SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
•Jake “The Snake” Roberts Promo – HIT: Jake Roberts sure knows how to play a despicable misogynistic heel. Before, Roberts could finish his promo, Cody ambushed the scene in his custom Ford F-150 Black Ops to attack Lance Archer. As a side note, AEW’s use of vehicles adds another layer of cool factor to the shows. Cody came out with the right amount of intensity for what Roberts did to Brandi last week. While I believe it’s important for Cody to get back on Archer, it’s now equally as important for Brandi to get revenge on Jake Roberts when the right time comes.
•Jurassic Express vs. Best Friends – HIT: Good match that spun into a lot of different directions. Fenix attacked Orange Cassidy to build to the Casino Ladder match, but also set up a singles match next week. It’s a complete styles clash that will have to be pretty creative to be successful. Wardlow also attacked Marko Stunt which led to MJF challenging him next week, but set up a match between Luchasaurus and Wardlow at some point. Best Friends continue to roll on with another win putting them at 7-3 for the year. They have the best claim to face the tag champions as the only team ahead of them in the rankings are Dark Order Stu Grayson and Evil Uno who haven’t wrestled together since March 4.
•Penelope Ford vs. Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida vs. Kris Statlander – HIT: There was some solid action in the match, mixed with some sloppy spots that looked quite dangerous. A poisonrana from Penelope Ford to Kris Statlander didn’t land correctly and looked like it could have hurt both of them. Hikaru Shida predictably took the win which was the right decision to solidify her as the number 1 contender. Simultaneously, a program was set up between Britt Baker and Kris Statlander which feels like the right spot for both of them as AEW recalibrates the women’s division.
•Santana & Ortiz vs. Kenny Omega & Matt Hardy – HIT: Good match between these teams if not a little too long. Hardy definitely showed some vulnerability in this match because at his age, but it’s impossible to keep up with a supreme athlete like Kenny Omega. Hardy’s strong suit is going to be his character and creativity at this point in the game. With Omega tagging with Hardy, I’m curious to see how Hangman reacts to their success when they are all forced to tag with each other at Double or Nothing.
•MJF vs. Lee Johnson – HIT: This was MJF’s first match since March 11. MJF was stiff and aggressive with Johnson. In the post-match, MJF touted that he signed on to face Marko Stunt next week. Stunt continues to play the role of the undersized wrestler who bullies beat up. This time, Stunt will have the rest of Jurassic Express in his corner to protect him from a complete onslaught.
•Chris Jericho vs. Pineapple Pete – HIT: With Chris Jericho being a former world champion and presented at a superstar level, I couldn’t see how this match could go any other way. Even though Pineapple Pete was immediately squashed, he had a moment to talk earlier in the show and Jericho has elevated him that will surely help when he is able to take independent bookings again. Following the match, Jericho grabbed the microphone and reignited the feud with The Elite. Vanguard 1 returned to accept the challenge for the first ever Stadium Stampede match between the factions. The Inner Circle proceeded to destroy Vanguard 1 with a baseball bat followed by Matt Hardy mourning the loss.
•Christopher Daniels vs. Brodie Lee – MISS: This match was on the lower end of star power for Dynamite main events. It was a fine match that showed more of what Brodie Lee is capable of going into his title match against Jon Moxley. I’m not completely sold on Brodie Lee, but it’s nearly impossible to get a gauge of if he is working or not without actual paying customers in the building. That said, Lee isn’t going to ever get to that level unless you start putting him in now with the escalated timeline. Jon Moxley stormed the ring and took out a few creepers before delivering a promo about getting back at Lee and showing him that being a champion is more than a piece of metal. Great intensity from Moxley, but it didn’t do much more to elevate the story between the two.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.