SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
INTRO
Another PPV is upon us as WresteDream takes places tonight live from Orlando, Fla.
Look, the build to this PPV has been rushed and barely surface-level, but it’s hard for me to be too critical. AEW lost a week due to the sudden death of Pac and it’s likely some things had to be changed as well.
They did themselves no favors scheduling this event so soon after All Out while also scheduling Grand Slam France right in the middle.
Still, Tony Khan managed to get an entire card announced by the end of Dynamite, though. Building the show around a brand new concept match was a smart decision given the short turnaround. While the quality of the show isn’t much in doubt, I think this should be a lesson on better managing the calendar moving forward.
Like Clockwork
Latest
“Speedball” Mike Bailey, Adam Copeland, Kazuchika Okada, Samoa Joe, Ricochet, Konosuke Takeshita, and Darby Allin all qualified to challenge Will Ospreay for the AEW World Heavyweight Title in Clockwork Carnage.
Analysis
As I said in the intro, I like the match concept and the full field of competitors is pretty strong. While I appreciate that Okada, Takeshita et al had to qualify, the qualifying matches themselves were extremely predictable. Maybe the most interesting thing to happen in any of the qualifiers was Takeshita tapping Brian Cage out with a Dragon Sleeper. Adding that move to his repertoire is a nice touch.
For me though, this match is less about the outcome, which is a foregone conclusion, and more about how we get there. What does Clockwork Carnage look like and is it a viable gimmick that AEW can return to or will be remembered in the same vein as WWE’s infamous Championship Scramble concept. I tend to think the former is the more likely outcome.
The rules are clear and the having to score points in a certain amount of time gives it a very sports-like feel. Ospreay is almost certainly winning, but I do wonder if this match helps set up Ospreay’s next one-on-one feud with maybe Ricochet or even Adam Copeland who announced that he is winding down his career.
Grade: B-
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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What Are We Doing with Thekla
Latest Developments
Thekla got the win in a trios match alongside the Sisters of Sin ahead of her title match with Mercedes Moné.
Analysis
The Triangle of Madness teamed up to fight Mercedes Moné and Divine Dominion. The match was fine and Thekla picked up the win on Lena Kross. Her match against Mercedes on Saturday will be very good and Mercedes is winning. That’s all well and good.
My concern is what happens to Thekla afterwards.
She’s gotten over as a babyface because her unique energy and irreverent promo style yet she’s still teaming with Julia Hart and Skye Blue. At this point, she’s outgrown them yet they’re tethered together because they are the Artist of Stardom champions. This needs to be rectified soon because I think Thekla could a future as a strong face if she just shed the dead weight.
Grade: B-
Level, Off
Latest Developments
The New Level, with a largely unknown comedian, cut a disappointing go-home promo for their two-out-of-three falls match against The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
Analysis
Swerve Strickland was out dealing with family matter according to Prince Nana. In his place, he sent a friend of his, Mojo Brookz. This happened backstage and that’s where things immediately went off the rails.
According to Google, Brookz is a “nationally acclaimed stand-up comedian.” The problem is, I’ve never heard of him. The minute he got on TV backstage, it was clear he had no business being there. He was way too performative and silly.
I don’t know if he wasn’t taking it seriously or he honestly thought he was matching the tone of the moment, but it was bad. It didn’t get any better when they got in the ring. Brookz’s presence dragged the whole thing down and made what should’ve been a serious and focused a total eye roll.
The New Level would’ve done better cutting the promo by themselves. They wouldn’t have had to play of Brookz and his goofiness. The feud is built around the long-standing rivalry between “Hangman” Page and Swerve Strickland which is deadly serious. It deserved better than this promo. Thankfully, the match should be fantastic and make up for this dud of a promo. Grade: D
Random Questions
– Are the Death Riders on a downward spiral? Since the passing of Pac, the Death Riders have lost two straight trios matches, with Jon Moxley himself being pinned by Mark Davis. On Saturday, Davis challenges Mox for the Continental Championship. The backstage promo where Mox responded to Renee Paquette’s question with an explosion of rage and a guttural scream was compelling television. It feels like the Death Riders are the back foot and Mox losing the title would push that story forward. It feels like we’re on the path to a Death Riders vs. Callis Family Blood & Guts match which is where the Death Riders can begin to right the ship.
– Can Chris Jericho please go away? Chris Jericho and Nick Wayne will have the rubber match in their trilogy at WrestleDream. I was honestly hoping it was over with after Wayne beat Jericho last week in France, but it was not be. Instead we got a painful segment between the two in which the high point was Tony Khan licensing “Superman” by Five for Fighting. I just hope Nick Wayne is booked to beat Jericho and nothing stunts Wayne’s potential momentum. I’ve compared Jericho to David Coverdale of Whitesnake in this space before. Both men are legends in their field (Coverdale is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for pre-Whitesnake run with Deep Purple). The difference is that Coverdale realized he could no longer hit the high notes and retired last year. Jericho isn’t self-aware enough to realize that it’s time to hang it up. The fact that Adam Copeland, a guy two years younger than him, is winding down his career should be a sign for Jericho. Put Nick Wayne over and walk away ASAP while people still have some respect left for you.
– A best-of-five series? Yes, please. The Motor City Machine Guns have been in AEW since July but have barely been on TV because their band has been touring. This week they returned to Dynamite to confront FTR and challenge them to a best-of-five series. I hope this is the start of consistent appearances and matches from them. I have no doubt this series will be great, although I’m a little shocked the first match is on the Tailgate Brawl not the PPV proper.
– That was Ilja Dragunov right? A vignette aired with a mystery man and a metronome. It has to be Dragunov, whose been rumored to be AEW bound for the last couple months. I love that he’s getting the old school vignette treatment. I hope this means he won’t immediately merely merge into the speed of existing traffic.
