{"id":210187,"date":"2026-01-07T15:21:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T21:21:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=210187"},"modified":"2026-01-07T15:21:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T21:21:31","slug":"aew-feud-tracker-barbers-assessment-of-the-top-feuds-as-aew-gets-rolling-in-2016-including-mjf-omega-mercedes-willow-don-callis-family-death-riders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/01\/07\/aew-feud-tracker-barbers-assessment-of-the-top-feuds-as-aew-gets-rolling-in-2016-including-mjf-omega-mercedes-willow-don-callis-family-death-riders\/","title":{"rendered":"AEW FEUD TRACKER: Barber&#8217;s assessment of the top feuds as AEW gets rolling in 2016 including MJF, Omega, Mercedes, Willow, Don Callis Family, Death Riders"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-898837244\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>It\u2019s a new year. The new AEW Men\u2019s World Champion found himself confronted by multiple challengers. Mercedes Mon\u00e9 ended the year another title down while friendship finally won out for Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander.<\/p>\n<p>Tonight, Willow celebrates her victory with her best friend presumably by her side again.<\/p>\n<p>The show will be headlined by &#8220;Hangman&#8221; Page and Swerve Strickland seeking to close the book on The Opps in a match that won\u2019t be for the faint of heart. Let\u2019s dive in and see where things stand in AEW.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>New Champs, New Challengers<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Latest Developments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MJF cut his first promo as champion before being interrupted by a slate of potential challengers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MJF opened the show walking to the ring after arriving in a fancy SUV. He got on the mic and called &#8220;Hangman&#8221; Page, Swerve Strickland, and Samoa Joe the \u201cBig Three\u201d of AEW then immediately said \u201cf&#8212; the Big Three, it\u2019s all about big me.\u201d He then unveiled a new Triple B title belt. He said he was the king of the sport of pro wrestling and that he intended to go down as the greatest of all time.<\/p>\n<p>MJF\u2019s promo was noteworthy for its lack of bombast. He didn\u2019t lean on his Don Rickles shtick or making an edgy comment for the sake of making an edgy comment. He colored within the lines of a heel promo and it was perfectly fine.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-998452875\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>MJF was then interrupted by a suited-up Kenny Omega on the video screen from what looked to be his dining room. Omega acknowledged that he was closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He described a lot of what ifs swirling around in his head and then said he wanted to become AEW World Champion one more time. He said he\u2019s not the Cleaner or the Best Bout Machine or the Belt Collector. He said he\u2019s only after one belt and he\u2019s willing to earn his way to a title shot.<\/p>\n<p>Serious Kenny Omega just hits different. He has the resum\u00e9 and the gravitas to back up everything he\u2019s said about wanting to go for the title one last time. He tried to temper expectations of the match quality, but let\u2019s be real &#8211; Kenny is always going to give everything he has to give in a big match situation. &#8220;Serious Kenny&#8221; having singles matches en route to an AEW World Title shot is really tantalizing television, especially given that Kenny singles matches have to be at a premium at this point in his career.<\/p>\n<p>That wasn\u2019t the last interruption MJF faced, though. Hangman and Swerve each made their way through the crowd draped in their chains. MJF tried to dismiss them as losers and told them to get some wins and come back and see him. Hangman threatened to strangle MJF with the Triple B before he takes it from him and Swerve warned Max that he\u2019d only seen a fraction of what he was capable of. He said the hunt was on and may the worst man win.<\/p>\n<p>Hangman and Swerve are the coolest dudes in any space they\u2019re in. Keeping them both in the title picture is an extremely smart decision. In particular, Swerve would be a fresh match up for MJF as the two haven\u2019t had a singles match in AEW yet.<\/p>\n<p>That wasn\u2019t it for the interruptions. The final person to make their presence known was Samoa Joe. The former champion claimed that he had been robbed. He then turned his ire on Hangman and Swerve leading Swerve to challenge Hook and Powerhouse Hobbs to a lights out tag match.<\/p>\n<p>This match is not going to be for the squeamish. It feels like Joe is feeding Hook and Hobbs to the wolves as Hangman and Swerve are thirsty for revenge and capable of some scary things in no-DQ\/lights out match.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, this segment was extremely effective in setting up opponents for MJF for the four or five months of the year. That\u2019s not counting Bandido, who will challenge MJF next week. There\u2019s also the potential for Brody King, who threw his name into the ring in a backstage promo and could be motivated to get even with MJF on behalf of his tag team partner.