AEW sucks. WWE sucks. People still watch and find stuff to enjoy.

Except noid, who can't find any joy in anything.

I like AEW.

AEW easily the most fun I’ve had watching wrestling in a decade. It ain’t perfect but it feels worth my time.

But nah we must all hate it or we have poor taste.

I do enjoy it, was being hyperbolic. I wouldn't be watching it or posting about it if I didn't enjoy at least parts of it.

Two hours of Dynamite tends to fly by more often than not.

I feel like the clock is ticking on a Cody heel turn. It has to be soon. I'm sure if they find the right heel to juice more squeeze out of his Babyface character we will go longer. Maybe they could end up swapping spots with Cody and Kenny at some point. And the built in story of Cody never challenging for the Belt is the perfect heel juice for a hard squeeze to the nuts of his patriotic Surfer Sting-do good character.

Between everyone knowing he’s an EVP, always getting special entrances, usually being accompanied by a massive entourage of hangers-on, the clear makings of a heel are all there so Cody should just run with it.

I remember when AEW started and he had that feud/match vs Dustin I assumed he was a heel, but somehow he was a face I guess. Or maybe he only turned face randomly at the end of the match after beating his brother to a bloody pulp, I dunno. Was the damndest face turn I've ever seen if it was a face turn.

He went into that match as a heel I believe. I agree that a heel turn is probably needed.

Yeah it’s all there. It will def happen at some point.

The Forbes article was kind of cringe, with the Tony Khan's glamor shot and all the bullshit about not really going after WWE, despite the fact they do it all the fucking time.

Also kind of telling in how Forbes only really talked to one of the EVPs, and didn't mention the other 3 at all. Almost as if, deep down, they know that Omega and the Bucks don't have the mainstream appeal that folks like to sell them as having. If there was anything to the issues between the EVPs, that'd be the one way Cody would beat them out, actually having some media training. Also, outside of Cassidy (who doesn't really stand out as objectively terrible just with an 8x10), most of the more cringe elements of the program were wisely kept out of view and not elaborated on.

The AEW Twitter has just recently retweeted and article that says “Look out Vince, AEW is going to threaten your local stronghold” or something. It’s just groan-inducing at this point. And I didn’t even object to the sledgehammer at Double or Nothing. But come on, guys — you’re currently getting <500k viewers on a Friday night. WWE does better than that averaged out over 3 hours with a show that is generally regarded as terrible. And that’s their 2nd priority show.

I did notice that outside of Orange Cassidy, they used shots of talent that were actually...talented. I’m convinced they know the best foot forward. They know what works and what doesn’t. They’re just as stubborn as that shitty company they keep taking shots at. They want to get their friends into position and they don’t care if people like their content or not.

It honestly is like community theatre, in that you know what is good and what isn’t, but if you acknowledge the shit stuff instead of applauding effort and intention, and just accept that the *idea* of pro-wrestling is what should be complimented, then you’re a raging asshole who isn’t with this “artistic movement.”

But everyone has to know this isn’t really good, right?

In more AEW is insecure as fuck news (seems like the 5th story this week): AEW is now targeting AEWBotches on Twitter for using clips. AEW flat-out said they wouldn’t do this. But it turns out they will...if the intent isn’t to frame them as awesome isn’t there.

* Dustin flipping out after asking fan opinion.
* TK just needing to bite on Triple H comments.
* Omega, Jericho and Hardy getting upset that JR dared insinuate that Randy Orton was, in his opinion, the best wrestler in the world.
* AEW Twitter taking shots at WWE.
* AEW targeting people who use gifs if they don’t blow the company.

Cracking under pressure with the truth being exposed. I cannot wait to see what happens if they don’t get the numbers they were hoping for with their move back to Wednesday, or if Rampage gets dropped or something.

Imagine if this company gets out-right canceled? Imagine what happens when the Big Bang Theory marathon proves to be more financially viable than AEW on TBS and they have to explain to the “wrestling media” how they have been kicked out on their asses. How is Dave going to spin that one?

Does Brett Weitz become the new Jamie Kellner? The executive that just “hated wrestling” so much and wouldn’t give it a chance? Does the NHL become the enemy, where if they just stayed put and didn’t make it *just impossible* for AEW to keep an audience, they would have been flourishing in business? Is wrestling just too hard/not what audiences want? Oh shit, is it the audience’s fault for rejecting them and being prisoners on Vince McMahon programming and not getting with them?

How about it’s a bunch of inexperienced minds with a surface-level understanding that runs incongruously against the reality of larger fan demand and what actually works in professional wrestling. Maybe when people see leg slaps on chops, sloppy stunts that don’t make sense, poorly executed fight scenes, they remember this shit isn’t what they once liked? Maybe when they hear melodramatic promos filled with awful comedy and childish pettiness, they tune the fuck out? Maybe when you act like little bitches, people begin to see you like little bitches?

Fuck. This. Company.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kenny Omega giving an update on the AEW console game. It looks great! Can’t wait to play it <a href="https://t.co/iv8zb9buvA">pic.twitter.com/iv8zb9buvA</a></p>&mdash; The Real One ☄️ (@WWEREALONE) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWEREALONE/status/1405636537648390151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I already have that game. Its called WWE 2K19.

I dunno, Darby's face didn't look inside out in that video.

Looks like WWE 2k wanted to get clunky as shit just to make people miss No Mercy more.

2k have had the WWE Games license for like 7 years now and they've changed basically nothing from the Yukes games other than them getting way glitchier

So visually I'm not surprised the game looks similar, just hoping Yukes takes their time cleaning things up.

Brandi and Cody's baby has been born: Liberty Iris Runnels.

