The Unknown Poster

But how great was Gal Gadot?

Some potentially intriguing news from Dave Meltzer. New Japan Pro Wrestling's US TV deal was on AXS, which Impact Wrestling's parent company bought. Apparently, Impact told New Japan they could stay on AXS if they accepted a working relationship. New Japan declined and was cancelled. But the really interesting news is, New Japan and AEW are talking...or "open" as Dave put it. Makes sense as New Japan pushed the Jericho match against Tana this week with the stip that if Jericho lost, he'd give Tanahashi an AEW World Championship match. Chris is really good at making these deals on his own but it was certainly assumed AEW would want a deal with New Japan. New Japan sort of had hurt feelings over the Elite leaving and did some shitty things at the end. They were also loyal to ROH. But a real New Japan/AEW deal would be idea. Would give AEW access to some tremendous talent and give New Japan access to Kenny etc, plus a better visibility in the US market.

I really liked Wonder Woman. Maybe its Gal Gadot as she is perfectly cast. The size, looks, charisma, presence, even her accent. perfect. I was hoping they'd re-boot the DC universe by simply following WW through the 80's and ignoring everything we saw previously. The sequel looks interesting. Love the 80's stuff. I have hopes for The Batman although they seem to be over-loading it. But I think that sparkly vampire dude could be good.

Or have them attack people weekly (or every other week) so when they do come out on a big team, there is more of a bigger feel to it. I was mostly angry that they sacrificed the elite for it. It almost worked for them to have last week off...I think this show felt like a re-set.

lol yeah...well, the one intriguing thing is who is their leader. Ive seen people hoping it's Matt Hardy...which would be something. Probably Kevin Sullivan.

I suspect it was a Bucks idea and I see what they wanted to do, just as you say. Two things that made it not work for me. 1) as the main event, it raised expectations too much 2) Dark Order werent over enough yet. I liked the vignettes but they needed a few more weeks. And I also think them beating up virtually the entire elite was a bad idea, especially if they arent going to work with Kenny & Cody. Selfless guys for sure, to take that beating to try and get them over. But if it had just been the Bucks, might have worked better. It was clear last night (and I've seen it reported), AEW took to heart a lot of feedback. Even with Jericho mentioning the multiple "recruitment" angles, which I roundly complained about. The video to start, putting over the Elite not being dominant and then them winning a great match. Much more focused show.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/02/entertainment/nick-gordon-bobbi-kristina-brown-exboyfriend-dead/index.html lots of tragedy in that family.

I must have been at max messages. I deleted some of you still have it and want to send it my way! wrestling is at an ebb for sure. Although there were times wwe was close to bankruptcy. The big thing is the absolute hemorrhage of fans since wcw closed. DVR numbers are interesting for that reason. It doesn’t mean anything to networks but it shows how people are watching differently. Have to figure out how to monetize that. Wwe red flag is their audience is so old. They basically lose all their young viewers. What happens when their old viewers leave or die? Aew has young viewers but can’t get the over 50. Wrestling should be a variety show. Corny can work in doses. Dark Order segment was terrible. Aew knows it was terrible. Their show tonight was a clear direction change. They heard the critics. What about wwe? The wedding on raw? Awful. And I like the story telling aspects. I can dig corny. I can dig goofy. But that was brutal. Arguably worse than the dark order (except dark order buried half the top guys on aew).

Okay fair enough. But you’re using the absolutely pinnacle of the business as the example for mainstream (Austin era wwe). Does anything really appeal to everyone? If the NFL mainstream? I think most people would say yes. But not everyone knows players names or even team names. Austin & Rock and nWo was an unheard of level of mainstream notoriety. Mainly because it became cool and popular among youth. Like you said wwe isn’t even like that anymore. But within the fandom of wrestling aew is certainly well known. So really if wwe is mainstream aew is too. If wwe isn’t then ofcourse no one else is either. what shouldn’t be overlooked though is how popular the elite are. Whether it’s enough to say they are mainstream or not. The hot topic deal was huge. Selling out arenas with no tv. New japan doing big PPV numbers and house shows in the US. It doesn’t make Omega Austin. But it moves the needle more than anyone has in a long time. AEW is big. It’s the best tv deal anyone has gotten other than wwe since wcw. They actually sell out more than wwe. The contracts wwe offered the elite were crazy. AEW isn’t impact. Or ROH. Or MLW. It’s not wwe but it’s #2 and no one else is close. So if the question is serious as to longevity. 2 years is super safe bet. Barring a total collapse of their business or the Khans going bankrupt I think they’re in it for the long haul. Booking will ebb & flow. I thought their last show two weeks was terrible. But honestly despite thinking I am biased, I watch every week and complain about numerous things. I’m hyper critical because I know how important their success is. Tonight’s show was way better. But wwe booking is more often than not awful. So booking doesn’t always equal success or failure. It usually takes a long time of awful booking to sink a company (wcw). Tony K could wrestle next week and it won’t hurt aew at all. Just like any number of non wrestlers wrestling for wwe doesn’t. And the thing about using mark derogatory is that everyone in wrestling is a mark or we wouldn’t do it. Is tony a money mark? I don’t think. He financed aew because of certain things happening that had they not happened, he wouldn’t have (All In, the elite being available, Jericho, multiple tv deal offers etc). the big hurdle for aew will be their next tv deal. And you can say the same about wwe who is under performing their network expectations. They’ll exist as long as someone is willing to pay them to be on tv and as long as tony is “all in”. He’s a life long “smark” so I don’t seek him losing interest as long as business is good.

