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Housekeeping
• As of last week’s AEW Dynamite, “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson joined the commentary team full time replacing Tony Schiavone who moved into an interviewer role. He added a lot when he was on the team during Forbidden Door week, so I’m excited to hear his contributions going forward.
• The Don Callis Family is unfortunately down one member as Wardlow suffered a torn pectoral muscle. The injury occurred, as reported by PWTorch editor Wade Keller, when he clotheslined Prince Nana at Forbidden Door. It will take him out for several months just as he came back from a long layoff.
• CMLL’s 92nd Anniversario show takes place Friday night. The event headlined by Mistico vs. MJF in a mask vs. title match, is available in English commentary on Triller for $19.99
Intro
With the Philadelphia residency concluded, AEW heads to the Great White North this week. First stop is London, Ontario for tonight’s special three hour “September to Remember” edition of Dynamite. The card is stacked so this should be a strong go-home show for the All Out PPV this weekend
A Proto-Challenger
Latest Developments
Kyle Fletcher officially challenged “Hangman” Adam Page to an AEW World Title match at All Out.
Analysis
This challenge began two weeks ago when Fletcher got the pin in the “All-Star” eight-man tag match. The Don Callis Family then unleashed a vicious attack on Hangman age and Kenny Omega.
Fletcher delivered a brainbuster to Hangman onto an open steel chair. He followed that up by striking Kenny in his sensitive midsection and then hitting a brainbuster on him off the apron through a table which led to Omega being stretchered out and thus being off TV for an indeterminate amount of time.
Saturday on Collision, Fletcher cut a great promo officially challenging Hangman. Last night on Dynamite, Hangman defeated Josh Alexander in decent match. Fletcher came out and demanded an answer to his challenge. Hangman in turn demanded that Fletcher get in the ring and challenge him face-to-face. Fletcher did just that. After some good back and forth, Hangman accepted the challenge with the proviso that Callis and the DCF would be banned from ringside. Fletcher agreed to the proviso and then promised to beat Hangman and hold both the TNT Title and AEW World Title.
So there’s your All Out main event: “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Kyle Fletcher. The discourse surrounding this match has been either that Fletcher is a weak opponent or that the match was premature. I fell more into the second camp.
I think Fletcher is a completely viable opponent, but I did not expect him to be first up for the Callis Family. Honestly, I didn’t think any of the front three, which includes him, Takeshita, or Okada, would be in this match. I was expecting Josh Alexander, quite frankly.
That said, I think Fletcher could actually benefit from losing to Hangman. He can use it as fuel to go on even more of a tear as TNT Champion and eventually circle back to challenging for the AEW World Title. For all his flaws, Tony Khan is good about bringing things back 6, 8, or 12 months later even if it doesn’t seem like that was always the plan.
Honeymoon in Philly
Latest Developments
Mark Briscoe chose Tacks ‘n’ Tables as the stipulation for his match with MJF at All Out
Analysis
Two weeks ago on Collision, MJF showed up the night after his wedding to Alicia Atout to insure that Mark Briscoe lost to Takeshita and thus did not win the right to fight for the TNT Title. He then granted Briscoe the privilege of picking the place and stipulation for their match. Briscoe, of course, chose All Out but then waited until this past weekend to announce the stipulation. What he came up with was Tacks ‘n’ Tables.
Look, I was nervous that Tony Khan might revive the old Human Torch match given the role fire played in this feud so I was relieved it didn’t go that far. Still I can’t help but feel like the chosen stipulation is a little bit anticlimactic. It would’ve just made more sense to call it a street fight. That’s what it’s going to be anyway.
I suspect MJF is going to have a very long weekend. He’s almost certainly losing to Mistico at the CMLL 92 Anniversario show on Friday night and quite possibly to Mark Briscoe in Canada the next night.
Grade: B-
So That’s What We’re Doing
Latest Developments
Toni Storm set up herself defending the AEW World Title in a four-way match against Thekla, Jamie Hayter, and Kris Statlander.
Analysis
This match exists as a function of the larger war within the Women’s Division. A couple weeks ago on Collision, Toni got fed up and, in her inimitable way, challenged the four women to a title match. The match should be quite good given the talent involved, but obviously the bigger point is the overarching conflict which has weaved together several interconnected stories.
I appreciate the increased focus on the Women’s Division and the number of women involved in this story. It certainly feels like Blood & Guts is the ultimate destination. The problem is the repeated multi-woman matches every week.
This week they’re changing things up by having one-on-one no holds barred match between Queen Aminata and Thekla which should be quite physical knowing those two. Still, it would help if we had an in-ring promo segment to help build this up instead of various configurations of teams going at it each week.
Grade: B
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Coffins Are A Drag
Latest Developments
Jon Moxley finally accepted Darby Allin’s challenge for All Out; Daniel Garcia joined the Death Riders.
Analysis
Darby opened Dynamite two weeks ago brawling with Gabe Kidd. The two brawled to the back of the ECW Arena where Darby had a pickup truck waiting. He blinded Kidd with powder, knocked him out with chloroform, put in him in a body bag chained to the back of the truck, and dragged him off into the night never to be seen again. Later that night, Darby returned and prevented the Death Riders from using nefarious tactics to win the AEW Tag Team Titles. It was that action that prompted Mox to finally relent and accept Darby’s challenge for a match at All Out in a strong promo on Collision.
