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CI Wrestling Thread #56

Kenny Omega on His Twitch Stream shared some interesting tidbits:

First he talked about getting surgery soon then proceeded to “Bury” Will Ospreay

On Will Ospreay he, said it’s farcical that Will called himself “The King Of Japan” when Kenny has had the better matches with Okada, Ibushi, Naito, etc.

Kenny says he sold much more merch and tickets then Will, and “while the 500 people that showed up to Korakuen Hall might like Will, Kenny would sell it out and they LOVED him.”

Kenny said Ospreay wants to go to wrestle in Uganda because “Japanese fans have already forgotten about him. And Ospreay will be king of Ugandan Wrestling until he decides to go over there and run that too.”

Sounds like seeds are planted for Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay III.

Will also took some shots on his unrestricted interview torwards Omega as well.
 
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Felt this way the last couple weeks but I think everyone who thinks they're in the know about these Kenny streams actually aren't and are getting worked. Even Cornette has warmed up to him in recent weeks.

He makes news by saying he's a terrible EVP and shouldn't be in that role...not long before the EVP Twins attack Tony and really show off their EVP abuse. I believe around this time he was "fired" from The Elite as well. He downplays and smacks at Meltzer...as the EVP Twins are known for their Meltzer Driver turned Tony Khan Driver and embrace getting stars from Uncle Dave. And he's planting seeds for a future match with Ospreay here too. It's nerdy and pure AEW to further this stuff using a video game livestream but that's what's happening. It's also making Kenny look great with fans who aren't AEW hardcores. He comes off as incredibly nice, sincere, and a fan of the entire business. And I'm glad because Cornette has always been a bit too harsh on Omega.
 
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Felt this way the last couple weeks but I think everyone who thinks they're in the know about these Kenny streams actually aren't and are getting worked. Even Cornette has warmed up to him in recent weeks.

He makes news by saying he's a terrible EVP and shouldn't be in that role...not long before the EVP Twins attack Tony and really show off their EVP abuse. I believe around this time he was "fired" from The Elite as well. He downplays and smacks at Meltzer...as the EVP Twins are known for their Meltzer Driver turned Tony Khan Driver and embrace getting stars from Uncle Dave. And he's planting seeds for a future match with Ospreay here too. It's nerdy and pure AEW to further this stuff using a video game livestream but that's what's happening. It's also making Kenny look great with fans who aren't AEW hardcores. He comes off as incredibly nice, sincere, and a fan of the entire business. And I'm glad because Cornette has always been a bit too harsh on Omega.
Once you make an enemy of Cornette, sometimes thru no fault of your own and sometimes over pretty minor things like wrestling in a t-shirt, you’ve essentially made an enemy for life unless a miracle happens

He had hated Kevin Owen’s and Sami Zayn for well over a decade with the hate stemming from when the three of them were all in ROH.

It wasn’t until like last year when they got involved with the Bloodline stuff that Cornette started getting over it.
 
Went to the Jerry Lawler show this weekend. A great time. Got to talk Lance Russell with his son Shane. Got to see Dave Millican’s belt collection. Met a guy named Antonio that came from Memphis. He was walking with a Memphis legends shirt and had a bunch of my Memphis art on it and I had to stop him. And got to fanboy out: got Missy Hyatt’s number…just for business purposes though, lol
 
I think WWE caters to the social media guy and has Logan Paul upset Cody Rhodes. Then lose it back at the next main event.
 
That Adam Copeland vs Kyle O’Reilly match was really good.
The Vancouver crowd has been nuts this evening.
Must have been one of the best moments of KOR’s career. Damn near had to retire from the injury that kept him out of action for over 600 days, then he gets…
  1. A hometown match in front of his family against Copeland with a hot crowd firmly behind him
  2. Copeland was on the card for the first wrestling show KOR ever attended
  3. Copeland was one of KOR’s favorites
  4. And the match took place in the same arena as the first show he ever attended
Plus it was a really good match, KOR is really starting to round back into form, which obviously was going to take a while due to how long he was out plus he had a crazy amount of atrophy in the arm that was paralyzed for a while due to a complication from his neck fusion surgery.
 
