The SmarK Rant for AEW Dynamite – 10.27.21
Live from Boston, MA
Your hosts are Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone & Excalibur
Dynamite – October 27, 2021
Dynamite
Date: October 27, 2021
Location: Agganis Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur
We’re closing out October and that means Full Gear is coming up next month. Most of the card is either already booked or pretty obvious (Tony Khan’s notebook is available if you need some pointers) but we still need to fill in some gaps. As for tonight, it’s CM Punk’s in-ring Dynamite debut against Bobby Fish. Let’s get to it.
The Wednesday Night Commotion Thread
Featuring SPANIELS.
AEW Dynamite is back on it’s normal night tonight, featuring…
- MJF in action.
- Dark Order vs. The Elite (everyone pictured in the image on this post!)
- Bobby Fish vs. CM Punk.
- Serena Deeb vs. Hikaru Shida in the TBS title tournament.
- Preston “10” Vance vs. Jon Moxley in the World Title Eliminator Tournament
- TNT Title: Sammy Guevara vs. Ethan Page
In other news, ROH is taking a “hiatus” in the start of 2022. It’s not looking very good for the company.
Chat about the all the happenings and doings here!
Ring of Honor may be no more
The official RoH statement is that theyre taking the first quarter of 2022 off to “pivot” to something new. But now Dave is saying every RoH talent is out of their contracts, which makes me think RoH is finished.
So – which RoH talents do you think should go to WWE and/or AEW? And what will you remember most about RoH?
Crazy! How many people are gonna show up on AEW tonight, I wonder? I'd grab Dalton Castle ASAP if I'm either side, and maybe Dem Boys for a short term program with someone. There's also lots of people in the Jay Lethal tier that have friends in AEW, so I bet someone like himself or Flip Gordon will be showing up too. It really sucks for everyone else in the promotion, though, since ROH was always the place for those who were too small or different from what WWE wanted, and they sure don't want indie guys right now.
What the World Was Watching: WWF Superstars – July 28, 1990
Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura are doing commentary, concluding the tapings in Dayton, Ohio.
The Big Bossman squash from Prime Time Wrestling begins the broadcast.
WWF Kuwaiti Cup 1996 (HHH vs. Bushwhacker Butch and other Dream Matches!)
Bret vs. Owen! But it’s super hot out and I bet they don’t think anyone will buy this tape! Come see how much effort they put in!
WWF KUWAITI CUP 1996:
So before we had the Saudi Arabian shows or the “Tribute to the Troops”, we had a couple of years of “Kuwaiti Cups”, where guys would wrestle for a prize that’d get mentioned for a couple of weeks on TV. This guy’s channel has a few of the matches: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeT4gO_-Y0Yo0y8kTv4HmIQ. Jim Ross & Dok Hendrix commentate most of this, often bringing up the staggering heat out there- Monsoon also gets paired up with Ross. This all happens in May 1996, a month or so before the King of the Ring where Austin’s legend began, and it’s essentially one show after another for a week- each only a day apart. So you know these guys are gonna be looking to work light or work short.
There’s quite a few true rarities in here, though. Bret Hart vs. Leif Cassidy! Steve Austin vs. Ahmed Johnson back when we’d have all guessed wrong who the next big star was going to be! And most importantly, TRIPLE-H VERSUS BUTCH!!
Monday Night Raw – May 28, 2007
Monday Night Raw
Date: May 28, 2007
Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Attendance: 16,176
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
It’s the start of a big week in WWE as we have the three regular TV shows, plus a special Saturday Night’s Main Event and One Night Stand this weekend. That makes this show week the go home show for Sunday, which doesn’t need a lot more set up but maybe they have something good planned. Let’s get to it.
Mike Reviews – ROH Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies (16th August 2003) – Part One
Welcome back to another ROH Wednesday!
The big match on this half of the show will likely be Matt Stryker and BJ Whitmer going at it, as Stryker got a big win on the previous show against Justin Credible whilst Whitmer had a darn fine World Title match with Samoa Joe. There’s also a match scheduled between Christopher Daniels and Xavier, as The Prophecy EXPLODES!
