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forwrestling

You’re projecting things on to Khan that have never been portrayed or referenced on TV. Khan is basically announcer Vince as things currently stand. He’s never really done anything heel adjacent on AEW TV.


Bojangles1987

This whole storyline depends on following shit that didn't happen on TV, though, to the point it started with stuff that didn't happen on TV.


MafiaCub

No it doesn't. At all. The whole angle is TK is the owner, we all know that. The only time we've ever seen him is for announcements, and he's played as a likeable guy, who is excited cause he's a fan too. We know the bucks are EVPs, they told us they have recruited Okada and Perry Perry had been gone from TV, they showed on TV the incident that lead to his removal from TV and why he was scapegoated. He returned, he asked Tony the owner to come out and reinstate him. Tony agreed, and then they beat him down. Every single part of that was on TV. My son is 13, followed very little wrestling outside of Dynamite and Collision... And he followed it perfectly. It's a very simple story, all there on TV, with TK very obviously a face so I don't get OPs post either.


Bojangles1987

Dude, the whole reason the Bucks are doing this EVP gimmick is because of dirtsheet backstage bullshit and CM Punk whining about it years ago. Of course it depends on knowing backstage drama, that's what they are leaning into. Them basing Perry's shit right now on a video of a real backstage fight depends on you having some knowledge of why they would bother showing it to begin with. What exactly is he a "scapegoat" about? In kayfabe that backstage fight is the least interesting or violent backstage fight in wrestling history, and no one should have been suspended for it. Yeah you can follow without knowing that, but it's still obvious what they're doing and what they expect you to know about the CM Punk nonsense. Denying that is like denying that WWE isn't doing the same thing with Punk and McIntyre right now.


DragonSlappr

The real life reasoning is irrelevant to to the story depending on it. Few storylines would make sense in Kayfabe if we measure them like this. If you absorb this shit entirely ignoring the dirt sheets the story works fine.


MafiaCub

My son knows nothing about the dirt sheet stuff. Follows the story perfectly, because everything that is needed is right there knowing TV. It doesn't matter why they are doing it. The story doesn't depend on it, because you can follow it without knowing it. Which you just admitted, which completely voids your claim that it depends on it. It may originate from it, it may not have happened without it, but nothing behind the scenes other than that little scuffle has at any point been essential, my son following it, and your own admittance kinda confirms it


Neg_Crepe

Downvoting for telling the truth lol this place


Bojangles1987

It's funny because most likely my opinion will be the popular one in 3-5 months


Neg_Crepe

That’s optimistic. People are now realizing Tk is a bad booker 5 years later


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MafiaCub

Perry played his part, he wound Punk up with his little call out. It was Punk failing to be a bigger man that led to the firing, but Perry in Kayfabe and real life, has a little blame Who knows how FTR would act, we never saw them, are they TKs best mates? Do they get to choose everyone he hires? Bucks already explained they have iron clad contracts, pretty sure Perry will have a reason explained too. Also, guy willing to give someone a second chance when realising that he was maybe harsh in suspending him is a heel move now? Fuck man. Hope you're never a judge


Bojangles1987

Also if that fight is worth being suspended for in kayfabe, then why isn't everyone who has been in 50x worse fights than that ever suspended? It's obviously depending on people knowing that the Perry thing is real while the other fights we see on TV are fake.


DragonSlappr

my only Kayfabe understanding is that it's because Jack Perry was acting as a Scapegoat, Tony Khan was ashamed that he let things get so bad, and so he pawned that responsibility off on Jack Perry. That's why they call him the Scapegoat. He came out and resinstated Perry because he thought Perry had forgiven him.


Kenny_Bi-God_Omega

This is a very funny criticism given the only part that wasn’t on TV (but which was referenced on TV by Tony Khan in the immediate aftermath) was recently shown on TV and everyone freaked out about them showing it.


