Survivor Series 2003
Date: November 16, 2003
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 13,487
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Tazz

This is another big one and it’s also a one sided show. The Smackdown offerings are about as uninteresting as they could be while the Raw side looks at at least marginally better. This isn’t a great show on paper and I have a bad feeling that it’s going to be even worse as it actually takes place. Let’s get to it.

The opening video talks about surviving things such as the game, evolution, and the battles in between. That’s all this needed to be, especially with Austin vs. Bischoff being the real main event.

Team Angle vs. Team Lesnar

Kurt Angle, Hardcore Holly, Chris Benoit, John Cena, Bradshaw
Brock Lesnar, Big Show, A-Train, Nathan Jones, Matt Morgan

Cena is out first and raps about burying everyone, meaning Lesnar and Show need a bigger graves. He’s still new at this team thing because he wonders if he can trade his partners in for a one night stand with Sable. Holly wastes no time and attacks Lesnar before the bell, sending him into the steps and trying a full nelson to break his neck. He also shoves a referee, and gets disqualified before the match even starts.

The bell rings and a Clothesline from Bradshaw ends A-Train in less than thirty seconds to tie it up. The chokeslam gets rid of Bradshaw as we’re not even a minute in yet. Good idea actually, as it’s not like Bradshaw and Holly were anything more than warm bodies anyway. Cena comes in but can’t FU Big Show and gets thrown into the corner as the four remaining members start working him over. A Throwback to Lesnar gets two but more importantly it allows the hot tag off to Benoit.

The chokeslam is countered into a Crossface (always looks cool) with Lesnar making a save. It’s off to an abdominal stretch as things slow down again. The standing legdrop gets two on Benoit and it’s time for some double teaming on the floor. Angle and Cena have finally had enough and go over to make a save but Benoit is beaten down even more. Morgan comes in for some lumbering offense but a suplex allows the hot tag to Angle. That means a series of suplexes as everything breaks down. The Angle Slam eliminates Morgan to tie us up at three.

Show clotheslines Jones by mistake though and an ankle lock gets rid of Nathan less than thirty seconds later. An F5 gets rid of Angle with the first count coming as Jones’ elimination is still being announced. We’re down to Benoit/Cena vs. Lesnar/Show and Brock goes shoulder first into the post.

A Crossface has Lesnar in trouble but he reverses into a cradle for two. Benoit won’t be denied though and slaps it on again, this time with Lesnar’s feet reaching the ropes. The third attempt makes Lesnar tap and we’re down to two on one. Benoit drops Show with a top rope shoulder for two so Cena adds a chain shot and the FU for the pin.

Rating: C-. This was too fast for the most part but the real problem comes from the fact that so many people were involved in the first place. This really could have been a six man elimination tag (A-Train as the third villain) and it would have been better, but that’s not how these things traditionally work. Cena and Benoit winning in the end is the right way to go as Cena’s rocket push is being assembled, but at the same time there’s a lot of work left to do. Benoit vs. Cena, which could still happen, would be a benefit for both guys and that’s a good sign for the future. Unfortunately it wasn’t the best present, but at least it wasn’t long.

Vince McMahon comes in to see Shane and talks about how tonight, father and son are facing two brothers. He thinks it’s almost spiritual and asks Shane how he feels about that. Shane only feels sorry for Vince. The boss leaves and runs into Austin, who starts laughing. Then he stops and gets serious before walking away. These two have great chemistry even if it doesn’t make the most sense.

JR explains the exchange.

Women’s Title: Lita vs. Molly Holly

Lita is challenging after winning a #1 contenders match a few weeks back. Feeling out process to start as JR explains that these two have some contrasting styles. Lita gets knocked to the floor so Molly starts in on the back with some ax handles. We hit a dragon sleeper with Jerry liking her intensity. The handspring elbow in the corner keeps Lita in trouble and Molly stomps away.

A running corner clothesline rocks Molly and Lita rains down some right hands for her first real offense. Molly cuts her off with a side slam but Lawler would rather talk about Lita’s thong. A powerbomb out of the corner gives Lita a breather but the moonsault misses. The Molly Go Round gets two so Molly rips off a turnbuckle pad and sends Lita face first to retain.

Rating: D+. This was mainly Molly doing everything while Lita did a thing or two here and there. That’s not the most thrilling style in the world but Molly can be made into a good champion for a big name to take the title from later. Let her be built up for awhile instead of giving Lita the title immediately. It’s ok to wait now and then.

We recap Kane vs. Shane McMahon. Kane went nuts after losing his mask and after struggling to defeat Rob Van Dam, started tormenting Linda McMahon. Shane became the big star out of this because of course he did, including beating himself in a Last Man Standing match. Various attempted murders later set up this ambulance match, which is possibly the second most pushed match on the show.

Shane McMahon vs. Kane

Ambulance match with Shane charging straight at him for a crossbody to the floor. Shane knocks him onto the announcers’ table and hits him in the head with a monitor, setting up the big elbow to drive Kane through. That’s enough at ringside though so they head to the back, including the camera cutting out. That means we hit the pretape and come back with Shane pounding him down with a kendo stick.

Shane puts him in a security shack and jumps into an SUV to run Kane over again. Finding a well placed walkie-talkie, Shane tells someone to SEND IT, which means it’s time for an ambulance backstage. But is that the designated ambulance? That makes a difference you know. Instead of backing the ambulance up to the shack where Kane is down, Shane grabs a stretcher and wheels it twenty feet over, allowing Kane to grab him by the throat and slam Shane into a wall.

The camera goes out again and we pick it up with Kane knocking him back into the arena. Shane gets knocked into the front of the ambulance but manages to hit Kane in the face with the back door. What a sick sounding thud too. Kane is back up and sends Shane into the ambulance but another ram with the door gets Shane out of trouble. A tornado DDT on the floor plants Kane as they’re now near the grave for the Buried Alive match.

Shane puts a trashcan (good thing one was nearby) and a crashpad (same as before) and hits the Coast to Coast off the top of the ambulance to smash Kane’s face. That’s still not enough to wrap things up as Kane pulls Shane into the ambulance with him for more brawling. It’s Kane throwing Shane out though and then ramming him back first into the side. He javelins Shane’s head into the other side (you have to match you see) and a Tombstone on the floor is enough for the win.

Rating: D. This wasn’t as long as I was expecting but again, this doesn’t really do what they were likely shooting for with Kane. It makes two straight matches where Kane has had trouble beating up Shane McMahon. He can destroy Rob Van Dam but Shane gives him trouble? It didn’t work last time and it doesn’t work here. Now that he’s lost all of his heat though, you can pencil him in for a World Title match.

Brock Lesnar says he didn’t lose that match because his team lost it instead. Goldberg comes in for a staredown but Lesnar won’t wish him luck tonight. And so it begins.

Here’s the Coach, in a neck brace, for a chat. He assures his fans that he’s fine after the 3D from the Dudleys on Monday and he’ll be good to go soon. That seems to be it but hang on a second as Coach sees Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in the front row. Cuban is ready to see Austin’s team win and insults referees of all kinds (he’s known for heavy criticisms of NBA referees). This brings out Eric Bischoff to invite Cuban into the ring, where a fight breaks out. Bischoff gets shoved down but here’s Randy Orton for an RKO to complete this waste of time.

Evolution is having a party with HHH in the middle of a good looking bunch of women. Ric Flair comes in to say they can have the champ later, which annoys HHH. Orton comes in, hits on the women, and brags about what he just did. Uh, congratulations?

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Los Guerreros vs. Basham Brothers

The Brothers are defending after Eddie won a handicap match to earn the shot. Eddie and Chavo waste no time in slugging away until Shaniqua offers a distraction to slow things down. That doesn’t seem to matter much to the cousins as Eddie works over Danny to start things off. A dropkick gives Chavo two and there’s a headscissors/armdrag combination from Eddie to put both champs down.

Some double teaming (described by Cole as “classic Bashams”) takes over though and Shaniqua gets in a slam on Eddie for good measure. Back in and Eddie gets stomped in the corner, followed by a double vertical suplex for two. Eddie gets free with a headscissors and hands it back to Chavo, who is double flapjacked in short order. Chavo fights up but Twin Magic takes him down again. Everything breaks down and Chavo slams Shaniqua, followed by a quick spanking. That’s NOT cool with the champs so Doug grabs a rollup with Chavo’s tights to retain.

Rating: D+. Another TV level match here with Los Guerreros coming up short again as we get closer to their inevitable split. The Bashams aren’t a great team (though they have apparently have a classic period) but they’re serviceable for something like this. Get rid of the dominatrix stuff though as it’s not working, isn’t funny and makes Shaniqua look like the important part of the team, which misses the point entirely.

Replays show Chavo kicking Eddie down by mistake, meaning this is far from over.

JR doesn’t think Austin can handle this trusting people stuff and has never seen Austin this angry.

We recap Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff. They’re running the show together but Austin isn’t allowed to attack people at will anymore. On top of that, a lot of people are accusing him of ruining the show through his various antics. That doesn’t sit well with Austin, so it’s time for a winner take all match with the winner getting to run Raw on their own. The idea is Austin has to trust people, which goes against everything he believes in.

Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff

Austin: Shawn Michaels, Dudley Boyz, Booker T., Rob Van Dam
Bischoff: Scott Steiner, Mark Henry, Christian, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton

Coach, Stacy Keibler and the two team captains are at ringside. The fans want tables to start but have to settle with D-Von and Christian instead. D-Von shoulders him down to start but gets slapped in the face, triggering a bunch of right hands to the head. That’s not a nice response. Van Dam comes in for some forearms to the face and a kick to the jaw gets the same. It’s off to Jericho for some more luck, followed by Steiner whipping Van Dam hard into the corner to set up some posing.

Van Dam’s comeback is cut off by a belly to belly superplex but he’s able to get over to Booker for the hot tag. Things speed way up in a hurry and the scissors kick into the Spinarooni makes Bischoff face palm. Everything breaks down in a hurry and Steiner hits Booker low. The Recliner goes on but Stacy offers a distraction, setting up a reverse 3D. A Bookend is enough to get rid of Steiner and make it 5-4.

The World’s Strongest Slam gets rid of Booker a few seconds later to tie it right back up. Bubba comes in to try his luck and is sent hard into the corner. D-Von’s help doesn’t make things much better as the Dudleys are rammed together. Mark misses a charge though and it’s a 3D into the Five Star for the elimination. It’s off to Orton for a hard clothesline on Van Dam but Rob scores with a kick. Another Five Star is loaded up but Jericho makes a save, setting up the RKO to tie things up at three each. Jericho comes in and missile dropkicks D-Von down as JR and King wonder how things will go tomorrow night.

D-Von shoulders Jericho down for no count as Christian has the referee, setting up the sleeper drop for another elimination. This match is already better paced than the opener and here’s Shawn to pick things up all over again. Shawn pounds on Jericho in the corner and catches an invading Christian without much effort. Orton gets in a dropkick but stays down anyway as I guess he didn’t hit all of it. A double tag brings in Christian and Bubba with a backdrop getting two on the Canadian.

Jericho runs Christian over by mistake but a low blow sets up the Unprettier to get rid of Bubba. We’re down to Shawn vs. Christian/Jericho/Orton and Austin is starting to see how much trouble he’s in. Shawn punches away at Christian to start but some good old fashioned double teaming has Shawn in trouble again. Like there’s any other way this should go. Shawn is taken outside and catapulted into the post (you can see him blade on the wide shot) to bust open a GUSHER.

That and a suplex are only good for two back inside and Christian even steals his pose. Jerry: “That was a creepy little pose right there.” The Unprettier is broken up and a quick Sweet Chin Music gets rid of Christian. A frustrated Jericho comes in and gets two off a clothesline before handing it back to Orton. Shawn gets in a belly to back suplex but Jericho comes back in to take over again. As usual, JR is perfect at calling this kind of a story and Shawn getting two off a DDT has Jerry trying as hard as he can to believe in Shawn.

The Lionsault hits knees and Shawn pulls himself up but gets pulled into a Walls attempt. That’s reversed into a quick small package to get rid of Jericho and make it one on one (Lawler: “I BELIEVE I BELIEVE!”). Jericho isn’t gone yet though and caves Shawn’s head in with a chair shot. Why that isn’t a DQ on Orton isn’t clear but Shawn is done as Orton comes back in.

That’s only good for two and you can see the sigh of relief from Austin. Orton’s high crossbody hits the referee and here’s Bischoff to break up Sweet Chin Music. That’s too much for Austin so it’s a Stunner to Orton but he makes the mistake of beating on Bischoff a bit too much. They go up the aisle and here’s Batista to powerbomb Shawn, giving Orton the final pin.

Rating: B+. I love this match and always have. It doesn’t really pick up until Shawn is on his own but that’s what he’s done best throughout his entire career. He knows how to play the underdog better than anyone I’ve ever seen and you really can get behind the Lawler mindset of trying to believe here. As usual, Shawn is great in this role and it’s never too far to believe that he could pull this off (quick superkick, small package for two eliminations). Great stuff, but you might want to skip the first few minutes.

Austin is stunned at the loss because he placed his career in someone else’s hands and was let down. The bloody Shawn can barely stand and Austin congratulates him for giving it everything he had. Austin grabs the mic and talks about starting here in Dallas and going out here as well. Coach comes out to laugh and gets beaten up one more time with security getting the same treatment. Beer is consumed as a final goodbye. You know, assuming you believe that he’s gone for good this time.

We recap Undertaker vs. Vince McMahon. Undertaker wants the title one more time but Vince screwed him over at No Mercy. Therefore Undertaker wanted a Buried Alive match here, because that’s where you go from here. Vince then went into this weird spiritual thing, which really didn’t work or accomplish much.

Tazz’s key for Vince’s victory: AVOID THE HOLE! Good advice.

Vince McMahon vs. Undertaker

Buried Alive and Vince drops to a knee in prayer before the match. Undertaker punches him down to start and the beating is on in a hurry. Vince is already bleeding less than thirty seconds in as this is going to be one sided for a long time. The beating continues until Undertaker crotches him on the post to switch things up a bit. More low blows keep Vince in trouble and it’s time to go to the floor with Undertaker choking with a cord. Completely one sided so far, as you probably guessed.

Cole and Tazz try to explain the idea of Vince being punished for his sins, which I’m guessing are mainly about Stephanie. I mean, almost everything else is. Vince is thrown over the announcers’ table and it’s time to go to the grave. Well just Undertaker at this point and he comes back with a shovel. One heck of a shot to the head rocks Vince again and Cole declares it over. So much for Undertaker’s hot streak.

Vince’s ankle gets crushed by the steps and NOW it’s time to head to the grave. Vince finally throws some dirt in the eyes (his first “offense”) and a low blow keeps Undertaker in trouble. A shovel to the head puts Undertaker in the grave….for a few seconds. He pulls Vince in and goes to the front loader to drop the dirt but gets cut off by lightning. Cue Kane to beat up Undertaker and bury him (again) to give Vince the win.

Rating: D-. So yeah LOLVINCEWINS because of course he does. There was nothing to see here unless you like Undertaker destroying people and then having a surprise ending. The announcers treated this like Undertaker’s last match, because if there’s one thing Undertaker is known for, it’s going away for good. It’s more of a match than an angle, and there’s no way that’s how Undertaker is going out. Bad match but moderately entertaining beatdown.

Cole and Tazz are SHOCKED.

We recap the Raw World Title match. Goldberg won the title last month so HHH put a $100,000 bounty on his head. Batista returned and collected by breaking Goldberg’s ankle so tonight it’s about revenge and the title. There’s not much of a reason for this to main event but would you expect much else? Well save for Vince maybe?

Raw World Title: HHH vs. Goldberg

Goldberg is defending and is coming in with a bad ankle. HHH is looking as out of shape as I’ve seen him in years, probably due to his bad groin injury. Hang on a second though as Goldberg has to quickly dispatch Flair to make it a little more fair. They head outside in short order with Goldberg hammering away but the ankle gives out on a gorilla press attempt.

A chop block takes Goldberg down and we hit the meat of the match. Flair is back up as HHH sends Goldberg outside, meaning a distraction sets up a chair to Goldberg’s ankle. There’s another chop block back inside and the slow leg work continues with Flair getting in a few shots of his own. A knee drop keeps the ankle in trouble and we hit a half crab. At least he knows his low level submissions.

Goldberg grabs the rope and fires off some right hands to little avail. A limping clothesline works a bit better as Flair is beside himself. HHH takes him down again and calls for a Figure Four, only to be kicked into the referee. That means brass knuckles for a very near fall and HHH beats up the referee again. The sledgehammer is brought down but Goldberg kicks him down with the bad ankle.

Flair’s latest attempt at interfering gets him slammed off the top (JR: “It hasn’t worked in thirty years.”) and Goldberg grabs the hammer. A shot to the ribs drops Flair and an invading Batista and Orton are quickly dispatched as well. The Pedigree is blocked and Goldberg picks up the hammer again but throws it down. Instead it’s a spear and Jackhammer to retain the title like a real man.

Rating: D+. Well if you’re a fan of HHH working the ankle, have fun. Goldberg looks strong, but there have been so many other big matches tonight that this isn’t the strongest way to end things. I’ll give them points for giving Goldberg a push, but you’re crazy if you think HHH isn’t getting the title back within the next month. Just a messy brawl, but it could have been much worse. At least HHH didn’t need fifteen minutes of working the leg.