Deal!

All you do is wrap uneducated opinions around cheap insults. If national television isn’t mainstream then let’s just quit the discussion. There is a difference between mainstream and ubiquitous. But I’ll consider that splitting hairs. if you want to debate promoting wrestling events....don’t bother. It’s your usual cheap insults crapping on something you’ve never done. You have no idea what goes into producing a live event at any level. the issue isn’t me acting like my experience gives me undue knowledge. It’s you acting like it doesn’t give me any at all. We can disagree on opinions. Facts are facts. And I’ve been wrong a million times. Always the first to admit it. You just insult. And honestly I’ve been insulted way worse by way better people. Doesn’t bother me. But I am offended for all the people that made the effort and went out of business in the nearly 20 years I’ve been doing this. They deserve more respect. What Kenny thinks of me and PCW matters more to me. I’m good with that. If you were open to a real discussion I can be honest about the bad as much as the good. (There is plenty of bad on wrestling especially local level). But you don’t. You just want to argue cause you dislike me for some reason. You’re not a wrestling fan. Why keep talking about it? Nothing personal. It just seems like a repetitive whiz contest with you. I try very hard to not be condescending and I apologize if I come across that way. There are a million people with more success and knowledge and accomplishments in wrestling than me. But whether you like it or not, I have experience and knowledge and accomplishments. You can PM me if you want to talk privately. I don’t need to post my resume here. But my original point was merely to point out my difference of opinion from you. You went into insults and silliness. Not me. By the way, aew considers next week to be their anniversary. Hopefully they can make it a full year!

AEW was great tonight! Sure seems like they took criticism to heart and responded with a much better show. Still need to work on that audio mix though. Cool venue in JAX too.

You’re admitting you’ve lost the argument when you resort to lame insults. I don’t know why you always do that. It’s childish. You’re the one that involved cornette last opinion as if it added validity to yours and suggested you were somehow right because Jim has credibility on wrestling? I merely pointed out that I have more than you. Which I do. Not more than jim. He’s a legend. Doesn’t make him right. He’s wrong. You don’t have to agree with me. But I’ll agree with guys like Kenny and the bucks. Sorry! You taking a shot at PCW is just so childish. We’re the longest running promotion in Manitoba. We’re also the best. But you have a different opinion. That’s perfectly okay! Plenty of options for fans in Winnipeg! Yoire original point, which you then turned into a silly whizzing contest was that aew wouldn’t last a year so we can all come back here on June 1 and point out that was wrong. Your evidence to support your absurd opinion was one bad angle on a show you admit you didn’t watch. You then doubled down by criticizing tony for something that wwe has done a million times. Tripled down by comparing Vince’s gassed up 90’s physique to aew for some reason, went off on local money Marks and promoters (and clearly don’t know what a mark is) and wouldn’t clarify when asked. It’s never personal to me and I love talking wrestling. But you’re the only one who made insults, toward me and my promotion. If you can admit when you’re wrong I’ll be glad to accept your apology. If you go back a few pages I was super critical of aew’s last event. And I’m always the first to admit when I’m wrong. I’m just knowledgeable about wrestling. If you actually like wrestling you should value the discussion. Many here do! also they ARE mainstream And I can’t say they’re making money yet but they are ahead of their own projections They have a very good deal with tnt they’re in it for the long haul Predicting their demise over one segment is just absurd That’s not a serious discussion by the way, aew tonight was a much better show than two weeks ago. You don’t have to like it though! Lots of various promotions out there for everyone.