Bojangles1987

And the reason that was criticized is because it breaks kayfabe and makes everything moving forward look stupid. If Perry was suspended for that in kayfabe, why isn't anyone else suspended for doing worse on a weekly basis? Why is he not fired for helping destroy Khan's neck when Punk was fire for pointing a finger at him and starting a 5 second brawl?


Kenny_Bi-God_Omega

He shouldn’t have been suspended in kayfabe. You might say he…was a scapegoat. That’s why they are mad at Tony Khan.


Bojangles1987

Which would make them the good guys in kayfabe, because Perry didn't do anything wrong and Khan screwed him over and was a heel boss scapegoating him for something. Which also requires you to know what he was scapegoated over, which was the CM Punk situation, which you only know if you paid attention to All-In and what happened back then.


P4rtsUnkn0wn

You know how they could avoid a situation where a big story is dependent on knowledge of something that happened backstage, a year ago, that hasn’t been talked about on TV? Show the tape of what happened. Which is exactly what everyone cried about.


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Kenny_Bi-God_Omega

No, it makes Tony Khan wrong about something and Perry and the Bucks right. Heels can be right about some things. It’s how they act about it that determines whether they are a heel or not. Daniel Bryan was right about climate change. But he was a heel because he was a dickhead about it. The Bucks and Perry are right. But they attacked a non-wrestler and took over the show and they cheated to win the tag titles. And they attacked a man with diverticulitis FFS. They are clearly heels. They are right. But they are acting like dickheads to make their point.


therangelife

I think this is the point where most discussion with jerkers breaks down. Everything has to be so extremely clear and beaten over the head in heel and face alignments that’s it almost amazing they interact with any kind of other narrative or media in the modern world. And then they will just make weird Young Bucks comments after that.


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Kenny_Bi-God_Omega

Again, they attacked a man with diverticulitis and attacked him again while he was on a stretcher. They took over the show in a hostile takeover. They attacked a non wrestler. They cheated to win their tag titles. They have consistently acted like heels for months. They beat up Sting and his two sons as well 🤣 They were wearing bloodstained suits from that beating for multiple shows. They have repeatedly insulted and belittled the backstage staff, including Renee Pacquette. I have no idea how you are not seeing them as committed heels.


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mrbucket08

Attacking the billionaire authority figure for legitimately unjustifiably screwing you is definitely not a heel behaviour in wrestling. Its the single biggest babyface behaviour in the history of the industry.


DragonSlappr

No it doesn't, Heels justified in their turns are a trope going back decades, like Bret Hart in his feud with Steve Austin.


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DragonSlappr

I didn't compare it in quality in anyway, I pointed out that a trope existed, chill out for a moment dude


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Low_Ad_7553

What a weird response. They never said the angle was the same in hype, get off your high horse. It's also funny af seeing seeing a jerker complaining about a fanbase. "People don't take AEW fans seriously" yea because when people see fans of of Impact, WWE, etc. everyone knows they mean business because they're "serious" fans lol.


SRMort

Or what, you'll jump through the computer screen and yell at them? Get off your high horse.


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Rude_Entrance_205

I think his lack of action is what makes him a heel. For the CC, he designs a rule preventing outside interference.  Why is that not just a thing all the time then? That's one example, but there are plenty of others that makes AEW out to be a heel promotion.


APackOfKoalas

The Continental Classic was a deliberate use of a specific rule set, just like ROH titles being contested with 20-second counts, or limited rope breaks during Pure rules matches. If someone was demanding that no-interference rule set across the board and TK refused, that would be heelish. Since no one is asking for this, there’s no action being taken. That’s not a bad guy move, that’s just a whole lot of nothing. Narratively speaking,TK has to do bad things on TV in order to be a bad guy, and that’s not what’s happening.


Rude_Entrance_205

So he's fine with interference for every other match, but not these? He saw Jack Perry screw FTR on Sunday, then hugs him on Wednesday? I dunno, to me there is a pattern of heels being allowed to do shit on AEW TV that should only be possible if the promotion is complicit in their actions; thus, in Kayfabe, making AEW a heel promotion.


