SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Grand Slam Australia was a fun show that left us with a new women’s champion as well as a a goosebump moment for Adam Copeland. It also left us with some questions that I hope get answered on this week’s Dynamite. Let’s see how they followed up.
HITS
MJF AND HANGMAN HAVE A CHAT
Could this have been five minutes shorter? Probably. But outside of that, it was good stuff. Hangman Page continues to be the most compelling character on AEW right now. I loved that this segment was all about winning and proving who is the best rather than trading insults and looking for low-hanging fruit. MJF was good because he was 100% serious the entire time. Hangman was good because he was forthcoming and serious the entire time. After this chat, you know who is the one to cheer for and the one you want to see get what’s coming to him. They also let it breathe a little after the confrontation instead of quickly getting to the next topic. That allowed it to really sink in. The sky’s the limit for this program and I’m looking forward to seeing them go at it at Revolution.
GRAND SLAM RECAP
I was impressed with the Grand Slam Australia recap they showed right after the opening segment. This also was not rushed. They gave you a detailed look at the show and if I had not seen it, it would make me want to hop on to Max and watch the replay. Showcasing the fans singing to Copeland was a must and they came through with it. It gave me chills again and that was probably the 10th time I watched it since Saturday. That stuff is what wrestling is all about and it was a fantastic moment.
MEGAN BAYNE THE WRESTLER
I’m very intrigued by Megan Bayne the wrestler and her presentation has been one of an up and coming star. She was impressive in her victory over Kris Statlander, though I would have liked her to have won clean. However…. (see below in “Misses”)
QUICK HITS
– Samoa Joe is LOVED wherever he goes. He had everyone on their feet just by walking out to the ring. This group, The Opps, is fine for now, but they should take more advantage of Joe’s popularity. He just looks like he’s having a blast whenever he’s in the ring and the fans are following suit.
– Hobbs & Bill’s street fight was a good brawl and I liked the creative finish with Bill stuck in the barbed wire. Good win for Hobbs.
– Gabe Kidd on Collision?! If there is one wrestler in New Japan that would be perfect for the future of AEW, it’s this guy. Hopefully this is the start of a relationship between the two because it can certainly benefit both Kidd and AEW.
– I liked the passion of Adam Copeland and Jon Moxley in their segment and I’m sure the match between the two at Revolution will be good, but I find myself just waiting for Kenny Omega or Will Ospreay to be the one that finally stand up to and eventually end the Death Riders’ run.
– Ricochet continues to play his heel role well. He is one of the few wrestlers that gets legitimate heat from the crowd. I liked how he didn’t need to rough up Prince Nana to leave him dejected in the ring. Ricochet has found a character that allows him to stand out and that’s something most fans weren’t sure he could pull off.
– After a questionable main event, it was nice to see Kenny Omega make an appearance as he is arguably the top star in the company and should be showcased every week along with Will Ospreay.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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MISSES
SAME OLD TIMELESS
I have been a big fan of what Toni Storm has done over the past 18 months and she’s been the standout in the women’s division, but I’m disappointed that we saw the exact same character address the crowd. It would have been so much better if she was a hybrid of the “Timeless” character and her old “red and black” character for this new title reign. We have seen this Toni and I think it’s a tired gimmick at this point. It needs something fresh and going back to the same bit is not the right direction for such a talented performer.
MEGAN BAYNE THE PERSON
Who is she? What is her story? What is she all about? Please AEW, make us care about her by actually taking the time for us to get to know her as a person.
LACK OF MAIN EVENT PROMOTION
I understand that the main event was a #1 contender match and they brought out Jim Ross for it, but outside of a short backstage promo with Roderick Strong earlier in the night, we didn’t see Orange Cassidy until he walked out of the tunnel. Orange had been gone for months and this should have been made a much bigger deal throughout the night. I don’t understand how AEW can do so many good things and then make the same mistakes over and over again. It’s baffling. This was a weak main event on paper, so why not spend the show building it up so it’s perceived as a huge deal once it’s time for it.
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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