#there's also an adam cole one but i don't fuck with him

[stupidbluegirl]

Valentine's Day stickers available @ shopaew.com.

[sydsaint]

Can you please write about this idea. Y/n (adam Cole’s sister) tries to stop adam from hurting mjf because she fallen in love with max.

Babygirl better come back from injury soon! I miss him <3

Summary: The reader is Adam Cole's younger sister whom has developed feelings for Max. When she finds out Adam means to stab Max in the back she's determined to put a stop to it before Max gets hurt.

When you accidently found the Devil mask tucked away in Adam's bags you didn't want to believe what you saw. Adam and Max have become so close. Adam wouldn't betray him like that, would he? But deep down you know your brother.

Yes. Yes he would.

You tried to reason with Adam. Plead with him to forger this convoluted revenge plot and leave Max be. But if Adam Cole is one thing, it's a stubborn bastard.

So here you are, running around backstage at Worlds End in a frantic search to find Max while also avoiding your brother, Wardlow, Roderick, Matt, and Mike.

"Hey sorry, has anyone seen Max?" You ask the same question to everyone that you come across.

But the champ is seemingly nowhere to be found. And he isn't answering any of your calls or texts.

"No, sorry, I haven't seen Max today." The backstage crew member shakes her head at you.

You nod and continue down the hall. You round the corner and spot Wardlow on the prowl for you. "YN!" Wardlow spots you and lurches forward after you.

"Fuck you!" You growl and reel back out of his grip.

"Adam is looking for you, come on." Wardlow tries to reason with you all the while stalking you into a corner. "Please don't make me chase you."

You keep walking backwards and think about a way to get around the large man looming in front of you. "Screw you, Michael." You scowl at him. "I won't let you hurt Max. He doesn't deserve this!" You scold him.

"Max doesn't deserve it?" Wardlow laughs. "YN, come on. Don't tell me that he managed to manipulate you so easily?" He asks you.

"He's not like that anymore." You insist. "He's changed."

Your back hits the wall and Wardlow grabs ahold of your arm. You try and pull it away from him but his grip is set in stone. "Come on. I'll carry you if I have to. Adam just wants to talk." He warns you.

"I can walk." You huff, knowing that you can't get away now.

Wardlow pushes you forward and leads you down to the locker room. He shoves you inside where the rest of the group is waiting.

"YN, there you are." Adam greets you. "Thanks, Wardlow." He nods to his new guard dog.

"You're a bitch. And a coward." You grit your teeth at your brother. "Max trusts you! And you're betraying him." You cross your arms over your chest in frustration.

Adam scoffs and rolls his eyes at you. "Please. Like Max wasn't planning to do the same to me when he had the chance."

Adam tasks Mike and Matt with keeping you on a leash while he enacts his plans. The main even of Worlds End comes and Samoa Joe holds up his end of the bargain. Max loses his title belt and Adam comes out to console him. You are forced into the locker room and locked inside for the time being.

"No! Fuck, come on!" You begin shouldering the door open as soon as Adam and his goons are gone.

It takes you some time, and does some serious damage to your shoulder. But you manage to get the door open and make a b-line for the ring. When you arrive Adam is being held down by the masked goons, Max suffering the same fate.

"Max!" You scream as loud as you can as you run down the ramp. "Max! No! Don't listen to him!" You shout.

One of the masked men, Wardlow by the size of him, grabs your arm and stops you just outside the ring. He throws a gloved hand over your mouth and stops you from saying anything else and spoiling all of your brothers fun.

The lights in the arena go out and Wardlow lets you go. But it's too late. You scramble around in the dark but when the lights come back on Adam is free and ready to shatter Max's life.

"Adam?" Max stares at Cole with a heartbroken look on his face and your own heart shatters.

Adam and his buddies begin attacking Max and you jump into the ring to try and help him. But what are you against four grown men that are all more than twice your size. Adam finishes his assault and exits the ring with his new friends, leaving Max in a heap on the mat.

"Max! Max, no! Max, please be alright!" You move like lightening across the mat and over to Max's body.

"YN?" Max moves slowly into a hunched position.

Your chest burns and you feel tears prick your eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." You cry. "I-i-I tried to stop them." You insist. "Please, I didn't know until a few hours ago. I-i-i tried."

"It's alright." Max musters up an exhausted reply. "I believe you." He assures you.

You attempt to collect yourself and help Max to his feet. You help him up and backstage where some trainers are waiting to see him. You stay by Max's side the whole way until the trainers are letting him head back to the hotel for the night. You can't leave him now. You won't. Not after your brothers betrayal.

Once Max is free to go the two of you finally get a chance to really talk about what happened.

"Max, I am so sorry." You start to apologize for Adam again. But Max cuts you off by pulling you into his chest with an almost crushing hug.

"Thank you so much, YN." Max gushes, his voice cracking in the process.

You're a bit shocked as Max crushes you into his chest, his head buried in your hair. "Thank me? For what?" You push off of him after a moment.

"Thank you for not leaving me." Max explains. "I don't know if I could have survived knowing you hate me too. Not you." He admits. "You...YN, you're special. I-I love you."

Your eyes widen in surprise at Max's confession and a surge of confidence urges you forward. "I love you too." You damn near leap into his waiting arms. "And we'll get Adam. And your title back from Joe. They don't deserve you, Max. No one does."

"You do." Max replies with a small smile. "It's just you and me now. Are you alright with that?" He asks you wearily, not wanting to put yo in harms way, but not wanting to force you to stay either.

"I'm in it till the end, Friedman." You giggle and kiss him. "I'm alright with playing Devil's advocate."

[imperatorcaesaraugustus]

it's that time, that ThoughtD: thoughts on HotD time. this episode, season 2 episode 4, was a lot, so i suppose we should get to it

after hearing her speak for a bit longer, i realize that Alys Rivers does not have an american accent as it seemed to me last episode. she just has a british accent that happens to be rhotic

Alys Rivers has such a weird energy to her, it's very compelling

personally, if i were Daemon, i would never drink anything she gave me, but that's just me

for those who don't recall, in season 1 Rhaenyra went on a tour of the realm looking for a potential husband. the one scene we saw of this was one of her suitors leaps onto another and repeatedly stabs him. that suitor is the Blackwood who meets with Daemon this episode

it didn't really occur to me until now that I don't think Rhaenyra ever names a hand, even in the book

i'm glad they've introduced cole being referred to as the Kingmaker, considering it's the one thing that's said about him in the main series (a feast for crows, specifically). it doesn't actually make much sense, since cole really had very little to do with Aegon becoming king, but that problem also exists in Fire and Blood

i sympathize with Aegon quite a bit in this one. while Alicent is correct that he's not an expert and should listen to the advice of his council, the fact that he's never consulted and is kept out of the loop is absolute bullshit

weird interaction between Rhaenys and Alyn (or is that one Adam? i can never keep the names straight). of course, in the book Adam and Alyn don't show up until after Rhaenys dies, so the awkwardness is avoided

i'm glad the characters acknowledge how insane the meeting between Rhaenyra and Alicent is. especially if she's not going to establish a clear chain of command in her absence

i really like the look of Sunfyre

no one has any right to get mad at Aegon for not following the plan when he wasn't told the plan. that's cole and Aemond's fault

interesting choice for Aemond to kill Luke by accident but burn Aegon on purpose

Rhaenys what are you doing that is Vhagar get the fuck out of there

less comments on this episode than usual. i mostly just found it very impactful, the battle of Rook's Rest really changes things going forward. can't wait for next week

[jinxed-ninjago]

One thing I don't think we speculate/theorize/discuss/whatever enough is how Plundar would interact with the team on a more casual basis and vice versa (I'm specifying Plundar because with Wyldfyre's existence I feel like we can get a loose idea of how Korgran would interact with the team on a more casual basis and vice versa because I think Korgran and Wyldfyre have similar attitudes [although Korgran is definitely more chill than Wyldfyre], and I don't think Fungus would be much different considering how he interacts with the rest of the Upply, Cole, Wu, and Vania casually).