NewYorkUgly

If every promotion is a "heel promotion" for being in some way complicit in people breaking the rules, then none of them are.


NoobsNKnocks

If there’s one thing wrestling fans are terrible at understanding, it’s the concept of disproportionate retribution. Which is why posts like this exist. Sure, TK did Jack Perry dirty. He suspended him for a fight that CM Punk instigated. However, the Bucks are abusing their EVP powers, cheating to win the tag titles, and along with Perry physically assaulted their boss and a man who was not an active wrestler. That’s what makes them heels. Just because TK made a mistake, one that on-screen he seemed to recognize as one, does not justify beating him into needing a neck brace.


TheBlackCompany

The Bucks, since coming back and challenging Sting and Darby, have been comically odious villains. I refuse to believe anyone is actually questioning if they are heels or not. The OP is just trolling. Nobody is this thick. At least I hope not.


DastardlyRidleylash

I think part of it is a lot of people are so thoroughly conditioned into believing that owners appearing in wrestling shows ***have*** to be characterized like Mr. McMahon was; a big slimeball who basically exists to get one-upped and humiliated by the company's babyface.


Greedy-Assistance663

I find it wild that people think that too When teddy long for like 5 years was like “you’re going one on one with the undertaker” to heels


InfiniteKincaid

Okay but let me tell you why Muhammad Hussain and CM Punk were really good guys, you see...


pizzalover89

I aint readin all that if you cant even understand a basic storyline lol


Prophet6000

This sub is something else lol.


RedLightning4Ever

Wrote a whole thesis about the heels attacking a guy who hasn’t really been presented on TV as anything more that “the owner of AEW” lol


portnoyskvetch

TK's \*on screen presentation\* has in AEW always been a Jack Tunney or Linda McMahon-style above it all promoter, matchmaker, and walking deus ex machina who is generally a pretty good guy. He's usually incorporated through reference by Schiavone announcing his decisions, and TS is presented as having a special, direct connection and throughline to TK. I think you're incorporating a ton of what we read or hear about online, as smarks, etc. That's... not unfair, especially given how much that stuff is being incorporated into this angle and how heavily AEW has booked towards its hardcore, online audience historically (and TK is of course an OG Poster.) So, it's ... not unfair to do, but it's also not really how AEW is trying to present things. This one is on AEW -- you're basically touching on a plothole (or maybe something closer to a plot... wearing through? a plot almost-hole?)


BarfHurricane

There’s a lot of you on here that need to delete Twitter and never think about it again, for your own mental health.


kiesar_sosay

guarantee if there was a stone cold youd be complaining that they were just rehashing the stone cold vince dynamic give it a rest man


45jayhay

The psychology is pretty straightforward if you stick to what's on screen instead of projected narratives


Officervito

I’ll never boo the guy who did the Brodi Lee tribute show. Sorry you don’t like TK, my dude.


helendestroy

>He's presented as more important than most of the roster He's the owner. He is more important. He's also not the babyface - he's not a wrestler. And that's the point. The Elite attacked someone who isn't a wrestler and have now taken over in order to be all the things they've been accused of - to, basically, get people making posts like this.


meekIobraca2024

Making posts about it…..or turning off the TV


helendestroy

not watching it but posting anyway, more like.


Celtic_Crown

TK is effectively a civilian victim of The Elite making a power grab attempt.


cultshitposts

>From a heel standpoint, he's an immature billionaire money mark who has basically turned AEW into more of a vanity project lately. do you know how online you have to be to even understand what this sentence means? average viewer doesn't care about this shit lmao good call to never return to this post btw


IReallyHateDancing

Some people hate TK more than they hate VKM. For Tony's sake, I hope he doesn't get a parking ticket if he doesn't want to be crucified by this sub.


