The All Elite Wrestling Discussion Thread

[Makhai]

Originally Posted by milamber

Bea Priestly and Sadie Gibbs also signed. The Women's Division is starting to take shape. Like NXT UK's Women's Division it's lacking in star power for now but chock full of potential. With hard work and strong booking it could become a highlight for company.

I doubt they have plans for it to be anything other than what the WCW Cruiserweight Division was(good curtain jerkers for their events, good quarter-hour fodder on the half-hours) That's why all these 20-somethings with gymnastics experience who are good looking and green as grass make a lot of sense short-medium term. My only fear is, that Brandi is on BTE right now an awful lot and they're trying to get her over as an in ring act over the last month or so.

Don't get me wrong, she's probably the 2nd or 3rd most beautiful African American woman on the planet right now, and she's a great personality and choice for CBO, but she's always been hopeless in the ring. She wants to ring announce, or color commentates, that would be great but let us not turn the Women's Division into a Brandi Rhodes vanity project.

[milamber]

Originally Posted by Makhai

I doubt they have plans for it to be anything other than what the WCW Cruiserweight Division was(good curtain jerkers for their events, good quarter-hour fodder on the half-hours) That's why all these 20-somethings with gymnastics experience who are good looking and green as grass make a lot of sense short-medium term. My only fear is, that Brandi is on BTE right now an awful lot and they're trying to get her over as an in ring act over the last month or so.

Don't get me wrong, she's probably the 2nd or 3rd most beautiful African American woman on the planet right now, and she's a great personality and choice for CBO, but she's always been hopeless in the ring. She wants to ring announce, or color commentates, that would be great but let us not turn the Women's Division into a Brandi Rhodes vanity project.

I can understand your scepticism what with WWE always tooting their own horn about pushing women and TNA/Impact bein inconsitsent with their Knockouts Division over the years... but the AEW team have been touting equal pay for women and the AEW/BTE videos have been equally focused on signings of both genders.

Brandi is more focused on her Chief Brand Officer role so I doubt she'll be wrestling much.

My hope is that the Men's singles division, Women's Singles Division and the Men's Tag Division get equal billing. With a 60 minute weekly show you could fit in 1 short match from each division and a main event rotating through the divisions each week depending on what storyline is hot.

[Makhai]

Originally Posted by milamber

I can understand your scepticism what with WWE always tooting their own horn about pushing women and TNA/Impact bein inconsitsent with their Knockouts Division over the years... but the AEW team have been touting equal pay for women and the AEW/BTE videos have been equally focused on signings of both genders.

Brandi is more focused on her Chief Brand Officer role so I doubt she'll be wrestling much.

My hope is that the Men's singles division, Women's Singles Division and the Men's Tag Division get equal billing. With a 60 minute weekly show you could fit in 1 short match from each division and a main event rotating through the divisions each week depending on what storyline is hot.

If a major cable network is going to come in for them, I doubt they'll want anything less than a 2h show. I could see 90-mins so they can use the show to get over a 1/2 hr animated comedy show or something, but that is the shortest it's gonna be. I'd be stunned if it's only 60mins I still remember how limiting that was for LU.

I'm totally prepared for the MJF-Brandi match at Double-or-Nothing announcement.

As to the girls positioning, I'm not saying Eric Bischoff is going to show up and put a ceiling on their development. I just think when you've got a division of 20-something athletic bodybuilder/models who did a couple of STARDOM tours, you stash them in the midcard until they get over which will probably be at least a 12-24mo project unless something crazy happens like Ronda shows up on AEW, somehow or one of these girls blows up and goes viral or something. You're building from scratch.

And I think "Equal Pay for Equal Work" is a stupid feminist construct that should be burned in a black pit. Equal Pay for Equal Revenue, i'm all for. But equal pay gets you the WNBA girls striking for a bigger piece of -10M dollars. And the USWNT comparing their wins over girls who are amateurs and hobbyists versus the men who have to play Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. (And thus make more money because they play stars instead of hobbyists) They've gone through 3 women's soccer leagues because they overpay themselves and wonder why it collapses in 2 seasons. Johnny Unitas worked 2 jobs in the offseason and died penniless selling autographs at conventions. You gotta build the house before you can live in it. Nobody likes a line cutter. But that's me letting reasoned thinking expose me as women hating savage who's a member of the KKK. Disregard my heathenistic rant.

