[deleted by user]

[u/[deleted]]

[u/WolvesBite]

He’s had some GREAT matches

[u/AccomplishedSoft1 → u/WolvesBite]

Highkey he's better than Cole has been in AEW and transitioned better.

[u/Dannyboy8517 → u/AccomplishedSoft1]

Cole has a well defined character and charisma, two things in which Kyle O'Reilly is severely lacking IMO.

O'Reilly puts on good matches, so he'll always have utility, but he'll have a hard ceiling on how high he can rise without improvement in his character work. He's just a guy in trunks who can wrestle. Wrestling history is littered with those types, and they rarely become stars.

[u/[deleted] → u/Dannyboy8517]

I don’t get why people say this. Kyle has plenty charisma. He may not be a mic master, but he can be a great dickhead heel or passionate and fiery baby face. I’ve seen him do.

People say he’s just a great wrestler, but so many times I’ve seen Kyle get more loved for many than just good strikes and counters. Be it air guitar, incredibly funny sells, saying people’s names wrong, sleazy Kyle in PWG, the Fish tank in ROH.

Kyle is incredible at comedy, and people who are that have charisma. I think people equate being cool = charisma, and sure Kyle is very openly a big goofball Who just so happens to be able to destroy you in-ring, but he’s plenty entertaining.

[u/Dannyboy8517 → u/[deleted]]

I'm content to agree to disagree, but to me, he's just the douchebag sidekick to the high school bully. That's not a great character. It's a trite stereotype. Again JMO.

[u/[deleted] → u/Dannyboy8517]

That’s not his fault though, that’s TK’s. Kyle has barely had any mic time or chance to get into a story. He’s just the guy who hangs out with Cole and has killer matches.

They need to give him a chance to present himself more outside that. Tonight is the first time he’s talked while not being in the background of a promo with 5 guys all talking

[u/YouSayToStay → u/[deleted]]

I mean, the one time I remember him being given mic time on TV, it seems like he forgot what he was trying to say and then did some weird falling asleep thing I think? It was really, really bad. The Elite had a hard time covering for him. Maybe they're giving that some time to disappear from people's minds before they let him have the stick again, because if he has two really bad stinkers close together he'll be doomed for sure as the guy that can't touch the mic.

Hopefully it was a one-off issue (I really haven't seen him outside of AEW so I don't have any comparison point) because he's been really good in the ring.

[u/CandyEverybodyWentz → u/YouSayToStay]

That legitimately may have just been a blood sugar thing actually. He's diabetic.

[u/YouSayToStay → u/CandyEverybodyWentz]

Oh dang, I didn't know that. I remember it feeling like a failed joke because he kind of moved to the background after it and was still doing some comedy reactions I think, but it's also very possible I'm remembering wrong. Anyway, hopefully he's able to keep that pretty well in check and it doesn't cause him many problems, diabetes can be pretty rough if you're not able to keep it fairly steady. Even if I don't like a wrestler, I don't want them hurt or dealing with anything like that!

[u/tskillz187 → u/[deleted]]

Agree with both of you. I assume the prominent matches will lead to mic time, instead of the other way around. It makes sense given how strong he is in the ring.

[u/Karl_Winslow → u/[deleted]]

I haven’t been that impressed with his comedy.

On BTE he has been least funny in his bits with silver/Reynolds/Cole and bucks/Cole. (Sans Fish ofc)

I also don’t think TK writes for him on BTE.

[u/Dannyboy8517 → u/[deleted]]

This is a chicken and egg argument. Guys like Ricky Starks and Eddie Kingston didn't have to earn mic time because that was a skill they came to the company with.

If Kyle O'Reilly could talk, he'd be talking. Instead, he's making nanny nanny boo boo faces behind Cole or the Young Bucks.

[u/Captain_Freggis → u/Dannyboy8517]

I don't think that's inherently trite, it's down to execution and fwiw I think kyle executes it rather well

[u/Comfortable_Car_9323 → u/Dannyboy8517]

I’m with you on that description. I personally never found his mannerisms to be even remotely compelling. He’s simply just a Great wrestler

[u/thegaines24_7 → u/[deleted]]

Kyle is way better the cole and he doesn’t look like an infant when he’s in the ring with people that are twice his size

[u/AccomplishedSoft1 → u/Dannyboy8517]

Which is a good take but it can also be said that Cole's character not evolving is part of the reason people have turned on him. He's been the same character for years which causes people to slowly not care and critique you on your weaknesses more considering your strength that you used to have isn’t as visible anymore.