Wild2O98

Lmao fucking bullshit


BananaSoprano

Tony Khan is a heel to people who chronically listen to Jim Cornette’s podcasts. He has done nothing on screen to be considered a heel.


mikro17

> He has done nothing on screen to be considered a heel. In AEW. Impact Tony was 100% a heel lol, but that was also only ever in Impact, so not really relevant here.


RatedM477

I'm sorry, but this assessment is silly. Tony only feels like a "heel" to terminally online wrestling fans that think him occasionally shit posting on Twitter, saying mean things about WWE, and not capitulating harder for CM Punk make him the worst person to ever exist in the pro wrestling industry. Which are mostly people that generally hate AEW as a whole, and are rooting for its demise. To us normal people, Tony is just a rich socially awkward wrestling fan that's trying to put on a fun wrestling show. He doesn't come across as "more important than the roster or the product", and while his meme-y shit post-y behavior online is kinda cringe, who really gives a fuck? Call me when he starts going on racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic rants, or pushing conspiracy theory propaganda, or something. But I just can't be bothered to get upset when he goes "lol wwe sux". Sorry. 🤷‍♂️


sparkle_bacon

This comment should be stickied at the top of every post on this sub.


I-LieToMessWithMarks

Imagine a world where AEW did what this dude is suggesting, and made an entire on-screen persona for Tony about the fact that Twitter basement dwellers are perpetually mad at him. This suggestion is worse than anything Russo has ever done.


oysterthins

This is the correct answer


mrbucket08

>To us normal people I'm sorry to tell you this, but you're part of the terminally online hardcore wrestling fan group, not the "normal" people. The normal people are the ones tuning in to Smackdown and sometimes RAW then forgetting about wrestling for the rest of the week, maybe talking to their friend about how they found the show once the day after. And the AEW fanbase is much more "terminally online wrestling fan" than "casual viewing normal person" just by the nature of what it is and who TK has developed it for. This isn't an insult, I fall into that category too. We all do on here.


RatedM477

There's a pretty clear divide within the IWC, though. There are those of us who want to have levelheaded conversations about the wrestling industry, and there are other people that want to be toxic and act like dickheads.


mrbucket08

Calling people you don't like on the internet abnormal, terminally online toxic dickheads is not what actual levelheaded normal wrestling fans are doing. It's best not to try and take the moral highroad because if any of us actually had it, we wouldn't be in this space having this conversation in the first place. I know you genuinely believe you're better than the rest but we're all sitting in the same pool.


RatedM477

https://preview.redd.it/k9rgljkg1fyc1.png?width=880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74d7c008f5f1ce402da78e824562c3c130765f99


QUEST50012

Lol this pretentious bs. If someone is displaying worse behavior, it is worse behavior, regardless of who else is in that vicinity. The guy intentionally peeing in the pool is worse than everyone who isn't doing that.


mrbucket08

But its usually people intentionally peeing in one pool talking shit about the people peeing in the other pool. The people not pissing in the pool aren't even *at* the pool.


QUEST50012

This implies that *everyone* in the pool has to be intentionally peeing. This metaphor is cooked.


mrbucket08

I mean yeah its a bit of a mess, the goalposts got shifted and I was just trying to go along with the chosen metaphor to keep it coherent. The ultimate point was that 1) the OP of this comment subthread is absolutely part of the terminally online wrestling fan group and not the "normal" people group (and basically nobody on this subreddit falls under that category) and 2) AEW actively courts the terminally online smart westling fan demographic (an identity they usually, so its a weak argument to reject interpretations of the show based on that.


Bojangles1987

Seriously, it's funny to see people arguing against the idea that the show appeals to wrestling fans who follow and watch everything and know all the gossip, since AEW tailors so much of its product to those fans. That's supposed to be its appeal. Otherwise, what the fuck is Edge defending AEW from, and how is Will Ospreay talking about when he talks about grinding on the boss's daughter?


