All Elite Musings - #8 Booking AEW Dynamite 2

All Elite Musings

Booking AEW Dynamite Ep. 2

AEW Dynamite's debut was a solid, if unspectacular, episode of television. They exhibited good wrestling and sowed the seeds of a few different potential storylines. Hopefully, this week should see at least one excellent match.

Riho and Britt Baker vs Bea Priestley and Eni Sakura

   This match will see the continuation of the rivalry between Bea Priestly and Britt Baker. Don't expect these two to meet in a singles match on TV as this is definitely being saved for a PPV.

   It is unlikely that Eni Sakura is going to be a big player in AEW so expect her to be in this match to make up the numbers. She is a strong candidate to be the one taking the fall to either of the women on the opposite team.

   Riho should pin Sakura to further establish her as a major force in AEW.

Jon Moxley vs Shawn Spears

   This needs to be a competitive match to ensure Spears is protected and doesn't get damaged too much by his inevitable loss. Moxley will win here as he moves towards his big match against Kenny Omega.

   Expect to see Omega involve himself in some capacity. Hopefully, byt perhaps, unlikely at the end of the match. High hopes for this potentially excellent encounter.

Jimmy Havoc vs Darby Allen

   This set up has been criticised on Twitter by fans confused as to how these two men are in line for a title shot. They have a point. I would go further and enquire as to why the title will be defended on television shortly before Cody's opportunity at Full Gear. This kind of booking is far closer to WWE logic than NJPW's.

   Two very promising stars, this one should be an exhibition of their talent and promise. Havoc should win here, Allen would benefit from establishing himself further before moving uo the card whereas Havoc is ready now.

The Young Bucks vs Private Party

   I have written about this in a separate post devoted to the Tag Team Championship tournament. Sports-centric booking allows for upsets but they should be rare and that makes them a big deal. Private Party should defeat the Young Bucks here and progress into the next round as talented underdogs.

Adam Page and Dustin Runnels vs Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara

   A match made on BTE as a result of Page failing to assist The Elite during last week's show closing segment. It will be fascinating to see Dustin in AEW again.

   Hopefully, this will be a wrestling match first and angle-progressing second so we can receive full benefits from the talent in the ring. Jericho should pick up the win here pinning Dustin after Page is incapacitated due to an injury.

   Whatever is planned, re Jake Hager, can and should wait till after the bell.

Additional Thoughts

• An MJF backstage interview.
• Young Bucks-Private Party should be match of the night.
• The Women's title, now, needs a direction.
• The unhinged BTE version of Kenny Omega needs to start coming across on TV in glimpses.
• Kylie Rae return... Please?

All Elite Musings - #6 Booking the Tag Team Tournament

All Elite Musings

Booking the Tag Team Tournament

   The first episode of AEW Dynamite was very story driven and perhaps not the sports-centric product that was promised. Hopefully, this was due to them establishing characters and storylines to move forward with. A tournament is the perfect antidote to this. The most sports-like aspect of most companies is often tournaments,  from King of the Ring to the G1, these competitions add story based around competitiveness around each match that mirrors real sports competitions.

   AEW needs to have this built into their product. If they are a wrestling league then the majority of matches need to be in this ilk which the first episode of Dynamite did not showcase. The Tag Team Championship tournament must be the first steps of establishing this.

First Round

Young Bucks vs Private Party
  Another Bucks/Lucha Bros match could be tricky. They have faced each other a lot in the run-up to AEW on TNT and the matches have been excellent. Would the fans tire of these matches? I believe having it in the final would run into that problem therefore having them in the same half of the bracket avoids this issue if they are going to cross paths again. That brings us to the match in the first round versus Private Party.

   Private Party have looked great so far, a really compelling and exciting tag team who feel like the next big team to follow in the footsteps of the Hardy Boys and the Young Bucks. If this was the WWE, Private Party would have a real possibility of winning here. However, AEW are aiming to be a more sports-based brand therefore the Young Bucks should win but would put over Private Party in the process.

