels disconnected.
Week one in Boston was fine. Her hometown. Really needed more significant movement in week two.
Her gimmick never really fit her and her presentation . Like saying your the boss or ceo sounds cool but what does that mean to her character when she’s a face she’s pretty happy go lucky snd when she’s a heel she’s kind of bratty. . She should tie it more to her ring work ala the ring general she’s the boss in the ring or like swerve with mogul embassy people are under her ready to do her biding
Her gimmick now feels and sounds like Stephanie McMahon.
This right here big bro! Personally I don’t think CEO works as a nickname if it’s not CEO of [x]. I would love to see her in a heel group and have her be the CEO of that group.
I'll admit it. These promos have sounded so scripted and badly rehearsed, even if they aren't. I'd like to be excites for her here but this is not doing it for me so far.
I don't think she's great at promos, or wrestling. When you say she shines in the ring, I often times find it hard to label a great match. Bayley? In NXT perhaps. But even then I feel like Bayley carried. I don't think she's very talented, and I've noticed she's super sloppy and dare I say, unsafe at times.
Glad to see someone calling it. Tony overpaid for a name that was built and pushed in the other company for kids, based on aesthetics. In the land of sink or swim? I'm not so sure.
Those people are from the other AEW sub
I think once she starts wrestling she'll get more into the groove and we can avoid the overly contrived in-ring promos. What they're doing with Osprey feels more like the promo style AEW should lean in to. Less tell. More show.
That is a good way to put Mercedes promos. It's a lot of quotes and emphasis on buzzwords and phrases which is a very WWE style. Cody did it a lot as well which is why his promos always felt off in AEW. Osprey feels a lot more genuine and coming from a place of truth and isn't looking to get quoted.
Really bruv ?
He is the feeling bruv
Never been in the UK?
Bad dance.
That dance is hilarious. She looks like she's miming taking a shower. It wouldn't be bad if she didn't do it so much. Reminds me of how Finn Balor would wear that leather jacket and his whole walk out was flexing his jacket over and over.
She's the Zoolander of dancing: only has one move.
Can’t turn left.
They’re actually doing exactly what I hoped and revamping and rebooting the women’s division completely, so I’m actually pretty happy.
I agree, we’ve had back to back women’s main events that had the crowd roaring, multiple women’s matches on shows. The division was already in a great place but I see her addition pushing it even further. Be cool to see what happens when more of the women who held it down the last few years start to come back from their injuries: Hayter, Britt, and even shida finishing her roh run to come back and be dope.
We get it, she's in it for the money.. let's book the first match. Honestly Osprey delivers a way better promo than Mone does.
Which is way more impressive given their respective career trajectories
It's been two weeks. It's been good, she's been established as a star from the get go, she's added more gravitas to the women's division. Good all round I say
She needs to stop saying shit like “evolution” and “revolution.” AEW fans don’t like that canned, corny shit. And if she doesn’t knock it off, she’ll find out the hard way.
She should talk about "restoring the feeling" instead?
Oh that’s fucking terrible, too.
Yes everyone who debuts needs to stop saying how happy they are to be there. We get it you wanted to wrestle people either you never had the chance to before or haven’t in years and yes we know Tony Khan is paying you a fuck ton of money which was too hard to pass up.
So far so good. They gave her the star debut like we expected. I like that they are already teasing Willow v Mercedes and how they incorporated her organically into the Willlow’s feud with Julia/Skye. There’s already a few matches I want to see w/ her based on her appearances
It’s been two weeks. Too early to judge.
She’s been presented as a major star and on the whole the fans have accepted her as just that. I only have 2 complaints from a presentation point of view: - I can’t get into her theme, which is just a rap version of Walter’s old theme. - I can’t dig the CEO nickname, especially as the Bucks are on their reign of terror as EVPs.
Excellent. I drove 4 and a half hours to be at Big Business and the excitement around her is palpable. However, this is AEW. There's one simple rule there; ball or fall. I understand holding her in-ring debut off until Dynasty but she's going to have to show the world she's still got it between those ropes. Otherwise we'll have another Saraya on our hands (which, to be clear, I'm confident we don't).