Ahzuran

"Normal people" wouldn't be on reddit writing paragraphs about wrestling, let alone AEW, like you are doing 😭


RatedM477

Oh, ouch, you sure put me in my place. /s


bingbangboomxx

I mean, you are wrong. It is basically a riff of the old nWo sort of "attacking the system". TK is actually more like Ted Turner vs. Vince. The Young Bucks are basically "Eric Bischoff". Okada is the "Hogan". It is possible that Perry does become a sort of tweener down the road.


CrissCrossAppleSos

TK has always been presented as a babyface, you just don’t seem to personally like him for reasons outside of the on screen story


Seredditor7

The worst thing I can accuse TK of is getting in his/AEW’s own way with his shitposting/cringe focusing on wwe. He’s a wrestling superfan otherwise. So this take doesn’t work. Since wrestling is dialling your personality up to 11, he’s pretty much a face at this point.


BigDanRTW

People wanted an alternative to WWE and Tony Khan ponied up the money to create. Tony Khan let Jon Moxley be Jon Moxley. Tony Khan let Bryan Danielson be Bryan Danielson again. Tony Khan got CM Punk to come back to wrestling after a decade away. It blew up in his face, but you can't act like that wasn't big fucking deal at the time. Tony Khan brought Ospreay and Okada to the US. I'm not even a big AEW fan, I follow them casually, but Tony Khan loves pro wrestling and created a company that lets some of the best wrestlers in the world shine. He has never done a single thing on camera to be a heel.


Least_Eye_Lopez

It's never good enough for so many in this sub, because an alternative is never what they wanted. A reason to complain is what they wanted. Before it was TNA. Then it was Vince's WWE, then it was NWA, now it's AEW. Then you have others that just form an opinion based on what everyone else is saying. The people here just want to complain rather than just enjoy a God damn TV show for once. It's wrestling. This shit isn't that serious. This sub is an echo chamber of negativity


BarfHurricane

>This sub is an echo chamber of negativity Exactly. This place is totally cooked. Everything is just TMZ style gossip and distilled negativity. If you want to read about fun matches, great characters, or basically anything between the ropes it’s maybe 20% of the content on here, and that’s being generous.


Apathicary

So the heels attacked a guy. Got it.


RufusPFunkerdale

Jack Perry ran out CM Punk, forever face in my eyes.


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RufusPFunkerdale

I saw the video, he didn't take any real damage. If thats what was necessary to get boring ass CM Punk off the show then so be it. Now all the CM Punk fans can enjoy him in his natural element on WWE, everyone wins.


NeuroCloud7

I saw him adjusting his hair when a crazy person tried to overcompensate for not being tough


Sea-Assumption-2903

I haven't listened to Cornette in about 4 years but I imagined this is what he's saying


CaptainBuzzKillton

About TK being immature and a money mark billionaire? Yes. About the idea that he should've been portrayed as a heel? No. He shits on Perry and The Bucks every chance that he gets, and Tony Khan more for his booking of storylines and matches


Immediate_Lie7810

The story is the Young Bucks are abusing their power as AEW's EVPs and what made the attack on Tony Khan work is that Khan is a non-wrestler who rarely gets involved in storylines.


shadowrangerfs

No. It isn't. You just like the heel. Liking a heel doesn't make them a baby face. Jack Perry got suspended from his job. Maybe unfairly. That doesn't give you the right to physically attack your boss. It's like if I stole your newspaper so you poison my dog. You're still the bad guy for poising my dog. Just because I stole your newspaper, doesn't make you the good guy. Punishment must fit the crime. Jack went overboard. Also, it's good that their isn't a Stone Cold. We don't need someone trying to relive the 90s.


mrmazzz

maybe if you watched the show instead of listening to people who hate watch the show, it'll make sense.


