SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
HITS
THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY
What a cool way to start the show, right? You have your two top stars in the ring face to face having a therapy session! So often in the past, wrestling companies, including AEW, have ignored history or glossed over an issue to get where they want to go. Sometimes that can insult the audience. I appreciated Will Ospreay laying his cards on the table and asking for Kenny Omega’s help. I also very much appreciated Omega saying ‘not so fast bruv!’.
Omega bringing up the history of Ospreay taking cheap shots at him and being part of the Callis Family makes perfect sense. Omega would not trust Ospreay until he proved it to him in the brawl. Sure, it was a quick turnaround from Omega, but I’d rather that than two or three more weeks of “can they get along?, can they trust each other?…”
It was also great to hear Ospreay once again explain how much he’d like to go after Jon Moxley and the World Title, but is caught up with Callis for now. In addition, Omega speaking seriously and with confidence about him being the best is perfect as these two guys are the company’s best chance to get some momentum back.
HURT SYNDICATE ARE CHAMPS
I can’t tell you readers how much I loved this and how quickly it happened. While I believe AEW did Private Party no favors in the booking since they became champions, it was clear that in order for the tag division to take a step up, they need champions like the Hurt Syndicate. And they wasted no time doing it. This was not a 50/50 feud building to a PPV match. This was the Hurt Syndicate deciding they were going after the titles and a few weeks later, they had them. This is great for that stable and great for the tag division. It’s not so great for Private Party, but they have a role on this roster and I’m glad they had some time with the belts.
MARIAH-TONI BUILD
There wasn’t much time given to this build this week, but I thought they did a great job with what they gave us. First, you got a fantastic video package reminding us that Mariah May is a dominating and violent champion. Then, they gave us a quick reminder that Toni Storm is still nuts, but fun-loving and willing to have a conversation of Australian slang with Harley Cameron that had me smiling ear to ear.
Is this a ploy to have Mariah drop her guard in Australia? Or are they going to play the long game with the amnesia angle? I welcome not knowing!
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
QUICK HITS
– It was another cool venue they found in Knoxville, Tennessee. Like last week, it was neat to feel the fans all around and on top of the ring. The layout and lighting the last few weeks has really improved the look of the show while they try and build back their weekly in-person audience.
– I loved how MVP spent a lot of his time on commentary during the tag title match complimenting Private Party. Putting over your opponent just makes you look better for beating them. MVP gets that.
– We got a recap of the Omega-Ospreay segment later in the show!! Good job AEW!!
– I really liked the new House of Black video package. It was short and simple and explained all you need to know about the group moving forward without Malachi Black.
– The storytelling with Hangman Page continues to be a bright spot. First, we may have an MJF program coming up that I would very much enjoy. Second, the interaction with Christopher Daniels was well done. Will causing the retirement of CD finally get Hangman to refocus a bit and stop being so angry? Hmmm….
MISSES
STILL TOO MUCH JEFF JARRETT
First, I will give them credit for attempting to fix the mess from last week. However, it would have been better if there was no mess to fix. This Jeff Jarrett thing is just too much at this point. I do not need him walking to the ring and taking up that much time week after week. I have some affection for Jarrett since I’ve been a wrestling fan for most of his career, but he does not need to be a part of the title picture.
I’m all for Jarrett having a fun final year of in-ring competition. It’s just completely unrealistic for a 57 year old to be a legitimate threat to Moxley, MJF and the wrestlers at the top of the card. Give him a mid-card or ROH run of some sort instead. If he defeats Claudio next week, I’m really going to lose my mind! Claudio is a huge, powerful, mostly protected beast of a man. There is absolutely no reason he should lose to JJ at this point in his career even if there’s cheating involved.
Jarrett is not Sting. He has earned the right to have a final run, but you never saw Sting saying he wanted to be a world champion. Know your role Jeff and have some fun, but understand where you belong at this point.
QUICK HITS
– I was disappointed in the lack of a follow-up to Samoa Joe’s return last week. They did a little bit of that on Collision, but Dynamite is your main show and I think Joe is valuable and he needs to be showcased on your flagship show.
– I was also bummed that there was no follow-up to the Hurt Syndicate winning the tag titles later in the show. If you want title changes to be seen as a big deal, then get their reactions backstage. Are they celebrating? Or is it “business” as usual?
Don’t forget to check out the weekly free podcast I’m part of, “The All Elite Conversation Club” that typically drops on Fridays the PWTorch Dailycast lineup. Joel Dehnel and I have a great time breaking down all things AEW! Search “pwtorch” on your podcast app to subscribe. Send questions and comments to allelitecc@gmail.com.
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