Ring Of Honor
Date: September 14, 2023
Location: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Ring of Honor continues to be in a weird place as the top titles, meaning the World and Tag Team Titles, are being defended in AEW (at least the important title defenses), with the Tag Team Champions not having actually appeared here since winning the titles. I’m not sure if they ever will, but maybe we can get something from Claudio Castagnoli this week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Rocky Romero

Castagnoli is defending. They go with the grappling to start with Castagnoli cranking on the arm. Romero slips out of that and snaps off a hurricanrana to send Castagnoli outside. The big dive is cut off by an uppercut and a gorilla press snake eyes has Romero in more trouble. We hit the armbar until Romero fights up, earning himself a Swing for two. A suplex is countered and Romero snaps off another hurricanrana to put Castagnoli down.

Romero hits a tornado DDT into a 619 into a standing Sliced Bread ford two. Castagnoli powers him up into a backbreaker for two before firing off forearms in the corner. A hard lariat gives Castagnoli two but Romero backslides him for the same. An enziguri staggers Castagnoli but he nails a hard uppercut to retain the title at 10:36.

Rating: B-. This picked up near the end and it’s nice to have the World Champion in action on the show. At the same time, this was an ice cold match coming in and commentary spent a good chunk of the match hyping up Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston at Grand Slam. This would have been a good choice for a Proving Ground match with Romero lasting the time limit, as they really do need to have one of those go the distance at some point.

Outrunners/Kevin Ku vs. Infantry/Willie Mack

Mack and Ku start things off with Mack shrugging off a chop and grabbing a running hurricanrana. Dean comes in for a bulldog/flapjack combination to Ku so it’s off to Floyd. Everything breaks down and Dean hits the big flip dive onto all three villains. Back in and some double teaming puts Dean down and we hit the double arm crank. Stomping ensues and Dean is sent outside so Floyd can dance a bit. The villains take so long posing that Dean brings Bravo in to clean house. A twisting DDT drops Floyd as everything breaks down. Mack slugs it out with Ku and it’s the Stunner into Boot Camp to finish Ku at 8:00.

Rating: C. Odds are the Infantry and Mack are going to be the next serious challengers for the Trios Titles and I’ll certainly take a team getting some wins to build them up for the shot. The Outrunners and Ku aren’t the highest level challengers, but at least they’re opponents losing to the Infantry and Mack, who certainly need the wins.

Ethan Page is here and wants to regain his competitive edge. He’s here to prove himself to the fans.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Zoey Lynn

Lynn grabs the wristlock to start but Martinez knocks her into the corner for the stomping. A rather delayed brainbuster gets two on Lynn but she avoids a charge in the corner. Lynn scores with some kicks but charges into a spinebuster. Martinez pulls her up at two and hits a running forearm to the back of the head. The Brass City Sleeper finishes Lynn at 5:21.

Rating: C. This was just shy of an extended squash for Martinez, though Lynn did get in a few shots of her own. Martinez continues to be someone who could be moved up the card in a hurry but instead she’s here winning matches like this one. The good thing is she could be moved up at any time, but at some point that elevation has to happen.

Gates Of Agony vs. Cole Radrick/Matt Brannigan

Prince Nana is here with the Gates and it’s Kaun running Brannigan over to start. Radrick gets taken out on the floor and it’s a Backstabber into a Samoan Drop. Open The Gates connects but Radrick tries to make a save. That earns him a drop onto Brannigan and it’s a double pin at 1:46. Total destruction.

Video on the history of Athena and Billie Starkz. This is still probably the most interesting thing on the show.

Starkz is officially served her Minion To Do List, including items like a tongue twister and finding a single banana. Lexi Nair warns her that bad things will happen if the tasks aren’t completed and gives her an MIT (Minion In Training) shirt. Starkz is off to work.

Christopher Daniels vs. Darius Martin

Feeling out process to start with Daniels’ headlock not getting him very far. Martin gets whipped hard into the corner for a running forearm into a Side Effect for two. They fight over a suplex until Daniels drapes him over the top rope for a middle rope shot to the neck. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a clothesline to stay on said neck. Martin fights up with an atomic drop and a kick to the face. A high crossbody gives Martin two but Daniels pulls him into the Koji Clutch. Martin rolls out and escapes the Angel’s Wings as well, setting up a rollup to pin Daniels at 5:59.

Rating: C+. This match had a story with Daniels working on the neck and then trying a neck submission. It might not be an epic story or anything close to one, but I’ll take a basic story being done well enough over a story that is way too complicated and doesn’t work out. Daniels can still go in the ring, but these losses almost have to start going somewhere eventually.

Post match Daniels endorses Martin in a nice moment.

Shane Taylor vs. Lee Johnson

Taylor, the hometown boy, gets a heck of a reaction. Johnson scores with a single right hand to start and Taylor just glares at him. A sunset flip doesn’t work either and Taylor punches him into the corner. The tosses out of the corner have Johnson in even more trouble and they head outside.

That goes nowhere so they head back inside with Taylor dropping him again for two. The neck crank goes on as Johnson is in even more trouble. One heck of a chop puts Johnson down again and a release Rock Bottom gets two more. Some running clotheslines stagger Taylor and a running DDT gives Johnson two of his own. Cue Lee Moriarty for a distraction though and a package piledriver finishes Johnson at 8:22.

Rating: C. Johnson got about as much out of a series of right hands and a DDT as you could get here and that wasn’t the most thrilling match. At the end of the day, Taylor has been presented as a monster in recent weeks (save for the match with Samoa Joe) and he wasn’t about to lose here. Not a bad match, but Johnson could have varied up his offense a good bit.

Post match Moriarty shakes Taylor’s hand and Taylor seems to have a new associate.

Lady Frost vs. Willow Nightingale

Nightingale kicks her in the face and gets two off a slam to start. Another kick misses though and Frost cartwheels over her for a kick to the face of her own. Nightingale gets knocked out of the corner, setting up some running shoulders to the ribs. Frost grabs the chinlock but Nightingale fights up and hits the Pounce. Some clotheslines give Nightingale two but Frost hits a spinning kick to the face. A moonsault gives Frost two, only to have Nightingale come back with the spinebuster. The Babe With The Powerbomb finishes Frost at 5:16.

Rating: C. Frost is someone with a rather specific gimmick but she has enough skill in the ring to back it up. If nothing else, that moonsault looks good enough to carry her a pretty long way (even if she needs to work on the accuracy). For now though, Nightingale almost has to be on the shows to bring up our spirits that much more as she is the most delightful thing I’ve seen in years.

Shane Taylor confirms that Lee Moriarty is officially on the team.

Josh Woods vs. Dominic Garrini

Woods immediately takes him to the mat for an armbar but Garrini grapples his way into one of his own. A rollup gives Woods two and they’re back up for a standoff. They fight over a gutwrench and then a wristlock until Woods starts snapping off suplexes. The Anarchist suplex finishes Garrini at 2:58.

Griff Garrison vs. Ethan Page

They fight over wrist control to start until Garrison actually runs him over with a shoulder. Page is back with an elbow to the face as Cole Karter and Maria Kanellis-Bennett are here to watch from the stage. Garrison avoids a charge in the corner and drops Page again, setting up a knee drop for two. Back up and Page hits a running clothesline into a running powerslam for two of his own. The Ego’s Edge is broken up and Garrison hits a heck of a forearm for two more. A kick to the face staggers Garrison though and a springboard cutter finishes For Page at 4:22.

Rating: C+. The more I see of Page, the more he’s growing on me, especially with that stupid contract storyline seemingly behind him. There’s a certain charisma to him and it’s making him that much easier to watch. The Maria stuff…my goodness do something with it with someone who matters already. Like Page maybe.

Post match Maria seems to smile at Page. So there we go. Maybe.

Workhorsemen vs. The Boys

The Boys avoid being sent into each other to start and Brandon takes Henry down for an early two. Henry’s missed charge sends him to the floor but Brandon charges into a sneaky right hand from Drake. Back in and the Workhorsemen take Brandon into the corner to take turns with the beating, including Henry’s abdominal stretch. Drake’s assist gets caught though and Brandon’s small package….is missed, allowing Henry to kick out after about five seconds.

Brandon slips out of a suplex but Henry is right there to cut off the tag again. A missed clothesline allows for the hot tag to Brent though and the pace picks way up. Everything breaks down and Brent is sent into a right hand from Henry. A superkick sets up a top rope double stomp to give Henry the pin at 5:32.

Rating: C+. The power (at least of Drake) vs. speed formula continues to be about as basic of a way to go in wrestling as you can find and it also continues to work. The Workhorsemen are still on this show almost every week but them winning is certainly new. It gives them a bit more status and that could be helpful down the line.

Maria Kanellis-Bennett tells Griff Garrison that she told him so and he might need some friends. Cole Karter comes in to make a pearl necklace joke, with Maria saying look it up. Lexi: “Don’t look that up.”

Tony Nese vs. AR Fox

Nese (with Mark Sterling), fat insults, group training, Fox interrupts so we can start. They trade headlocks to start and Nese grabs a rollup with tights (er, pants) for two. Fox kicks him in various places and gets in some jumping jacks for a little insult. Is it an insult when that’s what Nese wanted him to do?

Anyway Fox hits a running clothesline into the corner, followed by a basement dropkick. Back up and Nese hits a running clothesline for two of his own, allowing Sterling to get in a cheap shot from the floor. Fox gets powered into the corner but blocks a superplex attempt. A super sunset flip doesn’t work for Fox as Nese rolls through and kicks him in the head.

Nese grabs a bodyscissors but Fox gets up and sends him outside. A hanging DDT gives Fox two on the way back inside and they forearm it out. Fox’s twisting brainbuster into a Stunner sets up a cutter for two more but Nese snaps off a German suplex. The running Nese misses as well though and Fox hits Lo Mein Pain for the pin at 9:24.

Rating: B-. It was a competitive back and forth match and that made it so much more interesting. Neither guy is on fire at the moment but Fox seems to be getting a bit of a build. Granted it only means so much when Nese has lost time after time, but any kind of a win for Fox, especially in a main event, is better than nothing.

Overall Rating: C+. The important part of this show was the fact that it felt as if more things were happening. They were happening at a rather slow pace, but it felt like there were fewer unimportant matches on the show. It’s still a mostly skippable show, but I’ll take some positive adjustments where I can get them. Now just shorten the show and cut some of the matches and it’s that much better. For now though, not a bad show this week.

Results
Claudio Castagnoli b. Rocky Romero – Uppercut
Infantry/Willie Mack b. Outrunners/Kevin Ku – Boot Camp to Ku
Mercedes Martinez b. Zoey Lynn – Brass City Sleeper
Gates Of Agony b. Cole Radrick/Matt Brannigan – Double pin
Darius Martin b. Christopher Daniels – Rollup
Shane Taylor b. Lee Johnson – Package piledriver
Willow Nightingale b. Lady Frost – Babe With The Powerbomb
Josh Woods b. Dominic Garrini – Anarchist suplex
Ethan Page b. Griff Garrison – Springboard cutter
Workhorsemen b. The Boys – Top rope double stomp to Brent

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 13, 2023
Location: Heritage Bank Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re a week away from Grand Slam and that means the show needs a main event. We’ll see what we’ll be getting this week with the finals of a #1 contenders tournament final between Samoa Joe and Roderick Strong. Other than that, hometown boy Jon Moxley is defending the International Title against Big Bill and the fans might be a bit partisan. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

International Title: Big Bill vs. Jon Moxley

Moxley, the hometown star, is defending and tries some kicks to the leg to start. Bill (with Ricky Starks) isn’t having that and tosses him around before a kick sends it outside. That’s fine with Moxley as he slugs away, only to get thrown over the table. We take a break and come back with Moxley (busted open) hitting a superplex to put them both down.

Bill grabs the swinging Boss Man Slam for two before stomping away, only to have Moxley do an Undertaker situp. Moxley grabs a sleeper but lets it go to hit a running cutter. Starks crotches Moxley though and Bill gets in a big boot for two. Cue Bryan Danielson to go after Starks so Bill hits a chokeslam for two. A triangle choke has Bill in trouble and he actually taps at 11:18.

Rating: B-. It makes sense to get Moxley out there this fast as he is likely to be the most popular star throughout the show. Beating Bill still feels like something that matters and Moxley gets to show off his submission stuff on the way there. At the same time, we might be getting Starks vs. Moxley in the future, which could work well. Nice opener.

Post match Starks and Bill keep up the beatdown but Claudio Castagnoli makes the save.

Adam Cole interrupts Roderick Strong and the Kingdom, warning Strong of what might happen to his neck. Strong finds it interesting that NOW Cole cares about his neck, so he’ll show Cole instead.

We look back at Konosuke Takeshita beating Kenny Omega twice in eight days.

Here is Don Callis to brag about Takeshita’s wins and here is Takeshita himself. Callis talks about how Takeshita is the greatest of all time but just beating Omega isn’t enough. They have a painting covered up in the corner but pull it off to reveal….Kota Ibushi as their next victim. Pain and destruction are promised.

Bryan Danielson issues a challenge for a tag match against Ricky Starks and Big Bill on Collision. Eddie Kingston and Rey Fenix, who are challenging Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli next week, come in for the pull apart. Kingston is left alone with Castagnoli and says one week.

Orange Cassidy laments not having a title…..but notices that Hook has one. Cassidy is more upset over the loss though and is still so tired.

