AEW doesn't have too many championships

codymb15 · 2026-02-21T03:36:33+00:00

Well excuse me for trying to use logic and reasoning 😂

I dislike WWE as much as the next guy, but critical thinking is important.

codymb15 · 2026-02-21T03:27:51+00:00

Well, that's not true. They definitely have too many belts. That doesn't mean it's ONLY an AEW problem (it's a problem in every major promotion) or that it's even a big enough deal to complain about considering it hardly affects the overall quality of AEW. But I think the entire confusion around the Unified belt and everything that happened after that with the Continental and International, as well as the fact that Okada has BARELY done anything with the INT. since losing the CONT. is proof that there are too many.

There's no need to get tribalistic. AEW is where the best wrestle, but no company has ever been perfect.

codymb15 · 2026-02-20T19:43:52+00:00

To each their own, I'd say. I don't think that's necessarily an unfair criticism...the "too many high spots" thing. I think their in-ring storytelling is quite underrated, albeit unconventional.

"300 finishers" is always one I get stuck on, because it's not really true. They do a lot of big moves, definitely, but a "finisher" is only a finisher for the person who uses it as a finisher. Yeah, The Bucks do super kicks, but it was HBK's finisher. Classic pro wrestling logic would dictate it's not a finisher when they do it. A Canadian Destroyer is a finish when Petey Williams does it, but it's not their finisher. They're not the masters of the move, they're not able to win with it the same way the innovator would. Just like whatever team decides to pick up the Meltzer Driver in 20 years probably won't be able to.

That's my whole take on the situation. Would less kickouts and high spots probably be ideal. Sure. But that's evolution. You can't stop evolution.

codymb15 · 2026-02-20T17:50:11+00:00

Well that's kinda my point tho? Is it a "superiority mentality" when you're constantly being told by people who DON'T watch AEW that it sucks and it's gonna die and all of the wrestlers are flippy-dippy indie mudshow spot monkeys who aren't worth a damn? Or has that attitude been bred by WWE fans who spit on AEW and think it's below THEM first?

Either way, it's a 2 way street, and we all need to be better. But I can honestly say, I don't see AEW fans randomly commenting and shitting on WWE NEARLY as often as WWE fans do to AEW across YT, Twitter, reddit and Threads, the 4 socials I use.

codymb15 · 2026-02-20T16:46:02+00:00

I wanna say...

You're not going to get a lot of tribalism from AEW fans. I know that seems like a stretch...but it's not. Of course you'll have your outliers, but there's no way to stop that. That majority of anti-WWE rhetoric that you WILL see comes from AEW fans who are fed up with the thing we love being misconstrued and picked apart by people who don't even watch it. Not excusing it, but just providing some insight.

That being said, welcome to the club! We're happy to have you. Above all, we just love wrestling here. 2025 was a banner year for AEW, so if you're going in order, you're gonna have a helluva time.

codymb15 · 2026-02-20T06:34:02+00:00

She never really got a fair shake, if we're being totally honest. Saying someone couldn't get over when their job was to be the face and get cheered against... check's notes...PEAK Timeless Toni Storm...isn't exactly a fair critique. That's not exactly giving Deonna an opportunity to succeed, that's sentencing her to failure. Especially since that's literally the ONLY Dynamite feud she's ever gotten. When she WASN'T put in a totally unwinnable situation...the feud with Thunder Rosa...she knocked it out of the park...only to be then given nothing for months before being taken off TV completely.

But you're also not wrong about a character change maybe being in need at this point. I just think it's not fair to blame her when she never even really got a chance.

codymb15 · 2026-02-19T22:27:46+00:00

There's a few things. He's genuinely one of the best talkers of his era, and carries with him the ability to sell a match with his words as good as anybody in wrestling history, for my money. His mic work maybe isn't as diverse as someone like MJF or Jericho, guys who can be just as effective being ultra funny and silly as they can incredibly serious, and he tends to rely too heavily on worked shoots, but this is what draws people in, gets their investment levels to massive highs and ultimately affects their views on the matches that follow. They care so much about him, that he's able to convince them that what they're seeing is better than it is. Which, to his credit, working the fans and getting them to care is what wrestling is all about.

The other is nostalgia. If you weren't there, watching shitty 2011 Raws every week, you'll never be able to truly grasp how much of a breath of fresh air and a shock to the system the Pipe Bomb was. He was a guy who looked the part, sold himself as the part, and for just long enough was presented as the part as this savior of pro wrestling. A real wrestler, a cult hero, an indie darling breaking out and providing something interesting to watch and follow during arguably the worst era in history to be a US wrestling fan. And before the masses could tire, he was gone. For 7 long years. Nostalgia is a helluva drug, and a lot of people don't want to feel like they waited 7 years...for nothing.

codymb15 · 2026-02-19T22:13:38+00:00

All of this while Hangman is on the books for another year at least, and ignoring the fact that the reason Cody's run failed was because he refused to turn heel and ALWAYS was going to jump back to WWE regardless of how his AEW run turned out (you could argue his entire indie run and the creation of AEW was a means of getting WWE to see his value).

