SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
INTRO
All In is officially in the rear view. There’s a new AEW World Champion and it feels like AEW as a company has turned a corner. They’re in a really strong position creatively and what happens next is an important first step in setting up the paths going forward for the likes of Hangman, Toni Storm, Kazuchika Okada, and the Hurt Syndicate. In the words of the legendary Nina Simone, “It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life, and I’m feeling good.”
AEW Avengers Assemble
Latest Developments
AEW’s Avengers came together as “Hangman” Adam Page finally defeated Jon Moxley for the AEW Men’s World title in bloody, violent main event of All In.
Analysis
The Texas Death match between “Hangman” Adam Page and Jon Moxley was as violent as one would expect. It started with Hangman opening up Mox the hardest way, by repeatedly stabbing him in the head with a fork. It only got more violent from there. Strands of barbed wire to the face, smashed glass bottles across the back, a powerbomb onto the backs of two steel chairs. These guys tried damn near everything. At one point Hangman set up for a Buckshot lariat and Marina Shafir jumped on his back to intervene only to eat a brutal death valley driver from the apron to the floor through a table.
Not long after Wheeler Yuta hit the ring, followed in short order by Claudio Castagnoli. This is where the AEW Avengers began to assemble. Will Ospreay ran out to try and deal with the Death Riders only to be taken out with a Gabe Kidd piledriver and Claudio wrapping a steel chair over his head and stomping it. Of note, Claudio did the same thing to Samoa Joe at the beginning of the night. Mox called for the plastic bag from Claudio and that’s when a video played of Darby Allin cutting a promo from atop Mt. Everest. Darby promised to come down from the mountain and take everything from him.
While Mox and the Mechanics were expecting Darby they were surprised by the return of Bryan Danielson wearing a Blue Panther mask no less. Danielson obliterated Yuta with a Busiku Knee and then opened up on the other Death Riders. That’s when Darby repelled down from roof, Sting style. Mox looked like he’d seen a ghost. Darby scaled the turnbuckle and hit a Coffin Drop on the other Death Riders and then alongside Danielson fought them away from ringside. A short time later the Bucks (more on them momentarily) intervened, hitting Hangman with a Superkick Party and the move FKA the EVP Trigger.
Hangman survived. Mox then survived a Dead Eye through a table only because Marina rose from the wreckage of the DVD and pulled him to his feet. A bed of nails was introduced. After Hangman beat the ten count, Mox called for the briefcase. Marina handed him the key but as she reached for the briefcase she suddenly found herself handcuffed by Prince Nana who popped up and taunted her.
That’s when Swerve emerged from the back, the chain Hangman left with him after their conversation on Collision wrapped around his fist. He wiped out the Bucks, shared a look with Hangman and passed him the chain. Mox fought out of an Hangman attempting to hang him only to eat a Buckshot onto the bed of nails. Hangman then lived up to his name, tossing Mox over the ropes and Hanging him witu a chain. Mox immediately panicked and tried to fight but realizing that his only two choices were submit or die, chose to tap out leading to a euphoric explosion from the crowd.
The Death Riders story hasn’t been great but it found its strongest point when it crossed paths with the redemption of arc of AEW’s favorite son. All that had to he done on Saturday afternoon was safely landing the plane and that’s what happened. The storytelling in the match was immaculate. The AEW Avengers assembling to thwart the Death Riders was almost perfect. My one quibble is that Ospreay came out too early. The returns of Danielson and Darby were great.
Yuta immediately got comeuppance from the man he betrayed and Mox sold the hell out of seeing Darby back. The Bucks interference made sense. Swerve was the capstone though. Two men who did such horrific things to each other finally accepting that they both went too far and the only way forward is letting the past go was exceptional story work. Swerve conveyed that decision with his glance at at Hangman before he passed him the chain and his smile after Hangman won. The moment that Hangman freed the title from the confines of the Steve McMichael Memorial Halliburton briefcase was a cathartic payoff to the title being hidden away for 9 months.
