AEW: Double or Nothing 2021

[Sepholio]

damnit come on enough with the shenanigans

[slik]

Hope Hangman beats Omega at their next ppv...

[Evil Vito]

That was one of the best triple threats I've ever seen. Fucking incredible. A+ work from everybody involved in that.

[rez]

That was so out of character for Miss Edwards

[Jordan]

What a great match. Insane creativity, crazy shit.

[xrodmuc316]

All Evps Win

Shocking!

[slik]

Mark Henry

[Jordan]

MARK HENRY

[Evil Vito]

Henry's a good get as an analyst/"coach". He'll be a good on-air personality.

[xrodmuc316]

LOL they will sign anybody!

[slik]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Now THAT'S an entrance! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InnerCircle?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InnerCircle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StadiumStampede?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StadiumStampede</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWDoN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWDoN</a> <a href="https://t.co/n8vohYP5kX">pic.twitter.com/n8vohYP5kX</a></p>&mdash; All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) <a href="https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1399204497671569412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[xrodmuc316]

Jesus Christ, never do that entrance again please.

[rez]

I thought they were gonna have the crowd make their way over but that always sounded cringe for logistics.

[Fignuts]

LOL they will sign anybody!

Explain why Mark Henry on commentary and as a coach is a bad thing.

[Evil Vito]

LOL Urban Meyer cameo

[slik]

Hope Tom Phillips replaces JR in AEW...never thought I'd say that like 2 years ago...

[Damian Rey 2.0]

I love watching Wardlow and Hager just beating the piss out of each other.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

Hope Tom Phillips replaces JR in AEW...never thought I'd say that like 2 years ago...

Excalibur and Tony by themselves would be just fine

[screech]

I love that Shawn Spears has made a whole gimmick out of swinging a chair one time.

[slik]

I do wish they'd get PPVs down to 3hours

[Evil Vito]

LOL Konnan! Yes!!!!

[slik]

So far Stadium Stampede match is like a sequel that follows the exact same plot points as the original

[Evil Vito]

I do wish they'd get PPVs down to 3hours

If they were every month I'd agree but as long as they're only doing 4 big ones a year I don't mind a 4 hour show.

If they go back to doing Fight for the Fallen/Fyter Fest as a large event/in between PPV then yeah I'd prefer it just be like 2.5 hours or whatever.

[slik]

lol at stapler bit

[slik]

love inner circle but not sure I would end the show with this

[Fignuts]

love inner circle but not sure I would end the show with this

Yeah world title match should have ended it.

[slik]

Sammy G super over

[Evil Vito]

Glad the fans are getting to see action in front of them at the end of this.

[slik]

Damn @ chair shot

[slik]

Holy @ Senton

[Evil Vito]

Sammy rules

[slik]

The big story of tonight for me is AEW elevating Jungle Boy and Sammy Guevara up to the next level on their shows.

[Fignuts]

Third match on the show that I ended up enjoying more than I thought I would.

[xrodmuc316]

Explain why Mark Henry on commentary and as a coach is a bad thing.

Not bad at all, just saying they will sign anybody.

[Evil Vito]

Nowhere near as good as the first Stadium Stampede but it had some fun moments. Sammy comes out of it looking like a million bucks, Spears eating the pin is the right call.

Enjoyed pretty much the whole show aside from Cody/Ogogo as the story of that match took me out of it. Ogogo has potential though.

Triple threat was fantastic and my MOTN, and I'm really looking forward to Kenny/Jungle Boy in a couple of weeks.

[rez]

I liked seeing Sammy get the big win. Dumb that the other clashes just happened to end at the same time.

[rez]

Not bad at all, just saying they will sign anybody.

Mark Henry is a fucking badass. Do not just say he's anybody, Node Jr.

[Fignuts]

Nowhere near as good as the first Stadium Stampede but it had some fun moments. Sammy comes out of it looking like a million bucks, Spears eating the pin is the right call.

Enjoyed pretty much the whole show aside from Cody/Ogogo as the story of that match took me out of it. Ogogo has potential though.

Triple threat was fantastic and my MOTN, and I'm really looking forward to Kenny/Jungle Boy in a couple of weeks.

I thought this one was better. Less silly stuff, and felt more like a fight.

[Fignuts]

Not bad at all, just saying they will sign anybody.

Saying that implies that it's a bad signing.

[xrodmuc316]

What a difference from their last PPV.

