Anyone else feel AEW is booked like a TEW game?

[BuddyGarner]

Dark is spammed squash matches just like a TEW gamer would do for a B show or preshow.

 

Dynamite spams Sting segments because he's over.

 

All matches are prebooked to avoid penalties.

 

Everyone gets a manager just to benefit from chemistry or boost to segment rating.

[Vinsmoker]

Yes. A wrestling booking simulator tend to favor booking styles used by irl promotions

[d12345]

I would more go with AEW is booked like a traditional wrestling show.

 

We've been made accustom to WWE's manic unreliable style of booking. AEW books like a wrestling fan would book. It's why most TEW players tend to book their feds like AEW is booking IRL.

[DrRDuke]

It's almost as if the owner/booker played TEW...or still does...and picked up a trick or two?

[Monday Night Chores]

First off the only currant wrestling I watch is AEW so is really my only reference to how wrestling is booked currently.

 

I think AEW is booked like it’s done by a bad TEW players. -

 

They hoard massive amounts of talents on their roster.

They start storylines abs just totally drop them if there’s no heat without explanation.

Owner is saying they have to have a women’s division but they have zero clue how to book one.

They seem to struggle with creating any real main event talents so tend to stick to the same guys over and over leaving the rest in this sort of mid/upper mid card floundering.

They have a bunch of guys that could be booked to move up the card yet they debut them and just let their momentum drop with lack of any focus on them ie Wardlow, Miro, Will Hobbs, Brian Cage, Lance Archer

Every week their match aims, particularly tag matches are the same. 17 minutes over booked with multiple false finishes.

Everyone has to have a manager or be in a a stable. They also spam the life trying all these different combinations to find ones that have half decent chemistry.

They look at everyone’s favourite personnel and signing them to keep people happy.

When they have people they want to push but zero clue how to raise their pop they just stick an over as hell vet and spam the life out of that. Sting is rated on pop, Taz is rated on pop, Brian Cage and Will Hobbs on menace, Ricky Starks on mic/sex appeal and Darby Allin is just there doing nothing to gain some of that rub.

 

All that said it’s still the company I watch. But obviously you’ll never really watch something and expect it to be perfect.

 

Oh and they’ve downloaded a stupid database as well which includes people like Shaq and Snoop Dogg who shouldn’t be wrestling!

[tormyb]

Coincidentally, I always though Fulham Football Club was run like someone was playing Football Manager, under Shahid Khan's ownership. Like father like son, I guess.

[Makhai]

Coincidentally, I always though Fulham Football Club was run like someone was playing Football Manager, under Shahid Khan's ownership. Like father like son, I guess.

 

Shad doesn't run Fulham. Shad runs the Jaguars. Tony handles the admin for Fulham, although since AEW he's been a lot less involved over there. The original plan was to move the Jags to Wembley. That seems to have fallen through, but I'm still pretty sure within the next decade the Jags will be in London. He'll probably buy the London Stadium when West Ham's lease is up, or if they go down to the Championship.

[azzak]

Shad doesn't run Fulham. Shad runs the Jaguars. Tony handles the admin for Fulham, although since AEW he's been a lot less involved over there. The original plan was to move the Jags to Wembley. That seems to have fallen through, but I'm still pretty sure within the next decade the Jags will be in London. He'll probably buy the London Stadium when West Ham's lease is up, or if they go down to the Championship.

 

West Ham's lease was for 99 years and only began last decade, I don't think he will be around to see that end. (Unless West Ham terminate the deal and build their own stadium/relocate)

[pauls07]

I would more go with AEW is booked like a traditional wrestling show.

 

We've been made accustom to WWE's manic unreliable style of booking. AEW books like a wrestling fan would book. It's why most TEW players tend to book their feds like AEW is booking IRL.

 

a traditional show from when? everything in AEW is booked with a angle after a match, always overbooked, im not saying its bad but its not traditional

[Monday Night Chores]

I would more go with AEW is booked like a traditional wrestling show.

