All In 2023
Date: August 27, 2023
Location: Wembley Stadium, London, England
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the biggest show in the history of AEW and there will be 80,000 fans there to see it happen. That is the kind of thing that AEW can and should brag about for a long time to come and now it is actually a reality. The main event will see MJF defend the World Title against Adam Cole in a match that has had a heck of a path to get here. Let’s get to it.

The stadium looks incredible and feels like a Wrestlemania crowd.

Zero Hour: Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Aussie Open vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Adam Cole

The Aussies are defending and jump the challengers during the pre-match posing. Cole and MJF are sent outside and rammed into each other, which gives Davis two on MJF as the bell finally rings. MJF fights out of a chinlock but Fletcher pulls Cole off the apron. Davis drops him again and hits a backsplash for two before handing it off to Fletcher. That lets MJF get in a shot of his own and tease the Kangaroo Kick but Davis isn’t letting that happen.

MJF seems to kick Fletcher low and the rolling tag brings in Cole to clean house. A Backstabber gets two on Fletcher but it’s too early for the Panama Sunrise. It’s not too early for a superkick to Fletcher though and the Aussies are knocked outside. MJF takes too long setting up a dive and Cole is pulled outside for a double beating. Back in and the Aussie Arrow gets two on MJF but the stereo clotheslines hit each other. MJF actually hits the Kangaroo Kick (a one footed dropkick to both champs) and the double clothesline finishes Fletcher for the titles at 6:58.

Rating: C+. They started fast here and didn’t overstay their welcome, as you don’t want MJF and Cole to burn through too much energy before their big main event. There was no reason to keep the titles on the Aussies here as the belts have little value on their own. The fans went nuts for the Kangaroo Kick and the double clothesline though, as they got the fun part before the serious stuff from these two later.

Mercedes Mone (Sasha Banks) is in the crowd. I know she probably is, but can she just not come to AEW?

Zero Hour: FTW Title: Hook vs. Jack Perry

Perry is defending under FTW Rules, meaning anything goes and falls count anywhere. As a bonus, Perry gets a limo ride into the stadium, which does fit him rather well. Hook meets him in the aisle and throws him over/into the limo. Perry takes him onto the top of said limo for a brainbuster though and Hook is down (not out, as you should be after that, but down).

The RVD finger point sets up Rolling Thunder before Perry points at the windshield and says “it’s real glass, cry me a river.” Assuming that’s a reference to the CM Punk incident, grow up. Hook fisherman’s busters him onto the windshield and they head down to the ring for the first time. Perry manages a posting and grabs a hanging DDT off the barricade to make it worse.

A trashcan is thrown inside and Perry loads up Coast To Coast, only to drop down and flip off the fans instead. Hook slugs away but gets German suplexed for two. A superkick connects for Perry but Hook is right back with some rolling German suplexes. Perry knocks him down again and gets in some trashcan shots, only to miss a moonsault. Hook pounds him down and grabs Redrum to get the title back at 8:35.

Rating: C+. They didn’t do much with the rules here but Hook isn’t ready to have some big, long match, especially in front of a crowd like this one. Let him get in there and do his thing before getting the title back and leaving with his head held high. I’m not wild on having Perry lose so soon, but Hook winning the title back gives the fans something to cheer for and that’s a good thing.

And now, the real show.

Real World Title: CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe

Punk is defending. They take their time to start with Punk driving him into the corner and hitting a chop, which doesn’t sit well with Joe. It sits with him so unwell that Joe starts snapping off the jabs and tying him in the ropes (like a see saw, a Terry Funk spot) for the chops. Punk is back up and sends him to the floor, with Joe walking away from the slingshot dive (the fans REALLY like that one).

Joe hits the running boot against the barricade before swinging him through the base of the announcers’ table in a nasty crash. Back in and Joe plows through him with a shoulder and gives that casual look to the camera. Punk is busted open bad (I’m assuming from the table crash) and the corner enziguri makes it even worse. Another big boot sets up the backsplash for two and Joe is looking a bit frustrated.

