AEW Double or Nothing May 23rd, 2020 Live Discussion

[Benoit's Weight Machine]

I still think they should postpone this. Dynamite without a crowd is one thing but a major PPV and the anniversary of their inaugural event without a crowd just sucks. We should refer to this event as Double or Covid.

 

[Davey Wrestling]

Like I mentioned in the MITB thread - I'm actually enjoying AEW's no crowd shows simply for how outlandish they're getting and the way the wrestlers are being "fans" but as wrestlers in the front row. Do I want to see this PPV crowd or no? Yes, absolutely, they've proven they can make the show entertaining (to me at least).

I don't want Jericho in a ladder match, a battle royal or any other gimmick match! I want Jericho vs Pineapple Pete on PPV!

 

[Davey Wrestling]

This is up to eight matches now (according to it's wiki) - including the Inner Circle vs The Elite in a "Stadium Stampede" match.... which begs the question: "if there's no crowd and this many guys in a match, why not just do Blood and Guts?"....

 

[Benoit's Weight Machine]

This is up to eight matches now (according to it's wiki) - including the Inner Circle vs The Elite in a "Stadium Stampede" match.... which begs the question: "if there's no crowd and this many guys in a match, why not just do Blood and Guts?"....

They probably want to save blood and guts for the Newark / NYC crowd. They also need a gimmick to sell Double or Covid as a $50 PPV will be a tough sell without a crowd.

 

[Hidden Blaze]

Updated the OP.

If someone finds a graphic for the Stadium Stampede match, let me know. I can't find one.

 

[Mox Girl]

I want Jericho to do commentary for the PPV lmao. Ah well.

I'll probably get this after all, but if I pay the full price for a show without fans and Mox loses the title, I'll be extremely upset

 

[Benoit's Weight Machine]

Pretty good Card so far. I expect Shida to win that Four Way next Week and face Nyla Face for The Women's Title as well.

Speaking of Shida, did anyone else see this? Disgusting, I think I'm gonna puke now.

 

[Petty]

I think Moxley retains.

 

[Hoss]

Speaking of Shida, did anyone else see this? Disgusting, I think I'm gonna puke now.



View attachment 4202

Not a pickled egg guy?

 

[Mox Girl]

I just purchased the show. I was hesitating but fuck it, you know? I just bought it before I changed my mind Plus, I'm doing it for Mox

 

[Davey Wrestling]

For those intersested - below are the forums current opinion on how the matches will go (i'm looking for a name for this btw - I'd like to include the forums "hive-mind" in the rankings but that has such negative connotations around it that I feel like another name would be better):

As you can see, as a whole we have some strong and some very strong opinions on who is likely to win most of the matches - apart from the TNT title match and the Womens title match.

Personally, I think there's an argument for both Cody and Archer winning the TNT title (which is what we see here) - Cody is the logical "John Cena" style guy to do media and events and him holding the title raises its value in that way BUT at the same time that does nothing for the World title. If Cody wins it also kills off Archers momentum.

If they put it on Archer, maybe by nefarious means (distracted by Jake and Brandy?) then it keeps Archers momentum going, keeps the feud between the two going only now it's for the TNT title AND, by virtue of both the AEW Rankings (Cody and Archer are ranked 1&2 respectively) and being a champ it lines Archer up as Moxs next challenger (assuming he retains).

Much like the predictions state, I can see that going either way.

The Womens title - They've built Shidas momentum so much... but also Rose is massively effective in her role. I think what we've been seeing is the slow build up to Britt Baker becoming the face of the division and, if she wasn't injured we may have seen the start of that transition by moving the title along to Shida. But without that logical next step being available I can't see any reason to put the belt on Shida other than for the sake of Shida. But I don't think she's as good as Rose, certainly not to be the spearhead of the division. I'd leave it on Rose and let her smash through everyone with the aim of using Bakers injury to turn her face on her return. To clarify, I don't think Bakers particularly special either but there's the making of a good story that could be told when we have fans back here...

Mox vs Lee - Putting the belt on Lee is possible ONLY if they put the TNT belt on Cody because Lee can't be the face of the company. But he could hold the world title as the leader of a bad guy faction if they had somebody else to do the media... TBH, I don't think either of them are doing much for the title, other than the initial surprise of him showing up Mox hasn't really set the world on fire (yes, circumstances beyond his control but c'mon, how about some social media?) and Lee would be worse.