 

We've been made accustom to WWE's manic unreliable style of booking. AEW books like a wrestling fan would book. It's why most TEW players tend to book their feds like AEW is booking IRL.

 

In what sense is it traditional and that different to wwe? I think in essence they are very similar in its match - angle - match - angle. Their products are incredibly similar. I think it’s so popular as it’s an alternative to wwe in a time when wwe isn’t at its greatest.

[TheShabadoo]

I think AEW is booked like it’s done by a bad TEW players. -

 

They hoard massive amounts of talents on their roster.

They start storylines abs just totally drop them if there’s no heat without explanation.

Owner is saying they have to have a women’s division but they have zero clue how to book one.

They seem to struggle with creating any real main event talents so tend to stick to the same guys over and over leaving the rest in this sort of mid/upper mid card floundering.

They have a bunch of guys that could be booked to move up the card yet they debut them and just let their momentum drop with lack of any focus on them ie Wardlow, Miro, Will Hobbs, Brian Cage, Lance Archer

Every week their match aims, particularly tag matches are the same. 17 minutes over booked with multiple false finishes.

Everyone has to have a manager or be in a a stable. They also spam the life trying all these different combinations to find ones that have half decent chemistry.

They look at everyone’s favourite personnel and signing them to keep people happy.

When they have people they want to push but zero clue how to raise their pop they just stick an over as hell vet and spam the life out of that. Sting is rated on pop, Taz is rated on pop, Brian Cage and Will Hobbs on menace, Ricky Starks on mic/sex appeal and Darby Allin is just there doing nothing to gain some of that rub.

 

I feel personally attacked lol

[HavokTitan]

In what sense is it traditional and that different to wwe? I think in essence they are very similar in its match - angle - match - angle. Their products are incredibly similar. I think it’s so popular as it’s an alternative to wwe in a time when wwe isn’t at its greatest.

 

That match - angle - match - angle is such a surface level examination of a product and is completely skipping over the storytelling structure that both promotions use that are completely different.

 

WWE books around feuds, where two people will fight each other for three months, there will be a blowoff, and then both men will get thrown into another feud. This style is not better or worse inherently than what AEW does, but because of the way WWE currently is, it is disjointing and often leads to narrative dissonance.

 

While AEW books generally around story arcs. When two people get into a feud, they are not necessarily fighting for 3 months, although it does happen because sometimes the feud demands it. But AEW also has one off feuds that they will come back to later. Look at Moxley vs. Omega, who started off feuding in late 2019, and now in late 2020 - 2021, a full year later, are once again feuding, and calling back to their feud from a year ago. Again, this system is not better or worse than WWE's, and could have the same problems that WWE is experiencing. The difference right now, is that WWE simply is either lazy or incompetent with their booking.

 

AEW is an alternative to WWE at a time when WWE is at its worse, but to say that the shows are basically the same due to the fact they both have matches and angles is a gross under analysis of what makes each show itself.

[DrRDuke]

That match - angle - match - angle is such a surface level examination of a product and is completely skipping over the storytelling structure that both promotions use that are completely different.

 

WWE books around feuds, where two people will fight each other for three months, there will be a blowoff, and then both men will get thrown into another feud. This style is not better or worse inherently than what AEW does, but because of the way WWE currently is, it is disjointing and often leads to narrative dissonance.

 

While AEW books generally around story arcs. When two people get into a feud, they are not necessarily fighting for 3 months, although it does happen because sometimes the feud demands it. But AEW also has one off feuds that they will come back to later. Look at Moxley vs. Omega, who started off feuding in late 2019, and now in late 2020 - 2021, a full year later, are once again feuding, and calling back to their feud from a year ago. Again, this system is not better or worse than WWE's, and could have the same problems that WWE is experiencing. The difference right now, is that WWE simply is either lazy or incompetent with their booking.