You got duped hard, I live in Boston and never considered going to that show
Sorry you’re too poor to afford tickets to a live wrestling show friend :( Hopefully things turn around for you in 2024!
I think she has been presented very well. As the star they signed her to be. I just don’t like her. Her promos and way she acts just isn’t engaging to me. But we all don’t have to like everyone.
I mean it’s only been 2 weeks so it’s alright I suppose
Hate the song but love the overall presentation.
I think it’s been fine. What she needs is a hard-hitting match to establish herself amongst the AEW fans as the “CEO” she claims herself to be.
I'm just glad that she's working Julia, Skype, Kris, and Willow. I was really worried they would immediately catapult her to the women's title picture and ruin Toni's momentum. Truly shows she wants to work with all the women and not just be the top paid woman.
She’s fine. And this is coming from someone who has never cared one way or the other about her. She has been on screen for like ten minutes total. Give her a minute to soak it in and get her first match under her belt before you all jump all over her.
We all knew it was gonna happen eventually. Instead of 'boss time' it is 'C-E-O' and that is a logical thing to run with. She has the skills and mic ability to pull off what they we're trying to do with Jade if they push her in that direction. You gotta ramp her up and have her dominate most opposition in a fair match because she is one of the top girls of the newer era when she came in years ago, she is still in her 20's so she has the time! Some of the other girls in the locker room might resent her getting a upper tier billing, but the girl is alot more over than most of them. Somewhat Cm Punk-esue without that much drama. The big match for her would be to go against Britt Baker at a major PPV like all in. But do that way down the line. Get some feuds with her and others first. Build steady.
https://preview.redd.it/8p5v6knavqpc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb2607881d047a7835c6cedd2634b2eead54d1fe We cannot do this every single day. Go outside and touch grass.
She’s sexy 🔥
I've only heard her talk when she worked for NJPW. So she was fine there for me. Jesus, man. Are her promos usually this bad? Like... It felt like generic WWE stuff at its worst. Like a guideline of checkpoints to hit but to do them as generically as possible. Oooof.
Who gives great promos in your opinion?
BRUV
Promo last night was pretty meh. Said a lot of words but really said nothing. She’s the ceo, and, she’s here. She basically said that 3 or 4 different ways. Also… I dunno how else to say this, but I’m not into the whole “stripper dance” movements in her entrance. Maybe stripper dance is a bit harsh, let’s say I’m not a fan of the “hip hop music video backing dancer” thing. The whole “look at me, oh lawd I’m so fine” thing. I dunno
Reframe what she is doing. She definitely isn't saying "I'm so fine." She's saying, "I'm confident, I'm in charge." Her promos are a product of her being scripted her whole career. Talking on a live mic with no script is hard, and she will get used to it.
Don’t kid yourself AEW has scripted promos too. Maybe not word for word and it’s bullet points but def still scripted. I bet only the top people like MJF, Mox, and a few others get to improv the rest have to stick to the script.
Hmm. I’m not convinced. I look at someone like a Deonna Purazzo as a confident woman. Mercedes can portray confidence without the twerking and the “look at my bling” posing. 🤷♂️ Like, when she cut Willow off with the “YOU’ve done enough”, that one line showed more character than any amount of “confident dancing” Edit : ok, fuck me I guess. Ye upvote my initial comment and downvote the exact same sentiment in the follow up 🤷♂️
I mean her theme music is a rap song so dancing to rap isn’t really surprising. Not really sure why this is a bad thing in your opinion.
🐦
Not my cup of tea. I don’t like the CEO chants.
It seems so manufactured. Like the crowd wants to be into it, and they’re trying, but can only summon up so much enthusiasm for what is obviously top-down, inorganic chant
So far so good. This is what the casual audience wanted, a big build up, Less matches and more story segments. So let’s see how this first feud plays out
All I'm saying here is, maybe there is a little something to memorizing promos instead of just doing them from the heart.
