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AEW REDEMPTION PPV
JULY 26, 2026
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA AT BELL CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON PPV (including PPV.com)
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Taz
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts’
Attendance: WrestleTix reported that 7,002 tickets had been distributed at show time; arena was set up for 7,472. The arena has a capacity of 19,527 spectators. The previous visit to this arena on Dec. 6, 2023 fdrew 4,944. This would be among the three or four lowest attendance figures for an AEW PPV in its history.
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[PRE-SHOW]
-Renee Paquette, Mick Foley, and Jeff Jarrett hosted the pre-show.
-An in-ring segment aired with Matt Menard introducing Jacques and Raymond Rougeau Rocky Romero eventually came out as they were talking and said the Rougeau family doesn’t matter and the only family that matters is the Don Callis Family. Raymond kicked him.
(A) ORANGE CASSIDY & KYLE O’REILLY & RODERICK STRONG vs. JAY LETHAL & BLAKE CHRISTAN & LEE JOHNSON – AEW Trios Title match
WINNERS: Cassidy & O’Reilly & Strong in 12:00.
[MAIN PPV]
(1) THE BEAST MORTOS vs. EL CLON vs. NICK WAYNE vs. “SPEEDBALL” MIKE BAILEY vs. KOMANDER vs. JACK PERRY – Ladder match to determine the no. 1 contender for the AEW International Title
Speedball got a hometown pop. For the first 8 minutes, the wresters took turns leaping through and over the ropes onto awaiting clusters of wrestlers below, or leaping off of ladders rather indiscriminately. Speedball climbed a tall ladder on the stage and flipped onto an awaiting cluster below.
When Mortos climbed a tall ladder mid-ring, Perry slowed him down with a shot with a smaller ladder to the back. With three ladders set up, everyone paired off at the same time on each ladder and punched each other. Wayne and Perry tipped over and landed on the top rope. Mortos shoved the ladder with Speedball and Komander, knocking them over the top rope to the floor on the other side of the ring. Perry then tipped over Mortos’s ladder, sending him crashing to the floor.
Perry pulled several tables out from under the ring. That led to several table spots at ringside. Back in the ring, they went back to doing spots with ladders. Wayne put El Clon on a table at ringside and then leaped off of a tall ladder at ringside as the ref held the ladder in place. He then landed a Phoenix Splash on Mortos through the ladder. He crawled back into the ring as some fans chanted “Holy shit!”
As Perry reached for the clipboard hanging above the ring, Wayne met him at the top. Perry gave Wayne a Canadian Destroyer off the ladder onto a bridged ladder below. Bailey then re-entered the ring and went after Mortos. He leaped off the top rope and landed a backflip into double-knees. He then climbed a ladder and pulled down the clipboard to win. Nigel, who picked Mortos to win at the start of the match, said, “This is the man I picked to win.”
WINNER: Bailey in 20:00 to earn an AEW International Title match
(Keller’s Analysis: Lots of athletic and sometimes especially risky and high-impact spots that ultimately came in such rapid-succession it was like enjoying a box of candy by pouring it down your throat without chewing or tasting much of anything. The crowd at one point was silent, which the announcers tried to frame a positive intensity. There are some fans who really love this, but I prefer big spots that are sold for longer and are treated as more special. This has been a “thing” since at least when TNA would open PPVs with X Division spotfests with the rationale being it energizes the crowd at the start. I think to a degree, though, it wears the fans out also and numbs them to big impact moves actually having lasting consequences. That said, of course it’s fun to watch and the talent on display is amazing.)
(2) THE YOUNG BUCKS (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. WILL OSPREAY & DEAN AMBROSE
Excalibur said Moxley’s mentorship has led to Ospreay doing things they’re not used to seeing him do. Schiavone said it has helped him, though. The bell rang 30 minutes into the hour.