So Plundar interacting with the rest of the ninja:

We know Kai was likely jealous that Cole "had a crew" when Plundar introduced himself as "part of Cole's crew" so if we go off of that, I feel like Kai and Plundar would have a rivalry going on. Would it be one-sided on Kai's end? Probably, let's be honest. The idea is really funny. BUT I also really like the idea of Plundar finding worn out daggers and swords in the mines under Shintaro Mountain when he goes spelunking with the Upply and taking them to the monastery for Kai to restore. Still rivals but Kai appreciates Plundar giving him weapons to restore in the monastery's forge. Maybe Plundar even takes the weapons to Kai for him to restore in an attempt to demonstrate that the one-sided rivalry he has going on is fucking dumb lol.

Everyone else is gonna be significantly harder just because they don't really interact with Plundar canonically (Jay's only interaction with Plundar is screaming when he sees Adam then questioning who the Upply are, Nya's only interaction with him is asking who he is, and Lloyd and Zane don't interact with him at all). I will do my best however because the idea of Plundar interacting with these goofs is great.

Lloyd would probably be more skeptical of him at first, just because that's how Lloyd is. Statistically speaking, even if one of the ninja makes a new friend or ends up with a love interest who is briefly evil but ends up on their side in the end, they're still on the villain's side at some point to an extent, and I don't doubt that Lloyd would extend this sentiment to Lloyd. It happened with Zane and Pixal, it happened with Kai and Skylor (and there it resulted in Kai getting briefly corrupted), it happened with Lloyd himself and Harumi, basically you can count on ninja love interests starting out in league with the villains/villainous factions so I wouldn't doubt that Lloyd would be distrusting of Plundar, especially since Plundar's a thief. Cue Plundar trying way too hard to gain Lloyd's trust, and Cole trying to explain to Plundar "you're fine, he's just like this, he'll come around eventually as long as you aren't horrible."

I feel like Plundar would probably troll Jay all the time. Plundar's a thief who probably aces his stealth checks every time AND canonically Cole brought him on a stealth mission, you can't tell me he wouldn't tease the shit out of Jay using his stealth. It's probably more in an "I see you as a little brother so I'm gonna tease you relentlessly" way and not from a place of malice. Jay, who is used to getting this kind of shit but from a meaner verbal place from Kai, probably doesn't mind and tells Plundar when he needs a break from it.

Plundar and Nya would probably do a lot of sparring. Canonically, Nya's always looking for ways she can improve her skills, and having a stealthy thief around to help combat stealth would probably lead to a lot of sparring between the two. Outside of that, Plundar would probably be in the same spot as Cole and see her as a younger sister.

Plundar's been underground for YEARS, bro would be absolutely fascinated by both Zane and Pixal and I think they'd both be 100% down to answer any questions he has, whether it be about their mechanics, their programming, or really anything. Even if the question would be something the others would call invasive, they're patient and understanding because they understand it's new to Plundar.

I think Plundar should've interacted with the rest of the team more, I genuinely feel like we were robbed of some interactions that could've been pure gold (ESPECIALLY with Plundar and Kai) lmao

[milk-crater]

Hangman / Adam Cole

Justice card

Free association lead to this being a western. Please mind the tags/avoid if you don't like talk about hanging.

When “Hangman” Adam Page caught up to his ol’bunkmate, the bank robber Adam Cole, the fugitive turned his blue eyes upon the lawman and smiled.

“I’m glad it’s you who caught me, Page. You’re the only one who can grant my last request. I want to lay with a handsome man one more time before I die.” Cole batted his eyes like a bordello girl. Page rolled his eyes in response, kept his gun trained on the other man.

“That line ever work?” They were at Cole’s lean-too hideout by a brook. Page had tracked him there after spotting suds downstream: they smelled of coconut oil, one of Cole’s many fancy affections.   

“Used to work on you,” Cole said, his smile turning wistful. “Come on. One last roll in the hay. Your kiss is sweeter than the noose. though it feels a bit the same when you have whiskers, like you do now. When I’m hanging from that scratchy rope I’ll close my eyes and pretend it’s you kissing me.”

Page felt a twinge in his heart. Cole was a scoundrel, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see him dead.

Cole held up his hands, wrists together. “You can cuff me if makes you feel more at ease while we’re fucking.”

Page sighed, tried not to roll his eyes again. “That would actually make me feel worse about it all, actually.”

Cole shrugged, dropped his hands. He shot a sly look at the star-shaped badge on Page’s chest.

“I can’t believe Kenny finally let you be sheriff.”

“Kenny didn’t let me be anything,” Page growled, all of his sympathy and yearning for the other Adam dissipating with one little poke. God, he’d forgotten how good Cole was at getting a rise out of him.

Cole grinned. “Sure, sure.”

“You have to answer for your crimes, Cole,” Page said, putting the power of the law into his voice. It didn’t seem to intimidate Cole. The man just frowned, blue eyes turning glacial.

“And when are Kenny and the Bucks going to pay for their crimes? When are they going to pay for what they did to me?”

“What are you talking about? When they ran you out of town for embezzling from the widows and orphan fund? You deserved that—”

“No, not that,” Cole spat out. “What they did after that. What they did to me.”

There was an earnestness to Cole’s anger that made Page pause.

“What did they do?”

Adam looked away. “You don’t want to know.”

You don’t want to know. A sentence that managed to imply it had been something mighty awful, and also a phrase that managed to implicit Page’s complicity in whatever it was, his willful blindness to whatever awful business his best friends had conducted behind his back.

Page bristled at the unspoken accusation. Just ’cause his pals were ‘elite’, that didn’t mean they were above the law. Hangman could still set things right.

“Look, Adam, I can’t rightly help you if you don’t tell me—”

Cole turned his face back towards Hangman. As they made eye contact a mighty strange thing happened: Cole’s eyes changed. They went from true blue to green, the bright green of absinthe—no, of poison. A monstrous green. Then the green leeched away and his eyes were grey, the grey of coins on a corpse’s eyes. Then there were the chalky white of bone, of a dead man’s skull.

Then they were blue again, bright blue and alive, irises reflecting the flickering campfire light.

Page stumbled back. He felt an awful sickness in the pit of his stomach, like he was a couple breaths from expunging his dinner.

One side of Cole’s mouth quirked up.