   That would all be well and good. On the other hand sports have upsets, the best teams don't, generally, win every single match. Tournaments should include upsets occasionally and in this tournament Private Party are the best placed team to do this with. Private Party shock the Young Bucks.

Lucha Bros vs Jurassic Express
   The Lucha Bros are two of AEW's most premier teams, along with the Young Bucks. Neither should win the competition especially not the Young Bucks. The Lucha Bros winning it could make sense however handing the first ever AEW Tag Team reign to another big team would really establish them.

   The Lucha Bros should go far in the competition to use their star power to elevate another team as the Young Bucks-Lucha Bros feud, excellent as it has been, is risking becoming stale. It is for this reason that the Lucha Bros will defeat the Jurassic Express.

   The Jurassic Express could be an option as a shock win however there's probably more sense in elevating Private Party first and the Young Bucks can bounce back from a first round loss easier than the Lucha Bros.

Best Friends vs SCU
   A match that has already taken place but one that will still be an outstanding contest.

   Best Friends are an outstanding duo. They can be serious and excellently proficient competitors or goofy entertaining performers. Their gimmick is simple and very over and their relationship with Orange Cassidy is a potential goldmine. However, they don't need this victory nor are they particularly strongly positioned to pick it up.

   SCU, Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels, are veterans of professional wrestling and as they enter the last phase of their careers, they have the opportunity to become synonymous with AEW as it establishes itself as a promotion. These men have wrestled excellent matches in the road to AEW Dynamite and their connection with the crow is a precious commodity.

   SCU should win out over the Best Friends and go far in the tournament.

 

AEW Power Rankings - 02.10.19

All Elite Musings - #7 Top 5 - AEW Should Sign...

All Elite Musings

Top 5 - AEW Should Sign...

The list below details five wrestling acts that AEW should sign. This is a list of signable names. AEW signing Kazuchika Okada and Daniel Bryan would lead to some incredible matches however this is unrealistic. Below are 5 exciting yet viable options.

1. Tessa Blanchard

   Impact Wrestling's brightest star and one of women's wrestling's biggest stars. A future megastar in the making. Everything about her is top class. She looks like a star, wrestles compelling matches and has the charisma of a big time player.

   There is no doubt that WWE will want to sign her. However, it seems that if she wanted to go there she would have done already. A stint in Japan would make sense, following in the footsteps of the likes of Bea Priestley and Toni Storm. However, AEW will want to sign her and they should.

   AEW's women's division is not up to the same standard as the men's or tag divisions. The WWE has hoovered up most of the talented female wrestlers available in the world today. Not only is Tessa Blanchard a talented female wrestler out with the WWE but also she is arguably more valuable than any women on the WWE roster. Her work for Impact wrestling has become renowned within the wrestling industry and community over the last year and she has become a revolutionary figure with her matches against Sami Callihan and oVe.

   AEW's women's division needs Tessa Blanchard and AEW could be the perfect platform for her to fulfil her astronomical potential.

2. Will Ospreay

   It will be the goal of any wrestling company to sign and create stars. If AEW want to create a main event scene full of big names that can wrestle excellent matches they need to find these talented individual's wherever they can. Men in the ilk of Kenny Omega, PAC or Jon Moxley are hard to come by. AEW will want to avoid just signing any decent wrestler cast off from WWE however an excessively high percentage of wrestlers with main event star potential are with the WWE or have been through the system.

   One man who does not wrestle for the WWE and has best in the world potential (if he's not there already) is Will Ospreay. Currently wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Will Ospreay is an upper midcarder with limitless potential. A man whose talent is scarcely believable .

   Ospreay, seemingly, has his heart set on becoming the IWGP heavyweight champion. A prestigious achievement but not one that is out with the grasp of Ospreay's potential. Yet, AEW must find a way of bringing him to the company. It needn't happen this year or even next, but they should aim to have him wrestling in their main event scene regularly within the next five years.

   This would make sense. His partner, Bea Priestley, is already working with AEW and he is often muted as the successor to Kenny Omega. Additionally, this ever more capable version of Will Ospreay versus Kenny Omega is a 'match of the decade' contender potential proposition.

