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HOUSEKEEPING
• John Ourand of Puck News, reported that the AEW/WBD TV rights deal is “in the ballpark” of $170 million a year for three years guaranteed with a fourth year option. Wade Keller’s new story from yesterday at PWTorch.com presented what’s known and what questions remain about the new deal. this deal can’t be considered anything but great news for AEW. The $170 guaranteed is a substantial increase from their current rate reported to be between $45 million and $70 million. The two most interesting components of this report are the fact that it’s for twice weekly programming and the lack of a Max component. The twice weekly aspect would seem to indicate that either Collision or Rampage is going away. I would bet it’s Collision which will be sunset to make room for the broadcast show.
• There needs to be a moratorium on Casino Gauntlet Matches. The tag team Casino Gauntlet Match was a pushing a good, popular concept a bit too far. A little restraint is in order. Make us wait for a while for the next one. It would be even better if it were an annual thing. Just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it has to be frequent.
• Athena surpassed Samoa Joe’s record of 645 days as champion when her ROH Women’s Championship reign hit 646 days earlier this week.
INTRO
The fallout from All Out lead to some pretty big changes to the Dynamite: Grand Slam card. The planned Bryan Danielson vs. Darby Allin match for the AEW World Title was eschewed for a number one contender grudge match and the final chapter in one of the most storied rivalries of the last 20 years. I’m not complaining about either match we’re getting but it definitely seems like some things were rearranged given how we got to these matches. Maybe soft ticket sales at Arthur Ashe Stadium prompted it. We’ll probably never know. In addition to those two matches, we also potentially have light at the end of the tag team tunnel. With the monkey of the TV deal off his back soon, hopefully Tony Khan can focus on repairing the tag division and forwarding some the more compelling, layered stories AEW has going.
Jon Moxley vs Darby Allin
Latest Developments
Honestly there’s a lot. The highlights are Mox and his new crew establishing themselves with a promo and a sneak attack before Mox finally had his face to face meeting with Darby that resulted in their match.
Analysis
Dynamite started cold with a vignette recorded after the attack on Bryan Danielson at All Out. Mox was his usual obtuse self, saying a lot with saying much. He referred to William Regal and how he was more like Regal than Bryan even if Bryan is the perfect wrestler. The most memorable line of this promo was the final one: “We tried your way Bryan. Diplomacy has failed. Today I choose war”. That’s one hell of a line. Visually this promo was great. It was recorded in the heat of the moment and literally captured EMTs carrying Bryan’s seemingly lifeless body through the backstage area past Mox who was nonplussed.
If Mox’s declaration of war on AEW wasn’t clear enough, a trios match featuring Private Party and Komander vs three enhancement talent was halted before the bell when Mox and his crew obliterated all six men. A particular highlight of this was Marina Shafir expressionlessly choking out Komander in a front face lock. PAC cut a short promo afterwards essentially reiterating what Mox said earlier. This was great. It’s always smart to establish a fearsome heel group by having them unpredictably assault random people on the roster. Think about the most memorable moments of the NWO. It’s the sneak attacks on the WCW locker room. It’s smart business.
Darby came down to the ring at the top of the second hour and challenged Mox to come to the ring. Mox obliged. The interchange between these two was intense. Mox told Darby that he couldn’t explain everything but to trust him, that Danielson was indisposed (more on that later) and demanded he hand over his title shot. Darby balked. He explained that he used to look up to Mox until Mox’s attempted suffocation of Bryan and that if he wanted the title shot, he’d have to earn it. That set up the match for Grand Slam. Mox then told Darby that he wasn’t ready to be AEW champion and never would be.
The vast majority of this promo was fantastic. Darby has come a long way on the mic. He was authentic and believable. Mox dropped a few breadcrumbs which should be enough to keep people coming back for more. He established that he needs the title to accomplish his ultimate goal of taking over AEW. He also set up a future world title feud with Darby Allin at some point down the road. Marina Shafir was great in this too. She stayed in Darby’s face, looking for any excuse to lay hands on him. The one problem with the promo was the Danielson portion. Mox made it seem like Bryan was 100% out the match thus the need for a change. Given what happened 30 minutes later, it didn’t make a ton of sense in hindsight. It would’ve been smarter if Darby brought up the uncertainty of Danielson’s status and voluntarily removed himself from the match to then set up the match with Mox. By the way, I didn’t see an issue with Darby risking his title shot. His whole persona is that he’s totally reckless so a decision like this fits.
Over on Collision, we got to see firsthand the effect the attack on Danielson had on Wheeler Yuta. There was video package showing the attack on Bryan from Yuta’s perspective, so sans the actual bag on the head. It spotlighted the good work Yuta did conveying anguish and desperation. Yuta then arrived at the arena for Collision totally out of sorts. He could barely get through his brief interview with Lexy Nair. He came out for a match with Anthony Henry totally not with it. He’d even forgotten to tape his wrists as Nigel McGuiness pointed out. Henry dominated a lot of the match because Yuta was so out of it. At one point Yuta missed his bottom rope rebound clothesline. Finally Henry said something about Bryan and Yuta snapped. He beat the hell out of Henry and won with Bryan’s Cattle Mutilation submission. In a post match interview released on Twitter, Yuta talked about how hard it was watching Mox hold the bag over Bryan’s head. He then mentioned that earlier on the day of All Out he learned that his aunt in Japan died of complications from COVID. He mentioned the parallels between what his aunt was going on her deathbed and what he watched Bryan go through. Brilliant work from Yuta. It’ll be interesting to see his interactions with his former teammates. They also still have to address the trios title situation.