Overall Rating: C-. There’s some good and bad stuff on this show but the bad wins out in the end. Between the weak main event, not great opener and pretty terrible Vince vs. Undertaker match, there’s not enough to put with Shawn’s amazing performance. This was better than I was expecting though and that’s a nice relief. Both shows need something fresh on top and it actually seems to be happening on Smackdown. I’ll take one out of two, especially at this point in time.

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Dynamite
Date: September 24, 2025
Location: Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Bryan Danielson

We’re done with All Out and only so many things came out of the show. There is only so much coming out of the pay per view, which saw Hangman Page retaining the World Title, though Kris Statlander won the Women’s Title in a huge upset. We’re coming up on WrestleDream in less than a month so let’s get to it.

Here is All Out if you need a recap.

Hangman Page praises Kyle Fletcher for his efforts at All Out and warns him to not waste his chance. As for tonight, he’s facing Lee Moriarty, who better be ready.

Tag Team Titles: Gates Of Agony vs. Bandido/Brody King

Bandido/King are defending and before the match, Ricochet promises that the Gates will win. King and Liona start things off but Bandido wants to come in for a loud chop. That just seems to annoy Liona, who takes Bandido into the corner so Kaun can come in. Kaun runs him over and gives him a slam, followed by Liona coming in to do the same. Bandido manages to slip away from Liona though and it’s back to King to power away on both Gates.

Kaun can’t get King in a fireman’s carry so King hits a hard clothesline. The Gates get back up for a middle rope elbow/Backstabber combination for two and we take a break. We come back with a double belly to back slam and a pair of backsplashes getting two on King. Liona is sent into Kaun in the corner and King manages a Cannonball. The much needed tag brings in Bandido who…dances and gyrates his hips? Liona misses a charge into the corner and Bandido GORILLA PRESSES Kaun into him (ok that got me) for two.

Liona blocks the 21 Plex and Bandido is put on top, where King electric chairs the Gates down. King takes Liona outside for the crossbody against the barricade but…well we’re not sure as the camera misses it, but we do see Liona throwing King over the barricade. Bandido misses a frog splash so Ricochet tries to bring in a chair, which is quickly cut off and earns Ricochet an ejection. Kaun drops Bandido with a clothesline and Open The Gates gets two, with King making the save. King dives onto Liona, leaving Bandido to hit the 21 Plex to retain the titles at 14:55.

Rating: B. This was a hard fought match, though I’m not sure why you would have the Gates win on Saturday and then lose here. The team’s biggest issue is that they rarely win in big matches so once they get a big win, they’re right back to losing in another big match. It was another good win for Bandido and King, though I’m almost scared to know who is going to be coming after them next.

The Conglomeration is ready to take out the Don Callis Family tonight and they have a surprise partner. The WORD OF THE DAY is MYSTERY but ORANGE you glad they have so many options to pick from. However, you will not be able to SQUEEZE this JUICY information out of him. Their future is so bright that they have to put on their sunglasses. Kyle O’Reilly calls the interviewer Jane, asks where his mind is, and whistles as he leaves. It’s going to be Jerry Sags isn’t it?

Hologram’s clone video plays.

Kris Statlander (with cheerleader Harley Cameron) is sore from her match but happy to win the title. She needs to face Mina Shirakawa tonight because someone needs to be first. As for being associated with the Death Riders, she says you can make fast decisions.

Video on Lee Moriarty.

AEW World Title: Hangman Page vs. Lee Moriarty

Page is defending. They shake hands to start (as Moriarty is a good guy for one night only) as Danielson gets in his regular praise for Blue Panther. Moriarty takes him down into a headscissors, which is broken up rather quickly for a standoff. A test of strength takes Moriarty down but Page lets him up and hits a big boot.

We take a break and come back with Moriarty landing on the apron, where he hits a springboard clothesline for two. They lock hands and strike it out until a fall away slam sends Moriarty falling away. Moriarty counters a Deadeye into an Octopus and then the Border City Stretch. That’s broken up in a hurry though and Page hits a quick Deadeye to retain at 9:55.

Rating: B-. This wasn’t exactly a match where there was supposed to be doubt about the win and it was good to Moriarty basically dropping Shane Taylor Promotions for one night. If he’s the hometown star, you don’t want to see him lose while as a villain so this was the way it should have gone. Page winning a quick match like this is fine, though hopefully it isn’t something that happens too often, as the title being on the line should feel special.

Back at All Out, Adam Copeland was rather nervous about what happened to his wife Beth. Copeland said he can’t do this anymore because it’s not the first time his family has been hurt. He has to go take care of his family and he isn’t sure if he’ll be back. Christian Cage said he doesn’t have a family anymore so Copeland can go take care of his. Copeland says Cage does have a family and offers a handshake, which Cage accepts. Are we doing this thing again where Beth is destroyed by a single move? I’m guessing we’re just forgetting that she’s a Hall Of Fame wrestler who has survived a lot before but this just wrecks her.

Here is FTR, with Stokely Hathaway, for a chat. Cash Wheeler talks about how what happened at All Out was never supposed to happen. They wanted to get rid of Copeland and Cage and move back towards the Tag Team Titles. What happened was ALL Copeland’s fault and Hathaway forgives Beth for what she did. He was coming out to introduce himself and he ALLOWED her to spear him.

The reality is Copeland and Cage needed her to win and that b….that BETH doesn’t even work here. Dax Harwood isn’t going to apologize for attacking Copeland, but he would never hurt Beth on purpose. The reality is he was blinded because his eyes were watering and he gave her a piledriver by mistake.

This brings out Willow Nightingale, who suggests that they are in fact LYING. She’s here to talk about Beth Phoenix, who is one of the reasons she became a wrestler. Women like Beth are the reason that women like her don’t take s*** from guys like Harwood. Hathaway tells her to watch the Proud Family and go to sleep so Nightingale goes after him. FTR grabs her but Jet Speed runs in for the save.

After All Out, MJF talks about how he was the biggest star in the world. Then he lost everything and went away for a bit and while he’s glad he accomplished so many things, he’s been doubting himself so much. The tacks in his back represent doubts and he’s going away for awhile. He’s not coming back until he can be back to his old self. And he’ll do it his way.

Here is the Don Callis Family for the six man tag, but first Don Callis wants to unveil his new painting. The painting is wheeled out and it’s….destroyed by the returning Orange Cassidy! Dang it I was really hoping for Jerry Sags. Anyway the fight is on fast.

Don Callis Family vs. Conglomeration

Cassidy dropkicks some of the Family down to start until Briscoe makes the save. The good guys clean house with dives, with Cassidy adding a fall off the top. That’s enough of the pre-match stuff so we actually get the opening bell. Cassidy and Hechicero start things off before it’s off to Briscoe to rain down right hands in the corner. Hologram gets to do the same, with Cassidy getting to put in one punch for a funny moment.

We settle down to Hologram coming in but getting taken down by Hechicero, who grabs a crossarm choke. A cutter plants Hologram again and we take a break. We come back with Hechicero going after Hologram’s knee but Hologram is back with a rather spinning headscissors. Okada comes in to run people off the apron but Hologram ducks a tag and brings in Briscoe. A fisherman’s buster gets two on Okada and Cassidy adds a Stundog Millionaire.

Everything breaks down and Cassidy hurricanranas Takeshita and Okada at the same time. Hechicero is back in with a headscissor driver to Hologram but Briscoe suplexes Okada. Takeshita gives Hologram a kneeling tombstone but Hologram is right back with a Canadian Destroyer. Cassidy gives Hechicero an Orange Punch and Hologram’s spinning torture rack bomb finishes him off at 10:36.

Rating: B-. This was the usual fun stuff and it was nice to have Cassidy back. Like him or not, he’s one of the most popular stars in AEW and having him back was a big upgrade for the show. He’s someone who is going to be slotted into an important spot almost immediately and now we get to see what is next for him, and maybe even Hologram. And Briscoe, who won a big match and is put into a six man where the focus was on his mystery partner.

Post match here is Kyle Fletcher, who says he will be World Champion one day. He felt terrible on Sunday and he’s going to become the greatest TNT Champion ever. That can start next week against….Hologram. Well it’s about time someone brought that up.

Mina Shirakawa is worried that she hasn’t heard from Toni Storm, but tonight she’s going to fight for the title.

Video on Jurassic Express, who reunited after a LONG time apart at All Out.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

Hobbs comes through the crowd and hammers away to start, meaning it’s time for a slugout. That leaves both of them staggered but Hobbs is back up with some slams. A belly to back suplex doesn’t do much to Hobbs, who slams him a few more times. Castagnoli’s chinlock doesn’t work as they crash out to the floor, where they slug it out again. Hobbs misses a charge into the steps though and Castagnoli sends him over the barricade.

That’s not enough so Castagnoli drops him onto the barricade and we take a break. We come back with Hobbs powering out of a camel clutch but getting knocked back down for two. Hobbs gets back up for the slugout and some running splashes in the corner have Castagnoli in more trouble. Castagnoli is able to catch him on top with a superplex though and that’s quite the big crash from someone like Hobbs.

A snap powerslam plants Castagnoli though and the corner clotheslines rock him again. Two more slams plant Castagnoli but he blocks the third and tries some clotheslines. That just wakes Hobbs up for a clothesline of his own and a slam, but here is Pac for a distraction. Castagnoli gets a small package for the pin at 11:36.

Rating: B-. There was something fun about watching two big strong guys like this beat the fire out of each other and it was a solid performance for Hobbs. The interference helps protect him, though Pac looking like an overly muscular Austin Aries isn’t helping him. It’s good to have him back for the time being though, even if it isn’t likely to last long.

Post match Samoa Joe chases Pac off and Hobbs clotheslines Castagnoli to the floor. The Death Riders run in for the beatdown but Hangman Page makes the save (returning a favor to the Opps).

President Tony Khan has a big announcement: the introduction of Women’s Tag Team Titles. Renee Paquette gets to unveil the new titles. The division has some teams so it’s not out of nowhere, but there are SO MANY titles already and so much else going on that there is barely time for everything AEW already has going on. If that isn’t fixed, these titles are going to get lost in the shuffle really, really fast.

Women’s Title: Mina Shirakawa vs. Kris Statlander

Statlander is defending and Wheeler Yuta is at ringside. A shoulder puts Shirakawa down to start and a standing moonsault gives Statlander two. Shirakawa ducks a clothesline and does her dance, earning her a quick belly to back suplex. Statlander misses a charge into the corner though and Shirakawa starts in on the knees. Said knees are sent into the apron and steps but Statlander drops all of her onto the apron as we take a break.

We come back with Shirakawa hitting a Sling Blade, followed by a dancing double knee stomp. Statlander is able to get back up for a high kick into a Falcon Arrow for two but Shirakawa takes the knee out again. A top rope Sling Blade gives Shirakawa two and she rolls into the Figure Four. The rope is reached so Shirakawa strikes her down for two but Statlander is right back with the seatbelt to retain at 11:07.

Rating: B. Putting Statlander out there for a win is fine, though dang it feels like Shirakawa loses a lot. In theory Statlander is going to get a rematch with Toni Storm sooner than later, and that’s the kind of win that’s going to really make her a big deal. Assuming it happens of course.

Post match Yuta gets in the ring to celebrate but here is Harley Cameron to even things out. The Death Riders, including Jon Moxley, show up as well and Statlander seems to join the team…only to clothesline Yuta. She even flips off Moxley and runs off into the crowd. Eh it’s close enough to DDP and the NWO that I’ll take it. Cue Darby Allin with a flamethrower to scare the team away. Allin issues a challenge for an I Quit match at WrestleDream. Oh that could go very badly.

Overall Rating: B+. This was quite the show, with solid action throughout and some stuff being made for upcoming shows. Hopefully they can keep the momentum going after a good pay per view and a rather strong Dynamite. The ending made Statlander look like a fresh star and that is something the women’s division has been needing for a good while. Throw in Cassidy being back and anything involving Pac vs. Joe and AEW has me interested going forward.

Results
Bandido/Brody King b. Gates Of Agony – 21 Plex to Kaun
Hangman Page b. Lee Moriarty – Deadeye
Conglomeration b. Don Callis Family – Spinning torture rack bomb to Hechicero
Claudio Castagnoli b. Powerhouse Hobbs – Small package
Kris Statlander b. Mina Shirakawa – Seatbelt

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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All Out 2025
Date: September 20, 2025
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Bryan Danielson

It’s back to pay per view and the show is looking decent at best. The main event, or at least the World Title match, is Hangman Page defending against Kyle Fletcher, whose TNT Title isn’t on the line. Other than that we have Darby Allin facing Jon Moxley in a coffin match, which could go in a few ways. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Opps vs. WorkHorsemen

Henry strikes away at Hobbs to no avail to start and gets slammed down a few times to start. Drake breaks up the seventh or so slam, only to take it himself. It’s off to Joe for the snap jabs to the seated Drake but Henry comes back in with a DDT for two. Joe is right back with a powerslam and it’s back to Hobbs to run both WorkHorsemen over. Drake tries a dropkick and Joe walks away, setting up the Koquina Clutch for the tap at 5:22.

Rating: C-. This is a good example of a match that works fine if it starts ten minutes before the pay per view to warm the fans up a bit. Instead, it’s one of four matches with a team who is two thirds of the Trios Champions beating a team that means absolutely nothing in AEW. This added nothing other than content for the sake of content and that’s not the most thrilling start.

Kickoff Show: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Daniel Garcia

Marina Shafir is here with Garcia. Shibata charges in and boots him in the face to start fast as they’re quickly out on the floor. Garcia gets sent into the barricade as Shibata is more aggressive than usual here. We actually take a break and come back with Garcia ignoring Matt Menard (smart move) and dropkicking the steps into Shibata’s head. A basement forearm gives Garcia two and they trade forearms, as is their custom.

An exchange of German suplexes leaves Garcia down in the corner but he escapes a triangle choke. They go to the apron with Garcia hitting a Death Valley Driver and we take another break. We come back with an exchange of slaps leaving both of them down. Another exchange of forearms lets Garcia get a front chancery into a piledriver for two. Shibata is back up with the sleeper and Garcia taps but Shafir has the referee. The distraction lets Garcia hit a Gotch style piledriver and a curb stomp for the pin at 14:48.

Rating: C+. Well, Garcia is now a villain and getting to do matches like this. I mean, nothing is really different about him and he’s still about as dull as he was before, but now he has Shafir helping him win. He’s perfectly acceptable as a midcard guy, but if AEW tries to push him beyond that, I don’t see it going well.

Kickoff Show: Hologram/Paragon vs. Frat House

The Frat House jump the good guys to start but that’s broken up in a hurry. Strong suplexes Hologram onto Vance but a distraction lets him send O’Reilly throat first into the ropes. O’Reilly is right back up for the tag off to Hologram to clean house and a triple strike puts Vance down. Hologram hits a big dive and a top rope double stomp finishes Garrison at 3:18.

Rating: C. It was a match you might see on any given edition of Ring Of Honor, though I can appreciate just getting them in and out rather than wasting time on something where the result was never in doubt. The Frat House means nothing in AEW (and have barely ever wrestled here) while Hologram never loses (and never moves up the card). At least Paragon didn’t lose again, though I’m sure they will in the next match that matters in the slightest.

Kickoff Show: Megan Bayne/Penelope Ford/Triangle Of Madness vs. Harley Cameron/Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata/Willow Nightingale

Tornado Tailgate Brawl, basically meaning a street fight. Cameron and company get into a football formation to start and throw something, which is enough of a distraction for them to run over the villains. Bayne isn’t having that and starts throwing people to the floor before getting a slugout with Nightingale. Everyone gets back in and it’s a quadruple suplex for Bayne’s team to get sent flying. It’s time to bust out the weapons and we take an early break.

We come back with Nightingale being powerbombed onto…I think it’s a cooler? Shirakawa and Aminata come back in and swing a cooler each to take over. Ford is put in a trashcan for a handspring elbow in the corner before Nightingale Pounces Bayne. The Triangle is put in a barbecue grill, leaving Ford to get caught in the Babe With The Powerbomb for the pin at 11:29.

Rating: B-. I had fun with this as it was a big themed brawl, but more importantly, the match had been set up in recent weeks. This was the biggest match on the Kickoff Show and it made things feel more important. It’s also nice to see Nightingale get a win, though I’m more curious about what is next for Bayne, as she is kind of lacking anything to do at the moment.

And now, the show proper.

The opening video looks at the bigger matches on the card, with a theme of going north. To Canada you see.

Bryan Danielson comes out for commentary.

We recap Adam Copeland/Christian Cage vs. FTR. The Canadians don’t really like each other, but they’re agreeing to get back together to help each other with their respective problems.

Earlier today, Copeland and Cage arrived and ran into some Toronto Maple Leaf legends. And a guy in a messed up mask with a makeshift title belt named the Green Bastard. That last one was a bit odd.

FTR vs. Adam Copeland/Christian Cage

Stokely Hathaway is here with FTR and Harwood has a broken nose. Fans: “OH F*** THE REVIVAL!” Cage backs Harwood into the corner to start and it’s an early clean break. Harwood takes Cage down and walks on his back, only to be sent into the post for his efforts. Copeland comes in for a double hiptoss and Wheeler comes in for a change. Wheeler grinds away on a headlock, which is reversed into a Thesz press so Copeland can fire off some right hands.

