Hello and welcome to the WrestleTalk News, I’m Pete Quinnell.
It’s common knowledge at this point that in WWE, any bit of good booking came from
Triple H and any bit of bad booking came from Vince McMahon with absolutely no exceptions,
it’s just a fact of life.
But what’s this?
News that might prove the contrary?
How dare thee.
Yes there may be some creative decisions that maybe Triple H makes that maybe might not
be great, as Santos Escobar has revealed that back when he first debuted in NXT, he wanted
to bring back the LWO right from the get-go, but Triple H said no before he even go out
the letter O.
This came from Escobar on Ryan Satin’s Out Of Character show, where he went on to say
that he was really mad about it and Triple H made a horrible mistake when- oh no, sorry,
mistake in my notes.
What he actually said was: “Triple H was right.
The time wasn't right.
It wouldn't have been what it is right now.
Also, it needed a very important ingredient: an OG.
An original LWO [member], and that's Rey [Mysterio].”
Huh.
So Triple H still is a booking genius and we can blame Vince McMahon for everything
bad in WWE without any trace of nuance?
Nice.
But what’s this?
News that might prove the contrary?
How dare thee.
Because it turns out that Vince might have booked something that we actually liked once
or twice.
I know, it’s crazy to say.
Because according to Paul Heyman in a recent appearance on Rick Rubin's Tetragrammaton
podcast, Vince McMahon was the guy who thought of pairing Heyman with Roman Reigns.
Interestingly, Heyman noted that Reigns took his time away from WWE in early 2020 partly
because of the pandemic and being uncertain how severe it was going to be, but also because
he was fed up of his creative as The Big Dog: “The feud rivalry story with Baron Corbin
over dog food and the infamous sufferin succotash promo had weighed on him enough to where he
said, 'I've had enough.
I've reached the cap.
I can't go any further.
As the big dog I've peaked.
and as an athlete, I haven't peaked as a performer.
I've barely scratched the surface.
I have so much more to offer and since I'm taking time off, I'm not coming back as the
same person.”
Heyman then revealed that there were a few options for him to be paired with various
wrestlers, including the obvious Brock Lesnar, though his appearances in 2020 didn’t make
sense for WWE while not having Saudi and not having live events, but also Ronda Rousey,
who was attempting to have a child at the time which ruled out that pairing, and Roman
Reigns.
Heyman then said he received a call from Vince in the middle of August, which would have
been right around the time Reigns was coming back anyway, and revealed that he wanted Heyman
to join Reigns.
So Vince can book good things sometimes.
But everything bad in WWE is still his fault, obviously.
Meanwhile in AEW, it’s Forbidden Door season, so everything is a bit more exciting than
usual - but it could have been even more exciting with a potential appearance that now unfortunately
can’t happen.
According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, there were “significant discussions” between
Tony Khan and Mercedes Moné about appearing at Forbidden Door prior to her injury at NJPW’s
Strong Resurgence event.
So there’s every chance that we could have had a Moné match at Forbidden Door, which
would have been pretty rad to say the least I think.
But even without Moné, TK is still confident, as he’s called this year’s Forbidden Door
“the best event either company has ever participated in” in an interview with Justin
Barrasso, which is…bold to say the least considering there’s a run in both companies’
histories where they were considered to be putting on the greatest wrestling in the world.
And now over to Oli.
It’s Thursday, you know what that means…
my review of AEW Dynamite in 3 words or fewer/less - wrong show …I mean in about 5 minutes.
The show opened, as it has done almost every week this year, with Orange Cassidy defending
his International title.
Only this time was different.
There was an actual credible chance he might lose it, facing his biggest threat yet in
Swerve Strickland.
It was almost as much a match to see who’s coolest, as much as who’s best in the ring.
Swerve’s offence is just as effortless as Cassidy’s - like spilling an Electric Chair
spot over the top rope outside, to be in the exact same Electric Chair spot.
It was Cassidy who seemed to be losing his cool, selling not just the pain from months
upon months of accumulated damage, but also the cracks of a gimmick that projects he doesn’t
care - when I’m starting to think, deep down, beneath the Clint Eastwood stoically
stoned persona, he wants to see how long he can keep this championship.
Which means even after all this time, and all these defences, me and the audience are
still rooting for him, despite Swerve being a very worthy new champion.
Swerve accidentally took out Prince Nana in the only interference spot, they kicked out
of each other's finishers, but Orange just got another technical pin in the end to win
a great match - prompting Sting and Darby Allin to save him from an Embassy beatdown
afterwards.
It’ll be the Embassy vs Cassidy, Allin, Sting and Keith Lee - because I’m pretty
sure Swerve and Keith Lee never getting an actual singles match is a backstage joke on
me now - next week.
Following one of many great video packages hyping Forbidden Door, Bryan Danielson came
out on commentary for the Blackpool Combat Club vs wrestling’s weirdest faction Chaos
- where Danielson rightfully pointed out that Okada, his Forbidden Door opponent and Chaos
leader, is not a serious person.
Trent’s mum is in Chaos.
Nobody’s mum is in the Blackpool Combat Club.
Chaos were represented by Rocky Romero, Trent and Chuckie, who put in a great performance
against Mox, Claudio and Yuta.
The BCC got the win, after Claudio uppercutted a Trent top rope moonsault to the outside
in mid-air.
