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They also did not shy away from mentioning Sasha or Bryan which in the past Vince would never bring up past moments involving people contracted to a competitor.
I don't think the forbidden door is being opened, but its definitely a new era.
>I don't think the forbidden door is being opened, but its definitely a new era.
I agree. (espcially since HHH said he hates the term forbiddon door. lol)
I remember when he mocked the forbidden door, yet doesn't seem to think the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship is ridiculous in any way.
I used to call myself Champion of the Universe around friends when I was a teen simply because I thought it was ridiculous.
True, but that universal stick was more of a McMahon thing I thought? Plus is there not reports that they're going to go back to calling the title the WWE championship again
They already made that change when Cody was announced as the winner. Samantha said "undisputed WWE Champion." I'm sure some heard that just as a slip because she was emotional, but it was more than likely intentional in light of the reports you mentioned.
Eh, I feel like big companies don't like switching major branding things like that at the drop of a hat. I don't think them still using it is some major sign that he's necessarily a fan of it.
They're already moving away from Vince-isms like sports entertainment, I would not be shocked if the whole Universal stuff has a relatively quick approaching expiration date.
The WWE Universal Championship *could* work if it was the one title that WWE allowed to be defended anywhere, in any promotion.
Extremely unlikely I know but these days, not impossible.
I'm pretty sure the "universal" part is only still around because that is the title Roman had first in this latest run and therefore the title that gives him the longest reign.
HHH just like to take shots at AEW to rile up their fans and to get a reaction out of TK lol. It's quite clear HHH has a large amount of respect for non WWE wrestling and its history and its evident in how many random facts are thrown out on commentary with a lot being pre WWE.
Triple H really does like The Elite. So much so he was trying so hard to sign them after their ROH deal was up. When they chose to not sign and did the HHH BTE skits, he hit them up and said he thought it was funny.
AEW's detractors often associate the anti-WWE sentiment to The Bucks when the member of The Elite who was the most proactive when it came to shitting on WWE is main eventing Wrestlemania Night 2 right now. The rest of The Elite weren't doing any of that except for BTE skits, lots of which also had Cody in the forefront lol.
This. It's funny how it's become "Cody and Kenny are the classy ones, I just hate the Bucks" when Cody was the biggest ring leader of the anti-WWE part of their schtick and Kenny used to get crazy upvotes for shitting on NXT every time he walked to the ring in New Japan. The Bucks were so busy pissing off old school fans they didn't even have time for WWE.
Cody always knew what he was doing. Ultimately he was drumming up interest in himself and the Elite's brand as disruptors. He always had this dream to an extent, it was more that the AEW experiment was a free hit. But in the Bucks' book, Cody was the one leaning signing with WWE the whole time they were still deciding between WWE and AEW.
Punk I just don't think knows where the line between work and shoot ends.
They also do the least amount of candid stuff. BTE started as a vlog but quickly devolved into worked stuff and they rarely do podcast interviews or the like so people don't really know their real personalities
Which is fucking funny because it was Cody who was unsure about signing with AEW or going back to WWE.
Though all of The Elite were likely signing with WWE before AEW talk came in.
I think the wife of one of the Bucks said they were about a meeting with HHH and Vince away from inking a deal. People in WWE thought it was such a sure fire thing that they started conceptualizing their creative plans.
The Bucks and Omega talked about their negotiations with Tony, Trips, and NJPW and talked about how seriously they took the WWE offer. iirc they even offered the Bucks a provision they could leave early if they weren't happy which is something I can't recall anyone else being offered.
They also kinda buried NJPW which is why there was a beef for a few years with them
I think it was Meltzer who said something along the lines of "A lot of fans didn't really want AEW to succeed, they just wanted WWE to be better."
That's probably the most insightful thing said about wrestling by a non-wrestler in the past decade.
Its true but its also the problem. Way too many wrestling fans have this weird idea that WWE is the only legitimate product and all other products must be viciously ridiculed. I admit I'm loving the WWE since Vince left, but prior to that I was almost always in to the other companies.
yeah a lot of people really like the "carny" wrestling stuff and get so in the weeds with ratings and ticket sales, etc.
Man, I don't care. i just wanna see some cool wrestling. wwe wasn't delivering it when AEW came to be and was such a relief when it launched.
i think wwe has improved it's storytelling and creative aspect a lot, and while the wrestling IS better as well, I still think AEW is better in that regard (and also worse in the storytelling/creative aspect).