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Once you make an enemy of Cornette, sometimes thru no fault of your own and sometimes over pretty minor things like wrestling in a t-shirt, you’ve essentially made an enemy for life unless a miracle happens

He had hated Kevin Owen’s and Sami Zayn for well over a decade with the hate stemming from when the three of them were all in ROH.

It wasn’t until like last year when they got involved with the Bloodline stuff that Cornette started getting over it.
You gotta change his opinion over time by not being sloppy, not being a pain in the ass to him in the past, and not making a mockery of the business (in his view). And if you're new to him, he's not going to love you right off the bat. He likes Sami now but is still so/so on Owens. He wasn't into Bianca at first, now he likes her. He shit on Stratton (he sees every busty blonde the same...Sable) but now wants to give her a chance. He didn't like Samantha Irvin's announcing (he's a Fink guy) but recently praised her and said he's a fan.
 
Don't know if you all saw this but at the post UFC press conference last night Dana White said they are planning on moving WWE PLE's back to Sunday. Have a UFC show on Saturday then WWE the next day in the same city.
Not a fan, definitely like the Saturday shows.
 
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Don't know if you all saw this but at the post UFC press conference last night Dana White said they are planning on moving WWE PLE's back to Sunday. Have a UFC show on Saturday then WWE the next day in the same city.
Not a fan, definitely like the Saturday shows.
Damn - but he also said some ufc guys want to have matches in wwe and with Vince not around it’s a lot more likely than it used to be.
 
Meltzer, the King of Imbeciles. Even if this “was true”, why would you say it, lol

I’ve never been a Japanese wrestling slurper, and when people have asked why I never go “gaga” over it, I say guys like Meltzer, acting like it’s some mystic place that gives you magical star power

(And for the five dudes I have blocked in this thread, before you start “Cornette, parrot, Cornette”, I thought that long before he was saying it openly. Sorry)


 
I have always been one to hate the hokey bullshit in wrestling but damnit if I don’t love this goofy Joe Hendry stuff on TNA. I wish he’d go to WWE.
 
I have always been one to hate the hokey bullshit in wrestling but damnit if I don’t love this goofy Joe Hendry stuff on TNA. I wish he’d go to WWE.


If you look at it…wrestling IS stupidly, but like a movie, you suspend your disbelief.

Growing up, and I call them the “Jimmy Valiant/Paul Jones absurd segment”. But if that was 1-2 segments, the other 8-9 segments would be serious, and that was ok. You needed that little silliness to break it up.

The problem with todays wrestling, it’s 1-2 serious stuff and the rest is silliness
 
If you look at it…wrestling IS stupidly, but like a movie, you suspend your disbelief.

Growing up, and I call them the “Jimmy Valiant/Paul Jones absurd segment”. But if that was 1-2 segments, the other 8-9 segments would be serious, and that was ok. You needed that little silliness to break it up.

The problem with todays wrestling, it’s 1-2 serious stuff and the rest is silliness
This is 100% fact. You can’t have 1993 WWE where the undercard is nothing but Garbage men, Hockey players, a clown, half man half horse, mega man ripoff, Farris and Valentine playing Elvis (honky tonk was fine as a solo act when he was one gimmick in a roster of reality like you mention).

I think Hendry could actually get himself over in “the big times”. He’s got a good look, seems decent enough, and draws the crowd into his silliness. If for nothing else, he’d make the undercard more entertaining opposed to watching Humberto and Garza wrestle the two low jobbers for the 17th time of the week (hogan math).
 
One of the big things I’ve noticed with AEW is they are like a basketball team with players that play the same position

KOR and shibata - are basically the same gimmick - two guys with zero mic skills that overcame career ending injuries and proving they still got it

Edge/bryan - 2 guys at the tail end of their careers proving they still got it - one in the upper card and the other with the tnt belt

Wardlow/brian cage/hobbs - no mic skills or charisma but powerhouse

Purazzo/sasha - way overpaid “wrestlers” that are ice cold and stuck in the mud and have no mic skills or intrigue

Jay white/okada - 2 guys that should be main eventing ppv or at the least weekly shows but are hamstrung in trios teams with tag teams

The fact that purazzo and jay white have been on rampage the last couple weeks is borderline criminal.
 