Toni Storm vs. Nyla Rose vs. Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida

For a Women’s Title match next week. Storm waits on the floor as Rose runs the other two over. That’s broken up so everyone but Shida is sent outside. Shida dives onto all three of them and we take a break. Back with all four slugging it out until Storm gets to clean house. A German suplex hits Baker and the running hip attack in the corner nails Rose. Back up and the Beast Bomb hits Storm so Shida and Baker go after Rose to slow her down. Shida rolls Rose up for two before hitting her with the Katana. Baker stomps Shida but Storm is back up with a rollup to finish Baker at 8:39.

Rating: C+. Storm was the absolute right call here as she has been on fire with her over the top stuff lately. At the same time, she has the connection with Saraya through the Outcasts to make things that much more interesting. The match itself kept moving, but as usual, that break in the middle of a match that wasn’t very long in the first place hurt it a lot.

Saraya says things have changed in the last year and now she’s ready to beat Toni Storm next week.

Here are Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara for a chat. They’re going to be facing each other next week, but they have a great history together. We see a video on their times together throughout AEW, showing just how long they have been together. Jericho talks about seeing Guevara on the NWA 70th Anniversary show and knowing he had to be in AEW. Jericho has watched Sammy go from a boy to a man and now he is about to give birth. Well his wife is as least.

Sammy talks about how he was a huge fan growing up and now he can’t believe he is here with Jericho. He wants to break out of Jericho’s shadow though, so he has to win next week. Jericho says Sammy is here to be a main eventer, but he isn’t sure Guevara is ready to beat him.

Sammy says it’s always about what Jericho wants, so next week he’s getting the win and then they’ll win the Tag Team Titles. Jericho still isn’t done and says he’ll give Sammy the beating of his life, but he wants the same from him. Sammy wouldn’t have it any other way. This went on for a bit, but that video did show how much of a history they have together.

Last week, MJF was too banged up to travel, but he’ll be at Grand Slam. MJF loves the idea of a week off but he wanted to see Roderick Strong vs. Samoa Joe because he can’t stand either of them. Strong is faking that neck injury and he’ll choke Joe out. Things get even worse for Joe though as MJF goes straight into the Steiner Math promo, leaving Renee Young looking VERY confused.

Brian Cage vs. Hangman Page

This is match #3 in their series, with the first two matches taking place only about two and a half years ago. Page slugs away to start but gets knocked into the corner for the clotheslines. A big boot and springboard clothesline put Cage on the floor, where Page hurricanranas him into the post. Page hits a slingshot dive to drop him again, followed by a 619 of all things back inside. The Buckshot Lariat is loaded up but cue Swerve Strickland for a distraction. Cage gets in a German suplex as we take a break.

Back with Cage hitting a full nelson slam for two, only to miss a moonsault. Page makes the fired up comeback and a Cactus Clothesline sends them outside. Back in and Cage pulls him out of the air for the curling fall away slam, the last of which is countered into a crucifix bomb to send Cage outside. The moonsault to the floor his Cage for two back inside so Cage sends him to the apron. The apron superplex is broken up and Page hits the Deadeye for the pin at 12:08.

Rating: B. These guys beat the heck out of each other and it was quite the slugout. What mattered here was getting Page a win on his way to a bigger showdown with Strickland. Page hasn’t done much on his own in a long time now and it’s nice to see him having something to do again. Pretty awesome match here.

Post match Page accuses Swerve of sending Cage after him as a way to avoid doing it himself. Swerve says this isn’t over in one night and issues the challenge for WrestleDream. Cage jumps Page from behind, allowing Prince Nana to dance some more (thereby making it awesome). The Young Bucks make the save.

Daniel Garcia is tired of Chris Jericho getting so much attention. Don Callis comes in to feel his pain and seemingly offers Garcia a spot in the Callis Family. Garcia’s dancing seems to say yes.

We look at Jade Cargill’s return.

Nick Wayne/Darby Allin vs. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker

Wayne and Menard start things off but cue Christian Cage and Luchasaurus, the former of whom joins commentary, for a distraction so Menard can take over. Menard hits a bulldog but Wayne enziguris his way to freedom. That’s still not enough for the tag though and we take a break.

Back with Wayne fighting out of a chinlock and now the tag brings Allin in to clean house. The Code Red gives Allin two and it’s back to Wayne for Wayne’s World but Menard makes the save. Allin dives onto Menard on the floor and Wayne adds a moonsault to take him out again. The Coffin Drop finishes Parker at 7:40.

Rating: C+. Menard and Parker are the kind of people you can throw out there to give someone else a win and make them look pretty good in the process. The match might not have been a masterpiece, but it gave Allin and Wayne a win and had enough good action. Throw in Christian on commentary and it was that much better.

Post match Christian talks about scrolling through Wayne’s Instagram and the biggest problem is his mom doesn’t post enough pictures of herself. There is also way too much about the coffin match, but Cage didn’t have his regular partner. So how about Cage/Luchasaurus vs. Sting/Allin next week?

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Video on the #1 contenders tournament.

Grand Slam #1 Contenders Tournament Finals: Roderick Strong vs. Samoa Joe

Joe’s ROH TV Title isn’t on the line and the Kingdom is here with Strong. Feeling out process to start with Strong bailing to the floor. The chase goes badly for Joe as Strong hammers away back inside, only to have Joe run him over. Joe pounds him down in the corner as we take a break.

Back with Joe fighting out of a chinlock so Strong hits a middle rope dropkick for two. Joe fights out of a neck crank and hits the snap powerslam for two. Strong hits a running clothesline but can’t get the Stronghold. Instead Joe is back with the release Rock Bottom out of the corner but Strong slips out of the Muscle Buster. The Sick Kick hits Joe, who shrugs it off and grabs the Koquina Clutch for the tap at 10:40.

Rating: B-. At the end of the day, Joe winning was the right way to go from the start of the tournament. While Strong’s stuff has been great lately, his issue is more with Adam Cole than MJF. Let Joe get his big moment, and perhaps even win the title, while Strong and Cole can do their own thing. The ending with Joe choking Strong out made Joe look like a monster again and that is where he shines the most.

Post match Joe promises to take everything MJF has. Joe leaves, so Strong and the Kingdom have some words. Strong goes down and grabs his neck, meaning it’s time to go out on a stretcher. The Kingdom yells at Cole, but here is Joe again to choke Cole out.

One more Grand Slam rundown wraps us up.

Overall Rating: B. This show was about setting up Grand Slam (and a bit more) and as usual, that worked. Grand Slam has a tendency to be a big deal for AEW and they have certainly made the card feel important. That being said, WrestleDream is going to need a lot of attention in a hurry as there are only two more Dynamites before the show with two matches announced. For now though, good Dynamite with the bigger show coming next week.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Big Bill – Triangle choke
Toni Storm b. Nyla Rose, Britt Baker and Hikaru Shida – Rollup to Baker
Hangman Page b. Brian Cage – Deadeye
Darby Allin/Nick Wayne b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker
Samoa Joe b. Roderick Strong – Koquina Clutch

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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AND

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Dynamite
Date: September 6, 2023
Location: Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re done with All Out and quite a bit happened at the show. Jon Moxley defeated Orange Cassidy to win the International Title, while Kenny Omega lost in his showdown with Konosuke Takeshita. There is a good chance that both of those will play into Grand Slam and WrestleDream over the next month. Let’s get to it.

Here is All Out if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Orange Cassidy to get the big ovation. He was told to stay home but came here anyway, because he’ll be here every week. As he goes to leave, he runs into the people coming out for the International Title match.

International Title: Jon Moxley vs. AR Fox

Moxley is defending and has Claudio Castagnoli with him. The right hands in the corner have Fox in early trouble but he’s right back up with a springboard missile dropkick to put Moxley on the floor. There’s the big dive to take him down as we see Darby Allin (who came out with Fox but left) and Nick Wayne watching in the back. Fox hits a running hanging DDT and we take a break. Back with Fox hitting a kick to the head into a 450 for two. Moxley isn’t having that though and takes him down for the elbows to the head. The King Kong Lariat sets up the Death Rider to retain at 8:24.

Rating: C+. As usual, Fox got in all of his flashy moves and flips and looked good enough, though there was no way Moxley was going to lose here. The more important story here though would seem to be that of Wayne and Allin’s different ways of looking at Fox. That’s going to go in some interesting directions but it might take some time to get there.

Post match Allin comes to the ring to check on ox but we see Christian Cage and Luchasaurus coming up to Nick Wayne in the back. Cage didn’t know Wayne’s dad was a wrestler so he looked his up….and Wayne’s dad was even worse than he thought. If Wayne wants a mentor, maybe he should look to a champion. Just something to think about. Christian goes to leave but asks Wayne to “say hi to your mom for me.”

TBS Title: Kris Statlander vs. Emi Sakura

Statlander is defending and gets rolled up for a fast two. Sakura sends her to the apron for the running crossbody to knock Statlander to the floor. Back in and they exchange clotheslines for a double knockdown. Sakura is up first with a reverse DDT and a backbreaker for two as this is pretty one sided so far. Statlander pops up and hits Wednesday Night Fever for the pin to retain at 4:20.

Rating: C. Well it made Sakura look great until the end while Statlander got in about two moves. What matters is that Statlander won, but it was a weird way for the champion to be presented. Sakura is someone who has all kinds of talent, but she’s just kind of dropped into random matches most of the time. This made her look good, though I’m not sure why Statlander couldn’t have gotten in some more offense before the win.

Roderick Strong has a sitdown interview where he talks about being alone for most of his childhood but wrestling helped save him. Adam Cole knew that, but now he’ll win the Grand Slam eliminator tournament alone.

Le Sex Gods vs. Aussie Open

Don Callis is on commentary and the Aussies jump them fast to start. We settle down to Sammy and Fletcher chopping it out until Sammy hits a dropkick to the ribs. A double suplex drops Fletcher and the fans rather like Jericho as we take a break. Back with Jericho avoiding the stereo clotheslines and hitting a Codebreaker for two on Fletcher.

The triangle dropkick sends Fletcher to the floor but Jericho’s dive only takes out Sammy. The Aussies ram them together and then take it back inside where the Aussie Arrow hits Jericho for two. Sammy is back in with a Spanish Fly to Davis, but Fletcher brainbusters Jericho for two more. Back up and the Judas Effect finishes for Jericho at 11:24.

Rating: B-. This was a good match between two talented teams, though the Aussies’ bad run continues. Jericho and Sammy teaming together regularly is something that makes sense, though that tension in the middle doesn’t bode well for their future. For now though, nice match as they kept the energy up.

Post match Jericho tries to apologize to Sammy but they wind up shoving each other and Sammy walks off.

We look at the Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks strap match, with Guevara’s body being rather wrecked. Starks is livid about another setback and wants a chance.

We look at MJF and Samoa Joe’s brawl at All Out.

Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita are in the back, with Callis bragging about Takeshita’s win over Kenny Omega. Callis has a new painting, but we’ll have to see it later. Next week, we’ll find out their next target.

Here is MJF for a chat. MJF talks about how he used to live right here in Indiana during his time on the independent circuit and yes the fans do appreciate that. Now though, he’s on his way to New York to face the winner of the Grand Slam tournament. One person needs to be taught a lesson but here is Samoa Joe to interrupt. Joe wanted to be out here to hear what MJF said, but MJF thinks Joe must have confused the entrance music for an ice cream truck.

The last time Joe was busy with an ice cream truck, he was being the biggest star on the other company’s network. MJF thinks that means it’s time to get creative, so we get some Pillsbury Doughboy jokes. Those are followed up with jokes about the size of various genitalia before Joe shifts to mocking the midwest. MJF doesn’t like hearing Joe call him “kid” and tells him to go enter the tournament.

Joe isn’t impressed but MJF has a story. We hear the story about his tryout with WWE and how William Regal blew him off. Then MJF sent him back to NXT where he belonged, and if Joe doesn’t watch it, he’ll be next. That night, MJF got to be a security guard on WWE TV and met Joe himself. Joe then shoved him into a brick wall and laughed. Well now MJF isn’t a kid anymore because he is now the World Champion and the best wrestler in the world today. So now, MJF is going to kill Joe.

That gets a smirk from Joe, who didn’t think MJF was a kid that night. Just a little b****. That earns Joe a slap, but he says he’ll be in the tournament to get him to Grand Slam. Joe kicks him low and holds up the World Title but MJF gets in a low blow of his own. The fight is on but Adam Cole runs in to break up the MuscleBuster. MJF has to be helped out but Joe talks a bit more trash about him anyway. Good showdown here, and Joe is certainly a fresh main eventer.

Grand Slam #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Roderick Strong vs. Trent Beretta

Strong and Adam Cole bump into each other on the way to the ring, with Strong talking a lot of trash. The Kingdom and Chuck Taylor are here too. Strong takes him into the corner to start before grabbing a front facelock. Back up and they trade chops until Trent hits a belly to back suplex. A tornado DDT sends Strong outside where he grabs his neck again. Strong is fine enough to belly to back suplex him onto the apron and we take a break.

Back with Trent fighting out of a fireman’s carry and hitting some rolling German suplexes. Trent grabs a Death Valley Driver for two and they fight into the corner. A super hurricanrana takes them back down and Trent counters the Stronghold into a small package for two. Trent’s piledriver gets two as Strong gets a foot on the ropes. Strong is back up with End Of Heartache to finish Trent at 11:04.