My preference would be Lee winning the World title and Cody taking the TNT title... but there's always the little tease of Spears igniting a Horsemen to feud against Cody Rhodes there too...

​

 

[Mox Girl]

TBH, I don't think either of them are doing much for the title, other than the initial surprise of him showing up Mox hasn't really set the world on fire (yes, circumstances beyond his control but c'mon, how about some social media?) and Lee would be worse.

Why should Mox have to use social media, exactly? He's all about kicking people's asses, social media doesn't fit his character and it never has. He uses his Twitter to promote his ventures, and that's all he really needs to use it for.

As an aside, if Mox loses the title tomorrow, then I'm gonna be sure that AEW is booking Mox even worse than WWE did. I know corona fucked a lot of things up, but they barely seemed to care about Mox or the title - they didn't even bother to give him a proper feud for the PPV until like the week before it. He's basically been an afterthought. This is his first PPV title defense, it's gonna make him look absolutely shitty if he loses the title now. They give him an undefeated singles streak, then do literally nothing with it. It's not like he was unavailable or anything after corona hit - they teased him being at Blood & Guts, then after B&G was postponed, they did nothing with him until the Hager match. It's so disappointing how his title reign has gone so far. They could have done much better even under the circumstances.

 

[Davey Wrestling]

Why should Mox have to use social media, exactly? He's all about kicking people's asses, social media doesn't fit his character and it never has. He uses his Twitter to promote his ventures, and that's all he really needs to use it for.

Because:

A: He's the world champion, part of that responsibility is promoting the company and TV show you work for (unless there's somebody else in a prominant position that can do so, in which case you're just a storyline champion and anybody can fill the role.
B: He's barely been on TV and, as you said, hasn't been used well/often and by not promoting himself he's allowing himself to become irrelevant - regardless of what fits his character and what doesn't, if the world champ allows himself to become irrelevant then why not put the title on somebody that won't and that will play the game (i.e show up on youtube shows and talk up the company)?

My opinion isn't based on Mox as an individual or character, it's based on what the World Champion of a new promotion should be doing. Right now it feels like he's the World Champ just "because" and, IMO, Cody, Jericho, Kenny Omega and Hangman would make better champs due to their ability to use social media to promote themselves and their show and Brodie Lee would make a better storyline Champ because he brings with him the Dark Order to be a "big bad" for the good guys to chase after and battle through.

I can't see what Mox brings to the table that any of those guys I just mentioned wouldn't do better, and his being "All In" to content creating and being prominent social media is certainly affecting that opinion.

 

[Chris]

The Britt and Statlander match being so split for us makes it suck more that it got canceled

 

[Mox Girl]

Because:

A: He's the world champion, part of that responsibility is promoting the company and TV show you work for (unless there's somebody else in a prominant position that can do so, in which case you're just a storyline champion and anybody can fill the role.
B: He's barely been on TV and, as you said, hasn't been used well/often and by not promoting himself he's allowing himself to become irrelevant - regardless of what fits his character and what doesn't, if the world champ allows himself to become irrelevant then why not put the title on somebody that won't and that will play the game (i.e show up on youtube shows and talk up the company)?

My opinion isn't based on Mox as an individual or character, it's based on what the World Champion of a new promotion should be doing. Right now it feels like he's the World Champ just "because" and, IMO, Cody, Jericho, Kenny Omega and Hangman would make better champs due to their ability to use social media to promote themselves and their show and Brodie Lee would make a better storyline Champ because he brings with him the Dark Order to be a "big bad" for the good guys to chase after and battle through.

I can't see what Mox brings to the table that any of those guys I just mentioned wouldn't do better, and his being "All In" to content creating and being prominent social media is certainly affecting that opinion.

Your obsession with social media is a very weird way of judging things. What did you judge champions on before social media existed?

I also don't think Mox not "promoting himself" has anything to do with how he's been booked. People know he's the champion, him going on about it on Twitter probably wouldn't change much. I also don't know what you mean by "youtube shows", do you mean like interviews? Cos none of that stuff is happening right now cos of corona, so I don't really know what you expect Mox to do?

Regardless, I still don't think he's losing the title anyway. If he does, then well, AEW are just as shit at booking him as WWE and every company has let me down in regards to my fave. Him losing not only the title but his undefeated singles streak on a PPV with no fans after a 2 week build-up for the feud would be fucking disappointing.