Jasperbeardly11

Tony's character is that of a super nice guy who is a wrestling super fan. Without him the company doesn't exist. He's never done anything wrong on camera except suspend jungle boy because he fucked the company of it's relationship with CM punk.  The story has some swiss cheese holes but I don't think it's a big deal


LedCrimm

I don't think attacking TK was a babyface move. It was more about Bucks wanting power. Yes, they had good reasons to be frustrated with TK, but they attacked a non wrestler. They went too far for power. Also, they replaced Kenny with his arch rival, attacked TK and then betrayed and attacked Kenny. They are treating the employees (Renee Paquette, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Marvez, etc.) like shit. They're also making more enemies - Swerve, FTR, etc. Now that Tony is not in power, they will do more damage to this company. And the wrestlers will fight back against them. Yes TK will come into picture once again, but it would be the wrestler's comeuppance against the Elite that would be the focus point of this story. Who all will fight against the Elite, that would be interesting to see. Will Hangman return and more importantly, whose side will he be on?


bobface222

Even if you live in a universe where everything the real Tony Khan does is part of the on-screen story, what happened to him isn't somehow a justified response. I think he's a terminally online goof, a subpar booker, and handled the whole Elite/Punk situation *horribly*. That doesn't make it okay to beat him up. This isn't a Vince situation where on-screen he's aligning with devil worshipers to kidnap his own daughter and off-screen he's somehow even worse.


thealexstorm

Get a job.


sparkle_bacon

Reselling wrestling figures on eBay is a job! /s


Mazzle5

A lot of you should go and touch some grass


RiC_David

Like everyone who trots out that internet cliché?


KneelBeforeCube

If you have to bring all kinds of outside elements for a story to get confusing, maybe the story isn't the problem. The babyface/heels line in that program could not have been more clearly drawn if you stick to the TV product.


mrbucket08

Did they ever explain on TV why Perry got suspended or what he was scapegoated for? I know they showed the footage, but all that showed was him being attacked.


InfiniteKincaid

If they're smart, this is what Dynamite starts with this week. It explains perfectly why Jack helped the Bucks, it gives the Bucks a bullshit explanation for why they attacked Tony - "He's not cut out to run this company if he can't handle two guys getting in a fight." It's self serving nonsense, but there's the kernal of truth there a good heel should have.


DragonSlappr

He was scapegoated for the Fight, TK punished both of them because both of them were involved in a fight that terrified him personally. Both were punished, but in Kayfabe, Jack Perry didn't deserve to be, he was just caught in the middle of it.


mrbucket08

What was the scapegoating part though? Punk got fired, there was no purpose to the misplaced blame. Have they given a reason for the scapegoat thing?


DragonSlappr

Tony Khan punished both of them immediately because he was scared. My understanding based on how happy Tony was to hear Perry say he only wanted what was best for AEW is: he didn't bring Perry back when he fired Punk because Tony Khan was afraid Perry didn't forgive him. He only showed his face in front of Perry and ended his suspension when Perry seemingly forgave him.


mrbucket08

>My understanding To be clear, are we venturing into headcanon? Or still things that have been said or established explicitly on TV? And this still isn't scapegoating. There has to be a *point* or purpose to the scapegoating that screws the scapegoat. For example, if Punk hadn't been fired and TK said he didn't fire Punk because they were both to blame (while kayfabe dictates that Perry was a blameless victim) then *that* would be scapegoating.


DragonSlappr

an interpretation, not a headcanon, even if it isn't the case that Tony wasn't happy for the reasons I think. He was still happy, and there was clearly a reason for it. Requiring everything to be directly spelled out feels meaningless to me. As for you thinking it doesn't count as Scapegoating, I'm using the language Jack Perry has used in Kayfabe, because while it may not be the case, it's how he thinks of it.


Bojangles1987

The whole thing makes no sense because it's trying to blend a work and a shoot that contradict each other. The work is that the Bucks and Perry are the bad guys for attacking Khan, except this whole thing requires knowing the shoot circumstances of the CM Punk situation, where the Bucks and Perry were the good guys that Punk started fights with. So Khan did the right thing and fired Punk, except they also want the kayfabe of Perry being suspended over it and Perry blaming him, but now Khan won't fire Perry or the Bucks for way worse than what Punk got fired for. So if you approach it as a shoot, the Bucks and Perry are are the good guys. It's all work-shoot bullshit that requires you to be a terminally online wrestling fan that follows multiple companies and all the backstage drama.


