SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW is in Hot-lanta tonight. As Grand Slam Australia quickly approaches next weekend, I assume the card should be mostly solidified tonight and certainly by the end of Collision on Saturday. Tonight is also the big showdown between Ricochet and Swerve Strickland. They’ve done a good job building it up and should deliver. The rest of the card has promise. It all comes down to execution.
Jon Moxley vs. Adam Copeland (6 weeks)
Latest Developments
Adam Copeland officially challenged Jon Moxley to a title match at Revolution; FTR defeated Mox & Wheeler Yuta in a Mid-South street fight.
Analysis
On Dynamite, after Jay White had defeated Yuta, he was about to be subjected to a group beatdown when Rated FTR made the save. Prior to the match, AEW wisely chose to air a clip from the “Close Up” interview from YouTube. The clip focused on Mox answering why he was effectively holding the title hostage by keeping it hidden in Marina’s briefcase.
On Collision, a pre-taped Copeland promo aired. Copeland deftly addressed Mox holding the title hostage and being called a relic by Mox. He talked about respecting what the previous generation accomplished and how Mox was lacking that respect.
Later on, FTR battled Mox & Yuta in wild street fight. At one point , Marina climbed on Dax Harwood’s back in an attempt to choke him out only to be driven backwards through a table propped up in the corner. When Claudio came out to try to interfere on his comrade’s behalf, Copeland and White ran out to even up the odds. That allowed FTR to hit an insane spiked piledriver through the announce table on Yuta for the win.
The match was a blast. The four guys definitely feel like street fighters and it felt like this kind of crazy brawl was earned. As far as the promo goes, it was pretty good. Copeland is very good at being extremely intense.
It was wise of AEW to play up Mox holding the belt hostage because it gave Copeland something to focus on. My issue here is that I’m not sure there’s five weeks of juice left in this program. It’s not a slight against Copeland, but he was already an un-sexy option as Mox’s opponent. Five more weeks of this feud isn’t likely to change many people’s minds.
Grade: B
Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay vs. Don Callis Family (5 weeks)
Latest Developments
Will Ospreay defeated Brian Cage. He and Kenny Omega were then outnumbered and beaten down by the Don Callis Family.
Analysis
Will Ospreay and Brian Cage had a perfectly fine match. Cage got a lot of offense to which I had mixed feelings. He’s a physically impressive guy and a member of a prominent heel faction. I understand not wanting to squash him. I also understand wanting to protect Will Ospreay. It’s a tricky balancing act. At least the match wasn’t overly long and Ospreay won.
Afterwards, Lance Archer, who was ringside, jumped Ospreay. Ospreay was without help as they showed on the big screen that Kenny Omega had been attacked before the match started. The rest of the Callis Family joined in. Omega stumbled down to the ring and joined in the fight. Ospreay and Omega fought them off briefly, but the numbers proved to be too much and they ended up both laid out with stereo Tombstones from Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher.
This was fine. It got some heat on the DCF. The problem is that this beat down was reminiscent of one that Mox and the Mechanics have been doling out regularly. It’s the risk that exists when there are two major heel factions who both play the numbers game. It’s about taking care not to run the same angle with both factions in the same night.
Tonight Takeshita & Fletcher will fight The Hounds of Hell in what should be a damn good wrestling match to use the technical term. Elsewhere Ospreay is scheduled to go one-on-one with “a member of the Don Callis Family.” If it was Archer, it would just say so. That coupled with the fact that Callis teased a new Family member in a video package on Collision last weekend, lead me to believe that Osperay’s opponent is a new member of the group.
The most likely candidates are Wardlow, who’s been out of action for awhile or “Speedball” Mike Bailey, who’s reportedly signing with AEW after his TNA deal expired in January. There’s also the possibility of Trent Baretta, who was a part of DCF last year before being written off to undergo a second neck surgery.
Grade: B
Mariah May vs. Toni Storm (15 months)
Latest Developments
Each woman cut a solo promo in response to Toni Storm’s big reveal last week
Analysis
Mariah May cut her promo on Dynamite. She at first claimed that Toni wasn’t real ,but then launched into a diatribe about how Toni could play whatever version of herself she wanted to, the ending will remain the same.
It wasn’t so much Mariah’s words that caused a lot of consternation amongst people, it was her demeanor. She was not at all shook up by the return of “Timeless” Toni Storm. The thing is, Mariah has proven herself to be a sociopath and sociopaths don’t scare easily. The only way to rattle a sociopath normally when their attempt to intimidate their victim fails. If they don’t think they’re scaring someone, that’s when they’re knocked off their game. Mariah coming out completely freaked out would’ve been too out of character, so the right choice was made.
“Timeless” Toni Storm took the stage on Collision and explained that after losing to Mariah, the embarrassment was too much so she ran away. Eventually she had to tear herself down in order to build herself back up. She took on the role of “the young girl in the red shorts” in order to look into Mariah’s eyes. In those eyes she saw a fraud. She called her a “shambolic bitch” and said that her time was over.
The delivery of this promo more of the greatness we’ve come to expect from Toni Storm. I do have to admit, though, I was looking for a little bit more of an explanation for the ruse than what we got. The idea that she wanted to look into the Mariah’s eyes in a situation where Mariah thought she had the upper hand makes sense, but I was looking for just a little bit more. My other small critique is that I wish she’d shown a little more fire. She was a little subdued this week for someone who is gunning for revenge.