Rating: B-. These two worked well together and it was nice to see Strong getting back in the ring. I’m not wild on a lot of the things he’s been doing with Adam Cole but he can still go in the ring with almost anyone. They had a good match and it’s nice to see something a bit cleaner like this rather than all of the shenanigans that usually take place.

Toni Storm doesn’t remember anything about costing Ruby Soho last week. Next week, she’ll be ready to win. She warns Renee Paquette to watch the show, then throws it at her.

Here is Hangman Page for a chat. Page talks about how he was able to donate $50,000 to an education charity in Chicago. He used to be a teacher and knows they are underpaid and deserve the help. Cue Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana to interrupt though, with Swerve saying Page is now just a mascot.

Page was stuck on the pre-show competing for charity rather than on the main show for titles. Swerve thinks Page hasn’t had any new merchandise in a year, but he got a new contract and the good food he’s been eating has been showing. When is the last time Page even had a title shot? If Swerve had the opportunities Page had a year ago, he would have been the first Black AEW World Champion.

Swerve tells him to ride away so this can be Swerve’s house. Or they fight, with Page showing what Cowboy S*** really is. But remember, Swerve will whip him like a dive. Either way, Swerve is coming for the spot that Page doesn’t seem like he wants. Page goes after him but here is Brian cage to lay him out. Cage wasn’t needed here, but Nana getting to dance to Swerve’s music again was worth it.

Here’s what’s coming on Rampage.

Jay Lethal, Penta El Zero Miedo and Jeff Hardy are ready to win their tournament matches.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Grand Slam #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Darby Allin vs. Nick Wayne

They shake hands to start and Allin sends him to the floor, only to miss a suicide dive. We take an early break and come back with Wayne’s frog splash hitting raised knees. The shotgun dropkick puts Wayne in the corner for two before Allin grabs a Figure Four. That’s turned over with Allin bailing into the ropes for the break.

Allin knocks him down again and we get a quick breather. A fist bump sets up the forearm exchange but Allin stops to grab a mic and says Wayne needs to hit him harder. Wayne hits a superkick but cue Christian cage and Luchasaurus to interrupt. We take another break and come back with Allin charging into a knee on the apron. The hurricanrana sends Allin back down to the floor with Wayne hitting a frog splash for a bonus.

Back in and Wayne’s super cutter is broken up but Allin can’t bring himself to hit the Coffin Drop, instead just covering Wayne for two. Wayne grabs his own Last Supper for two but Wayne’s World is blocked. Instead Allin hits a crossbody into a crucifix into Code Red for two more. Allin ties up the arms and stomps at the head for the submission at 11:55.

Rating: B-. I’m still not seeing it with Wayne, who feels like someone else who can do the flips and little more. Having Allin not want to hurt his friend was fine, but I still don’t have much of a reason to care about Wayne himself. Good enough main event and Allin winning is the right way to go, but they’re leaning in heavily on Wayne and I’m not sure it’s working.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show where the wrestling didn’t matter, but rather setting things up for later. In that sense, this show was quite effective as they built towards Grand Slam and perhaps even beyond that. Multiple stories were either set up in the first place or advanced and I’m curious to see where some of those things go. This was a solid show, and if they can keep it up, we could be in for a nice stretch going forward.

Results
Jon Moxley b. AR Fox – Death Rider
Kris Statlander b. Emi Sakura – Wednesday Night Fever
Le Sex Gods b. Aussie Open – Judas Effect to Fletcher
Roderick Strong b. Trent Beretta – End Of Heartache
Darby Allin b. Nick Wayne – Stomps to the head

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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All Out 2023
Date: September 3, 2023
Location: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Excalibur, Kevin Kelly

It’s the second pay per view in eight days and this week’s card isn’t exactly strong. In theory the main event is Orange Cassidy defending the International Title against Jon Moxley, which has been built up rather strong. Other than that, we have a pair of Ring Of Honor title matches so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Zero Hour: Other The Budget Charity Battle Royal

Chuck Taylor, Trent Beretta, Dalton Castle, Matt Menard, Tony Nese, Kyle Fletcher, Mark Davis, Serpentico, Action Andretti, Darius Martin, Jake Hager, Daniel Garcia, Angelo Parker, Scorpio Sky, Bishop Kaun, Toa Leona, Brian Cage, Hangman Page, Shawn Spears, Komander

The winner gets to donate $50,000 to the charity of their choice. Before the match though, Nese gets in the ring and does his “you’re all fat and need group training” deal. He does some pushups as the bell rings and is promptly eliminated. The Mogul Embassy and Dalton Castle/The Boys get in a fight on the floor, only to have Komander hit his rope walk shooting star onto them all (none of them are eliminated).

Hager tosses Serpentico as Nigel says he’s never actually been in a battle royal. Garcia and Spears have a staredown with the TEN vs. dancing until the Aussies break it up. The Mogul Embassy gets together to dump Komander but the Boys save Castle from hitting the floor. The same Boys drop Parker for the elimination (Parker: “SERIOUSLY?”) but Cage clotheslines Castle out. There goes Martin before the Best Friends chokeslam Cage. Leona tosses Taylor though, only to have Page get rid of Kaun.

Menard and Hager are both out as the ring is rapidly clearing out. Page and Beretta double clothesline Davis out and Sky eliminates Garcia (the fans aren’t pleased). We’re down to six, with Page, Andretti and Beretta squaring off with Cage, Leona and Fletcher. Andretti is sent to the apron and tossed out but Beretta half and half suplexes Fletcher out. Cage eliminates Beretta and we’re down to Page vs. Cage and Leona. The Buckshot Lariat gets rid of Leona but Cage hits a quick neckbreaker. Not that it matters as Page comes right back and tosses him out for the win at 13:13.

Rating: C. This was the “get everyone on the show” deal and the charity thing was a pretty unique way to go. That being said, it’s another battle royal and I don’t know how AEW could possibly run them into the ground any farther. This is their second in three days and that’s a bit much for anyone. At least they didn’t go long and Page winning seemed to pop the crowd so it was hardly some terrible idea.

Zero Hour: Hikaru Shida/Willow Nightingale/Skye Blue vs. Athena/Mercedes Martinez/Diamante

Athena and company are quickly sent outside and start arguing, allowing Blue to hit a big dive. Back in and Shida’s middle rope dropkick hits Diamante but Blue comes in and gets dropped with a gutbuster. Diamante sends her face first into a boot in the corner but Blue slaps Athena in the face. That’s not enough for the diving tag as Athena plants her down for two instead.

The next attempt is enough to bring Shida back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and we get an exchange of strikes to the head. Martinez hits a German superplex on Blue but Nightingale crushes her. Athena hits the O Face but they head out to the floor. Nightingale Pounces Athena into the barricade and Martinez is whipped hard into it for a bonus. Back in and Code Blue finishes Martinez at 8:23.

Rating: C. The sooner they can get Athena into the AEW women’s division, the better. She’s dominated Ring Of Honor for so long and is completely ahead of everyone else around there. Let her come up to the bigger stage and show what she can do with the better talent. Other than that, this felt like a way to get a bunch of women on the show, though having Blue in the Chicago gear made perfect sense.

Zero Hour: Trios Titles: Jeff Jarrett/Satnam Singh/Jay Lethal vs. Acclaimed/Billy Gunn

Jarrett and company are challenging and get a very basketball themed entrance. On the other hand, the champs come out with Dennis Rodman as Caster calls the other team the 2023 Oddities. Hold on though as Gunn has his own referee, so here is Aubrey Edwards. Jarrett and company jump them to start but it’s a quick Scissor Me Timbers to Jeff. The Acclaimed do a pretty bad strut but Jeff gets in a running crotch attack on the ropes to Caster.

Lethal comes in to stomp Caster down in the corner until a suplex gives us a double knockdown. It’s off to Bowens to clean house and Gunn comes in to hammer away as well. That works until Singh is there for a chokeslam to Bowens. Sonjay Dutt offers a distraction but Aubrey Edwards catches Karen Jarrett bringing in the guitar. Aubrey kicks her to the floor as Gunn hits Singh low. Rodman adds a guitar shot to Singh and there’s a Fameasser to Lethal. The Arrival into the Mic Drop retains the titles at 5:56.

Rating: C. Rodman seemed a bit….we’ll go with “off” here and only did one thing. This is probably a match that could have been on Collision or Rampage instead but here it is making this show longer instead. I do like getting the Acclaimed and Gunn out there for a fun enough title match though and it didn’t last long, so this could have been a lot worse.

And now, the show proper.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Dark Order vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Adam Cole

MJF and Cole are defending and we’re already in with the DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE chants. Silver slugs away at Cole to start but the threat of the double clothesline sends Silver out to the floor. Back in and MJF offers a handshake under the guise of sportsmanship, only to get in a cheap shot on Reynolds (the fans approve). The Kangaroo Kick is loaded up but he gets knocked down with a chair shot behind the referee’s back.

MJF’s neck is banged up and walks out (with help, rather than a neck brace), leaving Cole to fight on his own. Fans: “SINGLE CLOTHESLINE!” Cole is sent outside but cuts off a dive with a jumping enziguri. Back in and Silver kicks away at Cole, setting up a fisherman’s buster for two. Silver snaps off a German suplex for two before Cole is sent outside. Evil Uno gets in a cheap shot on the floor, setting up the jawbreaker into a German suplex for two on Cole.

There’s a double clothesline for two on Cole but he’s back with a kick in the corner to drop Reynolds. Cue the returning MJF to get the tag and clean house, including some right hands and a bite in the corner. Silver falls down and headbutts Silver low by mistake and Uno’s distraction is cut off by a superkick. The Double Clothesline retains the titles at 14:03.

Rating: B-. Honestly, what else were they supposed to do here? There was no reason to believe that the Dark Order was going to win, or really have much of a chance, without some kind of interference so the MJF handicap was all they had. It absolutely did not need to be on pay per view, but it had its entertaining moments.

MJF has to be helped out but here is Samoa Joe for his match. Joe shoves MJF on the way to the ring so MJF charges in for the brawl. Cole, instead of helping, calls out security as Joe grabs a front facelock (AHUH). Security finally gets in to break it up, as I’m trying to figure out where they came up with the inspiration for a shove and a front facelock until the fight was broken up.

Ring Of Honor TV Title: Shane Taylor vs. Samoa Joe

Joe is defending. Taylor slugs him into the corner to start but Joe knocks it out to the floor. Back in and Taylor grabs a powerslam for two but Joe slugs away again. With Taylor on the floor, Joe hits a suicide elbow, only to get clotheslined for two back inside. A hanging Stunner gets two on Joe and a middle rope splash gets the same. They forearm it out until Joe pulls him into the Koquina Clutch to retain at 6:23.

Rating: C. Well that happened. I’m rather glad that they spent time setting up Taylor as the challenger on ROH and then had this match get PPV time. Taylor never felt like a threat and then Joe just choked him out. Joe has held the title for almost a year and a half now and it’s time to find him a serious challenger. Or take the title off of him already.

We recap Luchasaurus vs. Darby Allin for the TNT Title. Christian Cage thinks it’s his and has been as gloriously delusional as ever.

TNT Title: Luchasaurus vs. Darby Allin

Allin is challenging and Christian Cage/Nick Wayne are the seconds. Allin charges right at him and they fight to the floor, with Luchasaurus sending Allin into the steps. Cage wants more violence so Luchasaurus puts the steps on Allin’s back and steps on them. Back in and a spinning side slam gives Luchasaurus two, followed by one heck of a headbutt. Allin manages a quick shot but a springboard crossbody bounces off of Luchasaurus for a crash.

Allin’s rib tape is pulled off and they head outside, where Luchasaurus gets posted. Luchasaurus is put in a chair for the top rope flip dive. Back in and Allin manages a crucifix bomb for two but Luchasaurus sends him flying. Allin fights up again and dives onto Cage, followed by a super Code Red for two. The Coffin Drop is loaded up but Cage blasts Wayne with a chair. That’s enough of a distraction for Luchasaurus to hit a pair of Tombstones and a clothesline to the back of the head to retain at 12:09.

Rating: B-. There is something about seeing Allin throw himself at a monster like a brick wall and it worked well here. I’m glad to see Luchasaurus retaining the title as it means more of Christian Cage’s delusions of grandeur. Good stuff here and it’s not like Allin is hurt by getting mauled by a monster.

Post match the villains grab a chair to load up the Concharito but a bunch of people, including Shawn Spears, make the save.

We recap Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Miro. They’re both big and strong so let’s hoss fight.

Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Miro

They start fast and it’s a brawl with the slugout going to Hobbs. A running clothesline drops Miro but he knocks Hobbs to the apron. Back in and a dropkick puts Hobbs down again but he pops up for an overhead belly to belly. Hobbs misses a splash in the corner though and there’s a running flip dive off the apron to put him down again. They head back inside and Hobbs drops him again, setting up a chinlock. Miro fights up and hits some running knees before kind of Hulking Up.

A bunch of clotheslines drop Hobbs but he blocks a suplex and goes up. That’s broken up as well and the Machka Kick connects, only to have Hobbs plant him for another two. They slug it out until Miro blocks him with a running clothesline. The Game Over is actually broken though and Hobbs grabs a spinebuster for two. Hobbs loads up his own Game Over but Miro fights out plants him down and grabs the real Game Over for the win at 15:15.

Rating: B+. Oh yeah that worked. This was the definition of a “what you see is what you get” match as two monsters beat the fire out of each other for fifteen minutes until one of them won. There is something to be said about this kind of a hoss fight and my goodness it was a lot of fun. Now just find something for both of them to do already.

