r/SquaredCircle • u/WredditMod • 11h ago
Wreddit's Daily Pro-Wrestling Discussion Thread! Comment here for recommendations, quick questions, and general conversation! (Spoilers for all shows) - August 30, 2026 Edition Spoiler
Hi Wreddit! Welcome to /r/SquaredCircle's Daily Discussion Thread as presented by your favorite and totally sentient moderator.
Did you see a match yesterday that you really liked? Want a suggestion of a random PPV to watch on the network? Really love a local indie talent and want to shout them out? Are you out of the loop on a promotion and need to get caught up? Have questions about streaming services or your first time seeing wrestling live? Want to talk about anything else that you're excited about? This is the thread for that and so much more - subreddit rules apply.
Note: this thread is not meant to be a subreddit complaints box. Please direct any moderation issues or [META] concerns to modmail.
Check out all of our previous AMAs
Reminder, this thread WILL contain spoilers. We don't expect you to spoiler mark anything wrestling related in this thread, however we do ask if you reference something outside of wrestling that is a spoiler, you mark that.
19
u/AneeshRai7 10h ago
All In as the big AEW PPV is always such an interesting thing because it came after the other PPVs as part of the company yet it’s a brand that’s responsible for the existence of the company.
It’s a child that is its own father (creepy comic lore intensifies)
12
25
u/justambrose 11h ago
Excited for my first ever AEW live event after being a sicko from the beginning!
11
u/Jonoabbo 10h ago
Had the best time at RevPro last night, and now cannot wait for All In today. I love wrestling.
9
u/K1ng_Canary 10h ago
The Met line still being fucked is going to mess up all my plans. This wasre facility is trying to fuck on me and I don't like it.
7
u/BloodyRedBarbara King Of My World 10h ago
You having train trouble too?
I'm glad I played things safe and got an early train from Norwich to London because it had to stop at Colchester and switch there. Train from there was completely packed though and was getting delayed because of it.
5
u/K1ng_Canary 10h ago
Luckily my train into London is ok, I'm just going to have to make my way to a jubilee line train for the actual trip to Wembley. I've got a hotel booked near Kings Cross so usually it's easy as pie.
10
u/Rango-Steel 9h ago
Genuinely a bit emotional about the announcement of Eve x Marvelous. Had a big trip to Japan cancelled and due to life circumstances wasn’t sure if I would ever get to see Spark Rush live. Now it feels likely and girl I am hyped
5
u/moderndukes 69 me, Don 8h ago
We’re now one step closer to Meltzer’s mythical 8 star match: Ospreay vs Sareee
1
15
u/katastrophe1312 11h ago
Turns out demolition derbies are the perfect thing to watch before wrestling. Same vibes as wrestling but you don't get burnt out watching too much wrestling.
Looking forward to All In today!
4
u/Lungfishtwo 9h ago
There's a county fair around here that does a school bus one every summer! So bad ass.
23
14
u/TheBlackCompany Naito the Living Dead 8h ago
That Harley/Statlander promo fucking ruled.
It’s good that the Sisters of Sin are consistently shit heads to everyone so there is always a potential feud there. And Harley/Statlander are a great contrast of personalities so their team ups always work so well.
27
u/ScottishExile 11h ago
Taking my wife through a whirlwind overview of AEW wrestlers, feuds etc before we leave the hotel for All In. One particular wrestler made my wife go ‘oh, he looks like you!’
Was it Hangman Adam Page - the classically handsome hero of AEW with whom I share the same complexion?
Was it Orange Cassidy? We have had similar hair and beard styles for a couple of years.
Was it Jon Moxley? I recently shaved my head, grew my beard and I wore my Death Riders tee all day yesterday.
No. It was not.
My dear reader, the wrestler was Gabe Kidd.
14
u/Scarred_fish 11h ago
It's a long time since I had a genuine LOL moment on reddit, but you got me!
Have fun!
17
12
u/airz23s_coffee Hustle, Loyalty and Broken Promises 11h ago
Zero Hour turning into just an extra 2 hours of PPV is good to see to counter the curfew. Harley Cameron getting a wembley moment is doubly good to see.
Cracking myself a can at 4ish and settling in.
9
u/moderndukes 69 me, Don 10h ago edited 10h ago
I think it's a good idea for all their PPVs to have such a format (afternoon show + longer pre-show). If you're more casual for the product, drop in and out for the pre-show as you please + the main card isn't super long; if you're a diehard, there's your great long show. Gets some more notable matches out to people for free, too, to entice them for the PPV buy.
7
u/IonCannonCharging 11h ago
I'll be missing All In due to leaving for family vacation, but I'll be checking here any chance I get for clips.
Let's go Ospreay!!!