There just wasn't much buzz going into this one at all, but it ended up being the best PPV they have ever put on. Not a fan of the opening match and Bucks retaining, but thoroughly enjoyed every other match.

Homerun of a PPV.

[screech]

Enjoyed the show a lot. Hoss fight was everything I wanted it to be. Triple threat was fantastic. Baker winning was awesome. Stadium Stampede was fun. Sting looked great. Kenny vs Jungle Boy should be v fun. Looking forward to it.

[screech]

Also I like the Mark Henry signing. Good guy to have around for sure.

[xrodmuc316]

Mark Henry is a fucking badass. Do not just say he's anybody, Node Jr.

Saying that implies that it's a bad signing.

Alright guys, settle down. I promise I have zero problem with it. I've been a Mark Henry fan forever.

[Jordan]

I enjoyed the show a lot. I think DON last year was my favorite AEW ppv. But this was really good. The main event struggled but had a great ending and put over Sammy big. And a great feel good ending with the whole team together and the crowd singing Jericho's song. Overall a really great show with tons of fun and some great matches. I was laughing and gasping throughout. Lots of fun. Reminded me of the attitude era in ways.

[rez]

I missed most of the show through the battle royale. I heard it sucked and I can see why. What little I saw of the Cody match, I'd give it an F. I don't even need to watch it all... F alll day long. Stupid fucking feud!

[Evil Vito]

I thought this one was better. Less silly stuff, and felt more like a fight.

Fair point. The silly cinematic stuff didn't bother me with the last one because we were only like two months into the pandemic and I felt like something like that was what the doctor ordered. Plus the groups in that match weren't actively in a blood feud.

This one was more befitting of a serious match. Wish Santana and Ortiz were on for more than 5 minutes tho.

[rez]

I hate forced patriotism shit. It was one of the lamest buildups for one, too.

[rez]

2nd half of the PPV was pretty dang good, tho.

[Evil Vito]

AEW have now done 9 big PPVs plus Fyter Fest and Fight for the Fallen (one was free, the other was for charity). I've split all of them with screech and have yet to regret any of it. They've all been worth the money.

Their PPVs always feel like they deliver a really good night of wrestling. Glad this had a proper happy ending instead of the wet fart of an explosion,

[rez]

Alright guys, settle down. I promise I have zero problem with it. I've been a Mark Henry fan forever.

You should turn on Noid before he puts you in a fantasy bra and panties match.

[xrodmuc316]

You should turn on Noid before he puts you in a fantasy bra and panties match.

I can in fact think of about 50 female wrestlers I would rather enjoy having a bra and panties match with :rofl:

[slik]

Might consider going to Full Gear but IDK if will go to any rasslin shows in 2021 tbh

[slik]

Alright guys, settle down. I promise I have zero problem with it. I've been a Mark Henry fan forever.

His fake retirement is one of my favorite RAW segments

[xrodmuc316]

His fake retirement is one of my favorite RAW segments

Agreed, he should have took the belt from Cena after that, it was that good of an angle.

[rez]

I can in fact think of about 50 female wrestlers I would rather enjoy having a bra and panties match with :rofl:

Jokes on all of us. They'll sign Rikishi and you gotta take his butt to your face.

[Fignuts]

Page vs Cage was good. Schmoz ending, but at least it furthers the Team Taz storyline. Anticipating Cage and Page vs Starks and Hobbs in the future.

Tag match was really good. I cannot tell you how happy I am that the Bucks not only won, but were the dominant team in the match. One of the things I absolutely hate about WWE is how established tag teams get squashed by random pairings of main event singles stars, when logically, the well oiled machine of an established tag team should be the favorites. Lots of great heat and shine moments. Mox and Kingston did a great job playing the underdogs, while the bucks played up the cunts they're meant to be. Good stuff.

Cody vs Ogogo was alright. They made the fans happy with the memorial day victory over the evil heel, whie still making Ogogo look strong.

Shida vs Baker sucked. These two can have good matches with the right people, but together, they're awful. Lots of miscommunication, and spots where it just looked like they weren't on the same page. And as I said before the whole thing looked awkward and clumsy. And Britt Baker. "The state of your stomps, mate" Get Serena Deeb and Thunder Rosa from NWA please.