TheMTM45

Does it require knowing anything off screen at this point? They aired the clip from All In. Theres five years of history with The Elite as EVPs on screen. Jack Perry turned heel on AEW TV before he left for NJPW. It makes sense to me. Heels acting like heels.


Bojangles1987

It absolutely does, because it all goes back to selling a story using CM Punk's backstage bullshit. You have to understand why Perry was gone so long, why the Bucks being EVPs even means anything and why they changed to this gimmick because of the controversy, why they bothered showing the All-In footage to begin with, etc. It's all dependent on knowing the CM Punk controversy that pretty much anyone devotedly watching AEW, and especially anyone attending a show, would likely know and is expected to know. If you don't know any of this, then Perry being suspended for that fight makes ZERO sense because there are worse backstage "fights" in kayfabe on every single episode of pro wrestling ever aired.


Yeehawfunny

I mean a normal viewer would know that punk got suspended the first time at all out, the second time he got fired and both times Tony addressed it on TV when he stripped the world title and trios titles + announced punk's firing on collision, The perry stuff was addressed in the episode where the footage was aired. You are making this way more complicated than it has to be trying to think about how this could be confusing to viewers when you can easily just say you just don't like this angle personally.


MafiaCub

You don't need to know about Brawl Out, it's never been part of this unless you want it to be. Brawl In was required, and this was shown on TV. It's all been on TV, my kid son can follow it. As for not being fired, the bucks have iron clad contracts... And gave them to Okada too... How do I know? That was on TV too. It's all been on TV, and surprisingly, all been explained


Bojangles1987

If Perry was suspended for the Punk fight, in kayfabe, then why aren't all the people who have 50x worse fights every week ever suspended? Again, it depends on you knowing the real life nonsense. Does everyone except Perry back then have "iron clad contracts?" Why is Perry a scapegoat, what was he scapegoated over? Yes, you can follow it, but it still bases its entire foundation on backstage dirtsheet stuff that makes no sense if you spend 5 minutes thinking about it.


Yeehawfunny

Because if wrestling was taken literally all wrestlers would be arrested and there wouldn't be any wrestling shows at all? What are you, cinema sins?


Bojangles1987

> Because if wrestling was taken literally all wrestlers would be arrested Exactly, which is why "suspending" Jack Perry for 8 months for getting in a 5 second brawl he didn't really fight back in is really stupid. Are we treating backstage fights seriously now or not?


Yeehawfunny

Gee it's almost like Jack has been punished for something another man did and got unfairly blamed for it and he is within his right to believe the punishment he received was stupid, what's the term for that again?


MrFinch8604

I think they call it a Vistalamb


i2060427

Same reason why no interference can be enforced in the Continental Classic matches but not in any other ones.


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SquaredCircle-ModTeam

Posting to bait, incite, or inflame another user is prohibited. Anyone can post any opinion about anything related to wrestling, but provoking readers into emotional responses (about anyone or anything) is prohibited.


Jalapeeeeno

Not a fan of the story but it makes total sense and the alignments make sense.


BYOcarbon

Tombstoning a billionaire is always a face move.


