I'll be perfectly honest. I don't feel like writing. I do feel like bitching. So...eh? My anxiety is being unreasonable about A) this hurricane and B) an upcoming surgical procedure. The details are not important enough to mention. Suffice to say, I'm going through some shit, but so is literally everyone on planet Earth. To drag this editorial of sorts back into a realm of relevance, I watched last night's Dynamite to divert my attention. For me, it was just there.
I have a couple of bones that I'm breathlessly zealous to pick with Tony Khan. Okay, the card flaunted two matches featuring talents who have never drawn air on American television. If you missed the show, I'm speaking of Juice Robinson (formerly NXT's C.J. Parker; he has done well for himself in Japan) and Bandido (pictured above). From the very beginning, I have belabored the point that one of Khan's chief goals should have been cajoling the average viewer, baiting the common fan. To most people, Juice is a goddamn nobody, whereas Bandido is a nobody wearing a cool mask.
Was there any build to these debuts? Maybe an anticipatory vignette? Nope. What's worse, this isn't the first time that Khan has pulled this gambit. Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw Jay White or Will O'Spreay on either Dynamite or Rampage? And they are two of the best professional wrestlers active today! It's no surprise that ratings dropped. Currently, AEW is apprehending just under a million pairs of eyeballs on a weekly basis. There are mild fluctuations, but folks, that number hasn't seen a significant increase since the first sighting of CM Punk.
My second grievance has less to do with Tony Khan and more to do with wrasslin' in general. Every match is virtually the same. Open with matwork, do a high spot (dive outside or it doesn't count; be sure the supposed opponent is stationary and waiting to catch unidentified flying assholes), do an unnecessarily dangerous apron spot, chop the shit out of each other, stage ten false finishes, hit your real finisher, and presto. You've got yourself a modern wrestling match. The chops, in particular, are old hat. Am I desensitized? Have I seen too much of this stuff? Yes and yes. But I'm a fan. I'll probably tune in next week.
I need a sombrero.
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