3. The Revival

   Contracted to WWE, alike many other that AEW would probably like to sign, The Revival have still managed to flirt with the idea of wrestling for AEW and more specifically against the Young Bucks.

   AEW are aiming to have the best tag team division on the planet and they are very much on the way to achieving that if they have not already assembled it. The best tag team wrestling in the world over the last five years has taken place in NXT, with The Revival very much being a part of that. The idea of matches between The Revival and the Lucha Bros or Ortiz and Santana is mouth-watering.

   The sticking point is whether they genuinely want to leave the WWE or have just stoked the fire to encourage a new deal. The other difficulty is the manner in which the WWE is treating it's want-a-way talent to ensure they don't benefit other companies.

4. Minoru Suzuki

   This man is a phenomenon. At 51 he is a unique talent that can have an engaging match with anyone. Wrestlers across the world covet matches with him and he has taken part in some of the best stuff NJPW has put out over the last few years.

   News has recently surfaced that Suzuki is not fully content in New Japan and baring in mind that he has been a journeyman throughout his career this doesn't seem like too much of a stretch. He has previously done a lot of work with New Japan's western partners Rev Pro and Ring of Honour.

   AEW would be foolhardy to miss out on such a compelling talent. He may be 51 but Suzuki's style and conditioning means this isn't an issue and he can still have matches at the top level. 

5. Marty Scurll

   It seems a foregone conclusion that Marty Scurll will be rejoining his 'Being the Elite' cast mates again in AEW. In fact his contract is, reportedly, up in September.

   This is great news for AEW. Scurll is a wonderful talent. A talented wrestler who can have matches with anyone due to his cerebral style and infectious charisma.

   Again this seems an unimaginative pick as it seems likely that Scurll to AEW is a sure-thing. However he is included on this list because of the scale of his talent. The Villain in AEW is a must thing.

All Elite Musings - #5 Booking AEW on TNT Ep.1

All Elite Musings

Booking AEW on TNT Ep.1

   Today is the start of the Wednesday Night Wars in America, or for those of us the UK tomorrow is. In anticipation of the first television episode of AEW, I am going to attempt to book the card in the blog post below. I will suggest what would be the decisions that should be made to give the company a strong first show.

Cody vs Sammy Guevara

   Cody has ended up being positioned as the premier babyface in AEW as the show proceeds through it's genesis. I still find this a little strange in light of his outstanding heel work during his ROH/NJPW run. However, he is so intensely likeable it works. Solid in the ring with a great look and a strong promo, Cody is well positioned to shine at the front in the early days of AEW.

   Guevara looks a supremely talented worker with decent charisma, especially as a heel. He is young, was relatively unknown before AEW and seems to have his finger on the pulse. Guevara won't rise up the card quickly but will eventually due to his buckets of charisma.

   How to book the match? Cody wins. It will be a showcase to punctuate the beginning of AEW on TNT. Cody will build his momentum as he heads towards a World Title match with Chris Jericho. However Guevara will get time to put his best foot forward and get his moves in.

Brandon Cutler vs MJF

   What a build to this match it has been! Built around Twitter and comments around Dungeons and Dragons, it has been a refreshingly different narrative to build the feud.

   Cutler could do with a win here to help establish himself as a competitor out with his friendship with the Young Bucks. It could be suggested MJF doesn't need the win, that it wouldn't affect his character. However, in MJF, AEW have a star in the making. He must cut a promo, it's a guaranteed home run for AEW. This should come after the match after MJF wins. He is a valuable commodity in the early days of the 'war' and should be utilised.

PAC vs Adam Page

   This is a hard one to call. It seemed at the beginning of AEW that Page may be one of the biggest stars of AEW. However the loss to Jericho really harmed Page's momentum. A lack of star making charisma and a truly star-making feud or match means he has taken the loss to Jericho heavily. A victory over someone as renowned as PAC would be the ideal solution.

   PAC is a star. A potential mega-star. The way he carries himself, his angry charisma and unreal talent in the ring. The AEW World Championship must be in his future. PAC just defeated Kenny Omega in his only AEW match to date, momentum is very much on his side.