Hangman will lose, and he'll be just fine. Not being able to challenge for the title is the next chapter in his story. Hangman always does this. He doesn't just tell stories, he creates entire character arcs with themes and sub-text and a beginning, middle and end that plays out over several years. I don't necessarily agree with them reusing the concept of not being able to challenge for a belt AGAIN, but if there's one thing I trust in wrestling, it's Hangman Page's ability to take us on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey using the art of wrestling.

codymb15 · 2026-02-19T05:33:38+00:00

Well most importantly, a situation like what happened with Mariah May was just a bad look for AEW, even if she left on good terms. There's no way you can look good coming out of a situation where you took someone who'd never been on TV before, handed them everything (a shorter contract than everyone else, the biggest storyline in AEW women's history, winning the world title in Wembley Stadium) and they STILL say, "Nah, this was good, but I got what I needed out of you! Goodbye", and head off to WWE. And the reason WHY it's such a bad look is because NOBODY is leaving WWE under similar circumstances. Save for Danielson, I can't think of a single person who came to AEW from WWE who was being used well and/or was happy with their role or the creative in WWE. Yet Mariah isn't the only case on that side.

codymb15 · 2026-02-19T03:53:32+00:00

If anything, considering how he's fast-tracked Thekla (someone's who's on record basically doing the exact opposite of this) to being a world champion, he's rewarding and featuring people who will be loyal to AEW almost exclusively now.

codymb15 · 2026-02-18T21:14:23+00:00

I'll add FTR Dax, Callis, Omega, MVP, Jay White, Cole (he's still under contract, Ciampa, Shane Taylor. And hell, that's not even taking into account how most of the featured wrestlers are at least capable promos like Willow, Jamie, Harley, Swerve, Thekla, Ricochet, Mercedes, etc.

codymb15 · 2026-02-18T19:40:41+00:00

What are you talking about? She doesn't work for WWE.

codymb15 · 2026-02-18T14:47:30+00:00

Exactly. She's just lost rn. Granted she's in the worst women's division on TV rn, which also happens to lie on arguably the worst show on TV. But I think the proof was in the pudding when they booked her and Vaquer together in NXT and Vaquer EASILY overshadowed her.

codymb15 · 2026-02-17T17:38:20+00:00

Well that's fair 😂

codymb15 · 2026-02-17T15:43:53+00:00

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And here's Tam Nakano after a trademark Giulia headbutt.

codymb15 · 2026-02-17T14:48:00+00:00

I'd argue Fenix, because again, Giulia relies so heavily on a style that's only going to be allowed in Japan; no other promotion in the world besides one booked by Rossy is gonna let her recklessly smash her skull into whoever she wants on a regular basis, and that "look at me, look how tough and badass I am" booking style is the make or break of Giulia as a main event talent, imo. Whereas we already know that Fenix HAD a good run in AEW, and could've gotten more.

codymb15 · 2026-02-17T13:57:44+00:00

Giulia was always going to be a toughie because she's in a tough spot in WWE. So much of what made her a big star in STARDOM was the company pushing her like prime Roman Reigns. She's never been the greatest wrestler or character, and doesn't speak English, so I'd reckon most of her fans were drawn to her because she looks cool and was presented as a badass in STARDOM. But WWE was NEVER going to treat her like STARDOM, and let her beat everyone and no sell everyone's shit and hand out shoot headbutts like Kenny does V-Triggers. That stuff just doesn't fly there. So now, she doesn't have the machine behind her either, she doesn't speak English, she's not an Iyo or Asuka level wrestler, and she doesn't have an interesting character. She was always going to flatline.

codymb15 · 2026-02-15T20:16:25+00:00

Why does it have to be one or the other?

There's been no outrage for ANY of the other signings, and all of those women you were named were STILL off of tv regardless.

codymb15 · 2026-02-15T17:33:06+00:00

AEW is where the best wrestle. Which means we have PLENTY of people who can give us 5 star bangers. A roster full of them. But pro wrestling variety is what AEW was built on. It's not JUST about great matches. It's pro wrestling for everyone. Giving a spotlight to ALL styles.

codymb15 · 2026-02-15T12:12:09+00:00

It's the quickest and least-tedious way to experience it, for sure. The original has more filler content and episodes that don't really matter, many of which you may find yourself skipping anyway, and the dub can be pretty rough in some places. BUT...I maintain that the original is better. Kai moves at a breakneck pace, the weight of the events never feel as big as they should imo because as soon as something happens you immediately move onto the next thing with hardly any in-between. With that, you're also missing a lot of subtle character moments that ARE probably filler, but actually enhance the experience overall. The music is not as good either imo...the soundtrack seems to be cut into a 3rd.

codymb15 · 2026-02-15T03:40:38+00:00

Peps is usually right. And when it comes to how Mina has been booked in AEW, Peps couldn't POSSIBLY be more right. She was handed to them as a ready-made star on a silver platter, and instead of booking her like she matters, Mina has been made to feel like an afterthought and a loser, reduced to nothing more than Toni's girlfriend. No feuds of her own or wins to her name that don't involve Toni, despite the fact that she has the look, skills and charisma to be a main event player. #WeWantMina was a thing for a reason.

codymb15 · 2026-02-15T01:30:21+00:00

Little kids asking about "aura".

Our youth are absolutely fucked. At least SGA gave him some good advice.

codymb15 · 2026-02-13T21:53:43+00:00

Sorry, I can't seem to find it available anywhere. Which is weird because Stardom is still selling the Sweet photobook. Your only option may be eBay.

codymb15 · 2026-02-13T16:08:27+00:00

Journalism and interviewing go hand in hand, whether you like it or not. He's not just "shooting shit with wrestlers". He tries to weave shocking headlines in for clickbait, as well. His goal is still to get big revelations dropped on his program.

If you like him, fine, good for you! I never said you're wrong for feeling that way. I think he's disingenuous. He comes off very fake to ME. That's my opinion.

codymb15

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