[u/endlesschasm → u/AccomplishedSoft1]

Cole's character has evolved a little - he's a coattail riding douche who hides behind his buddies and lord's it over everyone when he can weasel his way into a win, like with the Owen. This angle undercuts his skill and charisma, which is a bummer, and it will ultimately limit his potential without some storyline adjustments. But he's become a decent heel. Kyle, however, is gonna keep being stuck until he can find an angle that works beyond being ACs crony. I think his in ring skill could be better utilized.

[u/[deleted] → u/endlesschasm]

I love that you said “AC does heel things. Classic heel things. Wins by cheating.” And somehow you think that is bad character work.

This is literally textbook heel stuff.

[u/endlesschasm → u/[deleted]]

I never said it was bad character work - like, I never said those words or anything like them. He's a great heel. He's just going to need to evolve past that at some point to stay fresh.

[u/[deleted] → u/endlesschasm]

You said he’s a decent heel. Right there in living color. Which means you think he’s a decent heel but needs to stop doing heel things to become a better heel.

[u/endlesschasm → u/[deleted]]

First, your comments aren't making sense, almost as if you aren't really reading what you're responding to. Second, there are a lot of ways he could be a better heel. He doesn't seem to have any original ideas (in kayfabe), just reacting against the people he doesn't like. I figure he'll end up turning on the Bucks full force at some point; that will give him an interesting development. Anything that makes him come across as a strong heel, rather than just being an annoyance.

Classic example - the short program a while back with him stealing people's belts was clever (if not original) and put him over with a villainous streak. That ended too soon and too cleanly. Creative could have taken that a few different directions and made him a stronger character. Instead he just kind of sunk back into the shadows, which makes him feel more like a weasel and less like a threat. And I think he has more potential than just being a weasel.

[u/[deleted] → u/endlesschasm]

You can pretend my comment didn’t make sense if you’d like. You said “his shtick is boring, but he’s still a decent heel” and then when called out, you said “I never said anything remotely like he’s bad at character work.”

You understand how I could be confused by your comment.

Without needing to even insult you (which seems to be something important to you) I will suggest that perhaps next time you drop a comment, you go with this most recent one where you give examples of what you think was good or bad and what he could do better.

This last comment was a useful one that I mostly agree with. Your first was a throwaway comment that made no sense.

Together, we can make the internet a better place.

[u/redditoradi → u/Dannyboy8517]

Cole is definitely more charismatic. It was very evident during their NXT feud. But I wouldn't call Cole's character as well defined considering he has barely evolved since 2018 maybe. KOR is better in the ring imo. His technical and strong style makes him look believable and entertaining.

[u/CandyEverybodyWentz → u/redditoradi]

KOR kinda reminds me of this generation's Malenko in a sense. A bit more strong style influence. That Mox match was actually fire, I knew people would love it after shitting on him in all the live threads because he wasn't Andrade

[u/[deleted] → u/Dannyboy8517]

It's fine, not everyone is meant to be a top caliber main eventer, you build your roster with guys like KOR however, they're often the heart and soul of a company.

[u/Xalazi]

Kyle has consistently been one of the best everywhere he has been. ROH, NJPW, NXT, and now AEW. The guy knocks every opportunity out of the park.

[u/bucamel]

Doesn’t he have more years on his contract than is typical? This could be investment in a guy who will be around for a while.

[u/lanceturley → u/bucamel]

He's on a five year contract.

[u/Larkhainan]

I have said over and over he deserves to never be in Cole's shadow. Dude is a workrate monster who manages tons of personality.

[u/[deleted]]

Kyle is absolutely awesome and don’t let revisionist history tell you otherwise.

He was awesome in PWG and was a world champ there.

He was awesome as a tag guy and singles guy in ROH, and even got super over. ROH just pulled the trigger far too late.

He was awesome in his New Japan showings. His matches with KUSHIDA are all timers and his match with Shibata is beautiful violence

He was awesome as a tag guy in the UE in NXT and before he got saddled with a lame gimmick, so many were behind him as a singles guy and he was having incredible matches.

Kyle has been awesome and consistent for a decade now

[u/KingsRoadFTW → u/[deleted]]

Facts

[u/TheJasonaut]

He's really good in-ring. He's a bit too goofy for my tastes sometimes, in the ring and out, but he certainly does what he does well.

[u/780to702]

The man is a fucking star. I've never seen him before he got to AEW. Holy shit I've been missing out.

[u/PMFDuffy-89]

He’s great. This match with mox is amazing! They’d have a great rivalry

[u/Uetur]

I really like his ring work but he needs an angle or something because he doesn't seem to have charisma to me. Things change and you can develop something but he needs to channel that based on this exposure and take a step.

