TrueEpic08
Dum Shiny
I'd have to watch it again since I was working out while the match was going on, but I thought it was pretty well paced despite being so long. Sure, I'd have preferred 30 minutes over 40 and a shorter restart period, but I've seen so many 30+ minute matches that absolutely didn't need the time that I tend to appreciate matches like this, that have a clear structure and point to it, even if they are overlong or flawed in some other way.
Agreed about Punk, though. Dude was amazing tonight; it reminded me a bit of MJF's match with Darby at Full Gear, where MJF was great, but it doesn't quite work in the same way without Darby's performance in the match.
Agreed on the holding pattern/slow burn in the company. The shows are definitely still enjoyable, but the top guys besides Punk, MJF, Mox, Danielson, and to an extent Darby (from a comedic/fukkery point of view if nothing else) aren't doing anything interesting or that enjoyable. I'm glad to see that Jade's push is succeeding (her match with Julia Hart gaining in the 10:30-10:45 Rampage slot, nearly matching the overall viewership of Mox's opener, and surpassing it in the demo is some other shyt), but nothing she's doing really interests me. Ditto for Cole and Baker, with the additional annoyance of them being screen hogs that exist almost solely to put themselves over and nothing else. Jericho isn't really interesting anymore, Kingston's character annoys the shyt out of me every time he's on screen these days because he's a dikkhead that everyone loves for some irrational reason (that's just me, though), and don't get me started on Cody's meta bullshyt. Jurassic Express is whatever. Death Triangle and the House of Black have no momentum (but hopefully this feud will help with that). On and on, despite the matches still being largely good and the wrestlers I mentioned being mostly enjoyable on one level or another. Hopefully things start to coalesce and improve as we get closer to Revolution.
And yes, they definitely are missing Kenny (and Miro, for that matter). I think TK knows that as well, which is why he's been using the second hours of Dynamite and Rampage to get younger talent in front of the audience and see if he can get a few of these guys/girls over. It's not totally working yet, but he's trying, at least.