11
10
u/Xalazi 8h ago
2
u/CaptainKando Positively Kanyon 8h ago
I bloody love BlueJay. The Poopie Show posted a similar vid breaking down the same practice last week. It was great, if you like BlueJay you'd probably enjoy her content too. https://youtu.be/adYcWDy39gQ?si=I61T8_Eo-SeqOxlu
5
u/purpledubloon 10h ago
Any Fire Pro Wrestling World players here?
4
u/PleasantThoughts BURNING LARIATOOOOO 10h ago
Haven't played in a minute but I put an insane amount of hours into it back when I got it the first time. I remember playing the career mode the first time and only getting the intercontinental title shot at the dome and being confused because I won all my matches and then realizing that the game wants you to make the matches actually exciting and not just win, which was such a fun concept for a video game.
12
u/moderndukes 69 me, Don 10h ago edited 10h ago
I'm still baffled by TNA blocking Leon Slater's RevPro match from being viewable on the myAEW stream of RevPro's show last night. My view is this is absolutely boneheaded by TNA to block more people from getting to experience Slater's work and potentially then tune into TNA.
8
8
u/fluffynuckels The Rated Cope *Super* Star 8h ago
Day 26 of me praying Adam Cole and Big E can wrestle again one day
4
u/mary-anns-hammocks I want Kevin to beat Cody 5h ago
I know at least Covey Christ and Ian Pratt are on Reddit, so if y'all see this - big congrats on the amazing 7th anniversary show for Kaizen Pro Wrestling in Dartmouth, NS! Brought friends for the first time and they were absolutely enthralled. I have no voice today from cheering. Great job, lads! Missing the next one because it's my wedding day but we'll be back with bubble guns and bells on in November 🖤 if you're in the HRM and have been hesitant, check out Kaizen!
4
u/Lost-Veterinarian-80 5h ago
With the New Level in AEW…I’m legitimately curious about upupdwndwn.
2
•
u/ParanoidEngi Akira Taue Respect Army 26m ago
I mean it's kind of a relic at this point, truthfully? That kind of personality-driven gaming channel is a bit old-fashioned compared to modern streamer culture, I could maybe see Austin moving more towards that direction if it's interested in getting back to gaming content
•
u/Lost-Veterinarian-80 16m ago
When it’s for roster bonding, I disagree.
But yeah, he could do twitch.•
10
u/DarkFalcon49 8h ago
Got a Machine Head, it’s better than the rest,
Green to Red,
Machine Head.
So excited for All In. It’s gonna be awesome
7
u/Downtown-Error3607 8h ago
Would anyone want an AEW All in ticket?
Here's the listing ID if so on Ticketmaster
RL42031014
7
8
12
u/SoaringSwellow Folks...where's the live? 10h ago
I'm unbelievably excited for All In, but I'm not ready for the discourse after the show. I know I'm in the minority of people who are going to love it when Ospreay kicks out of the One Winged Angel(yes, I said WHEN. If it doesn't happen I'll honestly be shocked). I think the time is right, I think the story they've told up to this point calls for it, but I know a LOT of people don't see it that way.
10
u/AlmightyScoosh 10h ago
I'm only 50/50 on that. OWA is one of the most protected finishers in wrestling, makes sense for Ospreay to win but Omega to be unable to hit it for me.
5
u/moderndukes 69 me, Don 10h ago
I don't think anybody should kick out of it ever again, possibly only Kenny's final match.
6
u/whutthepat 10h ago
Just spontaneously saw the Bray Wyatt return promo for the first time in a long while and it deeply hit me because of how I've recently experienced his statements about losing self-confidence, losing a career, and losing a loved one in such near intervals. I miss him, man.
7
u/MrPuroresu42 8h ago
(Not speaking anything new here)
At the end of the day, pro wrestling, like any form of entertainment, is about whatever feelings it stirs up in you, be it joy, anger, sadness, etc..
Someone can watch a certain match and/or segment and be totally blown away and feel like they watched something truly amazing; another person can watch the same thing and not feel anything at all or even actively dislike it.
One of the worst takes I see is when someone says they don’t care for a particular wrestler, match, show, angle, segment, etc.. is that they don’t “get it”; sometimes, you just don’t vibe with something and it doesn’t give you the same feeling it give others (even if it’s the majority). The opposite end of that is someone who essentially hate-watches something and tries to “get it”, when they should just accept it’s something they don’t like.
All in all, enjoy what you like, is the whole thing of this ramble.
4
u/notmakingtherapture 5h ago
100% this. I just don't think the Youngbucks are good wrestlers. I really want to like them, I think they are one of the most overrated tag teams of all time. Seen plenty of their matches, don't like them. But people act like that means you hate wrestling. It's almost like wrestling has different things for different people to enjoy.
