I guess there’s merit to that. Lucha Underground was comfortably the best wrestling a few years back and you wouldn't see some guys for weeks at a time. Maybe it’s just the standard of some of the people they keep bringing in and featuring.

The main show of the week shouldn’t feature as many losers like private party and Adam Cole, while also not featuring the previous list.

You're right on the money. I even said when this feud started that Archer would be a great opponent for Page to bump around for. The problem, again, is that a one month filler feud should not end in a bloody deathmatch. That kind of thing should be properly built to, otherwise none of it matters. AEW has been making every other god damn match no dq hard-core bullshit, and none of it is memorable.

Case in point: How many people are still talking about Rey Fenix getting chokeslamed through a ringside table and mangling his arm?

Fucking no one.

Meanwhile, 30 years later, people are still referencing terry funk piledriving Flair into a table, and the subsequent I quit match even though it's kids stuff by today's standards. Why? Because back then that kind of stuff rarely happened. So when it did, it was like thunder.

AEW has the talent and creative freedom to make The Godfather, but they keep making Dude, Where's My Car.

You are speaking sense, but it goes against the “AEW is AWESOME!!!” narrative. Their intentions are what counts, not the effect. They want to get everyone and everything over, and by gum they’ll succeed even if it’s just in their most hardcore fans’ eyes.

if there's one true thing from this page, it's that billy gunn needs to be featured more

You know wrestling is in trouble when Billy Gunn is actually in demand.

I heard it explained like this; Page beat Danielson in a wrestling match to prove he can hang with the best technicians. He then beat Archer in a Deathmatch to prove he’s tough enough to hang in that environment too. They’re establishing the new champion.

Of course, I don’t know how well they’ve set that story up on TV, mostly because I skip through a lot.

They’re trying to build a guy that has already won the belt.

I didn’t think about it this way but it makes sense. They’ve done a good job of making Paige the underdog in a way that doesn’t shove him down your throat but constantly puts him in a position to prove himself. Work Danielson, it was with BD calling him a clown and basically dismissing him. Archer laid him out every time they got physical, and even after getting the jump on him to start their match still had to fight from underneath.

Honestly I’ve enjoyed Hangman’s run as champ even though I wish we had seen him in more than 3 matches. But this 3 matches have been absolute bangers.

Jim Cornette loves Keith Lee's debut, gives it a great review,,

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Maybe it's more they have the freedom to make The Sopranos, but they keep making The Many Saints of Newark. Somewhat entertaining, but forgettable. Sorry--but Dude, Where's My Car is plain unwatchable, and I don't think that's a fair comparison since at least AEW puts out some good matches.

It's fair because they've made a lot of booking decisions that are just as ridiculous as that movie.

But it's a mishmash. You get some bad shit and some good shit. It's nothing that'll completely tear them apart but it'll hold them back from making something truly great and getting beyond where they are (which seems good enough for TBS or whatever).

Wrestling fans (like Star Wars fans *cough*) are susceptible to hyperbole. Everything is the either best or the worst. And then they yell at one another.

I never said this (or Boba fett *cough*) was the worst thing ever.

I'll bet you could find a couple genuine chuckles in Dude Where's My Car amidst all the absurdity.

Especially when it comes to the hot alien chicks with big boobs.

There you go.

Big titty aliens.

My point stands.

I’m not sure “building a guy” and “establishing the champion as someone that can knock back any type of challenge” are the same thing. Of course what they need to do is not feature the champ on any PPVs or specials, just let him hold the belt for 5 months in a reign bereft of any note and have him compete in the tag division. The casual viewer will get it.

I tried to watch Dude but couldn't get through 5 minutes it was that bad. The few times I've watched AEW, I've found it relatively enjoyable (compared to Dude). All the flippy Indy stuff is not really my cup of tea (more enjoy the old-school stuff we watch with Fan and Gertner) but I dunno, it's not Dude Where's My Car levels of trash.

It's a movie about two stoners who lose their car. What did you reeeeeeally expect from it tho?


Smokey McPott is a name in that movie. They didn't try to make it good.

Oh. I'm aware of the point of the movie. But like--I enjoy Half Baked (which Dude blatantly steals from). And Half Baked doesn't try to be good either.

