Skullguy

Sega have long wished to revive many of their franchises - they've done so already with Streets of Rage and Shinobi and now Phantasy Star is getting the treatment.

Phantasy Star IV, a 1993/1995 Sega Genesis/Mega Drive release, has been announced to get a remake. Why not the earlier ones? Because IV is the best shut up you.

Popular Japanese Gaming Magazine Famitsu published "ファンタシースターで願いが叶う！ニュース速報が、この愛されるフランチャイズと、その刺激的な未来に光を当てます！" which roughly translates to "Wish come true upon a Phantasy Star! A news nova shines light upon this beloved franchise and its exciting new future!" and it's from here we gleam the announcement in full.

It's been 5 years since Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis was released and even then was an update to the now aged 2013 release of Phantasy Star Online 2.

Teaming up with both Sandfall Interactive (known for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) and Yoko Taro (known for rolling around the office floors at SquareEnix) it's expected to be both faithful and creative whilst expecting the efforts to rival the one Chrono Trigger was built upon whilst modernising a forgotten classic.

Director Guillaume Broche said about the announcement "When we furnished the story we procured tears but not just because we are emotional Frenchmen but because it was moving. Also people die. We like this especially if the death is of someone who you like" said the Director at Sandfall, "We originally wanted to name our game 'Chaz Obscur' but we opted for the lesser title".

Yoshinori Kitase, ambushed outside a ramen shop in Shibuya in the midst of a Bridgerton spin-off collaboration, was dogged on the comparisons between Alys and Aerith, Zio and Sephiorth, Dark Force and Jenova, the idea of a great threat from space, combo attacks, the land buggy, and was quoted in saying "Okay you got me - I just took all the most memorable parts of FFVII from Phantasy Star IV. Bite me - I still miss my mother" whilst Tetsuya Nomura, who was not approached, still continues to pretend he understands anything besides dressing out of date. Naoki Hamaguchi tried to talk to us, screaming "WHISPERS" but we anti-approached on a plane and left Japan.

"If you think FFVII is sht then it's because you played Phantasy Star IV…actually you probably think NieR Automata is sht too because I stole everything from this game too" say Yoko Taro who was in the process of trying to undress people wearing his merchandise.

This list has expanded from a Top 20 to a Top 25 going forward.

Remember - these lists are recommendations of games to play with the ones higher placed as priorities - starting with 1st place. Already played 1st or have no interest in it? Move onto 2nd. Then 3rd and so on - you'll get a year's worth of content. It is as close to being objective as one can manage given these need to be published prior to January 1st. Please enjoy!

Honorable Exemptions -

No. 25

No. 24

No. 23

No. 22

No. 21

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No. 2

No. 1

I made a mistake.

I forgot to mention Samoa Joe is also a Triple Crown winner. Congratulations to him. Now some of you may ask if Jon Moxley also qualifies - he's obviously been the AEW World Champion (more than anyone else) and he's held the International Championship, a secondary title. However despite him defending the title he did not WIN the Trios titles which Samoa Joe ironically beat to become a Triple Crown - Moxley is not officially recognised as a Trios title holder due to him substituting for the (at the time) injured Pac. Anyways I'd like to take this opportunity to apologise to Samoa Joe for this discrepancy - it was not meant as disrespect, far from it, I think we genuinely forget how he is one of the all-time greats in wrestling because wherever he goes he dominates. His is a quiet reputation built on a legacy where he didn't need a Bloodline to get over.

Also, since we're here, a few things to mention. Wasn't I already right about Kota Ibushi and Konosuke Takeshita - one is injured again and the other is the IWGP World Champion. Not even 2 weeks removed from those predictions.

As a final parting gift, I intended (but forgot) to reveal one of wrestling's greatest conspiracies involving a much beloved wrestler - the truth about their tragic tale and who is truly responsible. I think I'll look forward to it being something I'll do next year. After all it's been so long nobody seems to have figured it out so I doubt anyone will between now and then.

We're at a weird point of wrestling when AAA content from Mr. Iguana to Microman (who should tag-team with Omos) have showcased a fresher product than the American mainstays (Harley is Australian, Finn is Irish, Iguana is Mexican). Does this make it good? Of course not! It's as far removed from the pinnacle of wrestling - guys who are household names for people who aren't watching wrestling.

The reality of AEW is Dark, Dark Elevation, and Rampage is gone. Collision does bad ratings and is not looking healthy. Dynamite is losing viewership. There are always talks about the broadcaster looking to merge or shift financial woes in directions AEW may be sharing and the only silver lining is again someone can patchwork huge sums of money to prevent a loss befitting better companies which made less mistakes.

I honestly don't know how much longer I can keep doing this because it's clearly for a different audience than the one I shared with even with those who were watching AEW back in 2021-2022 when it was a hot product.

Perhaps we'll be here for next year - it gets harder to say new things about a product mired in dated formats pretending to be modern. A fresh start would do everyone good.

A plea for different wrestling.

I've been watching wrestling now on-off since the mid 90s, catching up with the past stuff of the 80s and before, and enjoying its mainstream appeal - I took a break sometime around the mid-2000s when I felt WWE had toned down its audience demographic and UFC was a more intriguing product. Then CM Punk in 2011, like many fans, became intrigued again. After his departure in 2014, it helped immensely Lucha Underground was a thing up until 2018. When 2019 rolled in my love for it was tested and only AEW could make me feel like it could breathe new life into one stagnating because of WWE especially after they fumbled Bray Wyatt's Fiend gimmick. The journey from then has more or less been covered to a degree here. Let's get one thing straight - when American Pro Wrestling doesn't have appeal the world of wrestling suffers for it.

Why am I telling you all this now? Well I made a promise to myself, perhaps foolish in hindsight, to see AEW's journey to its bitter end. It has already outlasted Lucha Underground and WCW Nitro and is heading to outlast ECW. Given how Impact Wrestling is still around on a shoestring budget compared to AEW, I think this implies AEW won't be going away for a long time unless Tony Khan himself does - and even then we're in a post Vince McMahon WWE and it is worse than before - proving the Devil you know is always better than the Devil you don't. Why do we even make deals with such vile scum then? I think because the alternative is giving up and having nothing. Maybe this is for the best - after all the content of the past could subsist anything for awhile but its not growth or progress or even preservation - it's admitting defeat and cannot see things be better. AEW can be better - I've lived through some of the absolute worst imaginable storytelling - the guy who fronts WWE right now as its main spokesperson once did a gimmick pretending to make love to a corpse whilst holding her 'guts'. This was back when wrestling was HOT. It can get really stupid which is why when you appreciate the good stuff you know it means so much more because of trudging through the nonsense to get there - believe me all I want is for AEW to be respected and not ridiculed. The template for better wrestling is there for all - you just have to grasp it and hold it tight.

The fact something like this has to be highlighted as some sort of "one-off" is absurd. Remember all those stupid money matches they played this year? Those were ironically closer to genuine matches as if TonkyKhan Man has to bribe his roster to behave like professionals.