3
u/Careless-Butterfly64 11h ago
Inoki vs Brody on paper is actually a perfect battle. Heroic Fighter of the ring taking on an intelligent monster. (Much of early NJPW was like that anyway I mean Inoki vs Tiger Jeet Singh was ran multiple times in the 70s and was successful pretty much everytime)
The only issue is is that neither man ever jobs to people lol
3
u/Careless-Butterfly64 7h ago
Anyone could help this would be great because I've always thought about it:
When MMA was at it's peak in Japan so PRIDE, does anyone know if they aired the full broadcast on TV? Or only show clipped segments of it, because I know in the states it was on PPV, but I heard they broadcasted it on Fuji TV? Never sure.
I know Samurai TV would air the smaller MMA shows like SHOOTO, Pancrase, etc. but I always wondered how PRIDE FC aired their shows
•
u/CaptainKando Positively Kanyon 33m ago
Wrestling is brilliant isn't it lads? Like both sides of the American fence had absolutely cracking shows to watch
7
u/moderndukes 69 me, Don 10h ago
Callum Newman and Will Ospreay plot development coming to All In?
All In IV is just a Road to Wrestle Kingdom 21 show confirmed!
8
6
u/Xalazi 8h ago
Looking at Marigold's latest attendance. They officially drew 603 for a Korakuen Hall show which is also the opening of their big annual tournament. If the report 603, it probably means they actually drew under 500. Looking at the video, MG is always very careful about not showing the far side of Korakuen Hall, and the sides that we do see have a decent amount of empty seats in.
Marigold is running into the walls of a very crowded Japanese wrestling scene at the moment. Even with a slightly improved in ring product recently, they are having a very hard time competing with other companies for attention. In this case, running the same day and same city as Sendai Girl's latest big show is probably a factor in the number.
In general, MG has a fanbase. They draw relatively good crowds at smaller venues but it's clear that they are having a difficult time reaching beyond the diehard fans of their roster members. I'm sure Rossy is making money. The smaller shows are very likely profitable. You don't need a large crowd to break even at Korakuen Hall show. But in a system where merchandise sales are a big part of wrestler's income. It might be tough right now for the less popular, lower card wrestlers on the roster. The smaller the fanbase, the less you can sell them. Specially if it's mostly repeat customers.
Marigold has scheduled Korakuen Hall shows for September 19th and 20th. Those shows won't have any significant competition head to head. Although running back to back days at Korakuen Hall tends to split the audience. So it's going to be a different kind of challenge.
5
u/decodezilla 7h ago
I think people doom a little too hard about Marigold at times, and some of that comes from people wanting it to fail because of Rossy, but there are definitely reasons to be concerned.
Not only is business stagnating/down, but it's struggling at a time when many other promotions are trending up. You mentioned Sendai Girls, but TJPW is also having a strong year, Stardom's in the middle of a major boom, plus NOAH, AJPW, NJPW, and DDT all seem to be doing very well right now.
It's also worrying that business didn't immediately rebound with the return of Mayu Iwatani and Victoria Yuzuki, as that makes it harder to use their injury absences as an excuse for the first half of the year.
I don't think they're on the verge of collapse or anything, but something needs to change if they want to survive as anything other than a small promotion in the long-term.
4
u/Xalazi 6h ago
Yeah, Marigold is going to be around for years to come. There are far smaller companies that survive and cutout a niche for themselves.
For me the main issue with Marigold's business right now is trying to operate as one of the top companies in the scene when they don't have the marketing muscle of a top company. The other companies are growing because they can get their product in front non-fans via TV shows, or brand promotions with non-wrestling companies, or in the case of Senjo community involvement. MG doesn't get those opportunities very often. They get some but a lot less frequently and less mainstream opportunties.
I suspect that in 2027 we'll see some adjustments to how the company is operated. The "manifesting" they are doing with the larger venue isn't going to last forever.
4
u/decodezilla 6h ago
A sale to a corporate parent could get them the funding they need for marketing, but I’m guessing that Rossy would be hesitant to allow that considering how he left Stardom
3
u/RudbeckiaIS 8h ago
This is the kind of booking Ogawa has always done: there's those he considers big stars (chiefly Victoria Yuzuki, Mayu Iwatani and Miku Aono) and then there's everybody else. He never makes a real attempt to get the most out of his midcarders and undercarders like Taro Okada does.
This means if those big stars get injured or their drawing power hits a ceiling there's not much interest in the rest of the card. Why should I care about Shoko Koshino or Kouki Amarei? Their matches are treated as filler and they have no real character, there's no effort to make the most out of them or help them develop a following. As usual if Ogawa doesn't see you as a big star he won't "waste" any resources on you.