Nick and Mox butted heads early in the match. Matt checked on Nick, who was selling being concussed. Moxley told Ospreay to go after Nick and not hold back. Ospreay then checked on Nick, showing compassion. Mox implored Ospreay to stay on the attack. Excalibur said he’s watched enough Young Bucks matches to think something was off. They cut to him looking a bit disoriented on the ring apron. When Matt reached for a tag, Moxley pulled Nick off the ring apron. He then gave the camera a middle finger and piledrove Nick at ringside. Ospreay then landed a sitout powerbomb on Matt for a two count at 8:00.
Matt reached for the tag again, but Ospreay pulled Matt out of reach from Nick. Excalibur said he wasn’t sure if Nick was ready fro the tag. They showed Nick looking off inot the crowd, then pounding the top turnbuckle to encourage a tag. Matt stood and emphatically asked if he was okay to enter. Nick slapped his hand and tagged himself in. Nick rallied against Ospreay. Schiavone said Nick looked good to him. Nick springboarded off the top turnbuckle and stomped on Ospreay’s back and then dove through the ropes and tackled Mox. Fans chanted, “AEW!”
Matt and Nick set up their springboard stuff tombstone, but Mox broke it. Ospreay then caught Matt and gave him a Styles Clash as Mox gave Nick a leaping Gotch piledriver leading to a two count. A “This is awesome!” chant broke out. Matt landed a dive onto Ospreay at ringside as Mox and Nick battled in the ring. Mox gave Nick a hard lariat. Matt flip-bumped. Both were slow to get up. Ospreay mistakenly tackled Mox. The Bucks set up a More Bang for Your Buck on Moxley, but Ospreay broke it up.
They took turns hitting rapid-fire spots. The Bucks landed a BTE Trigger on Moxley. Ospreay broke up the cover with a Hidden Blade. All four were down and slow to get up at 15:00. When Nick stood, he lost his balance and couldn’t stand. The ref backed Ospreay away to check on him. Nick hit Ospreay with a forearm. Ospreay fired back with body shots. The announcers noted he was hitting body shots, not head shots. Schiavone said, “Nick is done.” He said Nick had “no idea what is going on.” Moxley celebrated at ringside when Ospreay stayed on the attack. The ref checked on Nick again. Mox emphatically encouraged Ospreay to stay on the attack. Ospreay paused. Matt entered and covered Nick. Mox entered and threw Matt out of the ring. Mox then gave Nick a running stomp. Ospreay looked away in dismay. Mox scored a near fall. Mox then applied a Bulldog Choke. Marina Shafir instructed Mox at ringside. Matt kicked Mox and then inadvertently kicked Shafir at ringside.
Back in the ring, Nick rolled up Mox for a near fall. Mox gave Nick two Paradigm Shifts and a Death Rider. Schiavone exclaimed that he should end the match. Mox brought a chair into the ring and knocked the ref down. When he went to hit Nick, Ospreay yanked the chair away from him. Matt superkicked the chair into Ospreay’s face. The Bucks then took turns kicking Mox in the head as he was kneeling mid-ring leading to a three count. Schiavone said he was amazed the Bucks managed to win.
WINNERS: The Young Bucks in 20:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: The story developed in the match that Ospreay was going to take mercy on Nick, who was showing signs of being concussed, and that Mox would object. With some friendly fire and Mox being so ruthless, is this the end of Ospreay’s alliance with Mox or is this just going to create tension but he’ll still train with them that will build to a question of whether Ospreay would show compassion for Omega if called for at All In? The match was dominated by the sometimes melodramatically executed story of concern for Nick’s condition and how Mox grew frustrated with Ospreay when he showed compassion or hesitation.)
(3) KYLE FLETCHER (w/Don Callis) vs. BANDIDO – AEW International Title match
Bandido wore his ROH Title to the ring. Nigel said he wouldn’t be defending that title tonight. The bell rang 56 minutes into the hour. Fletcher dropped to ringside after a flurry by Bandido and poured water from a water bottle over his head to refresh himself. When Fletcher struck a pose after a flurry of offense, Nigel said he’s one of the top must-see stars of his generation. The announcers discussed Fletcher changing to longer boots and whether it would affect him in the match.
