AEW Revolution 2024 will easily go into the record books as one of the best AEW Pay-per-view shows of all time. Matches expected to highlight did not disappoint at all. But let’s get right to the guts of it.
The Icon, Sting, was victorious in his final match of his wrestling career, along with Darby Allin retained the AEW World Tag Team Championships against The Young Bucks. I will not lie, there was a big part inside my guts which was terrified the Bucks would win in order to increase their uber-heel status. I imagine like many of us fans, were relieved this was not the case.
The opening video montage was gorgeous. I cried. I admit it. I cried. It’s Showtime!
In a tornado team match, there are no tags, essentially, no rules. Watching Darby fly off a super-tall ladder and crash through solid glass was shocking, with the aftermath being just as horrifying to see his body sliced up. Sting even went through glass and some tables too. Darby, you are insane.
He wanted his last match to be memorable, and to quote Jim Ross, “Good G-d Almighty” Sting did just that.
A lot of moments where it seemed after too many teases the Bucks would win. Wow did thi incense the crowd, firing off some of the most vulgar chants I have ever heard. “F*** You Young Bucks!” being one of them.
Sting and Darby hit their finishers, with Sting forcing Matthew Jackson to submit one final time to the Scorpion Death Lock.
Sting’s career is a long and storied one. Many had feared his career was over after an injury sustained in his very brief sting in WWE. Thankfully this was not the case and Sting got to have one last official run in AEW. The past three-to-four years of Sting participating in the company felt right. Whether he stepped into the ring alongside Darby Allin, or coached him from ringside. I don’t think you could find a single person who would disagree, Sting went out on his terms.
Yes, I jumped for joy when he won. The opening video package made me cry, and looking at him standing tall with the AEW Tag Team Championship to close the show got me crying some more.
I will go through the major matches and then recap the rest of the card.
Samoa Joe retains the AEW World Championship against “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland
I don’t think this match could have been booked any better. The banner headline for each competitor told it all, specifically with Page stating “Has Absolutely Lost It.” Joe made sure neither man forgot about him at all. Plenty of one-on-one action but with a fresh combination of three-way wrestling as well. The conclusion of the match saw Hangman tap out to Joe’s clutch hold, and one has to wonder if he did it intentionally to make sure Swerve couldn’t win. In fact, Hangman Page took out two referees just to prevent Swerve from winning during the match. Swerve and Hangman tore into each other at every opportunity, leaving Joe to become an aggressive dominator throughout the match, punishing both men whenever he had the chance.
Joe continues to dominate, keeping him as champion is a fantastic move in order to maintain a high ceiling to reach. Joe’s role in the match couldn’t have been better. While Page and Swerve felt they were facing each other for the championship, their efforts were constantly stopped by Joe. At times the two would take their turns on the offensive, but it was clear for both it was portrayed as an uphill battle.
Difficult to say what is next for Swerve. Seeing him down a few rungs will be difficult to fathom, but don’t forget he can have a fantastic match with practically anyone. Page could continue to become an unhinged anxious millennial cowboy, possibly realigning with the Jacksons, or perhaps a different direction.
Eddie Kingston defeated Bryan Danielson to retain the AEW Continental Crown Championship
Standing in awe, no moment could I sit down. Easily an early contender for Match of the Year. Once it was over, and we finally saw the handshake we were waiting for, I could breathe some relief and plop my Jewish tuchas back on the couch. Eddie and Bryan put on a technical wrestling masterpiece full of story and drama. How do wrestlers do this? Selling of the injuries to a point where you believe it 100%. Where you actually think they are fighting through pain.
They probably are. Scripted? Sure. The strikes, the throws, slams, powerbombs, and you name whatever else, it does hurt! You take chops from Kingston and your chest will turn colors. Take striking kicks from Danielson and you’ll need a chiropractor. You will come out banged and bruised.
Then come the facial expressions. The fighting spirit, the righteous fury. Danielson hit Kingston with everything he had, and Eddie never quit. After so much fighting, Eddie hit his tribute Powerbomb to finish the challenger.
After a lot of teasing, Danielson shook Eddie’s hand and paid respect to him. There is a fantastic post-match video of them both in the trainer’s room. See my Twitter / X post below:
This is the stuff which suspends the spectre of "wrestling is scripted." https://t.co/0XYeuYovTz
— M.S.D. (@OmegaX80) March 4, 2024
Truly awesome. Eddie Kingston will always be one of my top favorite wrestlers ever.
Will Ospreay defeated Konosuke Takeshita
We’ve got two contenders for Match of the Year, but this could possibly be match of the decade. Thank you @agentmes on twitter. Astounding, astonishing, and amazingly fluid. The level of athleticism was incredible. Sure, it was spot-heavy, but you can’t deny the stuff they can do, no one could do better. While this was the showcase of Ospreay as a full-fledged member of AEW, there’s no doubt the match truly showcased Konoske Takeshita who could easily become a main eventer in short order. Incredibly talented, having matches with Ospreay just brings out the best in him.
Now for the rest of the card in the best order I can:
Zero Hour Preshow:
Bang Bang Scissor Gang defeated Team Jarrett, Private Party and Willie Mack in a 12-Man tag match.