Earlier in the night Ospreay and Swerve defeated the Bucks in an exhilarating match, thus stripping Matt and Nick of their EVP power. The Hidden House Call finish looked like something from Mortal Kombat that would’ve brought up the “fatality” screen.
So now what? Hangman has a new number one contender in the form of old rival MJF who won the Men’s Casino Gauntlet. How that title shot works should be clarified tonight. That said MJF is still feuding with Mistico and that match probably happens at Forbidden Door. If that’s the case Hangman still needs something to do in London. At this point the Death Riders are desperate having lost the one thing that gave them power and the Bucks have nothing to lose now that they are EVPs in name only. It feels like there’s one last chapter to write. There’s only one match appropriate for a big blow off like this: Blood & Guts. It wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the direction things go, culminating in that double ring war at Forbidden Door.
Grade: A+
Big Fight Feel
Latest Developments
Kazuchika Okada defeated Kenny Omega to become the inaugural Unified Champion and tie their series 2-2-1.
Analysis
Okada and Omega had four of the greatest wrestling matches of all time. The bar was high. Even before the bell rang, the crowd was hyped, fully grasping the historic nature of what we were about to witness. What followed was an excellent wrestling match. Much like Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway or Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt, Omega and Okada are perfect duet partners. Whenever they get in a ring they make beautiful music together.
The difference between their previous matches and this one wasn’t seven years, it was stylistic. Like a wise musician who knows they have to change the key in which they sing because their voice has aged, Okada and Omega understood that they couldn’t recreate the exact type of balls to the watch match they had before so instead, Okada focused on Kenny’s vulnerable midsection and Kenny sold dutifully. The match was still great with a snap dragon suplex off the rope and Kenny readjusting Okada into Croyt’s Wrath without missing a beat and then have the wherewithal not to land the bridge on the suplex so as to sell his injury. These two operate on a different level in ring and it shows.
The expected interference from the Don Callis Family was limited to Rocky Romero who was quickly disposed of by Kota Ibushi. Callis himself pulled the ref out when it looked like Kenny had the match one after a One Winged Angel. My biggest issue with this was the fact that Callis was at least immediately ejected by the new ref. Eventually Okada was able to put Omega down after a fourth Rainmaker.
Okada needed this win to reestablish him after a terribly weak first year. Now it’s about using him more regularly. It helps that he has a title that doesn’t feel like it’s off to the side anymore. It’s the main secondary title. Tony Khan clarified that because Okada won, his title defenses will be fought under Continental rules. As for Omega, he and Ibushi can work as the Golden Lovers in the tag division, immediately giving it a boost.
Obviously given the finish of this match and the fact that the series is tied there’s an opening for one final match. Yes this was supposed to be the last one but Cher had her Farewell Tour in 2002 and she’s still touring so the end can be relative. It’s possible Okada and Omega meet again in the finals of the Continental Classic. There’s also the tension between Okada and Takeshita, who is off to compete in the G1. Clearly there’s an eventual match to be had there. It’s just a matter of what comes first.
Grade: A
A Timeless Classic
Latest Developments
“Timeless” Toni Storm outlasted Mercedes Moné in something of a surprise finish to an instant classic.
Analysis
While the build was uneven, once the bell rang Mercedes and Toni produced magic. The match had everything from mat wrestling and fluid submission reversals to hard hitting strikes. These two women left everything in the ring. Mercedes kicked out of a Storm Zero. Toni, in turn kicked out of a MonéMaker. Storm pulled out a Tiger Driver (the OG Storm Zero) but that wasn’t enough. When she hit a trifecta of Storm Zeroes in succession it seemed like it was over. The crowd certainly thought so but no. Mercedes survived again. In the end Toni gave Mercedes the kiss of death and delivered a wild top rope Storm Zero to secure the victory. Toni won but she practically had to kill Mercedes to do it.