This week the show ended with Darby rushing the ring the ring to get his hands on Mox. Just as Darby had Mox cornered, a figure in a hoodie jumped into the ring and attacked him from behind. The figure then revealed himself as Daniel Garcia. Garcia stomped Darby’s head into a chair twice, although he missed the chair on the first try.
There’s a lot to unpack here. First Darby and Mox. It was evident that this match was coming. I thought they did a good job getting there with Darby basically annoying Mox into the match. The one weird thing about it, though, was that the match was made a Coffin Match with little more than Mox ending his promo saying he was going to put Darby in the ground as justification. I feel there was a missed opportunity for Darby to introduce that stip.
The Daniel Garcia turn was foreseeable but no less concerning. Over the last couple weeks, Mox has been working on recruiting Garcia. Initially, it seemed like Garcia was resisting Mox, but his loss to Mox last week on Collision seems to have pushed him over the edge. Garcia needed a change. He’s been treading water for a while.
The problem is that, as I’ve said in this column for the last few weeks, the Death Riders should be wrapping up. Darby beating Mox should be the final death knell. Adding a new member does not make it seem like the Death Riders are going away. Frankly, I’m no longer certain that Darby’s even going to win next weekend.
The Death Riders have been marginally better since All In but it would still be more beneficial if they disbanded. The Don Callis Family is being positioned as the top heel faction in the company, but they’re still competing with the Death Riders for oxygen.
Overall, I think are more cons than pros when it comes to Garcia’s turn and it’s direct impact on the upcoming coffin match.
Grade: B-
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Random Questions
Are the Acclaimed better together than apart?
It would appear that the answer is “yes” given that the groundwork was laid for a reunion this past weekend.
Bowens lost Unified Title qualifying match to Takeshita. Max Caster was smoked in his latest open challenge by Big Bill. Following that match, Bowens and Jerry Lynn were being interviewed by Lexi Nair when Caster came through the curtain.
Bowens immediately attacked his former partner and the fight spilled out into the arena and then the ring where Lynn intervened. He got on a mic and talked about the success they had as team and then the less than stellar singles runs each man has enjoyed since the breakup.
As if this segment wasn’t random enough, Blake Christian and Lee Johnson came out to antagonize Lynn. Lynn got fed up, ripped his shirt off, called them to the ring for a fight. He was quickly overwhelmed until Caster jumped in to help. Bowens, initially hesitant, relented and ran back to the ring to help as well. When Lynn raised their hands after they dispatched of Christian and Johnson, neither man was interested.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much the crowd loved this entire thing. They were losing their minds, especially once Lynn squared up for a fight. Maybe it was a Philly thing.
So now, just weeks after both men’s singles turns were attempted to be jump-started by a double turn, it appears AEW has thrown in the towel and scrapped both failed singles runs in favor of reuniting them with Jerry Lynn of all people as the person working to make it happen. Lynn is universally respected and well-liked – and if it keeps Billy Gunn’s unnaturally tanned leathery visage off my TV, I’m all for it.
So that’s how we’re bringing Eddie Kingston back?
Eddie Kingston has been out for over a year recovering with a broken leg and a torn ACL suffered in a NJPW match with Gabe Kidd. People have been clamoring for his return ever since reports emerged that he was ready to come back.
Given Kidd’s recent presence in AEW, there was a thought that Kingston would return to confront him. Imagine my surprise then when Big Bill called Kingston out totally out of the blue. If there had been vignettes hyping up Eddie’s return, it would’ve at least explained why a guy who’s been out for 16 months was even on Bill’s mind.
His reasoning for calling out Eddie was little all over the place. It would’ve been better if he’d clearly set this up as a battle for New York supremacy. The promo from this past weekend didn’t help matters, either.
It was technically fine but would’ve come across a lot better if Bill was cutting on Eddie face-to-face. The biggest issue with this match is that both guys need to win. Eddie’s just getting back after a long layoff and will help fortify the currently depleted babyface roster. At the same time, Bill could use the win and to be built into a opponent for “Hangman” Page.
Why are Okada and Takeshita fighting already?
The tension between Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada has been simmering since Okada joined the Don Callis Family a few months ago. The foundation is there for a huge match once Takeshita’s breaks away from the Family and turns face.
Instead of waiting and building that anticipation, Okada and Takeshita will instead share the ring at All Out in a messy three-way match for the Unified Title. Mascara Dorada will almost certainly beat Beast Mortos to get into the match only to be the designated pin taker in Toronto.
This all could’ve been avoided by having Michael Oku win a four-way match for a one-on-one shot against Okada, while Takeshita teamed with Josh Alexander in the four-way tag title ladder match.
Why Riho?
Mercedes Moné and Alex Windsor had really good match a couple of weeks ago. It seemed like the groundwork was being laid for a rematch potentially under submission match rules and then Riho returned. Love her or hate her, Riho is always over with the crowd. I just hope it’s for savory reasons.
That said, this match feels more random than any other match Mercedes has had this year. Riho didn’t look great in the tag match last week. Hopefully her match with Robyn Renegade tonight works out better and then she and Mercedes can have a respectable albeit predictable match on Saturday.
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