“If you really want to know, ask the Bucks,” Cole said. “They might not tell you while I’m alive, but I bet they will when I’m dead. Again.”

Page swallowed down the acid bile that had been building up in his mouth. He didn’t know what the fuck was going on, or what had happened, but he knew two things:

1. His pals were capable of some awful things.

2. He didn’t want to know what exactly.

“Pack up your camp and haul ass,” Page said gruffly. “I’m taking the money you stole back to town. Be happy I’m letting you leave with your life.”

Cole sighed at got to his feet, patting the dirt off his pants as he stood.

“You sure you don’t want to fuck, for old times sake?”

“No,” Hangman said. He shuddered, imaging what it would be like if he looked into Cole’s eye mid coitus and saw those corpse eyes looking back at him.

Cole smiled sadly, as if he could read Hanger’s mind.

“Well, maybe next time, sheriff.” He tipped his hat, grabbed his pack, and melted into the darkness.  

[aleisters]

Ummm :|a

Do you have a favorite malakai black match?

OOH

this is a tough one because depending on the match he brings something very distinct and purposeful to each one... and because he's been nice to me a few times and because i'm a silly and a freak i have some biases ...

but i do have a favourite match. well, i have two favourite matches.

they're both against buddy. the first was way back, in wwe. buddy breaks malakai's nose - or at least bloodies it - about a quarter of the way into the match and so malakai spends the rest of it contending with that. but it's amazing. their chemistry as wrestlers is amazing. they are good in a way that goes unnoticed by a lot of people, even for all the success they have. my other favourite match is malakai and buddy at wrestlecade, where afterwards mal talks about how buddy is one of his favourite people in wrestling. "there will always be a place for you [with me], now shake my hand" is like. it's romantic. not in the shipping sense (but sure, if you like), but that whole speech is capital R romantic to me.

nice 2 me bias match: the trios ladder match this year. i got to go to both collision in cardiff & all in at wembley, so i got to see house of black doing the silly sexy ladder posing. and then i met malakai before all in, and i wanted to say so much to him but i only managed "can i please have a picture thank you" and i had to sit down afterwards because my anxiety is really that bad. but he was very sweet and it was lovely watching him take pictures with everyone doing his cute wink. all in was kind of a stressful mess for me (i was darby'd up to the nines and then i hated his match), but seeing hob up close was really special and they looked amazing. and then afterwards i painted malakai and he put it on his instagram ;n; so... i have a lot of bias towards this otherwise good but unremarkable (in that there's nothing wrong with it, but other things are more special) match in his career. i have the flag ivan brought out at the start of the match hanging in my room. it's the only thing i've ever used whatnot for and the only thing i'll ever use it for lol

silly bias: i really love his matches with the bucks. they've wrestled several times, going back to wxw and then pwg and then now in aew. i hope he gets to kick them in the head again sometime.

freak bias: the barbed wire cage match with copeland. the blood. the lovely blood. the barbed wire bondage. the acting. mwah.

i would also suggest his extreme rules match in nxt with adam cole, it's really good. and if you don't mind breezing past who he's wrestling against, his match with velveteen dream is fucking bonkers good. totally incredible. he was also the first person kyle o'reilly fought in nxt, that was awesome too...

i mean, it's hard to find a bad malakai match.

[malakaie]

the thing is it's kind of frustrating being a malakai fan sometimes. not bc of anything he's done, not even because of anything booking has done, but because the snippy little attitudes are relentless

about every six months the news outlets have some fresh bullshit speculation about his contract - which always has a clickbaity title, and always reads as empty dross that's you hearing from your friend who heard from another guy who heard from another guy - and they can never decide whether it's malakai asking to be released or aew trying to release him. and i'm like. well, he's booked onto aew's main show, and involved in one of the three major storylines (if we posit that the other two are mox + mvp/swerve). does that look like someone who's being fired or quietly quitting, to you?

we know what it looks like when someone is either being released or has asked to be released. no one's even mentioned death triangle's name in weeks, not even a passing mention of the fact that pac has quite suddenly been absorbed into a new trio. from what i can tell, aew doesn't book guys who are leaving or who are stuck in contract negotiations onto dynamite and into major storylines. it would just be poor business planning and use of resources, you know? if someone's contract status is uncertain and they might be quitting, you don't put a complex storyline with many people and moving parts involved on their shoulders and have to clean up the mess when they leave partway through.

now, of course, unexpected things can happen. i'm not saying that i know the status of anyone's contract because i don't, and there are always personal life and health factors that none of us as an audience are privy to, nor should we be necessarily. but it would be an incredibly weird choice to trust malakai with supporting adam cole's return to work if ... he wasn't someone aew trusted to stick around.

these articles nearly always come out when things are going well for malakai, by the way. they don't come out when he hasn't been on tv for a few weeks. i don't want to assume someone's mad at him for doing well... but...

as for the "heehee malakai black refuses to job": here's the thing. he's been wrestling his entire adult life. the difference between him and adam copeland is 10 years and earlier access to tv wrestling contracts. he was personally scouted into nxt by william regal (not to sound like knowing the right people is the only way in, but like... your contacts do help, and people take william regal's opinion quite seriously in terms of recruitment).

he's consistent, he's committed, he's passionate, he's constantly learning and evolving and trying to better his craft. and yes, he's a professional who's willing to follow the booking where it needs to go - but he also knows how good he is.

it's not even necessarily an ego thing. if you watch any match of his from the past 3-4 years, the single consistent factor is that commentary always and without fail presents him as a special talent who has something unique. it would be deeply tonally inconsistent to talk about him like that every time he's on tv and then also have him lose matches on a regular basis. if you constantly highlight someone as special and unique and someone to be afraid of and then also have him regularly lose, people will lose faith in your commentary to have half a fucking clue what they're talking about. people will lose confidence in the wrestler you keep talking about as being special. and the simple truth is that malakai isn't afraid to lose when it makes sense. he just also knows his worth and his experience and doesn't want to job for free. if you want to beat him, square up and get it done.

beyond that, he's friendly with a lot of the locker room - he's trained with will ospreay, he's friendly with darby, he's been wrestling against adam cole since 2014, etc etc - and people respect him. while it's true - by his own admission! - that he's rubbed people the wrong way at times because of how he has sometimes communicated his ideas or tried to advocate for himself, he's a reliable source of talent and storytelling. his work is internationally respected and he actively puts hours and hours of his "free time" into working with and training aspiring young wrestlers.

no one complains that orange cassidy rarely loses - they're very close in age and have very similar experience as wrestlers and as performers. orange cassidy has also been trusted with one of aew's major storylines. the only difference, the only difference, is that malakai managed to continue having a life after wwe tossed him out on his ear, and i swear it's for that reason alone that the IWC will not shut the fuck up.

[himbos-hotline]

You know, it's okay to want what's best for Adam Cole and to want him to be happy without attacking Britt and being shitty to her. I mean, we don't even know why they broke up or if they even did at all, and you're already villainizing her and painting her as the bad guy here. How is that fair? Things like this are why I don't doubt that this is the exact reason neither of them have come forward to confirm anything. And quite frankly, why would they? It's nobody's business anyway, they don't owe us any explanation. 