   The deciding factor here could be the relationship between PAC and AEW management. Is he in it for the long haul? Because Page most certainly is. This may lead them to push Page ahead of PAC. PAC should win. Page isn't a main-eventer yet, PAC is and could become a huge draw for AEW.

Riho vs Nyla Rose

   AEW's women's division is the weakest part of their product. Neither Nyla Rose or Riho are established nor have they really built any intrigue in their characters. The cultural differences are a factor for Riho and the other Joshi talent and Nyla Rose's character is hampered by the disparity between her on screen and off screen rhetoric.

   With Nyla they have a dominant heel champion for the babyfaces to chase. A safe and engaging tactic. However her comment on Twitter was both extremely inappropriate and unintelligent.

   Riho provides a deserving champion and sets up a unique women's division. This would be an unexpected move and may build up a lot of interest. This is the path they should take, Riho wins.

The Elite vs Jericho, Ortiz and Santana

   Despite the criticism of the reveal of the formerly LAX being prematurely debuted, this will be a barn-stormer of a main event. The dynamics here are great! Jericho vs three of the companies EVPs that he keeps antagonising, Kenny's continuous slide into defeat after defeat and delirium, and the potential of Ortiz and Santana putting themselves on the tag team map in AEW.

   A win for the Elite would establish them as a force in AEW which would work for the fans would followed them to AEW. It would also fit in with Kenny's arc having him struggle when he is without the Young Bucks. However this isn't the best way to go in regards to potential storylines.

   A win for Jericho, Ortiz and Santana should be the result. Jericho needs to be booked strong to build him as a champion that will be a challenge to dethrone. A loss to the Young Bucks makes no sense and it's too soon for him and Omega is the last person who should be pinning Jericho at the moment. Jericho pinning Omega could work, elevating Jericho and further building Omega's story. 

   The obvious route is for one of the formerly LAX to pin Matt or Nick Jackson thus elavating them as a legitimate top-tier tag team immediately. Having this pin fall occur with something significant going wrong for Omega would be the smartest booking. Jericho could 'Juda's Affect' Omega in the closing sequence to take him out of the equation.

Additional Points

• AEW should give promos a prominent platform. MJF and Moxley must be given significant mic time.
• WWE or NXT shouldn't be referenced.
• The women's match needs to be noteworthy in terms of match quality.
• Promotion of women wrestlers in backstage segments. An unlikely return from Kylie Rae would be incredible.
• No Jake Hager. He just doesn't fit what the product should be.

All Elite Musings - #4 How to Structure a Sports-centric Wrestling Company

All Elite Musings

#4 - How to Structure a Sports-centric Wrestling Company

   The first thing you will notice here is that there are a lot of titles. I like the idea of a lot of very distinct divisions which wrestlers compete in depending on their record or style. Having such a variety of divisions and titles means that wrestlers can be absent for a couple of weeks as the spotlight is put on other wrestlers and divisions.

Tier 1 - AEW World Championships and Tag Championships

   World title competitors will have strong statistical records and will have to ear their place. Currently Cody is getting a title shot as he has the best win-loss record so far. However, in the future I would expect wrestlers to have to win a lot more than three matches to earn a shot at either the top men's or top women's spot in the company.

   I wouldn't have the title defended on every show and I would not have the champion pinned out with a title match except very rarely. I would like to see number one contenderships earned through tournaments and fierce competition.

   Wrestlers such as Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, Cody Rhodes and Adam Page seem suitable for the men's top tier and competitors such as Nyla Rose, Britt Baker, Bea Priestly and Awesome Kong for the women's top tier within the company's current roster.

   The tag division would be alongside these divisions. With teams having to work together for an extended period of time before having the synergy to be able to compete for the titles. Currently, The Young Bucks, Lucha Bros, SCU and the former-LAX seem appropriate leaders of this division.

Tier 2 - AEW Intercontinental

   There should be secondary tier titles for the male and female divisions. I've called them 'Intercontinental' as is the convention in wrestling companies however the name isn't important and an unique name would be better.