Post match Hobbs turns down a handshake and jumps Miro….and here is CJ Perry (formerly Lana, Miro’s wife) to chair Hobbs in the back. The distraction lets Miro make the save but he walks away from Perry (who he says isn’t real), who looks confused.

We recap Kris Statlander vs. Ruby Soho. Statlander can’t beat her, but this time it’s for Statlander’s TBS Title.

TBS Title: Kris Statlander vs. Ruby Soho

Soho, with Saraya, is challenging and gets run over with a shoulder to start. That’s enough to take the fight outside, where Soho sends her face first into the barricade. Saraya gets in a cheap shot to give Soho two and she chokes away in the corner. Statlander hits a clothesline but gets kicked back down for two more. They strike it out for a double knockdown before Statlander unloads in the corner. A running knee rocks Soho but she grabs a belly to back suplex.

Back up and Statlander can’t get Sunday Night Fever as Soho rolls her up for two instead. Soho snaps off a hurricanrana into a DDT into a basement hurricanrana for two more. The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Statlander two but Soho pulls her off the ropes into No Future. Destination Unknown gets two so it’s spray paint time. Cue Toni Storm from under the ring to take it away though, allowing Statlander to hit Sunday Night Fever to retain at 12:12.

Rating: B. It’s amazing what happens when the women are given more time and don’t have a commercial right in the middle. Throw in the lack of spray paint in an Outcasts match and it was that much better. Statlander getting another win is a good thing to see, and now the Outcasts even seem to be imploding to make things that much better. Heck of a match here.

We recap Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks. Ricky Steamboat wanted revenge for Starks whipping him, so he got Starks to agree to a match with the Dragon. By that he meant the American Dragon, as Danielson made a surprise return.

Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks

No DQ strap match with Ricky Steamboat on commentary. Hold on though as Starks jumps him before putting the strap around his wrist and Danielson is beaten down. Danielson is busted open but let’s ring the bell anyway, with Starks going outside to hammer away. Since he’s one of the most professional wrestlers ever, Steamboat is there to explain that Danielson might be a bit out of ring shape despite being in great physical condition.

The whipping continues around the ring but Danielson is back with a headbutt. Starks backdrops him to the apron though and one heck of a strap shot has the blood flying. Back in and Starks gets crotched on top and the whipping is on, with Steamboat being rather pleased. Three dropkicks in the Tree of Woe rock Starks again but Starks gets in a whip of his own. Starks spends too long yelling at Steamboat though and Danielson pulls him into the ring.

More whipping ensues on the bloody Starks but he’s back with a long string of whips back inside. That just fires Danielson up as he shouts about Starks taking a beating. The YES Kicks knock Starks silly but cue Big Bill to jump Danielson. Steamboat pulls Bill off and chops away but gets shoved down. Danielson dives onto both villains, only to have Starks hit a spear for two. The running knee drops Starks again and Danielson kicks him into the LeBell Lock, with strap around the neck, for the knockout win at 16:36.

Rating: B+. There are times when the match needs to be straight up violent and that is what we got here. It was bloody and carnage, with Danielson looking like a monster at the end. Starks needs a win, but it’s ok to have him lose in a crazy brutal match like this one. In addition, Steamboat, who has barely been in wrestling in years, was better than most commentators and even looked decent with those chops. Heck of a match here.

Hangman Page is donating his winnings to the Chicago Public Education Fund.

Eddie Kingston/Katsuyori Shibata vs. Claudio Castagnoli/Wheeler Yuta

Shibata takes Yuta down to start and goes for the arm, sending Yuta over to the rope. Castagnoli comes in to lock up with Shibata before it’s off to Kingston. The fight heads outside with Yuta hitting a suicide dive and Castagnoli driving Kingston into the barricade. Back in and Yuta cranks on both arms at once but Kingston fights up with an STO.

Shibata comes in and strikes away in the corner but Castagnoli drops him again. A Fastball Special (Rocket Launcher) gives Yuta two but Shibata strikes his way out of trouble. An Indian Deathlock to Yuta and an ankle lock to Castagnoli at the same time has to be broken up. Everything breaks down and Shibata kicks Yuta into a Saito suplex to give Kingston two.

Kingston and Castagnoli strike it out until the Neutralizer gives Castagnoli two more. The Riccola Bomb is escaped and Kingston hits a spinning backfist. The northern lights bomb gets two and Shibata chokes Yuta out. Then Castagnoli hits an uppercut to finish Kingston at 15:26.

Rating: C+. That ending is bizarre to say the least and I’m not sure where they’re going now. Castagnoli has beaten Kingston at least twice this year and that doesn’t bode well for Kingston’s title prospects. There is a strong chance he wins the title at Final Battle, but my goodness it’s not easy to bring myself to care about a title match another three months from now.

We recap Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita. Don Callis needs someone else to throw at Omega so here we go.

Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Don Callis is here with Takeshita. Omega gets struck down to start until Takeshita DROPS HIM ON HIS HEAD with a belly to back suplex. Omega is fine enough to hit a Regal roll on the floor into a moonsault off the barricade. Back in and Omega ties up the legs but Takeshita fights out.

They go to the floor where Takeshita hits a brainbuster, meaning it’s time to load up some chairs. A slingshot dive onto the chairs onto Omega gets two, followed by a Helluva Kick into a Blue Thunder Bomb for the same. Omega fights up with the ax handles to the chest and a missed running knee sends Takeshita outside.

That means the big running flip dive to Takeshita on the floor, followed by a missile dropkick to the back of the head inside. Some snapdragons and the poisonrana give Omega two but Takeshita hits one heck of a lariat for the same. Takeshita reverses something into a kneeling Tombstone for two and they trade more strikes.

A super One Winged Angel is blocked and Takeshita hits a super Blue Thunder Bomb for a rather near fall instead. Omega hits a V Trigger but Takeshita finds the screwdriver. That’s taken away, so Takeshita hits a running knee for two. Another running knee finishes Omega at 22:29.

Rating: A-. This was a heck of a fight with Omega putting Takeshita over in the big match, as he should. Takeshita has been the guy who could be something if he got a big win for a long time and that has now been solved. There is bound to be a rematch and Omega can get his win back there as he gets closer to revenge on Callis. This helped make Takeshita though and that is what he has been needing for a long time now.

Bullet Club Gold vs. FTR/Young Bucks

Wheeler starts in on Austin’s arm before handing it off to the Bucks (THERE is the reaction from the fans we’ve been waiting on) and they take turns on said arm. White comes in to hammer on Harwood, who fires back with some chops. It’s off to Wheeler for a change and Robinson gets to take out his knee.

Some snap jabs have Wheeler in more trouble but he fights back up and hands it off to Harwood. The Club takes him into the wrong corner for the alternating beating though and Robinson is back with the chinlock. A belly to back suplex breaks it up but Harwood gets pulled outside for a drop onto the apron. Back in and another chinlock is broken up, allowing the tag off to Nick.

The springboard wristdrag/headscissors takes down Robinson and Colten and everything breaks down. The threat of a triple superkick sends White into the slingshot X Factor from Matt. Austin is superplex into a top rope headbutt into a top rope elbow into a 450 for two, with Colten making the save. The Shatter Machine hits Robinson and superkicks abound, setting up a BTE Trigger from Harwood and Matt for two on Jay. Then White hits a Blade Runner on Wheeler to give Austin the pin at 21:39.

Rating: B. This was a wild match and they hit a bunch of stuff throughout. I’m not big on the idea of FTR/the Bucks being some new wonder team but there’s a good chance that is just a one off. If this leads to the Club getting another Tag Team Title shot on the big stage, it’s all for the better though, as they have some incredible chemistry with FTR every time they’re out there together.

We recap Orange Cassidy defending the International Title against Jon Moxley. Cassidy has been on a record reign with the title but Moxley is by far his biggest challenger.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Jon Moxley

Cassidy is defending and gets blasted in the head to start. The dropkick gives Cassidy a breather but Moxley suplexes him down hard. The flipping Stunner is countered into a suplex toss and Cassidy crashes again. They go outside with Moxley posting him to draw the first blood. Moxley sends him over the announcers’ table and bites at the head, prompting a lot of yelling from the referee.

Back in and a piledriver gets two on Cassidy, meaning it’s time to bite at the cut again. The referee even asks if Cassidy can still go and yes of course he can. Cassidy is back with some DDTs but the Beach Break is blocked. Instead Cassidy hits a PK into the Orange Punch for two but Moxley pulls him into a choke. The armbreaker is reversed so Moxley pulls him into the LeBell Lock this time.

With that broken up, they head outside with Moxley peeling back the floor mats. Cassidy reverses into a Beach Break and they barely beat the count back inside. Back in and Cassidy hits the Orange Punch and a spear of all things gets two. Cassidy goes with the lazy kicks but turns them into much harder kicks, only for the King Kong Lariat to drop him. Cassidy pops back up so it’s another King Kong Lariat into the Death Rider for a very close two. Then Moxley hits another Death Rider to win the title at 19:43.

Rating: B. It was a violent match and felt like Cassidy’s biggest ever, but man alive that result is going to have some people arguing. Cassidy’s reign was mainly against lower level stars and he loses in his first match against a main eventer? That doesn’t so much make me think he’s been elevated to the next level as much as it confirms the status he was in for a long time. Good match and it was time for someone new, but I’m not sure how much Moxley needed this.

Cassidy gets the standing ovation to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This was another strong show, though I’m not sure how much a lot if will change the bigger stories going forward. Instead, this show was about having a string of strong matches and there were enough here to carry things on. The only weak stuff was either on Zero Hour or the ROH TV Title match (and maybe the Kingston/Castagnoli tag). It could have gone with being about 30-40 minutes shorter, but you won’t be disappointed with watching the whole thing. The big matches more than delivered though and that’s enough to make this work.

Results
Hangman Page won the Other The Budget battle royal last eliminating Brian Cage
Hikaru Shida/Willow Nightingale/Skye Blue b. Athena/Mercedes Martinez/Diamante – Code Blue to Martinez
Acclaimed/Billy Gunn b. Jeff Jarrett/Satnam Singh/Jay Lethal – Mic Drop to Lethal
Adam Cole/Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Dark Order – Double Clothesline to Reynolds
Samoa Joe b. Shane Taylor – Koquina Clutch
Luchasaurus b. Darby Allin – Clothesline to the back of the head
Miro b. Powerhouse Hobbs – Game Over
Kris Statlander b. Ruby Soho – Sunday Night Fever
Bryan Danielson b. Ricky Starks via referee stoppage
Claudio Castagnoli/Wheeler Yuta b. Katsuyori Shibata/Eddie Kingston – Uppercut to Kingston
Konosuke Takeshita b. Kenny Omega – Running knee
Bullet Club Gold b. FTR/Young Bucks – Blade Runner to Wheeler
Jon Moxley b. Orange Cassidy – Death Rider

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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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Well we’re back on pay per view about a week after the last one and that might not be the best idea. The build to All Out, the full week that we’ve had for it, has been a bit lacking, as AEW does not seem to have the most steam coming out of All In. Some of that can be attributed to the CM Punk debacle, but I’m not sure if that is going to be enough to make the show work. There is some potential in the card though and that is a good sign. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Athena/Mercedes Martinez/Diamante vs. Hikaru Shida/Willow Nightingale/Skye Blue

This is some weird ROH vs. AEW style match and that is kid of indicative of how the women’s division has been going as of late. Thankfully the Outcasts are not involved in this one and we should be able to get some focus on some stars who could use the attention. Athena has been on fire in ROH and Martinez can work well with anyone. Throw in Shida and Nightingale and this has some potential.

I’ll go with Blue and company though, as she feels like the definition of someone in this match for the hometown pop. Blue can handle herself well enough in the ring, but the fact that she was in Chicago themed gear on Rampage told me all I needed to know about this one. We should be in for a fun opener, but odds are it gets about eight minutes, like so many women’s matches these days.

Zero Hour: Trios Titles: Acclaimed/Billy Gunn(c) vs. Jeff Jarrett/Jay Lethal/Satnam Singh

Normally the titles would be enough to drive the interest here but this is almost all about Dennis Rodman being in the champs’ corner. That’s another one pretty much entirely for the Chicago crowd and again, that isn’t a terrible idea. Rodman is going to stand in the corner for most of the match, put a cigar in his mouth, and probably punch Sonjay Dutt. Other than that though, we do have some titles on the line.

In what might be the easiest pick of the night, there is almost no chance of the titles changing hands here so we’ll go with the champs retaining. They just won the titles a week ago and there is no reason to believe that they are going to lose here. Just let the champs get another title victory and move on to whomever is next, though without Rodman after this one time.

Zero Hour: Over The Budget Battle Royal

This is a battle royal with no announced entrants, but the winner gets to make a $50,000 donation to the charity of their choice. That is the kind of thing that could make for quite the mess behind the scenes as AEW gets to pick a charity. Either that or we have the wrestlers all pick the same charity without letting it be known in advance. Now that being said, this is going to be a tricky one to pull off, as we don’t know who is actually in the ting.

Since the other two matches on Zero Hour have Chicago connections, and given the situation that took place this year, I’ll go with Colt Cabana to win the thing, both as a friendly Chicago deal and a big farewell to CM Punk. This is a match that pretty much can’t be previewed due to the whole WE DON’T KNOW WHO IS IN IT, but at least the charity stuff is a nice prize for a change.

