aew 2021: don callis’s sunglass game is on point

people on the internet love to say that kenny omega sucks at promo, and... i profoundly disagree

I've NEVER understood that take, honestly. Kenny is a GREAT promo. He definitely cuts a better promo as a heel than he does as a face, but part of what I really liked about Kenny and what made me interested in him was that he has the ability to be a great character and he is very smart about what gets him the reactions he needs. When he turned heel in Japan, he stopped speaking Japanese. Last night, he took Orange's sunglasses, and mocked his whenever whatever wherever gimmick. As a face, I think a lot of people lost interest, because he wasn't as big of a character as he is when he's a heel.

He is an EXCELLENT "big boss" sort of heel, and I enjoy him the most when he's slightly distanced from his "henchmen" so to speak. I think it plays to the sort of video game-like storytelling and imagery that Kenny has employed and enjoyed in the past. Yes, he's got The Young Bucks, The Good Brothers, Michael Naka-Naka-NAKAZAWA! and even Don Callis to back him up, to manage him and call his shots, but when he speaks for himself, it's always the most memorable.

I also acknowledge that compared to his HUGE run as The Cleaner in NJPW, the AEW run has felt like a comedown, but I really appreciate how he finds a way to make his retreading this path to becoming The Cleaner in AEW feel new and interesting. He's been a better AEW champ than he was IWGP because he's back to being a heel champ, rather than a face chaser. I have very strong feelings about how Kenny's relationship with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and I have always felt bad for him that the chase and eventual win eclipsed the reign, which felt very short but was actually about 7 months.

Hahaha sorry for the semi-long post. I have a lot of thoughts about Kenny, because while I do love him, he is an INSANELY polarizing figure in the IWC.

Just watched B&G. Hell of a match, just wish it was 5-10 mins shorter. The section in the 3rd quarter when the Inner Circle had complete control and could do no wrong... so they stand around a lot instead of trying to win bugged me.

Sammy and MJF are stars in the making. The two rope Spanish Fly made me jump out of my chair.

I know this is more of a NJPW slant, but MAN, I am so excited to see Nagata on Wednesday! Can you imagine how that locker room will feel?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6ZEm9OnRi8

this week's bte opens and closes with really quality promos (from matt jackson and christopher daniels, respectively) for wednesday's young bucks vs. scu match, which i am so hyped for

the trick shots segments are also essential aew canon

i'm gonna be so sad if/when scu splits up :(

I was already sad when the trio split (I know it was initially to give Scorpio Sky the push, but then he ended up with Ethan Page in another tag team dynamic, so...), but I will STRUGGLE with Kaz being without Daniels/Daniels calling it a career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNGpqhEtgtc

lol sammy's vlog is also essential viewing this week, all centered around the blood and guts match

really eventful night. once again the opening and closing matches were unbelievable

I usually can’t stand the bucks but the YB-SCU match was THE BEST. So brutal. And lmao at the Bucks’ Shawn michaels cosplay actually making sense and making them even more dickish

bucks going ultra-heel is literally my favorite development and yeah that match was both brutal and emotional

Last night's episode was DESIGNED TO HURT ME in the first half. Papa Nagata AND SCU? Man, I cried so much that I needed to drink even more.

I fully skip anything Cody at this point but I hear his promo was full wrestlecrap

It was a little weird, yeah. I feel like he usually can give a pretty good promo...so I don't really know what happened.

it was garbaggio

I’m watching it now and I have no fucking clue what he’s on about. Because Bruno was champion ages ago America is nice? He likes Willy Nelson. A Pakistani man made a part of a car? I guess America saved racism because he can have a mixed race children... which is also fine in Britain?

He’s gonna be the American Dream to really defeat... a British guy? USA! USA! USA!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOn_fd7hgNs

the christopher daniels promo at the beginning of this :(((((

Oof this hurts me.

sometimes it is exhausting keeping up with the youtube shows but... for some reason, whenever elevation is 2.5 hours long, it tends to rival dynamite in quality. that has been the case tonight

particular highlights: dustin rhodes vs aaron solow, jake the snake having a great time on commentary, kilynn king vs the bunny, baron black (low key one of my favorite dark and elevation regulars) vs qt marshall, daniel garcia vs joey janela, and an absolutely smokin anthony ogogo promo that makes cody's attempt at patriotism last week look even more pathetic

CD promo a real high mark for BTE. That deserved to be on the main show.

xp jake commentary was a delight in addition to the archer/bear bronson match being a great match as well!