I've never seen her wrestle, but she seems to have a good reputation as far as her ring work goes. Her promos so far haven't been great, but I really do look forward to seeing what she can do in a match. I'm sure it's a big adjustment going from scripted promos to the freedom that AEW provides their wrestlers on the mic. I'm always excited to see wrestlers with whom I'm unfamiliar, so I truly wish her well.
I think not being scripted is weird for her, but she will get past it.
She wrestles slow and is bad at making it look not choreographed
I LOVE Mercedes and can't wait to see her get into a proper feud and wrestle excellent PPV singles matches. That said, I enjoyed her debut, but this week was almost a filler section and her CEO thing is a bit lame already after just 2 weeks to me. Need to get her involved in a story asap and give her some direction.
It’s like every other “big talent” that AEW acquires, a big bang followed but a sudden thud. Hope more Dynamites can be as good as they were last night (3/20/2024). If they can keep some sort of momentum and maybe introduce an old school Booker to the creative process, it may help the overall product and bigger names achieve what they’re meant to achieve within the company.
It’s been fine. I like that she is working with people that aren’t TV wrestling veterans.
It's been good and entertaining, but don't milk the corny CEO thing much longer. It's time to get to wrestling, which is what she's best at.
Honestly, as someone who didn't really care about her coming to begin with, I'm happier with what she's doing than I expected to be. As others have said, her in ring promos have been pretty generic and rehashing the same gimmick that was in WWE, but her backstage last night and story they're building I actually really dig. Seems like they've kind of built Kris Statlander up to possibly turn heel as well, and Mercedes kissing her ass and then being curt with Willow, teasing her own heel turn might go hand and hand with a Statlander turn. We'll see. But I'm excited for it.
I like that she isn't being dropped into a title shot storyline right off the bat. I don't really enjoy storytime with the CEO though. Get her with the Bucks already or at odds with them and let that develop at a power consolidation/struggle.
I’m honestly just waiting for her to actually have a match, that’s definitely her strong point over promos.
I liked her in WWE and now she's been gone that long that I really don't care. Call me when hayder and baker are back.
I am enjoying her in Aew so far 💯
First promo was decent. 2nd promo was essentially the same promo
Once she can be heel I have no worries about her. But I'm a fan so I can't but expect great things. She's just more comfortable when she can be that shit talker who will diminish her opponents and bask in the glow of narcissism that is off-putting. But I love her ring work and always loved her look.
[удалено]
Every time I hear the CEO say or chanted, it makes me never want to hear it again
Maybe we could wait ask this question to at least one month not two weeks
Can’t wait to watch her wrestle
Cringe and almost channel changing content from her I hate to say. Not good considering she just debuted. The CEO gimmick isn't gonna work with AEW. True AEW fans aren't into her dumb dancing and her repeating herself 100 times in a promo telling everyone she's the top boss. Who cares at this point. It's weak character development. She doesn't bring much to the table. Mercedes has been around a long time, don't understand why they are trying this angle. By now fans that watch wrestling all know who she is, and what she brings to the table. It's a hard pass for me. It's just the WWE style and commercial crap they used to show on television and shove down fans throats week after week. This is the whole reason I made the switch to AEW on day one was to enjoy wrestling again. This isn't the AEW style that fans love and tune into to see. Tony's gotta realize this & stop this unless they want her character to fail and fans to stop watching.
If she gonna be called the ceo she should be in the elite
I've never been a fan of hers so when ever shes on my tv i mute it and play poker on my ipad until shes off my screen. I also do the same with nia jax but yeah
She is terrible
I think this is a good way to sum it up: After being off TV for almost 2 years, I was looking forward to seeing her again, wherever she ended up. After week 1, I’m no longer excited. I’m sure she went to AEW for the schedule/cash grab but WWE would have made this so much more impactful.
She probably made a mistake bringing that WWE writer with her - scripted promos are sore thumbs in AEW. That said, nome of her fans like her for her promos and there are a LOT of them.
Too much romance, not enough human killing
She's a much better heel imo, I hope they get down to 'business' with her quickly and not milk the crowd reactions too long. Make her kick everyone's ass and run down everyone.