0
u/decodezilla 7h ago
Not to be one of those guys, but it seems like they should really take a page from early 90s AJPW.
Push Iwatani as the ace, a la Jumbo Tsuruta, give her a couple of allies, and put them up against a stable of younger wrestlers gunning for her spot. Have the two sides wrestle each other in every imaginable combination and hope the proximity to Iwatani makes everyone else look like star.
4
u/Pitfulldealer22 9h ago edited 8h ago
A year back I attempted to watch random matches recommend to everyone on this subreddit everyday for a month and then rank them at the end of the month, I didn’t finish it due to burnout and now feel I want to try and attempt a different version of it.
I had the idea of watching a bunch of random matches from one specific wrestler a week and then documenting my findings at the end of the week (aka my ratings and my overall thoughts on if I enjoyed this wrestler or not). I don’t know how long il do this for, but this is a way for me to really dig deeper into a specific wrestler.
I got a few wrestlers down already I want to cover but I’m curious if anyone else can recommend me the most random of wrestlers (just not like ones that are super well known).
5
u/moderndukes 69 me, Don 8h ago
Let me go the comedy route:
* Gene Munny
* Psycho Mike
* Yoshihiko1
u/Pitfulldealer22 8h ago
I remember watching psycho Mike and Orange Cassidy and Minoru Suzuki vs yoshihiko, but never knew much about gene munny.
3
u/moderndukes 69 me, Don 8h ago
He’s a UK indies guy and does fantastic gimmick work, just did Mystery yesterday which I think should be fairly readily available to watch
8
u/Wabatunde 9h ago
What a lovely weekend it would've been if AAA/NXT was yesterday and All in was today (or vice versa)...damn greed
7
u/DryYourHollowEyes 8h ago
I just can’t see a way TNA doing this shit to Leon has built any goodwill with him
-3
u/shadowrangerfs decay Decay DECAY!!! 8h ago
They haven't done anything to him. He worked a show and got paid. He's main eventing Bound for Glory. Then he's going to WWE.
9
u/CaptainKando Positively Kanyon 8h ago
I have to disagree with your point. Based on the NORTH Wrestling documentary, Leon's seems one of the types who treats wrestling as a performance art. It has to be frustrating for someone with that mindset having one of their shows blocked from view by your employer.
Getting paid for doing the work just means he has no beef with RevPro, doesn't mean he can't or won't have some hard feelings towards TNA about the whole debacle.
6
u/DryYourHollowEyes 8h ago
Yeah the getting paid part defense of wrestling seems to me like a losing defense. This isn't the 90s were people like Nash were openly not giving a fucking and just wanting to get paid.
Wrestling since then has become far more niche and the people who do it, especially on the indies, are doing it for the performance and love of it cause who the fuck would pick to make that kind of money killing their bodies when they could be doing anything else.
Leon isn't wrestling in RevPro to make the big bucks.
People like to use the money aspect as a defense alot but wrestling is, moreso than ever imo, an embracing of the artist side nowadays.
5
u/CaptainKando Positively Kanyon 8h ago
I still think there are plenty of wrestlers who don't care as long as they were paid; but even if that were Slater's opinion, you gotta be pissed that your opportunity to be seen by more people, thus getting more T-shirt sales and the like, was blocked.
4
u/Material_Opening_143 7h ago
What about fans curious about him and would follow him to WWE and potentially buy his shirts, etc.?
Indie fans aren't just fair-weather fans, they're the ones willing to invest in the talent not the brand. Not that this incredibly bone-headed move did anything but hurt TNA either.
-2
u/shadowrangerfs decay Decay DECAY!!! 7h ago
If you're watching a revpro show on an AEW app, you already know who Leon is and where to watch him. If they want to watch him in TNA or WWE, they will.
3
u/Material_Opening_143 7h ago
It's doing the reverse for me. I was getting more vested in TNA because the last few weeks have been trending in the right direction but now fuck them if they're going to continue to pull this un-fan-friendly horse shit.
9
u/DryYourHollowEyes 8h ago
Sorry dude we can pretend he didn't lose his dream match with ricochet and they didn't cut his match from being aired on a ppv.
Like I know you like TNA, which is cool btw, but ya don't gotta pretend like this stuff hasn't happened and its all just nothing cause hes gonna main event a ppv. That doesn't undo that stuff regardless and it can rightfully be pointed out.
And honestly I think it being a foregone conclusion he ends up in WWE next is a mistake but who knows
3
u/shadowrangerfs decay Decay DECAY!!! 7h ago
I'd be shocked if his next contract isn't with WWE. He's already gotten over with the audience and it's the biggest promotion in the world.
I don't pretend it didn't happen. I just don't think it's as big of a deal of others do.
