SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
BEING THE ELITE EP. 235 – “A Christmas, Carol?”
POSTED ON YOUTUBE.COM
DECEMBER 21, 2020
REPORT BY ZACH GRAHAM, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Watch it HERE.
Top Points:
1.Marko Stunt is the number one contender for the BTE Championship after winning a card game.
2. Matt Hardy explains his new attitude and said it all stems from the fans’ reaction to his match at All Out against Sammy Guevara.
3. Dark Order go Christmas Caroling and continue to recruit Hangman Page to join them.
– Dark Order were in their lounge decorating a Christmas Tree together. Most of them were wearing matching pajamas, but Colt Cabana had his own sweater on and Stu Grayson was wearing his leather coat. They all started singing the 12 Days of Christmas, but Dark Order themed. They sang about the things Mr. Brodie gave them as they all sang the lyrics off their phones. After the finished singing, Evil Uno asked them if they were ready to go caroling and they all cheered and left the lounge as Colt Cabana asked what caroling was.
– Being the Elite open aired.
– Frankie Kazarian was warming up with his stretch band backstage. Christopher Daniels’ head popped up from behind a storage crate and, in a spooky sounding voice, told Kazarian he must be kinder to Brandon Cutler and he must enroll in anger management classes. Kazarian got upset and asked why he needs to be nicer to Cutler and called him a mark. Daniels cut him off and said if he doesn’t change his ways, Kazarian will be visited by three spirits. Kazarian threatened Daniels and said it better be the spirits you can drink. Daniels yelled over Kazarian “I have spoken” and disappeared. Kazarian went back to stretching and Serpentico walked up and told Kazarian he loves Christopher Daniels. Kazarian yelled “do ya” in his face and started stretching again.
– Matt and Nick Jackson said they were at Daily’s Place. Matt noted they’re in “the Dark Order lair.” Nick asked where the table went and Matt said “that nerd Chris Harrington” told him they broke it and now they have to replace it. Matt said it’s a custom table and it’s going to cost them like $800 to replace. Matt then pointed out that Nick paid John Silver $1,000 for throwing mustard into a bowl and now they have to buy this new table and they had to buy all of Dark Orders’ “Cowboy Day” props from last week’s episode too. Nick and Matt laughed that they basically gave Dark Order BTE and noted they weren’t even on the last episode of the show. Matt and Nick joked that they’re not even going to tell Dark Order how much the table costs. Matt said he’s going to do the pro wrestler thing of being a baby face to Dark Order in person, then they’ll find out on this show that they’re costing them money.
– John Silver awkwardly introduced himself as the BTE Champion and said they’re gathered for another number one contenders challenge. He said they’re going to be playing a game of “higher or lower” with cards. Silver gave them all a card. Britt Baker was the first eliminated and threw a fit as she left. After two rounds, it came down to Anna Jay and Marko Stunt. After a couple of rapid fire rounds, Marko Stunt was the winner. John Silver posed with Marko and awkwardly said that next week, they’re going to be kicking a water bottle and trying to hit the cap. Marko laughed as if he didn’t even understand what Silver meant and they high fived.
– Matt and Nick were hiding behind a curtain as SCU’s music played. Nick asked if they were at commercial and Matt said he wasn’t sure. They looked at the camera and Matt said they’re in commercial before the SCU vs. “The John Cena Guys” match from Dynamite. Matt and Nick then made their way out to ringside. They showed some clips of Christopher Daniels chatting with the crowd during the commercial break. Matt and Nick laughed at Daniels rapping back at The Acclaimed before their match. Clips of the match were then shown from ringside. After the match Matt and Nick accepted a challenge from the Acclaimed for a match next week.
The camera cut to Matt cuddling Peter Avalon who was laying on a bed at ringside. Avalon said it’s been a good show and Matt agreed.
– Griff Garrison was leaning against a wall doing nothing, when suddenly the door knocked. Garrison opened the door and Dark Order started singing another Christmas classic with new Dark Order themed lyrics. They quickly fizzled out before Garrison slammed the door in their face.
– Frankie Kazarian sighed and said he’s going to vanity search himself “like a mark.” Trent approached him wearing a giant red robe. Kazarian said hey. Trent turned to him and said he’s not Trent he’s a ghost, the ghost of Christmas past. Kazarian asked if that’s a new gimmick. Trent said no, he’s a real ghost, just look at his blanket he’s wearing. Trent said Kazarian is being “a real dick” to Brandon Cutler. Trent said he should probably go to some anger class. Kazarian tried to defend himself, but Trent cut him off and told him to look at this highlight package of him being mean to Cutler.
Clips played of Kazarian insulting Cutler.
They flashed back to Kazarian and Trent. Kazarian laughed and said that’s not him being a dick, that’s good stuff. Trent told him that this is the end of this scene and he’s going to leave so another ghost can come. Kazarian said okay and Trent left.
– A promotional video aired for a Matt Hardy segment airing on BTE next week. The voice over said pro wrestling and music will be changed forever. Clips of Matt Hardy aired and the name Mikey Rukus flashed. At the end, an album cover showed Mikey Rukus and Matt Hardy yelling at each other with the title “Ghost Town.”
– Matt Hardy was with Private Party and said he’s sort of proud of them after their match tonight. Hardy said every time they’re in the ring together, it’s a test and he’s trying to teach them life lessons. Hardy said he allows them to sit under his “iconic learning tree.” Hardy then told them what they should’ve learned tonight. He said he told them to be more than athletic and encouraged them to be ruthless. A clip of Marq Quen punching away on John Silver played from the match. Hardy said he made Quen tag him in so he could show them the proper way to do it. Hardy then said they needed to talk about the finish of the match. Hardy seemed offended that they think he stole the glory at the finish of the match. Hardy said he saved them by grabbing Reynolds by the hair on the top rope, which opened the door for Private Party. Hardy went on to say he isn’t sure if Quen even had the strength to hook the leg, not that he hooks the leg very often because he’s so green, unlike him who hooked both legs because he’s such a professional. Kassidy and Quen acknowledged that maybe Hardy was right.