<\/p>\n<p>Grade: B+<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3661216600\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/aew-dynamite-post-show-12-31-keller-adams-discuss-mjf-s-promo-and-many-challengers-willow-s-big-title-win-moxley-s-journey-more--69264898\">CLICK HERE<\/a> (or search \u201cwade Keller\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"AEW DYNAMITE POST-SHOW (12\/31): Keller &amp; Adams discuss MJF's promo and many challengers, Willow's big title win, Moxley's journey, more\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=69264898&amp;theme=light&amp;playlist=false&amp;playlist-continuous=false&amp;chapters-image=true&amp;episode_image_position=right&amp;hide-logo=false&amp;hide-likes=false&amp;hide-comments=false&amp;hide-sharing=false&amp;hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>The Meltdown Continues<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Latest Developments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Willow Nightingale defeated Mercedes Mon\u00e9 to win the TBS Title in the main event of last week\u2019s Dynamite, leaving Mercedes shell-shocked on the floor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mercedes and Willow got started in their match hot and fast. The ensuing bout was very good. At one point, Willow went for the Babe with the Powerbomb on the announce table, but Mercedes reversed it into a suplex. The table didn\u2019t budge an inch. Mercedes tried everything to put Willow away including the same leg capture pinning combination Willow used on her at the PPV. In the end, Willow reversed a final attempt at the Mon\u00e9Maker into the Babe with the powerbomb for the win.<\/p>\n<p>I must admit that I didn\u2019t expect Willow to win, so I was surprised when she got the pin. The Omaha crowd exploded. Harley Cameron came down and embraced her tag team champion partner. Kris Statlander also came down to the ring. After a moment of awkwardness, she and Willow finally embraced, much to the delight of the crowd, bringing an end to their 18-month estrangement. I think reuniting with her longtime best friend could be a boon for Stat who\u2019s been struggling to get over on her own. Hopefully, Willow and Harley&#8217;s popularity uplifts Stat some. It should immediately pay dividends for Stat after the Triangle of Madness set their sights on her.<\/p>\n<p>For Mercedes, she continues to lose titles. She was left stunned outside the ring after losing to Willow. It will be interesting to see how far her meltdown goes.<\/p>\n<p>Grade: B+<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>What\u2019s Next for The Family<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Latest Developments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Konosuke Takeshita lost the IWGP Championship to Yota Tsuji while Okada defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi in Tanahashi\u2019s retirement match.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There was no follow-up to everything that transpired at the PPV because Okada and Takeshita had to head to Japan for WrestleKingdom. At that event, Takeshita lost his IWGP Title in a fantastic match against Yota Tsuji. Tsuji actually forced Takeshita to tap out to a straight up Boston Crab. Okada, on the other hand, had a surprisingly good and compelling match with his mentor and rival. Tanahashi gave everything he had left to give and forced Okada to pull out the old Okada to finally put down Tana for good with a third Rainmaker.<\/p>\n<p>It certainly feels like a fickle egomaniac like Don Callis would use something like Takeshita\u2019s loss, especially the submission aspect as justification for his expulsion from The Family. At the very least, it\u2019ll be his reasoning for siding with Okada. The question is where Kyle Fletcher fits into this equation and how Callis can smooth things over with him.<\/p>\n<p>Grade: B+<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Random Question<\/h3>\n<p>-Are we waiting on Pac? Jon Moxley is effectively a babyface at this point while the rest of the Death Riders remain firmly heel. The one caveat is that Pac has been MIA since Christmas Collison. Given that Darby Allin challenged him to a rematch, it\u2019s reasonable to assume that Pac&#8217;s absence won\u2019t be long-term. That leaves me to wonder if the Death Riders turn on Mox at Pac\u2019s direction when he returns. Before then though, Mox battles Shelton Benjamin tonight in a match that should be a blast.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show (12\/31) - AEW Dynamite w\/Keller &amp; Adams\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KRyzW28F1uM?start=4&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-2228701041\"><div id=\"pwtor-4247209105\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>It\u2019s a new year. The new AEW Men\u2019s World Champion found himself confronted by multiple challengers. Mercedes Mon\u00e9 ended the year another title down while friendship finally won out for Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander. <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/01\/07\/aew-feud-tracker-barbers-assessment-of-the-top-feuds-as-aew-gets-rolling-in-2016-including-mjf-omega-mercedes-willow-don-callis-family-death-riders\/\" title=\"AEW FEUD TRACKER: Barber&#8217;s assessment of the top feuds as AEW gets rolling in 2016 including MJF, Omega, Mercedes, Willow, Don Callis Family, Death Riders\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":210188,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,6447,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-210187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-feud-tracker","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-07-at-3.20.36-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=210187"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":210189,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210187\/revisions\/210189"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/210188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=210187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=210187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}