[M-A-G]

Originally Posted by Evil Vito AEW Dynamite June 21, 2023 Dynamite at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago opens up with the steel cage already assembled in the ring. A big #1 contender's steel cage match is opening up the broadcast, with the winner going to Forbidden Door on Sunday! Steel Cage Match: Adam Cole vs. Chris Jericho So the actual feud between these two had some decent angles but their lone singles match at Double or Nothing was actually pretty disappointing. I gave them a chance to make amends and they more than lived up to their end of the bargain. Both are good workers in the game of course but moreover they also have the overness and charisma to get the crowd invested. After a match that saw both guys get busted wide open, Jericho puts Cole down with a Judas Effect and then begins his ascent up the cage, taking his sweet time to rub it in. He gets to the top of the cage and taunts the crowd, not realizing Cole's found a sudden last second wind! Cole shoots up the cage and both men sit atop the cage throwing punches. Both men look precariously close to falling, they begin to lean back and start kicking one another while perched. Cole grabs Jericho's leg and twists it into part of the top part of the cage, then throws a stiff elbow. Jericho falls backward toward the ring but his leg is stuck! He's stuck in the cage! Cole makes his way down to the ring and gets the win! He will face SANADA for the IWGP Title on Sunday! ***1/2, 88% overall ---

Odd choice to not save something like a cage match for the main event, but I've done way sillier. Not sure if you're working towards making the title match a triple threat or it's a way to get Jericho out of the way and provide the rub. What kind of cages does AEW use anyway? Do they even do cage matches?

Renee Paquette stands with The Elite - Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, and Adam Page. Behind them, the backstage area bustles with activity. RENEE: I'm here with The Elite. Gentleman... Before she can even say anything, Adam Page interrupts, looking slightly troubled. PAGE: Sorry, Renee. I've had a lot on my mind all week, I owe some people an explanation. I gotta go find The Dark Order. Page quickly exits, leaving Renee with the rest of The Elite. RENEE: Alright. Well, Young Bucks, you have a match tonight with Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley. What's your strategy? MATT: Well, Renee, our strategy is simple. We're going to go out there and give our best. Danielson and Moxley are the cream of the crop, some of the tougest ecompetitors in the business, but we're not called The Elite for nothing. NICK: That's right. We're always ready, no matter who the opponent is. We know the Blackpool Combat Club are always going to have tricks up their sleeve, but they're making a mistake if they take us lightly. Renee turns to Kenny. RENEE: Kenny, there's been a lot of talk about your upcoming match with Will Ospreay at Forbidden Door. How are you feeling about that, especially with a match against Kyle Fletcher coming up next? Omega shakes his head, irritation flashing in his eyes. OMEGA: Don and his games. He managed to lobby management into setting up a match against Ospreay's underling Fletcher tonight. But I won't let that distract me. I have to focus on tonight. I have to focus on retaining my title on Sunday. Ospreay gave me one of the biggest fights of my career this past January, and I can't let this business with Callis and Takeshita get in the way of my preparation. Tongiht, I take out United Empire. This Sunday, I will beat Will Ospreay in my home country of Canada to reclaim my IWGP United States Championship. This week The Elite will stand tall over both Blackpool Combat Club and United Empire. Renee nods, wrapping up the interview. RENEE: Determined words from The Elite. We'll see how it all unfolds. Back to you. ---

It's kind of funny how Page just bolted and the rest of the group didn't even bother acknowledging his departure.

Kenny Omega vs. Kyle Fletcher Well, this was a "rookie" EWR move by me that I do every time I pick up a new game. I figured Jericho/Cole opening up would get the show on a hot start BUT I needed to put something after it that wouldn't be seen as a let down. I figured between Omega/Fletcher's talent and Omega being one of the most over and charismatic guys on the roster, it would offset Fletcher being a relative unknown. It was not so, and it went from being what might've been a high-60s, low-70s crowd reaction drop down to live 54. Anyway, Fletcher is one half of the Aussie Open tag team with his currently injured tag partner Mark Davis. They were signed to NJPW until a month or so ago when they moved over to AEW. However they are canonically in the NJPW-based United Empire stable led by Omega's Forbidden Door opponent, Will Ospreay so this is a logical match to build to it. Pretty straightforward here - Omega wins with the One Winged Angel. EWR gave it the 'ol squash match single line treatment but I imagined it was actually a solid match, with Don Callis possibly joining commentary. ***, 71% overall ---

