SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NEWS & NOTES
• As of this past weekend’s Revolution PPV, AEW PPV’s are now available for purchase through Amazon Prime. Initially I thought that the events would be free with a Prime subscription but it does in fact turn out that the PPVs must be purchased separately.
• Though he was asked about it during the pre-PPV media call, Tony Khan did not say that an ROH TV deal was even in the works so it looks like the Chris Jericho as ROH Champion being the ticket to a TV deal has failed a second time.
INTRO
Revolution was an excellent PPV with an underwhelming main event. It was very much similar to NWO-era WCW PPVs which often featured very strong undercards and weak main events. The difference even as weak as the main event turned out to be, and it was always going to be very basic, it was still better than bad worked punches by Hulk Hogan and the match getting thrown out due to interference. A little reorganizing of this card and this show would’ve been even better. All that said, this show wrapped a lot of long-term feuds which sets the stage for reset of sorts as AEW rolls into Dynasty and beyond.
Jon Moxley vs. Adam Copeland (10 wks)
Latest Developments
Jon Moxley choked out Christian Cage in what turned into a triple threat match to retain the AEW world title.
Analysis
The final hype for this unfortunately sounded better on paper then they ended up being in execution. Copeland had a perfectly fine match with Wheeler Yuta om Dynamite. The finish was clever with Copeland anticipating Yuta rebounding into the ring as he always does and catching him with a spear as soon as he turned around. It was the post-match that was questionable. Instead of hitting a conchairto on Yuta, Copeland shook his hand and told that’s what respect felt like. Mox came out enraged screaming at Yuta who seemed conflicted, pie-faced Mox, and walked away. Attempting to paint Yuta as a conflicted babyface is certainly a choice. He’s much better as a heel and after being all in with Mox for months it doesn’t make sense for him to suddenly be conflicted. On the upside the Yuta situation pulled a great promo out of Mox. The promos on Collision were good too not they did any good to convince anyone Copeland had a snowball’s chance in hell of actually winning.
The match itself was nothing special. As I said above it was always going to be basic with these two so I wasn’t surprised. Things only picked when referee Bryce Remsburg was knocked out if the ring accidentally by Copeland. That led to Yuta coming out and teasing conflict before ultimately siding with Mox by hitting a Busiku knee on Copeland. Jay White hit the ring. He dispatched of Yuta and lined up to hit Mox with the Steve McMichael Memorial Halliburton briefcase. Mox ducked and White accidentally knocked Copeland’s block off. Copeland kicked out at two. A short time later he hit two consecutive spears. Before the ref could get to three, a hooded figure pulled him off the cover. The figure revealed himself to be Christian Cage. Christian blasted Copeland with the contract case and then officially cashed in the contract. He hit a spear on Copeland for near fall followed by a Killswitch. As he went for the cover got back in the ring and locked on a bulldog choke. Christian eventually passed out giving Mox the win.
The finish wasn’t pretty but it accomplished what it needed to. Jay White, who seemingly teased a heel turn on Dynamite, didn’t turn heel, Christian’s contract is done, and neither Christian nor Copeland is champion. That’s pretty much all one could ask for. 10 weeks was too long for a feud with such an obvious outcome and such an un-sexy challenger.
After the match Mox was making his usual exit through the crowd when he was confronted by Prince Nana which was merely a distraction to allow Swerve to hit a stomp on him from the balcony. Jumpstarting Mox’s next feud was a smart idea. Move right on past Copeland and put this messy situation in the rearview for a much more exciting opponent who actually feels like he could win.
Final Grade: C
Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay vs Don Callis Family (9wks)
Latest Developments
Kenny Omega defeated Konosuke Takeshita after one hell of a match to win the International title; Will Ospreay outlasted Kyle Fletcher in an blood soaked steel cage war.
Analysis
Last week on Dynamite Ospreay got the win for his team in a mix-and-match 8 man tag before being jumped by Kyle Fletcher. Fletcher hit a brainbuster on Ospreay on a chair. They each cut pre-taped promos on Collision promising to end the other.
The final build for Omega/Takeshita consisted of two very good video packages. Omega seems to better and less awkward in a pre-tape so I’m not too upset about him not being live.
The matches on Sunday night were both excellent but couldn’t have been any more different. Omega and Takeshita was classic wrestling with Takeshita targeting Omega’s abdomen weakened by the diverticulitis that sidelined him for a year. Takeshita worked Kenny’s midsection over so much he was unable to execute the One Winged Angel. After nearly thirty minutes of back and forth action it took Kenny getting the better of a rollup exchange and leveraging Takeshita into a crucifix to get the win.