It’s back to Cage, who bites Wheeler in the corner as the fans sing about wanting Cage to be their a******. Wheeler stomps on Cage’s back to take over and we hit the chinlock. Harwood takes Wheeler’s place but Cage fights up, only for Wheeler to distract Copeland in a simple but classic move. Back in and Wheeler’s Vader Bomb hits raised boots, which is enough for the big tag off to Copeland.

The Edge-O-Matic gets two on Harwood, who is sent into the post. Copeland even returns the favor from a recent Smackdown with a Five Knuckle Shuffle, which gets the fans chanting for someone who will be wrestling on another company’s show later tonight. Cage cuts off a Hart Attack to Copeland and it’s a double Sharpshooter, with Hathaway having to offer an assist for the save. Stokely gets scared on the floor and the brawl heads outside with the Canadians taking over again.

Back in and a Twist Of Fate is broken up, with Harwood sending Cage into Copeland for the crotching on top. The Shatter Machine is broken up and Copeland/Cage use each other’s finishers to put FTR down again. Hathaway has to pull the referee…which brings out Beth Copeland (Phoenix) to drop him with a spear. Wheeler brings in the ring bell but Copeland cuts him off. Harwood begs Copeland’s forgiveness before Cage is sent into the announcers’ table.

A bell to the head and a spike piledriver get two on Copeland but he’s right back with a pair of Impalers. FTR is back with the Shatter Machine for two as the kickouts are getting ridiculous again. Another Shatter Machine connects…and Copeland staggers up for a spear to Wheeler for the pin at 18:03 as Cage cuts Harwood off.

Rating: B-. The fan reaction was fun and really made this better, as did the Beth interference, but WOW that ending was ridiculous, as Copeland got hit with a bell, a spike piledriver, and two Shatter Machines but popped back up with his finisher for the win anyway. The match was good but never reached some higher level, though it felt like it was more for the live fans than anything else. Seeing Copeland and Christian together again was fun though, and a run at the titles shouldn’t be out of the question.

Post match Mother Wayne and Nick Wayne come out for a distraction, allowing FTR to jump Cage and Copeland from behind. Copeland gets handcuffed to the ropes as Kip Sabian comes in to help with the beatdown, including a spike piledriver. Beth fights back as well but gets caught in a spike piledriver of her own.

We recap Big Bill vs. Eddie Kingston. Bill randomly started calling Kingston out as Kingston had been out of action for almost a year and a half after a leg injury. Now Kingston is back and that’s about it.

Big Bill vs. Eddie Kingston

Bryan Keith is here with Bill. Kingston, in a CLAUDIO SUCKS EGGS shirt, gets a big reaction and chops away at Bill to start fast. A big boot drops Kingston in a hurry and Bill mockingly pounds him down, with Kingston telling him to bring it. Bill’s clothesline gets two but Kingston catches him with a backfist.

The exploder sends Bill flying but the spinning backfist is countered into a not so great swinging Boss Man Slam. A better version gets two but Kingston DDTs his way out of a chokeslam attempt. The spinning backfist gets one and Bill kicks Kingston down again. Bill misses a charge into the corner though and another spinning backfist (which really didn’t seem to connect) finishes for Kingston at 7:25.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t the greatest return for Kingston, as the feud pretty much came out of nowhere and then the match itself wasn’t exactly smooth. Kingston looked banged up and slow and the ending came out of absolutely nowhere. Not much to this one, as while it’s nice to have Kingston back, it wasn’t a good return.

Post match Keith comes in for the beatdown but Hook comes in for the save.

We recap Mark Briscoe vs. MJF. They hate each other and have cost each other title shots. MJF wants to fight Briscoe so much that he’s allowing Briscoe to pick the stipulation. Therefore, it’s a Tables And Thumbtacks match, which can’t possibly go well.

Mark Briscoe vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Tables And Tacks with wins coming by pin or submission and MJF is in white so you know what’s coming. MJF immediately heads to the floor, leaving Briscoe to pour out a bunch of tacks. Then he pours out even more but MJF stalls even more, which is enough for MJF to come outside and start hammering away. A low blow gets MJF out of trouble and they get inside, with the tacks scaring MJF again.

They slug it out and tease slams onto the tacks before trying to send the other’s face into the tacks. MJF gets the first slam to send Briscoe into the tacks and then presses him head first into the tacks. It’s time for the first table, which MJF puts right back under the ring. Back in and an Alabama slam sends Briscoe into the tacks again and MJF drags him over the tacks. MJF puts some tacks into Briscoe’s mouth for a right hand but Briscoe is back with a backdrop.

As MJF looks like he wants to cry, Briscoe rips off MJF’s shirt and then powerbombs him onto the tacks for two. It’s too early for the Froggy Bow so MJF rolls outside, where Briscoe (with tacks in his back) hits a running flip dive. The table is set up and MJF is quickly put through it and it’s already time for another table. MJF is elbowed through that one as well so Briscoe sets up a third one, only for MJF to throw tacks into Briscoe’s eyes.

Briscoe powerbombs him onto the tacks again and it’s time for a thumbtack chair. MJF takes it away and hits Briscoe to the back, followed by a Tombstone onto the tacks for two. With Briscoe down, MJF puts a table up in the ring and pours more tacks on top. They go up top, where Briscoe knocks him down and then puts him through the table. The Froggy Bow sets up the Jay Driller onto the tacks to finish MJF at 19:23.

Rating: C+. What is there to say about this? They used the tacks and then they used the tacks and then they used the tacks and then they used some tables and then they used tacks on a table and then they used more tacks. It was fun to see MJF get hurt, but it was really hard to get interested when it was the same weapons time after time. I don’t care for this kind of match in the first place and this wasn’t an interesting way to go either.

Earlier this week, Jerry Lynn got the former Acclaimed a tag match for next week because he knows they work well together. They don’t want to do it but Lynn threatens them with suspensions.

We recap the Gates Of Agony/Ricochet vs. the Hurt Syndicate. The Gates and Ricochet coat them the Tag Team Titles and now the Syndicate wants some revenge, with MVP even getting in the ring.

Gates Of Agony/Ricochet vs. Hurt Syndicate

Ricochet and the Gates are known as “The Demand”, as the names for teams actually get worse around here. MVP and Kaun get things going but MVP wants Ricochet. That’s exactly what he gets but Ricochet bails out to the floor for the always dumb “my time” response. Kaun comes in and gets drop toeholded, followed by a jumping knee. Benjamin comes in and is having none of Kaun’s clothesline before grabbing an ankle lock.

That’s broken up so Lashley comes in to take over on Ricochet. The delayed suplex connects, with Ricochet’s foot hitting MVP on the way down. Ballin hits Ricochet for two and MVP exploders him out of the corner for the same. Liona comes in off a distraction though and kicks MVP’s knee out to put him in trouble for a change. A clothesline puts Ricochet down for a breather and MVP sends him to the apron, allowing the tag off to Lashley.

We get the Lashley vs. Liona showdown but it’s quickly back to Benjamin to send Ricochet flying. Benjamin German suplexes Kaun and Ricochet at the same time (because that’s a thing) and Lashley’s spear cuts Kaun down. Ricochet makes the save with a springboard 450 and Kaun hits a Backstabber into a running elbow.

Everything breaks down and Benjamin hits a step up knee on the floor, only for Ricochet to hit a big running flip dive over the post to take Benjamin down as well. Liona is sent into Lashley and Benjamin but MVP suplexes Ricochet anyway. The Playmaker is broken up with a chop block though and the Spirit Gun finishes for Ricochet at 13:46.

Rating: B-. It was a fun and pretty wild match, with MVP being the weak link in the team, which shouldn’t be a stunning result. It is kind of a stunning result to see Ricochet and the Gates win, as the Gates aren’t exactly known for winning a big match. I’m not exactly convinced this is leading to something big, but it’s certainly a surprise win for a change.

We recap Riho challenging Mercedes Mone for the TBS Title. Mone is defending because she is the eternal champion and Riho is challenging because she exists and therefore must get title shots after being gone for long stretches.

TBS Title: Riho vs. Mercedes Mone

Mone is defending and comes out with a team of guards, all wearing her titles. Riho doesn’t like being shoved in the face to start so she rolls Mone up and goes after the leg. Mone’s arm is tied up in the arm and Riho stops to mock her dance. A 619 puts Mone on the floor and a double stomp off the apron has her in more trouble.

Riho hits a second off of the announcers’ table but she misses a third off the top. A crucifix bomb gets two on Mone but she’s back with a ram into the announcers’ table on the floor. The Meteora off of said table gets two and Mone hits a dropkick, with Mone’s boot hitting Riho in the throat. Mone stomps her down but gets pulled into an armbar, followed by a crossface.

That’s broken up so Riho hits a double stomp to the banged up ribs and a German suplex gets two. Mone is back up with Three Amigos because we needed another Eddie Guerrero tribute. The frog splash hits raised knees and Riho hits the top rope double stomp for two. Mone is back up with the running knees in the corner but Riho ties up the leg again. The leg is grabbed for the escape so Riho switches to a northern lights suplex for two. Mone goes to the eyes and the Moneymaker retains the title at 15:53.

Rating: B-. Hey look: Mone wins again. She lost her one match to Toni Storm and now it’s back to what it always is: her bragging about all of the titles she’s won in promotions that mean absolutely nothing, followed by keeping the TBS Title in a pretty good match. She’s been champion for about a year and a half now. Find something else for her to do already.

We recap the Unified Title match. It’s a rather unnecessary tournament to set up a triple threat for the title, with the champion having to win a qualifying match to earn the right to defend his title.

Unified Title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mascara Dorada

Okada is defending. Dorada is sent outside and runs back in to split the other two up, making it all the clearer that he doesn’t need to be in this match. Takeshita takes over with a boot to put Dorada down as Don Callis and Bryan Danielson explain Japanese wrestling culture, because we apparently need to know that to understand the match. Back up and Okada is sent to the floor, followed by Dorada’s hurricanrana to send Takeshita outside.

Dorada’s dive is cut off though and he gets dropped hard on the floor, setting up a camel clutch back inside. That’s broken up and Okada comes in for a DDT, with Takeshita not being happy on the cover. Dorada uses the distraction to send both of them outside, with a big dive taking Takeshita down. Back in and Dorada takes over, with Excalibur wondering if Dorada can defeat “the greatest tournament wrestler of all time.”

As I cringe so hard at the fact that someone in this company thinks that’s a good moniker, Dorada gets two off an electric chair flipped into a neckbreaker. Takeshita is back up with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two on Okada but Dorada is back with a running Canadian Destroyer for two. Okada and Takeshita go up top so it’s a double springboard hurricanrana from Dorada, which even has Callis impressed. That earns Dorada a double big boot to put him back down so the other two trade forearms.

An exchange of suplexes put them both down so Dorada moonsaults both of them for two. Takeshita is back up with a Last Ride but Okada blocks a knee lift. Back up and Takeshita German suplexes both of them at once, but Dorada manages to stick the landing. A hurricanrana gets two on Takeshita and a DDT puts Okada down on the apron. Back in and Takeshita gives Dorada Raging Fire but Okada makes the save and hits the Rainmaker to pin Okada and retain at 20:57.

Rating: A-. Dorada looked great in there and Takeshita was his usual awesome self. At the same time, hearing about Okada being “the greatest tournament wrestler of all time” is every bit as dumb as it was in the first place. Putting together some nothing qualifying matches to officially make this a tournament is as much of a stretch as you can get, as having that many tournaments is hardly some kind of a great idea. All that being said, match of the night by a lot here, with Dorada getting an absolute star making performance before we get to Okada vs. Takeshita down the line.

We recap Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley in a coffin match. They hate each other, Moxley is violent and Allin likes coffins.

Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin

Coffin match and Allin jumps him in the crowd to start fast, with a Coffin Drop from a balcony dropping Moxley again. Moxley manages to cut him off for a drop onto the barricade and they fight to ringside, with Allin going after the ear. Moxley knocks the coffin over but Allin puts him inside for a near close.

That seems to freak Moxley out so he hits a Crash Landing to put Allin onto the coffin for a nasty crash (landing). Cue the rest of the Death Riders to help the bleeding Moxley put the coffin inside. Moxley actually sends the team to the back and mockingly kicks Allin, who whips out a fork to stab Moxley in the head. Allin twists the fingers around and hits a Coffin Drop before finding a pipe.

More ear assaulting continues, with Allin biting said ear. Moxley drops him onto the coffin again but Allin blocks the lid from being closed. Allin hits him with a pipe and whips out a plastic bag to choke Moxley out. Fans: “THIS IS MURDER!” Cue Pac for the save (of course) and a toss Razor’s edge over the top onto the other coffin. Pac puts Allin in a body bag and Allin is put in the coffin (by Pac) to give Moxley the win at 19:16.

Rating: C-. The action was fine, but good grief I can’t stand this nonsense. Between the fork, the ear nonsense, the plastic bag over the head, and of course HAHA MOXLEY WINS AGAIN, I was getting more and more annoyed watching the match. It’s more stupid stunts and violence for the sake of stunts and violence and the good guy doesn’t even win after his big return because Moxley has to instead. Just more nonsense and incredibly annoying.

Mark Briscoe and the Conglomeration are happy with their wins so Briscoe issues a challenge for a six man tag against the Don Callis Family. We even get a tease of the return of Orange Cassidy.

We recap the Women’s Title match, with Toni Storm defending against three challengers in a big movie.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm vs. Thekla vs. Kris Statlander vs. Jamie Hayter

Storm is defending. Wheeler Yuta comes out to give Statlander her usual applause before leaving again, making things that much better. Statlander clears the ring rather quickly to start and moonsaults off the apron to drop Hayter. Storm and Thekla crash outside as well (with one of them asking if the other is ok) before Storm is put on top back inside. A spider suplex takes her down and Hayter gets the same treatment.

Storm is back up with some running hip attacks but Hayter fires off some hard clotheslines. Statlander comes back with some kicks and forearms until Hayter and Storm team up to get rid of her. Staturday Night Fever plants Thekla on the floor but Storm hits a hip attack and Storm Zero for a fast two. Thekla is back in with a leg choke on Storm (naturally Danielson is right there to explain the physics behind the move) until Hayter breaks it up. Thekla hits a heck of a spear to knock Hayter off the apron…and Statlander uses the seatbelt to pin Storm and win the title at 11:59.

Rating: B. They kept the energy going here and it was a rather nice good match as a result. It’s a fine example of a match where they got in, did their thing, and got out before it went too long. The ending is a bit odd, but Statlander is instantly launched up the ranks and that’s a great thing to see. Much better than I was expecting here.

We recap the Tag Team Title ladder match. There are champions and three sets of challengers. Since it’s a ladder match, tagging means nothing so it’s time for another car crash.

Tag Team Titles: Bandido/Brody King vs. Young Bucks vs. Don Callis Family vs. Jet Speed

Bandido and King are defending in a ladder match. The Family cleans house to start until Jet Speed come in to take them out. The Bucks get to take over until Bandido breaks that up, including an X Knee to Matt. King comes back in and German suplexes three people at once before bringing in the first ladder.

Bailey is there to take them out with a dive so the Family sends him into a ladder in the corner. Alexander is sent into a ladder as well and has to get checked out, leaving the Bucks to beat up Bailey. King comes back in and tries a dive, which is cut off with a ladder to the head. Nick hits a dive to crush King on the ladder but Knight is back in to make a save. Jet Speed goes up so King cuts them off, only for Bailey to fire off the kicks.

Alexander ankle locks Bailey as he climbs the ladder so they both go up. Hechicero is back in and bridges a ladder into the standing one. Bailey knocks him down and hits moonsault knees before it’s time to set up tables on the floor. The Bucks and Hechicero hit a bunch of dives to put people through tables, with Bailey and King getting the worst of things as they went through a ladder. Knight is one of the few people left standing and go up, with Matt going up for the slugout.

That’s broken up and King climbs as well, until Alexander pull shim down for a crash. Knight goes up again so a bunch of people pick up the ladder and carry him over to the ropes for a crash through a table. The Bucks hit the BTE Trigger and go up until King turns the ladder over. King hands the ladder to Bandido to flip onto a pile of people, leaving him to go up and retain the titles at 24:36.

Rating: B. It’s fun, the spots were good, and I’m rather happy the champions retained. I’m just sick of ladder matches, especially ones where they have this many people. Either way, it’s the definition of “turn your brain off and have fun” and I’ll absolutely take it over the tacks and screwdriver and all that nonsense.

Post match everyone but the Bucks leave…and Jack Perry is back. He flips them off and takes out an interfering Rocky Romero but gets superkicked by the Bucks. The lights go out and we see a car coming to the arena…and a video shows Perry reviving Luchasaurus. The Jurassic Express is back, as that’s apparently a thing again.

Jon Moxley is in the back with the coffin and sends the Death Riders off. Allin pops out of the coffin and fights back to put Moxley in a body bag. Which he lights on fire. Because of course he does.

Tony Khan will have a big announcement on Dynamite. Oh geez.

We recap the main event. Hangman Page won the World Title but Kyle Fletcher wants to prove he’s ready. Page sees potential in him but wants to avoid interference so Fletcher can prove what he can do. Works for Fletcher and we’re on.

AEW World Title: Hangman Page vs. Kyle Fletcher

Only Page is defending and the Don Callis Family is barred from ringside, though Callis himself is on commentary. The lights appear to go blue here (I kind of like it) as Fletcher takes over on the arm to start. They chop it out until Fletcher head fakes him into a superkick for a smart move. Fletcher takes Page outside and sends him over the barricade for a big running dive.