Miro vs Archer wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be it was still good, but I was hoping they'd g a little stiffer. This was more along the lines of your average hoss fight, but still an enjoyable one mind you. That said I hated the finish. Passing out should be saved for when you want to put over the resilience of a babyface. The kind of babyface you want to build your company on. It should be used very sparingly. Here, they just didn't want Archer to tap out. Then don't book a submission finish, you idiots.

Sting fucking delivered man. Everyone else was great as is usually expected of those three, but Sting legitamitly surprised me. A far cry from the near immobile Nagata a few weeks earlier.

World title match also surprised me. I wasn't looking forward to this, as I don't think tiny guys with comedy gimmicks should be in the main event. Butthey utilized Cassidy in the best way they could. Better than I thought they would. He got the ever living shit kicked out of him, and picked the perfect spots to make big hope moments. They got me to enjoy Orange Cassidy in a main event match, and I can't think of any greater compliment to give the other two guys in the match, than that. I still don't want to see Cassidyremain in this position, but I'm willing to admit I was wrong about this being a total mistake, as it was very enjoyable.

Stadium brawl was dumb fun. I was kind of dreading it because of how many goofy moments were i the first one, but they honestly kept those to a minimum, and this overall felt more like a rough brawl than the first one. I love that Sammy got the win. Considering that he started out as the guy who typically ate pins in the Inner Circle, having him be the one that saves it is a fantastic progression of his story.

So yeah. Some hiccups but overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this show.

[Fignuts]

Alright guys, settle down. I promise I have zero problem with it. I've been a Mark Henry fan forever.

I really like him on Busted Open. Makes me think he'll be a natural on commentary.

[rez]

I honestly don't get this AEW fanboi shit. Who is? I enjoy the shows for the most part but have no idea who Noid thinks are ride or die fans?

[xrodmuc316]

Jokes on all of us. They'll sign Rikishi and you gotta take his butt to your face.

That's how you get pink eye :'(

[rez]

That's how you get pink eye :'(

that butt would give you cataracts somehow

[Fignuts]

I honestly don't get this AEW fanboi shit. Who is? I enjoy the shows for the most part but have no idea who Noid thinks are ride or die fans?

Big Crippy Z is the only one that comes to mind. But he barely even posts.

Everyone else doesn't seem to be afraid to criticize AEW, or even outright mock things on rare occasions.

Overall, I'm not a huge fan of AEW. More things I don't like, than stuff I enjoy. That said, I'm constantly baffled by the notion that this is some holy temple, worshipping AEW, because it's really not.

[Fignuts]

Honestly I' not even sure Big Crippy Z is a fanboy. He just argues with Noid a lot about it.

[rez]

It's very pause, fast forward TV but it's still better than WWE Bobby Lashley, RR, their half assed female division, Orton, etc.

[Triple A]

Wrong move.... terrible decision. Hope Christian goes nuts, turns heel and goes on a monster reign of terror to spite these fans that don't respect him....

It was def the right decision! Fans would have turned on Christian and started booing him if he had beaten Jungle Boy since he is beloved

This way Christian can stay likable!

[BigCrippyZ]

Really enjoyed the show overall. The major exception being the Rhodes-Ogogo match. I just didn’t know enough and/or care enough about the build up. It wasn’t a “bad” match technically or anything, I just didn’t care enough or wasn’t interested enough in it and the characters involved. It was the piss break match of the show for me. Some matches were obviously better than others but none of them were “bad”. The feel and flow of the Baker-Shida match was still damn good despite some sloppy spots. The stadium stampede was a little long in some of the middle segments but overall was still damn solid. Overall so much of the show was more good than bad, and more overall entertaining yet again, than any other US competitors that I’ve seen.

[rez]

Really enjoyed the show overall. The major exception being the Rhodes-Ogogo match. I just didn’t know enough and/or care enough about the build up. It wasn’t a “bad” match technically or anything, I just didn’t care enough or wasn’t interested enough in it and the characters involved. It was the piss break match of the show for me. Some matches were obviously better than others but none of them were “bad”. The feel and flow of the Baker-Shida match was still damn good despite some sloppy spots. The stadium stampede was a little long in some of the middle segments but overall was still damn solid. Overall so much of the show was more good than bad, and more overall entertaining yet again, than any other US competitors that I’ve seen.

:y:

[Triple A]

Yeah the crowd peaked at Jungle Boy's win and has yet to recover.

