AEW RISING AND FADING STARS: Jon Moxley, Young Bucks, Powerhouse Hobbs, Mina Shirakawa, Kazuchika Okada

Welcome everyone!

Well Dynamite is almost here, so let’s look back at last week and see how I felt about specific people on the shows.

One thing before we get there. Darby really felt like a star last week. You don’t always need 15 minutes worth of mic work to get across your point and I think he did great in about three minutes.

Rising Star of the Week

Jon Moxley and The Young Bucks

Have you ever heard the term “winning through losing”? If you haven’t, then you are welcome for teaching you something knew and if you have then you know where I’m going. All three of the men listed have done more by losing the last few weeks than had they won the matches they were in.

Starting with Mox. Have you seen the way he panics when someone locks him in a submission hold? This has been going on since he lost to “Hangman” Adam Page at All In Texas and I love it. This week was no different. When Kyle O’Reilly had him wrapped up, Mox just decked the ref. He is showing a side of him that he, as a heel, either thinks doesn’t exist or he will deny exists, which is that deep down he is just a chickenshit heel right now. Unless he has the backing of the Death Riders, he will panic. Now, will that panic lead to the Death Riders turning on him? We shall see.

The Young Bucks or Broke Bucks are a different type of losing heels. They are poor and just want money matches. Then, as they have lost more and more, you can tell they are conflicted with the Bucks they have become. Are they still that elite team? They are questioning that for sure. Do they regret their actions the last couple of years? This is also something they are trying to figure out. Are you watching Being the Elite? Probably not, but you could and should. They are actually doing good character work on there and on the weekly shows.

So both Mox and the Young Bucks show you that you can rise while still losing. Telling stories is what we are all here for and the two stories going on with these three are a couple of my favorites on AEW television right now.

Honorable Mentions:

Will Hobbs and Kazuchika Okada

This one is meant to be a little goofy.

First, let’s start with Hobbs. Serious question: Did Hobbs show more personality during Samoa Joe’s speech last week than he has in five years on AEW television? It feels like he did to me. Someone tell him to keep that up without becoming a parody of “Sexual Chocolate” Mark Henry.

On to Okada. My question with him is this: Do you think anyone possibly has more fun being a heel than Okada? I really don’t know if you could honestly say there is anyone. The smile on his face after he finally hit Konosuke Takeshita at the PPV made me laugh out loud. Those two can’t stand each other and I think we will finally get to see Okada switch out of thirrd and into fourth gear when the two of them collide, almost like he’s been waiting to make Takeshita since he walked in the doors at AEW.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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Fading Star of the Week

Mina Shirikawa 

• Three Straight losses on AEW programming
• Favored to make the finals of the AEW Women’s Tag Team Title Tournamet

So, let me get this straight. I’ve heard, on various podcasts, that people think Toni Storm & Mina are favorites in the AEW Women’s World Tag tournament. If they are not the favorites, most think the duo will make it to the finals. My question to that is: Why?

Mina has lost to Thekla this past week and has no wins in her last three AEW matches. Toni has one win in her last four matches. Mina has the same number it tag team match wins with Toni as she does with Miriah May, one win. So are we as viewers suppose to believe that because they are together the two women will now become winners? I get that they may want to tell that story; it’s just not being done well.

AEW has spent months building up teams for this tournament. You have Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford, Anna Jay & Tay Melo, and Skye Blue & Julie Hart. These three teams have done battle for months on television, but now they are just fodder for Storm & Mina or they will be there to lose to Mercedes Mone & Athena.

The last two steam-rolling the tournament at least makes sense. Mone almost never loses and Athena loses just as rarely. That said, it does really feel like they are being set up to lose to Mina & Storm. Maybe I’m wrong and there will be several upsets, but I don’t think I am wrong.