Back in and Fletcher elbows away at the neck, followed by a powerbomb onto the apron. The table (because we haven’t had enough of those tonight) is loaded up but Page fights out of a brainbuster from the apron. Instead Fletcher grabs a hanging DDT for two, followed by a Michinoku Driver for the same. The Boston crab keeps Page in trouble but he manages to fight up and hit a backdrop.

A fall away slam sends Fletcher into the corner for two but Page keeps favoring his neck. Page grabs a pop up powerbomb for two and tries a middle rope moonsault, which is superkicked out of the air. A sitout powerbomb gives Fletcher two and they head outside, with Page managing a Tombstone on the floor. Page’s hanging DDT onto the floor has Fletcher in more trouble (Danielson: “An eye for an eye and a neck for a neck!”) and they get a double breather.

Fletcher kicks him down and hits a brainbuster through the timekeeper’s area. The brainbuster gets two back inside and they trade hard shots to the face. Page is back up with the Deadeye off the apron and through the table (at a scary angle) for the big double down. Back in and Fletcher collapses as Page tries the Buckshot Lariat and they’re both down again.

Page is up with a V Trigger but the One Winged Angel is broken up. Instead Page hits a Deadeye for two and then plants him for two more. The Buckshot is countered into a brainbuster for another near fall, which has Callis and Danielson losing it on commentary. With nothing else working, Fletcher pulls off a turnbuckle pad and takes Page into the corner. The super brainbuster is blocked though and it’s a super Deadeye into the Buckshot to retain the title at 38:07.

Rating: B+. Really good match here, though my goodness get over it with the tables and the weapons and all that jazz. You have two people here who can have a great match without them but they’re involved anyway. All that being said, this was a lot better than I was expecting as Fletcher more than hung in there with a much bigger star. Solid main event, albeit at the end of a very long show.

Overall Rating: B. The show is good overall with most of the big matches delivering, but they have got to cut back on the garbage wrestling/weapons stuff. It’s choking the life out of these shows as it feels like putting things in the matches for the sake of having them there. The Unified Title match and main event are both worth seeing, but there is still a lot that could be cut off the show. I liked it, but as usual I’m exhausted and not wanting to see AEW for a long time, which is always the case on these pay per views.

Results
Opps b. WorkHorsemen – Koquina Clutch to Drake
Daniel Garcia b. Katsuyori Shibata – Curb stomp
Hologram/Paragon b. Frat House – Top rope double stomp to Garrison
Harley Cameron/Queen Aminata/Willow Nightingale/Mina Shirakawa b. Triangle Of Madness/Megan Bayne/Penelope Ford – Babe With The Powerbomb to Ford
Adam Copeland/Christian Cage b. FTR – Spear to Wheeler
Eddie Kingston b. Big Bill – Spinning backfist
Mark Briscoe b. Maxwell Jacob Friedman – Jay Driller onto tacks
Ricochet/Gates Of Agony b. Hurt Syndicate – Spirit Gun to MVP
Mercedes Mone b. Riho – Moneymaker
Kazuchika Okada b. Mascara Dorada and Konosuke Takeshita – Rainmaker to Dorada
Jon Moxley b. Darby Allin – Allin was put in the coffin
Kris Statlander b. Toni Storm, Thekla and Jamie Hayter – Seat belt to Storm
Bandido/Brody King b. Young Bucks, Don Callis Family and Jet Speed – Bandido pulled down the titles
Hangman Page b. Kyle Fletcher – Buckshot Lariat

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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It’s time for the next pay per view and the show isn’t exactly feeling like a hot one. In addition to having come off of an only so good Forbidden Door, there are a lot of big names missing due to injuries or health issues. That’s going to make for a bit of a messy show, but the wrestling can often pull them out of the fire. Hopefully that’s the case again here so let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Opps vs. WorkHorsemen

This was reportedly set for the show though I didn’t see it officially announced. I can’t blame AEW for not publicizing it more because…well would you really want to see it? The WorkHorsemen are another team that has a bigger guy who can move around fairly well and that’s about it for their appeal. They’re a team who aren’t bad at all but they don’t really stand out, which makes their addition to the show a bit unnecessary.

There is a grand total of no doubt about the winners here, as Joe and Hobbs can get a nice victory in what should be dominant fashion. I say should be because it won’t be, because this is a match that will likely get way more time than it needs. Joe getting to smash people is always fun though and that’s the appeal here, as he’s really good when he gets to do his thing.

Kickoff Show: Daniel Garcia vs. Katsuyori Shibata

It’s the third match in a trilogy where the first two matches were only so interesting in the first place. This is also coming just after Garcia joined the Death Riders so he’s going to be even more evil and….whatever you call the Death Riders. Shibata is likely going to be his usual self and that’s going to mean a lot of cool looking stuff without a ton of charisma behind it.

I have no reason to believe that Shibata is winning here as Garcia can get his revenge and get off to a nice start as part of the Death Riders. That’s a good way to go as beating Shibata still feels like an impressive feat. Garcia needs to show that he has gotten something out of his turn and this is as good a chance as he is going to have to start off pretty fast.

Kickoff Show: Harley Cameron/Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata/Willow Nightingale vs. Megan Bayne/Penelope Ford/Triangle Of Madness

This is likely going to be the Kickoff Show main event as it’s a Tornado Tailgate Brawl, which is the latest term for a hardcore/weapons match. The good thing is that these teams have been fighting for a few weeks now so there is at least a story to the whole thing. I’ll take that over another randomly thrown together match and there will at least be some nice violence to start things off.

I’ll take Bayne and company to win here, likely beating Aminata in the process. Cameron’s team is a bunch of more fun people rather than tougher stars, which is going to be a problem against a monster like Bayne. Either way, there should be some fun spots in here and it feels a good bit more interesting than some of these things that we have seen over the previous shows.

Hurt Syndicate vs. Ricochet/Gates Of Agony

This is a rare instance of MVP getting back in the ring and that’s one of the only reasons to believe that the Syndicate is in danger. The Gates Of Agony are not going to be threats to Lashley and Benjamin, as has been proven before, so the only real chance the team has is to take out MVP. I’m not sure what is where it is going to go, but it makes for the only interesting option.

I keep wanting to say Ricochet sand the Gates win but I’ll take what feels like the more reasonable pick and say the Syndicate. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them move up to something more important in the near future (they might want their Tag Team Titles back) and that doesn’t involve losing here. Either way, it should be a nice power brawl, with MVP being able to hold up his end despite not being in the ring in a good while.

Big Bill vs. Eddie Kingston

So this one is just kind of happening, as Kingston has been gone for about a year and a half due to his injuries and didn’t have any major issues with Bill. Then one day Bill just randomly started talking about Kingston and the match was set. I kind of like the idea of mixing up a return rather than having Kingston show up to end a show for a change, but this is kind of out there.

Again, I don’t see any reason to believe that Kingston is losing here, as you don’t bring him back to lose in his first match. At the same time, I kind of wish it wasn’t Bill getting stuck with a loss as he’s been doing well, but the match is so random and out of nowhere that it’s not like they have another choice. Kingston wins here, because there is pretty much no reason for him to lose.

Tag Team Titles: Bandido/Brody King(c) vs. Young Bucks vs. Jet Speed vs. Don Callis Family

Hey look: a ladder match for the titles. It’s another match where they can do all of their stunts and dives without having to really put together a coherent match and that’s what always tends to happen. In this case we have the Bucks getting back into the title hunt because they’re the Bucks, Jet Speed because they’re the new tag team that AEW wants to push and the Family because…well there are so many of them that they have to go somewhere.

I’ll take the champs to retain here, as they haven’t had the belts for very long and could use a big win. While it would be better to have them beat some teams clean in a regular match where they can tear the house down, the best we’re going to get is this kind of a thing because AEW really likes having ladder matches. You knew this was coming so just enjoy the popcorn style match because it has to be checked off a list.

Unified Title: Kazuchika Okada(c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mascara Dorada

This is two matches in one as you have the “get it before it’s gone” portion as the Unified part will be taken away for the sake of this year’s Continental Classic, along with the “here’s a match that would be better with two people but we’re doing three” with Dorada added. My guess is that AEW needs an excuse to talk about Okada being “the greatest tournament wrestler of all time” even though this has been a tournament only in the loosest sense of the word.

While Takeshita is the red hot hand at the moment, I’m thinking they keep the title on Okada so we can get Takeshita’s moment later on, perhaps in the tournament final. As in the other tournament final later this year with the Continental Classic. Dorada is likely there to take the fall as this keeps stretching out, despite it being the perfect time for Takeshita to end Okada’s however long reign with whatever title you say he has at the moment.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone(c) vs. Riho

It’s time for the annual Riho push as she’s back from her hiatus for whatever reason it was this time and of course she’s right in the title picture. At the same time, Mone is coming off her loss to Toni Storm and needs another victim, so we’ve been lucky enough to have Riho get moved up to the front of the line. This match has felt entirely tacked on and yet it gets a pay per view spot anyway because Mone is a major star or something.

This feels like the next regularly scheduled victory for Mone so we’ll say the title stays in one place for the time being. I have no idea who is supposed to take the thing from her but hopefully she drops it sooner rather than later. Her matches are good but just watching her stack up her eleventy billion belts from places like BestYa Wrestling (yes that’s a real place) isn’t exactly interesting. Either way she retains here.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm(c) vs. Thekla vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Kris Statlander

Here we have another match that feels like it should be a singles match as Thekla has been coming after Storm for a few weeks now but Hayter and Statlander are just kind of here too. That makes for another messy match where they can trade off on occasion, though I’m wondering if Willow Nightingale is going to get involved and cost Statlander the match in some way.

I’ll go with Storm retaining here, as she has been champion for a long time now but I’m scared that we’re building up to Mone taking the title from Storm in a rematch. For now though, it’s going to be a wild match with a bunch of things going on and people flying around, but Storm probably retains here. It still should be Thekla vs. Storm, though why do that when you can put more people into the match?

Adam Copeland/Christian Cage vs. FTR

This is a match that is about as much of a layup as you can get on paper, but somehow they’ve managed to make it feel less important. The problem here is that FTR has been doing their side feud with Adam Priest/Tommy Billington and had trouble beating them in two straight matches. Then they jumped back to Copeland and Cage, which just kind of made FTR seem weak leading into their huge match.

That being said, I’ll of course take Cage and Copeland to win here, as there is no reason to have them lose. It isn’t like FTR is doing much of note at the moment so having them lose to the legendary team is a smart way to go. Hopefully they don’t bother trying to do anything ridiculous for the sake of heat, as this should be one result without veering off the path no matter what.

Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley

Well at least Moxley isn’t champion anymore. This is a coffin match, which is now Allin’s signature deal and hopefully a way to write Moxley off for a bit. In short, AEW needs a breather from Moxley, who has dominated the company for far too long. He’s no longer the World Champion but now he gets the chance to beat Allin for good and wrap up their feud that started like a year ago and then stopped for the sake of mountain climbing.

There’s no reason for Allin to lose here so we’ll go with Moxley losing to hopefully start the downfall of the Death Riders. There is little reason to even consider Moxley winning here, as he dominated the company for so long that he needs to lose some big matches for a change. While I’m scared that Moxley might get the win to set up some final showdown with Allin, I’ll take the logical move of Allin winning.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Mark Briscoe

This is a Tables N Tacks match because reasons of tables n tacks need to be a thing. It’s supposed to be little more than violence and Briscoe getting revenge on MJF for everything he has done, which will work out well enough. At the same time though, it’s hard to believe that Briscoe is going to win here because Briscoe is just not the kind of person who wins big time matches.

So yeah, I’ll take MJF to win here, as it’s one of those matches that seems to be set up for him to lose, only for him to pull off the win in the end. It’s the kind of thing that makes the most sense, with MJF getting to head back to his World Title feud with Page, while Briscoe heads back to being the kind of weird guy who pops up and beats midcarders but loses to bigger opponents. It makes sense, even if I could go for Briscoe getting a nice win for a change.

AEW World Title: Hangman Page(c) vs. Kyle Fletcher

I’m liking Fletcher more and more in recent weeks, but at the same time I’m nowhere near close enough to seeing him as a viable World Championship challenger. He feels like someone who is being thrown out there because we need someone to face Page. The idea of having Fletcher doing this on his own is a good move, but I’m not sold on the idea that the Family stays out.

I can’t imagine this actually closes out the show but either way, Page wins to retain the title. He’s likely going to be moving on to the next challenger, whomever that might be, as Fletcher is dispatched in a long match. That’s where it should go at least and I can’t imagine it being much of anything else. Fletcher is going to be fine after the loss, though I have no idea how he is the best option available as a reigning champion.

Overall Thoughts

I’m still not feeling this show, as a lot of it feels like it should be featured on a big time TV special rather than a pay per view. There are some parts that look good, but a lot of it feels like they threw things together without many better options. The action will wind up being very good as every AEW pay per view is, but I’m not overly interested in seeing this show and that’s not a great feeling.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Dynamite
Date: September 17, 2025
Location: Canada Life Place, London, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Bryan Danielson, Excalibur, Taz

It’s the last night before All Out as we have both Dynamite and Collision airing back to back, albeit with only one hour of the second. That means we could be in for some big stuff this week, as they need to push All Out over the line. The show is only so interesting right now and needs a nice final night of build. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

We’re starting with a contract signing for All Out so here are Hangman Page and Kyle Fletcher, with Tony Schiavone running things. Don Callis cuts Schiavone off though and talks about how Page took the title from him by beating Kenny Omega. Now though Callis has a better challenger for the title and no one can do anything to a star like Fletcher.

Page talks about being tired of all the interference in his title matches and he sees the potential in Fletcher. That’s why he wants Fletcher to be a star of the future without the Family helping him. Page has a new rule in the contract: if the Family interferes or if Fletcher gets disqualified, he loses the TNT Title.

Callis panics but Fletcher is more than fine with the terms. He knows he’s better than Page and signs but Page talks about how he knows what Fletcher is feeling right now. What Fletcher doesn’t know is how it will feel after All Out and that’s how his future will be defined. Page signs as well and we should be done but Fletcher promises to leave as a double champion. Violence is promised for later tonight but until then, say his full name. While I don’t believe that the Family won’t get involved, Fletcher has more than held his own in these promos and that’s a good sign for his future.

Video on Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley in a coffin match.

Jon Moxley vs. Roderick Strong

The Death Riders are here with Moxley while Strong has Kyle O’Reilly. Strong starts fast by dropkicking Daniel Garcia on the floor but Moxley goes outside to rake Strong’s eyes. Strong drops Moxley onto the barricade and it’s time to chop it out back inside. Another dropkick sends Moxley outside and we get a double staredown on the floor.

We take a break and come back with Strong striking away and hitting some suplexes for two. Moxley cuts off an exchange of strikes and gets two off a piledriver. The cross armbreaker is broken up as Strong makes the rope. They go up top with Strong hitting a super belly to back faceplant for two of his own. Garcia grabs Strong’s boot so O’Reilly jumps him, which allows Wheeler Yuta to come out and trip Strong. The Paradigm Shift into the bulldog choke finishes Strong at 12:48.

Rating: B-. This was about all you would expect from this match and that’s not the most thrilling thing in the world. Strong is able to have a good match with some hard hitting shots but he’s pretty much never a threat to win anything important. Moxley is on his way to a big grudge so it wasn’t so much about if the Death Riders would cost Strong but rather when they would do it.

Video on MJF in a tables and thumbtacks match. This includes MJF going to yell at Tony Khan about the match but Khan yelled back and said no. MJF suggested he’ll kill Briscoe.

Bobby Lashley vs. Toa Liona

Their respective seconds and thirds are here too. They fight over a lockup to start and Lashley powers him into the corner to hammer away. Lashley charges into a boot in the corner though and they go to the apron, where Liona hits a Samoan drop. We take a break and come back with Lashley managing an electric chair out of the corner. They trade clotheslines until Lashley hits an overhead belly to belly. Liona rolls outside to avoid the spear and everyone else gets into a brawl. Back in and Liona hits a Pounce for two but Lashley is back with the Hurt Lock for the tap at 10:02.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure if I’d have the Hurt Syndicate’s representative win here, as the team feels like a major favorite going into the six man in the first place. It was nice to see Lashley have someone who could match him size and power wise though, even if Liona got knocked out at the end. Still maybe not the best way to go in the end, as the Gates Of Agony hardly have the best results in the first place, but maybe there’s a surprise on Saturday.

Post match the Hurt Syndicate easily clears the ring.

Tony Schiavone brings out Adam Copeland and Christian Cage for a chat and yeah they’re crazy over in their home country. They’re joined by FTR, with Stokely Hathaway recapping their issues. Hathaway makes it clear that Copeland will be heavily fined if things get physical here. Wheeler talks about meeting Copeland 16 years ago when he was a huge star and then he and Harwood became a legendary team.

Harwood talks about the Canadians being a great team but it was only because their competition was mediocre. We hear about the greatness of FTR until Copeland cuts him off. Copeland talks about how he helped Wheeler, even letting him live in his apartment when Wheeler was homeless.

Yes FTR is in the discussion of the greatest tag teams ever. Copeland and Cage have been there for twenty five years. They pioneered a match that became a pay per view. Cage disagrees about the team name and says that a $500,000 fine for jumping FTR right now is worth it because he’s right. The brawl is on and FTR is cleared out. FTR vs. Copeland and Cage is a dream match on paper, but the build for this has been draining my interest in the match more and more every week.

