SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
INTRO
AEW’s sixth anniversary has been celebrated and now they’ve returned home for a couple shows from Daily’s Place. Daily’s Place is cool venue so it’s always nice when they visit. AEW is currently cruising towards WrestleDream. For a relatively quick turnaround from their All Out PPV, I think they’ve done a good job building up some good matches for the card. The upcoming Collision Homecoming show feels more important than a usual Collision, especially with a Kota Ibushi match on the card.
The Death Riders Saga
Latest Developments
Darby Allin and Jon Moxley are set to settle (hopefully) their issues in an I Quit match at WrestleDream.
Analysis
Just when I thought the Death Riders was about to wrap up, Daniel Garcia joined the group, Pac returned, and Mox defeated Darby in their Coffin match. Darby refused to accept defeat and confronted Mox and the Death Riders with his trusty flamethrower in hand. He challenged Mox to an I Quit match. As is often the case in AEW, the match was made official before Mox could actually accept. That bothered me as it always does, but oh well.
After Darby & Kris Statlander defeated Wheeler Yuta & Marina Shafir, Pac blindsided Darby and wrapped and belt around his neck. He held him by the belt while Mox cut a promo telling them that he had no chance to do what was necessary to make Mox quit but that Mox would find a way to make Darby quit.
Even though the addition of Garcia and return have bolstered the Death Riders, it still feels like they need a big change to give them a renewed energy. Maybe that change happens after Darby finally gets his win over Mox. Months ago we saw that Mox and Pac have differing philosophies. Perhaps a Mox loss will be that catalyst for new leadership in the Death Riders.
Grade: B
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Girls Just Wanna Have Blood & Guts
Latest Developments
After months of intra-division warfare and weeks of anticipation, Jamie Hayter finally made the challenge for Blood & Guts
Analysis
Following a win over Julia Hart in the main event of last week’s Collision, Hayter was jumped by Skye Blue and Thekla and then triple teamed by the entire Triangle of Madness until Queen Aminata made the save. That’s when Jamie said those magic words Blood & Guts.
People – including yours truly in this very column – have been reading the tea leaves in this battle between the Triangle of Madness & Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford and the various collections of babyfaces that have assembled to fight them. It seemed like things were building towards the first-ever women’s Blood & Guts match in a more organic fashion than the men’s are typically built.
If we’re being honest, the feud was overripe for a blowoff so it’s a relief that Jamie made the challenge and the match has been announced for the Nov. 12 Dynamite from Greensboro. Putting it in Greensboro, the heart of the old Crockett Promotions/WCW territory where the concept was invented, is a smart move.
With a firm date on the calendar, there’s an endpoint that can be built towards. As far as the participants, the heel side seems pretty set with the five women previously mentioned. Given the attack by Triangle of Madness on them, I expect Kris Statlander and Toni Storm to join the faces once their business is concluded at WrestleDream. Willow Nightingale is the most likely fifth partner, especially since she’s still mixing it up with Bayne. Now it’s just a matter of building this up and making it feel like a huge deal.
Grade: B+
Lost in the Storm
Latest Developments
A despondent Toni Storm challenged Kris Statlander to a rematch for the AEW Women’s World Title which Statlander accepted.
Analysis
After quickly dispatching of Tay Melo on last week’s Dynamite, Toni grabbed a mic and cut a very despondent promo talking about how she felt lost without her title and that she wanted to see if Stat has what it takes to beat her one-on-one. For the first time maybe ever, Toni couldn’t even bring herself to finish her catchphrase.
Statlander, reintroducing aspects of her old alien persona like calling herself a Cosmic Killer and the Galaxy’s Greatest, accepted Toni’s challenge. After Statlander and Darby had won the main event, Toni came out. Stat met her on the ramp. The two shook hands and started exchanging blows, fighting up the ramp and to the back.
On Collision they had a face-to-face promo segment that turned into both women lying on the back on the canvas, ear to ear, talking to each other. It was a unique promo and a unique visual to be sure.
This rematch makes a lot of sense. Statlander may have pinned Toni, but it was in a four-way. To really legitimize her reign, she needs to beat the former longtime champion one-on-one. At the same time, Stat continues to search for an identity. Her bringing back parts of her alien persona is a choice. I don’t hate it as long as she doesn’t actually attempt to pass herself off as an extraterrestrial. At least it gives her something to work with.
