SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
It’s a new year. The new AEW Men’s World Champion found himself confronted by multiple challengers. Mercedes Moné ended the year another title down while friendship finally won out for Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander.
Tonight, Willow celebrates her victory with her best friend presumably by her side again.
The show will be headlined by “Hangman” Page and Swerve Strickland seeking to close the book on The Opps in a match that won’t be for the faint of heart. Let’s dive in and see where things stand in AEW.
New Champs, New Challengers
Latest Developments
MJF cut his first promo as champion before being interrupted by a slate of potential challengers.
Analysis
MJF opened the show walking to the ring after arriving in a fancy SUV. He got on the mic and called “Hangman” Page, Swerve Strickland, and Samoa Joe the “Big Three” of AEW then immediately said “f— the Big Three, it’s all about big me.” He then unveiled a new Triple B title belt. He said he was the king of the sport of pro wrestling and that he intended to go down as the greatest of all time.
MJF’s promo was noteworthy for its lack of bombast. He didn’t lean on his Don Rickles shtick or making an edgy comment for the sake of making an edgy comment. He colored within the lines of a heel promo and it was perfectly fine.
MJF was then interrupted by a suited-up Kenny Omega on the video screen from what looked to be his dining room. Omega acknowledged that he was closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He described a lot of what ifs swirling around in his head and then said he wanted to become AEW World Champion one more time. He said he’s not the Cleaner or the Best Bout Machine or the Belt Collector. He said he’s only after one belt and he’s willing to earn his way to a title shot.
Serious Kenny Omega just hits different. He has the resumé and the gravitas to back up everything he’s said about wanting to go for the title one last time. He tried to temper expectations of the match quality, but let’s be real – Kenny is always going to give everything he has to give in a big match situation. “Serious Kenny” having singles matches en route to an AEW World Title shot is really tantalizing television, especially given that Kenny singles matches have to be at a premium at this point in his career.
That wasn’t the last interruption MJF faced, though. Hangman and Swerve each made their way through the crowd draped in their chains. MJF tried to dismiss them as losers and told them to get some wins and come back and see him. Hangman threatened to strangle MJF with the Triple B before he takes it from him and Swerve warned Max that he’d only seen a fraction of what he was capable of. He said the hunt was on and may the worst man win.
Hangman and Swerve are the coolest dudes in any space they’re in. Keeping them both in the title picture is an extremely smart decision. In particular, Swerve would be a fresh match up for MJF as the two haven’t had a singles match in AEW yet.
That wasn’t it for the interruptions. The final person to make their presence known was Samoa Joe. The former champion claimed that he had been robbed. He then turned his ire on Hangman and Swerve leading Swerve to challenge Hook and Powerhouse Hobbs to a lights out tag match.
This match is not going to be for the squeamish. It feels like Joe is feeding Hook and Hobbs to the wolves as Hangman and Swerve are thirsty for revenge and capable of some scary things in no-DQ/lights out match.
Overall, this segment was extremely effective in setting up opponents for MJF for the four or five months of the year. That’s not counting Bandido, who will challenge MJF next week. There’s also the potential for Brody King, who threw his name into the ring in a backstage promo and could be motivated to get even with MJF on behalf of his tag team partner.
Grade: B+
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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The Meltdown Continues
Latest Developments
Willow Nightingale defeated Mercedes Moné to win the TBS Title in the main event of last week’s Dynamite, leaving Mercedes shell-shocked on the floor.
Analysis
Mercedes and Willow got started in their match hot and fast. The ensuing bout was very good. At one point, Willow went for the Babe with the Powerbomb on the announce table, but Mercedes reversed it into a suplex. The table didn’t budge an inch. Mercedes tried everything to put Willow away including the same leg capture pinning combination Willow used on her at the PPV. In the end, Willow reversed a final attempt at the MonéMaker into the Babe with the powerbomb for the win.
I must admit that I didn’t expect Willow to win, so I was surprised when she got the pin. The Omaha crowd exploded. Harley Cameron came down and embraced her tag team champion partner. Kris Statlander also came down to the ring. After a moment of awkwardness, she and Willow finally embraced, much to the delight of the crowd, bringing an end to their 18-month estrangement. I think reuniting with her longtime best friend could be a boon for Stat who’s been struggling to get over on her own. Hopefully, Willow and Harley’s popularity uplifts Stat some. It should immediately pay dividends for Stat after the Triangle of Madness set their sights on her.
For Mercedes, she continues to lose titles. She was left stunned outside the ring after losing to Willow. It will be interesting to see how far her meltdown goes.
Grade: B+
What’s Next for The Family
Latest Developments
Konosuke Takeshita lost the IWGP Championship to Yota Tsuji while Okada defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi in Tanahashi’s retirement match.
Analysis
There was no follow-up to everything that transpired at the PPV because Okada and Takeshita had to head to Japan for WrestleKingdom. At that event, Takeshita lost his IWGP Title in a fantastic match against Yota Tsuji. Tsuji actually forced Takeshita to tap out to a straight up Boston Crab. Okada, on the other hand, had a surprisingly good and compelling match with his mentor and rival. Tanahashi gave everything he had left to give and forced Okada to pull out the old Okada to finally put down Tana for good with a third Rainmaker.
It certainly feels like a fickle egomaniac like Don Callis would use something like Takeshita’s loss, especially the submission aspect as justification for his expulsion from The Family. At the very least, it’ll be his reasoning for siding with Okada. The question is where Kyle Fletcher fits into this equation and how Callis can smooth things over with him.
Grade: B+
Random Question
-Are we waiting on Pac? Jon Moxley is effectively a babyface at this point while the rest of the Death Riders remain firmly heel. The one caveat is that Pac has been MIA since Christmas Collison. Given that Darby Allin challenged him to a rematch, it’s reasonable to assume that Pac’s absence won’t be long-term. That leaves me to wonder if the Death Riders turn on Mox at Pac’s direction when he returns. Before then though, Mox battles Shelton Benjamin tonight in a match that should be a blast.
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