The MuscleBuster is broken up though and Punk scores with a head kick for the double knockdown. Punk kicks him down again for one as Joe Hulks Up, followed by the powerslam for two. Punk’s running knee in the corner is countered into a powerbomb into the STF into the crossface but Punk rolls him up to escape.

Another kick to the head puts Joe down again, meaning it’s time for the spinning toehold (JR: “God bless Terry Funk.”). With that broken up, Punk charges into the release Rock Bottom out of the corner. A superplex is broken up with a bite to Joe’s head (the fans don’t like that) and it’s the Pepsi Plunge (middle rope Pedigree) to retain the title at 13:57.

Rating: B. You can tell that these two know each other inside and out and it makes their matches, including this one, that much better. They threw in a curve with the Pepsi Plunge instead of the GTS and I’m not sure it got the same kind of a reaction as the traditional route would have received. What matters here though was having a heck of an opener that started the show off hot, and these two were as good of an option as they had, with a rather good match as well.

Punk takes some time to soak in the crowd and even shows some respect to Joe on the way out.

We recap the Golden Elite (Kenny Omega/Hangman Page/Kota Ibushi) vs. Bullet Club Gold/Konosuke Takeshita. This is more about Kenny Omega vs. Don Callis, the latter of whom sent his goons to attack Omega. Now it’s about revenge as the numbers are even.

Golden Elite vs. Bullet Club Gold/Konosuke Takeshita

The Gunns are at ringside and Don Callis is on commentary. Page and Robinson start things off with a headlock not going very far. Omega comes in to chop away at Robinson before Ibushi and White come in to chop it out. Ibushi gets shouldered down but nips up and tells White to bring it. Omega comes in for the running Fameasser before it’s off to Takeshita, who sends Ibushi outside. A hurricanrana sends Takeshita outside and the Rise of the Terminator dive takes out Takeshita and White.

Back in and Omega misses a high crossbody and seems to have hurt his wrist. Ibushi makes the save and forearms it out with Takeshita as everything breaks down. JR: “You can disqualify someone you know!” We settle back down to White working on the leg before Robinson comes in to work on the (other) leg. A suplex sends Omega’s legs into the ropes for two (JR: “That was a weak a** cover.”) but Omega is back up for the slugout.

Omega plants Robinson and rolls over but the Gunns break up the tag attempt. Not that it matters as the hot tag brings Page in a few seconds later. White gets taken down and a slingshot dive hits Robinson on the floor. There’s the suicide dive to White but the Deadeye is broken up back inside. White flips forward and lands in front of Ibushi, who strikes him down and sets up the standing moonsault.

Omega and Ibushi hit moonsaults to the floor (with Ibushi slipping and having to settle for a bottom rope version). Back in and White gets triple teamed, setting up a half and half suplex. The big knee is blocked though and White manages the swinging Rock Bottom for a breather. We get the big Omega vs. Takeshita forearm off but Omega has to snapdragon Robinson.

The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Takeshita two on Omega, who is right back with a piledriver for the same. Omega plants Robinson and Page adds a super flipping fall away slam for two on Takeshita. The Gunns break up the Buckshot Lariat so Page takes out the Gunns instead. Omega is back in to set up the Buckshot to Takeshita but Omega has to escape the Bladerunner. One heck of a V Trigger rocks Robinson but Takeshita rolls Omega up with tights for the pin at 20:36.

Rating: B+. The match was all action (with some JR complaining thrown in) and the point was to give Takeshita the first win over Omega after the two of them have bickered for so long. This will set up the big singles match, maybe at All Out, but for now there is no reason to have Omega win. The others were mostly good, with Ibushi looking better than he did at Blood & Guts, though still a bit slow. Very action packed match here though and the ending was the right way to go.

We recap FTR defending the Tag Team Titles against the Young Bucks. They’re both great teams, they’ve split the first two matches, it’s the rubber match for the titles and bragging rights.

