Wrestling Thread

American Dragon

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I really hope Nick wins on Saturday. This seems to be the first time in AEW that he has shown any real personality, so it'd be good for him to win the feud.
I wouldn't quite say I would be shocked if he didn't but would definitely be suprised. This feels like the type of program where Jericho went to Tony and said he wants to help get Nick Wayne over. JEricho left the segment with the upper hand. In wrestling that typically means the the other person goes over in the match. AEW hasn't always stuck to the formula on stuff like this but most of the time they seem to do. Like, for example, Mark Davis pinned Moxley last night but I have a very hard time seeing Mark Davis beating Moxley at the PPV. I won't say it's impossible because nothing is impossible in a scripted environment where injuries can change things on the fly, but if there are betting odds I'd imagine Moxley is a pretty heavy favorite.
 
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Laparkafan

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I wouldn't quite say I would be shocked if he didn't but would definitely be suprised. This feels like the type of program where Jericho went to Tony and said he wants to help get Nick Wayne over. JEricho left the segment with the upper hand. In wrestling that typically means the the other person goes over in the match. AEW hasn't always stuck to the formula on stuff like this but most of the time they seem to do. Like, for example, Mark Davis pinned Moxley last night but I have a very hard time seeing Mark Davis beating Moxley at the PPV. I won't say it's impossible because nothing is impossible in a scripted environment where injuries can change things on the fly, but if there are betting odds I'd imagine Moxley is a pretty heavy favorite.
The whole mom thing held him back
 

American Dragon

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The whole mom thing held him back
The mom thing probably shouldn't have happened to begin with, that's just so weird, but since it did, I don't think they had his character right to best utilize it.

Last night I felt was his first big breakout moment as a character. I wasn't entirely sold on the character before last night but could see the potential. I feel like he's really starting to put all the pieces together to get to that next level. Still needs more work in the weight room but it's obvious he is putting in the work there because guy looked thinner than Tayshaun Prince when he debuted.

He went in knowing exactly what he wanted to say without it sounding like he was just reciting lines he had memorized, delivered it verbally and physically with confidence and conviction, and in my opinion the most impressive part, adjusted very smoothly and naturally on the fly when part of the crowd asked him to say one more time that he beat Chris Jericho.

All I know is he is only 21 years old and there's people who have been wrestling for longer than he's been alive that don't have instincts like that in front of a live crowd.
 

American Dragon

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I've done a Kentucky themed meme for the Nick Wayne promo...

 

Nightwish

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I said from the start that saddling an 18 or 19 year old who's pasty and looks 16 with his mommy was awful and it didn't help that she practically wore a "I'm a MILF" sign on herself every week lol. Whatever that was for years was flubbed by creative. Can say the same with HOOK. We know HOOK is talented but isn't an intimidating silent warrior type because he's the size of a beagle so don't book him that way. Dom's start was a little rough but creative put into motion something that changed his look and gimmick. Mini Vikingo is 18 and isn't coming to the ring with his mom and Je'Von Evans is a year older than Wayne and is so much further along that it'd be silly to compare the two at this point.

Not trying to be anti-mom here but if you're in the wrestling business, very young and look very young, the wrong move would be putting your mother next to you every week as if she's waiting to tie your shoes.
 

American Dragon

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I said from the start that saddling an 18 or 19 year old who's pasty and looks 16 with his mommy was awful and it didn't help that she practically wore a "I'm a MILF" sign on herself every week lol. Whatever that was for years was flubbed by creative. Can say the same with HOOK. We know HOOK is talented but isn't an intimidating silent warrior type because he's the size of a beagle so don't book him that way. Dom's start was a little rough but creative put into motion something that changed his look and gimmick. Mini Vikingo is 18 and isn't coming to the ring with his mom and Je'Von Evans is a year older than Wayne and is so much further along that it'd be silly to compare the two at this point.

Not trying to be anti-mom here but if you're in the wrestling business, very young and look very young, the wrong move would be putting your mother next to you every week as if she's waiting to tie your shoes.
HOOK isn't good no matter what gimmick you give him. He wasn't a good wrestler when he debuted and he has barely improved any if any at all. His highest rated singles match in AEW by Dave is just 3.5 stars and Dave gives out stars these days like he's Santa handing out presents at Christmas. He's improved by such an insignificant amount that every time I see him wrestle I wonder if he even trains
 
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American Dragon

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Also, Je'Von Evans has always been recognized as a superior wrestler than Nick Wayne.

He just had a much lower profile on the Indies because he rarely ever wrestled outside of North Carolina. And there's only one prominent indie in North Carolina in Deadlock Pro, so for the most part people weren't seeing him wrestle. Guy was a huge star in DPW, a company which quickly emerged as like the successor to ROH as the premier destination for top notch indie wrestling.

Meanwhile, Nick Wayne was going all over the country working with arguably the biggest indie (depending on how you want to classify MLW) in GCW and also worked in other major Indies like DEFY, West Coast Pro, Prestige, Black Label Pro, Progress, Revolver. Hell eh was even working dates in Japan and the UK before ever debuting init several other major Indies across the country. He even worked dates in Japan the UK before ever debuting in AEW.

If Evans has been working a schedule like Nick Wayne he likely would have been snatched up by AEW or WWE when he turned 18.
 
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