Grade: B+ (The storytelling throughout this was fantastic but the Bryan stuff was a mess and it’s so crucial to two different stories)
Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuiness
Latest Developments
Nigel McGuiness challenged Bryan Danielson to a match at Grand Slam which hinges on whether Danielson is cleared to compete in two weeks.
Analysis
Holy mind bend Batman, this was a mess! Nigel pulled Christopher Daniels aside backstage after the Mox/Darby segment and asked to speak to Tony Khan. Later in the show he came down to the ring and challenged Bryan to a non-title match at Grand Slam while simultaneously taking potshots at the American Dragon. This would’ve been fine if the segment earlier had gone the right way. Unfortunately while it was satisfying for the fans who have been waiting for Bryan/Nigel match since Nigel officially returned to the ring at All In, it was perplexing. Give Nigel credit he attempted to sew up some of the Grand Canyon sized logic holes on Collision while also running a selectively edited propaganda video of his rivalry with Bryan. He also started a social media campaign dubbed “The Fragile Countdown” to try and force Bryan to respond to the challenge.
That said this match is a big ddeal.It is both 15 months and 15 years in the making. Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuiness carried on a storied three-year rivalry in ROH from 2006-2009. They engaged in many fierce battles over that span. For those who haven’t seen those matches, there’s an hour long retrospective that I’ve pinned to the top of my Twitter @drlilstinger. The rivalry ended as both men departed ROH, Nigel for TNA and Bryan for WWE. Nigel was forced to retire due to hepatitis in 2011 while Bryan went on to have a memorable run in WWE. Though Bryan was also forced into retirement in 2014, he’s since been able to come back and have a hell of a second act. That has clearly stuck in Nigel’s craw. He’s spent the last fifteen months since arrived in AEW putting down Bryan any time he can. It certainly seemed to be building towards Nigel returning the ring at some point. When he a surprise entrant in the Casino Gauntlet match at All In, it became a matter of when not if this match would happen. While there is plenty of history and 15 months of Nigel hating on Bryan to rely on, more than a week and a half to build it would’ve been preferable. Still Nigel vs Bryan: The Final Chapter should be special.
Grade: B+
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Podcast weekly Tuesday Flagship episode with guest cohost Zack Heydorn: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
Topics included:
- The latest on AEW’s imminent new TV deal with WBD and ramifications of possible changes
- The return of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC quarterly specials including first date announced
- TNA Victory Road including JBL, Nic Nemeth, crowd size, more
- The state of The Bloodline and The Wyatt Sicks
- The Grand Slam line-up and the build for Jon Moxley-Darby Allin and Bryan Danielson-Nigel McGuinness
Jeff Jarrett vs. Hangman Page
Latest Developments
Jeff Jarrett vowed that Hangman would regret putting his hands on his wife and offered Hangman some sage advice from the wizened old veteran to which Hangman responded by punching him in the face.
Analysis
Having vanquished Swerve at All Out, Hangman arrived at Dynamite last week and was immediately interviewed by Renee Paquette. Instead of being relieved he turned his attention to those who “helped” Swerve and threatened to hurt them. He shoved an extra down and ran into the Dark Order before being confronted by Jarrett. Jarrett told him that he would regret put his hands on his wife. He then offered him a piece of advice from someone who’s seen it all, “the toughest most ruthless son of a bitch you’ll ever face is the man in the mirror”. Hangman responded by punching Jarrett in the face and inciting a mini-brawl until security pulled them apart. As he was being dragged away Hangman shouted “Nobody asked you” at Double J.
This was short but it was very good. Hangman continues to be the most complex person in AEW, maybe wrestling writ large, right now. As Jarrett pointed out, Hangman’s eventually going to have to come to terms with how far he’s gone and decide if that’s who he really wants to be. That’s not where he is right now though. He’s not ready to deal with that reality which is why he lashed out at Double J. This certainly seems to be headed to a match at Grand Slam, which is perfectly fine place for it to happen.
Grade: A
Yuka Sakazaki vs. Mariah May
Latest Developments
Mariah requested that Mina Shirakawa come back for her title celebration before being interrupted by Yuka Sakazaki. “The Magical Girl”, making her return from a brutal leg break suffered on live TV several months ago, set her sights on Mariah’s title.
Analysis
Mariah had a hard hitting match with Queen Aminata that she unsurprisingly won. I was pleasantly surprised and relieved that she called for Mina to come back for her title celebration not Toni. They need to be kept apart for awhile yet. Mariah is evil. She’s a sociopath who only cares about herself and manipulates people. Mina would do well to remember that and I hope that she’s not made to look like a dumb babyface.