Here's a question - how many times did The Hurt Syndicate need to bust themselves to get over? Oh what was this? Zero times? Amazing.

Can it be done right? Yeah. Dustin and Fletcher had a good reason for it but it's drowned, buried, and forgotten by most in the wake of it being so regular nobody cares for it.

I am going to humbly ask for AEW to do a kindness - reduce the Street Fights. Reduce the matches which need to have outside interference and even matches where it always goes outside for an ad break. I want to watch wrestling on a wrestling show with wrestlers who have personalities. Is this too much to ask? If it has to be a fixture then make people pay for it on your big shows. Don't keep freely making it impossible to believe in a struggle/contest between individuals who collectively wouldn't be stopped by anything less than a gunshot wound. Stop the toys. Get this out of your system before you kill someone.

I think people have truly forgotten ECW was successful because it had SKILLFUL WRESTLERS on a show which also had other factors - those same factors WWF and WCW stole to become successful in the late 90s. The blend of brutality and speciality was what made it different - it pushed boundaries. Nowadays people have no boundaries and will sacrifice for little gain. When ECW became drained of its talent it degenerated into a 2nd-rate version of itself - the version people seem adamant to emulate. Ring of Honor was a contrast to it and became the de-facto place of which a lot of the now aging stars of today who aren't manufactured WWE talent cut their teeth in - and then it too became a 2nd-rate version of itself.

Oh man so many thoughts to share about AEW these days…

The Moonsault might as well be renamed the Midsault - half the roster does it on a regular basis.

What we usually get are matches which are devoid of any substance or skill. It's one thing for wrestlers these days to look interchangeable to the crowd demographic but it is a whole new layer of mediocrity to showcase something an amateur could do. Tell me - in the following image which is AEW closer to:

It doesn't end here. Look at some of these amateur moments:

I don't think words justify the actions anymore - they speak for themselves.

When Jericho realises a little kid is more over than anything he's done in AEW the last year I think this speaks volumes about where his head is nowadays.

Despite all this commitment to something which sounds like I dislike I do have another out - the roster is being rated gradually over the years. Eventually, given the lack of growth by this company, I'd have rated everyone. By this point? I can stop watching - I'd know who would be worth watching and who isn't.

AEW: Where the best (of the rest) wrestle.

'Wrestle' defined as sometimes exchanging holds or lockups and sometimes, more likely, as going out of the ring, foregoing rules, rejecting psychology, and generally trying their best not to struggle with anything.

AEW Wrestlers who should likely be the World Champion in 2026.

Rule - Cannot nominate someone who already has won the world championship. See https://dreadwhoop.tumblr.com/post/763637097614737408/reviewing-the-all-elite-wrestling-personnel-2024 to see who they are - no new champions since last year!

Between last year and this year we've only seen two champions crowned and they're both former champions with the one holding it prior to said two retiring. Stagnation comes from the top - if the champion isn't a new face how are you expecting new fans? Here's who I think would be worthy title holders:

Darby Allin

The no-brainer. It infuriates me he hasn't become the face of this company and it's partly due to how he doesn't want it. I would tell him to want it or get lost. Darby is the soul of AEW - an original who has seen the likes of Swerve, his contemporary, become a deserving champion too. Far too many people should be comparing Darby to Danielson in terms of what matters but, as we'll discuss in Part 4, he's too enamoured doing stunt work over wrestling to justify anything. If he seriously can't be a champion then do the right thing and put it on him beating Adam Page but then IMMEDIATELY loses it to MJF on his contract turn-in - people who proclaim it to be BS but it'll make Darby the ultimate chaser. The hunger people will have to see him win it will make a healthy AEW. Oh it'll also make him a Triple Crown winner with the main title being won last - very important.

Eddie Kingston

This wouldn't be a long run either - but if Dustin can win the TNT Title on a whim of Adam Cole being too brittle, then I think the fragile egos can handle the Mad King getting to be at the top spot. At the very LEAST he should dethrone Okada as poetic irony for what happened between the two last time they fought. In any event, the fact this guy's candle never got snuffed out by the fans and people are in support of him despite everything AND how Moxley has run around with the belt more times than anyone else (and Kingston is more over than Moxley could ever dream of being) then it's fair to say it can happen. Make it a swansong reign - he defends it all the time, he tires out due to working too hard, and he loses it due to attrition - he can then retire happy he was the No. 1 guy - a Rocky to Riches moment. He could rub it in Claudio's face forever.

Konosuke Takeshita

Doubt anyone is going to argue with this - AEW is in danger of losing him to NJPW and there's a good chance he'll be their world champion sooner than later. He's just turned 30 and already has so much more value than the 4 years older Adam Page. If people thought Page was ready in 2021 for the title then I don't think people will be arguing about a 2026 run here for The Alpha.

Shelton Benjamin

I'm serious about The Hurt Syndicate being a 2026 mainstay. Bobby Lashley is good in short bursts but longterm he'll wind out. MVP is always best as a versatile cornerstone of any presentation. When people talk about the golden era of OVW they always say Cena. Orton. Lesnar. Batista. They NEVER include this guy - I mean we know why. Bobby already had the World Title before at WWE and it took him far too long. The time has come for this guy, who can STILL GO, to get the gold. Why else call him the Standard of Excellence if he isn't going to have Gold wrapped around his waist?

Brody King

GET RID OF -

JetSpeed

Admit it - you thought Kevin Knight was Marq Quen (and vice-versa). I am beyond tired of high-flying tag-teams. If the Young Bucks exist, if Top Flight exist, if former tag teams who are now effectively gone like The Lucha Bros. or Private Party existed, why would anyone want more of this? Especially over The Hurt Syndicate? FTR? The Acclaimed (if they do get stuck together) or other teams who add something unique - even The Outrunners and MxM Collection have a personality behind their moveset. What's the appeal of these two other than being more nepo-hires? It's bad enough we have to stomach Cru, The Infantry, The Swirl, or other pointless teams. These are the worst because they're obviously being force-fed down your throats to justify their screentime. Channel changers.

Skye Blue

I think she's peaked. A recurring thought I've been having is she's going to botch dangerously to the point of either injuring herself or someone else. Maybe both! I don't know what happened - she seemed like she was getting better from her debut years ago and then…stagnated. Combined with her own appearance on RJ City's show and you immediately realise she's a ticking timebomb who will either fizzle out or explode. Nothing good will come from investing in her.

Ricochet

This one hurts. Once upon a time there was a promotion called Lucha Underground and its star for the better part of 3 of its 4 seasons was a man named Prince Puma. Bring HIM to AEW. What we have instead is a guy who is scared of Aubrey Edwards whilst having two bigger men flanking him. A man who likes being bullied. A guy who relishes in the "Bald" chants because they're the new "What" chants. He is everything wrong with wrestling and WWE were smart to get rid of cheap tricks. The last good thing Ricochet has done in a decade is flip out of the ring to Velveteen Dream - and Dream was the one who ended up with the potential for more. Take from this what you will but the fact remains he's just another gymnast cirque-du-soleil wannabee entertainer masquerading as a wrestler. Prove me wrong Trevor - wrestle without dives and flips.