   This could be an explicit system where contenders for tiers are recorded based on ability and results as happens on old '2k' WWE games. Wrestlers working their way to the top of a division to earn a title match or get promoted to a higher division will give matches meaning without needing overly elaborate soap-opera stories.

   Competitors such as Riho, Brandi Rhodes, Sadie Gibbs and Big 'Swole or competitors such as MJF, Jimmy Havoc, Sammy Guevarra, Darby Allen and Shawn Spears would be well-positioned to build these divisions in the early days of AEW.

Tier 3 - Alternative Divisions

   The TV Title should be a thing. A title that does not appear on PPV but does on most TV shows would be another way of differentiating action in AEW. This title would be competed for by wrestlers looking for a platform to show off their talent to earn further opportunities. Wrestlers from other divisions looking to make a point or even wrestlers from other companies looking to earn a spot would comprise this division.

   AEW is aiming to avoid the cookie-cutter approach of the WWE. Therefore divisions should have clear characteristics. They have shown an interest in more extreme/hardcore wrestling in the early days of the organisation. A title for hardcore, death match or strong style wrestlers would be an interesting differentiation and offer variety to the card.

   The New Blood title would be a version of the Junior division, cruiserweight division or X-division that you see in other companies. It would be a division for younger, lesser known talent who are looking to wow the audience with their youthful talent and athleticism.

   A lot of companies have trios titles however the faction system in New Japan is a very effective story driving system. By having a set of Faction championships, AEW could use them flexibly to add interest to matches between different groups of wrestlers. They could be defended in six man, eight man or ten man matches depending on the number of wrestlers involved in each faction. AEW already have various groups of wrestlers out with the tag division.

Power Rankings - 2019 So Far...

Power Rankings

2019 So Far...

   This is my Power Rankings for the year in wrestling so far. I will be ranking wrestlers in terms of their achievement within the world of wrestling inside and outside of the ring.

1. Kazuchika Okada

   Another year of excellence from the ace of New Japan. 2019 saw Okada win the New Japan Cup, win back the IWGP Heavyweight Title and put together a string of masterful performances in the G1 29.

   Okada is currently the most valuable commodity in professional wrestling. A dynastorial champion who elevates whoever gets in the ring with him. Okada is already the greatest IWGP Champion of all time and he is only 31. He is definitely one of the top three wrestlers in the world and he will get better. Another ten years of brilliance is probable.

   His matches with Ospreay, Suzuki and SANADA have been highlights of the year as he rebuilt his Rainmaker character, short trunks and all.

2. Becky Lynch

   She has, inarguably, cooled off in recent months but on the strength of her Royal Rumble win and the defeat of Ronda Rousey at Wrestlemania as well as the evolution of her 'The Man' persona she is undeniable one of the very hottest commodities in the business.

   Her promos are polished and yet organic. She connects with the fans yet is face of the biggest company in the wrestling world. Becky Lynch has used 2019 to become one of the most recognisable names in wrestling.

   When handles correctly she is part of scorching hot feuds and creates a big match feel. Her feud with Rousey was the perfect example of this and her upcoming feud with Sasha Banks is in the same vein.

3. Chris Jericho

   Chris Jericho is 48 years old yet has possible had the biggest year in his wrestling career. He has been the IWGP Intercontinental Champion, challenged for the IWGP Heavyweight Title and has become the first ever AEW World Champion.

   He is a promo machine and has been 'don't take your eyes off him' good in feuds. His work with Adam Page, Tetsuya Naito and Kenny Omega has been compelling.

   He is now going to be the centre piece for the television debut of AEW on TNT. He will get significant mic-time and will be feuding with the biggest and most skilled performers in AEW. He has proven that he can draw interest and create brilliance with relative ease.

4. Tessa Blanchard

   An Impact Wrestling star yet on the most compelling and now influential performers in the world. Callis and D'Amore deserve a huge amount of credit for how they have booked her however her talent is shining through in a big way!

   Her intergender matches are pulling up trees in the wrestling world. She has an incredible look, a believable style and a compelling ability to sell. It's inconceivable that Impact can hold onto her for much longer despite the incredible job they have done to elevate her.

