When you see a guy steal another man’s shoes, you know you’ve just seen something special. I feel pure joy when I see Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston swagger their way into the ring like they don’t give a damn and just start wrecking bodies. Their own banter feels so organic, one has to believe they do it all on the fly. I called it months and months ago, one day they would team together, I called it – They would challenge The Young Bucks for the AEW Tag Team Championships, and here we are.
What's yours is mine. 👟👟👟👟 #AEW #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/BZAoEsY5NH
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 20, 2021
I would be remiss if I did not mention the announcement made by Tony Khan, where AEW Dynamite will be moving over to TBS in 2022 and the addition of a second official televised show on Friday nights, AEW Rampage (premieres in August on TNT, then moves to TBS in 2022). I am very curious how this will all unfold. Will the TNT Championship be renamed, perhaps simply the TV Championship to be defended on both shows?
Will the move to TBS be permanent?
AEW Dynamite 5/19 starts us off with Christian Cage defeating Matt Sydal. Great match, what a match. Ten times better than what I expected. What I didn’t expect was Christian looking really good this week. While he is in the early stages of a winning streak, I wonder who it will be to finally give him his first ‘L’ in the company. Someone from Team Taz perhaps?
Well, after the match, Team Taz did indeed sneak attack both Sydal and Christian, however were saved by a beer-toting Hangman Page who intentionally instructed Ricky Starks to “hold my beer” while he tussled with the rest of the stable. The numbers were too much, and Taz walks off with his crew gloating.
Brian Cage will face Hangman Page while the rest of the stable will compete in the Casino Battle Royale.
Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley defeated The Acclaimed
It would appear Max Caster’s pre-match rap, while jaw-dropping, did not score high for many fans. While the shock value was a brick-to-the-skull moment, it seemed the innuendo was not appreciated online. It was a nice try for Anthony Bowens to cover it with a “we just want on her podcast” but too late. The in-ring assaults proved not enough as they would take the loss to Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley. Good match though. Some swerving moments with foreign objects led to a decisive finish.
In the ring, Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky have enough of Darby Allin and Sting. They want blood. Page continues to reference their history on the indies (in particular Evolve).
Page and Sky tell the same story, they want their shot. Simple as that. Sting and Darby would arrive to pay back from last week. The hype for Double or Nothing is being pushed to the moon.
A Quiet Dinner With The Pinnacle?
We open with Wardlow guzzling down a bottle of fine Merlot. I think. Shawn Spears beats up a waiter, while Tully Blanchard has to fork over a few hundred to keep him quiet. Cash, Dax, and MJF do the talking, pointing out the match at Blood ‘n’ Guts should have been the end of it. It’s simple, MJF is claiming the top spot in AEW and if Jericho wants it back so badly, he can try, but must disband the Inner Circle if they lose.
While the stakes are high, I actually don’t like the stipulation. Inner Circle has been there since the beginning of AEW Dynamite, it felt as though they would truly be a mainstay in the promotion for at least a few more years. However, if Pinnacle loses, I believe this to ultimately be a WIN for them. Pinnacle will not be chasing any titles until 2022. Inner Circle can stick around and feud with others on the roster at their leisure. It’s been established all members of the Circle are main eventers and can go back there at any time.
A failure by Pinnacle to end the Circle will lead a shift in direction, which I believe will begin their pursuit of championships late 2021 with some success in 2022. Ending one stable to push another doesn’t feel right to me, and I hope both stables stick around.
Hikaru Shida defeated Rebel (Not Reba) in a short one despite Dr. Britt Baker DMD’s numerous attempts at interference. Next week makes a year of Shida holding the title, and a few days after that… I say it’s going to Baker.
Backstage: Don Callis and Kenny Omega approach Orange Cassidy backed up by his Best Friends and Alien. While everyone but the doctor leaves, Omega and Callis offer Freshly Squeezed a way out of the match. Orange makes use of the slowest tear on earth. It seems Omega’s mind games to keep Cassidy out of the match just isn’t working.
Don Callis likes to talk, so does Omega. This is my critique. They are both over-the-top in character, Callis more mind games and Omega with cartoon-level heelness. Individually I do not mind. But together it feels like being overwhelmed with too much.
The Inner Circle Replies:
Still missing Santana, but the other members fills in their heartfelt feelings for Double or Nothing. While Ortiz, Sammy, and Hager all don’t hesitate to go to war, it is Chris Jericho who appears reluctant. He hashed over his fall from two weeks ago, wondered if it was worth it to go to war, but in unison, the squad all affirm a big “YES” and accept the Stadium Stampede match. I don’t expect hijinks from the last one against The Elite, but I imagine there will be some liberties taken.