[milamber]

Originally Posted by Makhai

If a major cable network is going to come in for them, I doubt they'll want anything less than a 2h show. I could see 90-mins so they can use the show to get over a 1/2 hr animated comedy show or something, but that is the shortest it's gonna be. I'd be stunned if it's only 60mins I still remember how limiting that was for LU.

I'm totally prepared for the MJF-Brandi match at Double-or-Nothing announcement.

As to the girls positioning, I'm not saying Eric Bischoff is going to show up and put a ceiling on their development. I just think when you've got a division of 20-something athletic bodybuilder/models who did a couple of STARDOM tours, you stash them in the midcard until they get over which will probably be at least a 12-24mo project unless something crazy happens like Ronda shows up on AEW, somehow or one of these girls blows up and goes viral or something. You're building from scratch.

And I think "Equal Pay for Equal Work" is a stupid feminist construct that should be burned in a black pit. Equal Pay for Equal Revenue, i'm all for. But equal pay gets you the WNBA girls striking for a bigger piece of -10M dollars. And the USWNT comparing their wins over girls who are amateurs and hobbyists versus the men who have to play Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. (And thus make more money because they play stars instead of hobbyists) They've gone through 3 women's soccer leagues because they overpay themselves and wonder why it collapses in 2 seasons. Johnny Unitas worked 2 jobs in the offseason and died penniless selling autographs at conventions. You gotta build the house before you can live in it. Nobody likes a line cutter. But that's me letting reasoned thinking expose me as women hating savage who's a member of the KKK. Disregard my heathenistic rant.

With regards to pay it's hard to say unless solid details are released/leaked. Based on the little I've read and seen I think it will be based on position, with no distinction between gender or division.

In simple terms the pay levels would be Marquee/Executive (Omega, Jericho, Cody, Bucks), Main Event > Midcard > Enhancement > Casual Contractors.

I think that's the way to go, instead of handicapping the women financially from the start based on their treatment in other companies and industries.

[Makhai]

Originally Posted by milamber

With regards to pay it's hard to say unless solid details are released/leaked. Based on the little I've read and seen I think it will be based on position, with no distinction between gender or division.

In simple terms the pay levels would be Marquee/Executive (Omega, Jericho, Cody, Bucks), Main Event > Midcard > Enhancement > Casual Contractors.

I think that's the way to go, instead of handicapping the women financially from the start based on their treatment in other companies and industries.

They've talked a lot of yang, but at the end of the day, if you read between the lines. If you're not an executive(So just the Elite stable members) or a top-level guy(Jericho and probably Moxley after Mania), none of that stuff applies to them and you're on the same PPA deals that are industry standard. The draw from what I'm hearing for guys on those level deals is the flexibility they're being offered in terms of working other places. And furthering angles with their social media presence which they've done an amazing job cultivating.

One of the biggest reasons TNA failed that people don't talk about is when they told talent making a sub-minimum wage that they had to sign exclusive deals and couldn't work between tapings. As they kept paying top-dollar to WWE washouts. Morale nosedived. These guys are actively developing merch that they can take on the road with them, with the idea being that they'll work elsewhere. That's revolutionary I understand they have goals but they need to tamp this stuff down because a lot of it right now is smoke and hopeful optimism until they start producing revenue that can support this stuff.

[Makhai]

Pretty throwaway episode of RtDoN. But let the speculation begin on why Cody would want to stay away from "Gold".

I think the Dustin match is fine. But also a bit underwhelming as a co-main. Other possibilities could be Ric Flair(I can't see how the WWE would be happy with this) Kota Ibushi(I can't see how it'd work from a logistical and a political point of view) or it could be MJF. Or, this could just be a troll job.

[milamber]

Brandi is putting together a good women's division. Latest signing is 30 year old Hikaru Shida, one of the top Joshi freelancers with 10 years of experience. Technically sound, good at selling, great look, speaks decent English.

https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=9462

Hikaru Shida vs Aja Kong - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSuHTPZ5MOk
Hikaru Shida vs Athena (Ember Moon) - https://youtu.be/T-g24zd3ggc

[Greylocke]

And apparently she is not just working for AEW, she's actually going to move to the US, so that's a major commitment for her.