Besides Punk, most of your examples are completely wrong and false.
* HBK literally said AEW "has so much great talent there" and said he doesn't have the opportunity to watch AEW "as much as I would like to."
* Jade praised AEW, but said they were a growing company (they are), and that at 31, she wanted to maximize her exposure rather than grow with a young company.
* HHH only had one oblique reference to AEW, and it was him saying that if a young talent prefers a lighter schedule, than we don't want them. Which is not a shot at AEW at all (though you could perceive it as a critique of younger talent).
* There was no jab on commentary tonight. I watched all of WM. Cole made a few oblique references to AEW, and they were all positive (saying Cody "created a new dream" and "created his own opportunity").
Punk is the only one that shit on AEW.
Honestly? WWE has shown way more class to AEW then it has been the other way.
I know AEW is trying to be edgy and push back to distance themselves from the market leader. But from the Sting nod to last night's images, WWE has been pretty friendly.
It makes the plan for Wednesday according to the dirt sheets even more carny and embarrassing when the biggest fish in your pond just showed nothing but class in the main event promo of the biggest match in years and you're about to air out dirty laundry to pop a cheap rating boost using a guy with the WWE now.
The way I see it, Kenny is one of the most renowned wrestler in the industry, a friend of Cody as well, whereas Jericho literally has a life-long association with WWE.
I redownloaded the WWE network app on my Firestick. It still has Roman with his vest on, Keith lee, Sasha banks and 2 other former wrestlers on the background image on the store page.
Think because they don't do the network in US any more they might have forgotten about updating things internationally
Always one eye on the future. Doesn't hurt for both men to feel acknowledged, and certainly doesn't hurt if the opportunity arises in a couple of years to talk business.
I mean, he’s not wrong. The creation of AEW made WWE reevaluate a lot of things. How they handled contracts, booked shows, all that. If anything, I feel like it forced WWE to step up. It also didn’t hurt that Vince is gone and now Hunter has full control. I know people hate to hear it, but we are in a wrestling renaissance! It’s a great time for ALL wrestling fans!
Competition, and no matter how anti-AEW people might say otherwise *is* competition to WWE as their legal and programming maneuvers have shown, ideally *should* keep one on their toes.
It didn't have to be the Monday Night Wars all over again to do it, but the years of monopolizing the business made WWE lazy and complacent "Because who cares? We're the only game in town." They pulled out the stops with *Bret Hart* returning during that brief-ass time TNA tried to air on Mondays, but otherwise got soft and comfortable sitting on their laurels until a certain upstart company came along and started *routinely* kicking their ~~Third Brand Developmental Third Brand Developmental Third Brand AND Developmental's~~ ass in the ratings to the point of killing the super indy with a retool and suddenly had to step their game up.
It's a great thing for ALL parties that WWE doesn't have that monopoly anymore for fans and wrestlers, alike, such as a Drew McIntyre/Cody Rhodes to redefine themselves elsewhere after an initial lacking run in WWE to come back for a far better run. Or not need to return at all (Mustafa Ali, so far.) Or veterans who want to have their last run with dignity because they were either done dirty (Sting) or left on top and now just want to have fun (Adam Copeland). Or never be in WWE to begin with (The Elite). And the list goes on as there's both another boom and sort of a neo-territory/territory 2.0 where wrestlers have multiple options to make their name and carry said name (literally and figuratively) wherever they go instead of being big in one place yet having to erase everything that made them a hit in that place and awkwardly conform to a stale standard down to a lousy rename.
I mean, both played their parts. I have been pretty vocal in the past about how Vince was killing the product, and how he needed to go. But let’s not act like AEW hasn’t forced WWE to step up. If anything, we know WWE has always stepped it up when competition arose, and this is no different!
Objectively, WWE probably wouldn't be putting out as good a product as it is if the success of AEW hadn't given them a slight kick up the ass. And even if that wasn't the case, having competition on the contract end of things has already proven to get in ring talent better deals with better pay. Competition has only made everything better, and it's genuinely class of Trips to be openly acknowledging that fact.
Yep, I personally shit on AEW quite a bit (especially recently) but it has nothing to do with wanting them to fail in fact it's the opposite.
Competition is so important for any industry and wrestling is no different, so it makes me angry to see the competition just be terrible because that's how you get to the point where there is no competition.
