SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Greetings! I and other staff members will try our best to cover for David Bryant while he is on leave. Please note that my list of hits is in descending order if you’re wondering what I consider a show’s best and worst aspects. Along with a great tidbit about wrestling from this day in history, I will also give each review a final grade. Let’s begin!
HITS
KAZUCHIKA OKADA VS. KENNY OMEGA ALL IN
AEW told you back in December that this match was happening. For those unfamiliar with the history between Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega, I recommend you review their four-match history together in NJPW. Now, that’s not a suggestion on my part. It’s up to AEW to take your hand as a fan and explain why this rivalry changed the landscape of professional wrestling.
“HANGMAN” ADAM PAGE
In the Will Ospreay post-match segment, Hangman cut another passionate promo and made another babyface promise, saying he will never need or accept help for Swerve Strickland. Hangman made it clear that at All In, it would be his night and moment.
FTR
FTR’s match against Atlantis Jr. & Templario was good, but I’m more encouraged in the future about what this version of FTR looks like as AEW Tag Team Champions.
TAY MELO RETURN
It is great to see Tay Melo return to save for her good friend, Anna Jay. Before leaving to become a mother, Melo had long shown significant improvement as a prospect within the division. Melo and Megan Bayne had a good, heated exchange to set up the tag team match next at Summer Blockbuster.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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NICK WAYNE
Nick Wayne should be more of a fixture of weekly TV. I’m always amazed by his poise in the ring at age 19. Once he turns babyface, this will be another young wrestler who could be a world champion within the next 3-5 years.
THEKLA DEBUT
This was my first live experience with Thekla in the wrestling ring. She can find the hard cam. I would say Thekla’s style is something unique that the AEW Women’s Division currently doesn’t have. I look forward to seeing what she looks like in a longer match next week against Queen Aminata.
MISSES
TWO WOMEN’S MATCHES OVER FOUR HOURS OF TELEVISION.
This will be the first legitimate double miss. I like the Don Callis Family’s weekly appearances on Collision. The faction shouldn’t, however, take up almost 30 minutes of this episode. There is no reason AEW can’t continue to create a women’s mid-card feud, even though I understand that they are focused on developing Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Mone at All In. I brought up this point in a recent episode of The Collision Cafe. Once more, a title shouldn’t be relied upon to tell a story, but they must get TBS Title off Mone to free up a plot going into All In.
FINAL SCORE
HITS: 6
MISSES: 2
FINAL THOUGHTS: The official confirmation of Okada vs. Omega made significant developments regarding AEW All In. Still, the length of the four-hour block certainly affected the overall quality of this show.
Wrestling History: On June 4, 2017, at WWE Extreme Rules at Baltimore, Maryland’s Royal Farms Arena, Dean Ambrose lost the Intercontinental Championship to the Miz.
Be sure to check out “The Collision Cafe” podcast which I host with Amin Ajani, which is available for all PWTorch VIP members.
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