Yeah, if you have even one dude who is just not over and even less so than people that went on before, the crowd isn't having it. I know the WWE and AEW have their ways of structuring their shows, but it's not feasible in a game like EWR if you're wanting great overall ratings throughout the show. Can you imagine if you did what WWE did for WrestleMania 18 and putting on something like a women's match immediately after something like Rock vs. Hogan? I mean, I'll take Trish and Lita over the Hulkadoofus any day of the week but a lot of wrestling fans don't have my sophisticated taste....

Backstage, we see La Faccion Ingobernable rolling up to the building in a limo with Andrade sporting his trademark smirk and Rush carrying his newly won/stolen FTW Championship. They don't get very far before "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry and Hook take aim at them and a brawl breaks out in the parking lot. JungleHook are willingly outnumbered but the element of surprise worked to their advantage as they kept the fight going until security broke up the brawl. Taz on commentary, usually one to side with the heels, expresses happiness that his son Hook isn't taking any shit after having the family title stolen from him. ---

"JungleHook". I see what you did there. A good old fashioned backstage fight is one of wrestling's bare necessities after all...

Trios Match: Best Friends (Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta, and Chuck Taylor) vs. Kip Sabian, The Butcher, and The Blade w/ Penelope Ford and The Bunny Trent and Chuck continue to try to run Orange through the ringer by booking him against dangerous opponents to get him ready for Suzuki, and that continues here with Butcher and Blade always being their menacing selves and Sabian being someone who has had a tightly contested title match against Orange before. Your pretty standard decent trios fare here with everyone doing their thing and Orange waking up for the babyface hot tag. The Bunny tries to grab Orange's leg at ringside but accidentally grabs The Blade's instead, the temporary distraction leading to a Superman Punch and the win for the face team. **3/4, 72% overall ---

The Bunny can grab my leg anytime. I wonder if the expression "humps like a rabbit" applies.

[The screen fades in on Renee Paquette, standing backstage with the members of The Jericho Appreciation Society. Chris Jericho's battle scars from the steel cage match against Adam Cole are clear on his face. He's a picture of despair, his expression a stark contrast to the confident smirks on the faces of his teammates.] Renee Paquette: "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm standing here with The Jericho Appreciation Society. First, Daniel Garcia, the reigning ROH Pure Champion. Daniel, you're facing Katsuyori Shibata at Forbidden Door. How are you feeling about this?" Daniel Garcia: "Renee, let's be clear here. Katsuyori Shibata is a legend, a warrior... But he hasn't faced me yet. I respect him, but I won't hesitate to put him down. At Forbidden Door, the ring will be my battlefield, and I'll show him why I'm the ROH Pure Champion." [The camera shifts to Sammy Guevara.] Renee Paquette: "Sammy, two weeks ago, FTR beat Angelo Parker and Matt Menard. You're challenging them now, is that right?" Sammy Guevara: "You're damn right, Renee! FTR, you had your fun with Parker and Menard, but now it's our turn. Jake Hager and I, we're not just another tag team. I'm the Spanish God, we're Sammy Hager, baby! We're throwing down the gauntlet, and we're coming for those Tag Titles!" [Now the focus falls on Chris Jericho, and the atmosphere noticeably shifts.] Renee Paquette: "Chris, I've noticed you've been quiet since your loss to Adam Cole earlier tonight. This has been a tough year for you with several high-profile losses. Now that your quest to become IWGP World Heavyweight Champion has ended, what's your next move?" [Jericho looks like he wants to answer. He opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out. The silence stretches out, and the others exchange worried glances.] [Jericho tries again, a determined look crossing his face, but once more, no words come. He seems to crumble, a man lost and defeated. Without a word, he turns and walks off set, leaving the others behind.] [The camera lingers on the stunned faces of The Jericho Appreciation Society, and Renee Paquette looks equally shocked.] Renee Paquette: "Well... it seems that tonight has taken a significant toll on Chris Jericho. We'll keep you updated on the situation as it develops. Back to you, guys." [The camera fades out, leaving the viewers in suspense about the future of Chris Jericho and The Jericho Appreciation Society.] ---

I'm imagining doing something similar to this whenever I decide to finally job Michael Hotbody out. Imagine being so shocked over a defeat that it causes a cerebral malfunction.