Kazuchika Okada

Last year I gave him the benefit of doubt - the whole point of protecting a great talent like him is to see who he'll eventually put over. Now it doesn't matter. He's just as bad as Mercedes Mone but in some ways worse because he cannot be inclined to do much but the same thing over and over. People will work harder - I guess he works smarter! Then again you would be the smartest guy in a room of mental malcontents. Okada is protecting his body from burnout so he can take the rest of his prime to WWE and then retire with an even fatter check. He knows it's all about value - it is his gimmick after all! Again I must stress one very important factor - he isn't a constant high-flyer. He gets away doing less than most of the roster. If they can't see what he's doing then they never will but I see him draining AEW like Moxley has done, like Jericho has done, like a lot of them have done. He will not improve.

Buddy Matthews

He's done. His ankle injury at the end of last year was compounded by wrestling an entire match on it. He's a liability now. At best he'll wrestle like Kerry Von Erich did as the Texas Tornado. It's a shame but then again he's one of those guys inverted to Okada - worked hard and got little for it. It goes to show you talent is never about ability it's about savvy. A textbook example of why you don't hire ex-WWE talent on the whims of wasted potential - but what do I know I'm not a billionaire with no consequences to their actions.

Wheeler Yuta

I think we've given this guy enough chances to get over. Oh but he's only 28 haven't you said or held by the principle a guy under 30 is always capable of being forgiven since they're still young? Okay here's my counter-question to you: what does this guy do after he's done with the Death Riders? What's his upside when the veterans and older guys go from AEW? Is he a guy you see in NXT or NXT wanting? No? What am I to say about him? He's a perpetual underling - the Virgil of AEW. Much as it pains me to say this, Daniel Garcia's only upside over Wheeler Yuta is Tony Khan is going to have Garcia be his next Orange Cassidy as something they plug into big matches all the time - oh wait they already did with Garcia. Yuta is a 2nd rate Garcia and he knows it due to a lack of any meaningful feud between the two and a lack of any wins over anyone. The fact Yuta's only claim this year is Statlander using his pin to win the world title and other victories says it all about nepotism in this company.

Marina Shafir

Sorry Roddy Strong but I must ask - do you think Marina Shafir and Renee Paquette could be a tag team in AEW? They don't need to win the titles it just seems like they're okay with it. Anyways the Death Riders are a pointless faction now so it's cleaning season and we don't need the bad parts of it lingering around. She can't wrestle correctly and only helps lost causes reinforce their middling merit. The women's division has never needed her and Willow Nightingale is wasting her talent and effort having to dance with such a Moldavian Wildebeest.

Bryan Keith

Sucks. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say he did anything special in AEW. He's like the lost member of the Dark Order who never made it but somehow stuck around because people feel pity for everyone there. I…don't know what to say about this guy. He's a non-entity. Jobbers have more memorability. You have to remember a golden rule - anyone who isn't here to be perceived as winning a title in AEW shouldn't be there at all. I don't see him doing anything but holding Big Bill back. Get rid of him.

Austin and Colton Gunn

They're not bad however they seem like a lost cause. They're never going to be anything the likes of how Juice and Jay were as a sporadic tag team and were simply better. Right now Juice and Austin are this weird team whilst Colton remains injured and prone to injury. Austin, on his own terms, is a modern day Bryan Chrisopher. It's a risky investment with little payoff. Santana and Ortiz never succeeded and yet were leagues better than these two. I'd rather have Adam Priest and Tommy Billington for goodness sake!

Kota Ibushi

PUSH -

The Hurt Syndicate

We hurt people. Probably a 2026 mainstay and one of the best parts of 2025. Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin being the AEW Tag Team Champions is a strangely great fit for 2025 and made every appearance of them matter by sheer respect alone. MVP has always been an excellent talker but he wisely never overtalks his muscle as they're more than just so - the stuff with MJF, weird as it was, ended up being effective in crystalising their capabilities to be on top. 2026 is going to be an interesting year if they stick around because it won't be as a tag team but rather two hungry veterans looking for singles gold. Where this ends up I hope is one people will stick around to find out.

Thekla

The Delta of Delirium…excuse me the "Triangle of Madness" is one of those factions which we'll also be seeing for awhile. The Austrian Spider Thekla is one of those hidden gems made all the more prescient when you watch her interview with RJ City - it may be one of those moments you realise a star is in the making. She's still got to learn more moves to really put together everything but she's every bit filled the hole Mariah May (now Blake Monroe) left behind. I see her with singles gold next year.

Anthony Bowens

The most misused talent of 2025. His full match with Konosuke Takeshita should be studied. Thankfully he got rid of Daddy ass but now is stuck with Jerry Lynn and it's all ridiculous. Stop hamstringing genuinely important wrestlers - he's a face turned heel because of his former tag partner being a loser. What kind of story is this? They didn't do anything in June either so I'm really confused by the phantom push he got.

Max Caster

The other most misused talent of 2025. His gimmick has been an insufferable losing streak because…he's delusional? This is a former Tag AND Trios title holder - his value already surmounts half the roster by this alone. Oh but Bowens was the one who carried him? Yeah imagine if this were true if the above went on a winning streak! But he didn't therefore it makes no sense. You may also wonder why I'm rating them separately but the truth is 2025 has separated these two and putting the Acclaimed back together is the WRONG plan - these two should be singles stars running parallel in their success - it is a story AEW should of run with instead of burying them both and I hope in 2026 they amend this nonsense because these are two of the genuine homegrown stars of a company so desperate in need of them. What - you'd rather see a Daniel Garcia or Orange Cassidy on your TV over these two? Over other guys I've recommended in the past?

Brody King

I already rated Bandido so it's time to rate the other half of Brodido. Brody King has quietly risen his value throughout AEW and has survived a lot of his contemporaries leaving or being injured. The hunger he has is the one thing a guy like Darby Allin lacks for a World Title scene. If AEW were careful about how much they have in this guy they'd consider him a top player going into 2026. Time will tell if they'll do the right thing when they had the chance with so many before Brody King. If he really hates ICE so much maybe he should represent AEW as a champion and then have the clout to take a greater stance.

MxM Collection - Mansoor and Mason Madden

A crime we're seeing less of them over The Outrunners. They're a comedy act, true, but a sorely important one if my above words are heeded as they'd fill the gap of The Acclaimed. I like to remind you they're 29 and 34 as of me writing this. I want you to think carefully about who should be invested in when going forward. Oh and do look up their Soft Ground escapades from last year it is legit amazing. Can you imagine them doing what the Elegance Brand in Impact are doing but it's male-orientated? With anime? Merchandise? It'd be legendary.