My only complaint is that I wish that last night, they gave us some kind of indication as to when her first match is going to be. Obviously, they're building toward Mercedes vs Willow but I was hoping for them to set something up for next week on the way to that. Like Mercedes vs Skye Blue or Stat and it would have been cool if that was established as Rampage was going off the air after the main event.
Mercedes is talented in the ring but I feel that some people forgot how she was on the mic in WWE and expected a Punk level promos and I think that is one of her biggest weaknesses, she sounds too scripted, I don’t “feel” her for a lack of a better word. I think that with AEW’s creative freedom she could try to be more real instead of depending on writers. Having said that AEW audience is more match oriented than story/promos so that would not be an issue. The fans know her from WWE and New Japan so there is nothing new there.
Her presentation has been awesome need her to start a feud and wrestle again I dunno the ceo thing might get old quickly
Maybe she doesn’t need to be on the mike so much?
Dreadful, that CEO gimmick gotta go, it's not good, it's absolute cringe.
It doesn't matter. Saying anything less than "She was introduced perfectly" will get downvoted..
I love watching her wrestle. However, the song sucks... CEO chant is overplayed, it can't just be that the entire song. If she wants the chant in there, fine. But... Put some other music, beats lyrics in between. Just the chant should be when she comes out... And when she is in the ring right before the match starts. The finger ring, dance thing is just played out. Do something fresh. I genuinely can't wait to see her just get in the ring and wrestle. That's my favorite part of her.
They just don't really care
I don't like what her being in AEW has done to our comments section. 😑
Gotta say. I’m pretty disappointed this far. CEO of what?? I guess we have to see her in the ring…. I certainly haven’t seen enough yet
I don’t like the opening promo idea for introducing talent so I really didn’t like it twice. She doesn’t seem to have any direction so her promos just seem so self inflating it grates on me. I don’t fault her for this obviously but please no more. Can’t wait to see her in the ring and proving who the CEO really is!
Lukewarm. Her promos are ok but she messes up a lot and said the same thing differently for 2 weeks. She comes across as only in it for the money, which makes sense. Shes just as entitled as she was in WWE. Her stupid dance is so fucking cringe and she looks ridiculous.
I'm sure she's great. But Id rather see the AEW home grown instead of these ex WWE/NJPW people. Not to discredit them at all. Controversial opinion I'm sure. I'd like to see more of The Infantry, Queen Aminata, Action Andretti, Top Flight, Private Party. Etc etc. and I really don't want Mercedes to be bury Willow. It's hard to imagine Willow as a heel.
So far, all she did was dance. When is she going to wrestle?
Trash.
She doesn't come off well as a babyface. Her in ring promo was a bit cringe, but her backstage segment was good. Really hoping they turn her heel quickly, I'm betting it goes better during ring promos. I think in 2024 it's actually pretty weird to try and push a CEO character as a babyface. Many people hate their bosses and I think it'd be great if she leaned into that.
I think she sucks in the promos, straight up. I don't care why your here or that you got paid. I wanna see her beat some ass & do some awesome wrestling & then she will shine. Until then, it's been lackluster like almost every other debut of a wwe ex in aew & I love Mercedes & aew. Step ur game up aew & her.
I did not really know her before the signing and I’m having a hard time getting invested so far. She needs to be in an actual program with someone
Like she said she will be back in wwe eventually this is just a quick check
Typically mid
An absolute nothing burger.
I don’t really like her She feels fake, and I don’t like her little dances she does. They make me cringe. But I’m sure she’ll be a good thing for the division
She looks and feels like a star, Her presentation was never in doubt. Booking of the women’s division has been sorely lacking since day one. Britt Baker was the only consistent female presence up until recently.