At 4:00, Bandido landed a crossbody and both wrestlers tumbled to the floor. When Bandido dove at Fletcher, Fletcher kicked him out of mid-air. Fletcher powerbombed Bandido onto the ring apron and then taunted the crowd. They battled back and forth for several minutes. Fletcher ended up giving Bandido a brainbuster suplex on the. ring apron at 11:00. Bandido came back with a 21Plex for a near fall at 14:0. Nigel called it one of the most amazing 21Plexes he’s ever seen.
Fletcher went for another suplex on the ring apron, but Bandido escaped and went for a leaping sunset bomb off the ring apron. Fletcher held on, but Bandido eventually pulled him loose and powerbombed him onto the ringside mats. Bandido landed a top rope frog splash onto Fletcher a minute later. Fans chanted, “Holy shit!” Back in the ring, he landed a shooting star press for a two count.
Bandido caught Fletcher leaping at him off the top rope and caught him with a face plant for a near fall at 21:00. Bandido landed a top rope blockbuster for a near fall a minute later. He followed with a GTS for a two count. Fans chanted, “Fight forever.” (Come on fans, cheer for a wrestler, not more moves.) Fletcher made a comeback and scored a near fall with a brainbuster suplex. Fletcher then set up a superplex. Bandido blocked it. Fans chanted “Bandido!” (That’s more like it.) Fletcher came back with a top rope Michinoku Driver and then a lawn dart toss into the middle turnbuckle. Fletcher gave Bandido a superplex into a brainbuster for the win. Excalibur noted he didn’t quite land the move as intended, but it worked. Callis joined Fletcher in the ring to celebrate afterward.
WINNER: Fletcher in 26:00 to retain the AEW International Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: These two wrestled like they were determined to have the best match of the night. Although they also wrestled like they always wrestle regardless of context since they’re great athletes in their prime who don’t hold back against strong opponents. There were some spots that were ambitious but imperfectly executed, including the finisher. Fletcher’s reaction after his win felt more in line with frustration over a botched key spot than a celebration of retaining his title.)
(4) THE DOGS (Clark Connors & David Finlay) vs. JAY WHITE & JUICE ROBINSON – Double-chain match
The Dogs attacked Juice & Jay before the bell and before the chains were attached. The bell rang once the chains were attached 30 minutes into the hour. Jay and Juice clotheslined Connors and Finley out of the ring. They battled at ringside for a while, using the chains at weapons. They did more of the same in the ring. White scored a two count on Finley at 10:00, which the announcers noted was the first pin attempt of the match.
The Dogs whipped Juice across his back with their chains. Connors then wrapped the chain around Juice’s neck. White tried to move in for the save, but Connors yanked on the chain to keep White out of reach. White eventually broke free and gave Connors a cut-throat suplex onto his head. White then set up a Blade Runner on Conor. Finlay yanked White away. Connor tackled White. The Dogs took over. Schiavone called it “a tactically fascinating match.”
Finlay slapped White onto mat and it looked like a close call for White’s neck. The announcers called it a close call. Nigel said, “But for the grace of God,” White was okay. Connors landed on the ringside steps, but off-camera. White wrapped a chain around Finlay’s neck next. Juice said “Kill him!” White gave Finlay a cut-throat suplex. Juice and White whipped Finley with their chains.
When White yanked a chain into Finley’s crotch, Nigel said White neutered him. Wheeler Yuta and Daniel Garcia showed up at ringside and attacked White. Colten Gunn, Austin Gunn, and Ace Austin charged down the ramp to go after Wheeler and Garcia. Meanwhile, Shafir gave Finley a shillelagh which he used to get the pin on Juice.
