AEW’S TOP PROMOS OF THE WEEK: MJF augments his promo into its ideal zone, Darby addresses what everyone has been thinking, Eddie Kingston offers an 8 year old an ominous birthday message

Well, I’m writing this on Jan. 3, and according to Larry David, this is the last day you can wish someone a Happy New Year. So, Happy New Year to everyone! (Apologies if my editor doesn’t post this until Monday.)

I abide by many Larry Daivd rules when it comes to social norms. If you split the check with someone at a restaurant, you both must leave the same tip so if someone leaves less than the other person, they don’t look cheap and always use a coaster and respect “The Wood” are just a couple.

I bring this up because there are a lot of “norms” in wrestling that I think need to go. Wade Keller brought up a major one of mine on the AEW Dynamite Post-show this week with his co-host Chris Adams. The beating up the security guard spot in wrestling must go. It’s just lame and eye rolling to me at this point.

Watching undersized security guards get beat up and mind-numbingly run directly into whatever wrestler is beating them up is about as cool as listening to C.M. Punk talk about beating up Jack Perry while wearing a Ramones shirt and drinking a latte. I thought this week on Dynamite really showed the worst of that security guard spot. “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland are already cool. You don’t need to have them beat up 150lb security guards.

MJF (AEW World Heavyweight Champion), Kenny Omega, Swerve Strickland, “ Hangman” Adam Page, Samoa Joe ( AEW Trios Champion) – Dynamite 12/31/25

Sometimes the best way to spruce up a room is to just put a fresh coat of paint on the walls and that is exactly what the opening segment of this week’s Dynamite felt like. MJF as World Champion is that fresh coat of Burberry paint that the World Title scene needed. This week is also the MJF I love the most.

Don’t get me wrong, I love when he tears into his opponents like Jeff Ross at a Comedy Central Roast, but tonight he was that good kind of arrogant and cocky. “I am a stallion, and I’m done slow trotting so all the other donkey’s can keep up, so from now on I’m going to sprint.” This was probably one of my all-time favorite lines from MJF. I just love the cockiness from MJF. Maybe it’s the East Coast in me, but I just love it when a guy is good, knows he’s good, and just rubs it in your face. Unapologetically unapologetic (say that 10 times fast).

I also loved when he called out “every wrestler in my sport” because, yes, wrestling is a sport, and it should be treated like that when it comes to World Title shots. I liked MJF then tying that line into him talking about how “wins and losses” matter and if Hangman and Swerve want a shot at the title, they better pile up some wins because as it presently stands, they are losers. I just thought this version of MJF is what I want from him going forward. He can still throw in the digs and one-liners at people, but when he does it a little less often, those digs and one-liners are going to land even harder.

I had been banging the drum for Kenny Omega to remove himself from “The Elite” bubble and to start having some sort of storyline away from “The Elite” and away from Don Callis. I was very happy when Kenny popped up on that screen during MJFs promo. I said out loud “finally” when I was watching Dynamite. I wish he would have been live in the arena, but beggars can’t be choosers at this point.

I liked that Kenny talked about wanting to come for the title because right now he’s about “winning” not about being The Cleaner, Best Bout Machine, or Belt Collector. He knows he’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning and he doesn’t want to live with the “what if” of not going for the World Title again.

I am totally in on having Kenny build himself up to be a contender. We all know health is the biggest opponent Kenny Omega faces every time he steps in the ring, but Kenny Omega in the World Title scene is good for everyone. Kenny and MJF had a fantastic match on a Collision a few years ago and I’m excited to hopefully see them together in the ring again.

Darby Allin -Dynamite 12/31/25

What I liked about this promo so much was Darby acknowledging that “he’s not numb to the pain” and realizing the trauma he puts on his body every time he steps into the ring. I also liked him talking about how the pain he receives from stepping into the ring “ gives him peace.” I like Darby acknowledging what everyone talks about when it comes to him. After every Darby match all you hear is “what is this guy doing to his body,” so I like Darby acknowledging “the comments” and why he goes so hard in the ring and how that affects him.

Let’s get to the Pac part of the promo now. Going back to the Moxley and Darby feud, I always thought it would lead to Moxley and Darby teaming up. I thought Mox would eventually find respect for Darby for never giving up and that he would stop some sort of beat down on Darby by the other Death Riders and that would lead to the split. I wrote about it and I talked about it with Wade Keller on the AEW Dynamite Post-Show when I was the on-site correspondent when Dynamite was in Boston in November.

I think that may have always been the plan, but the Darby injury pushed everything back. It led to Moxley becoming an even bigger babyface then they probably imagined he could be and led to him cutting that promo after winning the Continental Classic about giving it all in the ring and kind of subtly taking shots at guys who half-ass it *cough* Okada *cough*.

One of the first people I think about who “leave it all in the ring” is Darby Allin. Why continue this feud with Darby and the Death Riders if it’s not going to lead to something? He just defeated Gabe Kidd, he’s going to beat Wheeler Yuta on Collision, and then we will get to Pac. I don’t even think Darby has to beat Pac for this to work. I would have him lose to Pac and then after the match have the Death Riders lay down an epic ass kicking on Darby that forces Moxley to step in to protect Darby and then boom they turn on Mox.

I wouldn’t have Pac lose because if he’s going to be the new leader of the Death Riders (which he should be if he can commit to being on TV almost every week) then you don’t want him taking a loss against Darby to kick off the new era of the Death Riders.

Eddie Kingston – Collision 1/3/26

I once heard someone refer to a certain type of movie as a hang glider movie. It means that you have no idea where it’s going to go, but you are just going to sit back and enjoy the ride. That is what an Eddie Kinston promo is. It’s strapping into a hang glider and just jumping off the mountain with him and enjoying the ride. You have no idea where it might land, but you know it’ll be fun while it’s happening. In this promo, he shouted out two people for birthdays. Called one “momma” and told her he appreciated her  “spending a dollar” to come out and see him.

The other birthday was a young kid who was turning 8 years old and Eddie told him to enjoy it because after your 8^th birthday “it’s all downhill from there.” He also kept yelling at Tony Schiavone to hold the microphone up and told Schiavone “(Ric) Flair must have hated you” because Schiavone kept dropping the microphone down. Eddie is the only person who can get away with this type of promo and it’s the best.