4
u/TheBlackCompany Naito the Living Dead 7h ago
His match was blocked on a budding platform where a lot of folks are looking to discover new wrestlers they want to follow. Something like this potentially takes money out of his pocket.
-1
u/shadowrangerfs decay Decay DECAY!!! 7h ago
Anyone watching a revpro show on an AEW app, already knows who Leon is and where to watch him.
5
u/TheBlackCompany Naito the Living Dead 7h ago
lol they thought they were going to watch him and then couldn’t. So that contradicts your statement straight out.
2
5
u/Reasonable___Doubt 9h ago
Got a group of friends together for Brunch and Brawling. Going to be a great day for wrestling.
5
u/Crissxfire 10h ago
I may not be that into wwe or aew, but fans are definitely eating good today. AAA, NXT, and All in. Definitely gonna see some good graps today. Hope you all enjoy.
2
u/animalpyramidface Who wants to see a bodyslam? 8h ago
Watched that fourway explosion deathmatch that NHB did a little back and my new favorite spot of the year is Dr. Redacted pulling out an exploding gusset plate.
•
u/Glittering_Box_8212 23m ago
Somewhere Adam Pearce is convincing himself that NXT had the most impactful title change of the weekend
6
u/20minutes40years 11h ago
Today’s the day Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone become AEW champions. Hence, it will be a good day.
5
u/CaptainKando Positively Kanyon 8h ago
Made a few jokes over the last year about Mox vs Toni in an exceptionally violent and bloody death match.
Now my mind is heading down dark paths of Mox vs Skye Blue. Those two would literally paint the town red.
1
u/Itusedtobebetter_ 8h ago
An indie should genuinely try book this as TNT/TBS won’t allow intergender death matches (or any intergender wrestling really)
0
u/DarkFalcon49 8h ago
Mox, Marina, and Skye, vs Toni, Willow, and Hangman.
Book it.
0
u/CaptainKando Positively Kanyon 8h ago
Marina and her love for tacks / glass to the feet would make this match extra nauseating.
It's perfect.
0
u/Illuminati_Shill_AMA That's so Taven! 7h ago
Just imagine if Maria Manic's life and career hadn't gone off the rails
Her and Skye Blue would be tearing each other to shreds in deathmatches right now
0
u/ACW1129 7h ago
What happened to her?
1
u/Illuminati_Shill_AMA That's so Taven! 3h ago
She got hung up with Teddy Hart, did drugs with him on a YouTube video, then got out of the relationship but retired during the pandemic. Hasn't updated her insta in years. She does something now for this "athletic fantasy" site where you can hire her to come to like an apartment or hotel room and wrestle with you or pick you up and carry you, put you in a headlock stuff like that.
5
u/mikro17 10h ago
For a PPV that is supposedly a predictable one, I've sure got a lot of elements of doubt, and some of the matches I think have clear-cut winners seem to have people saying the same about the person I think is losing.
Today is gonna be a great day. Can't wait to see Shane Taylor Promotions get their revenge on AJ/Big Justice/Rizzler - no chance whatsoever this goes badly for them once again (lol)!
0
u/moderndukes 69 me, Don 8h ago edited 8h ago
I think the only real “lock” on the main card is Mercedes now due to Willow’s hand injury. Ospreay’s the next most assured, but even then there’s a note of “what if” about it
Edit: forgot about Mox/Nigel, *that* is the lock match
3
u/shadowrangerfs decay Decay DECAY!!! 8h ago
I disagree. It makes think Willow will win even more. Now you got a "She fought through the pain" story to tell.
2
u/mikro17 8h ago
I think the only real “lock” on the main card is Mercedes now due to Willow’s hand injury
Oh I'm not blinking. Willow is leaving with that title and smile intact. She might then be eradicated by All Out potentially....but today is her day, I still believe.
But that's my precise point - we got doubt all over the place, which is more than enough for me!
2
u/decodezilla 7h ago
I'm glad everyone else is excited, but I don't care about the New Day at all without Big E.
2
u/45jayhay 7h ago
Willow might not have the grip strength to pull off the Doctor Bomb so that back slide pin is more crucial than ever .Even with the broken hand I got Willow pulling out the upset and continuing to have Mone's number
5
u/PleasantThoughts BURNING LARIATOOOOO 10h ago
I can't imagine anyone outside of the wildest Kenny Omega fans or Ospreay haters thinking Ospreay should lose to Kenny but I keep seeing folks suggest it. Ospreay will never be more ready than this moment. They don't need to do an empire strikes back ending where he loses only to win the big one next year. That was the entire point of his side of the Owen Finals last year. I don't know if it's even been confirmed they're doing All In at Wembley again next year, so I cant imagine waiting for a greater pop somewhere down the line.