Harley Cameron

It's amazing what some people can achieve if they're untangled from bad creative. I can't fathom a time she was with QT Marshall, Aaron Solow, Johnny TV, and Will Hobbs. Yeah what a wacky faction. Or with Saraya and Ruby Soho! This year she's been interacting with Mercedes Mone, with Puppet Mone, and it's somewhat mitigated the overvalue of the TBS Champion. Her mini-feud with her brought value to Mone. She's now hanging around the current AEW World Champion Kris Statlander. Again I think the tag team of her and Mina Shirakawa works well simply because combined they'd only have about 10-11 years experience and yet people would believe them as the ultimate underdogs. She's got better as a wrestler and she has a personality probably only rivalled by Toni Storm. Have those two interact and start the idea off! Harley Cameron could do anything in this company and she'd be a loyal keeper for years. Don't waste her potential.

Big Bill

This is a longshot but maybe something can be done with him and Lexy Nair as a modern-day DDP/Kimberly valet situation - announcing him to the ring, helping him in matches, then the amusing post-match interview as she praises his efforts. I find the midcard needs fresh faces not people wallowing in the undercard. A 7 foot guy should NEVER be a curtain jerker. Big Bill could be one of those guys the non-Americans could get behind too ironically for being pro-American. Not in a racist way of course I mean the way DDP represents it - hard work, determination, confidence, and gutsy volition. It's 2025 - American values are more than just Red, White, and Blue. They're big and they're strong. He could even do a Gorilla Press Slam where it has someone above him and launches them even higher as they pancake to the ground. He could call the move the -

Stokely Hathaway

I think there's potential in him doing more than just what he's done with FTR and Kris Statlander. Stokely Hathaway was the guy responsible for giving MJF his early success. I think people forget he's not even 35 years old as I write this. Stokely has fought hard to stay relevant when it would of been all too easy to have cast him away. Like Harley Cameron they'll always be a place for him to do something in this company and he'll do it right. He is a dying breed - protect this endangered species of managers!

Deonna Purrazzo

New to this? Please refer to https://dreadwhoop.tumblr.com/post/763635788876496896/reviewing-the-all-elite-wrestling-personnel-2024 to recap 2024 or understand what this is all about.

Let's start with World Wrestling Entertainment.

Say what you want about AEW, I find it difficult to watch, let alone pay, a product tied to international acts of condemnation in the form their rival WWE has aligned towards. Just like with UFC, with Boxing, and with other ventures being enveloped by the allure of absolution, we are seeing long-time fans gouged out by greed from a source rife with regressive values they aggressively enforce. This should make AEW prime for a 2nd wave, like when WWE was on the downhill back in 2019, to capitalise on the negative association. Unfortunately, barring a few bright spots, AEW has remained progressively on the decline with no ability to turn their fortunes around. Making new fans of this product is almost unfeasible outside of young children who aren't acclimatised to what a wrestling show can offer - except how can audiences who are new enjoy a product with the way its presented? How does one get away from what WWE are doing? Oh I know…LET'S DO MONEY MATCHES NOBODY CARES ABOUT!

Aewful.

But hey let's speak about something good about AEW!

Congratulations to Kenny Omega for achieving the prestigious Triple Crown - the 2nd person to have officially claimed it after MJF. Forget the whole nonsense of 'Grand Slam' because it is meaningless when so many new belts get printed. Just focus on the fact he won the primary belt, a secondary belt, and a team belt for the same company.

The Womens Tag Team Titles were also announced the week prior to the Anniversary show which, interestingly enough, still makes my post https://dreadwhoop.tumblr.com/post/697333645407584256/reviewing-the-all-elite-wrestling-personnel-2022 relevant though some of those teams can't exist anymore. Who would I book to be the inaugural champions? Probably Thunderstorm or something like Deeb and Shida. But we know it'll be Julia Hart & Skye Blue or even Anna Jay and Tay Melo.

One of the biggest missed opportunities of 2025 for AEW was their inability to secure Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux when they were/are red hot. We know exactly why (looks at Don Callis) but the fact is this should of been the guy brought in to fight Kyle Fletcher not the clownshow Hiromu Takahashi. They had a 2nd chance at the 6th Anniversary show only to prop out Orange Cassidy. Imagine if Tony Khan was a real leader and turned the genuine heat between Callis and Kross into a feud which spanned his entire faction, doing all of it, to avenge the time at Impact. Paul Heyman proclaimed this guy could of been the next Steve Austin. Yeah he could of - if Tony Khan had any business sense and wasn't an easy pushover.

What's even sadder is the best thing AEW did this entire year was in CMLL - with MJF and Mistico. The MJF there was the one we want to see on AEW. Mistico has had a resurgence the likes he's not seen in over 15 years. I don't know what more to tell you - wrestling is about STORIES NOT WRESTLING. If you come in to be an athlete who can keep their cardio up to perform dives and not have an ounce of personality, in 2025, you have nothing new to offer. People don't care - few truly got over by wrestling alone and if this were the case then why isn't Claudio the leader of the Death Riders?

Just reminding myself to still do the stuff regarding AEW and the GotY entrants later on this year. Right now I'm mentally preparing for the massive undertaking of 2026.

(Want to hear what I felt about a PS1 - 25th Anniversary Platinum Edition back in 2017? Refer to the link below)

Today, 25 years ago, on the 4th of March 2000, the greatest videogame console launched in Japan and would later in the same year grace much of the whole world. By the end of 2001 it had reached over 20 million sales and by the end of its lifespan around 160 million - surpassing the 102 million of the PS1. Despite Nintendo's impressive legacy of consoles not even the DS or the Switch have effectively passed those numbers as of this writing. To put it in perspective, the PS5 hasn't even reached HALF of the PS2 sales.

Sony attempted to find fortune in a 'PlayStation Classic' back in 2018. It was a mixed result ultimately ending in being a forgotten curiousity. Just what were the decisions behind their inclusions and exclusions? Why use the PAL versions for some games? Was leaning on their own exclusive library a good idea or a cheap and lazy gamble? Do you have one? To say it was a commercial failure would be an understatement - it's effectively a forgotten piece of gaming history when it was supposed to be a celebration and preservation of such history.

Rare is it a company gets a 2nd chance to succeed based on the good faith of their celebrated past in contrast to the ill-concieved future they tried to force - Astro Bot has revitalised a keen interest in such franchises.

(Celebrated Past = Astro Bot)

If Sony wants to take one important lesson about last year, 2024, it's how they now have a golden opportunity to correct course on a lot of lost revenue and win back the demographics spanning several generations. What the PS1 did to establish franchises, mature audiences, and all the stuff I wrote before, the PS2 galvanised in becoming the true heart and soul of Sony's dominance in the industry which has now surpassed all other forms of entertainment media. This is the ideal time to make a PS2 Classic - not remakes or remasters and not sad sequels to nostalgia grab - a genuine article of celebrating a historic timeline of career-defining, genre-defining, videogame masterpieces. A truly incredible celebration of when Sony was invincible and rightfully had the entire industry in the palm of their hands. It can happen again if this time they listen to what Astro Bot did right. Would a PS2 Classic sell millions? It might!