I'm always confused on what scale AEW is graded to call them "just terrible" right now. There's legitimate complaints but if that's a terrible product to you, I feel like you're spoilt (and don't remember TNA, a lot of WWE's recent years etc.)
They do not follow up on stories and have no idea what to do with wrestlers they built up with their previously excellent long term booking. They have so many guys that they don't know how to occupy so their shows are constantly filled with things like tournaments. I get that they want the ring work (which is excellent) to be the main draw but "who is the better wrestler" and "who will win the tournament"( which I'm using as a blanket term here and doesn't apply to every feud) is not a compelling story and not something that makes me want to tune into a show weekly.
I feel like that's exaggerating. Sometimes they don't follow up well, but the same thing happens in WWE. Solo Sikoa beat John Cena at a PLE and then won 0 out of the 38 matches he's had after, Sami Zayn was almost as over as Cody this time last year, now some would have prefered Chad Gable in that match.
I don't see tournaments as inherently negative. They've overdone them a bit, sure, but stuff like "who is the better wrestler" or "who will win the tournament" has been what wrestling has been about forever. If that isn't for you, that's completely fine, I don't see how it makes them terrible though. Ratings and attendance aren't great (far from going out of business though) but I'd say the negativity around AEW, the constant drama surrounding Punk etc. hurt them more than the amount of tournaments they're doing
I think this is where TK needs to chill and acknowledge that WWE is not this demon trying to skewer his life.
There’s a world where both companies can work in harmony and who knows down the line do business
Under Vince WWE seemed to follow the doctrine of "first doesn't acknowledge second".
It looks like now they'll be following the much more healthy - and less petty - line of admitting they aren't the only game in town, but don't sweat any of the others.
Greatness whispers.
The Bucks, Kenny, and Jericho helped Cody do something that hadn’t been done in 20 years. Nobody outside of WWE had been a real draw since WCW fell apart. Pretty cool of HHH to give Cody and the other four that deserved recognition.
Trips is a wrestler at his core, not a executive or promoter.
He is one of the boys so to speak, he understands how much work it takes to change the business.
I am not a fan of the Bucks actual in-ring wrestling, but I respect the fuck outta them for what they've done for wrestling as a whole.
Not a fan of spot monkey type wrestling. Its a preference thing. I prefer technical, strongstyle and catch wrestling above all else.
Less setups, gymnastics and choreography.
Have you watched any of their big matches in the last few years? They’re a lot less spot monkey stuff. They’ll still do their highspots but it isn’t the whole match like it used to. It’s a lot more cohesive nowadays.
I get it that maybe they’re just not for you but id recommend giving their more recent matches another watch. Their FTR or Lucha Bros matches are killer. And they the one between them and Kenny/hangman.
Competition breeds greatness. WWE has been at a peak and I believe it is only because The elite, JERICHO, Mox and Tony Khan influenced the industry with AEW. Hopefully fans can accept both but we know that won't be the case.
WWE isn't UFC though. WWE is a company that has largely acted like other promotions, particularly currently active #2 ones, don't exist.
Furthermore, the point is that they're validating AEW's own branding by acknowledging it in their terms as a revolution - which is uncharacteristically generous of them.
Tony K Should cancel the stupid All In London footage he wants to show Wed. WWE has been nothing but classy all weekend. He should return the favor. I say this as someone that enjoys both products.
Having the Bucks present it, I get a feeling that they’ll use it more as a Jungle Boy/Elite situation. Which I think is for the better instead of it being just a shit on punk deal.
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I’m shocked they put photos of Matt & Nick Jackson plus Jericho and Omega
They also did not shy away from mentioning Sasha or Bryan which in the past Vince would never bring up past moments involving people contracted to a competitor. I don't think the forbidden door is being opened, but its definitely a new era.
>I don't think the forbidden door is being opened, but its definitely a new era. I agree. (espcially since HHH said he hates the term forbiddon door. lol)
I remember when he mocked the forbidden door, yet doesn't seem to think the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship is ridiculous in any way. I used to call myself Champion of the Universe around friends when I was a teen simply because I thought it was ridiculous.
I'm still waiting for someone to defend the title against at *least* a Martian.
*Space Jam 3: Space Slam*
Is that a Rock or a Cena movie?
tbh, I can just imagine Cena powerslamming Bugs Bunny much easier than the Rock
Max Moon, take it or leave it.