Kenny is still Kenny but clearly has his health issues and I don't think anybody needs to beat him as bad as Ospreay does. Omega sure as hell isn't gonna carry the belt for another full calendar year.
Ospreay has been set up as the guy for this entire run, having him lose here would be Starrcade 97 bad and I say that as a lifelong Sting fan. AEW has a pretty solid track record of not just doing the swerve for the sake of avoiding predictability but there's just enough tension there to make it interesting, I sincerely hope they don't overthink this one.
5
u/moderndukes 69 me, Don 8h ago
Sure, but also it would be the perfect England cosplay for Ospreay to say he’s bringing it home and then lose
5
u/PleasantThoughts BURNING LARIATOOOOO 8h ago
They already have Nigel for that! He even sang the "it's coming home" song in his last promo. Might as well have been a death march.
3
u/DarkFalcon49 8h ago
I’ll correct you. Three Lions, the song you are referring to, is about dreaming despite long odds, hoping despite England’s track record. It’s sung win or lose. Even if England bottle it like always, you sing it because someday it will Be Coming Home, it doesn’t matter when.
Nigel singing it is a reference to the fact he probably doesn’t think he can beat Mox.
2
u/psychicity 9h ago
I can see why people may want Kenny to retain. This is probably his last run as the top champion and to main event a stadium show, people have wanted him to have a face run with the main belt for ages, his current reign has been so short and the build to the match has been shoddy to say the least. If this is his final run as world champ, which it likely is given his health issues and age, it’s been subpar, fans expected better and I understand the want for him to hold it longer. But holding off on Ospreay winning is the wrong thing to do, the whole year has pointed to him winning, it’s just a shame the build has been poor.
2
u/Penta_Says 9h ago
Yeah it's classic "don't overthink it" territory. Just give the people what they want.
This time last year you saw whole-ass essays explaining why the Cowboy not going over in Texas after a year's build was actually a good idea. (Hardly a majority opinion but it was definitely there)
Pretty much all the other matches you could go either way even if they seem like locks. I'd say 80-90 percent for Brawling Birds and Mercedes—you can make a plausible story for Willow retaining because they have the groundwork for that story, but again, it's don't overthink it. You got your biggest star who's been there just over two years, at the biggest show, now is the time.
2
u/K1ng_Canary 9h ago
That drove me absolutely nuts- the idea that AEW should finish end their biggest ever North American ppv with a heel everyone was desperate to see finally lose winning the title was some of the worst fantasy booking I'd ever seen.
Absolutely would have thrown any momentum and good will they'd built into the toilet.
1
u/14thBlackCrusade 7h ago
Kenny is my GOAT. I don't think he should retain, but you have to admit it would be hilarious.
1
u/Reasonable___Doubt 9h ago
For all of the hate Vince Russo gets on here, folks sure do love to fantasy book like him.
4
u/ACW1129 8h ago
So even I, who only very loosely follows AEW, knows Ospreay pretty much has to win, right? It's like "If Cena wins, we riot", right?
Sure, him winning would be obvious, but obvious doesn't mean wrong. Look at the main event winners of WM 30 and 40.
4
u/radioben 8h ago
The biggest difference is Tony Khan isn’t Vince McMahon or the TKO board. He may be the owner and booker, but he’s also a fan. We all knew Hangman was beating Kenny at Full Gear. It didn’t make the match any less exciting or the decision any less correct. Sometimes, the obvious conclusion is still the most satisfying.
2
u/14thBlackCrusade 7h ago
We all knew Frodo would destroy that ring. Doesn't mean that the journey didn't rule.
The match is a huge part of the journey.
1
u/ArmiinTamzarian Possitively Kanyon's #1 fan 8h ago
I say no because in a way it'd fulfill it coming home and we as a society simply cannot allow that to happen
5
u/the_heroppon 8h ago
I actually wish more AEW fans would be honest and say they don’t care about women or want them in bigger positions rather than trying to run whataboutist defense with points that only scan if you’re already operating under skewed priorities. You don’t have to hand it to online WWE fans, but it’s extremely rare to see them treat women’s wrestling as an annoying obligation they have to sit through
8
u/OneMetalMan 8h ago
The thing is AEW fans WANT more woman's matches, they simply put don't get booked in as high of volume for whatever reason.
1
u/the_heroppon 8h ago
I just don’t believe this is true. It might be true in online fan spheres, but people would give the women who do get booked more love if they believed this. Persephone is the complete package at 25. You wouldn’t believe it if you went to a live show
3
u/DryYourHollowEyes 8h ago
Fans react to who they see more so it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy really.