TNT Title: Kris Statlander(c) vs. Ruby Soho

Here we have a match that isn’t likely to get much time but could do well for a match that gives the show a chance to breathe. Statlander has been built up rather well since winning the title and has been racking up wins, but that is going to have to end at some point. At the same time, Soho has to actually win something at some point, though I’m not sure if that is going to take place here.

I’ll go with Statlander retaining the title here, though after a rather good match. Soho is someone who can work with just about anyone and should be able to have a solid back and forth match with Statlander. At the end of the day though, the Outcasts having both titles doesn’t seem like the best idea so we’ll go with Statlander retaining, with the champ getting another nice win.

Eddie Kingston/Katsuyori Shibata vs. Claudio Castagnoli/Wheeler Yuta

This is a match that was added to the card without much fanfare and I’m not sure how good of a situation that is going to be. Kingston vs. Castagnoli has been going on for most of the last five months and at some point, Kingston almost has to win the Ring Of Honor World Title. For now though, we’re stuck here with another tag match, which is likely to help set up Yuta for another Pure Rules Title shot. That’s not the most interesting thing, but here we are anyway.

I’ll take Kingston/Shibata for the win here, as there is really not much of a reason for them to lose. Since the Pure Rules Title shots are pretty much handed out, Kingston getting a pin, likely over Yuta, will keep the feud going. At the very least, we should be on the way to Final Battle for Kingston vs. Castagnoli, but since ROH takes it sweet time, we have to get through something like this on the way there. Kingston and Shibata win here.

Ring Of Honor TV Title: Samoa Joe(c) vs. Shane Taylor

So this is taking place on the AEW pay per view for reasons I do not fathom whatsoever. Taylor has wrestled two matches ever in AEW (both on Dark) and is basically a stranger unless you watch ROH. That doesn’t make for the most thrilling match, though Taylor did win a tournament to get the title shot. We have the potential for a heck of a hoss fight here, and if that is the case, we’ll be good to go.

There is no reason or Taylor to get the title back here so I’ll take Joe to retain. Joe has held the title for over a year at this point and could drop it at any time without losing any status, but I don’t think I can picture Taylor being the one to take the title from him. These guys are going to beat the fire out of each other and that should be a lot of fun, but Taylor doesn’t get the title.

Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks

This is a strap match as the American Dragon is stepping in for Ricky The Dragon Steamboat after a slightly clever tricky contract signing. In this case, Danielson’s return feels like something of a way to calm the fans down after Punk was fired and he might be about as good of an option as there was. The strap thing has kind of been Starks’ thing in recent weeks, so at least there is an idea here.

This one could go either way, but I think I’ll go with Danielson winning, as he might become the face of Collision in a hurry. With nothing Blackpool Combat Club related during his Collision return, there is a chance that he is going to be doing something else. For now though, at least he is getting to be in a big match and while Starks needs the win (and I’m not convinced Big Bill won’t help him get it), losing to a returning Danielson is hardly some terrible result.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Adam Cole/MJF(c) vs. Dark Order

Yes the Dark Order is getting a title shot on pay per view and I’m still not entirely sure why. In theory this is going to be followed by a Cole/MJF vs. the Kingdom showdown, though it wouldn’t have to be for the titles. The Dark Order has been needing some kind of a big win seemingly for years now and they at least have a chance at one here, though that might be a long shot at best.

I don’t see a reason for the champs to drop the titles here so I’ll go with MJF and Cole retaining. They already have something set up with the Kingdom and taking the titles from them here would take away a big aspect of their story. Also, at the end of the day, it’s hard to imagine the Dark Order actually winning anything that mattered, so we’ll go with the titles being retained.

Miro vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

This is one of the matches where what you see is what you get. You know what you are going to see from these two monsters hitting each other rather hard and that should make for a fun match. They’ve been out there brawling already and just the taste was fun, so letting us get the full version should be even more fun as it can go even longer than the first previews.

I could see either of them going over here, but Miro seems like he would be hurt more by a loss than Hobbs so I’ll take the former. While Hobbs has lost multiple times already and doesn’t need to again, a loss from Miro would seem to be quite the blow. What matters here is just having two monsters slugging away at each other and that should work out well. Miro wins though, but it’s a coin flip.

Bullet Club Gold vs. FTR/Young Bucks

This isn’t exactly a strong follow up to FTR vs. The Bucks at All In but if we’re not getting a title match, I guess this is about as good as we can have. There is a history between the Club and FTR and I could go for another title showdown between them, but I’m not sure if that is enough to carry an eight man tag. It could go either way, though the Bucks and FTR’s relationship is rocky at best and that could be a problem.

I’ll go with the Club winning here, as they should be in for another Tag Team Title shot to complete the trilogy. White and Robinson are a heck of a team and the Gunns are fine enough on their own. That should be enough to overcome FTR and the Bucks, who don’t really have anywhere to go if they win. The Club wins here, after things break down and everyone gets to go nuts.

TNT Title: Luchasaurus(c) vs. Darby Allin

This has been one of the most entertaining stories in AEW in recent months, as Christian Cage has been tearing it up as the delusional mastermind who things he is the real champion. Luchasaurus has barely been a factor as Cage’s disdain for all things dead fathers is rather entertaining. Allin just wants the title back because he had it before, and now we get quite the showdown.

As much as I could see Allin winning the title, I want Cage to keep up his delusions of grandeur and those can’t happen as well without the title. At some point Luchasaurus is going to snap and destroy Cage, but for now, Luchasaurus manages to retain the title, perhaps with Allin’s friend Nick Wayne turning on him. This could go either way, but hopefully it ends with Cage holding the title again.

Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita

The more I see of Takeshita, the more talent he clearly has. He needs a big win over a top name and Omega would it that description, but I’m not sure I can imagine him actually beating someone as big as Omega. Takeshita already pinned him last weekend in a tag match, but there is a fine line between that and actually pinning him in a singles match, clean or not.

I’ll go with Takeshita winning here, as I don’t think we’re far enough into the story for Omega to get his big win. With Don Callis out there, Takeshita can get the win off some straight up cheating or maybe just a distraction. Either way, we should be in for one of the bigger matches on the show here and there is even a chance that this headlines the show, despite Callis taking the life out of anything he touches.

International Title: Orange Cassidy(c) vs. Jon Moxley

This has been treated as the biggest match on the show and it has the best chance of headlining the event. Cassidy has held the title for a LONG time now and it is time to either have him lose the thing or get the biggest win of his career over one of the biggest stars AEW has ever seen. This could go either way and they have been treating it as something serious, so some doors are certainly open here.

I’m torn on this one but I’ll go with Cassidy winning. While there is a grand total of no reason for him to keep the title, it would do a lot of damage to him if he loses the belt in his first match against a top challenger. Cassidy feels like someone AEW wants to move up to the next level, but that takes a big hit if he loses here. I could be entirely wrong and Moxley winning would make sense, but if AEW wants Cassidy to go a lot higher, he has to win here.

Overall Thoughts

This show does not feel like the best in the world and I’m not sure how much of a spark it is going to have. Now the good thing about that is the talent is there to make it work, even if a thirteen match card is still rather long. If the big matches can deliver and nothing is too bad, we could be in for a show that gets by its lackluster build. That is where AEW tends to shine, and maybe they can make it work again.

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Collision
Date: September 2, 2023
Location: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

And then CM Punk got fired. That is going to be the absolute game changer that shakes up everything about this company for a good while to come, with the next two shows being in Chicago to crank up the awkwardness. I have no idea what AEW has up their sleeves to get them through what could be a rather horrible crowd reaction but let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Tony Khan welcomes us to the show and announces that CM Punk has been fired. The incident endangered people, including Khan, who was fearing for his life. That is nothing anyone should have to deal with at work so Punk is gone. Anyway,, on with the awesome shows.

We get a recap of All In.

Opening sequence.

Tony Schiavone is in the ring to start and you can hear some CM Punk changes. Anyway, Tony brings in Ricky Starks, with Big Bill, to challenge Ricky Steamboat. Schiavone: “Ricky, you have issued a challenge to Ricky Steamboat, a 70 year old man. Are you out of your freaking mind?” Starks talks about how he’s tired of having to start over again and again, but every time he shows up and out.

No matter how many times people try to suck the life out of him, it doesn’t work. Starks talks about how awesome Bill is for everything he’s done, including overcoming addiction. He’s so angry that he wants to cry but he’ll do what he needs to do. Starks sat at home and watched All In because he whipped Steamboat, so now he wants a strap match at All Out.

Steamboat comes out and says he hasn’t complained once about getting whipped by Starks. The Dragon doesn’t complain but he has a contract ready for an old school fight. The contract actually says “Ricky Starks vs. The Dragon” so Starks signs, and Steamboat gets to the obvious point: he meant THIS Dragon, so cue the returning Bryan Danielson (the American Dragon). He signs as well and we’ve got a match, with Starks being livid.

Jon Moxley is going to be the man who solves the Orange Cassidy puzzle. If Cassidy is a cosplay wrestler, who is he pretending to be? I believe that would be Paul Rudd in Wet Hot American Summer actually. Anyway, Moxley thinks Cassidy is the real thing, and we’ll find out on Sunday. A lot of people believe in him, so don’t let people down. They’re making this feel like a serious match and that’s a good thing. If Cassidy is treated like a joke, why would it matter if Cassidy beat him?

Trios Titles: Daniel Garcia/Matt Menard/Angel Parker vs. Acclaimed/Billy Gunn

Acclaimed and Gunn are defending. Bowens punches Parker down to start so it’s off to Garcia vs. Gunn. Garcia gets in a few shots and dances a bit before telling Gunn to suck it. Gunn knocks him down with Parker landing on his knees in front of him (gyrations ensue). Everything breaks down and Garcia gets elbowed, only to get caught with a double hot shot. The piledriver into a double implant DDT into the Dragontamer has Bowens in trouble but he makes the rope (because a piledriver into a double implant DDT leaves him wide awake).

We take a break and come back with Bowens diving over for the tag to Caster to clean house. Garcia takes Caster down but Menard tags himself in, allowing Caster to hit a running clothesline. Gunn comes in but gets distracted by Jake Hager. That doesn’t last long as it’s a Fameasser to Menard. The Arrival into the Mic Drop retains the titles at 8:30.

Rating: C+. This was a perfectly fine match and that’s how you keep the Acclaimed hot: give them a match where they have to work a bit before finishing with the usual. No it won’t last forever (or that long really because there isn’t exactly a division) but it’s a crowd friendly act that has worked every time they’re out there. Go with what works.

Dark Order is ready to win the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles.

Ricky Starks is ready for Bryan Danielson at All Out because he’ll knock it out of the park like everything else.

Aussie Open vs. Nick Wayne/Komander

Wayne hits a running hurricanrana to Fletcher to start and then flips up but the Aussies are right back to take over. The Aussie Arrow gets two on Komander as we take a break. Back with Wayne cleaning house, including a frog splash to Fletcher. A half nelson suplex plants Wayne and one heck of a piledriver drops Komander. Wayne kicks his way out of trouble but a double Wayne’s World is countered into Coriolis for the pin at 8:00.

Rating: C. I’m trying to get my mind around a piledriver actually knocking someone silly enough to put them down for the rest of the match. This was a way to get the Aussies some of their heat back and there is nothing wrong with that. Wayne continues to be someone who can do all of the athletic stuff but there is nothing to make me care about him. He has no character or anything outside of athleticism and that isn’t going to get him very far.

Post match Wayne talks about how he’s upset with Darby Allin over forgiving AR Fox. Cue Allin, to say he burned a bridge with Wayne’s father and they didn’t make up before he died. He didn’t want something similar to happen to Fox, so now he wants Wayne to do the same. Allin is challenging or the TNT Title on Sunday and wants Wayne in his corner.

Cue Christian Cage (Nigel: “It’s the father of the year!”) and Luchasaurus, with the former saying it was mean of him to ask about Wayne’s father without asking for his mom’s name. Maybe he should slide into her DM’s and try to change that. Christian talks about how we’re in the United Center, and these people know how to smell a loser from a mile away. Wayne should bring a towel with him because it’s going to be destruction at All Out. Then I…er, we will still be TNT Champion. Christian is on another level right now and he knows it.

Claudio Castagnoli beats up Wheeler Yuta as he talks about how Yuta keeps getting up. He thought Eddie Kingston had changed, but apparently not.

Kingston laughs it off and says Katsuyori Shibata has some words for the Blackpool Combat Club. Shibata, through Google Translate, thinks they suck. Ok that was clever.

Saraya doesn’t want to hear about problems with the Outcasts but now she’s stuck in Chicago. She’s ready to see Ruby Soho win the TBS Title and Soho seems rather confident she will do so.

Tony Schiavone brings out Dennis Rodman for a chat. Before he can say anything, Jeff Jarrett and company come to the ring, with Jeff talking about how similar Rodman is to his team (both Rodman and Karen Jarrett look great in dresses). Rodman is offered a spot on their team but shoves down Satnam Singh. Cue Billy Gunn and the Acclaimed and we get a Trios Titles match for All Out, with Rodman in the champs’ corner.

Shane Taylor is ready to win the ROH TV Title.

Samoa Joe doesn’t think so, and is ready to take Taylor out.

Britt Baker/Hikaru Shida/Kris Statlander vs. Outcasts

Statlander and Soho start things off but Storm comes in instead. A slam drops Storm but she slips out of a second one and stomps Statlander down in the corner. Statlander is right back up with the tag to Baker though and a Sling Blade puts Storm down. Shida comes in for a knee to Soho’s ribs and we take a break. Back with Statlander powerbombing Saraya for two and then kicking her in the head. Statlander powerslams Saraya but Storm hits Saraya by mistake on the save attempt. Everything breaks down and Saraya spray paints Baker, allowing No Future to give Soho the pin at 8:11.