The HungBucks then challenged the BCC for next week’s show in Washington, D.C. - which
is where Dynamite had its first ever episode, and Danielson promised it’ll be Hangman
and the Bucks’ last.
Due to contractual obligations, MJF then had to appear in Colorado, which he called the
most boring place in the world, and he’s quite the authority on boring, because he’s
bored by AEW’s competition for him.
Perfectly teeing up Adam Cole’s musical interruption.
What followed was MJF in his craftsman-like promo prime - making a long speech building
Cole as a wrestler and his career up better than anything AEW has done since his debut
in September 2021.
Max talked about being instantly captivated by Cole seeing him on the otherwise rubbish
indie show Ring of Honour.
Watching him go to Florida to shock the system, become Shawn Michaels’ handpicked guy and
the best world champion in that promotion’s history.
Max said he studied Cole, which is a shoot, brother, much love HH x - as an Instagram
post he made on the 9th June 2016 (so eerily almost exactly seven years to the day), saying
“watch the best to be the best” - with a vision board of Tully Blanchard, Chris Candido,
Chris Jericho and Adam Cole.
Maybe I should get into vision boards too and I can manifest my dreams into reality.
Manifest!
But after all that talking up, Max then tore Cole down - asking with all that past, who’s
the guy who turned up in AEW?
He’s out of shape, he’s fragile, the company’s trying too hard to get him over, and he’s
gone from the Panama Playboy to the Panama Gameboy, streaming games on Twitch.
And if you think MJF couldn’t get any more levels of heat after saying Great O’Khan
was the only good wrestler in New Japan, hold my burberry scarf, because he then said he
thinks Vince McMahon is right, big fan, Cole didn’t have what it takes to be a top star.
Cole had some good retorts, pointing out Max’s fiance leaving him, accusing him of being
on steroids, and getting a no respect chant going - smartly tricking MJF into giving him
a World Championship Eliminator match next week - but I felt Max’s punches landed way
more heavily, because, unfortunately, through circumstance and booking, Cole has not felt
anywhere near the level he was prior to AEW.
Hopefully this is the feud that can really reignite him.
The Hardy Party said they’re going to make Ethan Page a better man.
Hook and Jungle Boy had a great bloody tornado tag from outta nowhere against Preston Vance
and Dralistico after their segment last week.
Vance and Hook in particular looked amazing, with Preston gushing blood, and Hook hitting
an exploder suplex on him off the apron through a table.
Jungle Boy got the win, showing a bit more of a violent side.
Zooming out more for a macro take, though, AEW just spent near three months building
up the three other pillars for a pay-per-view world championship main event, and it now
feels like they’ve gone right back to where they were before.
Darby is playing third-fiddle to Sting and Cassidy, Jungle Boy’s in a frankenstein
and Sammy Guevarra is nowhere to be seen.
It’s a very poor follow-up.
AEW should’ve had far more elevated plans for them.
Tony Khan made his latest game-changing, limousine riding, levelling up, Shazam: Fury of the
Gods, announcement for, not next week in Winnipeg, but two weeks’ time in Chicago - the main
event of the debut episode of Collision: Samoa Joe, Jay White and Juice Robinson will take
on CM Punk and FTR.
I know the show’s in Chicago.
I know he’s now been announced for the main event.
But we can’t be sure of anything when it comes to Punk and AEW - which is why it’s
not truly official until WrestleTalk’s CM Punk return correspondent Brian Children has
broken it himself.
Brian, has CM Punk returned yet?
BRIAN: Yes!
Yes, he has!
Yes he-...no, wait, sorry, there were too many tears on my screen, it made it look like
he had.
No.
No he hasn't.
We don't have time for tears Brian.
Back to work.
Takeshita came out to squash an enhancement talent called Damon Ace, while footage played
over and over on the tron of Don Callis betraying Kenny Omega.
Don got loads of heat again for his post-match promo, once again promising him and his family
will cut Kenny and the Elite out of All Elite Wrestling like a cancer.
Which will just make it All Wrestling.
Or Awwwww.
Christian Cage and Luchasaurus beat up Arn Anderson’s son Brock backstage - building
the real match everyone wants to see: Arn vs Luchasaurus.
I guess Wardlow and his TNT championship are also involved.
Kris Statlander overcame Daddy Magic interference to beat Anna Jay.
Taya Valkyrie was shown watching angrily backstage, keeping their TBS title feud bubbling.
Toni Storm and Ruby Soho cut a promo on the Women’s No. 1 Contender 4 way on Rampage
- where Britt Baker feels like such the obvious winner, she’ll surely lose via interference.
And the main event was Ricky Starks vs Jay White.
This wasn’t super heated, or the super amazing usual TV main event you get from AEW, but
it was an incredibly solid pro wrestling encounter.
I love the way Jay structures his match, cutting off babyface comebacks, so I really enjoyed
it.
The ref got accidentally taken out from the Roshambo, letting Austen and Colten Gunn make
the shock interference, hit a 3:10 to Yuma on Starks, for Jay to follow up with a Blade
Runner to win.
Of course.
How did we not see this coming?
The Gunns are joining Bullet Club Gold.
I experienced it in the moment as a bit lame.
AEW are trying to get the Gunns over above their station again - like in the Firm, or
doing the transitional tag title run.
But the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of this new act.
Mostly because the promos are going to be insane.
This week’s Dynamite is 75%.
Now go watch me play wrestling board games in the new episode of our No Holds Board series!