The All Elite Wrestling Discussion Thread

[The Swanton825]

On 5/18/2023 at 2:57 PM, Jaysin said:

Ace Steel officially #AllElite again

Punk return imminent.

Whine until you get your way, that's the Hulk Hogan CM Punk way.

[Jaysin]

6 hours ago, The Swanton825 said:

Whine until you get your way, that's the Hulk Hogan CM Punk way.

Apparently Ace isn't back. Jericho's website is where I had seen he had bene resigned, but now reports are saying he hasn't been. 

[Jaysin]

Watching Rampage finally and Taya better freaking win at DoN. 

[The Blonde Bomber]

Hope Punk returns on Collision!!

[aXminster]

47 minutes ago, Jaysin said:

Watching Rampage finally and Taya better freaking win at DoN. 

I can see Taya losing and Statlander returning after the match. Which in my opinion is a mistake, just like having Jade hold the belt for 500 days beating jobbers in short matches while waiting for Statlander to return from her second injury is a huge mistake. There's no hype in 50-something wins in a row if the kinda-relevant opponents can be counted in one hand.

[aXminster]

Someone that I really want to see back is PAC. He's just incredible in every aspect and I'd love to see him in a singles run going after the World Champion.

[Matt_Black]

4 hours ago, aXminster said:

Someone that I really want to see back is PAC. He's just incredible in every aspect and I'd love to see him in a singles run going after the World Champion.

"Maxwell, Maxwell, Maxwell! You call yourself 'The Devil', but even the Devil is afraid of a right and proper Bastard!"

[The Blonde Bomber]

Hoping they bring back Ace Steel. Punk is important for AEW, without him Collision tickets have been selling very very badly.

[The Swanton825]

3 hours ago, The Blonde Bomber said:

Hoping they bring back Ace Steel. Punk is important for AEW, without him Collision tickets have been selling very very badly.

If they can't survive without Punk, then there's no salvaging AEW from a downward spiral either way. If they keep him, they'll become a rotted husk held aloft by TK's money and Punk's frail ego. AEW needs to work on rebuilding the image they began with: an alternative to WWE.

Edited May 22, 2023 by The Swanton825

[milamber]

Willow is the 1st NJPW Strong Women's Champion. Merdeces broke her ankle, though.

Edited May 23, 2023 by milamber

[The Blonde Bomber]

3 hours ago, The Swanton825 said:

If they can't survive without Punk, then there's no salvaging AEW from a downward spiral either way. If they keep him, they'll become a rotted husk held aloft by TK's money and Punk's frail ego. AEW needs to work on rebuilding the image they began with: an alternative to WWE.

If they keep him and actually take the industry seriously then they might actually have a shot at salvaging their declining attendances and ratings.

[milamber]

I'm not onboard with Punk returning after what he did. I don't think it's a good idea long term unless he proves he can be trusted. However it feels like a lot of people are only interested in Collision to see what Punk does on the show so if he's not there the ratings might suffer. Plus he's being paid too much to sit at home. Tough call for TK.

Edited May 23, 2023 by milamber

[The Swanton825]

12 hours ago, The Blonde Bomber said:

If they keep him and actually take the industry seriously then they might actually have a shot at salvaging their declining attendances and ratings.

I don't see how placating an egotistical manchild who has proven time and again to be unreliable is "taking the industry seriously". Keeping Punk and putting him on a pedestal is putting a bandaid on a hemorrhaging artery. His antics have turned him into a freakshow draw where a lot of people are paying attention because they want to see what other drama he can get up to, not because of his wrestling. Those kind of viewers can't be relied on to stick around for very long. So you're looking at short term gain for no long term benefit.

[The Blonde Bomber]

56 minutes ago, The Swanton825 said:

I don't see how placating an egotistical manchild who has proven time and again to be unreliable is "taking the industry seriously". Keeping Punk and putting him on a pedestal is putting a bandaid on a hemorrhaging artery. His antics have turned him into a freakshow draw where a lot of people are paying attention because they want to see what other drama he can get up to, not because of his wrestling. Those kind of viewers can't be relied on to stick around for very long. So you're looking at short term gain for no long term benefit.

Punk brings an audience that fell off with his departure. From when Punk left to now the tv audience has fell around 20%, while audiences have fallen off severely as seen with DoN, and the Collision ticket sales. Punk isn’t being an egotistical man child he’s standing up for his friend.

[The Swanton825]

3 hours ago, The Blonde Bomber said:

Punk brings an audience that fell off with his departure. From when Punk left to now the tv audience has fell around 20%, while audiences have fallen off severely as seen with DoN, and the Collision ticket sales. Punk isn’t being an egotistical man child he’s standing up for his friend.

That audience won't stick around for long once they're bored of Punk's little drama dance. And he's standing up for a fifty-year-old man whose first instinct was to BITE another human being like a dog! And it was Kenny Omega, of all people! If there's anyone I believe would cut and run at the start of a melee, it's Omega.