One of the big things I’ve noticed with AEW is they are like a basketball team with players that play the same position

KOR and shibata - are basically the same gimmick - two guys with zero mic skills that overcame career ending injuries and proving they still got it

Edge/bryan - 2 guys at the tail end of their careers proving they still got it - one in the upper card and the other with the tnt belt

Wardlow/brian cage/hobbs - no mic skills or charisma but powerhouse

Purazzo/sasha - way overpaid “wrestlers” that are ice cold and stuck in the mud and have no mic skills or intrigue

Jay white/okada - 2 guys that should be main eventing ppv or at the least weekly shows but are hamstrung in trios teams with tag teams

The fact that purazzo and jay white have been on rampage the last couple weeks is borderline criminal.


Tony = Calipari. Just get a bunch of game pieces and not knowing how to use them
 
Raw for this evening

Scheduled for tonight's WWE Monday Night Raw:
*WWE Women's World Champion Becky Lynch in action.

WWE King of the Ring Quarter-Finals:
*Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov
*GUNTHER vs. Kofi Kingston.

WWE Queen of the Ring Quarter-Finals:
*Lyra Valkyria vs. Zoey Stark.
*IYO SKY vs. Shayna Baszler.
 
Raw for this evening

Scheduled for tonight's WWE Monday Night Raw:
*WWE Women's World Champion Becky Lynch in action.

WWE King of the Ring Quarter-Finals:
*Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov
*GUNTHER vs. Kofi Kingston.

WWE Queen of the Ring Quarter-Finals:
*Lyra Valkyria vs. Zoey Stark.
*IYO SKY vs. Shayna Baszler.
If Dragunov is going to put on a show like he did last week he’s going to be a must see weekly watch.
 
Nothing official but according to Bill Simmons, the NBA is going to NBC. That means no more Inside the NBA on TNT as well. If that happens, it takes away something very attractive and valuable from WBD. Won't pretend to know how this affects AEW in the near future but it's something to watch. Tony has been talking publicly about a big new deal soon (which might not be the smartest move in the world) but WBD has been cutting costs across the board and now it's likely they lose their big shiny multi-million viewer diamond.
 
Yep. No card yet but the ad has the bank addicted drug robber on it
I saw it on their website and I was thinking they might do it in the parking lot like they did with covid but they advertised balcony seating. They only have balcony seating inside. I guess they will put the ring on the stage which would be weird. I have never seen wrestling not in the round.
 
Crowd is great tonight and I love the little Woo's for the Bird Lady. Iyo is becoming my favorite women's wrestler.

Both companies need to do one big tournament per year. I wasn't crazy about the points and all the titles at the end, but Dec. was a solid month of matches for AEW and you can't deny we're getting actual, good matches on Raw and SD right now. The crowns are pointless and I don't want to see some King Gunther shit but I think we're all marks for the occasional tournament.
 
Nothing official but according to Bill Simmons, the NBA is going to NBC. That means no more Inside the NBA on TNT as well. If that happens, it takes away something very attractive and valuable from WBD. Won't pretend to know how this affects AEW in the near future but it's something to watch. Tony has been talking publicly about a big new deal soon (which might not be the smartest move in the world) but WBD has been cutting costs across the board and now it's likely they lose their big shiny multi-million viewer diamond.
Don’t know how it affects the dollar amount for the AEW media rights deal but it gives them a whole lot more leverage with WBD. Most weeks outside of playoff season, the only thing Dynamite would regularly lose to on basic cable was the NBA.

Even more reason for TK to not sign a deal during the exclusive negotiation window as long as he has intel that tells him others are interested. If he doesn’t have that, then he needs to get it wrapped up during that window because then he loses a lot of leverage.

Big thing for the weekly product is getting it simulcasted on Max or whatever streaming property the network they end up on owns. Get that in the deal and you can capture both the cable/satellite and cord cutters.
 
Hopefully they give the matches the time they need instead of trying to cram in a million things. Last time I watched an all GCW show they ****ed up the timing so bad they had to cut the main event down to 8-minutes.

And now they’ve taken over WrestleMania weekend practically booking up every venue all weekend long to run a million shows partnering with different companies and the matches just end up being mid or worse because they have to keep everything short to do all the shows they signed up for.
 
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