UP

Toni Storm

Rather than becoming depressed about losing her title out of nowhere after a flat reign, Storm decided that her character would instead.  Then thought about how.  And decided on a high-strung 1930s starlet whose time has passed and can’t come to grips with it.

The character’s interesting, entertaining, different.  There’s nothing else like it.  And a strong character means it’s easy to think of multiple arcs going forward.

She takes the title at All In, she’s a star once more, how did she ever doubt herself?  Loses to Shida, she has a target to take down if she’s to take back the spotlight.  Loses to Baker, ditto.  Loses to Saraya, her friend stabbed her in the back to steal the role that was rightfully hers.

Jack Perry vs Rob Van Dam

Seems the true key to longevity is weed and yoga.  Because the Whole F’n Show was indeed the Whole F’n Show last Wednesday.  At least for one night, he didn’t miss a beat.  And had the second-best match on AEW tv all week.

Yes the finish sucked; that’s not the guys’ fault.

CMFTR vs House of Black

Another very good Collision main event ending with an angle that made storyline sense.  Yes, it was predictable.  That’s why it made sense.  Not everything has to be a swerve.

Samoa Joe

A lot of us watch wrestling to live vicariously right?  It’s why Stone Cold was so popular.  Well who wouldn’t want to be Samoa Joe?  Swaggering down the ramp to badass music, fans chanting your name, smashing through your opponent then warning the next one with threats that become promises.  Cool AF.

MJF & Adam Cole

More excellent comedy from the duo.  Particularly Max’ line about Hogan.  Along with giving fans what they want in the form of another tag match.  Which can simultaneously add spice to their solo encounter via teasing dissension or having one take the brunt of the match and be at a disadvantage.

The JAS Split

The breakup itself was drab.  But the Jericho/JAS/Callis tease continues to be interesting (there are Ospreay rumors), has contributed toward Sammy Guevara being cheered and left things open-ended with the Spanish God.  He might even rejoin a babyface Jericho to save him from a Callis Family beatdown.  Though personally I like his team with Garcia.

An overall effective segment which highlighted the right guys.

The TNT title feud

AEW should treat this as a blueprint for future feuds.  It started and was announced well ahead of the show, allowing plenty of time to push it.  Has had a mixture of angles, promos and beatdowns without the parties ‘getting at’ one another too often.  Is focused on the title itself which both sides dearly want to win/retain.  And features a clear heel and babyface.  One who earned his shot too.  We know when it’s happening, what it’s for and who we’re supposed to route for.  Perfect

Also, shoutout to that Cage line about the world’s biggest family reunion on Collision.  That was dynamite (NPI).

DOWN

Missing the Point

‘Book the women better’ does not mean randomly shove females into main events.  We’re talking about equality of opportunity.  Give the women promos, angles and yes, when it calls for it, put their matches in the main event.  But don’t simply throw Shida vs Anna Jay there for the same reason you wouldn’t do so with Sammy vs Alex Reynolds.

It also means ensuring a good working environment by dealing with any backstage issues.  But then failure to do so does indeed make them equal to the men.  Bringing us to…

Same ol’ Punk

On his first night back, CM Punk called the fans he’d ticked off ‘soft’.  As in thin-skinned, sensitive. Too easily ‘got to’.  He also said fans were welcome to bring signs both pro and anti.  Then was so irritated by a sign Saturday saying ‘Hangman Country’ that he cut a scathing post-show promo dismissing Page’s popularity.

Amid reports that AEW had originally planned to have Page cut promos at the same arena only to be forced into a last-minute change of location.  And after Ryan Nemeth was flown to another recent Collision only to be told he wasn’t needed and sent home.  Purely coincidentally, he’d responded to the above ‘soft’ comment by tweeting that Punk was ‘the softest man alive’.

Per the Torch, main-eventer Punk got in undercard-wrestler Nemeth’s face at the Chicago Dynamite, accusing him of inflaming existing tensions and detracting from the public message that everything was solved.  Days after his own ‘counterfeit Bucks’ comment.

Elite allies Matt Hardy & Christopher Daniels have also been turned away from Saturdays after previously being booked.  The explanation being that Punk et al felt they’d interfere with the good vibes backstage.  That’s a veteran who doesn’t seem to have issues with anybody and a higher-up in talent relations btw.

Yep, AEW’s backstage situation is totally fine.  It’s just that Punk likes crossing things off, whether titles or people.  While opening old wounds at a time when his focus on promos, matches and the critically acclaimed Saturday show was beginning to settle things down again.

(Seriously, check that Torch report out, there’s a tidbit on Tony Khan that has to be read to be believed.)

50/50 Booking

Possibly the most creatively bankrupt period in WWE history was dominated by the distraction rollup and what came to be termed ‘50/50 booking’:

1. Two guys would face off in consecutive weeks, they’d each win once
2. One guy would dominate the match, the other would sneak the win
3. Everytime ‘name’ wrestlers faced off, there’d be shenanigans to ‘protect’ the loser

So-named because it ensured every wrestler on the roster was on the same plain.  None rose above the rest because none won decisively.  Thus there were no stars.  I’m sure you can each think of a couple matches on AEW tv recently which fit the bill: BCC/Lucha Bros/Best Friends; Perry vs Van Dam par example.

AEW need to address this.

Miro vs Will Hobbs

I’m all for a hoss fight.  Just not between wrestlers who appear intermittently and whose character development is stalled and confusing.

The Book of Hobbs stuff that aired late last year/early this went absolutely nowhere.  There were a bunch of vignettes, they never paid off in any way.  So AEW shouldn’t be surprised that Powerhouse got the ‘WHAT?’ treatment when he brought it up on Collision.

Especially when it seems he’s immediately gone back heel after turning babyface by telling QT to screw off last week.

This isn’t a will he/won’t he the fans are invested in a la Jericho/Callis, MJF/Cole.  It’s Can you please tell me whether I’m supposed to cheer or boo because if not I just don’t care enough about this guy to bother.

Hence the silence until the former Rusev made his entrance.

On the subject of whom, having Miro sell even briefly for Aaron Solo and Nick Comoroto does a disservice to one of the most popular babyfaces on the roster.  Lastly, both guys really need momentum and a win – which, referring to the above criticism – likely means a convoluted finish which doesn’t serve either going forward.