Anon I think you've got the wrong person? I literally. Do not care at all about what happens in wrestlers private lives. I do not care if they've broken up or still together, I just want them both happy. Also. I like brit. She's one of my favourite female wrestlers like ever. Like next to aj Lee and Chyna. In all honestly anon. I'm here to write wrestling fanfiction and reblog fics and gifs and stuff. Also if you talking about the max shit. I don't like max firstly but literally. Do not and cannot give a flying pigs shit about who did what or who did wrong, they should all be suspended. Maxs gf included.

Of course I'd want cole happy? He's a person...and people deserve to be happy.

Lmao what is this ask? Did I miss something that one of the other guys have reblogged? I am. So fucking confused. Lol.

[thesinglesjukebox]

SHINEDOWN -"A SYMPTOM OF BEING HUMAN"

Something to say about the human condition!

[3.13]

Ian Mathers: Brah, help he out here: is being undistinguished and boring as fuck also a symptom of being human? [2]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Makes the Eminem song we reviewed earlier sound like the peak of musical agility. Even relative to the decayed standards of modern rock radio stalwarts, this is dire -- I'd go for the most recent singles from Finger Eleven, Avenged Sevenfold, Five Finger Death Punch, 311, and many other bands without odd numbers in their names before I opted for this one. You can hear the exertion in every minor move here. Melodically and lyrically, this is effortful music, trying its hardest to convey the weight of the world and the uplift of its "Normal is just a setting on a washing machine"-ass wisdom. The song is ultimately a paradox; you can at once hear all of the very human failings at play in this song's construction, but all of those disparate, repugnant choices come together to create something altogether inhuman. [1]

Aaron Bergstrom: I once got stuck in a traffic jam trying to leave a parking garage at the same time a Shinedown concert was getting out. This song is a pretty solid approximation of what that felt like. [2]

Harlan Talib Ockey: Come on down to the Shinedown Emporium! We have: 1) Uncanny valley processed vocals! 2) A synth pad that sounds kind of like strings! 3) Conflicting lyrics! (Is anxiety a special, exclusive ticket to a “lunatic ball”, or an ordinary “symptom of being human”?) 4) A hollow bid for as many listeners as possible, especially adult contemporary and country fans! Buy as many as you want; we’ll be here for just over four minutes, but it’ll feel like a lifetime. [2]

Taylor Alatorre: I think Brent Smith sees himself as performing a public service by watering down his firsthand account of a panic attack to make it palatable for Hot Adult Contemporary. There's a respectable logic to that; sometimes the "YOU ARE NOT ALONE" message needs to be skywritten in big block letters for it to get through, particularly in the parts of the U.S. where acts like Shinedown still reign supreme. On the other hand, the stab at universality may end up filtering out those who see themselves as, or know they are seen as, more than just "kinda weird." If everyone's invited to the "lunatic ball," including those who present as normally functioning members of society, then what is the point of labeling it as such? The answer may lie in post-grunge's strange place in the current landscape -- exiled from the mainstream, but not oppositional to anything in a meaningful sense. Genre reflexes being what they are, Shinedown can't avoid the ever-present temptation to prescribe a sold-out rock concert as a kind of collective therapy session. It's a quaint idea, in the sense that it needs to be preserved for those who are helped by it. [5]

Will Adams: Always a fun game when a song I'm hearing for the first time ends a line with "remember" and I have just a few seconds to guess which month it'll be rhymed with. (I guessed December. Bzzt.) Things don't improve from there, with Brent Smith making so many maudlin choices to describe the human condition ("the lunatic ball"?!?) that I was expecting a children's choir to appear near the end. (Bzzt.) [3]

TA Inskeep: With more pneumatic production -- and getting rid of the strings -- this could damned near be scaling the Country Airplay chart. Singer Brent Smith's pleading voice makes me wanna punch him in the throat, as do the terrible lyrics here. [1]

Isabel Cole: As someone who has in fact always been slightly awkward, kind of weird, there are moments where I can glimpse a version of this I might like; it scans as sincere, I think, and I'll always have a soft spot for songs offering up this kind of connection over the loneliest parts of ourselves, where cliche can work because it proves the point that none of us are as burdened by uniqueness as we might imagine ourselves to be. But those schmaltzy strings smack of a failure to trust that the song itself was enough to sell its own pathos, draining it of any power a sparser or beefier or otherwise less saccharine arrangement might have let it display, and the yelping vocal that totally lacks in any kind of dynamism doesn't help matters. Plus, "lunatic ball" is way too Joker-core to be forgivable.  [3]

Nortey Dowuona: Zach Myers's guitar line is a simple lick that keeps looping in the background as the piano and strings, arranged by producer and bassist Eric Bass, swirl around Brent Smith's inflexible and stolid voice, providing it a gravitas and weight it does not have alone. The issue is that because the guitar line is the core melodic information, it feels like an anchor to the first few bars, which feel trite and limp, barely able to move. The mere fact that it has to be drowned out by the piano, then the strings, then Barry Kersh's barely propulsive drums, is galling enough. The way the piano plays this lick comfortably and sweetly before choosing not to resolve is worse. It feels like a way to occupy Myers's hands while he and Bass sing background, a way to avoid him being sidelined entirely. A symptom of overloading the song with too much information. [4]

Andrew Karpan: I admittedly missed out on the chance of paying attention to these post-Nickelback butt rawk champions of the sunshine state during my teenage years, but this is very much the kind of thing that would have spoken to me then, a smooth, piano ballad that earnestly insists upon itself and that appears strangely banal in the cold light of adulthood.  [4]

Jonathan Bradley: More than for its pomposity and its voracious appetite for cliché (“coloring outside the lines,” “crystal clear,” unpack all your baggage,” “a ship of fools”), “A Symptom of Being Human” stands out for its unsettling competency. There’s little notable about yet more post-post-post-grunge glurge, but Shinedown’s strained-vocal, string-soaked balladry soars thanks to a structure built on precision engineering -- like a Predator drone, perhaps. That makes it remarkable but also lethal: any song can invoke “November Rain” and sound like it might have been played immediately afterwards on the radio in 1992, but only by knowing how to deploy a big chorus and an arpeggiated riff that starts on acoustic guitar and alchemizes into piano can it reach the grim realm of the actually repulsive. Call it the Hinder rule: ineptitude can’t produce a “Lips of an Angel.” [3]

Mark Sinker: This is how whiskered the “Ship of Fools“ metaphor is: Plato gives Socrates oblique recourse to it in book six of The Republic. Some two millennia later, Sebastian Brant made a German phrase of it, for the title of his much-translated hit novel in the high-blogging Gutenberg moment, just as the Reformation was grinding into motion. It was popular as a figure for statecraft and as a satire of religious conflict primarily because everyone could enjoy the image without having to agree which side of the argument it depicted. Today that enjoyment may have drained away a little: hard to tell in a context where melody and timbre and style and an unbroken line of other lyrical clichés are all so grating. There's some nicely tiny tinny little-mini echoes off at the edge of the vocal now and then, and then there's this clod in clown’s whiteface smirkingly bellowing how everyone’s mad here.   [4]