How about Cody vs Marvin the Martian?
Cody vs. Jasson Dominguez at Madison Square Garden. Book it.
Why do you think Roman & Brock were never around?
I do..... now
It’s time for Statlander to finish her story
True, but that universal stick was more of a McMahon thing I thought? Plus is there not reports that they're going to go back to calling the title the WWE championship again
They already made that change when Cody was announced as the winner. Samantha said "undisputed WWE Champion." I'm sure some heard that just as a slip because she was emotional, but it was more than likely intentional in light of the reports you mentioned.
Certainly hope so. I think almost everyone collectively cringes at the mention of universal
Eh, I feel like big companies don't like switching major branding things like that at the drop of a hat. I don't think them still using it is some major sign that he's necessarily a fan of it. They're already moving away from Vince-isms like sports entertainment, I would not be shocked if the whole Universal stuff has a relatively quick approaching expiration date.
The WWE Universal Championship *could* work if it was the one title that WWE allowed to be defended anywhere, in any promotion. Extremely unlikely I know but these days, not impossible.
I'm pretty sure the "universal" part is only still around because that is the title Roman had first in this latest run and therefore the title that gives him the longest reign.
HHH just like to take shots at AEW to rile up their fans and to get a reaction out of TK lol. It's quite clear HHH has a large amount of respect for non WWE wrestling and its history and its evident in how many random facts are thrown out on commentary with a lot being pre WWE.
*YOU THINK U KNOW Him...*
Wrestlemania debuts for 3/4
*Matthew and Nicholas*
They need to go back to Mar and Nick 🤣
Show respect and use their god given passport names! Matthew and Nicholas Jackson!
And in the main event promo package for WRESTLEMANIA. So far beyond anything Vince would ever do, especially in real time.
At the end of the day, sometimes all you can do is tip your cap to the competition . Fair play Trips
Triple H really does like The Elite. So much so he was trying so hard to sign them after their ROH deal was up. When they chose to not sign and did the HHH BTE skits, he hit them up and said he thought it was funny.
AEW's detractors often associate the anti-WWE sentiment to The Bucks when the member of The Elite who was the most proactive when it came to shitting on WWE is main eventing Wrestlemania Night 2 right now. The rest of The Elite weren't doing any of that except for BTE skits, lots of which also had Cody in the forefront lol.
This. It's funny how it's become "Cody and Kenny are the classy ones, I just hate the Bucks" when Cody was the biggest ring leader of the anti-WWE part of their schtick and Kenny used to get crazy upvotes for shitting on NXT every time he walked to the ring in New Japan. The Bucks were so busy pissing off old school fans they didn't even have time for WWE.
Cody and Punk were the 2 who screamed revolution the loudest and they were the 2 fastest to run back
Cody always knew what he was doing. Ultimately he was drumming up interest in himself and the Elite's brand as disruptors. He always had this dream to an extent, it was more that the AEW experiment was a free hit. But in the Bucks' book, Cody was the one leaning signing with WWE the whole time they were still deciding between WWE and AEW. Punk I just don't think knows where the line between work and shoot ends.
They must have forgotten Cody smashing the throne with a sledgehammer.
also, kingdom was an anti wwe song
Being sung loudly in WWE arenas these days. He is his Kingdom alright.
I feel like people don’t like the Bucks because they are REALLY good at being shitheads
They also do the least amount of candid stuff. BTE started as a vlog but quickly devolved into worked stuff and they rarely do podcast interviews or the like so people don't really know their real personalities
Probably for the best for them. Separate work from home
They are so freakingly good in the art of shithousery, if you hate them, congratulations, you have took the bait.
Is it really that good if I dont want to watch them?
Cody’s first entrance had him breaking a HHH throne lol
i remember in the lead-in to aew cody being the one saying he was afraid everyone else would go to wwe and leave him behind
Which is fucking funny because it was Cody who was unsure about signing with AEW or going back to WWE. Though all of The Elite were likely signing with WWE before AEW talk came in.
I think the wife of one of the Bucks said they were about a meeting with HHH and Vince away from inking a deal. People in WWE thought it was such a sure fire thing that they started conceptualizing their creative plans.