In fairness I think I'd be tired if I was there too. Not from a lack of enjoying the show but because it's a tough level of energy to maintain for my first sporting event/show/major gathering in over a year.

I think the Cody vs. Ogogo match killed the momentum of the show... they were red hot for everything before that, then it was a pretty bad match with a weird sudden finish... Show/crowd recovered later but that was def the low point of the show

[rez]

Thinking back, that tag champ match was so out of place. They shoulda saved it for one of the special Dynamites.

[rez]

I think the Cody vs. Ogogo match killed the momentum of the show... they were red hot for everything before that, then it was a pretty bad match with a weird sudden finish... Show/crowd recovered later but that was def the low point of the show

def the lowest part of the show and Joey Janela was on it!

[BigCrippyZ]

Honestly I' not even sure Big Crippy Z is a fanboy. He just argues with Noid a lot about it.

That’s because Noid states outright falsehoods about how TV ratings and ad revenues actually work because he’s a complete moron who’s either knowingly making up complete bullshit or is misunderstanding the information he’s getting.

[Sepholio]

Big Crippy Z is the only one that comes to mind. But he barely even posts.

Everyone else doesn't seem to be afraid to criticize AEW, or even outright mock things on rare occasions.

Overall, I'm not a huge fan of AEW. More things I don't like, than stuff I enjoy. That said, I'm constantly baffled by the notion that this some holy temple, worshipping AEW, because it's really not.

I think it's really the double standards that he gets hung up on tbh. People constantly give WWE grief when they put on a show with multiple matches involving shenanigans and have major title matches be triple threats, yet here we are raving about how awesome the AEW show is that just did the same thing. There are just lots of little things like that. I've noticed it for awhile too. I wouldn't say it makes people fanboys per se, but I can definitely see where it could give the appearance of it.

[rez]

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J0BjpUhPg9g" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Triple A]

Really great PPV overall and easily the best one they've had since the pandemic... Crowd made an insane difference... Finally feels back to normal

The tag title match was my fav of the night, so good... Incredibly fun match, and love the heel Young Bucks. World title match was my second fav, also amazing...

Didn't really like the stadium stampede match tbh... Gave me "Edge vs. Orton" last man standing vibes at times (though still 500x better / less boring)... The crowd noise volume kept coming in and out also and it hurt the match having long stretches of no crowd noise at times. Didn't really like the anticlimactic finish also

[rez]

Let us not forget that Sting took some hits and did some good shit.

Darby cannot keep taking the hits he does or he'll end up paralyzed..

[Fignuts]

I dunno, I recall plenty of "great match, shit finish" comments in regards to AEW matches. And I think people's problem with multiman matches in WWE is the frequency of them. I think people were okay with a triple threat for the AEW title, because it doesn't happen nearly as oftrn as WWE.

[Triple A]

Pumped for more of the Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page feud and potentially insane stuff they will do

[Fignuts]

Id rather see them move on to a new fued with a face tag team. Perfect oppurtunity for Varsity Blondes, imo. Let Darby go back to singles with STing in his corner.

[Triple A]

Allin and Page have to have at least one singles match

[Triple A]

Orange Cassidy's pockets on his new pants seem too tight and he could only fit his fingers inside it seemed... seems bad for his gimmick... should get pants with larger pockets...

[rez]

Orange Cassidy's pockets on his new pants seem too tight and he could only fit his fingers inside it seemed... seems bad for his gimmick... should get pants with larger pockets...

he could bring jnco back

[rez]

Darby, Bucks, etc. need to dial down the high flying. I wonder what the Kahn protocol is for wrestling concussions

[Fignuts]

Darby, Bucks, etc. need to dial down the high flying. I wonder what the Kahn protocol is for wrestling concussions

I think their roster has improved quite a bit from where they started in that regard, but yeah, they could still use a few more hosses.

Especially in the tag division. You've got Bear Country. And I guess Butcher and Blade. Everyone else wrestles the same high spot style.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

BR Live sucks. And so did that Cody v Ogogo finish. The match was ok. But Ogogo is clearly there to be established as a future player and he’s getting a huge feud for his first run. I think he needs to win there. Cody winning doesn’t do anything for him but would’ve done a lot to establish Ogogo as a threat. I like what Cody is capable of but I’m losing interest in him quickly.

Other than I loved the show and I’m so glad crowds are back. Legit lol’d when Kenny realized Pac wasn’t gonna break his submission and decided to just elbow drop the ref instead.

