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Quick Thoughts: All In 2024 Live (Plus RevPro 12th Anniversary)

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  I started writing this on my way to work the Thursday after All In, I didn’t want my thoughts to be wrapped in hyperbole as for the second year in a row I attended the show. However, I find myself unable to shake that and truly believe this is one of AEW best shows they have done.  I won’t break the show down match by match I feel it’s different being their live to watching on TV. For example, pretty sure I missed half of last years Stadium Stampede because there’s just too much going on and too many places to look. But I will say for a PPV card it flowed so much better than last year. This could be because of the build to All In being more fleshed out this year headed by a main event where someone puts their career on the line over two friends fighting.  I do think as expected Ospreay vs. MJF and Swerve vs. Danielson were the stand out matches. I will honestly say that Swerve vs. Danielson was one of the best matches in AEW history and is for sure the best match I’ve ever seen live.
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What Changes Would I Make to New Japan Pro Wrestling

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 New Japan Pro Wresting is in a transitional period. Gone is the peak of the 2010s and the Okada and Tanahashi feud, the rise of Los Ingobenarbles De Japon (L.I.J) and the various other peaks we are now in a state of flux. The old guard are even older, top stars have left in Okada, Will Ospreay and Jay White and with Naito looking closer and closer to retirement New Japan needs to change and evolve with its young roster to pick back up a bit of momentum.  I’d love to sit here today and say the way to change New Japan back to its peak to get rid of the likes of EVIL and David Finlay and replace them with the likes of Kaito Kiyomiya and Luke Jacobs but that is an unlikely thing to happen. I wanted to outline some key changes I’d like look at implementing with the current roster which I feel would help reestablish New Japan as a force in the pro wrestling world despite really being the third biggest company in the world right now.  House of Torture First things first probably one of the m
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Why This Is The Most Important G1 Climax In Recent History

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As we enter the summer month there's no bigger tournament in wrestling then New Japan Pro Wrestling and their G1 Climax. The premiere tournament which the winner main events Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th. Following a weird G1 last year of 4 blocks we are back to the normal 2. With this being a G1 without Okada, Ospreay, White, Tanahashi & Ishii this will provide New Japan with a sink or swin situation. With the G1 back to 2 blocks of 10 away from the clusterfuck of the last years 32 man tournament in 4 blocks this is the first traditional G1 for multiple wrestlers. The main one to look out for in this G1 is who does New Japan trust the most for their future. The following wrestlers are entering their first 2 block G1 (and some their first ever G1 Climax) Shota Umino Gabe Kidd Yota Tsuji Ren Narita Yuya Uemura Boltin Oleg Callum Newman That's over a quarter of the people invovled and with Umino & Tsuji you have two of the favourites. With New Japan wanting to usher in a
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Quick Thoughts AEW Forbidden Door 2024

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Back again with the crossover wrestling event of the year. At a time when co-operation between companies seems at an all time high it shouldn't be forgotten in large part where we were a few years ago. Forbidden Door the term coined by now NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi was because the partnership simply didn't exist and now we have not just AEW & NJPW on this show but representatives from CMLL and STARDOM as well a true big corrover event (and if I'm RevPro I'd be begging to get invovled with this considering they have partnerships with NJPW & CMLL already).  Regardles on that I always feel this is an odd show to buidl towards. You have four companies working together and three not in the same country as the main company hosting the show. It hurts who you can book and when they can show up. Either way on the show on the day should be good fun. Zero Hour Kyle Fletcher vs. Serpentico A surprise addition to the card following on from Kyle Fletcher losing the ROH
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Quick Thoughts: AEW Double or Nothing 2024

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Five years ago the wrestling landscape changed with the formation of All Elite Wrestling and with their 2024 edition of Double or Nothing it was a chance to reflect and look back and celebrate the company and its achivements (and falls) in that time. While I feel the weekly TV has been hit and miss with dropped stories and a feel of lack of direction for many stars the PPV's for AEW normally deliver as they focus on the companies strength being the in ring action. It's no secret AEW ticket sales are down so hopefully they can boost things starting with this show. Failing that they can just manipulate the wrestling media like WWE and just lie about the show being good and have twitter lie and boost it as well. Anyway, forgetting that let's break down the action for Double or Nothing match by match.  The Buy In: Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo This has been a good feud being built up on the past of both women being unavble to beat Toni Storm. I feel that Deonna works best as
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Quick Thoughts: AEW Dynasty 2024

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As AEW begins to expand it's PPV schedule to six a year we get the first ever AEW Dynasty PPV. A card that is top to bottom filled with championship matches and feuds all built up through their previous weeks of television. I personally have enjoyed the last little run of AEW shows building up to this but really do wish AEW could gaslight an audience and have a PR division to manipulate people into thinking literally everything they do is great like WWE does. Regardless of another companies lifeless product which people will lie to your face and say is good I think on paper this was set to be a good show. With that in mind hopefully this show can live up to the card it is on paper.  Zero Hour Trent Beretta vs. Matt Sydal A bit of an odd one to be on PPV all be it a pre-show. Trent's heel turn is a major angle based on who it is against but still this feels like a match you'd see on Dynamite, not questioning the talent invovled just feel that this could've been on Dynami
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Quick Thoughts: AEW Revolution 2024

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At the turn of March we welcome in the frist AEW PPV of what seems to be the biggest schedule of them since the companies inception. I think AEW will need to work on how they manage all of these PPVs with their TV time. Regardless, this show has been built arond the final match of Sting and his legendary career. I have had the privlage of seeing Sting live multiple times including at All In last year and can only add to the praise for his career. It is fitting that he main events a PPV on his final show. With that being said AEW has been strong in their booking so far this year and I think having MJF out injured has become addition by subtraction as it has helped elevate Swerve and Hangman into the main event picture which have been well recieved and with Samoa Joe and a great run as champion is has made the top of the card feel fresh. Zero Hour The Bang Bang Scissor Gang (Max Caster, Anthony Bowens, Billy Gunn, Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn, and Jay White) vs. Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, J
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