Tag Team Titles: FTR vs. Young Bucks

The Bucks are challenging. Harwood and Nick start things off, with neither being able to get much of an advantage. Wheeler comes in for a quickly broken headlock and Nick grabs a slam. That doesn’t last long as Wheeler takes him down, allowing Harwood to pick Wheeler up for a legdrop. Everything breaks down and it’s a double slugout until a double clothesline (not that kind) leaves everyone down.

The Bucks nip up and clothesline them to the floor, where a boot and spear put FTR down again. Back in and a superkick hits Wheeler, setting up the Swanton into the ropes for two. A middle rope elbow (ala Bret Hart) hits Wheeler but he manages a suplex to Matt for a needed breather. Wheeler fights them off again and dives over for the hot tag to Harwood. Nick is suplexed onto Matt, who has to escape some rolling German suplexes. That doesn’t work for Harwood, who hits another suplex but Matt reverses into the rolling northern lights suplexes.

Another northern lights suplex gives Matt two and the fans seem impressed. Nick comes back in with a knee to Harwood, who counters a springboard into a slingshot sitout powerbomb for two. The Sharpshooter goes on, with Wheeler adding his own to Matt on the apron. Both of those are broken up and we get a needed double breather. Nick superplexes Harwood but a pair of top rope splashes only hit raised knees.

Back up and a spike piledriver gets two on Nick and Harwood’s cradle gets the same. The Shatter Machine is broken up and Nick backslides Harwood for two. The Bucks hit their own spike piledriver for two but the Meltzer Driver is broken up. Instead Matt rolls Harwood up for two as Nick dives onto Wheeler. The BTE Trigger misses and Wheeler is back in to spear Matt to the floor.

FTR hits their own BTE Trigger into the Shatter Machine for two on Matt. Wheeler misses a springboard 450 and gets superkicked down for two. Now the BTE Trigger can connect for two, with Harwood possibly making the save. Harwood knows what’s coming and walks into the Shatter Machine, setting up another BTE Trigger for two more. The Meltzer Driver is broken up again though and it’s a Shatter Machine to retain the titles at 21:39.

Rating: B+. They surprised me here with FTR retaining and I’ll certainly take it. The exchange of finishers went well enough and the Bucks kicking out of the Shatter Machine is a lot more acceptable when they ultimately lost. It would have been a big stretch for the Bucks to win here so well done on giving FTR the big rub on the biggest stage. Very good match here too, which shouldn’t be a surprise.

We recap Stadium Stampede. The Blackpool Combat Club don’t like Eddie Kingston and the Best Friends so they’ve both gotten some backup for a ten man war all around the stadium.

Best Friends/Orange Cassidy/Eddie Kingston/Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Blackpool Combat Club/Ortiz/Mike Santana

Kingston charges Castagnoli to start fast in the aisle and the fight is on. Everyone pairs off and Chuck hits a big running flip dive. Castagnoli and Kingston fight up towards the entrance as Moxley has a branding iron. The Street Sweeper is broken up by Penta, who swings a rather mean chair. Sling Blades take the two of them down as we go split screen to throw a backstage fight between Kingston and Castagnoli.

Moxley cutters Penta and gives him a Paradigm Shift, but Penta is back with some skewers to pound into Moxley’s head. Penta is right back up with Made In Japan for two before Cassidy adds the lazy kicks. That doesn’t work for Moxley, who takes Cassidy down and gouges him with the skewers. The brawling continues with Kingston (bleeding) and Castagnoli continue brawling in stadium, this time with Castagnoli being sent off some steps.

Trent gets planted for a top rope splash from Santana and there’s a powerbomb onto some chairs to Penta. A piledriver onto the chairs drops Penta again and cue the medics to check on him. Moxley grabs a fork (of course) and stabs Cassidy in the head, which he then bites for good measure. Trent comes back in and gets hit in the face with a barbed wire board as we see Chuck and Wheeler fighting in the back. They join up with Kingston and Castagnoli, with Santana and Ortiz joining in. Chuck makes the save with an umbrella (because England) as a ladder is set up in the ring.