Rating: C. This was your weekly “here are the women in a match with a break in the middle and the Outcasts use spray paint to win” match. The women’s division has fallen a pretty long way since its peak and this was a good example of how uninteresting things are at the moment. The Outcasts feel so repetitive most weeks and that was on display here, but odds are they aren’t changing anytime soon.

MJF isn’t here so Adam Cole reads off some insults to Dark Order that MJF sent him. Well most of them as one is too disgusting to read.

Kris Statlander knows the Outcasts are going to use the spray paint tomorrow. The Outcasts come in and yelling ensues.

Powerhouse Hobbs vs. GPA

Spinebuster finishes in 7 seconds.

Post match Miro comes out for the brawl.

All Out rundown, including a battle royal on Zero Hour.

Video on Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita.

Orange Cassidy does not want to be talking right now because he wants to fight. He’s proven himself over and over again and he’ll do it at All Out. Then he’ll take the weight off of Jon Moxley’s shoulders and put it on his. He still has no catchphrase.

Jay White vs. Dax Harwood

Bullet Club Gold and Cash Wheeler are here too. White gets backed to the floor to start but he comes back in for a chop, only to head back outside. Harwood scares him out to the floor again and we take a break. Back with Harwood being sent outside where everyone else teases a big fight. A DDT gives White two but Harwood catches him on top with a superplex. The top rope headbutt misses though and White gets two as we take a break.

Back again with Harwood hitting a brainbuster for two and knocking White outside. They go over the barricade for more chops but White snaps the leg over the ropes on the way back in. White gets two off a Death Valley Driver and Harwood gets the same off a piledriver. Back up and White sends him shoulder first into the post, setting up the swinging Rock Bottom for two.

Harwood is fine enough to hit a slingshot powerbomb for two but the Sharpshooter sends White to the ropes. Harwood follows him outside and gets caught with the Blade Runner. Back in and another Blade Runner finishes for White at 20:09. Nigel: “WHAT A MOMENT!” A career singles wrestler and former World Champion pins a mostly career tag wrestler?

Rating: B-. The action was good, but this was a match that felt like it went long for the sake of going long. Harwood can wrestle a match like that and White is rather good, but it’s still a bit hard to buy that it took White twenty minutes to win here. These two are some of the main stars of Collision but that doesn’t mean they need to be out there that long if it doesn’t make sense.

Post match the beatdown is on but the Young Bucks run in for the save.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a weird show as the wrestling was the least interesting part almost throughout. They had the Punk drama hanging over them and managed to avoid a lot of drama from it, but other than that, the show was mainly focused on All Out. That show needs the help, but I’m not sure it got enough of it here.

All Out does not feel important and there isn’t much of a way to hide that. AEW needs a bit of a breather from big shows, and with Grand Slam and WrestleDream both less than a month away, we won’t be seeing that anytime soon. Instead, I could see the weekly shows running out of steam more and more, which isn’t going to bode well for the next few weeks.

Results
Acclaimed/Billy Gunn b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Daniel Garcia – Mic Drop to Menard
Aussie Open b. Nick Wayne/Komander – Coriolis to Wayne
Outcasts b. Britt Baker/Hikaru Shida/Kris Statlander – No Future to Soho
Powerhouse Hobbs b. GPA – Spinebuster
Jay White b. Dax Harwood – Blade Runner

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 30, 2023
Location: Now Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re done with All In and tonight is going to be at least half about the fallout. I say only half as it is also the last Dynamite before we head to All Out on Sunday. That means we are in for one heck of a rapid fire build to the show, which does at least have a few matches already set. Let’s get to it.

Here is All In if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of All In.

Jon Moxley vs. Komander

Moxley wastes no time in kicking him down and the swagger is on early. Komander has to knock him off the top but misses a corkscrew moonsault. Moxley grabs Jason Jett’s Crash Landing (there’s an obscure one for you) and we take a break. Back with Komander fighting out of a front facelock and grabbing a fireman’s carry flipped into a gutbuster. The rope walk shooting star only hits knees though and Moxley hits a piledriver for two. The cross armbreaker makes Komander tap at 8:49.

Rating: C. Komander has his moments but there are times where he is almost hard to watch. This was one of his matches where it felt like the rope walk was the only thing he had and that isn’t great to see. Moxley gets a win to boost himself up for the International Title match, but there wasn’t a better opponent for him? Oh and again: stop burying moves like the piledriver by having someone kick out when you’re going to beat them ten seconds later. Hit the piledriver and go to the armbreaker with no cover in the middle. The lack of a cover changes nothing and makes the piledriver look stronger.

As Moxley leaves, he sees a kid holding up an “it’s my birthday” sign and rubs her head. That will never be anything less than awesome.

Orange Cassidy isn’t sure how many times he has defended his title and he doesn’t care because he’ll defend it again.

We look at the Young Bucks in their locker room after losing at All In. FTR came in to ask about them not shaking their hands after the match. The Bucks say they were in the heat of the moment but admit that FTR were better and look ready to shake. Bullet Club Gold interrupt and say the Elite isn’t doing much right now. FTR doesn’t like the interruption and we have an eight man tag at All Out.

We look at Saraya winning the Women’s Title at All In.

Toni Storm is even more distraught as Saraya didn’t follow the script. She throws shoes at Renee Young to blow off some steam.

Here is Chris Jericho to talk about All In. It was in front of 81,000 people (which he says was a shoot) but now wants to talk to Sammy Guevara. Jericho apologizes for shoving him after the match because he saw that Guevara tried to help him win. They shake hands and Jericho says maybe he should have pulled the tights. Or maybe Guevara should have hit him harder with the baseball bat. Guevara thinks maybe Jericho could have hit him harder with the Judas Effect and it would have worked.

Jericho says that sometimes Guevara’s actions don’t go as Jericho planned it, so Guevara points out that he left his pregnant wife to come to London to help him win. Jericho says Guevara was chosen to be on the show and maybe he can wrestle on it next year. Guevara says maybe he can avoid doing what Jericho did and not lose. We hear about Jericho winning the title here and then losing the belt outside of a steakhouse. Jericho cools things down and suggests they reunite Le Sex Gods and go after the Tag Team Titles starting next week. Deal. Dig that Inner Circle vest from Guevara. So they’re Adam Cole and MJF?

Jon Moxley promises to win the International Title at All Out.

New Japan Strong Openweight Title: Eddie Kingston vs. Wheeler Yuta

Kingston is defending and tries some choking to start. That’s broken up as Yuta cranks on the arm. A kneedrop to said arm keeps Kingston down and we take a break. Back with Kingston knocking him off the top, setting up the rapid fire chops in the corner. The Spinning Backfist To The Future is blocked though and Yuta grabs a bridging German suplex for two. Kingston’s Saito suplex gets the same but Yuta hooks something like an Angle Slam for two more. Yuta goes back to the arm but Kingston has had enough of this, meaning a pair of backfists finish Yuta at 8:42.

Rating: C+. See, this is where a title defense from another promotion makes good sense. Kingston facing Yuta is something that would happen with or without the title on the line, as Kingston hates Yuta’s friends. Throwing a title in the mix makes it a little more interesting and is a lot better than some ice cold title defense.

Post match Claudio Castagnoli comes out…..and picks Yuta up to carry him away.

We look at the All In main event with MJF retaining over Adam Cole.

MJF is in the locker room when Adam Cole comes in. MJF cuts him off and says that he’s busy enough with a battle royal to make new #1 contenders to their ROH Tag Team Titles, plus a tournament to crown a new #1 contender for his World Title at Grand Slam. He’ll see Cole in Chicago and they’ll have deep dish and hit a kangaroo kick.

Sammy Guevara is interested in bringing back Le Sex Gods but here is Don Callis to interrupt. Guevara isn’t going to hear it because he already has a family so get lost.

Here is Adam Cole for a chat. Cole talks about how special All In was but yeah, he lost in the main event. He’ll get another shot, but concerning MJF, he already has a bad neck. Worry not though, as they’ll be ready to go in Chicago at All Out. Cue Roderick Strong, with the Kingdom, to say that Cole cares about MJF’s bad neck but not Strong’s.

Mike Bennett talks about his history with Cole and how they helped carry each other for years. Now Cole has forgotten the people who helped get him here. Matt Taven talks about how this is who Cole is. He used the Kingdom to help him take over ROH, then he jumped to the Bullet Club for the merch money.

Then he went to Florida, where all of their friends helped keep the title on him for so long. Cole says MJF is his friend, but Strong says he’s entering the tournament to become the new World Champion, which Cole couldn’t do. Strong doesn’t care how hurt he is, because he’s a wrestling legend. So the Kingdom wins the battle royal right? Who else would make sense?

Penta El Zero Miedo is ready to beat Orange Cassidy tonight.

Kris Statlander/Hikaru Shida/Britt Baker vs. Marina Shafir/Emi Sakura/Nyla Rose

Shida takes Sakura down to start and it’s off to baker for a Sling Blade. Baker gets taken into the wrong corner so Sakura can take over, including a lot of hair twisting. We take a break and come back with everything breaks down. Rose hits some chokeslams but gets sent outside, with Statlander hitting a bit dive. Wednesday Night Fever finishes Shafir at 7:08.

Rating: C. Just a quick match and again, I’m not sure what they’re supposed to do when the match has a break in the middle. You’re only going to get so much out of that and the talent involved isn’t enough to overcome that time limit. In other worse, it’s an AEW women’s match and they’re running with an anchor.

Post match, Ruby Soho runs in for the attack on Statlander.

Video on Shane Taylor, who I don’t think has ever wrestled on AEW TV but is getting his ROH TV Title shot at All Out.

Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita go over all of Kenny Omega’s injuries and plan how to hurt him the most.

Here are the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn for a ceremonial ribbon cutting to celebrate their Trios Titles win. We’re in the House Of A** and now we have some new Trios Titles, complete with pink straps that SCISSOR! Billy: “So that means I get to scissor myself now.” They’re going to defend the titles on Collision and scissoring ensues. And that’s that.

Teams are ready for the Rampage tag team battle royal.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Penta El Zero Miedo

Cassidy is defending. They trade some takedowns to start ad flip/nip up to their feet for a staredown. Cassidy sends him outside, where Penta tosses him against the barricade and we take a break. Back with Penta dropping a leg for two but Cassidy grabs a tornado DDT for the same. The Backstabber out of the corner drops Cassidy and we take a break.

Back again with Cassidy fighting up before they trade Canadian Destroyers, with Cassidy hitting a second. Tony: “What the h*** are we watching?” The Orange Punch gives Cassidy two and the Beach Break gets the same. The Fear Factor on the apron plants Cassidy for two and it’s time to stomp on Cassidy’s arm. Another Fear Factor connects but Cassidy grabs a crucifix to retain at 16:20.

Rating: C+. And so we have another Orange Cassidy title defense where he gets beaten up, survives, and moves on to retain. There was almost no reason to believe that Cassidy was losing here and they did nothing to hide it. Cassidy vs. Moxley has already been built up and they probably should have skipped this match to cut out some of the not so strong drama.

Post match Cassidy gets a chair and talks about how he is so tired and every title defense makes the backpack feel heavier. But he’s ready to fight on Sunday because he is tired of being told he shouldn’t be champion. Cassidy: “I will always be the International Champion because I’m Freshly Squeezed Orange Cassidy and I do not have a catchphrase.” Cue Jon Moxley for the staredown to end the show. That is likely your main event and that catchphrase line was hilarious. Heck of a promo from Cassidy here as he showed some good fire.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was good enough, but AEW feels like it is running on fumes and needs a breather. Counting ROH, this Sunday will mark ten out of twelve days with some kind of Tony Khan produced wrestling show. Running a second pay per view in eight days is feeling like a bad idea as All Out is not exactly looking like a must see show. They didn’t have the time to set it up and I’m almost dreading how Rampage and Collision are going to go. Not a bad show, but my goodness this could turn into a rough patch for AEW.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Komander – Rear naked choke
Eddie Kingston b. Wheeler Yuta – Spinning backfist
Kris Statlander/Hikaru Shida/Britt Baker b. Nyla Rose/Emi Sakura/Marina Shafir – Wednesday Night Fever to Shafir
Orange Cassidy b. Penta El Zero Miedo – Crucifix

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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Ring Of Honor
Date: August 24, 2023
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville Tennessee/Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Last week’s show was another long edition and that didn’t exactly make for the most thrilling edition. The biggest story seems to be Athena and Billie Starkz teaming up, or at least Starkz becoming Athena’s new minion. That likely ends in a Women’s Title match and we are probably well on the way there. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Dalton Castle/The Boys vs. Dark Order

Silver (with his back covered with those weird suction spots) and Castle start things off, meaning Castle gets to pose a bit. Hold on though as Silver wants a Boy so he gets to wrestle Brent down. A hot shot drops Brent again and it’s Reynolds coming in to take Brent into the corner. Uno chops away and Silver snaps off a German suplex to cut off a comeback bid.

A hard clothesline gives Reynolds two and we hit the chinlock. Brent fights up and elbows his way out of the corner, allowing the hot tag off to Castle. House is quickly cleaned, with Castle firing the Boys outside onto the villains. The falling splash gets two on Uno but Reynolds and Silver double team Castle down on the floor. The triple flipping slam finishes Brandon at 10:11.

