SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
INTRO
It’s two days before Halloween which means it’s Fright Night Dynamite from my home state of Texas. Thankfully there are Trick or Street fights on the docket. Instead the Women’s Tag Team Title tournament kicks off, and two number one contenders will be determined. So, let’s settle in for a spook-tacular show.
Crisis of Confidence
Latest Developments
Jon Moxley seemed to be less sure of himself during a match with Kyle O’Reilly to the point where he punched the referee rather than submit to an ankle lock.
Analysis
To the surprise of many, Jon Moxley returned to the ring just days after his I Quit match to square off with the Conglomeration’s Kyle O’Reilly. This match was far more interesting in execution than it appeared on paper. KOR had Mox reeling for a lot of the match with the various submissions he applied. He survived a Death Rider and locked in an ankle lock right in the middle of the ring. Rather than submit again, a desperate Mox chose to clock referee Paul Turner in the face and take the DQ.
Mox’s desperation was the story of this match. He wrestled this match like a wounded, scared animal. Commentary did an excellent job pointing this out. Bryan Danielson was particularly effective in making this point clear, playing off his history with Mox to point out he differently he was approaching this match. Punching the ref to avoid giving up was the ultimate act of desperation.
Ultimately I think Mox’s crisis of confidence has to lead to him being deposed as leader of the Death Riders. Marina Shafir was looking disappointed at ringside watching Mox struggle with KOR. It would be poetic for Mox’s chief lieutenant to be the one to lead the overthrow.
A Mox overthrow would accomplish two things. It would keep the Death Riders interesting and it would justify Darby’s continued involvement. Earlier in the night, Darby cut a short promo vowing continue fighting the Death Riders. He and Mox do share a weird connection so if Mox is deposed, Darby can be the one to rehabilitate him and the two of them can team up to kill Mox’s creation.
Grade: B+
A Rough Start
Latest Developments
Between Stat’s better but still clunky promo and messy “celebration” segment involving the Mercedes puppet and a cake, the Statlander-Mercedes feud got off to a rocky start.
Analysis
Kris Statlander cut a backstage promo officially accepting Mercedes Moné’s challenge for a Women’s World title match. While her performance did not feel like as much of a put on as the previous week, it was still not quite natural. Stat still feels like she’s trying different promo styles out instead of trying to he more natural. If she just relaxed and stopped trying so hard I bet she’d cut a much better promo.
Following the promo, Mercedes was scheduled to have a celebration to commemorate winning her 11th and 12th championships and breaking Ultimo Dragon’s record. When Renee Paquette called her to the ring, the Mercedes puppet popped up instead. While Harley Cameron is talented and I enjoy her ventriloquism, this was not the place for it. What’s worse is that Mercedes came out and interacted with the puppet and Harley interchangeably. Mercedes wound up slamming the puppet down in a cake that had been brought out for the occasion. That’s when Stat popped up from the under the table, lifted Mercedes in an electric chair position and slammed her face first into the cake before powerbombing her through the cake and the table.
This segment was a mess. Harley and the puppet were out of place. Mercedes looked silly interacting directly with the puppet on top of not being a great promo in general. The only part of this that worked was Stat slamming her into the cake and powerbombing her. Not the optimal way to reignite this rivalry that produced two great matches last year.
Grade: C+
I Will Ruin Your Life
Latest Developments
Samoa cut an extremely basic heel promo; Hangman came back with a significantly stronger retort.
Analysis
After successfully defending his trios titles along with Hobbs and Shibata, Samoa Joe got on the mic and attempted to explain why he turned on Hangman. Unfortunately, he didn’t actually say much. It was a very general heel promo, aided by Joe’s believably menacing delivery. The worst part was Joe feeling compelled, for some reason, to go the well of insulting the fans and local sports teams. It’s cheap heat nonsense and frankly, beneath Joe.
Thankfully Hangman’s response was significantly better. He opened Collision railing at Joe and the Opps for betraying him. He said Joe’s actions weren’t based on anger but embarrassment. He vowed to not just get even with Joe, but to ruin his life. Coming from a guy who burned down and man’s house and ended the career of one of his best friends and mentors, it’s a serious threat. Hangman having something to sink his teeth into is a good thing. I just need Joe to hold up his end better especially since he’s going to struggle to get booed anyway.
Grade: B
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Tension in the Family
Latest Developments
Okada and Takeshita engaged in a tense stare down after Okada successfully defended his Unified title against Bandido in a fantastic main event.
Analysis
Okada and Bandido had a thriller in the Dynamite main event. For a second I thought Bandido might pull off the surprise upset. Okada selling out for the 21 Plex in order to reverse it into the Rainmaker was a great finish. The big story was what happened after the match. The DCF and Callis himself joined Okada in the ring to celebrate. Takeshita’s music hit and the Alpha walked out onto the stage and just stared Okada, the tension thick in the air. Callis ran up to try and calm Takeshita down.
The clash between the Japanese legend and the Japanese phenom has been building for over a year. Since Okada’s official inclusion into the DCF, things have been awkward to say the least. Callis has been unwilling to admit the obvious which is why he’s called a Callis Family summit for tonight. Somehow I don’t see things ending with an amicable handshake between Okada and Takeshita.
Grade: A-
Random Questions
– How about that bracket? The bracket for the Women’s Tag Team title tournament was officially revealed last week. The only real head scratcher was Riho being teamed up with Alex Windsor. Athena making her return to AEW TV for the first time since Forbidden Door to forge a team with Mercedes Moné was a welcome surprise. The way I see it there are four potential winning teams The Timeless Love Bombs, The Babes of Wrath, Divine Vanity, or Mercedes and Athena. That means the field is wide open which is unusual for a Tony Khan tournament. It makes things more interesting.
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