[Triple A]

Yeah the Cody/Ogogo finish was so weird to me... He didn't even beat him with his finisher, and beat him relatively easily. For a guy with a "cocky" gimmick like Ogogo, it made him look like shit imo. It's fine for him to lose but didn't "come off strong" in this loss at all... The opposite in fact!!!

[Triple A]

Usually don't like to be 2 negative with stuff like this, but why is Aaron Solow on the roster... Has a terrible look and doesn't seem to have any charisma or extraordinary or interesting wrestling skills...

[Fignuts]

I actually like when guys can finish a match several ways. Makes it more exciting and unpredictable.

Kobashi did it best, having several moves that could end the match, but didn't always get the job done in one go, but then had the one hit killer in the Burning Hammer for the biggest matches.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

Yeah I figured they were gonna have just bust up Cody’s ribs and face. That we’d see Cody spitting blood or get cut from heavy blow. I wasn’t invested at all with the direction they went in. Ogogo didn’t look bad but that match certainly didn’t help move the needle in him. All that talk and he ends up losing unceremoniously with a random finisher. I think if you’re gonna in a guy you think has upside and potential, and you build him up the way they did, having him lose just Lille that makes him look like a chump, IMO.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

I actually like when guys can finish a match several ways. Makes it more exciting and unpredictable.

Kobashi did it best, having several moves that could end the match, but didn't always get the job done in one go, but then had the one hit killer in the Burning Hammer for the biggest matches.

Yeah but does that include random moves we haven’t seen used? I’m cool with having signature moves that can put away a guy and one be all end all finish. But Cody using the vertibreaker seemed random and the finish fell flat.

[Lock Jaw]

It was def the right decision! Fans would have turned on Christian and started booing him if he had beaten Jungle Boy since he is beloved

This way Christian can stay likable!

Fans are stupid, and don't know what is best for business. Jungle Boy is not best for business. Christian should mercilessly attack him backstage and shoot him out of a cannon.

[Fignuts]

Yeah but does that include random moves we haven’t seen used? I’m cool with having signature moves that can put away a guy and one be all end all finish. But Cody using the vertibreaker seemed random and the finish fell flat.

He's been using the vertibreaker for quite a while now.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

Has he? If so then damn I must’ve missed it and I catch pretty much every show and ppv.

[Triple A]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Holy shit, he did it again. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWDoN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWDoN</a> <a href="https://t.co/YC74DOMUIG">pic.twitter.com/YC74DOMUIG</a></p>&mdash; Damon C. (@WrestlingWNomad) <a href="https://twitter.com/WrestlingWNomad/status/1399191979351851010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Triple A]

Ethan Page seems extremely powerful for his size... Also did that Razor's Edge to Evil Uno on Dynamite and tossed him like he was 130 lbs

[Damian Rey 2.0]

I wonder what he squats and deadlifts

[rez]

Fans are stupid, and don't know what is best for business. Jungle Boy is not best for business. Christian should mercilessly attack him backstage and shoot him out of a cannon.

get the fuck outta here

[slik]

Orange Cassidy's pockets on his new pants seem too tight and he could only fit his fingers inside it seemed... seems bad for his gimmick... should get pants with larger pockets...

Will always notice this now

[slik]

Hoss fight was everything I wanted it to be.

I would be interested in seeing Archer/Miro wrestle again down the line.

[Mr. Nerfect]

That’s because Noid states outright falsehoods about how TV ratings and ad revenues actually work because he’s a complete moron who’s either knowingly making up complete bullshit or is misunderstanding the information he’s getting.

No, it’s not. It’s because I had the audacity to criticize AEW and therefore suck Vince McMahon’s dick. I’ve been right about their TV ratings sucking. It’s why they’ve gotten the boot to TBS and their second show is going to 10pm Friday. Wrestling fans are, or are at least perceived to be, losers that don’t have much disposable income or at least don’t spend it on anything other than wrestling and weird things they jack off to.

You’re so desperate for this AEW thing to work that you will throw all reason and logic out the window and argue ANYTHING to try and defend them. Never mind that this started because I called bullshit on them being good in the first place and I dared suggest that Triple H might be a little smarter at running wrestling than Tony Khan and that the Meltzer narrative around it was skewered — NOT what you’re claiming it to be about.

AEW sucks, its ratings suck, its fans are unappealing and it’s not going to get any better. Sounds like a completely missable PPV.

