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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks

@carl.defractdesign.com
658 followers 197 following 152 posts

Creative Director at Getrekt. Interests include: Art & Motion Design | Retro Gaming | Pro Wrestling | Southampton FC | BMX… looking for mutuals 🫶

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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 19/12/2024
For all the criticism of TKs ROH (A lot of which I think is warranted) I don’t see how you can kill the guy for booking a show that is true to the weekly product. Ultimately without TK ROH would not exist today and if WWE would’ve acquired the tape library, they wouldn’t even have a platform for it.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 11/12/2024
Yeah man my stance is basically ‘everyone is working you unless proven otherwise’ 😂
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 11/12/2024
Tweets got deleted 🤔 Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Remember wrestling is and always has been a carny business. 🤼
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 09/12/2024
Ultimately it looks like a lot of posturing and chest beating for mutual gains. Fenix wants out and AAA would kill to work with WWE. AEW for their part as always are doing a terrible job on PR and need to hire a PR killer as a top priority because regardless of validity the optics are awful.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 09/12/2024
There is so much political manoeuvring happening with this Fenix contract situation. A lot of the discontent from AAA affiliated parties started ramping up when AEW were solidifying their relationship with CMLL. I’m not in slightest bit surprised to see Konnan at the heart of it.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 04/12/2024
Pretty much 😂 Everyone has a role to play.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 04/12/2024
AEW have to play the game. If they set a precedent then they run the risk of others taking full advantage. Likewise the talent need to wise up and play the game too it’s not a monopoly anymore. Does it suck for talent? Yes as far as exposure is concerned but they are still being payed.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 04/12/2024
I see the new fake outrage. “Why Kommander? Why not Takeshita or Hangman or Jay White?” Because he’s going to eat pins in virtually every match that’s why. There’s a reason the G1 features at least some prelim talent. Every round robin tournament needs a Yano or a Honma.
Toru Yano of NJPW shrugs
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 03/12/2024
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 27/11/2024
💯 it had that gritty look to it that was in such contrast to the bright and perfectly lit WWE.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 27/11/2024
Totally agree, but the optics play directly into the hands of those who want to use it in bad faith. Tony has enough cash on deck to hire the best PR team and he absolutely should. A lot of discontent around talent could be mitigated. And he’ll why not go on the front foot ala Legentil/WWE.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 26/11/2024
The remarkable thing about this card is that during the C2 this is the baseline. There are more interesting matches for every competitor still to come. Last week’s uneven Dynamite is going to be a distant memory very quickly!
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 26/11/2024
LOOK CLOSER WILLIAM!
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 26/11/2024
Doesn’t make them a good custodian. The recent NXT show is a perfect example. Going so far as to use the theme song etc. a far more egregious misuse of ECW adjacent ideas/brand. But Bubba was on the card so it gets a pass. A double standard to say the least.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 26/11/2024
I don’t have a particularly strong opinion of Bully either way. He’s a worker getting a pay cheque so I kind of chalk some of his inherent bias up to that. However, WWE have been riding the corpse of ECW longer than any other promotion. Just because they picked up the IP rights for a pittance…
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 25/11/2024
I know there are rumoured production changes coming. I hope they can carve out their own niche because they still look very much like WWE right now. In fact they look more like 2010s WWE than WWE do. Would like to see something unique so when you tune in you know Immediately you’re watching AEW.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 25/11/2024
Caught up on the C2 selection video this afternoon. The one thing that stands out to me is how well NJPW do the big event pageantry and production. The footage of Okada and Will winning the G1 and BOSJ just jumped off the screen because it looked like such a huge.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 25/11/2024
As with the G1 I feel like the outcome is fairly apparent. Okada/Ospreay maybe add Fletcher in and make it a three way (Though I’d hope not). But the matchups are gonna make for some great styles clashes and a lot of first time matches.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 25/11/2024
Rico can still cook. I hope that a wider variety of opponents will help get him thinking creatively. I thought he approached the Takeshita match with a bit of that WWE mindset. Even working some rest spots early on. Maybe this will help him brush off some of the rust.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 25/11/2024
A hoot and a holler sir!
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 25/11/2024
OKADA vs The Beast Mortos is why tournament wrestling is the fucking best 🤼
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 25/11/2024
All good. For me the combinations of matchups make for some interesting pairings meaning we’re not seeing the same matchups twice and as the blocks start to fill out the stories of the tournament take shape and the stakes and interest just gets higher.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 25/11/2024
That’s tournament sports really. What the C2 did do last year was to help those lower on the card. It was a great spotlight to showcase Brodie, DG, Mark Briscoe etc. and gives everyone involved a lot of opportunity to get over.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 25/11/2024