Grade: B+
The Family Continues to Grow
Latest Developments
The ranks of the Don Callis Family expanded by two with the surprise return of Andrade El Idolo and the debut of El Clon. The tension between Okada and Takeshita continued to grow.
Analysis
Last week, Kenny Omega returned from being taken out by the DCF (specifically Kyle Fletcher) last month. Alongside Brodido, he defeated The Young Bucks & Josh Alexander. After the match was over and Jurassic Express had cleared out the Bucks, Omega was left alone in the ring. He thanked the crowd for supporting AEW over the last six years, through the good and the bad.
Just as Omega finished his signature closing line, the lights went out. When they popped back on, a figure behind Omega removed a mask and revealed himself to be Andrade. Andrade attacked Omega and laid him out with his twisting double-underhook neckbreaker he calls The Message. He then shook Callis’s hand, cementing himself as the newest member of the Family.
In the very next match, Kyle Fletcher successfully defended the TNT Title against Orange Cassidy. The finish came when someone came out dressed up as Hologram and shoved OC off the top rope which allowed Fletcher to hit his brainbuster. Immediately afterwards, the person removed the Hologram mask and ring jacket to reveal himself as El Clon.
Andrade returning was a legitimate surprise. He left AEW previously after being disgruntled with his place on the card to return to what he thought were greener pastures in WWE. Turns out those pastures weren’t quite as green as he hoped and then he was released a few weeks ago for disciplinary reasons, according to multiple reports.
Tony Khan bringing him back certainly shows that he holds no grudges, but whether or not it’s a smart choice remains to be seen. Andrade joining the Don Callis Family is certainly a choice. He’s immediately set up for a match with Kenny Omega, which is extremely high profile. Having Callis speak for him is also beneficial. With Takeshita on the cusp of a face turn there will also be a chance for Andrade to advance to that front three.
The addition of El Clon on the other hand felt a little more superfluous. The commentators needlessly pretending that they didn’t know he was Hologram (when Hologram had been announced as out with an injury for the rest of the year) wasn’t a good start. I will say that putting him with Callis creates a built-in explanation for the whole hacking nonsense, but he definitely feels like just another guy in the middle of the Family.
Elsewhere, the tension between Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita continued to simmer right into this week when they teamed up to face Brodido in a Double Jeopardy Eliminator match. The match was very good. Throughout the entire thing, Okada and Takeshita attempted to one-up each other, concluding with Okada tagging himself in to hit the Rainmaker and pin Bandido. Despite the win, Takeshita was visibly irritated. Things are clearly going implode between these two sooner rather than later.
Grade: B+
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Joe’s Gonna Kill You
Latest Developments
After a strange kerfuffle in-ring last week, “Hangman” Page made the offer to defend his title against Samoa Joe at WrestleDream
Analysis
Standing in for Shibata, Hangman teamed with Joe & Powerhouse Hobbs to defeat The Death Riders. When Hangman attempted to hand Joe his Trios Title belt, the belt unintentionally fell to the canvas. That set Joe off. He started yelling at Hangman to the point where security had to separate the men.
This entire thing was confusing. The act that angered Joe came off as very trivial even for the notorious hothead. Ultimately, it felt like an unnecessary extra step when the easiest thing to do would’ve been just have Hangman offer Joe a title match out of respect and gratitude.
At least Hangman addressed the confusion head on in his face-to-face promo with Joe last night. Both men are such masters on the mic that they were able to overcome the way the match was initially set and up and really sell this match as another step in Hangman proving his worthiness as champion.
Grade: B
Random Questions
– Are Mercedes Moné and Harley Cameron destined to be the inaugural AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions? Mercedes and Harley have an unlikely chemistry together. Harley is extremely talented, but she can be a lot. Mercedes’ personality can be grating by itself. When they’re together, Harley gives Mercedes personality and Mercedes tones Harley down and gives her something to focus her energy on. I think they should have at least a deep run as an unlikely tag team.
– Is this Acclaimed reunion working for anyone? It’s certainly not lighting the world on fire for me. Jerry Lynn remains preferable to Billy Gunn, but I can’t bring myself to care about this reunion when it’s only happening because both guys flopped as singles acts. Sure, the moment they finally scissor again will get a pop, but then what?
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