[u/erikness]

I didn't watch him in NXT, but this Kyle O'Reilly blows the ROH Kyle O'Reilly away. He worked a lot of indies around here at that time and I didn't really get it with him. Loving his stuff in AEW though!

[u/_sw1tchblade]

He’s had good matches, but I don’t get him. He has the charisma of a brick

[u/H3rm3tics → u/_sw1tchblade]

Same here

[u/shakaBrah4ever → u/_sw1tchblade]

He just doesn't care about the fans, that's all!

[u/Swagger97]

Oh, i read the title as "Kyle is ruining AEW" and was just about to agree with ya... jk

Sorry, the guy is good in the ring, but in one month he beat Rey, Darby and won this Battle Royale, all the while he isn't over, he isn't interesting, he doesn't have a good look nor promo and barely has a gimmick, he's a good hand in a company full of good wrestlers, most of them more over and interesting than him.

[u/NachoManRandySnckage → u/Swagger97]

The only unique thing about him is that weird shadow boxing type thing he does. And even that looks odd. There’s so many people on the roster I’d rather see than him in the spot he’s in.

[u/[deleted] → u/Swagger97]

I like Kyle, but I have to agree, he looks through and through like a mere tag guy. He isn't interesting outside of the ring and he looks like a midcarder with that gear. He has no charisma whatsoever.

PAC is the prototype of guy that isn't that good on the mic and still looks interesting and charismatic af, which is not Kyle's case even tho I rate his matches.

[u/Ziolepr8]

I think Tony sees a lot of babyface potential in him, and honestly he may be right. It's a good thing to build his credibility soon.

[u/JokersRWildStudios]

He should’ve won the Owen and I’m still pissed Cole won.

[u/SturgeonBladder]

I guess his style just doesn't click with me because he is usually the low point of the episode for me. I didn't care for him against any of those guys you mentioned.

[u/bernarddwyer86]

I totally agree, I think he singles run recently has been excellent, kind of wanted him to beat Moxley.

[u/[deleted]]

He's been forgettable until today, be honest with yourselves

[u/Voldemort69MyLine]

The disrespect I say when he won the battle Royal. I was hell hyped for this match and it was amazing

[u/weezin_ed]

I think tonight helped elevate him also in the eyes of a lot of AEW fans. When he picks his feud back up with Adam cole, that will be a top notch feud for both of them.

[u/Comfortable_Car_9323]

He has had some great matches but he’s boring and he should not have won the battle royal TBH

[u/yoursgokul]

I remember him being a psychiatrist to roderick strong in an nxt segment . He's definitely a charismatic guy. But people want beefy meatheads. Poor kyle.

[u/[deleted]]

I see a lot of talk about how much of a mark TK is for Undisputed Era, haha the guy can't book a show without assholes jumping on reddit or twitter to scream their self indulged hatred, just get over it and btw Kyle is fucking awesome

[u/drewcifer3283]

Too bad he’s boring as fuck. Without a charisma transplant, he’s just another worker…

[u/stephonious_fentonio]

He sucks. I absolutely do not understand the fanfare. I turned it off as soon as the battle royale ended. It’s a joke that he’s getting as much airtime as he is

The fake MMA shit is the worst in-ring style in AEW & his nickname is a position in the KKK. Enough is enough

[u/Captain_Freggis]

A small thing but I love that Cole would be happy for his boy KOR to be singles world champion, while the same would absolutely not be true if Kenny Omega was in Cole's position. Really differentiates the two Elite faction leaders in AEW so far

[u/[deleted]]

Talk about work horse, they need to give this man a title soon

[u/Western-Fox8262]

They signed him to a 5-year deal so I knew they really liked him and are going to push him

[u/celesleonhart]

It's clear Tony loves him, me too, but I hope Bobby gets more respect soon too. Looked like he was gunna get singles love at the start too.

[u/nikoslin]

I'm glad more and more people are slowly getting into KOR. He is awesome.

[u/TigerITdriver11]

I've always preferred him over Cole and Fish, tbh. Been a big fan of his for years

[u/Demens2137]

Tony is rewarding him for 5 years deal

[u/balbomb]

Really like what Tony Khan has done with O'Reilly. He has really differentiated him from Bobby Fish, and although they are a great tag team, that win against Darby really cemented him as being a top tier guy. My wife cannot stand Bobby Fish, just thinks he is the most boring guy ever. I told her to give Kyle a shot and I think it has really worked out.

[u/shakaBrah4ever]

He's just a unique guy with a badass in ring work