Trent gets dropped onto said ladder as Taylor and Kingston are fighting in a box somewhere. A powerbomb puts Trent onto the ladder as Moxley gets a barbed wire board (because barbed wire). Ortiz stabs Cassidy some more and Trent gets piledriven onto the steps (he’s having a rough night).

The Club takes things up to the ramp but SUE is back in the minivan. Moxley steals a kiss from her, which cannot be the best idea. Trent is somehow still alive and Sue throws in some cookie sheets to start the comeback. Cue Penta, now all in red and evil as Penta Obscuro, to take over. They head back to the ring where Penta Canadian Destroys Santana through a table. Wheeler’s screwdriver gets stuck in the turnbuckle, allowing Chuck to hit Soul Food.

Chuck adds an Awful Waffle but Cassidy gets caught in the Giant Swing (21 revolutions). Cassidy is back up with three straight Orange Punches for two on Castagnoli before he finds some tape to wrap around his hand. Said hand is then put into a bucket of class, which sticks to the tape and this can’t go well. Moxley breaks that up and Castagnoli takes Cassidy down again. Cue Kingston with a barbed wire chair to go face to face with Moxley but Castagnoli rolls him up for two. Kingston cleans house and spears Moxley into the barbed wire board. Cassidy is back up with the Orange Punch to pin Castagnoli at 21:15.

Rating: B. This was the wild, bloody brawl that it needed to be, though they only did so much outside of the main arena (understandable). They were all over the place with one insane spot after another here and while there was a lot going on, it was a bit hard to follow at times. Still though, heck of a fight, though Cassidy pinning Castagnoli better lead somewhere.

We recap the Women’s Title match, with Hikaru Shida defending against Toni Storm, Saraya and Britt Baker. Shida took the title from Storm so this is her rematch, while the other two won qualifying matches to get here.

Women’s Title: Saraya vs. Britt Baker vs. Toni Storm vs. Hikaru Shida

Shida is defending and Saraya has her family here, complete with We Will Rock You as an entrance theme. It’s a brawl to start with Shida being sent outside, meaning the Outcasts get to beat up Baker. The running hip attack connects in the corner but Storm and Saraya argue over who should get to cover. Shida comes back in with a double noggin knocker before hammering away at Storm in the corner.

Saraya makes a save and Storm hip attacks Shida to the floor. Saraya’s mother holds Baker on the floor but Storm’s running forearm misses, with said mother having to be held back. Back in and Saraya forearms Storm a few times, with Storm chopping her back to even things up. The bottom turnbuckle pad is ripped off and Storm loads up another hip attack in said corner, only to have Ruby Soho run in for the save.

The Scorpion Crosslock goes on Storm but Baker adds a Stomp to get two. Shida is back in for the torture rack drop (that still doesn’t work) to Saraya. The top rope Meteora gets two, followed by the Katana for the same with Baker making the save. Lockjaw is blocked and Saraya comes in with the spray paint to Storm, setting up the Nightcap for the pin and the title at 8:49.

Rating: B-. There’s your feel good moment for England and thankfully Shida at least got the one big entrance as champion on the major stage. Saraya winning is a great moment for the show, though I’m not sure how long of a reign she is going to have. Baker was just kind of there, while Storm and Saraya having issues could go somewhere. They kept this short and that’s probably for the best, but what we got worked.

We recap the Coffin match, which is Sting/Darby Allin vs. the makeshift team of Christian Cage/Swerve Strickland. It’s kind of a preview for Allin vs. Luchasaurus next week, as the heel team isn’t the most logical pairing.

Sting/Darby Allin vs. Christian Cage/Swerve Strickland

Coffin (casket) match, with Swerve getting rapped to the ring. Sting and Allin have an old British style entrance….before switching to Metallica’s Seek And Destroy (a song Sting used at times in WCW). It’s a brawl to start with Sting getting into a showdown with Christian. Sting finds a cricket bat to clean house and the good guys get the thumbtack jackets. With that broken up, Swerve chokes Sting with the cricket bat as Christian tapes Allin’s hands together behind his back.