Ospreay and Fletcher on the other hand was incredible display of violence and bloodshed. They started the match perched on opposite corners of the cage staring each other down in a wild visual. Once the bell rang it was balls to the wall intensity. I cannot possibly recount everything but some of the more memorable spots were Ospreay giving Fletcher a Styles Clash junk first into a pile of tacks, Ospreay whacking Fletcher over the back with a barbed wire bat and doing the “Bang Bang” hand gesture as an homage to Mick Foley, and Fletcher dropping Ospreay onto a chair with a brainbuster. The spot of the match was a death-defying absolutely insane Spanish fly of the top of the cage onto the tacks in which Ospreay over rotated a bit and landed on his left hip instead of his belly. Fletcher got to his knees a short time later and knowing he was a beaten man began screaming at Ospreay “I hate you, I hate you, I f****ng hate you” before Ospreay totally obliterated him with a Hidden Blade followed by a Tiger Driver ’91 for the win.
I could’ve done without the interference from Mark Davis which thankfully didn’t end up factoring into the finish. I also would’ve changed the finish just slightly to have Fletcher be more groggily yelling at Ospreay before the Hidden Blade so as not to be so recovered from the Spanish Fly. Otherwise, the bloody brutality of this match absolutely fit the personal nature of the feud just like battle of skill and will absolutely fit Omega and Takeshita.
Final Grade: Omega/Takeshita- B+
Ospreay/Fletcher- A-
Mariah May vs Toni Storm (16 months)
Latest Developments
Timeless Toni Storm defeated Mariah May in a bloody, violent conclusion to their 16 month odyssey.
Analysis
These two set the table nicely for their battle with a sit-down interview moderated by Renee Paquette on last week’s Dynamite. Toni was regal and composed while Mariah was completely unhinged, so unhinged in fact that she started the interview by spitting in Toni’s face. Toni didn’t take the bait. She just basically no-sold it, remaining completely composed. Mariah attempted to blame Toni for everything, but Renee immediately callled her out on the lie. As an aside, “real” journalists could take a lesson from Renee on how to hold people accountable. Digressing, Mariah said that Toni was nothing without her and that she needed her. Toni responded with the coldest line she could throw at an attention hungry narcissist like Mariah: “You don’t deserve the dignity of death. I sentence you to a lifetime of mediocrity”. She ended the promo by saying that Mariah was going to find out what it felt like to fight with God.
I don’t say this lightly or very often but this was perfect. Toni struck the right balance of being fully in persona but not over the top. She was fully in control. In that way this feud did a full 180 with Mariah completely snapped with a her back against the wall.
The match itself was incredible. It was everything it needed to be and then some. Mariah jumpstarted the match before the bell, rushing Toni on the stage during the latter’s entrance. Inside a minute of the bell ringing Mariah, who apparently prepped for this match by watching 1999 Scott Hall matches, produced a Taser from inside a bouquet of flowers she’d brought with her. Luther prevented her from using it and ate a dropkick over the table for his trouble. Toni used that opening to grab Mariah and hit a Sky High powerbomb off the stage through a table for an early two. The match made its way toward the ring where Mariah dropped Toni headfirst onto the steps with a Storm Zero. Toni came up not just bloody but looking like a murder victim.
Mariah hung Toni in the Tree of Woe and dropkicked a chair into her bloodied face. Toni regained control and that’s when things got really wild. Toni retrieved an ice bucket with a broken champagne bottle and a roll of tape. Unbeknownst to her Mariah did the same thing. They each taped their fists, dipped them into their respective buckets of broken glass, and swinging at each other. Toni finally connected with a jab to Mariah opening up a seam in her forehead. The sight of both women bleeding like stuck pigs was something to behold. Each hit their finisher on the other onto the pile of broken glass for near falls. Toni went for a knee but Mariah hit her between the legs with a piece of a broken bottle, symbolically going after the womb Toni said Mariah came from.
The match reached its climax when Toni went outside and unveiled the bloody high heel Mariah bludgeoned her with last summer. Mariah took off up the ramp but Toni caught her. She whipped Mariah with the title belt as Mariah had done her but hesitated with the shoe at first allowing Mariah to hit another Mayday. Toni regained control, dragged Mariah to table emblazoned with the words “Hollywood Ending” positioned on the stage, and in poetic fashion ended the feud the same way it began, bludgeoning Mariah repeatedly with the shoe before driving her the table with a Storm Zero. She draped an arm over May’s lifeless body for the three win. As the women lay in a bloody heap on the stage the words “The End” in silent movie/Old Hollywood style flashed on the screen behind them.
These women both deserve a standing ovation for what they put their bodies through. This was a personal blood feud that deserved a violent bloody ending and it got one. The storytelling in this feud has been superb but the attention to detail in this match was tremendous. From the broken champagne bottle, to Mariah going after Toni’s womb, to the belt whipping and culminating with the shoe that started it off and a final bludgeoning with the roles reversed, this was fantastic. The only problem was that it should’ve main evented. Of the two world title matches it had the most emotional investment from the crowd. The babyface went over. Having the show end with “The End” literally on the screen would’ve been perfect. Such a missed opportunity.
As for where these women go now that their story has reached its conclusion, it’s hard to say. Toni doesn’t have an immediate opponent but a showdown with Megan Bayne at All In in a Rock/Brock Lesnar Summerslam 2002 style seems like a reasonable destination. Mariah can disappear for awhile and then return to fixate on someone else.
Whatever happens though these women can hold their heads high knowing they were part of the best women’s story in a company history and arguably the best story in company history period. Brava, ladies!