Tope Suicida
Hi Scott
I'm of the strong opinion, and have been for a while, that the tope suicida is far too overused and has become a boring, nothing of a spot.
It's relatively high risk to the performers with no real reward and should be dialled down significantly in usage because it's ultimately fairly pointless.
What do you think? Any other moves you feel the same about as well (or instead if you like a TS)?
The one I really hate is the bump onto the chairs in the upright position. We've all seen Million Dollar Baby and cringing in fear isn't a good reaction as a fan.
Hockey Stuff
You're the Canadian here, Scott: is it okay that I, as a hockey fan, want to take off and nuke the Blackhawks from orbit? I feel like the other 31 NHL franchise fans (go Caps) can agree on this.
Andy PG
You could always get in on the ground floor and switch to the Seattle Kraken as your new team.
Samoa Joe
What happened to Joe? They said he had to forfeit his newly won NXT Title due to injury, but they never said what the injury was or when he was coming back, and we haven't heard any word from him on this since. Was it just a way to get him off TV to reset
NXT 2.0 and crown a new champion or is he legit injured?
I'd say either one is equally likely, but no one has actually said anything about it.
Blog of DOOM Daily Thread – 27th October 2021
Happy Wednesday Everyone!
Not watched any wrestling this week yet, but I will try to catch Dynamite tomorrow morning
Belt The Hangman!
The SmarK Rant for WWE NXT 2.0 – 10.26.21
The SmarK Rant for WWE NXT 2.0 – 10.26.21
“HALLOWEEN HAVOC”
Live from Orlando, FL
Your hosts are Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett & Beth Phoenix. Oh, and Chucky. Can’t forget about Chucky.
NXT – October 26, 2021 (Halloween Havoc)
NXT
Date: October 26, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Beth Phoenix, Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph
It’s another special show this time around with Halloween Havoc. Last year’s edition did rather well but now we need to see if they can do the same with the new cast. The main event is Tommaso Ciampa defending the NXT Title against Bron Breakker, plus a bunch of Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal matches. Let’s get to it.
AEW DARK: October 26, 2021
The PG Era Rant for AEW Dark, Episode 114 (“Draco Americanus Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus”), October 26, 2021.
From the All Elite Zone.
Your hosts are Excalibur and Taz.
TONIGHT! Fuego Del Sol has a new tag team partner – who could it be? Eddie Kingston steps it up against a freshly-shorn Jack Evans! And Bryan Danielson graces our YouTubes as he puts Aaron Solo through his paces!
PLUS – Tiger Ruas (aka Adrian Jaoude), Riho, Bobby Fish, Diamante, Dante Martin, and Preston Vance!
Tuesday Night Pandemonium – 26th October 2021
They are literally hanging from the rafters here in the Mecca of all of professional wrestling online discussion, the Blog of Doom. This is the place to discuss things well into the night. Keep it civil, otherwise we’ll need the appointment of a second moderator to try and keep some semblance of order.
Conspicuous by its absence, a belt on The Hangman.
Competition?
So it's funny two weeks ago when all the AEW diehards were talking up Tony for his non stop bashing of things WWE and bragging he couldn't wait to beat smackdown in ratings. Now fast forward two weeks later after rampage had 200k less people watch against smackdown on a different channel and a live Dynamite lost to a replay of smackdown, I see alot of people complaining about WWE being the big bad bully. And yes AEW lost, unless you are in advertising, work for TNT, or have any ownership in AEW demos mean nothing. Even Uncle Dave was reporting viewers over demos until conveniently after 40 years someone just so happen to “correct him” right as AEW was starting. Why is every move WWE makes being called as petty and reactionary to AEW? Like does AEW own labor day weekend because they held two years of a PPV during that time frame? Can WWE not run Sat PPVs because AEW did it a couple times? I even saw someone say the way Rollins one the contract last night was ripping off the Hangman victory. Where does it end?