[The Blonde Bomber]

2 hours ago, The Swanton825 said:

That audience won't stick around for long once they're bored of Punk's little drama dance. And he's standing up for a fifty-year-old man whose first instinct was to BITE another human being like a dog! And it was Kenny Omega, of all people! If there's anyone I believe would cut and run at the start of a melee, it's Omega.

We don’t have evidence of what really happened in the locker room. You can imagine things happening one way I can think of it happening another way.

Punk was the best thing on AEW for a year. The audience wasn’t there for his ‘drama’ so I don’t think the fans will leave cause there’s no backstage drama with him. If anything the best thing they could do would be The Elite vs Punk and FTR. Puts some realism into the product that’s lacking. 

[The Swanton825]

1 hour ago, The Blonde Bomber said:

We don’t have evidence of what really happened in the locker room. You can imagine things happening one way I can think of it happening another way.

Punk was the best thing on AEW for a year. The audience wasn’t there for his ‘drama’ so I don’t think the fans will leave cause there’s no backstage drama with him. If anything the best thing they could do would be The Elite vs Punk and FTR. Puts some realism into the product that’s lacking. 

No, but the people who come back will be there for his drama. Also, there is absolutely no way either side is professional enough to actually work a program together. The Elite only work with their friends and Punk would be too paranoid that three guys with all the stiffness of a wet noodle would shoot on him.

[The Blonde Bomber]

7 minutes ago, The Swanton825 said:

No, but the people who come back will be there for his drama. Also, there is absolutely no way either side is professional enough to actually work a program together. The Elite only work with their friends and Punk would be too paranoid that three guys with all the stiffness of a wet noodle would shoot on him.

But people won’t only be there for his drama. I disagree that both sides are too unprofessional to work together. 

[Eternal Phoenix]

I'd say there a pretty big difference between not being professional enough to do a thing (as Swanton put it) and too unprofessional to do that thing (as Blonde Bomber did). The former is understandable, but the latter can be seen as kind of a stealth insult. Seriously, professionalism is one thing, but if one side simply doesn't trust the other working a match is going to be nearly impossible. It's not like real sports or theatre. Wrestlers put each other's lives, health, and livelihoods in their colleagues' hands every time they step in the ring. I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I'd be hesitant to place my physical safety in the hands of someone I had a negative relationship with. Especially if it had previously escalated to a physical altercation. Sometimes people get along so poorly that they can't work together. You see it every day in jobs that don't require that aforementioned level of trust. Refusing to work with someone you hate is one thing, but someone you don't trust not to hurt you? I dunno, man.

[DrawingDimes]

 

Omg tonight is gonna be the most important night in AEW history (since last week)! 

[ColdBloodedSausageMaker]

On 5/22/2023 at 6:40 PM, The Swanton825 said:

If they can't survive without Punk, then there's no salvaging AEW from a downward spiral either way. If they keep him, they'll become a rotted husk held aloft by TK's money and Punk's frail ego. AEW needs to work on rebuilding the image they began with: an alternative to WWE.

I have to think Tony Khan running the UK may be a long-term future -- much like TNA did in the later years. 

There is a definite market for major US stars in the UK or Australia, as WCW and TNA have proven in the past -- arguably exceeding the market for top-shelf stars here. And the ticket sales for Wembley support running abroad more.

And the Khans have strong ties to the UK: The family owns the London-based Fulham soccer club and the Jaguars have played several regular season games in the UK. 

If the Jaguars do relocate to London, I would assume Tony would move his base of operations across the Atlantic to London anyway. 

[The Swanton825]

16 minutes ago, ColdBloodedSausageMaker said:

I have to think Tony Khan running the UK may be a long-term future -- much like TNA did in the later years. 

There is a definite market for major US stars in the UK or Australia, as WCW and TNA have proven in the past -- arguably exceeding the market for top-shelf stars here. And the ticket sales for Wembley support running abroad more.

And the Khans have strong ties to the UK: The family owns the London-based Fulham soccer club and the Jaguars have played several regular season games in the UK. 

If the Jaguars do relocate to London, I would assume Tony would move his base of operations across the Atlantic to London anyway. 

It wouldn't surprise me if AEW did move shop in that situation. Brits love their wrestling.

[aXminster]

OC opening a show yet again. It's an instant mute for me.

[The Blonde Bomber]

He’s coming back!!! 😁😁😁

[ColdBloodedSausageMaker]

Pretty weak go-home show overall.

Punk is back, and that is what matters most -- Punk probably is the most over guy in company, personal issues or no. Hopefully, Punk will be a little safer with his in-ring work. 

Last thing AEW needs is Punk to do something reckless and end up back on the shelf again.

Edited May 25, 2023 by ColdBloodedSausageMaker