Because Sony loves celebrating milestones this should be their magnum opus of such things. £100/$100 would be an ideal price for this, double this would be pushing the limits, and anything in-between can be argued as fair - after all it's meant to be a 1:1 PS2 (minus playing DVDs…) and you know what people will do to it. As a bonus, and a means of paying homage to the original, the PS1 Classics should also be backlogged onto this device - PS2 could play PS1 games after all - so it also allows those who felt the PS1 Classic was a bad deal to justify its inclusion here and make the development loss a little less painful overall. This time it should be an international release not regional versions. One PS2 Classic for all. Curating down to an ideal is not easy - the PS2 library is dense with amazing choices. I think 25 is enough, 25th Anniversary and all, but which ones? The discussion is varied to even which one of a series should be included when multiple choices are correct - there are no wrong answers below but I want to try and base my overall choices on a number of critical factors - genre saturation, exclusivity, popularity, if recent remakes exist of some choices, IP originates from videogames, sales of the game on the PS2, the year it came out so to try and palette the lifespan of the PS2 accordingly, and enough variety for the PS2 Classic to justify many tastes - if Astro Bot also included it then it has a good chance! Will this cover everything? Probably not but restricting to one game per franchise is best. Licensing is a big factor so stuff like The Simpsons: Hit & Run, Lord of the Rings games, or the original Star Wars: Battlefront II are excluded. EA Games are, as you may also notice, missing because EA is a notoriously difficult company to justify supporting. Also, sadly, games which utilise a special peripheral have to be excluded - sorry EyeToy, SingStar, and Guitar Hero fans! Remember this is all for fun and to remember the console for the greatness it is. Please enjoy!

Here are my suggestions - the main representative are shown in larger images alongside reserve/substite considerations in smaller images. Should one not be enough when including is your choice though it limits variety unless you add the amount to represent: personally I feel inclined to let people swap out for the other. No more than 3 will be shortlisted per entry to prevent bloat.

Hopefully you guys agree with some, if not all, choices. Thanks for viewing - be sure if you have any suggestions on which games you’d substitute out and replace instead especially if you feel they make a worthier comparison to a SNES Classic choice. Long live the Playstation!

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City/Grand Theft Auto III as reserves) - 2004 Representative

Gran Turismo 4 (Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec as reserve) - 2004 Representative

Final Fantasy X (Final Fantasy XII as reserve) - 2001 Representative

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater as reserve) - 2001 Representative

Tekken Tag Tournament (Tekken 5 as reserve) - 2000 Representative

Kingdom Hearts II (Kingdom Hearts as reserve) - 2005 Representative

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King - 2004 Representative

God of War II (God of War as reserve) - 2007 Representative

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (Jak II/Jak 3 as reserves) - 2001 Representative

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (Ratchet & Clank/Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando as reserves) - 2004 Representative

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (Sly 2: Band of Thieves/Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves as reserves) - 2002 Representative

Silent Hill 3 (Silent Hill 2 as reserve) - 2003 Representative

Persona 4 (Persona 3/Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne as reserves) - 2008 Representative

TimeSplitters (TimeSplitters 2/TimeSplitters: Future Perfect as reserves) - 2000 Representative

Bully - 2006 Representative

Okami - 2006 Representative

Devil May Cry (Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening as reserve) - 2005 Representative

Resident Evil 4 - 2005 Representative

Hitman: Blood Money (Hitman 2: Silent Assassin/Hitman: Contracts as reserves) - 2006 Representative

Tony Hawk's Underground (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3/Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 as reserves) - 2003 Representative

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Prince of Persia: Warrior Within/Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones as reserves) - 2003 Representative

Soulcalibur II (Soulcalibur III as reserve) - 2002 Representative

Monster Hunter 2 - 2006 Representative

Katamari Damacy - 2004 Representative

Rez - 2001 Representative

2000 Representatives - 2 2001 Representatives - 4 2002 Representatives - 2 2003 Representatives - 3 2004 Representatives - 5 2005 Representatives - 3 2006 Representatives - 4 2007 Representatives - 1 2008 Representatives - 1

Honorable Exemptions -

No. 20

No. 19

No. 18

No. 17

No. 16

No. 15

No. 14

No. 13

No. 12

No. 11

No. 10

No. 9

No. 8

No. 7

No. 6

No. 5

No. 4

No. 3

No. 2

No. 1

Conclusion -

Recently there was a limited-documentary on Vince Mcmahon, the chairman and owner of the WWE for 40 years - a good watch overall. As of 2024 it looks like a McMahon won't be running a wrestling promotion let alone the biggest company in professional wrestling. Where does this leave AEW? One thing the documentary highlighted was the territory days. One could argue AEW helped some promotions outside of its own but you could also argue against it too. Has Ring of Honor truly felt more or less important since AEW took over? Does it matter? What about Impact Wrestling who seem to work with WWE more now than ever. What about GCW? NJPW? CMLL? AAA? Even the promotions less talked about like MLW, OVW, or Mission Pro? What about RevPro? AEW should of been cooperative with authority not competitive and be friendly. I said it before…if the International Title was AEW's journeyman title to play out over other promotions with the holder of it being a de-facto AEW talent regardless of contract, wouldn't it have made it more enticing? If the Continental Championship, or the "Eddie Kingston memorial push" belt had any value beyond Okada, would it be given some recognition beyond AEW? AEW has failed to be what it should of been - an alternative to WWE because WWE sees itself as the only place whilst AEW could of been a place culminated from the efforts of many companies as a platform to showcase wrestling has a life beyond WWE.

The fact so much of AEW's success is relied upon ex-WWE talent, even to this day, shows how poor it has measured up despite infinite wealth. Look at the talent from the 5-year anniversary: Ex-WWE Talent on Dynamite's 5th Anniversary - Moxley, Pac, Claudio, Ricochet, Mercedes, MVP, Renee, Jericho, Big Bill, O'Reilly, Shelton, Danielson. Semi-WWE Talent (did appear but people tend not to associate with them directly) on Dynamite's 5th Anniversary - Shafir, Schiavone, McGuinness, Juice, Deeb. Non-WWE Talent (never been in WWE) on Dynamite's 5th Anniversary - Excalibur, Ospreay, Takeshita, Gunns, Kamille, Bryan Keith, Briscoe, Orange, Rocky, Darby, Hangman, Jay White, Jack Perry, Shibata, Britt, Private Party, Savages, Bucks, Nana, Okada.

The Women's Division - It's still untapped in its full potential and is in no way lacking in draws. Tony Khan needs to listen to someone like Britt Baker and do more than make women matches the 'bathroom break' of AEW.