Katherine St. Asaph: While moving last year, I accidentally ripped some paint off the wall while taking down an adhesive hook. Taking the errant chip to Home Depot, I learned how surprisingly difficult is to find a color of paint that replicates the exact microshade of landlord off-white that was applied to the unit years ago, or at least something that blends in well enough to not jeopardize your deposit. Thus, I can appreciate the effort it took for Shinedown to recreate the radio fixtures of Hoobastank or Lifehouse or Train this faithfully. [5]

Alfred Soto: Declarations of woundedness disguised as pleas for solidarity are as old as the crucifixion, but when I want Nickelback I listen to Nickelback, m'kay? [2]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: The best, prettiest P!nk song I’ve heard in years!  [6]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[stromer]

how do you want the draft to go??

overwhelming response (two people in total) to my previous post :p so here are my dope takes that i wish the NHL would take seriously regarding the 2023 draft:

i do not take actual draft order into consideration for like any of these... because ch*cago ruined my life and draft order attempted to ruin idgaf war hero jeichel's life SO!!

bedard to the ducks

i think it's pretty obvious this was the spot i wanted bedsy to land. the whole OC boy experience was something i was rooting so hard for. he needed to discover the healing powers of a double double animal style clowning on zegras. like i've said before, his horror filled eyes would only get worse with one trip on the I5.. and i think it would've made him an even better hockey player somehow 🧪

he REALLY needed to be a canuck. common fact. but those freaks fucked around and found out horrifically. at least they played meaningful hockey when it was supposed to be MEANINGLESS. thank you very much to those orcas. you just lost connor bedard cuz anti-tank kuzmenko had bananas to eat. and quinn. that freak

2. leo carlsson to the sharks

in a perfect world, leo carlsson will never know the saw trap under construction that is Ohio. and the fact that he even knows where it is on the map is already too much for me to bear. if my lovely sharks had actually committed to a really good tank... i would’ve bought a jersey. i will use the power of my delusion to ensure this DOES happen actually. that's a guarantee cuz don't i deserve to be happy?? give me another swede MIKE!!! you keep taking ekky away from me, u capital L Loser so give me another one

in another universe i think leo to philly would be fucking bonkers level big brain 🧠 i only say this cuz i think he needs to hangout with joel farabee IMMEDIATELY. i found leo's tiktok and he's on there being so fucking silly goofy lipsyncing to GUNNA??? hooping to Lil baby??? even hit the griddy?? new era of orange and maybe leo should be there

3. adam fantilli to the HABS

this choice was mainly inspired by this comment adam left on cole's instagram and it got me THINKING. known jhughes fan boy adam fantilli has been going to work getting in with the NTDP boys and i think this is a solid choice somehow. can't really elaborate more on this, just a feeling i'm feeling.

again, in a world where jackets didn't commit to the bit of being so completely morbid awful nasty gross, adam going there so he wasn't too far away from his other half luca would've been good with me. the umichification of OHIO.. c'mon 〽️

and of course the reality of the great chances he's a future duck hasn't been lost on me. i think he's going to be a great addition to the canadian heist that will force zegras into more team canada jerseys.

plus he hit a matthews celly once. and i think that means he goes somewhere where it would be eaten up

4. will smith to buffalo

with a name like will smith he's got to go somewhere that i KNOW bitches will serenade him with the fresh prince of bel air theme song (like he assumedly has been all his life) and what better place to do this than the sabres. a team for silly goofy guys is where i think will smith and his NTDP taught silliness could thrive. also the athletic clowned on him for not being able to skate like jhughes despite being the n.1 center in the NTDP this year. whiteboy hockey looks can haunt you apparently .but my son you will go to a place where it doesn't matter because the vibes are too strong. cuz i said so

however, streets are saying he might be coming to the sharks. no surprise considering will is a future boston college student athlete and mike grier starts acting up anytime someone with BOSTON connections is in his sights. like a rabid dog with no self control. so, maybe bordy will be in contact with smith soon via insta DM?? and maybe i wouldn't be mad about it

anyway... all of these boys are haunted regardless of where they get drafted because they got invited to vegas to watch stanley cup final game 2.. and we all know that was a monstrosity so. Permanently scarred pre draft, here's how i would've saved them.

THE END!

[galaxy-brain-rasslin]

Thoughts on the AEW Revolution 2024 card:

The Young Bucks vs Sting and Darby Allin - I will be genuinely surprised if Sting and Darby win this match. I can see a reason to have them win and just have them relinquish the belts on Dynamite or something, but there would be no better way for the Bucks to cement themselves as Terrible People than by fucking on Sting and getting the belts.

Orange Cassidy vs Roderick Strong. While I have been enjoying OC as the Enternal International Champion, I think Roddy needs to win this to help legitimate Undisputed Kingdom as an actual faction to care about. I maintain some of the issues with the credibility of the group will be reduced once Adam Cole is able to actually go out there and do more than sit.

Samoa Joe vs Hangman Adam Page vs Swerve Strickland. It will suck if Hangman is unable to actually be there for the match (since reports are that there's some sort of "personal issue" that may impact this, which is why they did the foot thing). That said, regardless, I feel like Joe should retain. If it's all three of them, it perfectly sets up HangMAD being too caught up in trying keep Swerve from winning that he ends up also not winning.

Toni Storm vs Deonna Purrazzo. This match will probably be great. Deonna is great. Toni is great. I feel like the most likely outcome is some sort of fucky finish that allows Toni to retain. Although I wouldn't be surprised if it backfires and Deonna wins-- since that could feasibly set up a Toni/Mariah feud.

Eddie Kingston vs Bryan Danielson. I want Eddie to win. I always want Eddie to win. I think there's a solid case to be made for Bryan winning. However, I also think that Bryan's apparent refusal allow himself to be booked to win a title, and how hard he's going with the "Eddie is a bum and I don't respect him" lines, also makes a solid case for Eddie retaining. Undoubtedly, Eddie will have to lose the belts at some point, but I'm not sure that this is the best time. Plus, it would complete the story (lol) of Eddie earning the respect of Blackpool Combat Club (or re-earning, in the case of Mox).

Will Ospreay vs Konosuke Takeshita. Bruv I don't even care who wins. This match is gonna fuck.

Christian Cage vs Daniel Garcia. I *want* DG to win. Dude deserves having the belt. He's a former ROH Pure champ. He's great in the ring. People enjoy him. I legitimately don't think losing would hurt Christian from a fan perspective. The man can still be a reprehensible POS without the belt.

Wardlow vs Powerhouse Hobbs vs Lance Archer. A "Meat Madness" match. lmao. This is obviously just a big hoss shitpost match, but I think it'll be fun.

FTR vs Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli. Wheeler has his pending trial in May from where he allegedly brandished a gun at someone on the highway (wtf man, settle the hell down) so I don't know exactly how that's going to factor in with any potential booking. Both FTR and Mox are booked in ways that keep them pretty protected (Mox has only been pinned clean what, like, maybe 4 times the entire time he's been in AEW? And one of those was when he was accidentally concussed.) so it'll be really interesting to see where this goes. I can see a case for either side winning, but I would speculate that if BCC loses, it would probably be Claudio eating the loss (or it'll be some kind of DQ).