Matt and Nick Jackson walked in and congratulated them. Hardy stopped them and repositioned everyone to face the camera correctly. Matt Jackson asked Hardy if he’s okay after watching the match. Matt and Nick said Hardy has been a real dick lately so they want to see what’s going on. Hardy said they’re partially to blame and they acknowledged maybe it’s them to a degree. Hardy said he’ll tell them exactly when things changed, it was September 5, 2020, All Out. Hardy said he got injured there and all the fans did afterwards was “shit on him” after that match with Guevara. Hardy said he came to AEW to create his masterpiece, but the fans rejected him and he had to remind the people who he is. Hardy said on that day, he was trying to give the audience the greatest match he could. Hardy said he didn’t get hurt that night, he actually died on the inside. Hardy said he’s spent his life being selfless and now he’s tired of giving so now he’s going to take because the business has leeched off him for 28 years so now is his time to leech of the business. Hardy stormed out upset.
– Kris Statlander was sitting next to Orange Cassidy playing on her phone. Cassidy slowly handed her candies and she kept accepting them, even though she wasn’t able to eat the one he had just given her.
– Frankie Kazarian complained about catering and entered a bathroom. Dark Order were in the stall as he opened it and they started singing. Kazarian yelled at them to get out and they did as Kazarian yelled at them. Chuck Taylor was leaning against the bathroom wall and Kazarian said hi to him, but Taylor said he’s not him, he’s a ghost, the ghost of Christmas present. Taylor told Kazarian he’s being too hard on Brandon Cutler, even harder than he, Trent, and Cassidy and they’ve been trying to kill him. Kazarian defended himself and Taylor shrugged his shoulders and said he doesn’t know and left.
A video popped up of Kazarian pouring himself a drink. He talked to the bottle and said everyone talks about Chris Daniels, but Jack Daniels is a real tag team partner for him. Cutler popped up from behind the bar and Kazarian got frustrated. Cutler said he was told by the boys, if he wants to get big he needs to get on the sauce, so he’s been looking for some and he finally found some sauce. Kazarian cut him off and called him a mark again and said they weren’t talking about hot sauce, they were talking about drugs. Kazarian yelled and stormed off.
Back in the bathroom Taylor said Kazarian had one more ghost coming.
– Kip Sabian approached Leva Bates and sat next to her. He asked he if they last played, did she let him win? Bates blatantly lied and said no. Sabian asked her to promise, but Bates didn’t promise him that. Sabian laughed and called her a loser as he got up, which didn’t sit well with Bates. As Sabian left, Bates looked at the camera and said she let him win.
– Kazarian was in a locker room and grabbed a water when Orange Cassidy, wearing the same blanket as Trent was earlier. Kazarian asked if he was the ghost of Christmas future and Cassidy said “duh.” Kazarian then asked Cassidy if he’s there to tell him to treat Cutler better or horrible things will happen to him. Cassidy said yes and told Kazarian to look at this headline. Cassidy held out his hand and a picture was edited into his hand with the new headline that read “Brandon Cutler def. Frankie Kazarian.” Under the headline it read “Cutler was dominant in squash match, virtually destroying Kaz in under one minute.” Kazarian asked Cassidy if that’s real and Cassidy shook his head yes. Kazarian panicked and agreed to go to anger management classes and to stop treating Cutler better. Kazarian walked out of the room and said hi to Leva Bates, Peter Avalon, Brandon Cutler, and Dark Order. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. He called Marko Stunt “Tiny Tim” and gave him money to go buy everyone White Claws before going back to Brandon Cutler and hugging him and calling him one of the boys.
– Dark Order was back in their lair, still upset by their caroling mishap. Silver had enough and yelled “F— Christmas” and they all agreed. Silver started flipping off the polar bears on his pajamas as they all cursed Santa and Christmas. They all started chanting “F— Christmas” but Colt Cabana stopped them. Alex Reynolds then said he wrote one more song and they agreed to sing it.
The video cut to Alex Reynolds and John Silver singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, but it was “Hangman the Handsome Cowboy.” They danced with a confused Hangman Page. All the members of Dark Order were singing the lines with Hangman confusingly in each shot as they tried to recruit him. At the end of the song, Hangman was in the Dark Order lair. Hangman was really confused and tried to leave, but Alex Reynolds stopped him and said it’s Christmas time, which is all about love and friendship. Hangman agreed to stay, because it is Christmas after all. They all celebrated and talked together as the music faded and the camera zoomed out.
FINAL THOUGHTS: The Christmas themed stuff was very cheesy, but I thought it was a fun twist on the episode. You had Dark Order discovering the spirit of Christmas and gaining a friend in Hangman Page. Meanwhile, Frankie Kazarian was in a wrestling version of A Christmas Carol and finally agreed to go to anger management. Interestingly enough, even through this ridiculousness, there was storyline development as Hangman Page grows closer with Dark Order by the week.
I like the Matt Hardy explanation as to why he’s acting different. It’s the standard “it’s the fan’s fault,” but I thought he did a good job with it. I also like that he’s starting to corrupt Private Party, but I don’t know if it makes much sense for them to stand there as he talks about how it’s his time to be selfish. That seems to contradict the idea of teaching and mentoring them. Why would they want to be mentored by someone who just declared it’s his time to be as selfish as he wants? I guess we will wait and see where that goes, but I thought it was a good attempt at explaining why he’s changed and what prompted it.
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