The Young Bucks are back in suits and pay off production to make their entrance better this week. As an apology, they give Renee Paquette $10,000.

Young Bucks vs. Bang Bang Gang

Qualifying match for the Tag Team Title ladder match at All Out. Matt and Robinson start things off with Matt working on an armbar. The Bucks get to pose for a bit and it’s a double clothesline to take them down. Gunn comes in to slug Nick down but gets caught with a neckbreaker. Matt adds a slingshot hilo and we take a break.

We come back with Gunn missing a diving tag, allowing Matt to knee him in the face for two. For some reason Nick grabs some of the money, which is knocked away by Gunn, who grabs a tilt-a-whirl slam. Robinson comes in to clean house before it’s already back to Gunn (Danielson thinks it’s too early) but Robinson comes back in rather quickly.

A slingshot X Factor hits Robinson but Nick misses a moonsault and gets taken down by a Fameasser on the floor. Back in and an assisted German suplex sets up a double basement superkick for two on Robinson. The EVP Trigger is broken up and a Downward Spiral drops Nick for two. We get a pinfall reversal sequence for two each, followed by a TK Driver to pin Robinson at 11:39.

Rating: B-. The Bucks winning again isn’t the most thrilling result in the world, but I can live with it over the remnants of the Bang Bang Gang. The group has been absolutely decimated so having these guys lose to the Bucks is hardly a stretch. I’m not sure what is next for the Bucks, but I’ll be fine as long as they don’t get the titles back anytime soon.

Video on the eight woman tag on Saturday’s Kickoff Show.

Unified Title Qualifying Match: Mascara Dorada vs. The Beast Mortos

They trade armdrags to start and Mortos runs him over with a shoulder for no count. An anklescissors into an enziguri has Mortos in trouble but he’s back with an even bigger shoulder. Dorada is sent outside for a big corkscrew dive and we take a break. We come back with Mortos missing a charge into the corner and getting taken down by an armdrag. They go to the apron where Dorada hits a Canadian Destroyer, followed by his own big corkscrew dive.

Back in and Dorada misses a 450 and gets flipped into a piledriver for two. Dorada reverses a torture rack into a crucifix bomb but Mortos catches him on top. They both go up top and a super anklescissors brings Mortos back down for one. Dorada is back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker into a shooting star press to pin Mortos at 10:03.

Rating: B. Power vs. speed works just about every time and Dorada is one of the better stars from CMLL, so this worked well for a good match. I still have no idea why the title match needs to be a triple threat but it’s the kind of choice that feels like it’s being overthought. That being said, at least Dorada had a heck of a performance here, even if it’s over Mortos, who never wins anything important.

Post match Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita come out for a staredown. Dorada dives onto Okada and glares at Takeshita. The dive helped, but Dorada in the background while Takeshita and Okada stared at each other was a perfect representation of this match in one visual.

Here is Toni Storm for a chat and she lists off her usual nicknames. She’s still the champ, but it isn’t clear how long that will last. She has spent every day of her reign like it is her last and loved every second of it. If you aren’t willing to put your life on the line every time you get in the ring, you ain’t s***. If any of those three women want her title, be ready to burn her body and smoke the ashes. Jamie Hayter comes in to say she’s coming for the title because Storm invited her into the match. Kris Statlander comes in to say she’ll win but Storm says “trim your bushes b******” because they’re going all out.

Thekla vs. Queen Aminata

Anything goes. The brawl is on outside to start with Aminata getting the better of things and throwing some weapons inside. Thekla uses those weapons to beat the fire out of her and knocks Aminata over the barricade. We take a break and come back with Aminata hitting a hanging Twist Of Fate for two. Thekla hits a spear to send Aminata into an open spear for two and they slug it out from their knees.

Aminata’s big headbutt gets two as Dynamite officially ends and Collision starts. Thekla sits up to escape the Tree of Woe and trashcan lids Aminata in the head. Aminata cuts off the spear though and a fisherman’s buster onto some chairs gets two. A middle rope legdrop misses though and Thekla Stomps her onto some chairs for the pin at 10:29.

Rating: B-. It’s another odd choice to have Thekla doing this side feud with Aminata while she’s on her way to the title match, but it hasn’t exactly made her feel like a big deal. Thekla has some appeal to her and she could be a threat to the title, but it’s another case where it feels like AEW is trying to focus on too much at the same time and it’s hurting things.

Post match Thekla calls out Toni Storm so the brawl is on, with Jamie Hayter, Kris Statlander and the rest of the Triangle Of Madness joining in. Statlander leaves and the Triangle is chased off, leaving Hayter and Storm to have a big staredown. We’ll wrap this show up there.

Overall Rating: C+. There were some good matches here but man alive All Out does not feel important. This was the bigger portion of the go home show and I’m not exactly interested in seeing the pay per view at all. Hopefully they find something better with Collision, but it’s not exactly a promising sign so far. What we got here was fine, but it didn’t help All Out that much and that’s not great to see.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Roderick Strong – Bulldog choke
Bobby Lashley b. Toa Liona – Hurt Lock
Young Bucks b. Bang Bang Gang – TK Driver to Robinson
Mascara Dorada b. The Beast Mortos – Shooting star press
Thekla b. Queen Aminata – Stomp onto chairs

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Dynamite
Date: September 10, 2025
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Bryan Danielson, Excalibur, Taz

It’s the last Dynamite in the 2300 Arena and that might mean AEW wants to go out with a bang. I’m almost scared to imagine what they could do around here, but with only ten days to go before All Out, they are going to need to do something special. If nothing else, we could use a World Title match for the pay per view. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Bryan Danielson is officially on commentary.

Josh Alexander vs. Hangman Page

Non-title grudge match so they slug it out to start with Page chopping him into the corner. Alexander’s ankle lock is broken up rather quickly with Page sending him to the floor, only for the dive to be forearmed out of the air. A brainbuster onto the apron rocks Page but he’s right back up with a moonsault to the floor. That’s reversed into an ankle lock, which Page escapes and clotheslines him over the barricade. Back in and Alexander hammers away in the corner but Page fires off some chops. A clothesline sends Alexander outside but it’s too early for Page to try the moonsault.

We take a break and come back with Alexander kicking him in the face, which just makes Page fight back for some reason. A Death Valley Driver gives Page two but Alexander is right back with the rolling German suplexes. They even go into the aisle, where Page slips out of a German suplex to suplex him into the barricade.

Both of them beat the count back in so they slug it out, with Page hitting a powerbomb for two. They fight to the top, where Alexander grabs a super Regal Roll. The ankle lock is countered and they wind up on the apron. The C4 Spike is countered into a Deadeye and Page hits a moonsault. After the Don Callis Family is dispatched, the Buckshot Lariat finishes for Page at 16:23.

Rating: B. Good match here, even with Alexander losing again, though it’s a bit different when it’s the World Champion. Alexander can have a good match with just about anyone and that was the case here, with Page getting to fight off some odds and win. It’s a nice way to open the show and they had a hard hitting match.

Post match Page says he didn’t lose all kinds of blood to win the title to just have MJF change the stipulations under threats of pain. At the same time, wrestling is the word that matters in AEW, because he is the All Elite WRESTLING World Champion. Kyle Fletcher comes out to say he hasn’t gotten a response to his title challenge so Page tells him to get in the ring.

Page says he sees a lot of potential in Fletcher but he can’t even put on his socks. While Fletcher is full of potential, he isn’t ready, which Fletcher says he’s heard his whole life. Page is willing to give Fletcher the title shot, but he needs Fletcher to do it himself. The title can be on the line if the Don Callis Family is left out. This really does not feel like a pay per view World Title match.

We look at MJF costing Mark Briscoe his match on Collision.

MJF talks about getting married recently but he’s not going on his honeymoon until Mark Briscoe is dead. He’s been married to a long time, because he’s married to hatred.

The Young Bucks are tired of the food at catering and even Brandon Cutler turns on them. Jon Moxley comes in to say they’re in on the $500,000 tag match. This is of course TOTALLY DIFFERENT than an all-star tag match.

Emi Sakura/Mercedes Mone vs. Riho/Alex Windsor

Riho gets taken into the corner so Sakura can come in to stomp away. That’s broken up and it’s off to Windsor for some Poetry In Motion. Mone has to pull Sakura away from a half crab and the dive takes her down. We take a break and come back with Mone hitting the running knees in the corner.

Riho fights back and knocks Mone down, allowing the tag off to Windsor to clean house. The Sharpshooter is blocked so Windsor holds Mone up for a top rope double stomp from Riho. Everything breaks down and Sakura comes back in, with Riho half crabbing her for the tap at 9:45.

Rating: C. Yeah fine. This is the latest time where we’re told how important Riho and Sakura are and how it’s a big deal that Sakura trained Riho so Riho beating her with a basic move is important. I still have pretty much no interest in anything Riho does as she popped back up and was put right into the title picture again, but that’s something AEW loves to do.

Ricochet and the Gates Of Agony want to take out the Hurt Syndicate at All Out.

Video on FTR vs. Christian Cage/Adam Copeland, with a bunch of stats about how awesome both teams have been over the years.

Here are FTR and Stokely Hathaway to say it won’t be a dream match at All Out, but rather a fight. This should have been a dream match but Harwood stops to go get in fans’ faces to ask if they want to fight. Instead, FTR beats up a cameraman until security breaks it up. Well that’s overly aggressive.

Shelton Benjamin accepts a challenge from Ricochet, with everyone else staying in the back. The six man is set for All Out as well.

Ricochet vs. Shelton Benjamin

Ricochet dropkicks him into the corner to start and hammers away to send Benjamin outside. The big flip dive takes Benjamin down and a springboard splash gets two back inside. Benjamin fights back and sends him into various things on the floor to take over. Ricochet is back with a whip into the announcers’ table and a kick from the apron as we take a break.

We come back with Benjamin snapping off a German suplex before they trade some kicks to the chest for a double down. Benjamin hits a running clothesline and intercepts Ricochet’s scissors. The scissors are broken up but here are the Gates Of Agony for a distraction/cheap shot to give Ricochet the pin at 11:09.

Rating: B-. Nice match here, with Benjamin continuing to look like he’s about fifteen years younger than he really is. It made for a nice power/technical vs. high flying match and I had fun with the whole thing. The six man at All Out should be good too and this was a nice little preview.

Post match the Syndicate comes out for the big brawl and everyone has to be separated.

Hook is sitting around a fire in New York and understands that he was replaced in the Opps. It’s time for him to stand on his own. Or maybe not.

Don Callis and Kyle Fletcher are ready for Fletcher’s title shot at All Out.

Toni Storm vs. Skye Blue

Non-title street fight and Storm does a Sandman inspired entrance. They start in the aisle with Storm missing a kendo stick shot, allowing Blue to stick her instead. Storm fights back and plays a stop sigh like a guitar (kind of like New Jack) but Blue is back with a staple gun to various personal areas. Some staples have Blue in trouble and the hip attack puts her on the floor as we take a break.

We come back with the two of them slugging away on the barricade and then sitting down to trade shots to the head. A street sign to the head rocks Storm, who is right back with a shot of her own. Storm pulls a covering off a table to reveal a bunch of mouse traps (and cheese, because of course), with Blue managing to powerbomb her onto said traps. Back in and Storm sends her into a chair in the corner and chairs her down, followed by a DDT for two.

A small tennis (I know it’s not tennis but I don’t know what sport it’s actually used in) racket is used for a spanking but Blue is back with a powerbomb out of the corner onto a trashcan for two. Storm is right back with another sign, which is hip attacked into Blue. Storm Zero onto a chair finishes Blue at 11:45.

Rating: C. I get what they were going for here, but a lot of this was just kind of dumb. It’s the big ECW style silly weapons brawl and I get why they needed to do that, but the stuff with the cheese and the staple gun came off as more ridiculous than anything else. At least Storm won and there were some funny spots so it could have been a lot worse. Just not for me, though at least they avoided stuff like barbed wire and tacks etc.

Post match the rest of the Triangle Of Madness runs in for the beatdown but Kris Statlander and Jamie Hayter run in for the save. The villains take over again though and Thekla spears Storm and holds up the title again.

Willow Nightingale wants to punch Marina Shafir in the face but Harley Cameron comes in with a song.

Here is what’s coming on Collision.

There will be a tournament for the Unified Title at All Out:

Kazuchika Okada
Michael Oku

Konosuke Takeshita
Anthony Bowens

The Beast Mortos
Mascara Dorada

So yes, Okada has to defend the title to get into the pay per view title match.

Death Riders/Young Bucks vs. Opps/Bandido/Brody King

For $500,000. King beats up the Bucks to start fast and it’s off to Bandido for the Macarena. Joe comes in to kneebar Yuta and then hammers him down in the corner. Shibata gets to do the same but Yuta manages a middle rope dropkick. Everything breaks down and the Bucks are sent outside for a big suicide dive from King. Castagnoli gets beaten up in the ring and Bandido drops a frog splash for two as we take a break.

We come back with Bandido armdragging the Bucks down and bringing Hobbs in to clean house. Stereo clotheslines put Castagnoli and Hobbs down and it’s off to King, who runs Nick over for two. Everything breaks down again and the Bucks fire off the superkicks. Bandido breaks that up and tries a monkey flip but the Bucks trip him down and an assisted rollup gets the pin at 13:20.

Rating: B-. Another all star style match here, with the Bucks getting another main event spot and another win. I’m sure this will set them up for a Tag Team Title shot at All Out, which is hardly the most appealing idea in the world. It was another energetic match, but nothing that hasn’t been done around here a lot.

Post match the Bucks and Bandido/King brawl to the back, leaving the Death Riders to beat on the Opps. Darby Allin runs in for the save but Daniel Garcia comes in to take him out, apparently joining the Death Riders. Allin is left laying to end the show. It’s a surprise, but it’s still just Daniel Garcia.

Overall Rating: B-. This show did some good work towards building to All Out, but the pay per view is looking a bit underwhelming. Hopefully they can fix that up a bit in the future, but for now, things could look a lot worse. If nothing else, it’s nice to see them getting out of Philadelphia for a bit, as they need a change of scenery after the last few weeks. Nice show here, but nothing exactly great.

Results
Hangman Page b. Josh Alexander – Buckshot Lariat
Riho/Alex Windsor b. Emi Sakura/Mercedes Mone – Half crab to Sakura
Ricochet b. Shelton Benjamin – Rollup
Toni Storm b. Skye Blue – Storm Zero onto a chair
Young Bucks/Death Riders b. Opps/Bandido/Brody King – Assisted rollup to Bandido

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Dynamite
Date: September 3, 2025
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re less than a month away from All Out and the card is rather slow out of the gate. There is only one match announced so far so there is a good chance that some of the matches might come together this week. AEW is still in the old WCW Arena and that means we should be in for a rowdy crowd. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Here is Gabe Kidd to interrupt the show’s opening but Darby Allin jumps him from behind. Allin sends him neck first into the turnbuckle rod but Kidd fights back with a clothesline. Allin fights up with the skateboard and some tacks, even taking out an intervening Wheeler Yuta. The rest of the Death Riders come out but here are Hook, Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs and Willow Nightingale for the big brawl. Kidd and Allin fight to the back, where Kidd tries to crush Allin’s head with a hammer. Allin chokes him out though and puts him in a body bag, which is tied to a truck and driven away. And that’s the first eight minutes of the show.

We recap Alex Windsor vs. Mercedes Mone for the latter’s TBS Title.

TBS Title: Alex Windsor vs. Mercedes Mone

Mone is defending and forearms away to start but gets caught in an early Sharpshooter attempt. With that broken up, Windsor settles for some armdrags but has to use the ropes to get out of a quick Statement Maker. Windsor sends her outside for a flip dive off the apron and slams Mone’s knee into the apron. Another Sharpshooter in the ropes is broken up and Mone drops her onto the apron as we take a break.

We come back with Windsor hitting some clotheslines and a flying shoulder. A Blue Thunder Bomb sets up the Sharpshooter, which is reversed into the Statement Maker, which Windsor reverses into a crucifix bomb for two. The Sharpshooter attempt sends them outside, where the Sharpshooter goes on again outside but has to be released due to the count.

Back in and Mone grabs the Statement Maker but Windsor is back up with a running clothesline. They forearm it out and a Grace Driver gives Windsor two more. The Statement Maker goes back on, with Windsor using the ropes to escape but Mone rolls her up to retain at 15:03.

Rating: B. This is the kind of match that I was hoping to see, even with the spamming of the dueling submission holds (Natalya does it all the time in WWE so maybe it’s a Sharpshooter thing). Other than that it’s the two of them going after each other after a story was set up for a few weeks. Windsor got a lot out of the build and match, but Mone losing the title is going to be a major deal and it wasn’t likely to happen here.

Post match Mone puts the Statement Maker on again….and Riho returns to make the save. Riho kicks Mone to the floor and picks up the title, as I guess it’s time to treat Riho like the biggest star ever before she leaves for months again. Lucky us.

Hook comes up to Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs, saying he can fight his own battles. He’s not happy with the Opps replacing him so fast but Joe says the Opps are about opportunities. Joe made the call and the team will still have Hook’s back when he needs it, whether he wants it or not. Hook doesn’t look pleased as he leaves.

Ricochet, with the Gates Of Agony, talks about how his legacy with the Hurt Syndicate, which started a long time ago. The Gates are a bit more assertive and issue the challenge for a six man at All Out.

