Top Five Surprises Attending Last Week’s AEW Dynamite & Collision tapings including Sting’s son, Merch improvements

AEW made an earlier return to Denver, so they must have liked how The Mission Ballroom worked for television. It’s a fired up intimate audience right on top of the action, who didn’t know the action would be right into them soon. Unseasonably warm, we pulled up and awaited the doors to open so we could enjoy the live experience we had been waiting for.

With AEW, you hear a lot of people who have no idea what’shttp://nerdstalgia.shop going on. A wrestling friends has done God’s work and recruited a lapsed fan, or one who usually only watches WWE, and is able to get them to attend a live event. Then you have a ton of hardcore wrestling fans, and little in between. It may also be part of what holds AEW back. There is a lack sold casual interest. They were introduced and latched on, or they were introduced and walked away.

Dare I say, if you attended this show as a casual fan, you chose a great one. I’ll be listing out key thoughts on this event. It’s fun to analyze each time the tour is in my area, and to compare how each played out. This year we have a venue that sold out before; so many bought early and have been waiting for the date. We also have an AEW that has been putting out some banger episodes of Dynamite and Collision recently. Whether reignited due to top stars being available or not wanting to lose marketplace to TNA, I’ll take what Tony Kahn has been putting out.

Steven Borden!

I had no idea I’d be seeing a dark match that would be potential history. Familiar music hit that awoken my 12-year old soul. It was Sting’s original entrance music. The one before the terrible “Man Called Sting” theme. “He does this, he does that. He’s big as a bull, and quick as a cat.” Real lyrics.

The light up screens lit up with the name Steven Borden. I was there for Sting’s retirement and Steven’s involvement where he was dressed as his father’s earlier character. I had heard he caught the bug and had been training. I had not heard he was on the road with AEW. He tagged up with QT Marshall to face The Premier Athletes. He looked great, and had a tremendous Stinger Splash. I hope the best for him and want this to be like the time I saw Bobby Lashley in a dark match, and less like when I saw Ron H2O Waterman.

Gabe Kidd has Something

There’s too much wrestling to catch everything, so I rarely catch anything from NJPW. I say this to the disappointment of friend and rapper Fonte Flame (Instagram @FonteFlame) who tries to keep me up on the Japanese scene and has been pushing Gabe Kidd on me for a while. I didn’t see it until I saw him live, and specifically against Orange Cassidy. The Freshly Squeezed one should be proud of what he did that night in making Gabe a bigger deal in the States for more than just me, I have to think. The way he didn’t have patience to play around with Orange and forcing Cassidy to step up to a real fight. Well done by all and I’m looking forward to what’s next.

A Long Night

With the dark matches and two shows taped, it was five hours in a venue with concrete seats. That’s not only a long night, but also a show that peaked in the middle. The Mile High Mayhem match was incredible (more on that later), but then we had another two hours of action after that.

I should have been more enthusiastic about seeing Kazuchida Okada in Denver. Protokada is a fun pairing. I’m an old man with spinal issues who works too much. I just don’t have five hours of enthusiasm in me.

The Merch Game

This was a major complaint of mine when going to AEW shows. They’d have shirts for five wrestlers, and two of them may not even be there. Merchandise is how fans bond to the product, and when you have the money to do so, you want to support the people who entertain you. It was a disappointment my first three trips to an AEW show.

They’ve improved here so much. Many shirts and hats for a variety of talent. NFL Broncos Lucha Masks that were limited, autographed and raw items at a variety of prices. You had the opportunity to spend $650 on a World Title Replica, but you could also get items at $10-20 as souvenirs as well. I had to grab a Toni Storm pin-up art poster and a Harley Cameron Micro Brawler and spent $45. Fantastic prices with long lines. This is how you treat your fans.

The Mile High Mayhem Match

Wow! What a match! When I first went to a show at Denver’s Mission Ballroom, I had seen enough concerts to know how they’d set up the show, and I thought it was going to be a fun venue for a falls count anywhere match. I was disappointed that we didn’t get that on the first show, but they certainly made up for it this time!

I went to stretch my legs (that’s what we say when we go out to smoke our Colorado green), and returned because I heard the  music for Jungle Boy and knew it was time for the main event. When I got in there, I couldn’t get to my seat! There were fights all over the venue and one of them was happening on the stairs I needed access to. It was pure chaos and we loved it.

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Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

An Extra Point That I’ll Remember

This was another off camera happening. I’ll definitely remember it, especially if it comes to actually happen. Denver is a big city with a very accessible airport, and public transportation that will take you from airport to venue. We have great weather for most of the year, despite being thought of as a cold place. There’s Ball Arena where the NBA’s Nuggets and NHL’s Avalanche play. We even have a stadium for big outdoor shows. So why can’t we get a PPV?

When Tony Khan came out to greet the crowd, I waited for the quiet spot to yell at the top of my lungs, “WE WANT A PPV!!!” And the crowd caught on. A massive chant of “Pay-Per-View!” broke out loud enough that he had to address it. Please Tony, do it! Nerdstalgia is even willing to sponsor. I have no budget. But I hear you have money.

(Griffin is a lifelong fan of wrestling, superheroes, and rebellious music of all forms. He is the owner of Nerdstalgia, and you can shop online, learn about visiting the store in Colorado Springs, or catch him at a comic con in the Rocky Mountain area by going to http://nerdstalgia.shop.)