SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
To help add context, my “Hits” are ordered from best to worst. With that said, let’s move into the high points of this week’s episode.
HITS
HIT — DEATH RIDERS BACKSTAGE PROMO
Outside of Gabe Kidd wanting to commit murder, I thought this backstage promo from the Death Riders was excellent. Every word spoken felt authentic, particularly from Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir. Neither came across as someone simply reciting lines or trying to deliver a great wrestling promo. Instead, it felt like two people speaking from the heart, and that authenticity made the segment even more compelling. It’s the type of promo that doesn’t need elaborate production or over-the-top delivery to get its point across. Sometimes the most effective thing you can do is put a camera in front of someone and let them talk.
HIT — NICK WAYNE’S TWITCH STREAM SEGMENT
Nick Wayne is quickly becoming one of AEW’s most entertaining characters. His ability to use a live Twitch stream segment to remind the world that he’s beaten Chris Jericho twice is another example of how much he’s grown as a performer. Wayne’s presentation has a confidence to it now that makes him entertaining to watch, whether he’s wrestling or simply talking. More importantly, AEW is giving him opportunities to capitalize on those victories rather than moving on to something else. If the company continues building on this momentum, Wayne has a real opportunity to move further up the card.
HIT — ILJA DRAGUNOV vs. THE BEAST MORTOS
The Beast Mortos was a great base for Ilja Dragunov, allowing him to showcase his physical style of wrestling. Some might question why AEW would already start normalizing Dragunov by having him wrestle on back-to-back weeks. But considering he went 187 days between his final WWE match and his AEW debut, maybe the guy just wants to get out there and work. He wants to show everyone he’s ready to compete in AEW. So far, so good. What I appreciate about Dragunov is how he combines physicality with storytelling. He can dish out punishment, but he’s just as good at absorbing offense and making you believe he’s in a fight. That’s something I think will fit right in with AEW’s roster.
HIT — AEW STAYING THE COURSE
With WWE moving NXT to Wednesday and loading the show with John Cena, Cody Rhodes, and CM Punk, AEW faces significant competition for this week’s Blood and Guts edition of Dynamite. However, I appreciate AEW continuing to focus on the matches and storylines it has already established rather than feeling the need to turn this into an arms race. There’s nothing wrong with WWE wanting to put on the strongest show possible, just as there’s nothing wrong with AEW doing the same. For me, the bigger takeaway is that AEW has a major television event built around its own roster and ongoing rivalries. Let the matches and performers speak for themselves. Not everything needs to become another chapter in the wrestling ratings war.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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MISSES
MISS — QUESTIONABLE USE OF TV TIME
Mike Bailey and Konosuke Takeshita are two tremendous wrestlers, but I question whether their singles matches, which combined lasted roughly 17 minutes, were the best use of television time. Could some of that time have gone toward building feuds outside of Blood and Guts? What about adding some depth to the tag team division or giving the TNT and TBS Championship pictures more direction? I’m all for giving someone an opportunity on the microphone or in a backstage segment, especially if it helps establish a new feud. I love good wrestling as much as anyone, but sometimes I’d rather see AEW use that time to give me a reason to care about what’s coming next.
MISS — WHAT’S NEXT FOR ORANGE CASSIDY?
I’m finding myself increasingly bored with The Conglomeration, and more importantly, I feel like the group is holding Orange Cassidy back. Cassidy has proven time and again that he can be one of AEW’s most entertaining and compelling performers, but right now I’m not sure what his direction is. The Conglomeration has had its moments, but at some point, you have to ask whether keeping everyone together is doing more harm than good. I’d much rather see Cassidy branch out into a meaningful singles program that gives him something to sink his teeth into. He’s far too talented to feel like just another member of a group that’s starting to run its course.
FINAL SCORE
- HITS: 4
- MISSES: 2
FINAL THOUGHTS
Coming off what I thought was one of Collision’s more complete episodes last week, this week’s show felt like a step backward, especially since this was the go-home show for Blood and Guts. That’s not to say there wasn’t plenty to enjoy. Ilja Dragunov continues to impress, Nick Wayne is becoming one of the company’s most entertaining characters, and the Death Riders delivered another strong backstage promo. I also enjoyed the Divine Dominion squash match and Thekla’s backstage promo. While I’ve been critical of the women’s Blood and Guts build, I think the heels should win the match. There’s more potential in seeing where that group goes next with a major victory under its belt.
THIS WEEK IN WRESTLING HISTORY
On this day in 1979: In Nagoya, Japan, Giant Baba defeated Harley Race to capture the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. Baba’s reign lasted just seven days before Race regained the title on November 7 in Amagasaki, Japan.
