Out of fear of being bumped over like Infinity was, I'll go with this template over a full review.
I'll go ahead and bar my own storyline and match from consideration to avoid a bias.
What was your favorite/least favorite match of the round?
My favorite match of the AoN PPV has to be the world title match. If for nothing else, but the shock factor that goes into play. I did not expect in a million years for Ty to be inserted into the match, let alone walk out of AoN as the world champ. Granted, the match was a little short, but it still was awesome none the less.
Honorable mention for most well-written goes to Blade vs. Diabolos.
My least favorite goes to the EurAsian Title match by default. I love the angle that was worked, but the no-show and the shortness puts it below the other matches on the card. Yes, even the battle royal.
What was your favorite/least favorite segment of the round?
My favorite segment has to be the whole entire sequence of Amber Warren pulling Califa off the ladder and then proceeding to offer him, and his mask, as a sacrifice to Dr. Zeus. As Numbers put it, the turn was expected, but the execution was off the chart. Zeus' stable is building a solid foundation to challenge AoC for the top stable spot. It's still early though, and Ty did end up controlling half of WZCW, so there is some big shoes yet to fill.
Honorable mentions go to the "Tale of the Tape" segments before each match. These are perfect and should become a constant on every PPV going forward.
My least favorite segment is more of a lack of segments involving Triple X. I'm sorry, but Triple X got shafted this cycle in general in terms of exposure. He was barely hyped on any show and had minimal involvement despite being the leading #1 contender for the WHC leading into the PPV. It wasn't until the last round before the PPV that we got a little build thrown his way. He was completely overshadowed by the War & Death feud and tag team feud, and in the end the title match became more about El Califa's involvement. I think Triple X deserves better, and I wouldn't be opposed to see him get a 1v1 shot against Ty at LL.
Before the round, what matches/storylines were you most/least looking forward to?
Most looking forward to: War & Death feud with Vega/Theron. It had the biggest build this cycle, but as I said on the podcast, the unfortunate lack of Vega made the payoff lackluster and underwhelming.
Least looking forward to: The WHC match. However, it ended up being the exact opposite in terms of payoff when compared to the War & Death feud. I just couldn't get into two heels whose match had a minimal build for a world title match. There was no chemistry between Runn & Triple X established or even attempted until the last round. It took El Califa being added for it to garner some additional interest from myself. The world title scenario didn't even play 2nd fiddle this round in terms of booking, it played 3rd below War & Death and the Tag Title Division. There might even be a case for it being 4th, below Tastic/Stormrage.
Coming out of the round, what wrestlers/storylines are you most looking forward to in the next round?
- Where Zeus, Beard, and Warren go from here.
- Who challenges Ty at LL?
- The fallout for Ricky Runn.
- Mick Overlast?!?!
- What's next for The Elite?
Any other general comments?
Random thoughts on the show:
- The opening segment felt a little awkward and forced. I have no problem giving them both a send off, and I quite enjoyed what was written, but it just felt a little off considering how long they have been absent from television without a follow-up.
- I didn't care much for a purple ***** being used on WZCW TV. I guess that's just the old curmudgeon in me saying "We used to be kid friendly!"
- Mick Overlast returning was even more bizarre than Ty returning. Talk about way out of left field.
- I can't see what is in the spoiler tag that is before the spoiler tag that hypes the roulette round.
- I felt like the Zeus/Beard/Warren/Califa segment that overshadowed the tag title win was fine and well-placed because of how huge it was, but I felt like the Fallout rampage that overshadowed Constantine's win could have been saved for the roulette round.
- The Men In Black attacking the three legends was a nice touch. I'm really curious to see what comes of it.
- I wouldn't mind seeing Runn get a rematch during this cycle provided that Ty doesn't already have to defend in the roulette rounds. Not sure how I feel about a cycle long feud between the two, but the clash of styles would make for good TV.