WINNERS: The Dogs in 18:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: So nearly 20 minutes of chain shots didn’t matter much, but one shillelagh shot knocked Juice out cold? This match was largely fine minute by minute as it delivered on the stipulation, but it also felt overly long and the feud was just so new and so mid-card that the chain gimmick felt more like a crutch than a natural result of an intense, long-running feud in AEW in order to settle things once and for all. So it was gratuitous rather than an effective part of the story. The lack of crowd reaction should be a lesson to leave matches like this off of PPVs in the future as it served no purpose and just bloated the line-up and dulled the fans’ reactions to violence in situations that matter more. This should have been left off the PPV to shorten the length as whatever value it had in and of itself was offset by numbing the fans to more traditional matches later in the show that actually had higher stakes and better developed stories building them up.)
-Renee Paquette interviewed Ospreay backstage. Ospreay said Nick has a history of “head trauma” and he didn’t want to act on it. Mox walked in. Ospreay said he’s not trying to kill someone or blow their brains out. Mox didn’t want to hear it. “Welcome to pro wrestling,” he said. The tag was just another tag match and they’ll win another one, but the match at Wembley is everything. “Open your eyes,” he said. He told him not to turn his back on anyone. He said he won’t watch him come up short, “so if you won’t pull the trigger, I will.”
(Keller’s Analysis: Was Mox implying here that if Ospreay shows hesitation again, such as at All In, that he will interfere on his behalf to help him beat Omega? It’s not often you wrestlers dismiss losing a match like Mox did here, but it made sense given the larger context of All In and how Mox seems dedicated to either helping Ospreay win or breaking down his own morals enough to drive him mad in the mean time.)
-They went to Excalibur, Schiavone, and Nigel at ringside who reacted.
(5) HIKARU SHIDA vs. MAYA WORLD – TBS Title match
The bell rang 55 minutes into the hour. Shida settled into an extended, methodical offensive stretch. The crowd was pretty much silent. Shida landed a dropkick off the second rope as World was struggling to put weight on one of her knees.
Shida landed a meteora for a near fall at 11:00. World came back with a roll-up. The reversed each other twice for two counts. World landed a Shining Wizard to the back of Shida’s head. She then hit a Shining Wizard from the front. Shida rolled to ringside to avoid the cover. The ref blocked Shida from using a kendo stick. World leaped off the ring apron and tackled Shida before throwing her back into the ring. World then landed a top rope moonsault, but Shida lifted her knees and then scored a two count. Shida scored a near fall on World seconds later after a Kitana.
They stood and exchange strikes. Shida landed a cut-throat tombstone for a near fall at 15:00. She kneed World in the back and her head and applied a TBS lock. She landed a Falcon Arrow next for a near fall, with World grabbing the bottom rope to stop the third count. Shida thought she won and got angry at the referee afterward. World then gave Shida an overhead suplex into a bridge to win. Excalibur said Shida’s overconfidence cost her (although the story of the finish wasn’t overconfidence, but her losing her composure and yelling at the ref).
WINNER: World in 17:00 to win the TBS Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Not an especially crisp match a lot of the time, but it had some good moments. Overall, longer than it needed to be and it served as a recharge opportunity for fans. These same fans have witnessed crazy highspots with ladders and tables, violence with chains, and a series of high-impact highspots with Fletcher and Bandido, so these two had almost no chance to engage the crowd.)
-Ricochet, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun demanded a Trios Title match this Wednesday on Dynamite.
-Taz joined the commentary table, replacing Nigel. Taz seemed to be in an unusually cheerful mood for him.
(6) ADAM COPELAND & CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. PAC & CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI – AEW Tag Team Title match
Pac and Claudio attacked Copeland and Christian before the match. The announcers framed it as “setting the tone for the match.” The ref checked on Copeland’s condition, then called for the bell 20 minutes into the hour. The heels got in a sustained stretch of offense against Christian. Christian came back with a brainbuster suplex and a Kill Switch on Pac for a near fall.
