Has anyone made the obligatory AEW is DY-NO-MIIIIITE joke yet?
Well, I’ll do it anyway. [Editor’s Note: Scorpio Sky did in the premiere episode]. It’s no secret I have become bored with the WWE program. Not saying this in a critical fashion akin to those who say “WWE iz rUinED FORevEr!” Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much outside of NXT or NXT UK to keep me tuned in. It’s hard to describe, but AEW has caught my attention.
The latest episode, AEW Dynamite in Charlotte, Cody Rhodes discussed how some are labeling him as similar to Triple H (not in name of course), where he is both management and wrestler. Well, yes. It does sound as though he listened to the comments, the feedback, and of course the criticism. So he makes a stipulation. If he fails to win the AEW World Championship, he will never challenge again. I can buy it.
I can buy him winning and vacating. Or I can buy him losing, and in a few years from now he “steps down” or somehow is ousted from his “management position” and challenges again. Regardless of what happens in the future, at least he addresses the real-life dilemma of being in both roles.
Match #1 is PAC vs. Trent. I love this as an opener. I didn’t think Trent would go over, but this was a great reminder of how established tag team wrestlers can also be fantastic singles wrestlers. This is the thing with AEW, it reminds me of days of wrestling past where individual members of tag teams got their chances to compete in singles matches frequently during the late 80’s and early 90s. Great match, “The Bastard” ends this with the aptly-name Brutalizer for the win.
Following Cody’s stipulation and passionate expression of love for the wrestling industry, we get a match which is a prime example of what makes wrestling enjoyable.
Private Party defeated the Dark Order. I love Private Party. At this point who doesn’t? Not sure if it’s been said, but anyone else feel like Private Party of AEW and Street Profits of NXT are rather similar? I love both teams. I really do. One day a vortex will open and they’ll square off against each other. Tonight, Dark Order takes another loss, while Quen and Kassidy jolt the crowd with every offensive maneuver. Wondering what the overall plan for Dark Order will be. I see fewer gremlins running around, and the whole build as a menace to AEW seems to have fizzled out.
Emi Sakura & Jayme Hayter defeated Riho & Shanna. Women’s wrestling have stepped up a notch between WWE/NXT and AEW. I love seeing the Joshi competitors. I don’t want to overkill commentary here, but one can’t help but not be impressed with the level of skill displayed. Hayter has to grow on me, she’s good, but I think needs some polishing. Sakura getting the win was the smart move, as Riho has been stoppable since the championship win. This will make their match at Full Gear a must-watch.
Side note – Shanna is one to keep an eye on. I smell a future big star.
Shawn Spears defeated Brandon Cutler. This was the one match which didn’t really do much on television, solely serving the purpose of establishing an official feud between Spears and Joey Janela, following Spears’ attack on Janela. Spears continues the vicious angle, and keeping ol’ Tully in tow as mentor. This needs to go somewhere as I worry Spears will not be taken seriously if his run remains where it is. Cutler, they gotta do something with this guy.
The Main Event: Hangman Page/Kenny Omega vs. Sammy Guevara/Chris Jericho. Some of AEW’s finest, right here. Sammy has the brightest future as far as I’m concerned. He can lose the Tyler Breeze-like gimmick of selfies, but this kid is going to be a major star and you see the building blocks in place. I never heard of him until AEW. Now I want to see more. Omega spent the match taking the bumps while Page would get the eventual hot tag to clean house … only to eat the Judas Effect for the loss. It’s not just the great wrestling which took place, but the story is told in the damn ring. The commentary team is the finest in modern wrestling. The sell THE DAMN MATCH. Jericho has hit a new prime era in his career. PainMaker indeed.
The post match uber-hype was the best go-home moment I have seen in a long time. As the Inner Circle begin their assault, Cody, Young Bucks, MJF and even Jon Moxley take the action to level 11 all over the place. It wasn’t just a mosh-pit of fighting, it was paced. It was focused, it was what brought the crowd to their feet with excitement. Chants of A-E-Dub filled the area, and goddamn it, I could hear E-C-Dub in my head as this so-closely resembles some of the finest moments in ECW history when they built their feuds for months before unleashing it all at a supercard or pay-per-view.
I’m all in for Full Gear. So grateful for the clock change and Shabbas ending early.
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