Serena Deeb retains the NWA Women’s Championship against Red Velvet
On paper this didn’t seem too impressive. Aside from Dark or Elevation, the charismatic Velvet has not been seen on Dynamite since the brief feud with Jade Cargill. Speaking of whom, is still being courted by Mark Sterling. I don’t see this ending well … for him. In any event, Velvet and Deeb tore the house down. I did not expect such an intense mesh of fast pacing action with some downright hard-hitting wrestling. I didn’t think Velvet was going to win, but damn there were a few spots I became a believer. Red Velvet will be one to watch in the next year, and I would not mind seeing Serena Deeb have a few more title defenses on AEW programming.
Backstage: Alex Marvez is with Chris Jericho… and DEAN MALENKO!!
Marvez questions Jericho’s decision from earlier tonight, but Jericho retorts his crew is not done with just yet. The real gem is Malenko admitting to Chris “you know four more moves than me” but Jericho paying respect to the wrestling legend replying “I think I forgot a few…”
Anthony Ogogo KO’d Austin Gunn – I have to give the Gunn kid credit. Sold it all like a champ, even got some decent offense in. They’re booking Ogogo correctly, even at the expense of young Gunn. I still read online the crap being dumped on Cody “for hogging the spotlight.” Well, I would like point something very, very truthful. If you go back to when The Factory split from Rhodes, the number of minutes dedicated to the Cody/Ogogo feud is the lowest out of all matches hyped for Double or Nothing. Is he taking up someone’s spot? Hell no. Would you rather Hangman Page be the one to job to Ogogo? Or perhaps Colt Cabana? How about Chuckie T? Come on internet rage-a-holics. Do the match, Cody hasn’t been anywhere near a title since losing the TNT Championship, and he plays his role just fine, being the guy to put over newer talent or draw out a mid-card feud.
In other words. Just. Stop.
Backstage, SCU gets their proper send off segment, as a result of last week’s being cut short due to Daniels’ injury. However, we are left with some intrigue, as the Fallen Angel whispers to Kazarian, who then lets the audience know, he’s not just done yet.
Miro is out to celebrate his championship win, but is cut short by The Murderhawk Monster, Lance Archer. Miro and Archer have a brilliant exchange of words, and if you would have told me these two could have a fantastic verbal exchange I may not have believed you until tonight. Miro threatens no amount of yoga will save them, digging at Jake Roberts and DDP, and then to cap it off, Miro uses Archer’s own tag line against him.
Someone took a line straight out of @LanceHoyt‘s book 😲 #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/v879iANG4K
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) May 20, 2021
AEW Dynamite 5/19 Main Event: The Young Bucks retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships against The Varsity Blondes w/ Julia Hart
Again, on paper, this match should have not been the final of the show. But by the time the final bell hit, I was dead wrong. I have zero doubts Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison will be tag team champions one day. Can’t say when, but one day. They have the look, the chemistry, and in my opinion, sometimes a not-so-humble-opinion, but they, have, IT.
The Bucks continue their over-the-top theatrics in dress style, which looks more like feather-clad dancers with each passing week. I’m glad Matt cut back on mocking the old school babyface antics, after a while it didn’t feel it fit, just forced.
The match was a pure tag team clinic. Granted, there were times even the referee seemed to have no idea what was flying, who was legal, or what was going on, but if you kept attention on the bout, it was something which could be overlooked. Garrison and Pillman Jr. both stood out, as I imagine this was the intent of the main event. The Bucks without being obvious at all allowed the challengers to be put over with some very close call moments. If you think about it, the real icing saw Matt and Nick have to cheat in order to come out on top. This says something strong about Varsity Blondes.
As mentioned at the top of the column, the appearance by our Wild Thing Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston to wreck the Bucks and steal their Diors was a bit of brilliance. It made me laugh, it was fun to watch, and damn the sight of Kingston and Mox just chillin’ their way out was a great exit.
However, be real for one moment. Had this not been a title bout, I would have believed Varsity Blondes could win. Upset victory via botched interference or miscommunication. It wouldn’t have been clean, but a win is a win. One thing AEW has done, and I wish would walk back, are the constant title bouts where you know the champ is coming out on top. Give us some non-title matches, because at the least, one is teased with an upset victory. If I booked this, I would not have made the main event a title match, because there were so many moments I could have believed Garrison and Pillman Jr. would have won. The air of mystery was lacking for me, so while the suspense of the victor was not present, I still enjoyed the match.
Double or Nothing is less than two weeks away. What say you?