Toni’s win was bit of surprise especially considering that Athena won the women’s Casino Gauntlet. It felt like there was unfinished business between the Fallen Goddess and the CEO. Instead it looks like we’re headed for a huge showdown between the mega over greatest women’s champion in AEW’s short history and the women who’s held the ROH women’s title for damn near 1000 days. That’s a big match. Meanwhile Mercedes still has her six titles including the TBS championship that she can defend until she gets another title shot.
Grade: A
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Rated R Return and Burberry Victories
Latest Developments
MJF won the Men’s Casino Gauntlet; The Hurt Syndicate retained the AEW tag titles in a match that served more as a backdrop for the return of Adam Copeland than anything else.
Analysis
The Men’s Casino Gauntlet was an oddly constructed match. Too often wrestlers were just out on the floor for long stretches of time. Ultimately MJF, Mark Briscoe, and Mistico were really the centerpieces of the match. MJF stole the win, tossing Mark Briscoe out after he hit a Jay Driller on Roddy Strong, and getting the pin himself. It was really the only logical outcome to this match. It definitely feels like singles matches between MJF and Briscoe and MJF and Mistico are on the table in the near future.
The tag team title match was about ten minutes too long especially considering the match essentially existed to set up the post-match. The action was fine but irrelevant. At least JetSpeed weren’t involved in the outcome and thus have a reasonable claim to a straight up rematch. The finish came when Lashley got into with FTR who were on commentary. When Dax jumped onto the apron, Christian was tossed into him and then speared by Lashley for the win.
The real story began once the second bell rang. The Hurt Syndicate exited the ring. FTR got in Christian’s face. Nick Wayne got in between them. Christian nodded for Nick to follow him and started to leave the ring when Nick grabbed him and laid him out with a Killswitch. Nick then held him up so that Mother Wayne could slap him in the face. FTR stood by watching gleefully as Nick and Kip Sabian set Christian up for a conchairto.
As Nick raised the chair, Adam Copeland’s music hit to thunderous pop. Copeland, Spike in hand, stopped to vamp for the crowd and pose for pyro, despite the fact that he was ostensibly saving his longtime best friend from having his brains bashed in. Not a good look Adam. Once he got to the ring he clotheslined Kip, hit a double spear on FTR, and then speared Kip Sabian into some time next week. He helped Christian to his feet, grabbed a mic, and told him to “go find yourself”, leaving Christian in the ring with Spike.
A heel getting jumped out his group is never my favorite way to effectuate a face turn so I’m glad they didn’t go all the way on Saturday. Copeland didn’t want to see a man he’s been best friends with since childhood have his head crushed but there was no instant forgiveness. Copeland telling Christian to “go find himself” as a callback to Christian telling Copeland to “go f himself” was a nice touch. Now it’s all about the follow-up. We need to see Christian’s journey of self-discovery. We need to see him realize what a horrible person he’s been for over two years. I don’t want him doing that off screen only to return with Spike to save Copeland but that’s my fear of what will happen.
As for the Hurt Syndicate, I’m not sure what’s next for them. JetSpeed is possible. FTR seems like a bad idea considering both teams are heels. Whatever the case, they need a strong challenge.
Grade: B
Random Questions
•Does anyone have worse luck than Adam Cole? His AEW run has been plagued with injuries. He’s now once again dealing with a concussion sustained from a clothesline from Kyle Fletcher during a trios match on Collision. Given his history of concussion issues, this quite serious and very well could be end of his career. One of the good dudes in wrestling, Cole has had a stellar career. It’s just a shame that his body continues to fail him. It may be best for his long-term health to hang them up as sad as it is to say. All the best to him, bay-bay.
•How good is the AEW Women’s Division? They blew Men’s Casino Gauntlet out of the water. Megan Bayne continues to look great. Thekla and Aminata continue to hit each other like there’s a monetary debt involved. Alex Windsor made a great first impression. Syrui comes highly touted so I’m interested to see her work a singles match especially since I’ve become a big fan of the hard-hitting joshi style. I absolutely think this division could support tag titles, as long as they’re booked properly.
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