 

AEW is an alternative to WWE at a time when WWE is at its worse, but to say that the shows are basically the same due to the fact they both have matches and angles is a gross under analysis of what makes each show itself.

 

Well said. To add, AEW also blends feuds into each other...or has someone 'feuding' with multiple people, keeping things 'bubbling' while they're fighting someone else, so it feels natural when they finish with one feud and get right into another one with someone else.

[Parker Stiles]

Tony is one of us, he just happens to be a billionaire who loves wrestling. Which is why I'm a big AEW fan.

[Monday Night Chores]

That match - angle - match - angle is such a surface level examination of a product and is completely skipping over the storytelling structure that both promotions use that are completely different.

 

WWE books around feuds, where two people will fight each other for three months, there will be a blowoff, and then both men will get thrown into another feud. This style is not better or worse inherently than what AEW does, but because of the way WWE currently is, it is disjointing and often leads to narrative dissonance.

 

While AEW books generally around story arcs. When two people get into a feud, they are not necessarily fighting for 3 months, although it does happen because sometimes the feud demands it. But AEW also has one off feuds that they will come back to later. Look at Moxley vs. Omega, who started off feuding in late 2019, and now in late 2020 - 2021, a full year later, are once again feuding, and calling back to their feud from a year ago. Again, this system is not better or worse than WWE's, and could have the same problems that WWE is experiencing. The difference right now, is that WWE simply is either lazy or incompetent with their booking.

 

AEW is an alternative to WWE at a time when WWE is at its worse, but to say that the shows are basically the same due to the fact they both have matches and angles is a gross under analysis of what makes each show itself.

 

I think what I said has been miss interpreted. I said both shows are match and angles in a similar format when saying its booked like a traditional wrestling show. I would say that isn't exactly what I would class a traditional wrestling show and they are very similar in that way.

 

I do think AEW does much better world building than WWE. I stopped watching WWE for a couple of reasons, there was too much to keep up with. And I was a bit bored by wrestler A coming out and demanding a match with wrestler B for them to have 3 matches over 3 PPVs and its over. It felt very paint by numbers.

 

The only modern wrestling I watch is AEW so consider myself a fan, and I'm not one of those that watch it just to say its terrible. Personally I'd disagree about them revisiting feuds like Omega and Mox. I think Mox is feuding for th title again simply because they haven't managed to build anyone else to the main event level where it makes sense for them to get a shot ahead of the likes of Mox. So in some ways feuding again and calling back to the past is cool, but I also feel its because they've kinda booked themselves into that situation, but thats another point.

 

What I think AEW do best is outside of story arcs and feuds. They actually allow wrestlers to grow and build their characters outside of feuds. You start to get an understanding of them, so when they do sip into a story you are invested and makes sense. With WWE you'd have guys just appear and thrust into a storyline and its almost like sensory over load in working out why this happening and what these characters are about. Where as AEW for example have build Jungle Boy up as this kinda plucky under dog, never say die attitude without putting him in feuds constantly. But when FTR feud with Jurassic Express it makes sense they are riled by this plucky young dude who gets under their skin. Immediately it all makes sense why something is happening.

 

But ultimately I still think these companies are sports entertainment companies. What history has proven is people love that product and what sets AEW apart from WWE are those subtle nuances that, for me at least, make it superior. But to say thats more of a traditional wrestling show to me is wrong. But I'm thinking traditional wrestling shows as being 70's kinda stuff.

 

AEW is painting with delicate water colours and Vince is painting with big, fat crayons!

[Monday Night Chores]

I feel personally attacked lol

 

I only moan about things cause I like it! I could list all the things AEW does right and it would be much longer. But then people just dismiss you as being a fanboy!

[SirMichaelJordan]

Dark is spammed squash matches just like a TEW gamer would do for a B show or preshow.

 

Dynamite spams Sting segments because he's over.

 

All matches are prebooked to avoid penalties.