1. Mina Shirakawa - Undoubtably the best thing about the women's division this entire year was the storyline between Toni Storm and Mariah May. Mina was involved at a crucial moment of it whilst having excellent matches with Anna Jay, Serena Deeb, and Toni Storm herself. It's nuts she's not under full-time contract and given a minaful…erm meaningful push. Even Bryan Danielson rates her highly!

2. Kylie Rae - In the effort to once again remove Jericho and Guevara from this company is to bring back the person they got rid of. If Lio Rush can find his weasely way back in why can't she? Funnily enough if you type her name in on YouTube the first thing which pops up is her entrance back in 2019 for AEW. She's still doing well in GCW against Maki Itoh - you know another person AEW should have back?

3. Alex Windsor - British wrestlers are on the rise in AEW as are strong fundamentals from them. Versatility will always triumph over specialist talents and Alex Windsor has arguably the most complete skillset to square off against AEW's best. She's made a few sporadic appearances already yet was never given enough time to showcase it all. Look up her match with Toni Storm a few months ago to glimpse at what could be AEW's best technical bruiser.

4. Robyn & Charlette Renegade - Why they've not joined The Outcasts is beyond me since they look like Saraya's little sisters. Robyn seems to be working more after Charlette got injured back in July but the fact remains both have been learning and getting experience. I think the hard work should be rewarded.

5. Janai Kai - Original look, high energy, and unique wrestler, AEW needs more than the variety of job talents from other promotions to come and go because Janai Kai isn't someone who should be reduced to enhancing half the roster - it should be the opposite and they should enhance her.

6. Lady Frost - Anyone tuning into AEW for the last year has likely run into a match involving her - the overall presentation of her resonates with the fans and whilst some of her high-flying can incur risks I think the balanced reward of a great theme, look, and style more than make up. Fans like her and are waiting for a more full-time showcasing with a genuine push. Underrated.

7. Jasmin Allure - Has she been avoiding AEW? She's grown a lot on the indies since showing up in AEW years back and it has flown under the radar to those who aren't following every talent. Thunder Rosa has personally scouted her out for success and it is high time Thunder Rosa gets more recogniton for her efforts by bringing in her next generation of women.

8. Adriana Gambino - Tailor-made to be in Deonna Purrazzo's new faction. The former Valentina Rossi/Mafiosa has a saucy set of moves and great international appeal. She has great facial expressions and reactions plus the New York crowd might ironically be one of the only reliable markets left for AEW so to tap into it is a smart strategy.

9. Billie Starkz - Wait isn't she in RoH? Yeah and people don't care about her or Athena which is a shame because they're both great though Billie Starkz has a greater upside - put her in the Patriarchy as Mother Wayne's hand-picked choice to 'date' her son Nick Wayne. Still a teenager, Billie Starkz is lightyears ahead of a lot of talent at her age. If people can get behind the progress of a Julia Hart I think they can get behind this lady too.

Retrospective of AEW's main champion lineage and where they are now.

In this section, to celebrate the 5 years of AEW's lineage with this title, I'm going to weigh up in hindsight if each champion was right and, if not, who it should of been or if they should have lasted longer/shorter.

Chris Jericho - August 31st 2019-February 29th 2020 - The right pick for the time. Ended too soon. Should of drawn out longer until crowds were back but even if one would have the foresight to know how long the 2020-2021 lockdown would of lasted it still felt to me like he could of coasted when the TNT title was brought in. I have a rule World Championships are only defended on PPVs anyways so it could of easily been a means to protect him until the big pop upon his dethronement.

Jon Moxley - February 29th-December 2nd 2020 - Should of always been the guy to beat Jericho but not to hold it for so long - the thing is Moxley, at his best, is always effective as a chaser. Being the guy to hold it for so long meant little in the long run - it's mostly a forgotten slice of AEW's history. We forget this is back in the days where those who weren't in factions meant so much more. Moxley should of won after a long struggle against everyone only to hold it for barely a week or two. It would make his rise mean more the next time.

Kenny Omega - December 2nd 2020-November 13th 2021 - The first truly important AEW Champion - right call, right length of time, and had excellent matches throughout. No issues here. AEW was red hot during his reign. I miss him.

Hangman Adam Page - November 13th 2021-May 29th 2022 - The anointed one of AEW - in hindsight should likely have never won this title until after the TNT title. He simply wasn't ready. He STILL isn't ready. It was too late in his story arc plus made no sense to be given so many chances and if you've seen me write about his inclusion to GET RID OF back in 2021 it only validates it more now we're in 2024 and he feels every bit the poster child for insecurity alongside Jack Perry and The Young Bucks. Watch as they have him be the one to retire Bryan Danielson. It'll prove once again their stupidity to force bad ideas in your face because Tony Khan will never be loved by those around him.

CM Punk - May 29th-August 24th 2022 - Hangman Page wasn't so much a misstep as a trip up. CM Punk was a dive in a direction which, probably, should not have happened either. I get what the idea was behind CM Punk winning but it also felt to me the divide, the split, the rift of AEW's audience occured at this moment. It was a "whose side are you on" kind of deal. Did Punk deserve to be its architect? Probably no more or less than others blamed but his win was never a comfortable one. It just highlighed how weak AEW's homegrown talent looked compared to ex-WWE stars. A product of comprimises.

Jon Moxley - (June 26th)August 24th-September 4th 2022 - And this is where the AEW World Championship went from strength to weakness. A literal square peg in a circular hole. Does it fit? Sure - didn't I say he should win it again? Didn't I also say his run should be short and then chase again? The context is lost on those who only see it for what they are. To reminisce on events years ago is to collect from it the more important lesson - timing is everything. The match sucked, the reign sucked, the purpose sucked.

CM Punk - September 4th-7th 2022 - Cursed as this all is, it's a shame this never ended up the way it could of gone. After Page you had so many potential choices - Darby, Danielson, even outside choices in Dustin Rhodes or Eddie Kingston. Wardlow. MJF, who we'll get to in a moment. CM Punk was there to instill the sense those guys were going to deserve it in the way Moxley would of with Jericho had it not been a little rushed. Everything with the title is in shambles now.

Jon Moxley - September 21st-November 19th 2022 - And here's where we look at, once again, the wrong person. It should of been Danielson. It should of been Kingston. It should of been Darby. It should NOT have been Moxley. By now it was all but proven Moxley was not in AEW to be a World Champion but a character onto himself - a person pretending to mean more than he is. The hot potatoing of this title between him and Punk only served to prove once again AEW's homegrown talent suck compared to ex-WWE talent. If I didn't know better I'd almost think Moxley is some deep-cover sleeper agent for the rival company. How else do you explain such willful incompetence? No not with CTE please…

MJF - November 19th 2022-December 30th 2023 - The second truly important AEW Champion - right call, right length of time, and had excellent matches throughout. No issues here. AEW has a sustained period of interest in this time though, through no fault of MJF, had begun to show visible cracks.