Christian hot-tagged in Copeland who got a polite pop at 14:00. When Pac put his feet on the middle rope for leverage during a cover, the ref caught him. Copeland then took Pac down as Pac was complaining to the ref. Pac leaped off the top rope and added extra force to a Neutralizer by Claudio. Copeland applied a crossface mid-ring. Christian held back Claudio from breaking it up at first. Claudio broke free and knocked Copeland off of Pac. Claudio lifted Pac and psyched him up. Then they hit Copeland and Christian with running European uppercuts in opposite corners back and forth. Christian ended up spearing Claudio. Copeland then speared Pac for the win.
WINNERS: Copeland & Christian in 19:00 to retain the AEW Tag Team Titles.
-Afterward, The Young Bucks came out and challenged Copeland and Christian. Then a graphic appeared on the big screen advertising the match would take place at All In. Christian turned away when offered a handshake. Excalibur said these two teams have defined tag team wrestling in their own ways over two generations/eras.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good match start to finish. Copeland and Christian continue to structure and pace matches with a logic and realism that isn’t present much elsewhere in AEW. It’s refreshing in way, but they are sabotaged a bit by trying to tell their story their way with an economy of moves and actual selling when the matches before it are more spotfests and much less focus on an internal logic to selling. I’d have opened with this to set the tone for the show.)
(7) TOMMASO CIAMPA vs. “THE PAINMAKER” CHRIS JERICHO – Anything Goes!
Ciampa came out first. Then Jericho to his “Painmaker” music. Taz said he didn’t envy Ciampa. The bell rang 49 minutes into the hour. Ciampa held a chair before the bell. Jericho had a barbed wire bat. They swung them at each other at the start. Jericho held up a small black bag and then threw sand in Ciampa’s face.
They fought to ringside where Ciampa reverse-whipped Jericho into the barricade. Ciampa then shoved his boot over Jericho’s throat. Jericho sprayed Ciampa with a fire extinguisher. He then sprayed it into the air. “Painmaker is a freakin’ nut!” Schiavone said. Ciampa came back with a Pedigree off the ring apron and drove Jericho through a table. Taz explained how dangerous it was for both wrestlers if Ciampa’s boot slipped at all. Back in the ring, Ciampa scored a two count and you could hear a pin drop after Jericho’s kicked out. Excalibur said there is a child over his shoulder who is telling Ciampa to light a table on fire. He said it’s rare they can hear a single fan like that. He added that the last thing they need is an idea like that.
Ciampa shoved a trash can into the ring and then pulled a hockey stuck out from under the ring. Fans popped (because it’s Canada). He yanked the stick handle against Jericho’s mind. Ciampa put on a Boston Bruins jersey. Jericho suplexed Ciampa onto hockey pucks in the ring. Jericho rubbed a sand paper block against Ciampa’s forehead. Ciampa came up bleeding from the forehead.
Ciampa pulled out a glove covered in thumb tacks. Jericho put him in a Walls of Jericho. Ciampa used his barbed wire bat to break free. He then shoved it against Jericho’s forehead. Schiavone said he was amazed at how these two were pushing each other to the limit. Jericho gave Ciampa a Death Valley Driver off the ring apron through a barbed wire table at ringside. Fans chanted, “Holy shit!” Jericho threw Ciampa into the ring and scored a two count.
Jericho set up a move out of the corner onto a framed glass mirror that he bridged on two chairs. Ciampa countered and drove Jericho through the mirror. Excalibur said you could see the “glass” embedded in Jericho’s back. The ringside doc checked on Jericho. Meanwhile, Ciampa brought the electric drill into the ring. Excalibur said there was nothing stopping him with a match with no rules. Fans chanted, “This is murder!” Jericho sprayed green mist to stop Ciampa from using the drill against Ciampa. Jericho landed a Judas Effect for a two count at 21:00.
Jericho landed a Judas Effect with the thumb tacks glove leading to a two count. Jericho then pushed the drill into Ciampa’s head and the ref immediately called for the bell. The drill bit was a rod without a pointy part or the spiral that is the signature of actual drill bits. Excalibur called it “a hardcore spectacle for the ages.”