 

Everyone gets a manager just to benefit from chemistry or boost to segment rating.

 

Except none of that is actually working to benefit the shows. But i guess that explains why majority of the segments don’t make sense.

[DrRDuke]

AEW is painting with delicate water colours and Vince is painting with big, fat crayons!

 

I really don't want to get into a AEW v. WWE convo here, but I think this is at the root of my issue with Apollo Crews' new gimmick. If presented by a company with some nuance and the ability to paint with 'delicate water colours' I'd be intrigued to see where it goes. But because most everything WWE does is done with 'big fat crayons' I just see him dressing up and talking like a comic book writer might write a Nigerian 'Prince' character. Like they saw how popular Black Panther was, so they're OK with this now, and dressed him up in green and white gear, told him to lean into the accent and handed him a spear and a couple of military guardsman. There's no nuance to the character, it's just 'bright and shiny' and deliberately African. That seems to work for the majority of the WWE fans, and that's fine...but as someone who's a little more demanding of genuineness and authenticity, it fees like the costume department just dressed Apollo up and sent him out there rather than this being something Apollo organically created himself. It also doesn't help that he has portrayed himself as completely the opposite his entire career. Again, it isn't offensive, per se, but it just feels stereotypical and 'cartoony'.

[Tew101]

Hasnt Tony Khan said he has played these games before? It wouldnt surprise me, if he hasnt been active on this forum before in previous renditions.

[HavokTitan]

I think what I said has been miss interpreted. I said both shows are match and angles in a similar format when saying its booked like a traditional wrestling show. I would say that isn't exactly what I would class a traditional wrestling show and they are very similar in that way.

 

I do think AEW does much better world building than WWE. I stopped watching WWE for a couple of reasons, there was too much to keep up with. And I was a bit bored by wrestler A coming out and demanding a match with wrestler B for them to have 3 matches over 3 PPVs and its over. It felt very paint by numbers.

 

The only modern wrestling I watch is AEW so consider myself a fan, and I'm not one of those that watch it just to say its terrible. Personally I'd disagree about them revisiting feuds like Omega and Mox. I think Mox is feuding for th title again simply because they haven't managed to build anyone else to the main event level where it makes sense for them to get a shot ahead of the likes of Mox. So in some ways feuding again and calling back to the past is cool, but I also feel its because they've kinda booked themselves into that situation, but thats another point.

 

What I think AEW do best is outside of story arcs and feuds. They actually allow wrestlers to grow and build their characters outside of feuds. You start to get an understanding of them, so when they do sip into a story you are invested and makes sense. With WWE you'd have guys just appear and thrust into a storyline and its almost like sensory over load in working out why this happening and what these characters are about. Where as AEW for example have build Jungle Boy up as this kinda plucky under dog, never say die attitude without putting him in feuds constantly. But when FTR feud with Jurassic Express it makes sense they are riled by this plucky young dude who gets under their skin. Immediately it all makes sense why something is happening.

 

But ultimately I still think these companies are sports entertainment companies. What history has proven is people love that product and what sets AEW apart from WWE are those subtle nuances that, for me at least, make it superior. But to say thats more of a traditional wrestling show to me is wrong. But I'm thinking traditional wrestling shows as being 70's kinda stuff.

 

AEW is painting with delicate water colours and Vince is painting with big, fat crayons!

 

It is entirely fair that you don't think AEW is booked like a traditional show from the 70's. I think that when the word "traditional" is used, it needs to be explained what that specific person thinks as "traditional," so miscommunication is easy. Whether it was traditional or not was not really my argument, I was more concerned with the way you phrased and represented the match - angle - match - angle thing, because that is so surface level that nothing can really be argued in that case. But I don't think we disagree that AEW isn't really a traditional wrestling show.