Mariah was being interviewed backstage on Collision. It was nothing groundbreaking. She just reaffirmed her desire for Mina to come back. That’s when Yuka Sakazaki interrupted her and expressed a desire for the title. Mariah threatened to rip her head off. This was simple but effective. Yuka is a pure babyface. Mariah was vicious towards her. It didn’t hurt that she’s also taller than Yuka.
Later in the show Yuka returned to the ring against Serena Deeb. The match was good and Yuka won with her Magical Gorl Splash. Mariah was on commentary throughout which I thought was a mixed bag. Her putting down Tony Schiavone was heelish but I could’ve done without her flirting with Nigel. It got to be a little much. Mariah sneak attacked Yuka after the match but Yuka wound up getting the upper hand. I think a quick feud with Yuka will be fine. Yuka’s super sympathetic and Mariah can be a really strong heel opposite her as she awaits the return of Mina and the real, juicy feud.
Grade: B+
Serena Deeb vs. Queen Aminata
Latest Developments
Serena Deeb was very condescending towards Queen Aminata in a backstage interview and after Serena lost her match and Aminata won hers, Serena attacked her behind.
Analysis
Serena and Aminata were featured in a near show-long story arc on Collision. First Aminata and Serena had a joint interview. Serena condescendingly offered to take Aminata under her wing just like she did a couple weeks ago. Aminata turned her down. Deeb smugly told her to watch Deeb’s match to see how it’s done. Deeb lost. As Aminata made her way towards the ring for her match with Robyn Renegade she ran across Serena and made a smart alec comment. Aminata won her match but then Serena chop blocked her and put her in a half crab until she was pulled off.
It was nice that the women had a story that weaved throughout the show. Serena is much better as a condescending heel than as an earnest but flat babyface. Aminata is good babyface and could certainly use a big victory to add to her resumè.
Grade: B+
FTR vs. GYV
Latest Developments
FTR defeated GYV via submission only to be attacked by GYV after the bell.
Analysis
FTR and GYV had a fine match. It felt like it could’ve been really good but it never quite felt like it got out of second gear. Dax put James Drake in a Sharpshooter and got what felt like an unexpected tap, given that FTR never win by submission. After the match, GYV proved to be sore losers, attacking Dax and Cash. That’s when the Outrunners made the save. They fought off GYV before doing their signature Predator handshake with FTR.
The post match attack is hopefully an indication that the feud is going to continue and these two teams will have another opportunity to really show out. GYV need to positioned strongly if the tag-team titles are in their future. The Outrunners making the save was an unexpected surprise. Give them credit, through absolute commitment to the 80s throwback bit and some slickly produced vintage looking vignettes, the Outrunners have gone from the Great Value Beverly Brothers to a team that’s genuinely over. They have a place on the card. I don’t see them beating GYV but they’ll certainly be sympathetic faces as GYV mows through them on the way to a rematch with FTR.
Grade: B+
Roderick Strong vs Hook
Latest Developments
A vignette aired of Hook on a stoop in NYC talking about respecting Strong’s accomplishments and offering him an FTW title match.
Analysis
There’s not a lot to say here. The vignette was fine. The match at Grand Slam will be fine. I just want more for Hook. It’s time that he moved beyond his family heirloom title and into real title contention. Jack Perry would be a good option.
Grade: B-
Will Ospreay & Kyle Fletcher vs. The Young Bucks
Latest Developments
Ospreay and Fletcher won a tag team Casino Gauntlet match to earn a shot at the Bucks tag titles.
Analysis
The tag team Casino Gauntlet match was unnecessary and an example of taking a popular match one step too far. It also showed the sparseness of the top tier of the tag division. All of that said, Ospreay and Fletcher are interesting challengers for the Bucks. Don Callis cashed in his favor from Ospreay to make the team happen. If I was Tony Khan, I would have Ospreay and Fletcher defeat the Bucks. I’m done with the Bucks. The tag division would be better with the belts off the Bucks. Jack Perry and Okada would each be better without the Bucks. It’s time for the Bucks to go home for awhile.
Grade: N/A
Orange Cassidy vs. Chris Jericho
Latest Developments
Jericho demanded OC pay him back $7000 for the jacket OC ruined 4 years ago so OC had Mark Briscoe and Kyle O’Reilly dump $7000 worth of pennies into Jericho’s new Bentley convertible.
Analysis
I almost forgot about this feud probably because I try to block all things Jericho related out. I feel bad that OC has been dragged back into this muck. Jericho whining about a jacket from 4 years ago isn’t very interesting. OC having pennies dumped into Jericho’s new car was good idea in theory but didn’t have the desired effect in practice. They will wrestle tonight and Jericho will probably win to extend the feud.
The most interesting thing about what happened last week was Jericho’s promo in which he said there are no friends in wrestling and if someone claims to be your friend, they’re using you. That drew a side eye from Big Bill. The sooner he split from Jericho the better. This Learning Tree nonsense has never worked. If anything it’s been an anchor on the show. The sooner this ends and Jericho takes a break the better.
Grade: C
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