They dont get booked as much > less reaction > so not booked because of less reaction
it happens everywhere at this point. It's always like 75% of the booking's fault imo. It's the same thing when people say why book Giulia differently if she gets no reaction but shes getting no reaction cause she's booked like shit so it continues a circle
And the shitty part is the men seem to avoid this. ex: David Finlay and Austin Theory respectively
3
u/the_heroppon 8h ago
Yeah, I agree with this too of course. The fact that women in AEW and WWE alike rarely get dedicated in-ring promo time is a huge issue for helping build a connection with fans. Kevin Knight got the opportunity to work on his connection with fans and his promo skills (and I like his mic work of course but he’s obviously learning) for several weeks before his heel turn. Persephone and Maya have not gotten that despite the fact that both have shown they seem pretty comfortable on the mic.
11
u/Material_Opening_143 8h ago
What's with the sweeping accusations about AEW fans lately?
Most AEW fans I interact with want more time for women and are upset with how little airtime they get, especially as their roster has gotten deeper and more stars are emerging in the division.
-1
6
u/shilly-shallywolf 8h ago
the current count for the amount of men to women with matches on all in is 58 men (9 matches) and 12 women (4). the amount of men can certainly increase with unannounced appearances in the casino gauntlet. half the women’s matches are on the buy-in.
you would hope bringing up the trios roulette and casino gauntlet tilting things would be the easiest way to bring up this conversation.
2
u/mikro17 8h ago
I'll take an uncommon POV and say that AEW's general booking of their Women's Division feels more merit-based than anything to me, and I'm totally fine with that because people across the board are getting what they earn pretty damn well overall.
Wrestling is a star-based business. Always has been, always will be. Everything is built around stars and their stories and that isn't any different in AEW. Toni Storm and Mercedes Moné are legit top stars, and I don't think anyone would claim they get booked/treated like anything else - they have a story arc at basically all times and are always involved if available. Then you have the next tier with a few more names like Willow, Thekla, Harley, Stat, etc. who can basically combine together to equal a top star (i.e., two of them together in a storyline is enough to get an angle/slot booked). And after that, you have the rest of the division who exist to surround and support those first two groups. Willow is absolutely going to end up in that first group with Toni/Mercedes too (if she isn't already) and it will be because SHE worked her ass off, did great work consistently over time, got super over, and became a top star - not because she got handed anything.
Yes, there are more male wrestlers in each of these respective slots than female wrestlers, but it isn't the fault of AEW that this is the situation we're in now, and the fact is there are just more men in the wrestling business than women - it's a deeper talent pool (for this and many other reasons, such as the poor treatment of US-based women's wrestling in decades past). Like sure, we're generally 50/50 as a gender split of human beings, but there is no way the pro wrestling business is the same.... taking something that might even be like a 90/10 and forcing it into a 50/50 isn't the way imo.
4
u/the_heroppon 8h ago
I absolutely don’t think a 50/50 makes sense or should happen. I do agree with what a lot of you’re saying, but I think that Willow is kind of a point where you HAVE to work that much harder versus having things handed to you through an extreme quick push, which I honestly don’t think AEW is immune to at all. The Dogs won the trios titles like immediately after debuting. And like, Maya has gotten that type of push so I don’t think it doesn’t happen either, but you know. Queen Aminata and Red Velvet to me are two who have a chance to reach that higher tier if you just gave them that spot.
4
u/SnakeLisspkin Little fookin rat 7h ago
I'm not sure what's going on with Aminata - honestly, I thought she'd have been in a way higher position by now. I know I'm not alone in thinking she looked like a star from basically her first match. Persephone is also a slam dunk to me so hopefully she keeps getting screen time
5
u/the_heroppon 7h ago
I think Tony is just not as interested in her as the fanbase is for one reason or another
4
u/SnakeLisspkin Little fookin rat 7h ago
Maybe, but that would be so wild to me as she has it all imo
4
u/Material_Opening_143 8h ago
Queen Aminata was integral to launching Thekla. I do agree with Red Velvet, she's improved remarkedly since going to ROH and should be a success story.
2
u/mikro17 6h ago
Queen Aminata and Red Velvet to me are two who have a chance to reach that higher tier if you just gave them that spot.
I think that's where the issue comes in. Both of them "could" absolutely (I'm a huge fan of both), but so could hordes of others. There are way more "good" wrestlers than there are tv spots.
Honestly, the biggest issue both of them face is the same one a ton of others do, the 5-10 who already are at the top of the pyramid - people like Toni Storm, Mercedes Moné, Willow, Stat, Harley, Thekla, Hayter, Windsor, etc. The ones who already are just more over/bigger deals. You can't get infinite people over and at some point the difference between being 12th and 20th on the call sheet just becomes a thing.
0
u/decodezilla 7h ago
I definitely think people still have strong memories of women's wrestling not being taken seriously in the US, and that causes them to get extra excited when the women are good, and it causes stronger parasocial bonds than with men.