   It could be argued that she is the next stage of the woman's evolution within wrestling, that it is in fact her that is the heir to the four horsewomen. If AEW can get hold of her it could be next level for all parties. She is poised to take the work of Becky Lynch to the next level.

5. Kota Ibushi

   An incredibly gifted performer and perennially cited to be a breakout star. However Kota Ibushi is 37 years old. That's six years older than Okada.

   2019 has been different though. Ibushi has signed a lifetime contract with New Japan after years of flitting from company to company. This has seen New Japan become comfortable with investing in Ibushi. 20189 say Ibushi win the G1 29 and he is scheduled to face Okada at Wrestle Kingdom.

   Incredible in the ring, uber popular with Japanese and Western fans and star-like looks Kota Ibushi is about to fulfill his monstrous potential.

6. Jon Moxley

   What a year it has been for Jon Moxley. From leaving WWE to cryptic messages to resurfacing as Jon Moxley to AEW to NJPW to the G1 and the incredible podcast tell alls. Jon Moxley has gone from struggling as Dean Ambrose to storming AEW and NJPW as Jon Moxley.

   His self promotion, the way he has conducted himself and his sheer talent in the ring has enabled him to power back to prominence in the wrestling world. He is now a star in Japan and is poised to be a major player in AEW.

   His promo work in AEW has proven him an intelligent man who understands the business and what fans want but iti has been his work in Japan that has really stood out. His G1 run was incredible. He mixed it up with a variety of styles and worked the incredibly difficult New Japan with aplomb.

7. Cody Rhodes

   Cody is an interesting wrestler. Often maligned as not up to the standard of the other wrestlers that are pushing the business into the future yet he is a compelling worker and a magnetic personality.

   He has had incredible matches against Shawn Spears and Dustin Rhodes so far this year. He is a masterful promo and a genius businessman. He is the face of AEW and possible the most over babyface in the fledgling company.

   His ability to build up a match giving each a big match feel is invaluable. He is not in the top bracket in terms of wrestling technical ability but his charisma and creative skills are very special.

8. Seth Rollins

   It has been an interesting year for Seth Rollins. Elevated in difficult circumstances, Rollins has been the mainstay of the main event scene on Raw for a year now. He is the number one babyface but is a somewhat controversial character.

   Incredibly skilled in the ring yet he struggles to remain over with the fans. A questionable Twitter game and some poor character work has made life difficult for him however he has had some superb moments this year.

   His victory against Lesnar at Summerslam was an incredible performance and has rehabilitated his character. He is now one of the most valuable commodities in the business.

9. Will Ospreay

   Considered one of the best, of not the best wrestler in the world. This year Will Ospreay won the BOSJ, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title and competed in the G1 as a junior heavyweight.

   Ospreay has moved to Japan and is becoming a major player in New Japan. Apparently he is considered the heir to Kenny Omega. He has put on a succession of terrific matches this year against Eagles, Takagi, Ibushi and Okada.

   With an ever evolving moveset and a unique charisma at 26 years old, the world is in Will Ospreay's hands.

10. Johnny Gargano

   The injury to Tommaso Ciampa was gutting for NXT fans who had watched their epic feud. However the somewhat impromptu match with Adam Cole was an incredible spectacle.

   Four five star matches as a WWE wrestler is something to take notice of. Gargano is an incredible worker and is almost guaranteed to have the best match on the card.

   He is in an interesting position. He is almost the next Brian Danielson yet he is already signed by WWE. Yet if he did decide to go elsewhere he would hit the top of the card instantly.

Honourable Mentions

• Kenny Omega - The best wrestler in the world and AEW EVP is building a compelling story in the fledgling promotion.
• The Young Bucks - The Jackson brothers are at the forefront of a tag team dynasty.
• The Undisputed Era - This quartet will be at the front of NXT as it takes on AEW in the 'Wednesday Night War'.
• MJF - A truly special promo. He has so very much potential as a heel in AEW.
• Sasha Banks - The possible resurgence of Sasha Banks coupled with her wrestling ability is potentially very special.
• Io Shirai - Wrestling ability as it has always been, top tier, however her character work has taken the wrestling world by storm.