[screech]

I would be interested in seeing Archer/Miro wrestle again down the line.

I think they should work stiffer (like Fignuts suggested for this one) if they have another match.

[Sting Fan]

Best PPV of all time, so much better than that WWE garbage. Well done Tony Khan and the Young Bucks on ending WWE dominance of wrestling.

[weather vane]

Really good show. Love AEW.

[fundiddle]

i thought while not perfect the show was very enjoyable and exceeded any expectations i have as a non-weekly viewer. i am anxious to hear corny's assessment as well of football fuckery II

[Jordan]

Again want to say I really liked the show. The Women's title match was great even through the sloppy aspects, they came off like they were in a real fight for the win and I loved that the story and emotion carried through the match. The World Championship was incredible. I didn't like the overbooking but I see by the end how that put over Omega as a giant heel even more.

I really didn't like Stadium Stampede. It was goofy and Jericho/MJF came off like a too long comedy segment. The way Jericho and MJF sounded was just to funny. There was no serious intention to hurt one and other. Using 1999 WWF hardcore match tactics, fake Wrestling punches throughout. Just came off like a bad version of the WCW Junk Yard Invitational. That said when Sammy and Spears got the ring, the whole rest of it was amazing. Great finish and a truly joyous celebration to close the show. Oh and the Inner Circle entrance was too reminiscent of Owen and I didn't like it at all. Just stop doing shit like that.

[Fignuts]

Yeah, I will say that as much as I didn't like the women's match, the closing minutes were really good. If only they'd found that rhythm from the start.

[Evil Vito]

I liked parts of Stadium Stampede but I don't think works as an actual blood feud between two factions. The Elite and Inner Circle were barely feuding by the time they got booked in the Blood and Guts match last year that had to be cancelled, and whatever feud existed cooled even more when most of those guys couldn't be in the skeleton crew for the QT Marshall gym shows. So leaning heavily into the silliness in that match felt justified and there were no fans in the building to worry about. Plus the US was like two months into the pandemic and the world was utter shit at the time so that 30+ minutes of ridiculousness in the Stampede helped me forget about things for a little while.

Won't be another Stampede at Double or Nothing next year as they'll very likely be back in Vegas I think Daily's Place will still get a token couple of Dynamites a year as the "home base" but unless they're gonna do a Stampede on TV I think the match type will be retired.

[Evil Vito]

Also a nitpicky point but if they're gonna continue to insist on advertising a mystery entrant in every casino battle royal, whether they mean to or not they're gonna get peoples' hopes up on it being a huge name. Now that's partially fans' fault for not keeping expectations in check (Bryan is not coming to AEW, Andrade might but probably not until he fights Omega in AAA, etc). BUT with the way they book the match, if you save the mystery guy for the #21 Joker spot it gets hopes up that much more.

I like Lio Rush, I like Matt Sydal. But both guys felt more like "oh that's cool" vs. "OHHHHHHH SHIT" surprise people get their hopes up for. I'd have probably booked them to be the 5th man out in another group (which still gets a decent surprise pop) and use #21 as someone people knew would be in the match but care about. Like Penta, he got a nice pop and was already in a Joker color scheme.

[Jordan]

Totally agree about the Joker spot. Even JR built up the mystery that was a bit of a wet fart result. I garuntee it won't be a year before Lio doesn't get the push he thinks he's worthy of and has to leave AEW to "address his mental health". Dude couldn't even finish The Challenge without having issues. He's capable of entertainment for sure but I think he's a dick and uses mental health as an excuse for being an asshole and difficult to work with.

Also I feel so excited for AEW right now, they certainly have se great momentum after last night, the Rampage deal. Big deal women's champion, TNT champ and now for me a legitimized world champion after that performance last night. I feel they made Kenny such a huge deal heel in that match. Now he faces Jungle Boy in the return to Wednesday night in two weeks. That's gonna be fucking awesome I can't wait. I wonder who gets the big title match at the next PPV.

[Mr. Nerfect]

AEW have a big problem with being able to foresee how they are going to be perceived versus how they want to be perceived.

[DaveWadding]

use #21 as someone people knew would be in the match but care about. Like Penta, he got a nice pop and was already in a Joker color scheme.

Fans might care, but no one in the AEW office gives 2 shits about Penta. Their continuous misuse of him is proof of that.