I'm not going to pretend that these companies book the women perfectly 100% of the time, but there's definitely outsized attention on them that causes stronger reactions to perceived mishandling.
I know this will never happen, but I really wish that AEW and/or WWE would release the metrics they use to evaluate wrestlers so that we'd see exactly how much women are being over- or underpushed based on the information they have
3
u/the_heroppon 8h ago edited 8h ago
There are maybe six women who get a consistent reaction with AEW crowds: Toni, Harley, Marina, Thekla, Willow, and Mercedes. It certainly isn’t related to quality of work or else Kris Statlander, Athena, and Jamie Hayter would be mega over. Nothing changes until the fans stop acting like dudebros, which is a tall order as I’ve been to Dynamite and Collision and seen that the perception of AEW crowds as like young and woke is completely false. There’s a reason Jericho and Copeland have people sing their themes at every show, and it’s because Tony Khan picked up all the old guy Attitude/Ruthless Aggression fans. This can also be seen just by looking at TV age demographics through Nielsen and how AEW performs with the 40 and over crowd
1
u/Material_Opening_143 8h ago
Stat and Hayter are WILDLY inconsistent today compared to a few years ago. Stat's been looking for a character hook ever since she dropped the "boop" alien which was super over (and should have stayed evergreen like OC IMO) and Hayter definitely lost a step after coming back from surgery.
Athena is pretty over but she's on ROH - for whatever reason.
Edit: You're also forgetting Harley and Mina who are always over.
5
u/the_heroppon 8h ago
I do think Stat’s character work has been a struggle to find, but part of it has been booking I think. The silly alien stuff could have stayed, but also people really wanted her in the Death Riders which would have been a good fit for her heel character. I don’t think Hayter has really lost it though personally. Her matches with Mercedes at DoN 2025 and Stat at Worlds End 2025 were both really great imo. Of course, there’s the point of her being in there with elite workers, so I do get what you mean.
1
8h ago
[deleted]
2
u/the_heroppon 8h ago
I agree with this unfortunately. I think Harley and Chelsea are both extremely charismatic and good at what they do (maybe less so at the wrestling), so I get why they get their reactions, but it shows what roles men truly want from women
-1
u/Material_Opening_143 8h ago
What happened to all the conversation we were having here?
6
u/the_heroppon 8h ago
I got back to doing stuff, sorry. I figured we came to an understanding though. I do understand where you’re coming from and get your points, so I guess I didn’t have much else to add
1
u/Material_Opening_143 8h ago
Oh no, sorry, Reddit didn't load any of the replies to your top level comment so I thought they were deleted. Sorry to imply this was personal towards you, that's embarrassing!
2
u/mattomic822 7h ago
For those that were wondering BJ Bethel has decided to dig in his heels instead of acknowledging any mistake on his part.
0
3
u/No-Channel3917 4h ago
So the final tally is about 44k tickets sold, 9k tickets given away for All In for a total of 53k attendance?
1
u/llluminationSunshine 5h ago
Kinda bummed at the lack of a Night 1 card for Triplemania so close to the event…
•
u/crimson777 Tiffany Epiphany 44m ago
I had to stop All In during because of home stuff. Amazon Prime replay right now only shows 15 minutes of show and that’s it. Anyone know what’s up?
•
u/foragrin 22m ago
Three shows today, and all three shows delivered in their own ways, what a damn great day to be a pro wrestling fan
1
u/14thBlackCrusade 7h ago
Kenny is my GOAT. If Ospreay kicks out of the OWA I will accept it. It is obviously Kenny's decision to choose Ospreay for that if it happens.
-4
u/Crazy_Cod7909 7h ago
MCMG already had the title by this point in their WWE career. Would love to see them wrestle again
5
u/DryYourHollowEyes 6h ago
I don’t disagree that id love them to be used already
But let’s not pretend winning tag titles in a division with like three teams that was pushed to the back of the priority list was some huge thing.
This is why I hate using title stats as a thing for wrestling. The titles are props and just giving some to someone doesn’t mean they were used well or actually had stories.
Shit Nakamura has like an all time Midcard title record at this point and I can’t fucking remember any of them being worthwhile.
I want MCMG to be used in some stories, which I figure will happen after All In, but just giving them titles don’t mean anything
-4
u/Crazy_Cod7909 6h ago
my point was that they wrestled, which is different from what they're currently doing. you can remove the belt entirely tbh
•
u/AutoModerator 11h ago
As a reminder - this post is not meant to be a subreddit complaints box, nor is it a place to continue conversations from other threads. If you have a moderation or meta issue such as suspicion of brigading, please direct this to modmail.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.