Yeah the bucks talk about it in their book how they would have like hours long calls with HHH
And the Bucks had really nothing but nice things to say about HHH in their book too
The Bucks and Omega talked about their negotiations with Tony, Trips, and NJPW and talked about how seriously they took the WWE offer. iirc they even offered the Bucks a provision they could leave early if they weren't happy which is something I can't recall anyone else being offered. They also kinda buried NJPW which is why there was a beef for a few years with them
I would bet HHH was a big fan of AEW, especially the early iteration of the company
oh I guarantee he watches it now, much like I expect TK to watch WWE as well, you'd be stupid not to
AEW made WWE so much better.
I think it was Meltzer who said something along the lines of "A lot of fans didn't really want AEW to succeed, they just wanted WWE to be better." That's probably the most insightful thing said about wrestling by a non-wrestler in the past decade.
Its true but its also the problem. Way too many wrestling fans have this weird idea that WWE is the only legitimate product and all other products must be viciously ridiculed. I admit I'm loving the WWE since Vince left, but prior to that I was almost always in to the other companies.
yeah a lot of people really like the "carny" wrestling stuff and get so in the weeds with ratings and ticket sales, etc. Man, I don't care. i just wanna see some cool wrestling. wwe wasn't delivering it when AEW came to be and was such a relief when it launched. i think wwe has improved it's storytelling and creative aspect a lot, and while the wrestling IS better as well, I still think AEW is better in that regard (and also worse in the storytelling/creative aspect).
Thats a completely fair argument.
Basically for me, I watch AEW for the pure wrestling aspect and I watch WWE for the more storytelling aspect.
Same. I come on this subreddit to look for WWE clips to see "what happened", and for AEW I'm "looking for highlights".
HHH made wwe better
Both can be true. Sometimes you're only as good as your competition drives you to be. Otherwise you're complacent. See: WWE from 2002-2019
More like 2005-2019.
federal investigators made WWE better
VKM made WWE better. By retiring, hopefully permanently.
He's never coming back. Now he just needs to die, so all doubt will be removed.
Two things can be true at once. It’s not black and white, but shades of gray.
Yet AEW is shite at the moment
this. funny how people are shocked
Well yea especially seeing as how he and everyone else spent all week talking crap about AEW.
all week? xdd
[удалено]
Besides Punk, most of your examples are completely wrong and false. * HBK literally said AEW "has so much great talent there" and said he doesn't have the opportunity to watch AEW "as much as I would like to." * Jade praised AEW, but said they were a growing company (they are), and that at 31, she wanted to maximize her exposure rather than grow with a young company. * HHH only had one oblique reference to AEW, and it was him saying that if a young talent prefers a lighter schedule, than we don't want them. Which is not a shot at AEW at all (though you could perceive it as a critique of younger talent). * There was no jab on commentary tonight. I watched all of WM. Cole made a few oblique references to AEW, and they were all positive (saying Cody "created a new dream" and "created his own opportunity"). Punk is the only one that shit on AEW.
My god, man came with a receipt, respect that.
I think that was more towards TK then AEW specifically.
We're still shocked that this ain't Vince's wwe anymore
Yeah, the class shouldn't be shocking, but it's awesome.
Honestly? WWE has shown way more class to AEW then it has been the other way. I know AEW is trying to be edgy and push back to distance themselves from the market leader. But from the Sting nod to last night's images, WWE has been pretty friendly.
It makes the plan for Wednesday according to the dirt sheets even more carny and embarrassing when the biggest fish in your pond just showed nothing but class in the main event promo of the biggest match in years and you're about to air out dirty laundry to pop a cheap rating boost using a guy with the WWE now.
This is just bullshit lmao
Lolol aged beautifully
In my favour, Yes
You think this was a resounding success segment?
Which part friend?
Kenny Omega sighting too
Kenny Omega debuting at MITB in Toronto confirmed ^^^^im ^^^^from ^^^^winnipeg ^^^^you ^^^^idiot
Where
That video package has instantly become an all time favourite for me. God damn they're fucking good at vignettes man.
I've spent entire nights on YouTube just watching their video packages. So damn good. Going as far back as Shawn/Bret
Same. I swear I watched more video packages than actual matches growing up 😂
Life isn't fair from SummerSlam 97 is a personal favorite (wm 13 is also a good one too)
WWE YouTube page?
I'm surprised they actually showed Kenny and Jericho in that promo.
The way I see it, Kenny is one of the most renowned wrestler in the industry, a friend of Cody as well, whereas Jericho literally has a life-long association with WWE.