AEW and it's fans wanted a fight, or they wouldn't be constantly talking about WWE all the time. And now they are crying in the corner after getting beat up saying WWE isn't playing fair. The funniest thing about it all is I don't think any of the moves WWE are making has anything to do AEW. Will WWE get enjoyment out of a decision if it does hurts AEW, for sure. But to think a global juggernaut like WWE is purposely making their decisions solely to counter-program AEW is hysterical and most of the reason AEW has lost half their audiences for both theirs shows, cause their ego is blinding them. Talk about rent free.
It's been reported and confirmed by Nick Khan himself that he is behind alot of the new strategies WWE is trying. They are doing a new years day PPV for the first time because it's opportunity for a wide open sports day. Same thing with moving PPVs to sat. I am sure they identified Labor Day weekend was a good opportunity for a UK ppv, not because they are trying counter program to AEW, thats just ridiculous. At what point does AEW stop worrying about WWE is doing and start focusing on the MANY issues they have, like blowing all the buzz they got with recent signings?
Yeah, I'm sure that's 100% why. Because Vince has zero history of ever doing anything exactly like this multiple times in his career.
Smackdown – May 25, 2007
Smackdown
Date: May 25, 2007
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Des Moines, Iowa
Commentators: John Bradshaw Layfield, Michael Cole
We’re done with Judgment Day and now we have less than two weeks to go before One Night Stand. Edge cheated to defeat Batista and retain the Smackdown World Title so we might be in for a rematch at the next pay per view. I’m not sure what else we’ll be getting but building to a low level pay per view can be rough. Let’s get to it.
CM Punk
Now before I ask my question, I want everyone to know I'm a HUGE AEW fan, that's all I mostly watch now especially since Adam Cole and Punk are 2 of my favs but is it safe to say that Tony Khan has dropped the ball with Punk? Granted he's still getting great pops from the live crowds, still over ect. But here you had probably the biggest return in wrestling since maybe the NWO to WWE in 02? There was a huge buzz and his debut brought big ratings but they haven't done anything to sustain it. Instead we've getting Old Man “I'm happy to be here” Punk wrestling all of there lower carders every week on Rampage. I say this as one of Punks biggest fans, he single handedly made me a ROH fan and brought me back to wrestling during the Summer Of Punk in WWE and made me a avid watcher of AEW with his return. I'm still waiting for the guy who magnetized me to the television to show up, the guy who sing Happy Birthday to Rey's daughter and called Jeff Hardy a drunk. Tony shouldve had a good plan to run with, with his debut other then “let's throw him in with Darby then aimlessly have him wrestle one offs every week for a while” were not even that far from Full Gear and whose gonna be his opponent? A Bobby Fish rematch? Now I have to watch Punk struggle on Rampage in 15 min match against a guy who got squashed by Tyler Rust in 5 mins 3 months ago.
Maybe that's what he wants to do. I'm enjoying it, Punk's enjoying it and literally goes on TV talking about how happy he is right now, what's the problem?
Promotions
Hey Scott, hope you are safe and well. Which promotion do you think had the most potential, but never made it for different reasons? I actually ranked and wanted your opinion.
1. ROH- Yes they are still around, but they should have been a bigger deal. They had a ton of talent, good financial backing, and a good product.
2. Impact – Sure they have been around for years, but they have always been stuck as a small promotion even though they had/have top talent, TV Deal, and financial backing
3. UWF – Decent roster, sure long in the tooth, but, they could have been a solid #3 or 4 promotion stateside.
4. AWF – Actually stumbled upon shows on YouTube and the roster was deep, Road Warriors, Freebirds, Valentine, Orton, etc. Should have been a bigger deal. Maybe the round system sunk them.
Thanks.
You're referring to Bill Watts UWF in #3? Dude that should have been a contender to the WWF but the Oklahoma oil market destroyed Watts and killed the promotion. I'd say Impact is the clear winner though, given they have the kind of longevity and brand recognition that other promotions would kill for, and wasted it all multiple times.