Here is Mark Briscoe for a chat. Briscoe talks about how he and his brother fell in love with wrestling in this very building. Now his focus is on Kyle Fletcher and the TNT Title so he has to talk to a man named Don Callis. He has to beat a member of the team to get the title shot so here are Callis and some of his Family. Callis emphasizes the name MARK and says that he’ll be facing Konosuke Takeshita on Collision. Takeshita comes out for the staredown but Briscoe wants to fight right now.

Mark Briscoe vs. Lance Archer

They slug it out to start and Briscoe knocks him to the floor, only for Archer to cut off the dive. Archer chokeslams him onto the steps and we take a break. We come back with Briscoe still in trouble but knocking Archer outside. The running flip dive connects but Archer is right back with a buckle bomb. The chokeslam gives Archer two and Briscoe goes up, where he bites Archer’s head on top. A sunset bomb sets up the Froggy Bow to finish Archer at 7:59.

Rating: B-. This is where Archer can be well used, as the idea is to make Briscoe feel like a threat to the TNT Title. Therefore, he beat a monster and looks like he could pull off the upset against Takeshita and then Fletcher. It’s a simple way to go and one of the perks of a huge stable like the Family, as you can throw one member after another like this.

Toni Storm knows the history of this building and is ready to be the baddest b**** it has ever seen. Now it is time for someone new to step up and come after the title.

Kris Statlander takes off Harley Cameron’s mask and reveals…what looks to be pink paint. They’re ready to win more but Wheeler Yuta comes in to say the Death Riders have their back. Marina Shafir comes in for the staredown, with Statlander saying tell their friend she got his message. Yuta: “Ok I’m going to go wrestle now.”

Tag Team Titles: Bandido/Brody King vs. Death Riders

Bandido and King are defending. Yuta works on Bandido’s arm to start but Bandido is right back up with a headscissors. Castagnoli and King come in to slug it out, with King getting the better of things. Bandido comes back in and manages to muscle Castagnoli over with a suplex. Castagnoli sends him outside though and Yuta hammers away as we take a break.

We come back with Bandido managing a springboard hurricanrana to Castagnoli, allowing King to come back in. Bandido hurricanranas King into Castagnoli in the corner and King superplexes Castagnoli as everything breaks down. Cue Jon Moxley to post King and the Fastball Special gets two on Bandido. The Swing into the dropkick gets two so Moxley tries to get involved again, only to get taken out by Darby Allin. King decks Yuta from the floor and the 21 Plex gives Bandido the pin at 12:45.

Rating: B. Good match here as Bandido is turning into a bigger star almost every time he’s out there. That’s a rather positive sign for his future and now we are going to see how far he and King can go. I’m not exactly picturing them as long term champions, but they’re a hot team right now and that’s what they need to be.

Kazuchika Okada is happy with his win with Konosuke Takeshita last week but Takeshita needs to realize that Okada is the crown jewel of the Don Callis Family.

The Hurt Syndicate isn’t sure what happened to Ricochet and don’t want the Gates Of Agony to be turned into punchlines. Yes they accept the challenge and they’re ready to give Ricochet and the Gates a beating.

Here is Adam Copeland for a chat…and FTR run in to jump him. Christian Cage runs in for the save and the brawl is on. Harwood is busted open as security gets the four of them apart. Some other wrestlers come out and FTR hits a jobber with a spike piledriver. Adam Priest isn’t happy and goes after FTR.

Video on Daniel Garcia vs. Jon Moxley.

Stokely Hathaway and FTR are ready to take out Christian Cage and Adam Copeland. Adam Priest comes in and gets yelled at as well.

Here’s what’s coming on Collision.

Young Bucks/Don Callis Family vs. Jet Speed/Kenny Omega/Hangman Page

Apparently the Bucks had issues at a meet and greet because they need the money. Page takes Alexander down by the wrist to start and everything breaks down. The villains are sent outside for a quadruple slingshot dive. Alexander gets double chopped down and we take a break. We come back with Bailey coming in to pick up the pace, including a middle rope dropkick to Matt. Knight takes Matt down as well but the spinning splash hits raised knees.

A tornado DDT gets Knight out of trouble and it’s back to Page to pick up the pace. Alexander saves Fletcher from the Buckshot Lariat but Fletcher gets caught with a sitout powerbomb. Bailey comes back in to kick away at Alexander, who rolls some German suplexes. The Bucks are back in with a pair of TK Drivers to Jet Speed and we take another break. We come back with the Bucks hitting a top rope double stomp to Bailey’s back with a bunch of people making a save. Bailey is back up with a poisonrana to Alexander and Omega comes in to clean house.

Some snapdragons and we get the big Page/Omega vs. Bucks showdown and it’s a big four way strike off with Page having to pull up from hitting Omega. Everyone is down until it’s Fletcher coming in to slug it out with Page. Fletcher’s jumping Tombstone plants Page but Jet Speed is back in to clean house. Knight DDTs Fletcher but the top rope splash misses. Fletcher kicks Knight in the face and another team Tombstone plants him again for the pin at 22:11.

Rating: B+. It was a wild match, with the Bucks getting to look awesome again but it’s different because they’re being mocked this time. Other than that, it was the bad guys getting to dominate again, though at least Knight took the loss rather than the bigger stars. Fletcher seems to be coming for the World Title, even if Mark Briscoe is after him as well. That could go either way, but for now the villains stand tall.

Post match the villains keep up the beating and the rest of the Don Callis Family comes in to help. Fletcher brainbusters Page through an open chair and a table is set up at ringside. Omega gets chaired down again and a brainbuster sends him through the table. Omega is put in a neck brace to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The wrestling itself was pretty nice, though I wasn’t wild on some of the developments. Seeing the heels standing tall in the end, even if it’s a different group of heels, is a bit much after watching the Death Riders do it for so long. Throw in Riho being back and it didn’t leave me overly interested in the future. Hopefully it’s not just more heel dominance for weeks on end, though we still need a good deal of work on the All Out card.

Results
Mercedes Mone b. Alex Windsor – Rollup
Mark Briscoe b. Lance Archer – Froggy Bow
Bandido/Brody King b. Death Riders – 21 Plex to Yuta
Young Bucks/Don Callis Family b. Jet Speed/Kenny Omega/Hangman Page – TK Driver to Knight

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Dynamite
Date: August 27, 2025
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, Taz

We’re done with Forbidden Door, back in the United States, and the show is in some holy ground at the old ECW Arena. That is the kind of thing that can make a show even better than it would be otherwise, which will very likely be the case again here. The pay per view ended with Will Ospreay being laid out by the Death Riders, which probably won’t go well. Let’s get to it.

Here is Forbidden Door if you need a recap.

The set definitely has a bit of an ECW flavor to it, which is rather logical.

Here are FTR and Stokely Hathaway to get things going. After some technical issues, Dax Harwood talks about how the illegal man pinned him at Forbidden Door. Harwood brings in referee Paul Turner, who has been doing this for 27 years and whose wife is here tonight. He refuses to reverse his decision so Stokely gets in his face. Cue Adam Copeland, allowing Christian Cage to sneak in from behind and jump FTR. The Canadians appreciate the reaction and the match is officially announced for All Out.

Darby Allin, with his bad ear, wants to take everything from Jon Moxley. He talks about crying over the bodies on Mount Everest and thinks about Moxley taking everything from him. At All Out, he’s taking everything from Moxley.

Jon Moxley vs. Daniel Garcia

The Death Riders are here with Moxley. They go with the grappling to start and Garcia takes him to the ground. Back up and Moxley sends him into the corner for some rakes at the eyes, only for Garcia to dragon screw leg whip him down. The running dropkick sends Moxley into the barricade but the Riders’ distraction lets Moxley get in a big boot. Cue Matt Menard to help Garcia back inside and yell at Marina Shafir (who still has the briefcase key despite the lack of briefcase). Garcia goes for the leg again and Moxley bails outside as we take an early break.

We come back with the two of them on top and Garcia hammering away. A top rope superplex drops Moxley and some clotheslines put him down again. Moxley is right back up with a cutter for two but Garcia slaps on a half crab. That’s broken up as well and they go to the apron with Moxley DDTing him onto the steps. Back in and Moxley’s cross armbreaker is countered into the Dragon Slayer, which is escaped as well. Garcia hits a piledriver but Moxley is right back with a small package for the pin at 13:58.

Rating: B. This was a nice back and forth match, with Moxley selling the leg a bit more than I was expecting. Moxley needed the win and it isn’t like Garcia is going anywhere anytime soon. Garcia still has enough status to do something around here and this was a good way to use him. With Moxley getting ready for Allin, he could use some wins like this, though I wouldn’t give him the best odds at All Out.

Post match Wheeler Yuta gets the mic and turns down Darby Allin’s challenge for All Out.

Post break, Yuta is still in the ring and talks about how he grew up around here and used to be on the ring crew. He has broken bones in this building and now look at what he has been doing. Will Ospreay, Chuck Taylor and Bryan Danielson are all gone and Yuta has taken Danielson’s place. Cue the returning Hook to lay Yuta out and leave without saying a word.

MJF rants about how he had the World Title won but Mark Briscoe cost him the title. The only mistake he made was not lighting Briscoe on fire so he’ll get his revenge later. Now he can’t even use his contract at any time because of Tony Khan (because that’s how contracts work) so he’ll be coming for Hangman Page, but this time for his soul. Fired up stuff from MJF here.

Penelope Ford/Megan Bayne vs. Kris Statlander/Harley Cameron

Statlander chops Ford into a dropkick to start and a backbreaker into a lariat makes it worse. Cameron comes in and gets dropped onto Ford to give Statlander two. Bayne comes in so Cameron demands a shot, with Bayne easily pulling her out of the air. Ford drags Cameron into the corner and we take a break.

We come back with Bayne tossing Ford at Statlander for a cutter. The villains miss stereo moonsaults though and Cameron is back up with an assisted faceplant to Bayne. Back up and Bayne kicks Cameron in the face but Statlander hits a nice spinning lariat. Statlander and Bayne trade big boots to the face but Ford comes in off a blind tag. That’s fine with Statlander, who pulls Ford out of the air and grabs something like a reverse Rings Of Saturn for the tap at 10:13.

Rating: B-. Well you put Ford out there with Bayne for the sake of taking a fall and that’s exactly what we had here. Cameron being back is good and the fans are still reacting to her, but it’s only getting her so far. Other than that, Statlander looked like she was able to hang in there with Bayne, which means we could be in for a heck of a hoss fight in the near future.

Post match Bayne jumps Statlander again but gets knocked to the ropes as Willow Nightingale runs in. Cameron tries to negotiate peace and things seem to be at least decent.

Renee Paquette, with most of Mercedes Mone’s titles on a table, brings out Mone for a chat. Paquette recaps Mone’s recent success and Mone brags about being the greatest of all time. She’s ready to smash Ultimo Dragon’s record of ten titles at once and is NOT happy with the idea that Alex Windsor made her tap. She was swatting a bug away, but maybe Windsor is upset that Mone was dancing all over Will Ospreay. Mone threatens to put Windsor in a hospital next to her husband and now it’s time to dance. And scene. Really she just came out there, showed off her belts, said she didn’t tap and then danced.

Mark Briscoe talks about this place being EXTREMELY important to the Briscoes’ history and presents what I’m assuming is his newborn son (who can’t be more than a few weeks old). He’ll deal with MJF, but he recently heard Kyle Fletcher saying his name. Briscoe has beaten him before, so now he wants Fletcher and the TNT Title.

Don Callis Family/Kazuchika Okada vs. Jet Speed/Bandido/Brody King

As usual, Don Calls handles (and butchers) Hechicero’s intro in Spanish. Hechicero and Bandido trade rollups to start in a preview of their match at Friday’s Death Before Dishonor. King comes in to strike away at Alexander and Takeshita before Jet Speed gives Alexander a release gordbuster. Alexander fights back but Okada and Takeshita both want the tag, meaning it’s a bit of a glare among partners. King is back up with a running flip dive to the floor, followed by another dive from Bandido as we take a break.

We come back with Knight trying to fight over for a tag but getting sent into the wrong corner. A double dropkick gets Knight out of trouble and the much needed tag brings in King to clean house. Everything breaks down (as you probably expected) and Hechicero gives Bandido a swinging hammerlock backbreaker. King cuts Hechicero off and it’s back to Bailey for the moonsault knees to Takeshita.

The villains run in for the save but Takeshita pulls Bailey out of the way before Okada can hit a clothesline in the corner. Takeshita hits his own clothesline and gets glared at and shoved by Okada, with King pulling Takeshita outside. Back up and Takeshita hits a big running flip dive, leaving Alexander to get caught with a super hurricanrana. Alexander rolls away from the Ultimate Weapon though and cradles Bailey for the pin at 11:19.

Rating: B. Obviously the big story here is the distention with the villains, as Takeshita continues to feel like he could become a major breakout star if given the chance. If he’s going to become the one who turns on Callis and company, the sky could be the limit for his potential. Aside from that, King and Bandido didn’t get much of the focus here, with Alexander getting the pin on Bailey being quite the odd way to go.

Here is Hangman Page for a chat. He shouts out Will Ospreay and says everyone will miss him while he’s gone. Page hopes that when Ospreay comes back, he can challenge for the World Title. We move on to MJF, who now has to wait a week before he can cash in his contract, which is going to earn him an even bigger beating.

Cue Don Callis to interrupt, talking about their history together. Page won his World Title from one of Callis’ men, but that man was a weakling. Calls says he has half the roster under contract so it is a matter of time before someone takes it from Page. The question is which one will it be, so here is the Family. Page goes after them first, with a bunch of other good guys coming in for the brawl. Kenny Omega (the aforementioned weakling) makes the real save and poses with Page. That’s how Omega is best used, as he felt like the superstar here.

Toni Storm mocks Athena for losing on Sunday and says Mina Shirakawa (“the Love Bum”) is going to take the title. She asks about Mina’s hand, earning her a slap. Storm: “By God you’re back!” Shirakawa wants to win the title so the two of them can dance on top of the arena. We cut to Athena, who says she wants to throw Shirakawa off the roof and promises to do things that will make the Blue Meanie quiver (there’s a sight).

Trios Titles: The Opps vs. Ricochet/Gates Of Agony

The Opps are defending. Hobbs gets annoyed at Ricochet’s chops to start and tosses him into the corner, only to miss a charge. Shibata comes in to forearm it out with Kaun, with Shibata pounding him down into the corner. Back up and Shibata is sent outside, where Ricochet and company stomp him quite a bit as we take a break. We come back with Kaun striking away at Shibata, who manages an STO.

Hobbs and Liona come in for the big slugout, meaning Hobbs gets to fire off the clotheslines in the corner. A double clothesline staggers both of them and it’s off to Joe to slug away at Ricochet. The snap powerslam into the backsplash gives Joe two but the Gates come in to take Joe down. Ricochet’s running shooting star press gets two, only for MVP to sneak in with a cane shot to put Ricochet down. That’s enough for Shibata to kick Ricochet to the Koquina Clutch for the win at 10:24.

Rating: B-. Nice match here, though there was only so much you could get out of a match with about a third spent in a commercial. The good thing is the Opps are getting to defend the titles, though it’s not the best idea to have them running through challengers like this. At least they had an out so the team is far from done, though I’m not sure who is next to come after the titles.

Post match the Hurt Syndicate comes out to brawl with the Gates.

Darby Allin vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Falls Count Anywhere. Castagnoli jumps Allin from behind in the back and puts him in a shopping cart for a crash. They go into the arena, where Castagnoli swings him into the barricade for two. Allin manages to get inside for a suicide dive and a dropkick against the barricade, followed by a dive off the lighting structure for two of his own. Back in and Castagnoli takes over again before telling commentary to move. They get up, allowing Castagnoli to launch him onto the announcers’ table as we take a break (at a minute before 10pm EST).

We come back with Castagnoli dropping him onto the apron as there are a bunch of tables and chairs in the corner. Allin grabs a quick guillotine choke and then a sleeper but Castagnoli flips him away. Castagnoli misses a charge through the table in the corner but he’s able to catch Allin on top. The gutwrench superplex onto the pile of tables gives Castagnoli two so he powerbombs Allin through the table in the corner. Allin reverses a catapult into the corner into a double stomp, followed by a Code Red for two. The Coffin Drop finishes for Allin at 14:35.

Rating: B-. This was the “we’re in the ECW Arena so here’s a violent match” main event of the week and that’s fine. I hope they don’t do it every show for the entirety of their run here but it worked well enough here. Allin needs to start racking up some wins before he gets to face Moxley at All Out (as he obviously will) and they accomplished that rather well. Beating Castagnoli only means so much, but it’s better than nothing.

Post match the Death Riders run in and go after Allin, who manages to send Moxley and Kidd together and escape to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. They were in a tough spot with this one as they had the fallout from Forbidden Door but All Out needs to get set up in a hurry. You can see a lot of what is coming at the next pay per view already coming together and what we got here was a nice first step. It’s nice to be getting back to a more normal build after the Forbidden Door stuff requires some adjustments, so hopefully things continue in this more traditional direction.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Daniel Garcia – Small package
Harley Cameron/Kris Statlander b. Megan Bayne/Penelope Ford – Reverse Rings Of Saturn to Ford
Don Callis Family/Kazuchika Okada b. Jet Speed/Bandido/Brody King – Cradle to Bailey
Opps b. Ricochet/Gates Of Agony – Koquina Clutch to Ricochet
Darby Allin b. Claudio Castagnoli – Coffin Drop

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Forbidden Door 2025
Date: August 24, 2025
Location: 02 Arena, London, England
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Bryan Danielson

We’re back to the international show, but this time the guest star aspect has been toned down a good deal. That’s made for a better build to the show, which feels like more of a regular AEW pay per view with a few bonuses rather than a big side trip before we can get back to what matters. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Yuya Uemura/El Desperado/Paragon vs. Cru/Don Callis Family

Don Callis is here with the villains. Hechicero and Desperado start things off and go to the mat, which is good for an early standoff. An exchange of rollups gets two each and Desperado rolls out of a leglock. Cru comes in to send Desperado into the corner but he rolls over for the tag off to O’Reilly. Kicks to the chest put Cru down and Strong comes in for the save. The backbreaker/middle rope knee drop combination hits Hechicero but Andretti slips out and hammers away for a bit.