The C2 blocks are really all killer no filler. Some super interesting matchups and progression scenarios to get your teeth sunk into. Any early predictions? 🤔
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the logo for aew continental classic is shown in yellow
ALT: the logo for aew continental classic is shown in yellow
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 25/11/2024
These blocks are STACKED
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a man wearing a white tank top and a black hat is standing in front of a crowd that is watching a wrestling show
ALT: a man wearing a white tank top and a black hat is standing in front of a crowd that is watching a wrestling show
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 24/11/2024
Well…? ⌚️
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 24/11/2024
It's #SelectionSunday for the #ContinentalClassic guys and I'm LOCKED IN! #AEW #WrestleSky 🤼
Homer Simpson dressed head to toe in Continental Classic Merch. From the XFL episode reference.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 24/11/2024
I've been holding my stock since 2019 RevPro. Buy now and hold, we're nowhere near the peak!
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 24/11/2024
AEW continue their all-time run of incredible PPVs. The show was maybe a little long (Take Rico and maybe one more could've been dropped to TV) but the work was incredible. Glad to I brought all that Kyle Fletcher stock a few years ago he's getting the push his talents deserve and Ospreay made him.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 24/11/2024
Absolutely chaotic, I love it! A lot of possible angles set up coming out of the show. Morbid curiosity lead me to check out the reactions on X and by god people there are tying themselves into pretzels to try and dog on a really good show.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 23/11/2024
The stories are here, the talent is here, I just wish we had this level of continuity week to week. AEW can be the BEST wrestling on the planet if it chooses to.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 23/11/2024
Alright... This is the best count down they've ever produced. They touch on some of the bigger picture story beats here for maybe the first time. Explaining why some of the bigger names are not stepping up. If you were disenchanted by #AEWDynamite watch this and get locked in for #AEWFullGear 🤼
youtu.be
Moxley’s Reign of Terror Meets Resistance | AEW Countdown to Full Gear, 11/23/24
YouTube video by All Elite Wrestling
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 23/11/2024
I can’t hate it. Think it’s the closest call on the card. 🫡
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 23/11/2024
The only change I’d make is Danny over Perry. I think it’s time to move that TNT title on and let Danny defend it weekly.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 23/11/2024
Brother it’s been 17hrs… Did you break it’s back and make it humble? Inquiring minds want to know! 😂
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 22/11/2024
Great write up Suit!
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 22/11/2024
Incredible as always Mel!
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 22/11/2024
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 22/11/2024
There’s good stuff in there but it needs to feel more unified in tone and delivery. I hope they can work that out over the coming weeks and months.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 22/11/2024
Trying to get a read on the tone of any given segment. Ideally all of these ideas need to run through someone who can sense check this stuff. I thought that was very much Tony’s role but for whatever reason those right standards we once had feel a bit loose of late…
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 22/11/2024
To the Cole/Roddy melodrama segments. To the very slickly (maybe overproduced) Scapegoat segment. All in one show. They don’t feel like the belong in the same universe. Variety is good but I think the whiplash effect is a detriment at the moment and it’s quite exhausting as a viewer…
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 22/11/2024
On reflection of Dynamite. It feels a bit like a sketch show right now. All of these stories kinda happen in the same universe but the tone and delivery is wildly different from segment to segment. We go from the unserious Mina/Mariah, Jericho and AJ/QT segments to the super serious Mox segments…
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 21/11/2024
I’m in your boat Garrett. It’s not the end of the world by any means (no PPV pun intended) and I’m certain there will be some sizeable changes coming. All signs seem to point to that. For now the C2 should tighten things up and make for enjoyable television and provide a high watermark for them.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 21/11/2024
On paper that’s a sound idea but in practice it leads to storylines fighting over each other for your attention and the go-home sentiment becomes a little messy. Trust in the good build already done for some of the undercard and let the important stuff breathe.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 21/11/2024
An unbalanced Dynamite I think, not unusual for an AEW go-home show. I thought the opening tag and Darby Claudio were a ton of fun. Great TV matches. The rest of the show felt very disjointed. I think it’s a symptom of AEW trying to give every build the same amount of focus.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 21/11/2024
That clip is a testament to how good Kurt was and this gesture is a testament to the man Will is.
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 21/11/2024
Some of his finest work 👇
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 20/11/2024
“AEW doesn’t need me right now” 📖
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 20/11/2024
This is the only correct answer 🤌
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Carl ‘Defract’ Brooks @carl.defractdesign.com · 20/11/2024
Friendly reminder ahead of tonight’s #AEWDynamite
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