SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
•Kenny Omega & Hangman Page vs. Natural Nightmares – MISS
One of the more pedestrian matches for Kenny Omega & Hangman Page. The Natural Nightmares also felt like much weaker opponents because almost all of their wins have been on AEW Dark. The announce team tried to make up for the outcry from last week about how pieces were missing from the story. AEW also added a ticker to the bottom of the screen displaying results from Dark. Despite the announce team’s efforts to add gravity to the match, it fell flat other than adding another win for Omega and Page. The story between QT and Allie can be salvaged, but it will need to play out some more in-front of the regular Dynamite viewers.
•Anna Jay vs. Abadon – HIT
What was that??? Regardless of what you think of Abadon she has your attention. With her blood face paint and demonic look, she is vastly different than any other woman on the roster. With Kris Statlander’s leg injury, AEW needed to prop up some new names in the division. It appeared that Anna Jay would get the shine because of her pre-taped promo talking about how she wanted to focus on her character only to be destroyed in less than a few minutes. In the post-match, Dark Order assisted Anna Jay to the back while offering a contract to Colt Cabana who stood at ringside. Even after the addition of Brodie Lee, Dark Order had failed to grab my attention. The idea of trying to convince recruits to join and failing already feels played out, but grabbing unestablished talent like Anna Jay and manipulating them out of the gate feels like a fresh idea with far more possibilities.
•MJF vs. Billy Gunn – MISS
With the wide array of roster members, was there nobody else to face MJF other than a 56-year-old Billy not named Gunn? Billy is much larger than MJF and at times got the better of him. If MJF is to be one of AEW’s next big stars, exiting the match and using cheating to score a pinfall isn’t a good look. As a heel, MJF is going to resort to those tactics, but he needs some credibility over lower level opponents. In the post-match, MJF got in Jungle Boy’s face which led to a pull-apart brawl at ringside. Their feud has simmered nicely and helped to elevate Jungle Boy as a mainstay single competitor.
•Cody vs. Ricky Starks – HIT
When Cody’s music hits, the roars of adulation have remained silent. Without fans, Cody is no longer on the receiving end of the biggest crowd pops. Before his match, Cody continued to signal a change in his character was coming. Standing next to Arn Anderson, he asked whether or not the Elite were still enacted with him while giving the four horsemen hand gesture. Anderson quickly moved on from the subject to introduce the TNT Championship challenger. Ricky Starks answered the call with a pre-taped promo. Starks who is mostly known from his run in NWA Power isn’t the biggest name for a surprise, but satisfactory for the ardent fan. He had a confidence and charisma coming to the ring. He had a very good match with Cody who won with Anderson’s assistance, but Starks showed a ton of promise as a performer.
•The Young Bucks vs. Superbad Squad – HIT
A solid match between both teams giving The Young Bucks another victory. The focus was quickly turned to the post-match when The Butcher and The Blade attacked The Young Bucks again only to be saved by FTR. Instead of just matching up The Bucks and FTR, they are trying to create a more organic story of the teams trying to outdo each other. If anyone thought FTR would be damaged by the stench their WWE rin gave them, AEW has done everything possible to rid them of it. From the vintage pickup truck to the leather jackets, AEW has allowed viewers to see them through a different lens as one of the best teams in the world.
•Le Sex Gods vs. Best Friends – HIT
Despite taking the pin again, Sammy Guevara shined in this match. He looked like a top level worker while bumping around for Best Friends. Best Friends retained their number 1 contender status for the Tag Team Championship and looked stronger going into their title match. As intriguing as a Le Sex Gods championship run would be, AEW had established directions going into Fyter Fest. In the post-match, Orange Cassidy revealed himself as one of the cameramen at ringside. Cassidy attacked Chris Jericho displaying the exact intensity needed after being brutally assaulted with a bag of oranges.
•Britt Baker Segments – HIT
Britt Baker continues to be an entertaining fixture on the show. Despite her leg injury, AEW is finding creative ways to incorporate her into the show. Big Swole hijacking Baker’s cart and dumping her into a dumpster worked as a way to forward their feud. Baker announced that she would be out of action until Labor Day weekend so it’ll be several months before they could have a match.
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