NJPW Strong Women's Championship: Willow Nightingale (C) vs. Saraya w/ Toni Storm and Ruby Soho Over the weekend at an NJPW show, Toni Storm laid out a challenge to Willow to do a title for title match on Collision, which Willow readily accepted. But The Outcasts then jumped her, and somehow this resulted in Saraya goading Willow into putting her title up for grabs against her first. Pretty solid match all-in-all, very possibly Saraya's best AEW match to date with her heel antics playing well against the fiery babyface Willow. Willow seemed to have Saraya ready to be finished off only for Toni to just blast spray paint directly in Willow's eye, causing the DQ. Willow keeps her title, but at what cost? The Outcasts perform a 3-on-1 beatdown until Britt Baker runs out to help, and the Outcasts take their leave, mocking the blinded Willow along the way. ***, 73% overall ---

Pssh, like that's the first time Willow has been sprayed in the face. I looked her up and it's an interesting change of pace to have a woman with that kind of build. It happens all the time in Japan, but the most we ever had over here was Awesome Kong. Speaking of which, she's not on your roster now, right? She could be a decent opponent for Willow.

[Lights dim, then an arrogant MJF struts into the ring, microphone in hand. The crowd, already chanting "CM Punk", grows even louder.] MJF: First of all, Chicago, will you shut up! You sound like a bunch of seals at the zoo. I'm the AEW World Champion, and you will respect me! [The crowd's CM Punk chants continue, only growing louder.] MJF: So, let's talk about last Friday's Collision. I warned Punk. I warned him to watch his back. And what does he do? He brushes me off and gets choked out by Samoa Joe. [He grins, shrugging.] MJF: Now let me clarify something. I had absolutely no idea Samoa Joe would attack Punk. But I can't say I'm surprised. Punk was never one for heeding warnings, was he? [The crowd booing grows louder.] MJF: Now, with Punk and Joe out of the way, let's turn our attention to the match this Sunday at Forbidden Door. Tetsuya Naito, the pride and joy of that rinky-dink indie promotion, New Japan Pro-Wrestling. [He chuckles, shaking his head.] MJF: Naito, do you honestly believe you stand a chance against me? Your boring, methodical style might fool the fans in Japan, but I see right through it. [He smirks, arms crossed.] MJF: New Japan Pro-Wrestling... It's funny how a company with 'Pro' in its name is anything but. But don't worry, I won't let this prestigious AEW World Title fall into the hands of that circus act you call a wrestling company. [He raises the AEW World Title high, the crowd's booing reaching a crescendo.] MJF: This Sunday, I'm not just fighting for myself. I'm fighting for every AEW fan, for every person who values real wrestling. I'm fighting to prove that AEW is the only company worthy of this title. And I'm the only man worthy of holding it. All of New Japan will know that I'm better than them, and they know it. [He drops the microphone, his music blares, and he leaves the ring, the crowd's boos echoing around the arena.] ---

I know he's supposed to lay it on pretty thick with the exaggeration, but New Japan really was on the rocks last I heard when I had stopped following wrestling. The inevitable MJF/Punk payoff should give you a nice return, save for the hand of the DUD show sticking itself in the middle of it all.