Samoa Joe - December 30th 2023-April 21st 2024 - The best choice in a bad situation. Likely earned it as a thank you for not being a total amateur whilst being surrounded by them. Right length of time too. History won't tend to remember Samoa Joe as one of the better champions of AEW but he's definately one of the least mired in controversy.

Swerve Strickland - April 21st-August 25th 2024 - Another underrated but all too deserving choice. It's clear everyone else didn't so much step up to the plate they were given it and dropped it. Swerve served everyone a feast of true expectations and by working hard and being better you deserve to be at the top. A remarkably solid run only dampened by AEW's decline. It is my hope he'll be back at the top once more sooner than later.

GET RID OF -

Continuing the time-honored tradition of an ex-WWE talent failing to live up to their hype, from Ruby Soho to Saraya to now Mercedes Mone, this one is particularly jarring because it has been one cultivated from before last year's review. I don't know why Mercedes insists on making the wig stay on - the idea of it falling OFF would be an incredible spot but her ego prevents her success. Not to mention she's looking like Dante Martin in terms of having to take an extra step each time - really makes me worried Adam Cole is also done - foot injuries are terrible tragedies on otherwise good workers. The point is I'm not saying Mercedes cannot have some purpose in this company but it's obvious not in the position she's in because it has only highlighted better wrestlers like Stephanie Vaquer or Willow Nightingale or Hikaru Shida or even Kamille. The epitome of stagnation. Also I'm half-convinced she's after Tony Khan's money in more ways than one.

The CM Punk replacement didn't go so well did it? Started out okay, ended up as expected - a candle already burned down decides to light up like a firework and fizzled out like a dud. Adam Copeland might be one of the most impressive wastes of investment by AEW because he didn't have to work half as hard and would of gotten twice as much from it. Rather than being a wise veteran he catered to the crowd. But didn't Punk injure his foot? Yes but it was by accident not intent of a choice from otherwise breaking your fused neck. But didn't Sting do the same kind of dives and he's older? Sure and I didn't like it either what's your point? At least he wasn't doing it nearly as relentless and neither are a lot of smart talent at his age. Anyone who has to keep up with the talents decades younger are not providing a future but reminding us the past is gone. It was a good run Adam now walk your career out with some dignity before you limp off as a miserable failure.

Speaking of CM Punk, here's a guy being punished entirely for being his friend! (Hi Serena Deeb waves) - Danhausen could of easily been a hot property and yet AEW are being petty by devaluing his importance to the point of persona non-grata. If you don't want to use him then release him you're effectively committing career malpractice. Danhausen is WWE-bound when his contract is up but until then he's a shocking reminder why AEW has a dying fanbase - talent they could have grow it are not allowed to show up.

A loser incarnate. If we were to be generous and say 'favor hire' I don't even know if it qualifies the analogy - when you have had the likes of Leva Bates, Rebel, even newer prospects like Harley Cameron trying to wonkily work through her ineptitude, someone who is meant to coach a division where more than half the roster already surpasses her career at half the time makes me realise nice people are only nice if they can back it up with good wrestling. Is she the female Joey Janela? Maybe too harsh. You know who would of been a better coach? Allysin Kay. At least she's a solid talent and can teach a lot to others.

Wrong place, wrong time, wrong gimmick. Everything about them looks 2nd-rate, derivative, and in bad taste. So naturally they should join Moxley's new faction! In all seriousness, these two have floundered to find footing in this company and yet when guys like MxM Collection or The Outrunners come in with equally ridiculous gimmicks the crowd clicked. Putting with Lance Archer felt like an afterthought and debutting so close to Bray Wyatt's untimely demise didn't help. Generally, as creative as I can be, even I struggle to figure out how to make them useful. The only thing I can muster is the concept they're so completely anti-hate they beat people up only to let them win or they go after Mox's faction in an almost shoot way, kidnapping Renee Paquette, and asking what's more important - your morals or your marriage. It's almost Brian Pillman cliche but pretty much anything in AEW is a Brian Pillman wannabee. Otherwise these guys have no purpose in this company and should return to the indies where they belong.

By contrast, the problem with Private Party isn't a case of wrong place or wrong time or wrong gimmick. It's the simple fact they're not already a successful tag team and after 5 years all they can lean on now is the hope they can join some pro-Black faction with MVP and Lashley when they should be established like the Acclaimed are or something memorable beyond their 'fluke' win to the Young Bucks back in 2019. Imagine coasting your careers off this one win? Imagine how little it means now you get choked out by Marina Shafir. Being jobbed out too many times and made to look like weaklings to a guy like Keith Lee, who has not even shown his face more than what a handful of times this entire year, maybe less I forget his last showing, but this was the last time I truly remember Private Party having relevance…oh wait remember their time with Matt Hardy? Yeah it's just bad after bad after bad with no sustained importance. They're jokes and I resent their longevity in this company.

Speaking of people coasting on careers, here's the Walmart Will Ospreay! Excuse me my bad - the Dollar Store Hologram! Wait wait I can go one better - the spare Dante Martin! Wow. How has he not realised his role in this company, being constant reminder of the problems of keeping Jericho or others I've excluded from helping said company, indicates either he's got a hollow dome between his ears or he's in denial of the fact there's nothing for him. We're so oversaturated with high-flyers now nobody would miss him. Nobody. You already forgot who I was talking about didn't you?

I've given up with this guy. One of the most talented people to ever grace the wrestling world and yet never reached its full potential all because he felt undeserving of it. The amount of chances this guy has got to go to the top and the amount of times he's proven he belongs at the top is why the fact he's never been THE GUY is one of wrestling's biggest letdowns. I can't stand loser mentality. It's not humble, it's not inclusive, and it's not going to make people enjoy a product when simpering crybabies insist on telling everyone it's their "Last Ride" since they BEGAN IN THIS COMPANY 5 YEARS AGO. How can I even want to get rid of younger talent who could still turn their careers around like the above mentioned Private Party or Action Andretti and not include Dustin Rhodes? In many ways he's in the exact spot Jeff Jarrett was in last year - get Oldust off TV and make him a backstage guy.

Bit of a late-minute inclusion because I've noticed a worrying thing about his voice recently and it seems to be breaking. Even if it's just an off-day or two the fact remains he's now getting long in the tooth to connect with fans. If AEW wants to grow they need to find a good replacement and the only reason why Schiavone hasn't been replaced is because they don't trust anyone - another classic case of AEW not understanding how to be anything but a 2nd-rate version of what existed before - why be good when you can be competent on a consistent basis? Celebrate mediocrity!