Dude. Really. The only one being worked here is you. You’re working yourself into a shoot. I’m not even sure what you’re angry about any more but it’s you debating me not jim cornette. But we both have more than you. why you mad bro? If you don’t like wrestling why do you keep starting arguments in the wrestling thread. If you want a legit discussion there are plenty of us fans here that would be happy to engage. But drive by insults and sarcasm are silly. You’re entitled to your opinion but not to making up facts.

Yup. I think he was mainly playing the grumpy old man character and buried bucks and Kenny. And then when he was booked for an Indy the bucks were also booked for he reached out to them and wanted to work an angle and they declined. I think that’s where he went from total work to working himself into a shoot. Cornette was a brilliant manager. But he also booked some awful stuff on wwe in the 90’s. He’s out of touch. Anyone quoting cornette about modern wrestling is automatically losing the debate. Lol. I mean the guy thinks Kenny sucks. And his favourite gimmick is a white guy dropping n bombs in the south. So...super credible guy. what’s funny about old guys like cornette is the really old guys said all the same things about the “young guys” in the 90’s. About how they were killing the business with their over bumping and selling. It was always better back in their day lol

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Cornette is a work and tried to work with the bucks. Shhhhh. Spare me you’re opinion when you have no knowledge of the subject. I have zero blinders. I’m just knowledgeable. You’re not. Opinions aren’t facts.

Meh it did hurt ratings for the following nitro although that was against a big raw. And it stalled ticket sales for the next PPV. But it came on a thunder and between two really good PPV shows. Ratings suffered no long term effect. And David was only champion for less than two weeks. wcw had already lost a ton of money and fired and brought back Russo and Bischoff. Had already lost the radicalz which was really the big step on the way down. it certainly didn’t help. But had wcw been even decent it wouldn’t have made a difference. The finger poke of doom was over a year earlier. Wcw has been bad for a long time. The David title change was a one PPV angle.

Going out of business! Jokes aside, good for Kenny (and the rest). Big money in merch.

They’d sell a lot for jets. But they’d sell a lot for anyone. I think tv deal probably leans towards Chicago.

This isn’t true actually. Also tony isn’t wrestling. You’re arguing hypotheticals that haven’t happened. Which also doesn’t matter. You keep making points they are untrue and then won’t answer when asked about them. If you don’t like wrestling why post in the wrestling thread? David A winning the wcw title had little to do with its collapse. It already sucked. You mentioned Vince’s physique in the 90’s compared to aew today. Firstly you can make the same comparison to wwe talent today. Secondly most fans wouldn’t consider it sad that the use of steroids has dropped dramatically and so too has the amount of drug related wrestling deaths. You can still admire physiques if you want but if that’s your main focus you’re missing out on what makes wrestling great.

Lol are you still on this? You don’t even watch aew. You obviously don’t like it. Tony doing a goofy thing for the live crowd after a show has ZERO impact on whether aew is successful or not. Just like Gene or Fink or Cindy Lauper’s manager or whomever doing a segment in the 80’s didn’t sound the death knell for wwe either. if you don’t like aew that’s cool. If wwe is more your speed that’s cool too. But you’re just wrong about 99% of your assertions.

You said local money marks. Why don’t you tell us....

I think people who arent wrestling fans (especially when they clearly have disdain for wrestling and wrestlers and fans) pick up some of the verbiage and use it incorrectly. Im well acquainted with money marks....Tony K isnt one. It seems Sonya and Mandy are not happy. They pitched a lesbian story but more in the vein of it being just a thing...like a normal coupling where they happen to both be women. WWE said no. But do this, which is akin to the old Hot Lesbian Action stuff. It certainly had Heyman's finger prints but also Vince and Kevin Dunn. Why tap the actual gay wrestler to do a gay story when you have a hotter, blonder straight wrestler to do it. Definitely awkward. But there are plenty of WWE talent that have publicly whined and counted down their contract and then resigned with WWE. WWE is offering huge raises. And they're using their bad contracts as leverage (tacking on injury time etc). Even Daniel Bryan...he and WWE disagreed about his end date. It became moot when WWE offered him a huge deal. Not many will actively give up WWE money (for example, like Harper did). Revival asked for their release and meant it so they'll be the next ones to watch as I believe they're up in spring. There are rumours of a post WM house cleaning but I have my doubts. WWE is carry a very very bloated roster right now though. And AEW isnt taking everyone just because they worked for WWE. I expect Harper to end up there...and the Revival. Tessa...that will be one to watch cause WWE is going to offer her something crazy. Look at New Day...tight with Kenny, still opted to stay with WWE for the big money. And WWE is insisting on 5 year contracts.

They will need to improve on that TV deal to make it work. Vince has a lot of money he cant take with him, but is he going to spend beyond a half billion of his family fortune on this? So first year audience numbers will be key.