TNT Championship: Wardlow (C) vs. Big Bill w/ Lee Moriarty Lee Moriarty had a helluva showing in a title match on Friday, so why not give Bill a go at gold as well? Though he isn't anywhere as good of an all-round worker as Lee, he's a good 7 ft tall brawler and that meshes well with Wardlow who is coming off of a hoss fight last week and now jumping straight into another one. Anyway after a rough and tumble match and evading Lee at ringside, Wardlow finishes off Bill with one of his biggest powerbombs ever. After the bell, it sure seems like his string of hoss fights is just beginning as here comes Jake "The Snake" Roberts leading down Lance Archer to stare down the champion. Guess we have a new challenger! ***1/4, 77% overall ---

It'd be a funny twist if Jake was the actual next challenger instead of Archer.

Renee Paquette stands again backstage. Flanking her are Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley of the Blackpool Combat Club. RENEE: Jon, Bryan, in just a few moments you will be facing off against The Young Bucks just days ahead of Forbidden Door. What are your thoughts? Moxley grins, a hint of ferocity in his eyes. MOXLEY: Two weeks ago I threw out an open challenge for Forbidden Door and guess what? Tomohiro Ishii stepped up. The Stone Pitbull himself. One of the toughest son of a bitches I've ever been in the ring with. Ishii, you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into coming at me again. The man you faced four years ago is not the same man you are stepping into the ring with now. The crowd reacts, their excitement audible even from backstage. Renee turns to Danielson. RENEE: Bryan, your match with Kazuchika Okada at Forbidden Door is being called a dream match. What's your take? Danielson smirks, his confidence unwavering. DANIELSON: It's not just a dream match, Renee. It's THE dream match. Okada might be the 'Rainmaker', but I've been making dreams come true in the ring for longer than he's been around. It's going to be a match that people will talk about for decades, and when all is said and done the American Dragon will do what he does best and kick someone's head in. Renee nods, a question already on her lips. RENEE: And what about your match with the Young Bucks? Are you concerned about wrestling this match before doing battle against Okada? Danielson laughs, dismissive and confident. DANIELSON: The Young Bucks? I've been saying this about The Elite for months. They're amateurs. Their flashy style might impress some, but it takes more than flips and superkicks to make it in this business. They're about to learn a tough lesson tonight. RENEE: Strong words from the Blackpool Combat Club. We'll see how this all unfolds in the ring. Back to you. ---

Not for nothing, doesn't anybody think it might be time for the "Young" Bucks to change their name? Just The Bucks would be fine at this point in time. Don't people bring it up when they do promos against them? Also, if I were Moxley and I'm doing an interview with my wife Renee, I'd do whatever I could to get her to corpse on camera. Sure, I'd be sleeping on the couch all the time, but I'd still be married to Renee.

Tag Team Match: The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley) w/ Wheeler Yuta Well, for the second TV show in a row I got a tag match that completely ruled and, in this case, it led to me getting the highest match rating I've had in this match save. The styles just blended perfectly here with the speedster Bucks, master technician Danielson and brawler Moxley. They was just something for everyone here. Wheeler Yuta tries to involve himself in affairs one time too many, leading to his ejection. As he protests, the ref doesn't see Claudio Castagnoli enter from the crowd. He leaps onto the apron just as Matt Jackson was going to attempt a springboard, massive uppercut! Matt is in the ring stunned, he gets up slowly, turns around and receives a Busaiku Knee. BCC get the win and some momentum heading into Sunday. The BCC put the boots to the Bucks as the crowd boos. The crowd chants for help and after some time has passed Hangman Page finally runs out with a bullrope and the BCC decide they've had enough, leaving through the crowd laughing as Page tends to the Bucks. ****1/2, 92% overall 83% overall show rating. Multiple 90-rated promos helped prop this show up even higher.

Yeah, never underestimate the power of your non-wrestling segments fueled by the power of your most charismatic workers. Even when you've got your lower-card guys not bringing the crowd to life, 2 or 3 great interviews will most certainly get you over the top. The best is when you get the elusive 100% segment rating and/or your workers earn points toward their overness. I've had people get up to 6 points of additional overness sometimes. It's rare, but it helps when you've got the right people feuding.

I'm halfway through the Slammy edition of Superstars and I'm aiming to finish it by the end of the day. It came out better than expected, all things considered, but it helps that you picked winners that were going to add a lot to the proceedings.