Rating: C+. So Castle, who seems to be on the way to a TV Title shot, loses a match (not by getting pinned, but on the losing team) to the Dark Order. I’m not sure why Castle needed to be involved here, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Dark Order getting pushed towards a Six Man Tag Team Title shot. Then again I’m not sure why they’re regularly featured or why those titles continue to exist in the first place.

Athena thinks there is tension between Lexy Nair and Billie Starkz so she makes them shirts! Nair’s says Athena’s Bestie while Starkz’s says Minion 400,237 ¾. As for tonight, they’re fighting the Renegades.

Lady Frost vs. Kiera Hogan

They both miss kicks to the head to start until Frost knocks her out to the floor. Back in and Hogan hits a running elbow in the corner but gets kicked in the face for her efforts. Hogan shrugs it off and hits a fisherman’s neckbreaker for the pin at 2:51 (Coleman: “That was fast!”). Kind of a weird one here as Hogan just beat her out of nowhere.

Matt Sydal vs. Serpentico

Serpentico gets tripped down to start and a standing moonsault gives Sydal two. A hurricanrana out of the corner into a jumping Downward Spiral drops Sydal for two more Serpentico misses a top rope double stomp though and Sydal kicks him in the face. A fisherman’s buster gives Sydal two of his own, followed by the Lightning Spiral finishes Serpentico at 4:33.

Rating: C. They didn’t have time to do much here and Sydal is only so interesting most of the time in the first place. At the same time, Serpentico seems to be getting a bit better, but after so many losses, it’s a little hard to get invested in anything he’s doing. This was another match between two people without much going on and that’s not exactly interesting.

Stokely Hathaway wants an apology from Lexy Nair after he and Samoa Joe won last week. Nair doesn’t think anyone around here respects him and walks off. Hathaway: “D***. I was going to ask you to go to TGI Fridays. TK left his card on the table.” As usual, his one liners are great.

Video on CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe. After one of the matches they had and how much they put ROH on the map, they get about thirty seconds here.

Leila Grey vs. Leyla Hirsch

Hirsch kicks away the offer of a handshake before the bell and wrestles her down into a waistlock without much effort. Grey is back up with a shotgun dropkick but Hirsch takes her right back down. Cue Maria Kanellis-Bennett to watch as Hirsch grabs a waistlock. Grey fights up with some clotheslines and a Death Valley Driver, only to have Hirsch cross armbreaker her for the tap at 3:50.

Rating: C. The Maria stuff continues for Hirsch and as tends to be the case, that is taking its sweet time to get anywhere. I approve of Hirsch getting to do some more though, as it would make sense for her to go after the Women’s Title at some point. Other than that, it’s nice to see Grey getting to do something other than being Jade Cargill’s lackey, as she’s a bit better than that.

The Mogul Affiliates are ready to beat up Action Andretti/Darius Martin/Lee Moriarty because they’ve beaten them up so many times already. That’s not the best way to hype up a feud. Why Lexy Nair changed clothes in between interviews isn’t clear.

Blake Christian vs. Brandon Cutler

Colt Cabana is here with Cutler. A headlock doesn’t get Cutler very far as Christian snaps off a running hurricanrana to send him into the ropes. They head to the apron where Cutler can’t hit a piledriver. Instead Christian knocks him outside for the big flip dive. Back in and Cutler hits a Falcon Arrow, setting up a dancing elbow for two.

An airplane spin leaves them both dizzy (Ian thinks Bob Backlund did it better) so Christian hits a Death Valley Driver. Some kicks to the chest are countered into a pumphandle slam, followed by the Superman Pin for two (so not a pin). Christian is right back with a 619 into the springboard 450 for the pin at 7:05.

Rating: C+. Well at least Cutler didn’t win here. Christian is someone who has done well elsewhere and it wouldn’t be the worst idea to see him getting to do more around here. Then you have Cutler, and as usual with the non-Omega Elite members, they’re not exactly the most thrilling people, though at least he isn’t around very often.

Tony Nese and Mark Sterling still want to do group training, with Nese yelling at a production worker for drinking a soda.

Athena/Billie Starkz vs. Renegades

Apparently it’s Charlette rather than Charlotte. Since when? Anyway, the Renegades are sent outside to start and get taken down with dives. Athena tells Billie to throw Robin “into something” and like a good minion, Billie does just that. Back in and a double suplex sets up a swinging Boss Man Slam for two. Billie kicks Charlette away and brings in Athena for a kick to the head.

Everything breaks down and Athena Alabama Slams Billie onto Charlette. Athena’s rollup (with tights) gets two but Robin tosses her outside. Billie gets dropped on her head for two and a double chokeslam gets two on Athena. Back up and Athena drops Robin again, setting up the O Face. Billie tags herself in though and hits a Swanton for the pin at 8:40.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to have this match get some time as Athena and Billie are probably the best thing going on the show right now. They’re one of those wacky teams that are good for a chuckle while pretty clearly setting up for something bigger down the line. That’s all you can ask for here, save for maybe the Renegades losing a bit less often.

Post match Athena isn’t done and grabs Charlette, but Billie won’t get a cheap shot. Athena yells at Billie for disobeying.

Video on Adam Cole. Again, thirty seconds.

Here is Ryan Nemeth to say it’s his appreciation night so get him someone out here to fight. Even a World Champion!

Ryan Nemeth vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if Nemeth wins or lasts the ten minute time limit, he gets a future title shot. Nemeth didn’t realize Castagnoli was here and tries to back out of it, earning himself the Swing. The uppercut finishes for Castagnoli at 1:05.

NJPW TV Title: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Christopher Daniels

Daniels is challenging and the winner defends against Metalik next week. An early grapple exchange doesn’t last long and doesn’t go anywhere so Daniels grabs a headlock takeover. Sabre slips out and starts twisting the wrist to damage the grip. Daniels comes back with a cravate and a neck twist, as Sabre apparently has a bad neck (as commentary does its job by telling us about that).

Sabre is right back with a nasty arm crank before pulling him into a hammerlock. It’s quickly off to Daniels’ leg (as explained by commentary, who said Sabre will switch body parts if a wrestler doesn’t give up in 3-5 seconds of a hold) but he fights up with a Death Valley Driver.

Sabre takes him right back down by the arm and gets in a stomp before they slug it out. A quick Downward Spiral into the Koji Clutch has Sabre in more trouble. With that broken up, Sabre twists the arm again but Daniels slips out as well. The Angel’s Wings doesn’t work as the arm gives out, allowing Sabre to pull him into a double arm crank to retain at 9:35.

Rating: B-. This was a technical display with the neck vs. the arm working just fine, as Daniels got in a lot of damage but couldn’t hang with Sabre as a submission master. Daniels is still someone who is perfect as a challenger like this as he can still go and offers just enough of a threat to win something, but ultimately comes up short. Best match of the show here.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. As is usually the case when they go in this direction, the show being that much shorter (less than 90 minutes this week) makes all the difference in the world. They only had eight matches and a few of them were rather short. It makes the show so much easier to watch and I can absolutely appreciate the change. I know it’s not likely to last once the London trip is over and they can get back to the usual hour and forty minute tapings because quantity equals quality around here, but I’ll take what I can get for now.

As for the show itself, Athena and Billie Starkz are by far the most entertaining thing on the show, as Athena being a little goofy for a change is rather entertaining. Other than that, there isn’t much in the way of stories on this show, save for Maria Kanellis-Bennett coming out to stare at various wrestlers. The rest of the stories are often rather quickly put together and ended, but at least there is one nice thing going on and as usual, the wrestling was completely fine at worst. Much easier show to watch this week.

Results
Dark Order b. Dalton Castle/The Boys – Triple flipping slam to Brandon
Kiera Hogan b. Lady Frost – Fisherman’s neckbreaker
Matt Sydal b. Serpentico – Lightning Spiral
Leyla Hirsch b. Leila Grey – Cross armbreaker
Blake Christian b. Brandon Cutler – Springboard 450
Athena/Billie Starks b. Renegades – Swanton to Robin
Claudio Castagnoli b. Ryan Nemeth – Uppercut
Zack Sabre Jr. b. Christopher Daniels – Double arm crank

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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AND

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So I reviewed this as usual last week and then forgot to publish it for some reason.  I’m not sure what happened but I’m sorry about that.

Ring Of Honor
Date: August 17, 2023
Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

We continue our build towards…whenever the next big show is going to be around here, which might not be happening for a fairly good while. For now though, we have a new #1 contender to the TV Title as Shane Taylor won a tournament to earn the shot last week. As for this week, Joe is teaming up with Stokely Hathaway to face the Boys, as what feels like the build to Joe vs. Dalton Castle continues. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Gravity vs. Gringo Loco

Gravity starts fast with a springboard hurricanrana and an armdrag to frustrate Loco again. The frustration is alleviated by a right hand to the mask but Gravity snaps off a scoop powerslam but Loco shoves him off the top for a crash. The big flip dive takes Gravity down again, followed by a twisting senton for two back inside. Gravity sends him outside and runs up the corner, flips into a seat, and then flips forward into a hurricanrana (that was awesome).

Back in and Gravity hits a delayed top rope Vader Bomb for two but Loco’s standing Spanish Fly gets the same. Loco threatens to kill him but Gravity gets in a kick to the head. They both stand on top and flip over in….well they call it a torture rack superplex but it also looked like a flipping DDT. Either way it gives Loco two but Gravity catches him with a super Samoan drop. The top rope splash finishes for Gravity at 10:16.

Rating: B-. This was the “he lost last week so here’s a win to make sure the fans still care” match for Gravity and it worked well. Gravity is starting to put together better offense and is becoming a fun guy to watch so nice choice for an opening match. Loco is another person who has worked well in most of his appearances and he did well again here.

Silas Young vs. Josh Woods

Pure Rules and Mark Sterling is…not here with Woods for a change. Woods grabs a headlock to start before they both avoid an armdrag. Young’s handshake offer is turned down and Woods picks the ankle to take it to the mat. They fight over a wristlock until Young blocks a Chaos Theory attempt. The fight over the armbar doesn’t work for either of them so Woods snaps the arm over the rope. Back in and Woods sends the arm into the buckle before getting in some rather aggressive stomps. Young gets two off a sunset flip so Woods punches him in the face. The anarchist suplex into the corner finishes Young at 6:53.

Rating: C+. The match itself was fine enough but I’m getting tired of these Pure Rules matches. The rules don’t really change much about the match and they seem to just be there for the sake of setting up whoever gets to lose to Katsuyori Shibata next. Young knowing Woods so well made for a nice story, but it’s still just the Pure Rules division and that’s not the most interesting stuff. Oh and why are these the only matches that get on-screen clocks?

Maria Kanellis-Bennett talks about everything she has given to wrestling but she’s still here. Now she wants an army to protect the Kingdom. Leyla Hirsch is mentioned but comes in to rant about how she doesn’t like to be scouted. Maria has granted her request for more competition with a match against Rachael Ellering.

Athena vs. Brittany J

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if J can survive the ten minute time limit or win, she gets a future title shot. Athena poses to start and gets rolled up for two. Brittany sends her outside but Athena grabs a leg for a pull to the floor. For some reason Athena yells at Riccaboni before hitting a pop up powerbomb inside. The right hand finishes Brittany at 1:50. Of all of the Athena wins in Proving Ground matches, this was the most recent.

Post match the Renegades jump Athena but Billie Starkz runs in for the save.

Samoa Joe/Stokely Hathaway vs. The Boys

During the entrances, Stokely talks about how he’ll be right here on the apron if Joe needs him. The Boys jump Joe to start but he knocks them both down without much effort. Stokely comes in and gets punched in the face as the Boys take over without much effort. Back up and Stokely manages to get over to Joe, who quickly cleans house. The Muscle Buster is loaded up but instead Joe lets Stokely come off the top with an ax handle. Instead of connecting though, Joe turns away (taking Brandon with him) and lets Stokely crash in a funny spot. The Koquina Clutch finishes for Joe at 3:53.

Rating: C. Other than the step aside crash, there wasn’t much to see here. I’m assuming this is going to be setting up Joe vs. Dalton Castle, but beating up the Boys with the help (or close to it) from Stokely isn’t exactly a hot angle. At least they kept things moving here and Stokely was funny as usual.

Billie Starkz doesn’t know what is going on with Athena but the Renegades come in for a staredown.

Matt Sydal/Christopher Daniels vs. Gates of Agony

This is from a Dynamite taping. Daniels grabs a headlock on Toa to start before getting run over with a shoulder. Kaun comes in and gets taken down with a drop toehold. It’s off to Sydal for a kick to the head before Daniels comes back in. As was the case earlier, Daniels gets beaten down, including a running splash in the corner. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Kaun switches to a side slam for two instead.

Daniels has to bite his way out of a bearhug and there’s the STO, allowing the tag off to Sydal. Everything breaks down and Sydal gets caught with the stereo clotheslines. Daniels makes the save, allowing Sydal to dive over for the tag to bring Daniels back in. Angel’s Wings hits Kaun but Toa makes the save this time. Back up and Kaun hits a fireman’s carry gutbuster to finish Daniels at 10;12.

Rating: B-. They managed to take two less that interesting teams and get an engaging match out of them. That’s hard to do and it’s nice to see the Gates starting to actually win matches against some decent competition. Daniels and Sydal aren’t exactly on the all time list of great ROH tag teams, but they’re former champions and work well enough so this could have been worse.