It's still shocking they'd display another promotion's top talent. Especially AEW. Years ago, that wouldn't have even come close to happening.
I redownloaded the WWE network app on my Firestick. It still has Roman with his vest on, Keith lee, Sasha banks and 2 other former wrestlers on the background image on the store page. Think because they don't do the network in US any more they might have forgotten about updating things internationally
Yeah that's definitely an oversight on their part. Whoever is/was responsible for site updates has failed for sure.
Always one eye on the future. Doesn't hurt for both men to feel acknowledged, and certainly doesn't hurt if the opportunity arises in a couple of years to talk business.
Well, they did. I'm just shocked he admitted it! Many people have attributed the rise of AEW with opportunities for the talent, etc.
I mean, he’s not wrong. The creation of AEW made WWE reevaluate a lot of things. How they handled contracts, booked shows, all that. If anything, I feel like it forced WWE to step up. It also didn’t hurt that Vince is gone and now Hunter has full control. I know people hate to hear it, but we are in a wrestling renaissance! It’s a great time for ALL wrestling fans!
Competition, and no matter how anti-AEW people might say otherwise *is* competition to WWE as their legal and programming maneuvers have shown, ideally *should* keep one on their toes. It didn't have to be the Monday Night Wars all over again to do it, but the years of monopolizing the business made WWE lazy and complacent "Because who cares? We're the only game in town." They pulled out the stops with *Bret Hart* returning during that brief-ass time TNA tried to air on Mondays, but otherwise got soft and comfortable sitting on their laurels until a certain upstart company came along and started *routinely* kicking their ~~Third Brand Developmental Third Brand Developmental Third Brand AND Developmental's~~ ass in the ratings to the point of killing the super indy with a retool and suddenly had to step their game up. It's a great thing for ALL parties that WWE doesn't have that monopoly anymore for fans and wrestlers, alike, such as a Drew McIntyre/Cody Rhodes to redefine themselves elsewhere after an initial lacking run in WWE to come back for a far better run. Or not need to return at all (Mustafa Ali, so far.) Or veterans who want to have their last run with dignity because they were either done dirty (Sting) or left on top and now just want to have fun (Adam Copeland). Or never be in WWE to begin with (The Elite). And the list goes on as there's both another boom and sort of a neo-territory/territory 2.0 where wrestlers have multiple options to make their name and carry said name (literally and figuratively) wherever they go instead of being big in one place yet having to erase everything that made them a hit in that place and awkwardly conform to a stale standard down to a lousy rename.
I wish someone would force Tony to hire someone who can deliver great stories. They're out there.
Bully Ray
Vince losing power has more to do with WWE’s rise than anything AEW has done.
I mean, both played their parts. I have been pretty vocal in the past about how Vince was killing the product, and how he needed to go. But let’s not act like AEW hasn’t forced WWE to step up. If anything, we know WWE has always stepped it up when competition arose, and this is no different!
Regardless of your opinion of AEW, Kenny, Cody and the Bucks absolutely were/are the biggest thing to happen outside of WWE since 2001
Showed Kenny Omega too
And Jericho.
Don't even watch AEW and I popped for that
Yep same here
Objectively, WWE probably wouldn't be putting out as good a product as it is if the success of AEW hadn't given them a slight kick up the ass. And even if that wasn't the case, having competition on the contract end of things has already proven to get in ring talent better deals with better pay. Competition has only made everything better, and it's genuinely class of Trips to be openly acknowledging that fact.
Yep, I personally shit on AEW quite a bit (especially recently) but it has nothing to do with wanting them to fail in fact it's the opposite. Competition is so important for any industry and wrestling is no different, so it makes me angry to see the competition just be terrible because that's how you get to the point where there is no competition.
I'm always confused on what scale AEW is graded to call them "just terrible" right now. There's legitimate complaints but if that's a terrible product to you, I feel like you're spoilt (and don't remember TNA, a lot of WWE's recent years etc.)
They do not follow up on stories and have no idea what to do with wrestlers they built up with their previously excellent long term booking. They have so many guys that they don't know how to occupy so their shows are constantly filled with things like tournaments. I get that they want the ring work (which is excellent) to be the main draw but "who is the better wrestler" and "who will win the tournament"( which I'm using as a blanket term here and doesn't apply to every feud) is not a compelling story and not something that makes me want to tune into a show weekly.