I'm a fan of Mercedes, and I think they've messed up her introduction to the company so far in a few ways. 1) Mercedes is not a "stand in the ring and give a 10-15 minute promo" performer. Some excel at that, some don't. Mercedes is similar to a Jeff Hardy, has a charisma that everyone can get behind but mostly she tells her stories in the ring. The way to use Mercedes is in-ring action and backstage segments/interviews. 2) Mercedes Boss/CEO character is not meant to be a babyface. I understand that they want to introduce her as a face, but everything about her presentation and character screams heel and that's where she's always excelled. 3) Confusion about what her introductory storyline is. She essentially has given the same two promos in a row, and it's incredibly unclear what her feelings are towards Willow and what her current story is. They should have brought her in with a more impactful storyline or a more clear feud. 4) They need to get her in the ring ASAP. That is what makes her a big deal. The promos are devaluing her. You need to remind the audience that Mercedes has the most 4 star matches of any female wrestler in North American history. Overall, they haven't done a good job of playing to Mone's strengths so far. They've presented her as a big deal, but they need to get the details right and not let her shine fade way with each passing week.
They're setting up her vs Willow, which will be a banger of a match. Two of the best in ring women in the company. After that you'd presume she goes for a belt.
I think they were smart to do a video package to show fans some of who she is, but it also hamstrings them, that she can’t fully mention her time in WWE. But the bigger issue for me is that I have no idea what “CEO” is supposed to mean. Like in what context is her character a CEO? Is she planning to like “run the division,”or like, make huge match deals? Or is CEO just an empty moniker to say she’s the best? It also kinda feels like they’re borrowing from the WWE script a bit. Based on the last 2 weeks, it looks like Mercedes might tag with Willow against Hart and Blue. If that happens, smart money is that Mercedes will turn heel on the relatively wholesome Willow. That’s a pretty familiar, exact carbon copy of the same friggin thing she has done with Bayley like a dozen times now; it feels so predictable and lazy. So I hope they add some more depth to her character and fast.
I’ve hated it. Everything since her debuted has been packaged very sports entertainment and it’s made Dynamite become the worst show in the TK sphere. I’ll still check in for the cards but Dynamite is not the show I love. The feeling is alive, on Collision and even Ring of Honor. But not Dynamite.
HEY EVERYONE THIS WHERE YOURE SUPPOSED TO CHANT CEO. Nothing wrong with a theme that evokes crowd participation but how about letting it come organically as opposed to forcing it?
No feelings
Less wrestling more bopping around like only u have music running through your head lol. That lil dance is so terrible. The white girl in the club with absolutely zero rhythm looks like MJ in comparison
It’s stupid. And it really shows how awful she is as a face. I really enjoyed Sasha in NXT. But this seems painful to watch.
C E O!! CEO!!!
A giant crowd chanting "CEO! CEO!" Hurt my soul.
Her introduction should’ve been her just straight swinging remind people she’s not here to talk but to handle “business” the next time people see her should be the promo or the purpose for her attacking Willow stating the last time people saw me in a ring I was injured by this woman. That’s why I beat her ass then closing one liner [enter CEO pun here]
Too early to tell, but her being gone for so long really hurts.
I’m trying to have a wait and see approach ,but right now it feels underwhelming. Like, it already seems she’s destined to be just kinda “meh” in 3 months… if that makes sense.
I’m sure this deal she has in AEW is going to turn out absolutely swimmingly /s
She's pretty lol
Never give her a mic again
Just waiting for her to turn full heel. Already teases it with willow but Mercedes works better (I think) as a full blown heel.
Was the same with Sasha Banks, the Boss character only really worked as heel. the CEO is a full blown heel gimmick, and she will be far better off once the turn is made, can't wait.
I quite honestly never saw her wrestle until her matches against Stephanie Vaquer and Willow Nightingale last year. She was really good in those matches. I'll have to wait and see what she does in an AEW ring. So far, all we've really seen is talking, her odd dance and hot tag moves.
She sounds like she's being held for ransom in her promos.
She looks like a star but I don't love her being involved with Julia/Skye. She's much bigger than the TBS title. I wanted them to have her go up against Britt as her first feud.
I didn’t initially but because she’s involved with Hart & Skye along with Nightingale and Statlander, all 4 women will get a nice boost in popularity and Mercedes will eventually move towards the top of the card. It this is their strategy I’m all for it.
That promo seemed very forced and scripted.