WINNER: Jericho in 22:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: That match was way longer than it needed to be. And “needed” is probably a word not associated with anything about this match, to be honest. We’ve seen all of that before, and this was more of a geek show than a grudge match fans were invested in. The pops came when they pandered to the crowd with hockey equipment and a stuffed hockey mascot. When the fans are chanting “This is murder!” that’s not a sign of success; it’s a sign that fans have disengaged from taking the match seriously and see it as slapstick nonsense.)
-Foley interviewed Devine Dominion backstage. Foley said his joints were bothering him, so he sat on a chair between them. They took turns asking Foley if he has seen any team better than them. Foley pointed out they hadn’t defeated The Brawling Birds before. Then they told him to bow down. He made “bow wow” sounds for them. They no-sold it. Foley then threw it back to the commentators. “This is going nowhere for me,” he said.
(Keller’s Analysis: That was awkward.)
(8) MARK DAVIS vs. ANDRADE EL IDOLO – AEW National Title match
The bell rang 20 minutes into the hour and immediately Andrade attacked him and scored an instant near fall. Andrade applied an armbar while hanging over the top rope. The ref began her five count, so he broke. Andrade leaped off the ring apron and took Davis down with a head scissors. Andrade fist-bumped some fans and then flirted with a woman and took a selfie with her. (It’s not like there’s a title at stake or anyting.) Andrade took a sip of a beverage and sprayed it in Davis’s face. A rested Davis took over at ringside and slammed Andrrade on the ring apron.
Davis stayed on offense in the ring. Andrade fired back with chops at 9:00. Andrade flung Davis face-first off the ring apron into the turnbuckle. Fans chanted “How you know?!” Andrade backflipped off the top roe onto Davis at ringside. Andrade took off his pants mid-match, but had trouble getting them off his boots as Davis waited. Andrade then climbed to the top rope when Davis was clearly conscious and able to move. Davis lifted his knees. Andrade ralleid with three quick moves including his DM for the win.
WINNER: Andrade in 17:00 to capture the AEW National Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Again, some good stretches, but mostly methodical and overly long on a show that is needlessly long – deep into the fourth hour at this point. The finishing sequence with the pants and a top rope move that backfired was just stupid. When Andrade struggled to get his pants off, Davis was on camera looking over at him trying to assess what was going on. Andrade should not have just gone to the top rope before attacking Davis first because it made no sense that Andrade would think Davis was still knocked out enough to lie there and get splashed. It made Andrade look dumb for the second time in the match. I know fans enjoy the bit where he does a selfie, but can the match producers please work that spot into a situation where the heel doesn’t end up having time to recover enough to reverse the momentum Andrade had and take over the match? It makes getting a kick out of his mid-match flirtation selfie less satisfying when it undercuts the idea that Andrade is a serious wrestler who takes winning seriously.)
-Lexi Nair interviewed Speedball backstage. He called this the best night of his life. He said he has been coming to that arena since he was a child. He said he wants his shot at AEW Grand Slam on Aug. 5 in Mexico.
(9) THEKLA vs. WILLOW NIGHTINGALE – AEW Women’s Title match
The bell rang 48 minutes into the hour. Willow knocked Thekla to the floor with a Pounce early. Fans chanted, “Let’s Go, Willow!” Willow suplexed Thekla at ringside. When she went for a cannonball toward Thekla against the ringside steps, Thekla moved and Willow crashed into the steps. They showed Mercedes Mone watching backstage. Thekla bit at Willow’s bandaged ear which started bleeding. Willow bit Thekla’s fingers as Thekla had her grounded and was going for her ear again.