 

You also say "They actually allow wrestlers to grow and build their characters outside of feuds," which is what I meant by story arcs. Using your Jungle Boy example, they established what he is, and the fact he is slowly growing and getting better, and that doesn't require a feud, but is the story arc for Jungle Boy. I guess for more clarity I could have said a character arc, but I think you got the idea.

 

In terms of the Mox-Kenny thing, I think this has been very deliberate. To me, it seems inevitable, with the way they booked both men through 2020, Kenny in the dominant tag team, and Mox as the dominate single champion, that they were building to the rematch from their feud in 2019. They had their match at Winter is Coming, and Omega "stole" the belt from Mox. Not for one second did I see the next serious challenger being anyone else but Mox, that would have been a disservice to the narrative they have set up.

 

I also feel like if they wanted to build up someone for this next opportunity, they have people that are waiting in the wings. They could have given Hangman a win streak and fast-tracked that story. They could have pushed PAC, Lance Archer or Fenix into a prominent position. The fact they didn't isn't because of the fact that they were short-sighted, but because none of those matches can compare both in the ring and from a story-perspective with Omega-Mox, in my opinion at least.

[d12345]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="pauls07" data-cite="pauls07" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52759" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>a traditional show from when? everything in AEW is booked with a angle after a match, always overbooked, im not saying its bad but its not traditional</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Monday Night Chores" data-cite="Monday Night Chores" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52759" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>In what sense is it traditional and that different to wwe? I think in essence they are very similar in its match - angle - match - angle. Their products are incredibly similar. I think it’s so popular as it’s an alternative to wwe in a time when wwe isn’t at its greatest.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Jumping back in here, if you take Jim Crockett Promotions from the mid 80s and mix that style with '96/97 WCW. Add in some NJPW and NOAH from the mid 2010s and you got AEW.</p><p> </p><p> AEW is in no way shape or form the same booking style as WWE. I would suggest watching some other booking styles to figure out the subtle differences. Watch early 90s All Japan, JCP/WCW in the mid to late 80s. Watch some mid 2010s NJPW. Check out Memphis in the 90s (or whenever really).</p><p> </p><p> WWE under Vince leans towards a style of superhero booking, only really getting out of that space during the late 90s to beat WCW. Right after they beat WCW they went back to their preferred style. </p><p> </p><p> They pick a figurehead and center everything around that guy. Everyone who is built up is built to be fed to that one superhero. That top babyface will never lose clean, will be on every show, and will always healding. </p><p> </p><p> AEW has a more free flowing approach (whether that be by design or out of necessity).</p>

[splitgoose]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="d12345" data-cite="d12345" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52759" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Jumping back in here, if you take Jim Crockett Promotions from the mid 80s and mix that style with '96/97 WCW. Add in some NJPW and NOAH from the mid 2010s and you got AEW.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> What?? No. It's far more like the Scary Movie 4 equivalent of that. With the lame celebrity cameos and fourth wall breaks.</p>

[d12345]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="splitgoose" data-cite="splitgoose" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52759" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>What?? No. It's far more like the Scary Movie 4 equivalent of that. With the lame celebrity cameos and fourth wall breaks.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Their whole deal is "if the mid 80s to mid 90s versions of WCW had survived until today, here is what it would look like. It's updated and modernized "if you will."</p>

[badbeat]

I like the Scary movie description. AEW is a spoof of 80's and 90's wrestling lol

[Makhai]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="azzak" data-cite="azzak" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52759" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>West Ham's lease was for 99 years and only began last decade, I don't think he will be around to see that end. (Unless West Ham terminate the deal and build their own stadium/relocate)</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> The building is losing money, West Ham is unhappy with the venue, and they're shopping around hoping that someone else sniffs. Leases can be terminated at any time by the holding company. And West Ham could get out with a penalty. And they've been stiffing them if the backpages are to be believed. Don't know if Shad is the guy who pulls the trigger on a buy. But he was in the market for Wembley. So he's got the money. We'll see. Point is, Shad is trying to move the Jags. And that's where his headspace is right now.</p>