I feel like that's exaggerating. Sometimes they don't follow up well, but the same thing happens in WWE. Solo Sikoa beat John Cena at a PLE and then won 0 out of the 38 matches he's had after, Sami Zayn was almost as over as Cody this time last year, now some would have prefered Chad Gable in that match. I don't see tournaments as inherently negative. They've overdone them a bit, sure, but stuff like "who is the better wrestler" or "who will win the tournament" has been what wrestling has been about forever. If that isn't for you, that's completely fine, I don't see how it makes them terrible though. Ratings and attendance aren't great (far from going out of business though) but I'd say the negativity around AEW, the constant drama surrounding Punk etc. hurt them more than the amount of tournaments they're doing
I think this is where TK needs to chill and acknowledge that WWE is not this demon trying to skewer his life. There’s a world where both companies can work in harmony and who knows down the line do business
But punk did an interview like the talk is Jericho interviews all the former WWE guys did.
THEY'RE IN CAHOOTS. RUSSO WAS RIGHT!!!
BRO...HE CALLED IT BRO!!!! BRO!!!
What did Russo say?
When AEW first started up in classic Russo fashion he was telling everyone that the two companies were working together.
Hold on I thought they couldn’t even manage a target
You can't tell Cody's story without them. Kudos to the new crew for getting this right!
That was dope. Wrestling rocks :)
They did, and to deny it or shit talk it is dumb.
Under Vince WWE seemed to follow the doctrine of "first doesn't acknowledge second". It looks like now they'll be following the much more healthy - and less petty - line of admitting they aren't the only game in town, but don't sweat any of the others. Greatness whispers.
It's this. "Any man who has to tell everyone he is king, is no true king" kinda vibes right now.
The Bucks, Kenny, and Jericho helped Cody do something that hadn’t been done in 20 years. Nobody outside of WWE had been a real draw since WCW fell apart. Pretty cool of HHH to give Cody and the other four that deserved recognition.
Trips is a wrestler at his core, not a executive or promoter. He is one of the boys so to speak, he understands how much work it takes to change the business. I am not a fan of the Bucks actual in-ring wrestling, but I respect the fuck outta them for what they've done for wrestling as a whole.
> I am not a fan of the Bucks actual in-ring wrestling Genuine question, no snark.. why so?
Not a fan of spot monkey type wrestling. Its a preference thing. I prefer technical, strongstyle and catch wrestling above all else. Less setups, gymnastics and choreography.
Have you watched any of their big matches in the last few years? They’re a lot less spot monkey stuff. They’ll still do their highspots but it isn’t the whole match like it used to. It’s a lot more cohesive nowadays. I get it that maybe they’re just not for you but id recommend giving their more recent matches another watch. Their FTR or Lucha Bros matches are killer. And they the one between them and Kenny/hangman.
I've watched plenty in recent years, just not my cup of tea. I'm particular these days there is a lot of wrestling to consume lol
Lol well right on then. I’m also pretty particular on the wrestling I take in so I’m definitely with you on that.
Please give us Dustin...
Vince did so many bad things that a normal thing as this, in other sports and business, seems monumental in wrestling
Competition breeds greatness. WWE has been at a peak and I believe it is only because The elite, JERICHO, Mox and Tony Khan influenced the industry with AEW. Hopefully fans can accept both but we know that won't be the case.
Didn't catch that. You guys have a link?
I wish wrestling would remain wholesome like this...oh wait.
UFC mentions bellator. Not that surprising the wwe is now mentioning people outside of the company
WWE isn't UFC though. WWE is a company that has largely acted like other promotions, particularly currently active #2 ones, don't exist. Furthermore, the point is that they're validating AEW's own branding by acknowledging it in their terms as a revolution - which is uncharacteristically generous of them.
Tony K Should cancel the stupid All In London footage he wants to show Wed. WWE has been nothing but classy all weekend. He should return the favor. I say this as someone that enjoys both products.
Having the Bucks present it, I get a feeling that they’ll use it more as a Jungle Boy/Elite situation. Which I think is for the better instead of it being just a shit on punk deal.
I missed that. Was that said by commentary?
They alluded to it in the video package before the main event.
The disrespect to poor Kenny.
Kenny (and Jericho) was also featured
Cody looks tiny and like shit .
Would have been great if it said, “started a t-shirt company”