Both were down and slow to get up at 8:00. A “Let’s Go Willow!” chant started as they cut to Mercedes watching backstage again. Willow set up a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron, but Thekla countered into a DDT. Willow collapsed at ringside. Thekla then leaped off the top rope with a crossbody onto Willow at ringside. Schiavone said, “What a freaking match!” Willow went for a top rope moonsault, but Thekla moved. (Can we stop saying “Nobody home” when that happens, please.) Skye Blue broke up a Willow cover. Willow went after her at ringside and powerbombed her. When Willow re-entered the ring, Thekla speared her and then went for a stomp. Willow moved and then scored a three count with a backslide.
Willow held up the belt. Excalibur said she’s the first-ever female Grand Slam Champion AEW history. Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong came out to celebrate with her. Cassid held open the backpack and Willow dropped her belt into it.
WINNER: Willow in 15:00 to become AEW Women’s Champion
(Keller’s Analysis: They delivered a solid match.)
(10) KENNY OMEGA vs. KEVIN KNIGHT – AEW World Title match
As Omega made his entrance, Taz talked up Omega’s dedication. Knight attacked Omega before the bell and choked him. The ref backed him away. When Omega stood, the the ref called for the bell to start the match 17 minutes into the hour. Omega immediately fought back and took early control. Knight took over at ringside and then choked Omega over the middle rope. Fans chanted, “Let’s Go, Kenny!”
Excalibur said Omega is “only the second Canadian AEW World Champion.” (That’s 20 percent so far; what percentage would it need to be for Excalibur to not say “only”?) Knight settled into a chinlock at 9:00. Omega made a comeback and landed a V-Trigger and a Snap Dragon suplex at 12:00. He then gave Knight a Snap Dragon suplex onto the ring apron. Omega then punched away at Knight on the ringside table. He set up a Snap Dragon on the table. Knight resisted, but Omega landed it anyway.
Back in the ring Omega continued on the attack. He shh’d the crowd, the landed a kneestrike. Knight contorted on the mat. Knight fought back and they went into exchanging strikes mid-ring. Omega called on Knight, “More! More!” Knight obliged. Omega and Knight then got into boxing stances and threw jabs and bodyblows. Omega leaped at Knight at ringside. Excalibur drew attention to the awkwardness of the impact, wondering what Omega was going for. Taz said it was just a move to see what might happen.
Omega springboarded Knight with a released powerbomb. Then he landed a V-Trigger for a two count. Omega pointed at his head and had the ref check on him. Excalibur said Omega recently needed staples to close a wound. Omega set up Knight for a top rope Snap Dragon. Knight elbowed Omega, who then fell and hung backwards. Knight then quickly climbed to the top rope on another corner and landed a Coast to Coast at 23:00. Knight dropped to ringside and limped as he grabbed the AEW World Title belt and the TNT Title belt. The ref caught him with the AEW belt and ordered him to relinquish it. He threw it. The ref went for that belt, so Knight tried to get the TNT belt. Omega blocked the belt shot, but Knight slammed Omega onto the belt leading to a very near fall.
Knight quicky leaped off the top rope with a UFO Splash, but Omega lifted his knees. Omega lifted Knight for a One-Winged Angel. Knight flipped out of it, but Omega then landed a One-Winged Angel for the clean win.
WINNER: Omega in 25:00 to retain the AEW Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: This was good and would have been even better two hours ago with a red-hot crowd and an audience at home that hadn’t watched 9 prior matches on the PPV that averaged around 20 minutes each already. There were some definite stretches of the match that felt like they were just filling time or stretching things to get the match past 20 minutes. Knight was solid here in his highest profile match ever. He played the heel character well. It was essential that Omega won clean, and in fact overcame Knight’s cheating with a belt to ultimately retain his title.)
-Afterward, Claudio, Garcia, Pac, and Yuta attacked Omega as Mox watched at ringside. Claudio put a chair around Omega’s head. Ospreay ran out and blocked him and asked what they were doing. Ospreay looked around for Moxley. Yuta told Ospreay to look at him and he tried to distract him as Claudio went for the stomp. Ospreay noticed and blocked him, and then he cleared the ring of the Death Riders with a chair.