Final Grade: A+
Mercedes Moné vs. Momo Watanabe (2wks)
Latest Developments
Mercedes Moné defeated Momo Watanabe to retain the TBS title
Analysis
Momo had a warmup match against Serena Deeb on Collision. It was a spirted back and forth before Momo got the win with the Peach Sunrise, her nifty pumphandle bridging suplex. This was smart idea to familiarize the audience with her moveset before the PPV.
The match with Mercedes was unsurprisingly very good. Momo’s kicks were very stiff. One of them ended up catching Mercedes dead in the jaw. Momo hit a meteora on the apron that looked like it positively wiped out Mercedes. In the end Mercedes hit maybe the best MonéMaker she’s ever hit and transitioned right into the Statement Maker to forced the tap out.
The match was very well worked and definitely accentuated the positives of having an open door for international competitors. The overall accentuated the negative in that it’s hard to sell an international wrestler even one as talented as Momo as a viable potential winner when when’re only around for a short visit. The bigger story coming out of this match was the continued involvement of Billie Starkz who was seen taking notes during the match. Starkz involvement would seem to lay the groundwork for the eventual arrival of ROH women’s champion Athena back to AEW to TV.
Final Grade: C+
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet (12 weeks)
Latest Developments
Swerve Strickland defeated Ricochet to become the number one contender for the AEW world title.
Analysis
The final hype for this consisted of a contract signing between the two and a tag team match in which they were on opposite sides. Both men showed good intensity during the contract signing. Swerve was deadly serious and Ricochet was at his obnoxious best. The segment ended with Swerve being prepared for a scissor attack from Ricochet, blocking it, and stabbing Ricochet in the head with a pair of his own. While scissors is a bit of a stretch as a weapon in wrestling, this exchange made sense to tie up that element of the feud. The final build should’ve ended there. The tag match was largely uneventful other than Ricochet pinning Swerve after lightly tapping him with Okada’s title belt.
The match was a barnburner. In the early going Swerve was relentlessly attacking Ricochet and risking a count out when Prince Nana tried to intervene. Swerve was caught up in the heat of the moment and shoved Nana down. Nana got frustrated and left ringside. There were some intense moments in the match like Swerve hitting a Vertebraker on Ricochet on the announce table which didn’t budge an inch. Nana came back at opportune moment and reclaimed his property, which Ricochet had desecrated with his personal logo, only for Ricochet to steal it back. In the scariest spot of the match, Swerve went for a dive but Ricochet caught him and immediately transitioned into a death valley driver on the floor. The finish came when Swerve smoked Ricochet with a House Call, followed by another House Call for a two before putting him away with Big Pressure.
A really great match between these two to cap off a strong feud. Ricochet really found his voice as heel in a way he couldn’t as a face and Swerve is as hot and over as ever. After the match Swerve reclaimed the Embassy robe, knelt, and presented it to Prince Nana in touching, heartfelt moment. Also shout out to SNL alum comedian Leslie Jones who was in the audience and very much into this match at various times jawing with Ricochet and wiping her forehead with a towel. Ricochet also got into it with comedian Ken Jeong who was seated a ringside by the commentators. These two are much better celebrities to associate with the product than Big Boom AJ.
Final Grade: B+
MJF vs. Hangman Page (3 weeks)
Latest Developments
Hangman Page defeated MJF in the opening match of the Revolution PPV.
Analysis
The final build for this match got a little over the top. MJF cut a promo from outside the arena challenging Hangman to come find him. When Hangman showed up later in the show he attempted to hit him with his Rivian electric truck before giving chase into the building. MJF used an impostor dressed as him as a decoy to get the jump on Hangman. The ensuing scuffle went back and forth until MJF got the better of it with a low blow. MJF then got the mic and said the fans like it when Hangman burns things down and wondered how they’d feel if he did the same. He then grabbed a bottle of lighter fluid from the under the ring and doused a barely conscious Hangman. As soon as he pulled the lighter from his pocket he was immediately swarmed by throng of security and officials who forced him out of the ring and dragged him up the ramp screaming “Let me prove my point”. I will stipulate that the lighter fluid was too much of stretch in this instance. It was all to get the visual of MJF getting carried away screaming. There was another way to get there that was as violent enough to require the same response from the security without teasing a murder by immolation on national TV.
The match itself was intense. The main story of the match was MJF finding various ways to avoid the Buckshot Lariat including turning one attempt into a Salt of Earth armbar. At one point MJF hit a jumping tombstone piledriver on Hangman onto an open chair at ringside. Back in the ring a frustrated MJF screamed aloud about the crowd loving Hangman but not him. Eventually Hangman hit the Buckshot Lariat after dropping MJF with an Angel’s Wings that Max took almost completely on the side of his face.
This feud revitalized and focused both men. Hangman winning was something of a surprise as it feels like this feud was destined to have at least one more match. His win does put him amongst the group of people all knotted behind Swerve Strickland looking for a title match. For MJF it’s not as clear what’s next for him.
Final Grade: B+
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