Tonight, Toni battles Queen Aminata with Mariah on commentary. I appreciate that that they ran video package explaining the set up of the match, but Queen Aminata shouldn’t still be getting out into situations where she’s guaranteed to lose. There’s real talent there that needs to be built up. That’s why I wouldn’t be completely disappointed if Toni jumps Mariah at the announce desk and that takes precedence. It’s always been on sight with those two anyway.
Grade: B
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Harley Cameron vs. Mercedes Moné (3 weeks)
Latest Developments
Harley Cameron picked up her first win, pinning Taya Valkyrie but was still dismissed by Mercedes Moné.
Analysis
Harley Cameron vs. Taya Valkyrie was a fine match. It stemmed from Harley preventing The Vendetta from cheating during the four-way match last week on Collision. It was also part of Harley seeking her first win. She got it with a crucifix pin, leaving Taya stunned in the ring and Deonna Purrazzo irate backstage.
There’s something organic about Harley’s rise. The crowd loves her. She got “Feel the wrath!” chants during the match with Taya. She is steadily improving in the ring and ridiculously talented outside of it. Her ventriloquist routine with the Mercedes puppet outside Mercedes locker room after her win on Saturday night was hysterical. She is a treasure. That said Mercedes being dismissive makes sense given that until Saturday, Harley had never one. I suspect there’s a match with Deonna in Harley’s future which she presumably wins. After that Mercedes may be forced to take notice. Harley getting her match with Mercedes in her home country will be a nice moment even if she has little chance of actually winning.
Grade: B+
Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet (8wks)
Latest Developments
Ricochet defeated A.R. Fox on Dynamite and then used Fox as a human shield. On Collision, a sit-down interview with Renee Paquette and Ricochet turned into a sit-down with Swerve and Ricochet
Analysis
Ricochet and A.R. Fox was fine. It just lasted way too long. It would’ve been much more effective if Ricochet had defeated Fox faster than Swerve did the previous week. Run another clip from Renee’s “Close Up with Mox and the Mechanics” if you need to fill TV time.
Anyway, after he won, Ricochet retrieved scissors he had hidden inside a turnbuckle pad. Before he could attempt to use them, a chain was heard rattling, and then Ricochet was yanked out of the ring. As he fell, Swerve was revealed behind him. I thought it was a cool shot. If that wasn’t the intent, it was a happy accident.
Swerve tossed Ricochet around ringside before throwing him back in and setting up for a Swerve Stomp. That’s when Ricochet grabbed Fox, and held him at scissor-point as a human shield in order to make his exit.
I thought this post-match was very well done. I get that the scissors are weapon that straddles the bounds of what’s believable in this environment. It just doesn’t bother me as much as it does some people.
The sit-down segment on Collision was superb. Ricochet talked about fans blowing up his social media wanting him to come to AEW only for them to turn on him and shower him in toilet paper. He said Swerve chose to join in with the fans in mocking him and paid the price. That’s when Swerve interrupted and took over for Renee.
Swerve immediately called Ricochet by his government name Trevor and said their issues go back to Lucha Underground and CZW and they’ve never seen eye-to-eye. He said Ricochet pretended to be a superhero and the fans rejected him. He said their match (tonight) will be a fight. Ricochet owned the fact that he wasn’t a good actor or good at cutting a promo about something he didn’t believe in and that he didn’t give a damn what the fans think of him.
This was excellent. Swerve has always been great, but heel Ricochet has been a revelation. He’s got a new swagger, a new confidence. He seems like an actual person. I also love that the fact that AEW allows talent to openly acknowledge their history with each other outside the company. It makes it feel like a more open world instead of a self-contained bubble. The match tonight should main event the show and it should be a barn-burner. I actually expect Ricochet to steal the win in order to keep the feud going.
Grade: B+
Christian Cage vs. Hook (14 weeks)
Latest Developments
Samoa Joe & Hook defeated Nick Wayne & Kip Sabian only to be sneak attack by Christian Cage afterwards.
Analysis
The match between Joe & Hook and The Patriarchy was fine. Hook took the heat from the heels before making a hot tag to Joe who quickly put Sabian away with a Muscle Buster. The bell had a barely rang when Christian slipped into the ring and attacked Joe with the contract case. Wayne laid out Hook, allowing Christian to clobber him too.
This was all fine. The match was what it needed to be. Christian and the Patriarchy got their heat back. I’m just ready for this feud to end. It feels like it’s treading water. Nobody’s being dragged down, but it’s not helping anyone either.
Grade: C+
MJF vs. Jeff Jarrett (5 weeks)
Latest Developments
Jeff Jarrett lost to Claudio Castagnoli, thus denying him his title shot against Jon Moxley. MJF poured salt in the wound by decking him with the Dynamite Diamond ring.
Analysis
Jeff Jarrett had his match with Claudio. Unfortunately, it felt like Claudio had to slow down a few notches so that Jeff could keep up with him. These two simply didn’t mesh well. Both Wheeler Yuta and Mox got involved with Mox ultimately hitting a Death Rider on Jarrett which cost Jarrett the match. It would’ve made more sense for MJF to get involved. Claudio shouldn’t have needed the help of his comrades to beat Jeff Jarrett.
The post-match was short and sweet. MJF came out with a mic in hand, started to speak before nailing Jarrett between the eyes with the ring and saying “I told you so.”
In his brief but great backstage interview, during which he once again bumped into “Hangman” Adam Page who was looking for Swerve perhaps to call a truce, MJF mentioned “The Last Outlaw’s Last Ride.” It sounds like we’re getting to the challenge for the retirement match, and thank goodness for that. The sooner this feud between MJF and Jeff Jarrett is over the better. Jeff has been effective in this role, but it has a shelf life and I think we’re very close reaching its expiration date.
Grade: B
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