[wrestlingisfake]

WrestleDream preview

Christian Cage vs. Darby Allin - Allin is challenging for the AEW TNT championship, in his hometown of Seattle. It's a best two out of three falls match, so the first guy to score two falls (by pinfall, submission, count-out, disqualification, or stoppage) wins the match and the title. Cage has been acting like the TNT champion ever since he helped Luchasaurus win the belt on June 17, but he didn't officially win the belt until September 23, in a three-way match against both Lucha and Allin.

The story has dragged out for months and it seems to be well-received, but there's not much to it beyond the fact that Cage is a mega-dick and Allin has a strong attachment to this particular championship. I could get into how Christian has become a meme for fixating on his opponent's dead fathers and single moms, but that's not really pertinent here. I also don't expect his talk of becoming a real father figure to Allin's protege Nick Wayne will amount to anything. Once the bell rings, it's just going to be a hometown hero against a ridiculous heel running out of ways to avoid a straight fight.

Christian spent most of his career intertwined with Adam "Edge" Copeland, whose WWE contract reportedly expired at the end of September. Naturally fandom jumped the gun and started fantasy booking Edge getting into this storyline two weeks ago, so by now there's a lot of hype for his debut. If he's in the building tonight, my guess is he'll make his entrance after the match is over. I'm not at all convinced that he'll align with either of these guys or play a role in the finish. But I guess we'll see.

I was on the fence about who would win here until they made it clear this match would close the show. We've got several local boys on this card and I don't think they'll all win, but you gotta figure the one in the main event has to win. WWE would jump at the chance to defy that expectation, but AEW isn't nearly so eager to fuck with people, so I think Darby will secure his third TNT title reign.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Bryan Danielson - Sabre is the NJPW World television champion, but as far as I've heard the title is not at stake here. This match is more about simple pride, and delivering a dream scenario for mat-based wrestling.

Danielson is such a good grappler that he routinely won the Wrestling Observer's annual reader's award for technical wrestling, and when he retired in 2016 the award was named in his honor. The only other man to hold the award in the past 17 years is Sabre; Bryan once joked that he came in second for the Bryan Danielson award. A scheduled matchup in 2022 was canceled when Danielson was sidelined. Now planning his second retirement, Bryan is circling back to that unfinished business.

I expect these two to just have fun exchanging holds and working however they want. That may or may not click with AEW's audience. I mean, the AEW fanbase isn't going to ridicule this for being a nerdy scientific bout. But Sabre is all about wriggling in and out of holds, not splashy high-impact maneuvers. And Bryan isn't doing this match to not work Sabre's style; the point will be to beat him at his own game. That could come across like a chess match in the middle of a football game, if they're not careful.

I had a pretty good feeling Danielson would win here...when I still thought this match was going to close the show. The fact that it isn't suggests they don't want to end with a local favorite going down in defeat. And it makes sense for Bryan to put over the younger guy on his way (eventually) to retirement. However, I think there's at least a chance of a Danielson win, so I'm picking Sabre but not with a ton of confidence.

MJF vs. Vincent Marseglia & Bobby Dutch - On September 22, Vincent and Dutch, of the Righteous, earned the right to challenge MJF and Adam Cole for the ROH tag team title. However, Cole injured his ankle on September 20, and revealed on September 27 that he'd need surgery. Rather than forfeit the championship, Max insisted on defending the belts all by himself.

Before Cole got hurt I was sure this was a slam-dunk easy win for the champs. Now I have no idea. The Righteous really have no business winning the ROH tag title from two top AEW stars in the middle of a hot storyline. They certainly have no business pinning the AEW men's world champion. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of a top singles guy winning a handicap match against a solid midcard tag team--WWE used to do that all the time, but that doesn't mean I want AEW to start. Also, what's the point of having Max retain? It'd be a huge testament to his devotion to Cole, but you'd just be setting up another two-on-one situation for the next title defense.

Regardless, I think this should be sports entertainment at its finest. Max will have to pull out all his cheap tricks to stay alive, and because of the storyline the fans will be solidly behind each and every one of those tricks. I don't see him retaining the belts unless someone does a run-in, and right now Max's only friend is not exactly equipped to run into anything. So if he does win, it'll probably involve a whole new wrinkle in the ongoing saga...

Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi & Chris Jericho vs. Will Ospreay & Konosuke Takeshita & Sammy Guevara - Don Callis and Takeshita turned on Omega a few months ago, and Guevara turned on Jericho a couple weeks ago to join them. Ospreay hasn't formally joined the Don Callis Family but he's been helping them out an awful lot for someone who isn't technically involved. Omega and Jericho needed backup, so naturally that means the return of Kenny's ~very special friend~ Ibushi.

I don't expect this match to resolve any feuds. At most it'll set up Jericho vs. Sammy and Takeshita vs. Ibushi. I'm not sure where that will leave Omega or Ospreay, who already squared off in June. You'd think the destination is Golden Lovers versus Takeshita and somebody, but I'm not sure who ends up in that role. The Callis faction is still a work-in-progress, so they'll probably get the win as they continue to coalesce into their final form.

Eddie Kingston vs. Katsuyori Shibata - Eddie is defending both the ROH men's world title and the NJPW STRONG title. Shibata's ROH pure championship is not on the line, and pure rules won't be in effect. I'm not sure there's any point here except that Eddie loves Japanese wrestling, so he's been going around wrestling all the guys he admires. On paper I'd call Shibata the heavy favorite, but it doesn't make sense for him to be a triple champion. So the story needs to be about Eddie overcoming Shibata's withering offense with sheer force of will. Kingston retains.

Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler vs. Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis - FTR (Dax and Cash) are defending the AEW tag team championship. This is a rematch from October 1, when FTR beat Aussie Open to retain the IWGP tag title. The build for this is the same as every other big tag match you've ever seen, with both teams claiming to be the best, and resenting the other being called the best, and everybody's trying to feed their kids yadda yadda. Point is, the wrestling will be good. I suppose a title change would be okay, but I'm thinking FTR will retain.

Kris Statlander vs. Julia Hart - This is Statlander's 13th defense of the AEW TBS championship. Julia has not lost a match since April, when she came up short against...well, Kris Statlander. I've been digging Julia's whole spooky chick gimmick and it's gratifying to see her getting a push, although I don't know if switching the title here is the next logical step for her. Of late she's been spraying black mist into the eyes of Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale, and I have no idea how or why that'll play into this match. Something tells me Kris will retain and Julia will refocus on that spooky stuff.

Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland - Strickland is from Tacoma and is bound to be over huge in Seattle. I've been profoundly disappointed in the writing for Swerve's storylines in AEW, and I think he's been criminally underutilized. He desperately needs a big win as a statement, and I'm not confident he's going to get it here. They've tried to make this feel like a huge grudge match, but the go-home promos just didn't click with me--each guy basically said what they would have said to literally any other opponent. I like Page and want him to get back into the groove, but under the circumstances I have to pull for Swerve to beat him.

Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson vs. Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn vs. Orange Cassidy & HOOK vs. Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix - This is a four-way match where the first man to score a fall on any opponent will win the match and a future AEW tag title shot. This feels kind of random. I get the feeling the Gunns are next in line, and the other three teams are just here so we won't expect the Gunns to win.

Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta - Starks is now 0-2 against Bryan Danielson but he still talks like he's winning, so now Danielson's young boy is going to try to shut him up. I mean, Starks needs a win and he's obviously going to win here, so that's good. But since Yuta is the bottom bitch in Danielson's group it really emphasizes that Starks had to take a big step down to find somebody he could beat. I'm not thrilled about that, but as far as this match goes I'm sure they'll make him look good.

Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty & Diamante & Mercedes Martinez vs. Athena & Keith Lee & Satoshi Kojima & Billie Starkz - This is on the pre-show. I haven't kept up with ROH lately so I assume Taylor's team is the latest incarnation of Shane Taylor Promotions. I don't know that the other team has any reason to be in this fight. The only storyline I'm aware of is how Athena is a heel but she's "graciously" recruited Starkz, a babyface, as her personal minion. Kojima seems to just be here to remind us that this was ostensibly a New Japan tribute show. I guess Athena's team wins.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Josh Barnett - Another pre-show match. Barnett is a former UFC champion and once headlined the Tokyo Dome with New Japan. But modern wrestling fans may know his name best from Josh Barnett's Bloodsport, a regular fixture in GCW's Wrestlemania weekend schedule. I'm a bit surprised they're just throwing his AEW debut out there like this, but maybe that's because Claudio's just going to beat him in 8 minutes.

Max Caster & Anthony Bowens & Billy Gunn vs. Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls & Bad Dude Tito - Gunn and the Acclaimed are defending the AEW trios title on the pre-show. The challengers are Zack Sabre's teammates in TMDK. I hope this means Haste does a cool entrance with his theme song and the orange hat h had during the G1, but knowing AEW they'll accidentally play Slapjack's entrance theme instead. The champs obviously have to retain.

Luchasaurus vs. Nick Wayne - Yet another pre-show match. Wayne is the son of journeyman wrestler Buddy Wayne, who trained Darby Allin in the Seattle area. Luchasaurus is a 65-million-year-old dinosaur with a master's degree, who is unwaveringly loyal to Christian Cage for no apparent reason. So they're going to fight here, probably to keep each other from running into the main event. I'm sure Nick's flippy moves will keep him alive for a while, but Lucha is going to grab this kid and squash him like a bug.

[danwhobrowses]

My Highlights of Full Gear 2023

And we're back with the wrestling.

Full Gear has a lot of moving pieces looking to build; a variety of title matches, grudge matches and friends fighting one another.

Let's see how what I enjoyed

Spoilers for the PPV of course

Buy In

Stoke staring daggers at Eddie while the crowd still pops for him

'He listens to anime soundtracks' - okay Stokely's a heel in my mind now anime soundtracks slap

In wrestling lore, Anne Hathaway is Stokely's adopted sister XD

That overhead belly to belly into the turnbuckle was so fucking clean

GOODNESS that guitar crack into Sonjay (for a retired backroom staff member Sonjay always takes a lot of bumps)

Ortiz and Eddie together makes me wonder, Santana for next ROH champ?

Eddie's commemorative popping the crowd with Renee - but he was too busy cussing out Stoke to cuss out RJ

I think we don't appreciate enough that the Blackpool Combat Club as a faction exist outside of alignment; all four dabble in heels and yet Claudio is the face against Buddy, Bryan is a face for the Continental Classic, but Mox and Yuta are heels against OC and HOOK (surprised we didn't have a FTW title match here)

This match slaps as well, Claudio and Mr Rhea Ripley are just not human

Cheeky Nandos Kick foreshadowing

Gunns' entrance still slaps, it's perfect and it also elevates BCG when they use it together

In this house we chant 'JOE!' repeatedly

MJF with 365 days on his robe

LA Lakers attire too

'I'm a poor' sign - who isn't these days bud?

Gunns have been flying around everywhere in this match

ADAM COLE BAYBAY!

Leg injury angle adds to the drama too

Main Card

Starting with a big trios match

A fucking children's choir doing Christian Cage's entrance (with a new tron)

I mean 'he comes more often than herpes' is apt for Ric Flair

Adam Copeland with Darby's paint, and those coats

Crowd continuing Metalingus

You can tell when two wrestlers have trained together, the synergy is there

Darby, just. Why?

Darby Allin loves his spine as much as Kota Ibushi loves his neck

He's climbing Everest AFTER THIS???

Nick Wayne's heel development is almost as good as Dominik Mysterio's I must admit

Clever from Christian climbing under the ring to sweep Adam and then lure Sting out to give Darby no options

It was of course a tease, but it was probably wise to keep Copeland and Christian apart all match, save it for Revolution or Winter is Coming

Sting getting an ovation

It felt quite rushed, but OC going over was the right call

I like that Shida has been using a lot of colour to counter Toni's black and white

Kingston putting his titles on the line definitely raises the stakes for the Continental Classic

Brody and Bill staring each other down at the start of the match

MEAT Chants are still alive

Malakai just flung that ladder into Cash

Suicide Dive into a Ladder!?

Red Hart, Sky Blue and Purple Cobras

Hart still has an amazing moonsault

That was a great snap for Code Blue

I thought Sky would take it but good for Julia

Billy Boy Bird is All Elite and he still has Elevated Bruv

Swerve gets the Nana Dance with a trope Entrance

Hangman didn't even wait for the Entrance

I've been guilty of stapling myself in my youth (I didn't realise the 'metal face' is what makes the ends bend and wanted to see for myself) so I know that hurts like a motherfucker

He's fucking drinking his blood!

Swerve's Killshot instincts have awakened

DVD on a Cinder Block!

PILEDRIVER ON THE TOP OF THE BARRICADE!?

TOMBSTONE ON A BARBED WIRE CHAIR!

I do love that spot when someone beats 10 by rolling out the ring (this time dragged)

And the Chain comes back

I don't think you can't call that a match, that was a WAR

GIVE THAT MAN A BELT, GIVE THAT MAN THE WORLD TITLE BELT

Omega selling a story with sentiment

Kenny you need to rename it something other than 'You Can't Escape' because buddy they can escape

Bucks did the low blow

Jericho kicked out of the BTE Trigger

Choices of V Trigger

Matt Jackson OWA

BCG with the mocking limp

MJF with the ambulance return spot

Jay White's heel work has been great throughout

Nigel literally hiding in the corner

The table collapsed and Max hit the elbow drop anyway on pure ground

TOPE CUTTER!?

Conclusion There was a lot of great wrestling on this card.

However, between the opener and the TBS title match it did feel like some matches were very rushed; OC/Moxley was a complete sprint, same with Storm/Shida, and the Ladder Match felt rather messy to try and contain all the spots they wanted. Also TK seriously, I get Toni has done a massively over reinvention but I am begging you to let Shida successfully defend a title in front of a PPV crowd, for god's sake man.

I didn't quite like the Jets beating the Bucks either, with Ibushi signed there's not much reason for their team to exist and now they have an anytime tag title shot. I guess it does end Kenny's PPV losing streak but still.

And I must say I was on the fence about the Main Event, I get using drama to narrate the match but the leg injury did end up weakening Jay White's very strong build that he couldn't beat a one-legged MJF, and too much shenanigans leave that for every Roman Reigns defense in the last year (all 5 of them).