Dani Mo vs. Madison Rayne

Still at Dynamite and Rayne is the hometown girl. Mo elbows her way out of a hammerlock to start before Rayne charges into a boot in the corner. A cartwheel sets up a kick to Rayne’s face but she’s back with a dropkick. Rayne hits a neckbreaker into a northern lights suplex for two, followed by CrossRayne for the pin at 3:22.

Rating: C. It’s nice to have Rayne back as she is someone with enough of a reputation to be able to put some people over. She’s not likely to tear up the mat in a classic most of the time but she’s a good enough steady hand. Mo was unique enough to get another look and I could go with having her back somewhere in the future.

Dark Order vs. Corey Calhoun/Isaiah Broner/Lord Crewe

Uno takes Broner into the corner for the rapid fire stomps to start before Reynolds comes in to hammer away. Silver is in for the kicks to the chest and a near fall, followed by Reynolds’ knee drop. Cue Stu Grayson to watch, allowing Calhoun to come in of the tag. Not that it matters as the Darker Realm finishes Calhoun at 3:49.

Rating: C. Yeah they’re still the Dark Order, meaning it’s John Silver and an ok Alex Reynolds plus the mostly useless Evil Uno. I still don’t get what is supposed to be so special about these guys but they aren’t likely to go away anytime soon. At least they kept it short here and didn’t bother doing anything too important here, but that’s probably coming.

Claudio Castagnoli says he’s always watching, even if he isn’t on the show. He won the title over a year ago and cared, but then he lost it to Chris Jericho, who didn’t care. Now he’s a two time champion and he won’t let go of something he has cared about for so many years. His job is to keep people like Eddie Kingston, Mark Briscoe and Pac away from the title. He will step in the ring with anyone and this is still just a job. Come be better than him. Not much from Castagnoli here, but then again he didn’t have anything or anyone to talk about.

Cole Karter vs. Griff Garrison

Back in North Carolina as Garrison gets driven into the corner to start. A big boot staggers Karter though and a Falcon Arrow gets two on Karter. Back up and a dropkick hits Garrison and the chinlock goes on. Karter snaps off some suplexes but Garrison scores with a discus forearm to knock him silly. A rake to the eyes gets Karter out of trouble though and the belly to back spinning faceplant finishes Garrison at 4:29.

Rating: C. Remember all those other matches where Karter was just a guy in tights not doing anything that made him stand out in the slightest? This was another one of those, but for some reason he is being presented with Maria Kanellis-Bennett. I guess this is trying to find a way to use him, but he’s still nothing special in the slightest.

Post match Maria Kanellis-Bennett comes out to leave with Karter.

Charlotte Renegade vs. Billie Starkz

Robyn Renegade is here with Charlotte, who takes Billie down and hammers away to start. Starkz is sent outside for a beating from Robyn, followed by a face pull and choking back inside. Charlotte grabs a suplex but Starkz reverses into a brainbuster onto the knee. Robyn offers a distraction though and Starkz misses a Swanton, allowing Charlotte to hit a Samoan driver for two. Back up and Starkz grabs an arm trap faceplant (like a Neutralizer) for the pin at 3:40.

Rating: C. Well they’re trying with Starkz, who is indeed someone new. It seems that they’re setting up something for her against Athena and I’ll take that over one more random match after another. That being said, I could also go with less of the Renegades losing, as they feel like a pair who could be something, either together or on their own.

Post match the beatdown is on with Athena making the save. Athena won’t shake her hand but does say “come on minion, let’s go”, with Starkz following her out.

Tony Nese, with Ari Daivari, is annoyed at his group training being interrupted every week.

Workhorsemen/Lee Moriarty vs. Action Andretti/Darius Martin/Lee Johnson

Well this is a 2023 ROH match if I’ve ever seen one. Moriarty and Johnson start things off with Moriarty cranking on the wrist but getting armdragged into an armbar. Andretti comes in and helps send the villains outside as the fast start continues. Back in and we settle down a bit with Moriarty bringing Drake in for a swinging Boss Man Slam on Johnson.

Kicks and chops keep Johnson in trouble but he rolls over for the tag off to Andretti to clean house. Everything breaks down and Andretti is tossed into Drake’s sitout powerbomb. Andretti is back up with a springboard spinning kick to Drake’s face. Henry tries an O’Connor roll but Andretti rolls through and sits down on it for the pin at 7:05.

Rating: C+. Commentary talked about how the winner of this might be in line for a Six Man Tag Team Title shot and I’m not sure why I should believe that. The tradition for determining title shots seems to be throwing random opponents at the Embassy, even if they have never wrestled here before. At least they did pick up the pace after a string of dull matches, but I’ve seen Andretti and Martin team together with a variety of partners more than once now and it’s not like this was anything new.

Athena brings in Billie Starkz to say how proud she is but Starkz wants to face the Renegade Twins next week. This has been another story that could have been stretched out over about a month but instead they blitzed through it in about an hour.

Lady Frost vs. Trish Adora

Feeling out process to start until Frost misses a charge in the corner and gets kicked in the head. They go outside with Frost doing a handstand on the apron and then kicking Adora down. Back in and Adora kicks her into a crossbody but the Lariat Tubman is countered into a rollup for two. Frost hits her own kick to the head and goes up top for a corkscrew moonsault (Frostbite) for a pretty big upset at 4:06.

Rating: C+. Ok they got me with the surprise there, as I wouldn’t have bet on Frost winning. Much like Starkz, it’s cool to see someone fresh getting a chance, though unfortunately it’s at the expense of Adora. I’ll take what I can get with the unexpected ending though, as those can be nice every so often.

Kiera Hogan wants Lady Frost. This was less than thirty seconds after the match was over, because again, everything must go as fast as possible.

Rachael Ellering vs. Leyla Hirsch

Hirsch kicks a hand away rather than shake before taking Ellering down. Back up and Ellering chops away in the corner, only to get taken down by the arm. Ellering has to block a Fujiwara armbar and powers out of another armbar. A spinning uppercut drops Hirsch but she gets on Ellering’s back for the third armbar in a row. Hirsch rolls her up for two, followed by a cross armbreaker for the win at 4:49.

Rating: C. Hirsch picks off another one and in theory that should impress Maria a bit more. I’m not sure what Maria is setting up but at least Hirsch is getting to do something that might matter in a bit. It’s not a great match or anything, but it might matter going forward and I’ll take that around here.

Dalton Castle vs. Peter Avalon

Avalon is rather impressed by Castle’s over the top entrance. Castle wrestles him down to start but Avalon grabs a headlock takeover. A t-bone suplex cuts Avalon down and the Bang A Rang finishes for Castle at 2:35.

Shane Taylor is tired of hearing about the old guard. Now it is his chance to fight one of them himself and he’s back to establishing his own legacy. Good promo.

Metalik vs. Tony Nese

Ari Daivari is here with Nese, who does his usual bit before Jerry Lynn cuts him off. He’s tired of hearing this too, so here is someone from Nese’s past. Commentary being surprised despite introducing the match is a bit odd but far from new around here. Metalik stars fast with his rope walk dropkick to knock Nese outside but Nese trips him down.

Back in and Metalik gets tied in the Tree of Woe for the rapid fire kicks to the chest before grabbing the bodyscissors. Metalik is sent to the apron where he avoids a charge and hits an Asai moonsault. Back in and Metalik hits a reverse Sling Blade into the rope walk dropkick for two. Nese sends him hard into the corner but walks into a superkick and the Metalik Driver for the pin at 7:09.

Rating: C+. Commentary mentioned that these two had wrestled 34 times before and if that is the case, I’m not sure it’s something you want to brag about. This was hardly a noteworthy main event, but they seem to think they have something with this YOU’RE ALL FAT thing. Nese is one of those people who is going to be here no matter what, and while that can get old, it doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon.

Overall Rating: C-. Unless you will take any wrestling you can get, there is no point to watching this show. Between the match quality ranging from pretty good to incredibly dull, stories going either glacially slow or faster than anyone could need them to and the same wrestlers doing the same thing week after week, you could probably skip months of this show without missing anything.

At the end of the day, I just sat through almost two hours and fifteen minutes for a main event featuring a match that was played out when it was on 205 Live years ago. This show doesn’t build to anything most of the title, matches are just trotted out there for the sake of extending the show, and there is nothing to indicate that it is going to change because Tony Khan has decided that this show is A, good and B, necessary for some reason. Another complete waste of time, which might as well be ROH’s motto since its return.

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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AND

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Rampage
Date: August 18, 2023
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We are less than ten days away from All In and the show is really starting to come together. There was a lot of stuff advanced on Dynamite and there is a good chance that the same thing will take place on Collision. That being said, they need to do something with this show and that can be a tricky situation. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Rey Fenix vs. Komander

They go tot he mat to start and exchange some rollups, with Komander getting the better of things but not quite well enough. Back up and Komander flips over a monkey flip attempt, giving us another standoff. Fenix sends him to the apron and kicks away before missing the rope walk kick to the head. This time it’s Fenix being sent outside for the big flip dive so Komander loads up the rope walk, only to have Fenix get back in.

That leaves Fenix to just jump back down, leaving Fenix to hit a double springboard double stomp for two. We take a break and come back with Fenix striking away until Komander snaps off a headscissors. Fenix’s superkick rocks Komander again but he spikes Fenix with a hurricanrana for two. A rolling cutter gives Fenix two and there’s the rope walk kick to the head for two more.

Komander’s crucifix bomb gets the same but Fenix hits one heck of a spinning kick to the head for the double knockdown. Another kick sends Komander outside but he’s back up to shove Fenix down. A springboard Canadian Destroyer plants Fenix and the rope walk shooting star gives Komander two. Komander misses a 450 and the Black Fire Driver gives Fenix two (nice fake out there). With nothing else working, Fenix chops him down in the corner and hits a spinning Muscle buster driver for the pin at 13:00.

Rating: B. This was a fun one as you had two people out there doing their flying all over the place and it made for a heck of a fight. Sometimes you need to just let people go out there and let it all hang out for awhile and that is what they did here. Very fun match and by far the best Komander singles match so far in AEW.

Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley aren’t happy in the back.

Britt Baker was at the first All In and it would be a great moment for her to win the title again at the second one.

QT Marshall is the new AAA Latin American Champion.

Johnny TV (with dog) congratulates Marshall on his title win.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Brother Zay/Ethan Page vs. Aussie Open

The Aussies are defending and double team Zay down to start without much trouble. A hurricanrana puts Fletcher down but Davis is right there to cut him off. Zay enziguris his way to freedom and hands it off to Page for the house cleaning. The champs are knocked to the floor and Zay hits the huge flip dive, setting up a powerslam for two on Fletcher inside. Everything breaks down and the Aussies ram them into each other as we take a break.

Back with Page hitting a brainbuster on Fletcher, allowing the tag back to Zay. A springboard moonsault drops Fletcher on the floor as everything breaks down. Zay’s Swanton hits raised knees though and it’s a superkick into a kick to the face. The elevated middle rope cutter gives Fletcher two and the stereo clotheslines hit Zay. The Coriolis finishes Zay at 9:21.

Rating: C+. It’s a good idea to give the Aussies a win as they are on the way to a huge match in London and could use the boost. The Aussies are a heck of a team, but they haven’t exactly gotten a huge push on AEW TV. Boost them up as fast as they can, even if they might be losing the titles next week.

Post match the Aussies promise to keep the titles at All In because they’re that awesome.

The Righteous (from Ring Of Honor) are coming.

The Hardys want the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles so they’ll be challenging on Dynamite. So you lose to the Bucks and get a title shot?

Sammy Guevara vs. Jon Cruz

Sammy shoulders him down to start and then flips over a charge into a dropkick. Cruz is sent outside for the big flip dive, setting up the GTH for the pin at 1:34. Total squash.

Video on Nyla Rose.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Video on the All In Women’s Title match.

Outcasts vs. Hikaru Shida/Skye Blue

Saraya is the outcast Outcast. The outcasts jump them to start but Blue knees Soho in the face. We settle down to Blue getting double teamed in the corner but Shida comes in for a failed save attempt. The hip attack sends Blue outside and we take a break. Back with Blue kicking her way to freedom so Shida can come in and clean house. Blue gets sent flying with a suplex and everyone is down for a breather.

Everything breaks down again and Saraya gets in the spray paint to blind Blue. The hip attack gets two with Shida making the save and then unloading on Storm. Saraya grabs Shida from the floor, allowing Storm to kick her in the face. Blue is back in for the save and No Future is countered into a rollup to give Shida the pin at 10:06.

Rating: C+. This was fine enough and gave Shida the win over someone not in the title match on the way to Wembley. That’s about all you can ask for out of something like this as they need to keep Shida strong with multiple challengers coming up. At the very least, it’s nice to see the spray paint fail, as that has been done to death in Outcasts matches.

Post match the brawl is on again, with Britt Baker running down to join in. Security tries to break it up to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Pretty solid show here, even if it was just there for the sake of building up some matches on the way to All In. That’s Rampage in a nutshell: the action is going to carry the whole thing, because there isn’t much here in the way of storytelling. They still get it done in an hour though and that makes it a rather easy watch most of the time, including tonight.

Results
Rey Fenix b. Spinning Muscle Buster driver
Aussie Open b. Brother Zay/Ethan Page – Coriolis to Zay
Sammy Guevara b. Jon Cruz – GTH
Hikaru Shida/Skye Blue b. Outcasts – Rollup to Soho

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