An Old Nerd Comes Down Off His AEW High To Predict Takeover 25

Here for all of this.

This is a bit of a weird NXT Takeover for me. In one sense, it’s a return to old-school form, in that it’s not pinned to a Big Four main roster PPV. In other ways, well, I’ve felt disconnected from NXT since Mania. It’s less NXT’s fault and more of the dissatisfaction with the main roster bleeding over to the rest of the product. So I’ve enjoyed matches but haven’t felt connected to the stories. For the most part. Luckily, NXT’s more logical booking helps with the predicting.

An Old Nerd Grades AEW As A Company After Double Or Nothing

A lot of that isn’t makeup.

Rather thank talk about AEW’s inaugural show, Double or Nothing, on a match by match basis, I want to start by giving them a report card on what they’re saying they’re trying to do. 

An Old Nerd Enjoyed Money In The Bank More Than Expected

OK. Fine.

Money In The Bank wasn’t an awful show. It wasn’t even as awful as I expected it to be. But man, did the ending leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. We couldn’t get a month without Brock Lesnar in the main title picture? Please.

An Old Nerd Is Going To Watch Money In The Bank, I Guess

I don’t care about much in WWE these days, but I still care about this.

There’s no denying it. Post-Wrestlemania WWE has been an epic flailing shitshow. The Superstar Shakeup, allegedly planned months in advance, was thrown out the window as talent was shifted from one roster to the other and back again over a month, ending in the Wild Card Rule which means anyone can show up anywhere anytime. It’s looking like we’re entering into a Scared Vince / Senile Vince phase, where McMahon overrides everyone at the last minute to give fans what he knows in his hearts they want - chemically burned testicle humor.

It is against this backdrop I make my half-hearted predictions for Money In The Bank.