As a non-AEW fan, Elite vs UE doesn’t sound like something that would automatically overshadow anything else, and was more of spreading the wealth. I just think Danielson is better and more compelling than anyone else on their roster, and think MJF would rise to the occasion. But I’m just an outsider, and can see the logic of what you’re saying.
I think this would be awesome! Of the big 3 free agents (Bryan, Cole, Punk), Cole is the one I think was the best get, and I want to see him in a role like that. There is no doubt in my mind that he is over enough to be slotted there.
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Roderick Strong was by far the worst member of Undisputed Era (zero mic skills/charisma) and I think it’s only a matter of time before he gets “budget cut”-ed
I mean is that really unpopular. I think he fit his role well but he was the one who needed the faction the most. Without it he would have been another Danny Birch.
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Ruby Soho is fucking terrible and not good at all. I gave her a chance when she came to AEW. but her offense is sloppy and incredibly weak looking. Her move set is non existent and I think she isnt even as good as some of the divas from the mid 2000’s.
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I think this may piss some people off lol, but I feel CM Punk’s return has been a bit of a flop. Obviously you can’t deny the ridicules crowd reaction of the Last Dance or his match vs Darby, but there is just something missing to his character since the shine wore off.
In WWE it felt “rebellious” when he cut the pipe bomb promo, it felt like he was a guy fighting the system, going against the machine. You wanted to see him overcome the uphill battle that he had as his character’s identity was founded on that very premise.
In AEW, him coming out and saying “controversial” things when we all know that the owner of the company is probably cheering in the back, just feels empty. It feels like someone playing controversial opposed to actually being controversial. In WWE, there was always that feeling that he would walk backstage and Vince would be loosing his shit. Not saying that did happen, but it felt that way at the time.
When I read Bryan and Punk were likely coming to AEW, I thought Punk would flourish more then Bryan, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I mean he cannot really do what got him over huge in the WWE. There isn’t a John Cena, a Rock or other big name established guy who Punk needs to overcome and main event. CM Punk is the big name established star. So I guess it depends on what you expect from his return. Largely it seems to be a way to give the rub to younger talent. He and Danielson both are in a role that NXT really needed, established star that your new star can overcome to be the new top guy. You cannot make stars without other stars. Fans need to see the new guy beat a guy they know and value to accept the new guy as a big deal.
I mean, that is exactly what the pipe bomb was. Punk may have meant those words and Vince may not have been “cheering”, but he allowed it to happen. There is nothing “controversial” about that.
People act like the pipe bomb was some cool, edgy moment (I admit, I did enjoy it too.) It was actually WWE and Vince who were the smart ones though. They used all of what he felt, to give them compelling television. If he was such a controversial and edgy guy, he should have walked out at that time, instead they played him like a fiddle, until he finally grew a set and left.
I think his AEW run has been perfectly acceptable. He isn’t that same guy anymore. He doesn’t have anything to be controversial about anymore. He is happy now. So anyone expecting him to be that guy and being disappointed, that is on them.
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I can’t say I disagree with this, my issue isn’t so much that I expect him to be the exact same, it’s that I feel like he’s trying to be something he just isn’t anymore, and for me it feels cringe. I’ll compare to the way many felt when Shawn and Hunter were doing the DX stuff the second time around. To each their own though, if you guys are entertained by the schtick, that’s cool.
At the end of the day it’s wrestling, of course we all know that were watching people pretend fight. It’s about creating an illusion for your audience. Whether or not Punk actually was edgy or is edgy is irrelevant, it’s how he makes the viewer feel. In 2010, (for me) he was edgy, in 2022, I feel like I’m watching a poor man’s Comedy Central roast battle when he cuts a promo. It just doesn’t do it for me, and I’m mostly rolling my eyes. Again, I don’t expect you to agree with me, I realize I’m in the minority here.
Jonathan Gresham is overrated. Ive only seen 3 matches, with Lethal, Bandido and now Castle and they all out performed him and he showed me very little in his performances.
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He’s been very good on Impact, pretty much all his matches there I’ve thought were very good to excellent
The MJF saga is uninteresting. In real sports I find contract/transfer negotiation drama tedious and I avoid coverage of it, even when it involves my favourite teams/players. A whole wrestling storyline framed around it including a worked shoot repeating dumb IWC takes is lame. I’m also dreading a potential onscreen character for Tony Khan and an attempt at a McMahon/Steve Austin type of feud - I absolutely do not need to see this, especially not with this storyline.
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I 100% agree with this part, it just gives me Vince a Russo vibes of trying to work the IWC.
Player Empowerment hasn’t been good for Professional Sports and won’t wind up helping Pro Wrestling talent.
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Jonathan Gresham is extremely overrated. I have only watched his matches since Final Battle when he won the ROH title and I dont see what others do. He is good, but many are good. Hes not world champion material.
Claudio is showing me why he wasnt world champion material in WWE. He is much the same as Gresham, hes good, but I havent seen anything more since leaving WWE. He is a good champion for ROH, but will never win the AEW World title.
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Liv Morgan is really quite poor both on the mic and with her ringwork. She’s playing at being a pro-wrestler and I can never buy into anything she does.
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There are plenty of reasons/examples why Shelton Benjamin is great. But the “flying springboard nothing into super kick” spot vs. HBK is overrated and looks so phony.
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Agreed. Put it up there with all the RKOs out of nowhere where the recipient came flying into the frame head first to do what exactly?
Tangent but related… remember when – for roughly a century – nobody ever did the “ten punches in the corner” after the first 90 seconds of match, but once Biker Taker started using the power bomb, guys would suddenly start doing it at the 20-minute mark?