The last spot is usually reserved for someone I think people may have some issue with getting rid of because it requires a bit more discussion. Not here. A grifter. A parasite. A glorified fan. Alicia Atouttletale. Congratulations MJF - you're dating the female Excalibur - put a mask on her and you'll have it all. I'm so tired of evil people covering up as good people because they want to be as sociable as possible but the moment a talent raises a point against your bias you suddenly go nuclear and try to destroy everything established. It's petty pitiful behaviour. No apologies or regrets from them. But hey - prove me wrong and make her replace Tony Schiavone above if you think she's good enough for it. They won't. It won't put butts in seats. Make her replace Renee Paquette - oh wait it won't happen. Not even Lexy Nair will get replaced by her. Where is she on AEW's Totem Pole for her to effectively stall Britt Baker's career? The only reason it's not the No. 1 worst thing in AEW this year is because the Brawlout footage embaressment happened. Think about the tolerance people have for backstage garbage and how badly it has affected AEW's brand and now think about how she's gotten away with it because people behind the scenes support her. Imagine what she'd get away with if people knew who she was. Max - go to WWE and leave this trash behind before you embarrass yourself an inumerable amount of times. Wonder if MJF is still tight with Drake…

PUSH -

We'll start with a new talent in AEW who has a lot of upsides and little requirement to believe as a top female in the division. The match between her and Jamie Hayter should be protected as a huge clash of power vs power with a time-limit draw followed by another one to emphasise the league these two ladies are in - it's not a difficult formula to focus when you have fans willing to buy into it. Kamille should be heavily protected and whilst it is easy to compare her to Wardlow the truth is at one point Wardlow was the most important guy in this company. Anyone can be the guy of AEW but it'll be better if Kamille can distance herself from the most expensive waste of money AEW has burned this year - especially if they paint it as Kamille's only protecting her because she can be comfortable as 2nd best whilst Kamille goes for No.1. If Kamille can even wrestle the guys then I could see her becoming the first ever female TNT champion - I mean weaker people than Kamille have held it. Make her demolish every former female AEW champion and you'll have new fans.

Congratulations to the only veteran who gets it - Christian Cage is a rare talent these days. He can stay relevant without having to schedule like he's in his 20s or 30s. He's 50 now. He did the time, the work, the many many matches. He's been to the top. He deserves all the credit for being healthy and smart about his choices in wrestling. His 4th decade in the business and he doesn't look or sound washed up. He's turned Chicken-s*** into Chicken-salad with Killswitch and Nick Wayne. He's a literal miracle worker for AEW. When he eventually decides to hang it up I hope to all the powers one can believe in he gets to be Head Booker for AEW.

Far be it for me to support a lot of Tony Khan's originality given much of it is born from his desire to play out an e-fed in real life, but if there's one cardinal rule about a promotion is you pick an original talent, you strap a rocket to them, and you see if it works. Goldberg was WCW's decision and it ultimately became the defining part of its success and failure. The trouble with Hologram is he has absolutely no promo skills and his look doesn't distinguish himself from many other smaller high flyers including the recent Ricochet. All he can rely upon is being protected in an undefeated winstreak but long as he keeps it, stays healthy, and wrestles enough, people will remain interested. Never forget there was a time a guy like Eddie Kingston was red hot despite the fact he lost all the time, looks like a living tin of beans, and didn't wrestle to impress - personality can go a long way. If Hologram could be built up from the backs of others praising him it'll circumvent his problem.

It seems every year I'm almost ready to finally give Kris Statlander her fair dues and yet something happens to deny it - simple fact is Willow is a better Kris Statlander. Throughout the year she has been a cornerstone of the women's division and if it doesn't have her rewarded by the end of next year with a world title run then Tony Khan doesn't understand wrestling. As mentioned above, Kamille and Jamie Hayter are the big money but so is Willow's involvement in the title hunt. The women's division is far more impressive than it is being allowed to showcase and stacked with excellent talent given how many established talent have not been mentioned. Willow could be plugged into participating in any match with any top talent and thrive.

All but confirms the Don Callis Family is Team Taz 2.0 - a litany of great talent all around and with 'The Protostar' Kyle Fletcher the growth is immense. If he stops trying to be a high-flyer and focus on being a power wrestler, mixing it up with a more complete moveset, bulk his body up, you could envision him as a modern-day He-Man! I mean Triple H! I am not kidding - his biggest challenge is to be his own big-time player rather than let others mould him. He has an improved look, his promos are getting more serious and intense, he's got the size and aptitude to get better, and there's no downside other than the general hang-ups of AEW wanting certain types of wrestlers. Build around him in a way AEW doesn't build around guys - if anything make him the counter-wrestler to AEW's cliche style and you'll have a genuine future star.

Bless her for perseverance. It would of been easy to have given up on her during her time in the Dark Order, the Jericho Appreciation Society, being associated with Jack Perry, or her shoulder injury burdening her growth. So much stood in her way and yet she's still standing despite it all. It hasn't run her off or made her look less capable and to survive this long deserves some reward since she's now tenured enough to be taken seriously - she has a superstar look, no doubt, and her wrestling has certainly gone up a notch. She just needs to somehow figure out the promo skills and she'll easily be the woman to replace Mercedes as TBS Champion (or maybe if they ever do a Tag division with the ladies finally have Tay Melo join in). I think everyone is naturally rooting for her success since she's been an underdog for so long.

AEW is running out of known homegrown talent to make better over burrowing established talent to ruin. Thankfully they have an incredible prospect who has been tearing it up against the likes of Ethan Page, Shawn Spears, likely to be managed by the great MVP, and looks to be destined to be the next big star of the promo-wait what do you mean he's not in AEW? Hold on…checking notes…oh sorry I had this dream where Trick left and AEW treated talent by the merits of their ability and thought Ethan Page had stayed and anyways AEW is making so many belts I must of forgot NXT isn't a better RoH in every way…ironic given how NXT was just RoH for a time. My bad.

Not my favourite at all and personally felt he would flounder but color me corrected he has something weirdly unique. In many ways I could echo what I said about Willow, inserting him into any match with a male talent, and he'll do well. Juice is due for a push and was part of last year's match of the year. This year he's returned and has not been given enough screentime to elevate him to a level of serious contendership beyond supporting titles. A singles run may be in the future for him if he remains focused. Underrated promo, look, and overall wrestler.

The irony is there are moments I had him in the GET RID OF catagory for some of the most ridiculous bridge burnings I've ever seen to other companies but if there's one person I can compare him to in terms of franchise player in AEW it is Darby Allin. I think Ospreay is going to work extra hard to prove AEW is not just a one-trick pony in terms of appeal but if he wants to keep up with his own ambition he'll need to work smarter too. He'll need to ultimately be the catalyst of showcasing other talent too and not be relied upon to be the only top talent in 2025 as the roster ages. If he can lead a new generation by scheduling and pacing his routine, adding less predictability to it, maybe he'll end up being an egoless Shawn Michaels. Time will tell.

Not as a wrestler though he didn't embaress himself after a 13-year layoff. No the value is in his voice and verbal wit. Commentary is yet another place aging badly and needs better talent but the one not to replace is McGuinness. There's not much else to say since he speaks for himself - unless you're put off by the accent there's no downside to his continued success in the commentary box. A wealth of knowledge too and a true student of the game. You know - the complete opposite of Excalibur.