Well, this was a kooky fun match to hype up the crowd, lots of weird spots, and I still can’t understand why Satnam Singh is still here. I can’t. Max Caster “botched” yet another pre-match rap. I’m guessing (based on the overselling laugh from Jeff Jarrett) this is now going to be a storyline for Caster. Post match, as Jay White took the mic and cut the post-match promo, it was fairly obvious Caster seemed nonplussed to be present. Could this be the beginning of a heel turn?
Jeff Jarrett was nearly booed out of the building when tagged in.
Willow Nightingale & Kris Statlander defeated Skye Blue and TBS Champion Julia Hart
This was a fun match. Very good and certainly difficult to predict a winner. Willow launching Skye Blue with the pounce was epic.
Main Show:
Christian Cage retains the TNT Championship against Daniel Garcia
What an incredible opener to start the main show. Garcia is massively over. He has truly become the wrestler we’ve all been waiting to see. It’s equally as incredible to see a veteran like Christian Cage to be able to keep pace and deliver a fantastic match. Garcia had the crowd on their feet multiple times, constantly out-matching the villainous Christian Cage.
Anytime Cage has the offensive, the crowd let him have it. Unfortunately there was plenty of interference to go around until “Daddy Magic” Matt Minard managed to chase Luchakillasaurus away. Big dino-dude doesn’t seem to be as big of a threat as he used to be. Unfortunately Nick Wayne remained to run interference, helping Cage retain.
My only gripe is Garcia not winning the championship. Like many out there (including you Kimmy!), felt this should have been his shining moment to win. He’s been built up so much, the loss here now questions what direction he could possibly go in. Granted, it wasn’t a clean victory for Cage, but still felt deflating to see Garcia take a loss in such a high profile position.
Wardlow won the Eight-Man Scramble Match
This seemed obvious from the get-go, given Wardlow had been promising to go after the World Championship. The other competitors in the match all had great spots and had their time to shine, giving fans the ever-slight hint someone else could possibly win. Some cool spots with Jericho and Hook applying dual-submissions, Jericho and Magnus delivering stereo-rope rebounding moonsaults.
Dante Martin nearly killed himself twice with some scary looking spots.
Wardlow will challenge Joe at some point, but I just can’t see him dethroning the big man.
Roderick Strong defeated Orange Cassidy to become the New AEW International Champion
This was the right call. Since AEW World’s End, the Undisputed Kingdom seemed to flail around looking to remain relevant. Granted Matt Taven and Mike Bennett as Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions certainly helped with their presence on television, but with Adam Cole still injured and Wardlow mauling people without purpose just didn’t click. Enter Roddy. His targeting of Cassidy gradually increasing in attacks and antagonizing him regularly gave Undisputed Kingdom the on-screen time it needed.
Fantastic match. With Freshly Squeezed already selling injuries sustained in the past few months, Roddy’s assault with back and neck-breaking moves added painful impact, which helped with OC’s incredible selling work. You can’t help but feel for the guy. The drop on the top turnbuckle and collapse to the floor was painful to watch.
The ending sequence was fantastic, Roddy eventually scoring with End of Heartbreak for the pinfall victory. Combined with Wardlow’s win in the scramble match and an AEW championship now in the stable, Undisputed Kingdom looks more like a credible threat.
Just when things seemed calm… Kyle O’Reilly appears! He comes to the ring and hugs it out with Strong. Taven takes off his U.K. shirt, handing it to KOR who holds it, but then respectfully gives it back while whispering something to Roddy. He leaves, with no conflict but to a massive ovation from the live crowd.
I’m a big KOR fan, but I’m not sure where he goes from here. It is a shame Bobby Fish may not be coming back anytime soon.
Jon Moxley and Claudio Castignoli defeated FTR
A fantastic match, but I really felt the outcome was another poor decision. FTR should have come out the winners for the same reason Daniel Garcia should have won. What could be next with such a major defeat? Mox and Claudio, as heels, can always become anyone’s enemy and foil for a story. This was a story of Dax and Cash proving they can be just as tough, or even tougher, and possibly better wrestlers. Dax was a bloody mess akin to Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Harley Race, or Bret Hart after a long fight for his life.
FTR winning would have made a convincing argument to once again remain viewed as the best tag team in AEW. They had more to lose than the BCC.
Regardless of the finish, boy, was this one hell of a match.
“Timeless” Toni Storm retains the AEW Women’s Championship against Deonna Purrazzo
Another fun match. Mariah May comes out dressed as the punk rocker version of Storm. I enjoyed the match, and was very happy to see Storm win. We continue to get more of her goofy antics.
Following this match were the aforementioned marquee matches.
AEW Revolution was a spectacular show. I have no doubt there are those on social media and throughout the internet who will find ways to downplay or find flaws. But keep this in mind. Sting main evented his last appearance at Revolution. This was about Sting getting a respectful sendoff by AEW.
Once again, AEW pulls off a fantastic supershow, and now we have to see if the following shows can capitalize on such a big time event.
I very much look forward to the next few weeks of television to set up the road for the freshly announced PPV event, AEW Dynasty.
