The Wrestling Thread

[Reprise]

Well, the most hated and toxic man in wrestling history is back.

I can't believe they allowed a wife beater, who physically and abused women, back into the company. Oh no wait, that was much loved legend, Stone Cold Steve Austin. My bad.

I mean I can't believe they let a flasher who exposed himself to and sexually harassed women back into the company. Oh no wait, that was Ric Flair who was just allowed to have a big retirement match send off. My bad.

But I can't believe they let a man who exposed himself to a 15 year old minor and demanded that she show him her tits back into the company. Oh no wait, that was Tazz and actually they did let him work for them.

But I seriously can't believe they let a serial bully who abused and hazed most of the locker room back into the company. Oh no wait, that's JBL.

To think they let a racist piece of shit back in though. Oh no wait, that's Hulk Hogan.

But still, they shouldn't have let someone who has been done multiple times for DUI and whose recklessness could literally kill some one. Actually, that one's Jeff Hardy. Hope he can stay clean for the 4,548th time.

Never mind. Looking forward to the insanity that is Punk finally returning

[Raging Justice]

CM Punk is a phenomenal wrestler and gave the company one of their greatest matches and feuds (Revolution 2022). I'd be pleased to see him back. Don't really care what the EVPs or other anti-CM Punk whingebags in AEW, who are just worried about their spots and don't like taking advice, think.

Speaking of AEW, Double or Nothing was a bit of a dud. In their defence, part of the issue was the Las Vegas crowd were fucking dead. What was wrong with them? The 4 Pillars Fatal Four Way was INCREDIBLE though and the Anarchy in the Arena match was also a ton of fun. The Battle Royal was fun too and I love Orange Cassidy. Everything else was a bit meh really. Lots of interference and overbooking. AEW did set the bar really high with their previous PPVs though. The odd not-so-great PPV isn't really a huge deal. WWE have tons of them...

I agree with everything you said about Double or Nothing, though I'd also point out that the Kris Statlander surprise was very cool and a highlight of the show, and it's about time they took the belt off Jade Cargill, who sucks and has ALWAYS SUCKED.

Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair losing their belts are two of the best things to happen to women's wrestling recently as both of their title reigns were stale and boring. I was tired of Bianca's super Cena treatment, her twirling her hair all the time like a stupid kid, and the way she talks like she's a 16 year old girl despite being like 34 years old.

As for Punk, I realize that a lot of wrestlers have...let's just say skeletons in their closet or sordid histories. That's typical of pro wrestling, but the thing that bugs me about Punk is him trashing the entire company, trashing the roster (not just the Elite), and also embarrassing the owner of the company RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS FACE. Punk showed no respect for any of the people he worked with. I believe it was just a few months ago too that he trashed Moxley and Jericho on social media before deleting the post (typical given what a coward he is). The guy's an asshole. Bringing Punk back just makes Tony look like a guy with no pride, a real beta. Plus, it's known that people in the company don't want Punk back (Britt Baker had some not so nice things to say about him), so Tony doesn't care about his own employees either.

Punk is a ticking time bomb who just likes to create drama. RVD said recently that Punk is a guy who regularly asks himself, "what am I offended by today?" He also told a funny story about Punk once trying to call a meeting of all the wrestlers when he was in WWE, the absurdity of him thinking he's as important as upper management. Jericho and some other former WWE wrestler once joked about Punk calling himself the locker room leader at one time when he was in WWE and how a lot of guys were laughing at him behind his back. Punk has a MASSIVE ego and a false sense of self importance.

AEW's product has been moving in a more positive direction, not surprisingly AFTER Punk left. Him coming back could just cause more problems.

No one needs advice from Punk. At this stage in his life all he knows how to do is create problems and AEW already has guys every bit as talented (if not more so) than Punk. Punk brings nothing to the table that you don't already have in Moxley, Jay White, or MJF. You can probably start taking bets too on how long it'll take before he's injured again. He'll probably stub his toe and take another 6 months off.