O’Reilly fights up and gets the cross armbreaker on Andretti. That’s switched into a leglock on Rush but Andretti is back in with a running shooting star. Uemura and Alexander slug it out with Uemura getting the better of things off a dropkick. Hechicero is back in to kick Uemura into a DDT and Rush hits the Final Hour for two as everything breaks down. Andretti hits a big corkscrew dive to the floor and Uemura grabs a butterfly suplex for two on Rush. A double arm capture suplex gives Uemura the pin on Rush at 12:04.

Rating: C+. Fun match, but this was a case where you could drop Paragon and Cru without losing much. Paragon has been losing a good bit lately and Cru hasn’t wrestled on TV in over a month. I’m not sure why they needed to be here, save for adding more people to the card. Still though, nice fast paced match to start the show, which is often a good idea.

Post match the beatdown is on but Tomohiro Ishii comes in for the brawl with Lance Archer. Ishii gets to stand…well not very call but he gets rid of Archer at least.

Zero Hour: Gates Of Agony/Ricochet vs. Jet Speed/Michael Oku

The Gates and Ricochet jump them to start and pose on the apron, only for Jet Speed to slap Ricochet in the head. Back up and a Pounce sends Oku over the top and out to the floor for a big crash. We settle down to Liona dropping a knee on Oku, who manages to avoid a shot and bring in Jet Speed (yeah both of them) to clean house.

Everything breaks down and Oku hits a missile dropkick, followed by Bailey’s standing moonsault knees to Kaun. A missed charge sends Kaun into the post and Oku hits a frog splash for two on Ricochet. Bailey moonsaults onto the Gates, leaving Oku to Lionsault Ricochet into the half crab. A rake to the eyes breaks that up though and it’s Open The Gates into the Spirit Gun to finish Oku at 9:54.

Rating: B-. The flips and dives were nice, with Jet Speed and Ricochet getting to do their flips and dives. I’m still not sure I get the appeal of Oku, but he’s a talented star in the ring. Other than that, the Gates getting to smash through smaller people was fun, though they are little more than Ricochet’s goons at this point. Granted that’s better than pretending that they’re going to be serious title challengers anytime soon.

Zero Hour: Triangle Of Madness/Megan Bayne vs. Willow Nightingale/Queen Aminata/Kris Statlander/Harley Cameron

It’s a big brawl to start, with Cameron shouting FEEL THE WRATH as the villains are sent to the floor. Some dropkicks through the ropes have Bayne and the Triangle down until Thekla comes back in to kick Nightingale in the face. Statlander comes in to take over on Hart but the Triangle knocks her outside. Bayne sends Aminata and Cameron flying and a pair of dives drop them on the floor.

Blue’s front facelock is broken up but Statlander intentionally brings in Cameron instead of Nightingale. Cameron hits some running shots in the corner before it’s back to Aminata, who gets clotheslined by Bayne. The hips to the face just annoy Bayne but Aminata pulls her down with a headscissors.

Nightingale comes in to a big reaction as everything breaks down. Thekla hits a big dive to the floor and brawls to the back with Aminata. That leaves Cameron to take her mask off and hit Bayne in the face, setting up a tornado DDT for two. Bayne kicks Nightingale off the apron and Statlander kicks Nightingale, setting up Bayne’s Liger bomb for the pin at 11:16.

Rating: C+. Well thank goodness Cameron came back and got to take a pin so fast. It’s not like Aminata was right there to take the fall or anything. The match was basically another chance for Bayne to come in and wreck people, which she does rather well. As has been the case here though, there are too many people in the match for someone to really stand out, including Bayne.

Zero Hour: Trios Titles: Opps vs. Bullet Club WarDogs

The WarDogs (Clark Connors/Robbie X/Drilla Maloney) are challenging. Connors and Shibata slug it out to start with Shibata getting the better of things and taking him outside for some rams into the barricade. Back in and Joe comes in, which scares Maloney away. It’s off to Robbie X, who gets knocked into the corner, with Shibata coming back in for a running dropkick.

Everything breaks down and Connors sends Shibata into the barricade with Hobbs making the save. Back in and Maloney takes over on Shibata, with Shibata dropping an elbow. Connors chops away with Shibata telling him to keep going before coming back with an STO. Hobbs comes in to clean house but the numbers take him down. Robbie X’s Spiral Tap gets two but Hobbs is back in with a spinebuster for two. Joe kicks Robbie X into the corner as everything breaks down. Shibata chokes Maloney and Joe MuscleBusters Robbie X to retain at 7:21.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have much time here and you could see how rushed they were as a result. Again though, it isn’t like there was much of another option because Zero Hour absolutely had to have four matches with that many entrances and people. Anyway, it’s nice to see the champs get a win over an established group, as there are only so many of them out there to come after the belts.

And now, the show proper.

The opening video talks about how special it is to have wrestlers from so many promotions on one show. That would have more of an impact if these wrestlers weren’t around so regularly.

Adam Copeland/Christian Cage vs. Matriarchy

This is Copeland and Cage’s first match as a regular team in over 14 years. As usual, the fans sing Copeland’s song to him. Copeland and Sabian start things off and it’s already time for a chase, with Copeland managing to send him face first onto the floor. Cage comes in and hammers on Sabian in the corner before it’s off to Killswitch. That’s enough for Cage, who lets Copeland have him for a change.

A superkick cuts Copeland down and now Sabian is willing to come back in for a neck snap across the top rope. Killswitch sends Sabian hard into Copeland in the corner and we hit the neck crank. That’s broken up so Sabian tells Killswitch to tag him, earning a chop for a tag. Sabian comes in and takes Copeland up top, with Cage coming in for an electric chair and a Doomsday spear.

That’s enough for Cage to come in and face Killswitch with Cage sending him into the post. Cage chokes both Killswitch and Sabian on the rope and then hits a big dive onto Killswitch. Back in and Killswitch kicks out at one but Sabian tags himself in. A double implant DDT drops Killswitch and Copeland spears him to the floor. Cage fights out of Sabian’s Killswitch attempt and throws Sabian into the air cor Copeland’s spear and the pin at 13:48.

Rating: C+. The second the match was announced, it was a question of whether Sabian would get pinned off the spear or a Killswitch from Cage. Killswitch got to look awesome as you knew he would in his return to the ring but there was no way Copeland and Cage were going to lose here. They’re in for a major match at All Out in Toronto so this was little more than a warmup which went a good bit longer than it needed to last.

We recap Kyle Fletcher defending the TNT Title against Hiromu Takahashi. Fletcher recently won the title and needs a top challenger so here we go.

TNT Title: Kyle Fletcher vs. Hiromu Takahashi

Fletcher, with Don Callis, is defending and shoves Takahashi down to start. Back up and Takahashi strikes away but Fletcher kicks him in the face. Takahashi strikes away in the corner but gets knocked down just as fast. The chinlock does on to keep Takahashi in trouble, only for him to fight up and snap off a hurricanrana.

Fletcher is right back with a Michinoku Driver and they’re both down for a breather. A hard belly to back suplex into a sitout powerbomb gives Fletcher two more. Back up and a boot to the face makes Takahashi come up smiling so they go to the apron. Fletcher’s suplex is reversed into a DDT and Takahashi powerbombs him to the floor.

A clotheslines gives Takahashi two and he reverses a powerbomb into a Canadian Destroyer for two more. Fletcher is back with a jumping Tombstone for two and a running boot in the corner. The brainbuster is countered into a rollup to give Takahashi two, only for Fletcher to come back with the brainbuster to retain at 15:23.

Rating: B. This took its time to get going but then it really picked up once Takahashi made his comeback. What mattered the most is that Fletcher had to break a sweat against someone with that kind of a resume. Fletcher is going to be a big project for AEW and having him win here is the right way to go. There was no reason to believe Takahashi was winning here, but at least the match went as it should have.

We recap the TBS Title match, which has Mercedes Mone defending against challengers from three companies. Only Alex Windsor has gotten a serious focus and it would be a lot better off with her getting her own shot.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone vs. Bozilla vs. Alex Windsor vs. Persephone

Mone is defending. It’s a staredown to start with Mone being sent outside, leaving the rather large Bozilla to clothesline the other two. Back in and Mone gets gorilla pressed out to the floor as it’s all Bozilla to start. Mone comes in again and gets flapjacked by Persephone and Windsor, only for Bozilla to come back in and run them over.

Bozilla drives Mone into the corner but a Codebreaker over the ropes sends Bozilla outside. Mone’s dive is countered though, leaving Persephone to make a save. Back in and Persephone gets some rollups for two on Mone, only to get bearhugged by Bozilla. That’s broken up and Mone comes off the middle rope with a double knee to put Bozilla down. They go to the corner for the Tower Of Doom with Windsor getting the best of it.

Windsor ties up Mone and Persephone in a double half crab, at least until Bozilla making some saves. Bozilla clotheslines Windsor for two but Persephone is back with a Razor’s Edge. Mone breaks up Windsor’s Sharpshooter and counters Persephone’s Razor’s Edge into a hurricanrana to retain at 15:34.

Rating: B. Kind of like the Copeland/Cage match, there wasn’t much doubt here as the question was more who was taking the pin. Persephone and Bozilla were both basically just there to fill in the international quota, as the build for this was all about Mone vs. Windsor, which will likely take place at All Out.

Bozilla absolutely stood out here, as someone with her size and power is going to get attention no matter what she’s doing. On the other hand, Persephone didn’t really get the chance to show up until the ending, which again goes back to the theme of having too many people in the match. That’s always an issue and it was certainly the case again here.

We recap Nigel McGuinness challenging Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title. McGuinness is mostly retired but he’s a technical master who has Daniel Garcia in his corner. Ignore Garcia seemingly all but saying “I’m going to turn on you.”

McGuinness trained with wrestling legend Johnny Saint by playing chess. To be fair, McGuinness did win.

IWGP World Title: Nigel McGuinness vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Sabre is defending and McGuinness has Daniel Garcia with him. Feeling out process to start and they both roll through a snapmare attempt to start. McGuinness takes him down with a headlock but Sabre slips out as only he can. Sabre’s headlock takes him down as well, with McGuinness slipping out too.

Some arm cranking has McGuinness down again but he comes up with a middle finger to a nice reaction. McGuinness pulls him down into an armbar, which is reversed into the neck twist, allowing Sabre to go after the arm again. Back up and McGuinness avoids a charge into the corner and hits a clothesline for a needed breather. The big lariat gives McGuinness two but Sabre gets to the rope to avoid the London Dungeon.

The Tower Of London is countered as well and Sabre gets in a Disarm-Her, which is escaped rather quickly. They uppercut it out until the rebound lariat blasts Sabre for two. Something close to a Rainmaker drops Sabre for two more so it’s something like the London Dungeon again. Sabre makes the rope again but McGuinness grabs another Tower Of London for another near fall. They trade rollups for two each until Sabre gets a sunset flip to retain at 17:01.

Rating: B. Points for not having Garcia cost McGuinness the title here, though McGuinness was a long shot at best to take the title here. Sabre is an absolute monster when it comes to the technical stuff, though McGuinness more than held his own out there. This was more a “here’s one last great moment for McGuinness in his hometown” and there is nothing wrong with that, as they had a heck of a match.

Post match Tony Schiavone gets in the ring for a special presentation, which (after Garcia and McGuinness stand there for a second and realize it has nothing to do with them) is the pro wrestling record attendance for the venue: 18,982.

Queen Aminata and Thekla brawl from the back into the arena, with the Triangle Of Madness running in to beat Aminata down. Jamie Hayter returns for the save to quite the strong response.

We recap the Tag Team Titles. The Hurt Syndicate are the dominant champions and Bandido/Brody King and FTR…well they didn’t win a tournament but they didn’t lose it either, so it’s time for a three way title match.

Tag Team Titles: Hurt Syndicate vs. FTR vs. Bandido/Brody King

The Syndicate is defending and Stokely Hathaway is here with FTR. The challengers pair off to start, with FTR taking Lashley to the floor while Bandido and King take over on Benjamin. We settle down to Bandido headscissoring Harwood to take over. Lashley is back in with a double clothesline and a suplex. Harwood dares to chop at Benjamin, who just glares at him in response.

Bandido comes in to send Benjamin outside for a suicide dive, only for Lashley to take Bandido down. Benjamin can’t hit a suplex as Bandido slips out but FTR drops to the floor to avoid a tag. Bandido’s spinning high crossbody drops Benjamin and it’s off to King to clean house. King crushes FTR in the corner and hits a cannonball, followed by the showdown with Lashley (the fans like this).

The big spinebuster drops King but he’s back up with a clothesline to send Lashley outside. Back in and Benjamin rolls some German suplexes on King but walks into a Shatter Machine. King makes the save and sends Wheeler into the Syndicate on the floor, with King taking them down. Bandido’s top rope flipping fall away slam onto the pile leaves everyone down. Cue some guys in New Japan gear (we can’t see their faces) to brawl with the Syndicate, leaving Bandido to kick a chair into Harwood’s face.

Wheeler gets punched out of the head but Harwood chairs King in the head. The New Japan guys are Ricochet and the Gates Of Agony, who can’t believe King kicks out. The PowerPlex is loaded up but Bandido breaks it up and hits a frog splash. King monkey flips Bandido into the 450 to Harwood for the pin and the titles at 15:07.

Rating: B+. Good stuff here and while the Syndicate wasn’t even involved in the decision, they did have a reason for being taken out. At the same time, it would have been better to have Bandido and King win the tournament and the titles, even with the interference. Just let them be the best team rather than a team that escaped with the belts. Either way, best match of the night thus far and the new champs are an interesting choice.

We recap Kazuchika Okada defending the Unified Title against Swerve Strickland. Okada is the dominant champion and Strickland doesn’t like him, so the title match is on.

Unified Title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Swerve Strickland

Strickland is challenging and Okada gives him the pat on the chest against the ropes to start. That’s shrugged off and Strickland hits a dropkick to send him outside. Strickland follows with a knee, which he seems to bang up on contact. Back in and some rolling neckbreakers put Okada down, followed by the middle rope elbow to the back of the neck.

Okada catapults him over the top so Strickland tries to stick the landing, over to hurt his knee again in the process. Okada sends him into the steps to keep the knee in trouble and they go back inside with the pace slowing a good bit. Strickland manages to roll some suplexes, followed by a belly to back superplex for two. They head back outside, with Okada hitting a tombstone on the floor.

Back in and the Rainmaker is countered into the House Call and Strickland fires off some clotheslines. The Rainmaker misses again and Strickland hits a dropkick. A powerbomb is swung into a powerslam (cool) to plant Okada, followed by the Swerve Stomp for two. Okada gets smart by going back to the knee, meaning it’s another dropkick, only Strickland to hit another House Call. Strickland tries it again but walks into the Rainmaker to retain the title at 16:33.

Rating: B. This got going in the end, though Strickland’s knee injury seemed to go away for a long stretch in the middle. I wasn’t quite sold on Strickland winning here but it felt like there was at least a reasonable chance he would get the title. It was a good, hard hitting match with Strickland going for it but ultimately coming up short, which is a good way to go.

Post match Okada goes after the knee again but Prince Nana makes the save with a pipe. Freaking WARDLOW of all people comes in for the beatdown though, laying out both Nana and security. Then Wardlow hugs Don Calls, whose Family somehow has another member. Konosuke Takeshita comes out to show his approval.

We recap Athena challenging Toni Storm for the Women’s Title. Athena is cashing in her Casino Gauntlet title shot and has been coming after Storm, who finds Athena rather annoying.

Women’s Title: Athena vs. Toni Storm

Only Storm is defending and Billie Starkz is here with Athena. Storm hammers away in the corner to start and they head outside, where Starkz offers a quick distraction. Athena dropkicks her up against the barricade and we hit the neck crank back inside. A backsplash misses for Athena but she swings Storm’s head into the post.

Storm gets knocked into the corner but Athena takes too long loading up a running hip attack. A clothesline drops Athena for two, though the TCM Chickenwing is broken up. Athena hits a snap belly to back suplex and they forearm it out. Storm Mongolian chops her down but Athena hits an elbow to the face for two. Starkz’ distraction lets Athena hit a running boot in the corner, followed by a powerbomb for two more.

A Koji Clutch has Storm in even more trouble until she makes the rope and gets outside. Storm sends Athena face first into the steps, followed by Storm Zero for another near fall. Starkz offers another distraction though and the O Face across the top rope connects but here is Mina Shirakawa to cut Starkz off. Another O Face is countered into the TCM Chickenwing to retain the title at 15:15.