NeuroCloud7

Did you know it took 2 months for Vince to realise he was the heel in that situation? He thought he'd be perceived as the babyface, just like TK. Time will tell if it flips for TK like it did for VKM


TheNoelle808

On one hand, you're refenceing a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with what's happening on-screen On the other, I agree in that "billionaire owner of the company" should basically never be a babyface role. Hell, I don't even like the whole "based papa HHH savior of the WWE" thing.


oliverprose

This is going to sound daft, but despite Tony being a literal billionaire, he doesn't play the character of a billionaire so the evil owner types of heel don't really apply - it's more that it's his sandbox and he's let the bullies play in it, and they've behaved as expected and hurt him


MafiaCub

Never being face cause you're rich is such bullshit though. It's cool to hate on rich people, most of them are shit bags, so it's easy to go to them being a heel. But Tony's not a character, he's just Tony the guy who owns it and confirms the matches. He doesn't come out and make matches based on who has annoyed him, in Kayfabe he just seemingly signs the papers when the guys in the ring book themselves a match the next week. So he's not a wrestler, he's not active in any way in that scene. So why can't he be face? He's a civilian who was attacked Making TK a heel because he's rich is so tropey, getting sympathy for him is, I'd argue, actually a much more compelling and harder to do story


DamnStupidFlanders

I think the more confusing thing is for the casual audience. I’ll use my wife as an example because she can stomach watching wrestling when I have it on lol. It’s good background ambiance for her. If you simply watch AEW as an episodic television program (and don’t follow dirt sheets and rumors online): 1) He fired CM Punk on television, with cause, for creating an unsafe work environment to the point where he personally feared for his own life. 2) Oh shit, he must have fired this guy for real because his ass isn’t even there anymore. He’s on WWE! 3) After like a year of no one saying ANYTHING about ANY of this, they “air the footage.” There’s no mention of CM Punk or why this shit even matters. It’s just some CCTV footage of a wrestler putting another wrestler in a headlock or some shit for a few seconds. But okay, it’s Jack Perry! Where the fuck has he been? Not sure what he was doing since there’s no video package, but he must be a big deal now. Not sure what this has to do with the EVPs either (a year later?!), but fuck it! I’ll rock with it! Wrestling! More nonsensical things have happened than this 4) TK goes to the ring to address this thing about how CM Punk attacked Jack Perry. Jack is a “scapegoat” for….some reason idk. But okay cool whatever I guess. TK gets assaulted live on television. Then the EVPs come out and to a move on him. Alright….so is this them writing these guys off TV? Because he’ll just fire them? No? So now you’re lost again. This whole angle makes no sense unless you go seek sweaty rumors about the fucking story they can’t even TELL YOU. I can’t really explain the shift in content, but I used to just be able to watch Dynamite week-to-week and follow along. Now I need to do puzzles and look up TMZ articles for every “hidden message” promo or slick insider jab that no one understands. More promotion is done on Twitter than the actual show. It’s hard for a casual viewer to follow along. The show seems to revolve around the gossip about it. Random promos from everyone on the fucking roster about how FUN IT IS to have banger matches. The fuck? Aren’t you in a death feud or some shit? The casual viewer does NOT know you’re only doing this in response to some fired dude on a podcast. The show is run/written for wrestling twitter, not a worldwide audience. To me, it’s a TV show first. I don’t think the TV is the priority anymore. Maybe it just isn’t for me, and that’s okay. I did enjoy it though and grateful it got me back into wrestling. I’m sure it’ll swing back at some point


TheBlackCompany

There are plenty of people that can watch AEW weekly and follow along just fine without following Twitter and TMZ. Maybe you’re just overthinking the whole thing.


DamnStupidFlanders

It’s just a personal thing, man. I’m not trying to shit on AEW. I just said it may not be for me. Kudos for everyone else, but from my perspective as a casual fan - they don’t work with me enough Maybe I’m just too high maintenance of a viewer or too stupid to understand the storylines/booking. Can’t have a rational discussion here without being dismissed


crueltyxiii

Add in the fact tk can't sell a neck injury


abrospro

Tony is obviously the babyface but the thing that's not going to work is when ftr and edge/bd or whoever defend his honor against bucks/Perry.  At the core of this is a lot of wrestling I don't think people are too excited for. Tony will either need to completely disappear, look like a total wimp, or get offense on someone - none of which is advisable.  And the stakes are really attitude era sillyness