Also, his MJF feud is overrated. MJF made that feud (as he does with all of his feuds), because he's better than CM Punk

[marurun]

a real beta

Let’s avoid this kind of loaded language, as it carries a lot of baggage.

[Raging Justice]

a real beta

Let’s avoid this kind of loaded language, as it carries a lot of baggage.

Fair enough

[Raging Justice]

I should probably add that I've got nothing against Punk fans. I hate the guy right now, but there was a time when I was a fan, so I get it. It's entirely possible that his return to AEW could be a good thing, anything is possible in wrestling, but recent history would seem to indicate otherwise. The fact that they have to give him his own show to separate him from other members of the roster is worrisome.

On another note, OKADA IS FIGHTING BRYAN DANIELSON AT FORBIDDEN DOOR!!!!

HOLY SHIT!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9KTQag ... -WRESTLING

We are getting literal dream matches right now with American stars like Sasha Banks and Bryan Danielson taking on the best of Japan.

[Reprise]

The fact that they have to give him his own show to separate him from other members of the roster is worrisome.

I really doubt that narrative that some of the wrestling media were suggesting to be honest. The idea that they can just start a new show purely to keep Punk and other certain wrestlers away from one another seems farfetched to say the least. From what I have heard they have been planning Collision for a long time and the main reason for it is to expand and make use of their massive roster.

As for everything else, eh, whatever. No point arguing over it, but I obviously disagree. I honest believe some of the reactions to the "All Out brawl"/Punk's comments is one of the most overblown things I have seen in my entire life that I have been interested in wrestling. In terms of burying AEW, I think AEW does a good enough job of burying itself without Punk. I also think when you have no "collective responsibility" amongst talent, who seem to have the freedom to say or do whatever they like outside of AEW, that it leads to greater issues than anything Punk said, at least in the longterm. I think Darby Allin (and I love the guy) buried the company worse when they're in the midst of a four pillars storyline (that is getting a lukewarm reaction) and he is being quoted in interviews saying how dumb he thinks the story is and that there's no such things as pillars. Then you have other guys in AEW saying the same thing.

Their product has got better recently, but overall I think they have been worse whilst he was out compared to when he was in. They were having a bit of a meh period in 2021 in my opinion until he debuted and then things picked up. All Out 2021, Full Gear 2021 and Revolution 2022 are probably three of the best PPVs in their history and Punk's matches have a lot to do with that. I would include DoN 2022 if it wasn't so freaking long.

Anyways, things are about to get interesting

https://twitter.com/AEWonTV/status/1669143386614292480

Edit: Just finished watching Dynamite (it airs at 1am in the UK, so I rarely watch live. I did actually start and quickly realised that's a terrible decision when I need to be up at 6:45am to get the kids ready and to get to work) and my God, that was an awesome Dynamite! I am not the biggest fan of Adam Cole, but the opening match with MJF was awesome. It had me on the edge of the seat. I didn't even mind the screwy finish. Everything else was fantastic and now I am hyped for Collision on Saturday and the lead up to Forbidden Door. I didn't watch last year's, but I definitely need to watch it this year.

[Reprise]

Jamie Hayter knows what she's talking about https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/jami ... IlCr4jEB2E

[Raging Justice]

This week's Dynamite was one of the best they've ever done. I agree with you on how awesome it was, and I think they are doing a better job of building up Forbidden Door this year than the last one. I'm way more excited about it than I was last year.

I have watched wrestling my entire life and I can think of few, if any, times that a person embarrassed a company as well as his own boss the way Punk did. If I'm being completely honest I think calling the reaction "overblown" is tone deaf. I can't imagine that a guy like Vince McMahon, or even Triple H, would have let things slide after that the way Tony Kahn has. Hell, those guys would have done something before the media scrum was even over instead of just sitting there with a nervous, worried look on their face like Tony did. You don't let an employee publicly embarrass you and your company right in front of your face like that. If I did anything similar in my job I would have surely been fired, yet Punk enjoys some sort of special privilege in that company despite clearing knowing nothing about being a professional, but I digress.