That movie has Donkeylips from Salute Your Shorts, which makes it worth the watch!

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/...4Mjcy._V1_.jpg

How do you know it BLATANTLY stole from a movie you didn't watch?

In the first scene, they rip off the "guy on the couch." I seem to remember him getting up and taking a long piss (could be wrong)--but it was like right away and it was just straight up half-baked but less funny. The general atmosphere of the movie was too off-putting for me to watch anymore...it was just a bit too much for me.

That said, it's fine if you like the movie. I like plenty of crap movies for their specific brand of cheese. Just classifying AEW as that tier is a bit of a disservice and misrepresentation. I think AEW is pretty solid all things considered (at least from what I've seen and heard) albeit with some glaring weaknesses that prevent it from being what it should (or could be). Dude, Where's My Car is purposefully a crap movie, and is enjoyed as such.

I'd liken it to maybe a show like Cobra Kai that while it's enjoyable, it's straight-up fan service the whole way through with tons of hokey moments that prevent it from reaching that level of top-tier story-telling. And it's bolstered by stronger, more experienced talent (Billy Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Martin Kove, etc. for Cobra Kai, while AEW has the likes of Danielson, Page, Punk, Eddie Kingston, FTR, MJF, Rusev, etc. who tend to produce gold.)

The energy of the shows is good too. Tony Khan just has a lot to learn about booking fundamentals and whatnot.

Well I wasn't really talking about the product as a whole when I made that analogy, but rather the individual decisions themselves. And many of them are absolutely as nonsensical as that film.

You can do that without completely invalidating the impact and importance of a brutal deathmatch.

Lots of mental gymnastics in this thread excusing something that is blatantly lazy.

I agree with Fignuts here.

Adam Page does not feel like the guy. Beating Lance Hoyt does not make you a world beater. Kayfabe achievements don’t matter much in AEW because they constantly remind you that this is fake and performance-based. Page is not the best performer in AEW.

Too many people pat AEW on the back for allegedly having a plan and sticking to it. When things change and you end up with Danielson, Punk and FTR, and some guys are going to go get more or less over just by happenstance — sticking to a plan formulated in 2019 should be a point of derision. Either you are pushing circumstances to the side or you have not been able to capitalize on what has been handed to you.

The Page push was terrible. They had to send him away to bring him back and win a random match so they could promote it as “long-term storytelling.” It all smacks of effort, and not in the good way. It’s forced as shit.

I agree they did a poor job preparing Page for the title, but outside of the deathmatch stipulation, I think this has been a pretty solid run so far. He's not THE guy, but I can buy him as the champion. Though I definitely think the potential is there for him to become THE guy.

He should go over Cole, and then drop it to punk or danielson.

He needs to drop out to MJF. They have no other heel on that roster, no other wrestler really, generating that type of reaction and heat. He needs to be the guy at double or nothing.

Paige is having a good run and the Danielson feud to open up his run was great. The Archer match did what it needed and needs to beat Cole and whatever other heel they can push up the card logically. Then it’s MJF’s time.

I'd be down for MJF taking it off him as well.

If Danielson had beaten Omega, Page could have still confronted Omega in Virginia. Could have been the reason he is out, or just run him off. Could have returned in the main event of Full Gear as special enforcer to make sure his old buddy didn’t screw Danielson. Page could have challenged Danielson and done a draw with him, to prove he is on that level. You could make people actually hungry for Page to challenge. Right now he feels about as worthy a champion as Dallas Page.

Page isn’t bad. He’s just not the top guy and he’s in the top guy spot.

I think if we get Hangman another deathmatch but this time it's for real and against the big giant bastard Ass Man, the Ass Eater and Monster of Asses and sire to the Ass Boy's Bully Gunn.

I am honestly surprised Khan didnt book his favorite wrestler CM Phil to be champion already.

Ass on a pole match.

I came here tonight to see exactly how Noid avoided this.

I was not disappointed.

Noid can no longer rationalize his style of Cornette love with his style of AEW hate. And that is why he is absolute unreasonable shit and TPWW will be better when he goes away for good.

Long live James E. Cornette.

Long live AEW.

Soon die overly-arrogant dipshits.

Didn’t expect Punk to be champion for whatever reason. Not making Danielson champion is a missed opportunity though.