But on the plus side, some amazing storytelling, some electrifying spots, the TBS championship being given to a young and deserving talent, and just an all timer brutal war of a match. It's not the strongest of AEW's current strong PPV runs but it's still pretty damn strong.

Match of the Night: Texas Death Match Best Entrance: The Patriarchy's children's choir just beats the Nana Dance trope Best Attire: Sting, Darby and Adam Copeland just ekes out Statlander's Globogym Purple Cobras outfit Best Performance: Hangman/Swerve tied Spot of the Night: So much of the Texas Death Match could've gone on here but I'm giving it to MJF's over the top rope and out the ring cutter because I did not see that coming

[imperatorcaesaraugustus]

folks, you know it, you love it, it's time for another ThoughtD: Thoughts on HotD, where i give my thoughts on HotD. episode 2, season 2, let's get into it

i don't think i mentioned last week how much i really liked aegon in that episode. i continue to like him in this episode, really solid performance

i also really liked Helaena this episode, i could really feel what she was going through

ser criston is bad and i'm glad he feels bad

Rhaenyra is also really good this episode. last episode mostly just had her in grief searching for her son, but i'm glad to see more of her this episode. Emma D'arcy pulls of regal really well

the Daemon we get in this episode feels like a really solid characterization. last season felt a little disjointed i think with the writers' view of Daemon seeming to sometimes conflict with how he actually came across, but this episode it felt like it sort of clicked

Harwyn Strong gets more characterization in this episode than he did in all of season one

"Corlys likes to be dominated by his wife" is probably the least surprising thing i could have found out about him. you don't marry Rhaenys Targaryen if you don't want your wife telling you what to do

i cannot emphasize enough how much i despise criston cole. the way he projects his own failings onto Ser Arryk in order to manipulate him into going to dragonstone is fucking vile

i don't like Aemond. i don't super feel sorry for him either even with the things he's gone through. and i don't really understand why he's so popular (even though i know exactly why he's so popular) (this is not an invitation to explain to me why you like Aemond i don't want to hear it)

Adam of Hull!

i'm curious to see how they plan on getting Hugh from King's Landing to Dragonstone for the Sowing of the Dragonseeds

Cargyllbowl was great, everything i could have hoped for from that

Ser Otto is such a fucking politician and it's disgusting but i can't help but love the guy every time he gets exasperated by Aegon

DAERON MENTION! DAERON TARGARYEN EXISTS IN THE SHOW!

"i have sinned" "i don't want to hear about it" yeah, of course you don't Otto, good lord

i just want to state once again, for the record, that i hate criston cole

overall i really liked this episode

[debbiechanclub]

My main problem with All In is and always has been that MJF and Adam Cole are being made to work twice, which is stupid and unnecessarily risky. There is no argument that can be made to convince me otherwise because it's the flat-out truth. We don't need them in that match to help emphasize or sow any more discord between them prior to the main event; the discord has BEEN well established. That match could have easily gone to another actual tag team on the roster who aren't already working the show: Kings of the Black Throne (which would be a champions vs. champions match), Dark Order, The Acclaimed, fuck, even BC Gold. I'd give my right arm to see Jay White vs. Kyle Fletcher, but that's just me.

But the point is, it literally makes zero logical sense that MJF and Adam Cole are working twice. Shit happens and Cole is one concussion away from being forced into retirement. Why would you risk him getting injured AT ALL prior to having to wrestle the main event of literally your biggest show ever??? Outside of that, why make fans who paid good money and might only get to see AEW once in their lifetime watch the same wrestlers multiple times in one night when they don't have to? Wouldn't you want to utilize as much of your roster as possible?

As for the rest of the show, there are only two other matches that I don't give a flip about, and that's down to my personal preference. (And with the legal allegations currently surrounding Cash Wheeler, keeping him on the card is definitely a choice.)

Oh. And there's only one women's match. Kris Statlander is arguably the most popular woman on AEW's roster and the current TBS Champion. Yet she's nowhere to be found on the card. Not even on the Zero Hour (as it stands now as I'm writing this). And that could be down to visa issues, but we don't know that.

Anyway. There's a lot to like about the All In card, but there's also a lot to comment on. And that's my thoughts on that.

[sithwitch13]

AEW Dynamite 9/25/24

Happy Grand Slam to us all

Someone on Twitter said it had been Adam Cole-proofed due to the lack of ramp

Also I got spoiled for at least one Collision match so Saturday should rule

OH MY GOD STARTING WTH NIGEL AND BRYAN I AM GONNA DIE

Please don't play with my emotions like this

YESSSSSSSSS

Nigel shit-talking Schiavone as Schiavone is like "this fuckin guy"

Holy shit?? Nigel???? On the turnbuckle???????

The "thank you" I'm crying

KIP YESSSSS

Lol Pac and Claudio like "you don't get ti do this" to Christian, I really do think they think they're doing this for Bryan's own good

Still crying. This is all hitting closer to home re: health and career than I'd thought it would.

I think I really unironically love the Undisputed Kingdom.

Can Samoa Joe and Shibata come back to hang out with Hook again? Or Danhausen? I think he works better with someone to work off of.

Aww hey, respect. No hard feelings over that call, I guess.

I figured they were retiring the FTW belt, there's not much going on with it storywise.

Oh god I JUST stopped crying and now Taz is emotional and there it goes again

YES MY FANCY GREMLINS VS HAPPY DOG BOYS

Please god don't make me cry during this match, I think I'm a little dehydrated now

HAIR PEARLS

69ing your brother, just normal Bucks things

Taz saying Kyle's hair is like baby's breath flowers, lol. Would have gone with dandelion fluff myself.

Aw dang it now I'm gonna picture Quentin from @seananmcguire 's October Daye series as Kyle Fletcher

THE PEARLS ARE GIVING THEM POWER

DON'T DO IT KYLE

YES

now United Empire destroy Don Callis

Awww Rocky is officially Glommed

Lol Renee and Orange just chilling quietly

Nana says "Swerve is working hard to recover" and I'm picturing him sitting by a pool relaxing

MVP?!?!?!

MANAGER FIGHT

Oh shit just remembered that the other guy at the clinic I went to today for my neck had a signed picture of Bobby Lashley on his wall.

YUKA VS MARIAH TIME

Good but I wish they got more time

WILLOW

MINA!!!!

MINA'S FACE!!!!!

Okay okay okay Mox vs Darby violence fest time

Love Marina coming out with Mox. She's so good, she just needs the right presentation and this is 1000% it.

Oh geez mouth blood already

The blood on the seat of Darby's shorts is giving me traumatic flashbacks to 1996

Just noticed the crown on Mox's pants

"YOU CAN'T KILL HIM!" well now he's gonna try even more, crowd

Wtf did Darby just spit ketchup and mustard

I don't think this particular angle was necessary, but that was a good match/attempted murder.

DANIELSON AND CLAUDIO AND PAC AAAA

QUEN AND ZAY AND KOMANDER

YUTA WHERE ARE YOU

YAY BRYAN SAID FUCK

Aaa BCC vs Private Party and Komander

Saturday aaaaaaa