On another note, I watched an awesome match from Stardom's 6/3 show featuring some of my favorite Stardom wrestlers from my two favorite Stardom stables. It was the Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Natsupoi & Saori Anou) versus Queen's Quest (Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani & AZM) in a trios match. I laugh whenever Charlotte calls herself the queen in WWE. The real queens of wrestling are in Queen's Quest. It's even in their theme music. Lots of fantastic action for like 15 minutes far eclipsing any women's match I've seen in AEW or WWE this week. What made the match extra special was that Natsupoi seemed to have lost her voice somehow. The way the other wrestlers and the referee had fun with that was very entertaining and you could hear the crowd laughing the whole time. It added a unique element to what was already an awesome match. Natsupoi is super cute and seeing her try to communicate with nothing but whispers and chirping coming out of her mouth was kind of adorable.

I haven't watched the other matches on the show yet. Hopefully, they were great too

I love seeing Tam with two belts, and I find if funny how every time she thinks she's getting a challenger she humorously plays up how she doesn't know which belt they want to challenge for. It's the little things that make Stardom fun. Her post match promo exchange with Mina after winning the two titles was great. The two of them saying "sayonara" at the end after staring daggers into each other was just epic and cinematic. What a great way to signify the end of the long mentor/student friendship that they had. They are now sworn enemies. Felt like I watching an anime or something LOL. I hope Tam gets a good long reign with those two belts, or at least a long one with that world title

[Reprise]

Ok, so that was a really good show.

Firstly, I thought CM Punk's promo was great. He came out cocky, arrogant and acting like a heel. He didn't apologise and he even took a shot at the Bucks with a line about "counterfeit bucks". The Chicago crowd absolutely loved him (as you would expect) and cheered like crazy. They also led a "fuck the Elite" chant.

On top of that, he came out with the AEW title in a bag, which he says is his title, because he has never been pinned for it. What is this leading to, I wonder? Two world titles and eventually a unification match? Maybe at All In? No idea.

His attitude and thinly veiled shots at the Elite and their fans also make me wonder if this is a work at play? I know that according to the IWC nerds on social media, "could it be a work?" has become a meme for those who like to mock AEW and its fans, but I do wonder. Guess we will have to wait and see.

"And then there are the people who feel I owe them an apology... To those here who feel I owe them an apology... I am sorry. I am sorry that the only people softer than you are the wrestlers you like" (paraphrased from memory) - Great line.

I have seen individuals online who claim that he would have got booed out the building if he had done that promo anywhere else. And to them I say... Well, duh? Isn't that kind of the point? To me that was a heel promo. Maybe I am missing something? It gives the Chicago crowd and Punk a great return moment, as they will cheer him for being an asshole, but also potentially gives us a heel Punk. That's what it seemed like to me.

What was also great was the show wasn't just all about CM Punk, but a ton of other stars. It was about Miro and it was about Andrade and it was about Samoa Joe. The matches were great. It was also see the crowd loving Skye Blue - who I think is awesome. I am pleased to see her climbing up the roster.

Overall it was another great AEW show that just came off the back of one of the greatest Dynamites in recent history.

It's a great time to be a wrestling fan to be honest. WWE is doing great and AEW is doing great. Social media is full of people bitching and complaining about this or that, but all I see is great wrestling. I haven't seen Smackdown yet, but I have seen clips and heard everything that has gone down with the Usos and the Bloodline and what a great moment it was. That storyline had me on the edge of my seat for months and whilst I haven't really watched WWE recently, as I got more back into AEW back around Wrestlemania time (great Wrestlemania, by the way) and I only have so much time each week to watch wrestling, I still think WWE is good.

[Reprise]

The Bucks have responded to Punk's "counterfeit Bucks" comment. Maybe we are being worked?

Edit: In retrospect, probably not actually. Still interested they responded in quite a light-hearted manner.