Even better news: she's still going to remain a part of MAKAI and it seems like there may be some working relation between the 2 in the future. Really hope she can also use AEW as a platform to help promote her current home promotion. MAKAI is a true artistic masterpiece that deserves to be spread to the rest of the world. It might still be somewhat ahead of its time, but it should be the next step up the evolutionary ladder for the sports entertainment business in the future.

[Makhai]

Originally Posted by milamber

Brandi is putting together a good women's division. Latest signing is 30 year old Hikaru Shida, one of the top Joshi freelancers with 10 years of experience. Technically sound, good at selling, great look, speaks decent English.

https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=9462

Hikaru Shida vs Aja Kong - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSuHTPZ5MOk
Hikaru Shida vs Athena (Ember Moon) - https://youtu.be/T-g24zd3ggc

This came out of the blue, this is either nothing or something depending on if she's signed full-time or just an event based deal like Sakazaki and Kong. We'll see I guess.

[milamber]

Originally Posted by Makhai

This came out of the blue, this is either nothing or something depending on if she's signed full-time or just an event based deal like Sakazaki and Kong. We'll see I guess.

She has commitments up until November after which she'll be full-time. She's been confirmed to appear at Double or Nothing.

[Greylocke]

Yeah, I'd hardly think she'll be moving her home to US if she weren't committed full-time.

Other than flying back once a month to Japan for MAKAI shows she'll basically be finishing up with the rest of the Japanese feds she's working for within this year.

EDIT: Okay, no, seems like I got my news backwards. She will still wrestle in Japan for other feds, but her commitments to MAKAI is the one that lasts till November. That sucks for them. The part about moving to US is legit though.

[Makhai]

Looks like they've turned their eyes to EVOLVE and have grabbed Pillman Jr. and Darby Allin both young guys with pre-fab gimmicks. It's interesting they're going after these psychopath guys like Havoc and Allin though, not sure how well they'll translate to PG-13 TV. I did like Allin's introductory reveal at the end of RtDoN though. You could tell it wasn't something they did because it was very different, Allin must have done it himself or they helped him with it.

If we're stealing Evolve guys can we get AR Fox out of LU prison or w/e hell he's in, please?

[milamber]

Originally Posted by Makhai

Looks like they've turned their eyes to EVOLVE and have grabbed Pillman Jr. and Darby Allin both young guys with pre-fab gimmicks. It's interesting they're going after these psychopath guys like Havoc and Allin though, not sure how well they'll translate to PG-13 TV. I did like Allin's introductory reveal at the end of RtDoN though. You could tell it wasn't something they did because it was very different, Allin must have done it himself or they helped him with it.

If we're stealing Evolve guys can we get AR Fox out of LU prison or w/e hell he's in, please?

Darby makes his own stunt videos and he's a human ragdoll in the ring as well. Him, Havoc, Janela and Joey Ryan if he signs will have to tone it down on TV but with PPV and Being the Elite they shouldn't be as restricted.

[Makhai]

Originally Posted by milamber

Darby makes his own stunt videos and he's a human ragdoll in the ring as well. Him, Havoc, Janela and Joey Ryan if he signs will have to tone it down on TV but with PPV and Being the Elite they shouldn't be as restricted.

Just saw a naked man with his penis in his hand moonsaulting a dude clearly too into this action scroll across my timeline with Joey Ryan calling for it on Joey Janella's Spring Break torture show... are you sure these people can be trusted?

[milamber]

Some interesting developments:

- Jericho showed up in New Japan and challenged Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Dominion on June 9, calling himself the "Painmaker." Maybe Omega vs Ibushi is back on the table.

- Bea Priestley is going full-time with STARDOM with her and Will moving to Japan in June. She just beat Kagetsu for the World of Stardom Championship so her AEW contract only be casual. Good choice for her development with STARDOM having one of the best Women's rosters in the world right now.

- Cody vs Dustin is booked for Double or Nothing. 2 masterful promos and I'm already sold on the feud.

Dustin promo: https://youtu.be/aCLnNAt8kxQ
Cody promo: https://youtu.be/azQwNRD3H_o