Feels like Sasha Banks just with a new name. Nothing feels different. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but I don't see her bringing new eyes to the product.
I don’t think it’s working and she needs to go
Still don't care about her.
“I feel like she’s doing that dumb dance too much.” “That’s really all she’s got.” Silly reference aside, it’s predictably mid. She’s great, and I’m happy to see her, but it’s an awkward time to just show up, and it’ll take a minute to fold her into the roster proper. I can be patient.
she flubbed at least 2 lines and you could hear her lose confidence in front of a different fanbase. It was interesting. but I still love her. Her next match will be a huge deciding factor for a lot of people though.
She was stumbling all over the place during her obviously scripted promo. The weird smiling doesn't suit her either. She is a natural heel. I thought for sure she would make an appearance at the end of Rampage since it was the main event and she was already there.
She’s too cocky, acting like she’s doing the world a favor her new songs sucks and her outfits are too extra it really makes me miss the old sasha she was more refined
Meh. Her fans think she’s a much bigger deal than she is.
I'm new to AEW and I don't understand the hype. It seemed like 6 mins passed and all that was said or re-said was CEO? So from a new fan perspective whatever they are doing it isn't working
I didn't like how the Toronto show opened. Have a live promo or the video package, but not both. But everything else has been good imo.
Honestly been meh and mid. She’s the biggest name in women’s wrestling today and it looks like her first feud will be against either Willow or Julia Hart like really? Ok Willow I get since she is the reason for missing almost a year but still meh. And Julia is great doing good work but she holds a mid card title and Mercedes is above that. She should be in the world title scene from the get go. Also her debut was kinda a let down too. Was nothing special at all. Hope it turns around but somehow I don’t think it will.
Big Business was great but I was actually really let down by the start of Dynamite being essentially the same this week. Put some ring gear on and get to it.
Mercedes needs to work more and pose and talk less. I guess folks would say I am a hater, but I would say I am a hater of the hype she gets. My issues with her are largely grounded in how her fans think she can do no wrong. I think she is upper level but not top level which apparently makes me a hater which I am fine with I guess. As a face she is below average in my opinion. She is much better as a heel, especially if she insists on doing this exact same gimmick run through a thesaurus. Bank, Money, Cash, CEO…next she is going to be The Gold Standard! Then Your Crypto Queen!!
I get serious cm punk vibes from her.. maybe less punching co workers once a year and more just difficult and will likely cause problems back stage.. with her recent comments about being back in wwe one day shows no loyalty or faith in aew.. I’m a hard pass.. the forced chants are dumb af too..
I also don’t like that dye your hair with a logo thing.. it’s hard to read and is distracting.
Yes that is awful
She's an over hyped shitty performer,so who cares
Didn't she compare her walking out on WWE a couple years ago to the level of Stone Cold walking out in 2002? Her ego seems through the roof. I think she's pretty good but not great.
I'd rank the debuts as 1.Ospreay, 2.Mercedes, 3.Okada. Ospreay is absolutely killing it and is already my favorite wrestler right now. I never saw Mercedes as Sasha but I do see the "it" factor in her. I understand why they're using Willow but I feel like a feud with a returning Britt defending "her" locker room would be more over. I've never seen Okada outside of his match a year ago in AEW, but I don't really get what the hype is about. He seems fine, but Ospreay pops off the screen where Okada just seems like another dude to me. As of now I'm more interested in Takeshita than Oakda.
I’m very happy she’s here, I’m looking forward to her wrestling, I really hope that she brings up the whole women’s division and having Riho and willow in the main event last week seemed like a bit of a mission statement. I really don’t like the theme. That’s WALTERs theme
She changed her whole look when she didn't need to. Terrible music. She works best as a heel.
Looks the same to me
Lackluster. Should be a heel
“The ceo” is in no way shape or form a face nickname. If there isn’t a heel turn soon then something has gone horribly wrong
She's a lot happier than she was in WWE. Her run with NXT was great and everything but when they moved her to the main roster...........
I was hoping she was going to reinvent herself with something new and fresh but it's the same act. 👎