SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
HITS
SAMOA JOE-HANGMAN BUILD
It was a solid start to the show and made perfect sense that Samoa Joe would be angry with Tony Schiavone and want to get some revenge. Instead of the visual of Samoa Joe and the Opps bullying Schiavone and roughing him up, “Hangman” Page quickly arrived to save him. This was a nice change of pace as I was used to the WWE-style of the physical bullying of an older/smaller person.
It was a good segment to set up the main event and add some stakes to it as well. It’s always great to see Eddie Kingston involved in a major storyline. He has a presence that is unique and they should take advantage of it as he knocks off the rust and we all figure out what he has left in him.
WILLOW & HARLEY VS. MERCEDES & ATHENA THE MATCH ONLY!
This match was a lot of fun to watch. We will get to the finish below, but all four women did a great job in this one. They had solid chemistry. It was three professionals and one that’s coming along and they all did a fantastic job telling a story in the ring. The fallaway slam by Athena was pretty impressive.
QUICK HITS
– I liked the idea of the “Advantage Battles” to add stakes to the TV matches and they were all pretty good, but they did a horrible job explaining them during the broadcast. I was able to figure it out, but I can imagine many viewers were confused until it was further explained throughout the show. It’s better off to slow down at the start of the show and explain it with a graphic so it’s clear.
– As much as I didn’t want to see another Mark Briscoe vs. Kyle Fletcher TNT Title match at Full Gear, adding the No-DQ stipulation as well as the “Briscoe must join the Callis Family” if he loses angle to it does add a lot of intrigue and makes the match far less predictable.
– Ricochet is so comfortable on the mic. The war with the Hurt Syndicate is another feud way past its expiration date, but I have to give credit to Ricochet as he is continuing to do a great job getting heat from the fans and it’s not just calling him bald anymore.
– It may have leaned in on the comedy spots, but the FTR vs. Brodido build was effective. FTR does a good job getting on the fan’s nerves and insulting Bandido’s grandmother got that job done. Brody King’s fist through the door startling Stokely was a highlight. I’m looking forward to that match at Full Gear.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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MISSES
THE WOMEN’S TAG FINISH
I was really disappointed in the finish to this match. Clearly they planned to have the tournament final at Full Gear so they didn’t want Mercedes wrestling twice that night, but they could have moved the final to a Dynamite show to get some ratings/ticket sales. There is no way the two champions should be losing to Harley and Willow at this time.
In addition, the Mercedes vs. Kris Statlander match at Full Gear did not need more of this kind of buildup, and the way Statlander interfered with Mercedes during the match was dumb. I understand the story is supposed to be Statlander evening the odds when Billie Starkz came down, but this did not seem to get the fans behind Stat any more. It’s all over the place, like her character has been.
Trying to juggle the Mercedes vs. Statlander match, which is huge on paper, with the Blood and Guts next week has not been done effectively.
As for Athena, she is a very valuable member of the roster and they keep defining her down. This is a major mistake. She should not be getting pinned by Harley. She’s the “Forever ROH Champion” and needs to be built up as a major challenger in the AEW Women’s division. Don’t mess this up AEW!
ANOTHER TITLE?!?!?
Ugh. Another title? Really? Look, I get it, Tony Khan loves the history of wrestling and he honors and respects those that came before him and special performers and matches that have paved the way. However, the National Championship? That, I don’t get.
First, one of the headlines of this title is that it’ll be defended everywhere. AEW, CMLL, New Japan, ROH, Independents, etc. Well, all of Tony’s titles get defended pretty much everywhere as it is. So, how is this special?
Second, while I enjoy the Casino Gauntlet matches, is this really a way to determine an inaugural champion? A random draw match announced just two weeks before the PPV?
It makes very little sense other than to add another match to the card that has some stakes. Well, how about telling another story to set up a grudge match or give us a Casino Gauntlet to determine a number one contender.
Don’t forget to check out the weekly free podcast I’m part of, “The All Elite Conversation Club” that typically drops on Fridays the PWTorch Dailycast lineup. Joel Dehnel and I have a great time breaking down all things AEW. Search “pwtorch” on your podcast app to subscribe. Send questions and comments to allelitecc@gmail.com.
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