Bloody hell, along with bte dark elevation and dynamite, there is gonna be RAMPAGE next year for me to not watch until Brad tells me to

I do appreciate how they're trying to use all of their talent across various platforms. Hopefully also gives more possibilities for those "Forbidden Door" crossovers (like they did with Narita this week!).

The Bucks/Elite & AEW are very smart with merchandise. I don't know what those production costs are (how much percent goes to PWT vs. the talent/company), but The Bucks basically built their empire with their merch, so I've gotta assume that they've been doing well enough financially to start producing so many shows within a few years.

Also, I gotta say...I'm pretty disappointed that Pillman Jr. tapped out after all those taunts. I was hoping they would at least knock him out or have his partner take the pin, or even pillmanize him.

There was a good Cabana podcast with the PWT/One Hour Tees guy just before AEW became a thing that got into a lot of the inside baseball of merch. So crazy how much that Cabana’s hustle (pre pipe bomb!) has been the catalyst for in wrestling.

Cabana is the man. I know he's not as popular as he used to be (since his falling out with CM Punk, and essentially joining Dark Order), but he cares so much about the business and his fellow wrestlers, and you can absolutely see it with everything he does. His partnership with prowrestlingtees is great. Their doors to the "employees only" areas in their shop literally say "Employees & Colt Cabana Only." It was the best.

lol Sting fuckin ruled!

Excellent, varied, fun show overall, including the pre-show match featuring Serena Deeb, the best worker currently active in North America

yeah really solid ppv. britt vs. shida was wonderful and emotional. highlight of the night was orange vs. pac vs. omega, like... wow

Taking aside the embarrassment that is Cody Rhodes, I think that was my favourite wrestling show since WM30.

The women’s title match and the 3 way had me so hooked. I think I need to rewatch it this weekend. So many great moments outside of those matches too, like how over Jungle Boy is, or how much of a bastard brute Miro is*

*Thank god they seem to be getting him back to being a killer and not a gamer nerd

did not expect shawn spears and sammy guevara to do a wrestling scene that could've fit in "Dancer in the Dark."

It's been a long road, but I think last night finally sold me on Guevara. I always knew that he was good, but he really had a great moment to shine, here.
Seeing the crowd pops for Hangman and Jungle Boy made me smile. They're the future.

Sammy was like Jackie Chan at times. Also loved the sexy chair dancer set up

friday night dynamites really throwin' my schedule off... friday was a really great post-ppv show tho

however i'm here to talk about the fucking main event on tonight's dark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOYTQszA85w

dante martin vs. matt sydal, at the 1:28:00 mark.... essential match

Just been looping Tarzan Boy since Jungle Boy won. Feels good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDWR7cjYXSM

the dark order bit on this week's bte... you gotta watch it if you have any investment in hangman adam page

whole episode is great tho, one of their best

cabana’s trip had me laughing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2G2HIVsuJw

saturday was like a major ppv from start to finish + the eddie promo above is also very nice and makes me feel like a mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ffw8lyafYM

i know i'm always like "elevation was amazing this week" but elevation was amazing this week, the card is wild

also this happened https://unbornwhiskeyy.tumblr.com/post/655346724814143488

well i’m not the only person i know who cried at the hangman/dark order promo on dynamite tonight

Wtf is Bear Country’s serial killer skin face mask ting? They are the faces in this match against Sky/Page* as the guy from Silence of the Lambs?

*im a week behind

hahaha i was watching with a bunch of friends who don't watch wrestling and i was like "what i like about these dudes is that they're really hot," referring to ethan page and scorpio sky, but bear country had just come out in their skin masks

bear country are also really hot tbf

ethan stoking up his rivalry with darby has been a huge highlight of the past two weeks

Excited to see AEW’s first coffin match. Hope Darby does 93 Taker promos and gets the carpentry tools out.

Also why is Vickie Guerrero on tv in 2021? She was crap 10 years ago, she sure ain’t better now. Andrade deserves better.