Rating: B. Gah I was getting into this one near the end and I was wanting to see Athena win the title. While there are other challengers waiting for Storm, it would be great to see Athena’s incredible Ring Of Honor reign rewarded with a run with the real title. Either way, good match here, though the ending left me a bit disappointed.

We recap Hangman Page defending the World Title against MJF. They don’t like each other as MJF says they’re the villain/main character of the AEW story, with MJF cashing in his Casino Gauntlet contract. Then he changed his mind, but got the title shot anyway by threatening to burn Mark Briscoe alive (as you do).

AEW World Title: Hangman Page vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

MJF (in a snazzy green feathered robe) is challenging and Page can lose the title via countout or DQ. After the Big Match Intros, MJF bails out to the floor, with Page following him to hammer away against the barricade. Page drops him throat first across the barricade, followed by a belly to back suplex back inside. They’re already back on the floor, with Page teasing using a chair and getting sent into the post as a result.

Back in and a quick piledriver gives MJF two before he goes after the arm. Page is suplexed into the corner by the arm but he’s fine enough to hit a top rope clothesline for two. MJF is sent outside for the moonsault, followed by a sitout powerbomb for two back inside. Somehow MJF grabs a quickly broken Salt Of The Earth but the Heatseeker is blocked. A hammerlock DDT gives MJF two and he sets up a table at ringside, only for Page to snap off a moonsault.

Rather than covering, Page loads up the table (Danielson disagrees) and hits the Deadeye through the wood (now Danielson approves). MJF manages a foot on the rope back inside and they’re already back outside, with MJF avoiding a charge to send Page into a chair. They jumping (and running) Tombstone onto the broken tables rocks the (bleeding) Page but he beats the count at nine.

Back in and the turnbuckle is exposed, with Page sending MJF into it to bust him open as well. They pull themselves up and slug it out (I’ll take it over forearms) until stereo rolling elbows drop both of them. A rather rapid fire pinfall reversal sequence gets a bunch of twos (and ones) until the Deadeye gives Page a rather near fall. Page is frustrated so MJF hands him the ring and insults him, only for Page to use a regular punch.

The referee gets bumped and MJF gets in a low blow into the Heatseeker, with Page’s foot on the rope. Cue Mark Briscoe for a distraction as the referee gets up and sees the foot on the rope, meaning no count. MJF kicks Page low again and hits him with the contract for two but Page is back with the Deadeye. The Buckshot Lariat FINALLY retains the title at 31:10.

Rating: B-. WAY too long here as they proved the point time after time: MJF was trying to steal the title through any means he could but Page kept surviving. The idea was explained multiple times in there and it was getting to the point of “get on with this already”. Page winning is good, but dang I was annoyed when they pulled back the contract and that’s still the case now. Just let Page move on already, but he can’t because of that stupid contract.

The cage is lowered.

Quick recap of the main event. The Death Riders and the Young Bucks are bad and a bunch of people are after them. Put them all in a cage, including the injured Will Ospreay, non-sanctioned.

Young Bucks/Death Riders/Gabe Kidd vs. Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi/Darby Allin/Hiroshi Tanahashi/Will Ospreay

In a cage, which is VERY wide and basically a Cell without the roof. Ospreay gets a special entrance video for quite the hero’s welcome. The Bucks’ pyro and entrance stuff isn’t exactly right, but at least the chyron spells their names properly. It’s a huge brawl to start and yes there are weapons already provided around the ring. Tanahashi does the air guitar inside but gets decked by Kidd, who gets in a brawl with Ospreay.

Back up and Ospreay hits a big flip dive to the floor onto Kidd and Allin hits his own running flip dive. We get the Bucks vs. Omega/Ibushi showdown with the Bucks being sent outside for stereo moonsaults. Allin and Moxley are handcuffed together as the Bucks fight back and beat up Omega and Ibushi inside.

The Legos are poured out and Tanahashi comes in to faceplant Matt, followed by Omega powerbombing him into Ibushi’s German suplex. A ladder is brought in and the Bucks (amazing how they keep popping back up) powerbomb Allin into said ladder, allowing the Bucks to clear out the Legos. The bleeding Ospreay is up and wraps a chair around Moxley’s neck (no longer handcuffed) but Kidd is back in with a piledriver.

Castagnoli swings Omega and catapults him into a superkick from Matt. The TK Driver gets two on Ibushi and Allin gets launched over the top and into the cage for a crazy crash. Tanahashi is back in to clean house until Moxley drops him with a DDT. Back in and Allin is duct taped to a chair….so Moxley can try to use a fork to cut his ear off. Hey did you know that Moxley is hardcore? I’m not sure we made that clear.

The barbed wire table is loaded up as Allin is out as well (because not much has a lasting impact in this match). Moxley is sent face first into the barbed wire but Castagnoli gives Tanahashi the Neutralizer. The BTE Trigger connects on Tanahashi but Ospreay dives in for the save. Tanahashi drives Moxley through the barbed wire board and Omega takes Kidd down with the snapdragon.

Ibushi adds a snapdragon of his own (he’s been looking WAY better here) and everyone goes out to the floor. Naturally Ospreay goes up to the top of the cage for a moonsault back down, because he’s kind of out there. Kidd and Omega have their staredown but everyone else gets back in and brawls for the big everyone down.

Omega beats up Moxley and hits the one Winged Angel for two with multiple saves being made. A big stack of four tables are set up outside of the cage so of course Allin goes up, with Kidd trying to choke him. They go crashing through the tables, leaving Nick to take the Golden Trigger. A top rope Hidden Blade into the One Winged Angel drops Matt and the High Fly Flow gives Tanahashi the win at 32:36.

Rating: B-. I get the appeal of the match, but this felt like they were trying to do Anarchy In The Arena without going around the arena. Having this be in a cage only added a few spots, to the point where you could probably have gotten rid of the cage and done about the same thing. Other than that, it felt like a big collection of violence and spots without anything that really felt like it belonged in the main event spot of the pay per view.

Post match Ospreay gets the big moment (as he’s likely off to have neck surgery)…but the Death Riders jump him for a big beatdown. They lock the cage and Pillmanize Ospreay’s neck until the cage is raised, allowing the Opps and company to run in for the save. Everyone is sad and serious as Ospreay is checked on to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This was in a weird place as the wrestling itself ranges from good enough to rather good, with only the opener being a bit lower on the scale. The problem here was that with the guest stars concept mainly being just a feature rather than the focus (Tanahashi could have been taken out of the main event without losing much of anything), there was only so much that felt really high level about this show. It came off like a pretty weak level pay per view (at least by comparison to other AEW shows) and hopefully they come up with something better next year.

The biggest problem though is I really didn’t care that much about what was happening. The action was good and it’s a fine enough show, but in addition to the usual length issues, the two main events don’t really change anything. MJF still has a World Title shot in his back pocket and the main event was really just about revenge. That doesn’t make it feel must see, especially when the two matches added up to over an hour. Anyway, a good show overall, but it really didn’t feel special.

Results
Paragon/El Desperado/Yuya Uemura b. Don Callis Family/Cru – Double arm capture suplex to Rush
Gates Of Agony/Ricochet b. Michael Oku/Jet Speed – Spirit gun to Oku
Megan Bayne/Triangle Of Madness b. Queen Aminata/Harley Cameron/Kris Statlander/Willow Nightingale – Liger Bomb to Cameron
Opps b. Bullet Club WarDogs – MuscleBuster to Robbie X
Adam Copeland/Christian Cage b. The Matriarchy – Spear to Sabian
Kyle Fletcher b. Hiromu Takahashi – Brainbuster
Mercedes Mone b. Alex Windsor, Persephone and Bozilla – Hurricanrana to Persephone
Zack Sabre Jr. b. Nigel McGuinness – Sunset flip
Bandido/Brody King b. Hurt Syndicate and FTR – Monkey flip 450 to Harwood
Kazuchika Okada b. Swerve Strickland – Rainmaker
Toni Storm b. Athena – TCM Chickenwing
Hangman Page b. MJF – Buckshot Lariat
Hiroshi Tanahashi/Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi/Darby Allin/Will Osprey b. Death Riders/Young Bucks – High Fly Flow to Matt

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

We’re back to the international themed show and in this case it’s actually going international. In this case the show is taking place in London, which should open up quite the excited audience. The big main event features Lights Out steel cage match, which has the potential to be quite the spectacle. Other than that, there are multiple title matches, which makes sense in a promotion that has so many titles. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Paragon/El Desperado/Yuya Uemura vs. Cru/Don Callis Family

This is your latest reminder that Cru is in fact still employed. It’s a match that was thrown together on the Collision before the show, meaning it doesn’t have much in the way of a backstory, though the action should be fine. Paragon is getting more serious and wants revenge for Adam Cole being injured, so maybe they can start things off here, even if Kyle Fletcher isn’t around.

I’ll take the good guys to win, as there are too many people on the other side who could take a fall. Cru has absolutely no value at the moment so beating one of them is a perfectly fine way to go. Paragon or one of the guest stars can get a win so this is likely going to be fine, albeit without much drama. In other words, it’s fine for a match on the Kickoff Show, assuming it isn’t coming up fourth.

Zero Hour: Triangle Of Madness/Megan Bayne vs. Harley Cameron/Kris Statlander/Queen Aminata/Willow Nightingale

This one was set up on Collision so points for having an actual build to the match for a change. The villains are another group trying to dominate without actually winning anything and that’s not the most thrilling deal, but Bayne is someone who could be put into the title picture at the drop of a hat. Other than that, you have the in-ring return of Cameron, which should work out rather well.

When I was putting the participants down for this match, it was a case of looking to see who would be taking the fall and it’s hard to imagine it being anyone but Aminata. Odds are Bayne pins her and gets to look all dominant while saving the others for bigger stuff. That’s a good way to go and a nice effort to get a bunch of women on the show, though it only feels so important.

Zero Hour: Gates Of Agony/Ricochet vs. Jet Speed/Michael Oku

I still don’t know if I get the appeal of Oku, who is fine in the ring but never really comes off as a huge star. That being said, he’s fine as a guest star here as the fans will know who he is and he’s a bigger deal in England than he is in the United States. The rest of the people involved seem to be cases of “get them on the show one way or another” and there are worse options for that status.

I’ll take the good guys to win here, for the sake of having the guest starring Oku win. The Gates have shown that they can lose over and over (and over and over) without really changing so they should be fine here. Ricochet very well could get the win here and if that involves him getting to beat up Mike Bailey along the way, I can think of a few worse outcomes for the match.

Zero Hour: Trios Titles: Opps(c) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs

It’s better than no main event at all. The Opps are at least turning into something of an established team with the titles so I’ll take that over another thrown together team with no reason to be in the title picture. At the same time, they’re facing an established faction so this could be a heck of a lot worse (as it tends to be when either set of six person titles are defended around here).

I’ll go with the champions retaining in a hard fought match, which will be another nice win on their resume. The Opps have already been champions for several months and there is a good chance that they’ll hold the titles for a long time to come. Let them face other established teams (as many of them as there are) and their reign will feel even better, with this being a nice example.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone(c) vs. Persephone vs. Alex Windsor vs. Bozilla

We’ll get one of the international matches out of the way here with challengers from AEW, CMLL and Stardom. The problem with Forbidden Door season is that Bozilla and Persephone have barely been a factor while Windsor has been the real challenger to Mone. In theory that’s going to be the match at All Out, as it’s certainly the match that has gotten the most attention on the way to this show.

So yeah of course I’m going to take Mone to win, as she needs to get a victory back after losing to Toni Storm (and since winning those random titles means a grand total of nothing, this is what she can do). Odds are she beats either Bozilla or Persephone to retain, leaving Windsor free to get the title shot later. It should be a good match, though it would be that much better as a singles match.

TNT Title: Kyle Fletcher(c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi

This is another match where there isn’t exactly much in the way of drama about the result. Fletcher just won the title a few weeks ago and seems primed for a big run. Takahashi is an incredible talent in his own right but he feels like he’s there for the sake of making Fletcher look good. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but it doesn’t exactly leave much in the way of questions about how it’s going to go.

Naturally Fletcher retains here, albeit after a heck of a match. Fletcher can work well with anyone and Takahashi is one of the most talented starts you’ll find today. This has the potential to steal the show (or at least come close) but I can’t find a way to believe that Takahashi is going to win here. It’s part of the issue of the international theme, but at least the match should be great.

Adam Copeland/Christian Cage vs. Matriarchy

I’m still not sure if that’s the right name for the team or not but I’m going with it. Now I’m trying to figure out something to say about the match, as it’s rather amusing to suggest that this has any kind of drama. The team is back together after twenty plus years (ignoring two matches in March 2011 because…well they don’t really matter) and they’re coming up on the pay per view in Toronto. What do you think is happening here?

You can put Killswitch in there all you want and it isn’t going to matter, as Cage and Copeland could go out there and split a sandwich and they would find a way to win. This is all about getting the big reunion and that should get quite the reception. I’m sure the match itself will be fine, but there is just no reason to believe that the Canadian legends are going to have any real trouble.

IWGP World Heavyweight Title: Zack Sabre Jr.(c) vs. Nigel McGuinness

So again, there isn’t much drama about who is walking away with the title here, but also again, this should be a heck of a match. Sabre can get in the ring and torture anyone, while McGuinness is a technical master in his own right. Both of them are from England as well so the fans will be way into things. At the same time though, there is a wild card to be considered and that’s not going to go well.

While Sabre is all but a lock to retain here, McGuinness is likely to give him a run for his money and probably get close with some submission attempts. That being said, ever since McGuinness won the Technical Spectacle to get the title shot, there has been a big countdown going until Daniel Garcia turns on him. That likely happens here, with Garcia likely costing McGuinness the title to set up something of a teacher vs. student match at All Out. McGuinness comes close here, but ultimately comes up short, thanks to Garcia.

Tag Team Titles: Hurt Syndicate(c) vs. Bandido/Brody King vs. FTR

This is the result of a #1 contenders tournament, because tournaments don’t need to have conclusive winners in the name of a triple threat title match. If nothing else, it’s nice to have a match which could go in a few ways though and that’s what we have here. While the Syndicate is great at what they do and have been dominant champions, they might not be able to hang in there the whole way here.

While there is always the chance of having the Syndicate win and move on to All Out as champions against fresh challengers, I’ll go with what feels like the more likely path of FTR winning here. That means they can face Copeland and Cage at All Out, possibly even in a ladder match for the belts. While that match doesn’t need the belts (or the ladders), it’s what feels the most likely, so we’ll say FTR wins here.

Unified Title: Kazuchika Okada(c) vs. Swerve Strickland

Now we’re getting into the interesting stuff, as while Okada would seem like the heavy favorite here, beating Strickland is no easy feat. That could make for some interesting results, as Strickland is certainly a worthy challenger. Okada is someone who could run with the title until the Continental Classic, but there is also an interesting situation with Strickland possibly taking it.

I’ll take Okada to retain here, but dang it should be a fun one. This is one of the matches that has me the most interested and hopefully it lives up to its potential. Strickland has shown that he can hang with anyone in the world and beating Okada isn’t out of the question. Either way, Strickland needs something to do, though I don’t think it’s going to be winning the title.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm(c) vs. Athena

Here we have another one that has me really intrigued. Storm is one of the most successful stars in the history of the women’s division (if not the most), but at the same time, Athena has been Ring Of Honor Women’s Champion for so long that it’s hard to remember not having the belt. She’s absolutely hit the ground running in AEW and feels like she could easily carry the division. That being said, I’m just not sure if she will.

I’m going to go out on a limb and take Athena to win here, with the full on feeling that Storm will wind up winning so she can put Mercedes Mone over and give her the win back later on. Athena needs the win more, and it isn’t like Storm is going to be hurt by losing anything. Hopefully Athena wins and I’ll go with that as my pick, albeit one that I expect to be wrong.

AEW World Title: Hangman Page(c) vs. MJF

So this was the contract match from All In but instead we’re getting that later, because the Money In The Bank style thing HAS TO BE AROUND. As annoying as that is, we should be in for a good match here, as MJF has an ability to bring it on the big stage. The stipulations of Page being able to lose the title by countout or DQ make things more interesting and that’s a positive sign for this.

That being said, it’s almost impossible to imagine Page losing the title in his first pay per view defense after the big title win at All In. I’ll take Page to win here as it makes the most sense, though hopefully we get the contract for another match immediately thereafter to burn that thing off for good. Either way, Page overcomes the odds to win and retain the title.

Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi/Darby Allin/Hiroshi Tanahashi/Will Ospreay vs. Death Riders/Young Bucks/Gabe Kidd

This is a Lights Out steel cage match with Will Ospreay likely not being around much longer after this due to needing neck surgery. I’m not sure what that is going to mean, but having ten people in a single cage is kind of asking for trouble. That being said, I have no reason to believe that they’re all going to stay in the cage anyway, which tends to be the case with these things.

At the end of the day, this is a match which could go either way and I’m curious about how it goes, but I’ll take the villains to win here. It allows Moxley to get a big win back after his World Title loss and sets up Allin to be the one to finally take Moxley and the Death Riders down. This also could be the match where Ospreay is written off television, even if it means sacrificing him getting a big win in the main event in front of his home country.

Overall Thoughts

If I didn’t know any better, I might miss the fact that this is Forbidden Door. The build has been far less than previous years and that is making it a lot better. Instead of taking a big side trip with all of the guest stars, the outsiders are little more than bonus pieces on the show and that has me a lot more interested. The show might not be a guaranteed smash hit, but it fees a lot more interesting coming in and I’ll definitely take that.

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