Mox entered the ring and tried to talk to Ospreay. Mox gently reached over and Ospreay let him take the chair from him. They went forehead to forehead. Mox pulled out a plastic bag and tried to talk Ospreay into using it. “Will, walk away from this thing,” said Schiavone. Fans chanted, “No! No!” Ospreay trended like he was thinking about using it and he approached Ospreay from behind, but then he tore up the bag. Ospreay then turned and punched Mox. Shafir and the other Death Riders charged at him, but he threw them all out of the ring. Mox threw a fit at ringside as fans sang Ospreay’s name.
After the Death Riders left, Ospreay picked up the AEW Title belt and offered it to Omega. Omega noticed the plastic bag and looked perplexed at what it was doing there. Omega then took the belt, although Ospreay resisted briefly. Omega offered a handshake. Ospreay shook his hand. Fans cheered. Ospreay stood on the second rope and saluted the fans as his music played. Omega came up behind Ospreay as he was saluting the fans on the second rope and gave him a One-Winged Angel. He pointed at the plastic bag angrily. The Young Bucks ran out and tried to calm Omega down. Excalibur said he thought Omega wanted to do it the right way. Taz said Omega was pissed off that Ospreay even thought about putting the bag over his head.
(Keller’s Analysis: No angle with a plastic bag as a good angle. This is made worse by Omega seeing a torn up plastic bag and drawing the conclusion that Ospreay actually considered using it to suffocate him at the behest of Mox. What evidence did Omega have that would cause him to assume that? For all Omega knew, Ospreay yanked the bag out of Mox’s hands and said, “F— no, you’re not using that nor am I” and instantly tore it up. Omega’s reaction was to what actually happened – that Ospreay did consider using it (which is stupid in and of itself, of course, because that’s not what Ospreay signed up for at all, but that’s an entirely different point). Omega didn’t know what actually happened, though, so this is a plothole that I can’t get past. I don’t find it reasonable to think Omega drew that conclusion with merely a torn up plastic bag in front of him. There are numerous more likely scenarios he would have more likely imagined was the case. Omega gave Ospreay a One-Winged Angel, then pointed at the plastic bag, so the storybeat here is that Omega assumed the worst without any reason to assume that and took it out on Omega as a result.
What could have saved this is if The Young Bucks ran out before Omega gave the One-Winged Angel to Ospreay. If the Bucks ran out after Omega shook Ospreay’s hand, but as Omega was first noticing the plastic bag, they could have told him that Ospreay in fact did consider using it, but chose not to. Then Omega would have had the knowledge to be upset with Ospreay for considering it at all, but his anger perhaps mitigated by appreciating that ultimately he deciding not to suffocate him to death.
The way it played out just doesn’t meet the standards that every angle should meet, which is the players acting rationally based on the information they have and the larger context of who is involved. Ospreay signed up to train with the Death Riders because he was talked into believing he needed an extra edge to get to the top after his health scare and to learn a new way to fight that is less inherently dangerous than his flashy high-risk flying moves. That’s the sole reason viewers should be even slightly okay with Osprey associating with wrestlers who have done and continue to do the types of thuggish things the Death Riders do. He also is with the Death Riders because Moxley is cunning, persuasive, and manipulative, and Ospreay is portrayed as a somewhat naive simpleton who is a wrestling savant, so he’s being “played” as part of a larger presumably selfish plot by Moxley yet to be revealed. So there’s no reason for Omega to believe Ospreay is evil or that he’d consider trying to suffocate him before their title match at All In since nothing Ospreay has done – including hesitating to seize a chance to stomp on Nick Jackson when he was concussed earlier – would lead Omega to think Ospreay has suddenly become a monster who would consider murdering him before his title match next month. Omega is portrayed as a rationale, reasonably intelligent person who can read and assess a situation logically. He did not do that here. So therefore, this angle was severely flawed conceptually regardless of the quality of the execution, which also wasn’t stellar.)
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