I mean I've heard way worse baby names especially in wrestling (Knash Sixx Rotunda), but still pretty cringe.

That was WWE 2K20 :rofl:

Congratulations to the couple, commemorations to Liberty Rhodes.

Kind of demonstrates that Cody’s BS promo from a few weeks ago was kind of a shoot.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If you want AEW dead, even though they've upgraded the pay for talent, their security, their travel and the fan experience, because &quot;Cody took a sledgehammer to a throne!!&quot;, I sincerely hope you're 12. I forget Twitter have children on here sometimes.</p>&mdash; Joe (@JoeProWrestling) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeProWrestling/status/1405224380305641482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

rasslin Twitter is so bad. People want a company to fail just because "it's the other one." Will never understand that. If you don't like it, just don't watch. It's really not that difficult.

Lol, they’ve upgraded the pay for talent? Vince is offering talent less money than he was 12 months ago BECAUSE AEW is not a threat. Rey Mysterio was low-balled. Christian, Big Show, Mark Henry and Sting took Trojan horse deals.

Remember how they implied wrestlers would be getting health insurance? Lol! Sorry, guys. Only the executives get that. We don’t want to blow up wrestling too much now.

In a non-monetary sense, AEW has a rather terrible track record of how they deal with concussions and other injuries on the fly. You are a mark if you believe this is a humanitarian promotion just because they blow you kisses.

Giant guaranteed salaries might be awesome for the talent that receive them, but for wrestling as a whole? They completely remove the incentive to actually produce good content. For fans, it’s pretty detrimental.

The criticisms of AEW are not because they’re “other.” It’s because they are another. Another trashy, self-indulgent promotion that thinks its shit doesn’t stink, produces pretty bad content, demands that it be perceived as good, and doesn’t give a fuck if it is only helping to further kill wrestling. As long as they get to have fun, show they are just happy to be there and make a truck-load of money, who cares about the next guy?

Holy shit that is such a shit Slik take.

Were you saying this when people were disappointed by the WWE product? Probably not. Cool to rag on them, but when it comes to this specific product, it’s this terrible exercise to be unimpressed by them.

Criticism is a thing, bitch. Sometimes the things you like might get some. Deal with it.

The guy who runs AEWBotches got doxed and his wife received harassing messages. AEW fandom is not without its toxicity. But sure, let’s look at the shiny wrapper over here: Can you believe people don’t like AEW? Probably just because it’s something different, people never like NEW things. Mustn’t have anything to do with ITS FUCKING QUALITY!!!

Maybe you should take your passionate hatred for AEW to twitter to let your voice be heard in a way that could make change instead of constantly trying to ruin the enjoyment like 10 people have here discussing the only watchable contemporary Wrestling product.

Maybe I can do both? Maybe fuck you? Why should I have to silence my opinion, my thoughts and my expression because it makes you insecure?

Too often you hear from the few posters left on here “Ooh, you’re trying to control what we think! Why can’t you just let us think that it’s good?!” Well, why can’t you just let me think that it’s bad?

It’s because I make good points. That’s why no one actually bothers to address them and just dances around it by talking about how long my posts are, asking why I follow wrestling at all, saying I can’t enjoy anything or accusing me of shifting goalposts. Oh, and I swear too much.

Great stuff, guys. None of you have any fucking gorm. It’d be nice to actually discuss wrestling on here sometime.

By the way, SmackDown > AEW. That actually seems to be the critical consensus at this point too, so the whole “at least AEW isn’t as bad as WWE” swipe doesn’t even hold any more. They MIGHT be better than Monday Night Raw and NXT. Who knows? Who cares? And that’s the point. No one fucking cares about any of this shit except for about 10 people here. That’s why wrestling might just need to die. But at the core of it, I’m still an optimist, and I just think BAD wrestling needs to die.

So many ignored posts on this page :y:

Truth.

That's a lie. They have an average of more tickets per show.

WWE has 25 shows, including a bunch of house shows. AEW has no house shows, just TV tapings.

So the average tickets for AEW's few TV tapings is more per show than WWE's 25 shows with a bunch of lower attended house shows bringing the average down.

They are manipulating the narrative to get the outcome they want, like they do with everything else and idiots on Twitter believe it and use it as some soapbox smug battlecry.

They are not better than NXT. Maybe the weekly shows, but NXT has had at least 20 A+ PPVS. AEW has had 2, maybe 3 if you want to count the DON before Dynamite actually started. NXT has a much better track record of good. They have never ha a $20 firework explosion or painted cardboard or overpromising a debut like AEW. Consistently good is better than going into as show knowing it is either but or miss. And a $50 miss is a pretty big miss.

NXT is the unfortunate "other" that AEW's diehards have to rally against. I get it with the whole war and picking sides, but it's almost like a refusal to watch NXT even on a different night because it would be betraying loyalty to AEW somehow.

Same

:cool:

AEW fans are so insecure about this product being liked that they will share false narratives about it being more successful than it is. These include, but are not limited to:

-AEW selling more tickets than WWE.
-Conflating international and domestic PPVs buys to contrast it with other promotions’ PPV buys.
-“Let us enjoy it!” screams. Did WWE get that luxury? Of course not.
-Ignoring dissenting voices and signalling to other users that you also ignore other people.
-“Don’t watch if you don’t like it!” Again, this is a very modern and very weird stance for wrestling fans to take and bring to a WRESTLING FORUM.
-Attacking and silencing those who don’t like the product.
-“AEW is more popular with young people.” It’s not.
-“AEW is the cool wrestling.” It’s not.
-“At least it’s better than WWE.” It’s not.