Allin can still avoid a charge and hit a moonsault, followed by a dive with hands still tied up. The villains cut him off again but Allin’s hands get free and he slugs away. Sting is back in and takes Swerve outside for an apron splash through a table. Allin puts Christian in a chair and missile dropkicks him back out but it’s too early to close Christian in the coffin. Luchasaurus makes the save but here is Nick Wayne to go after him and they fight to the back.

That lets Allin load up a Coffin Drop onto Swerve onto the coffin. Allin only hits Coffin though and egads that’s a nasty landing. Back in and Sting gets the Scorpion Deathlock on Christian but Swerve makes the save with a chair. That just fires Sting up and he fights back on Swerve. Cage breaks that up with the cricket bat and a Swerve Stomp knocks Sting silly. With Allin knocked down again, Sting is put in the coffin but finds a bat to keep the lid open. Allin is back with a TNT Title shot to Christian as Sting Death Drops Swerve. That’s not enough to finish, so Allin adds the Coffin Drop for the win at 15:31.

Rating: B-. There comes a point where you know what you’re getting with these Sting matches and we reached that point a long time ago. He is going to do his thing and he and Allin will likely win every time, but at least it’s fun on the way there. As usual I could have gone without Swerve losing, but you just kind of have to expect that with him these days.

We recap Will Osprey vs. Chris Jericho, which is more about Jericho vs. Don Callis. They had a heck of a promo battle on Dynamite so this should be good.

Here is Fozzy to perform Judas live. Cool moment and it must mean a lot for the band.

Chris Jericho vs. Will Ospreay

Sammy Guevara and Don Callis are the seconds. Ospreay starts fast by sending him outside for the sky twister to the floor (with Jericho looking to get a knee to the head). Back in and they slug it out until Jericho sends him to the floor for a baseball slide. Ospreay gets dropped hard onto the apron with a German suplex, followed by a regular suplex back inside.

Jericho flips off the crowd, which is probably a good idea given what Ospreay is going to be in a match like this. A super hurricanrana gives Jericho two but Ospreay drapes him over the top. The shooting star to the back gives Ospreay two but another springboard is Backstabbed out of the air.

A Codebreaker gets two on Ospreay, who is right back with the Oscutter for two of his own. Stormbreaker is countered into the Walls but Ospreay slips out and they slug away on the mat. A Spanish Fly gives Ospreay two and a collision makes him get all fired up. Stormbreaker into the Hidden Blade into another Stormbreaker finishes Jericho at 14:56.

Rating: B. Another solid match here as Ospreay gets the win, as he should have. There is likely going to be a lot more between Jericho and Callis, so having Jericho lose to start is the right way to go. Ospreay is on another level at the moment and while Jericho can hang with him, having Jericho win might have been a bit too much. Another PPV worthy match though, as Jericho can still bring it under the right circumstances.

Nigel McGuinness announces tonight’s attendance: 81,035.

We recap the Trios Titles match. The House Of Black beat the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn, with the latter retiring. Then the House kept attacking the Acclaimed so the OLD Gunn is back for revenge.

Trios Titles: House Of Black vs. Acclaimed/Billy Gunn

The Acclaimed/Gunn are challenging and anything goes, with Caster’s rap including a Harry Potter joke. The House one ups them though by bringing out a lantern for a Bray Wyatt tribute. It’s a brawl to start (of course) with Black busting out an early but possibly hurting his leg. More dives connect but Billy’s is cut off. Julia Hart comes in and is told to….well something, followed by Scissor Me Timbers.

King is back in to take Gunn outside but misses a charge into the barricade. Back in and Gunn clotheslines down Black and Matthews before the One And Only (cobra clutch slam for you younger fans out there) gets two. The Arrival looks to set up the Mic Drop but Matthews makes the save. Bowens elbows Matthews in the head over and over but gets sent into the corner.

A Cannonball/stereo running knees to the head get two, with Caster making the save. King busts out the chain, which accidentally hits Black in the head instead. Bowens is back up with the jumping Fameasser, setting up the real thing from Gunn but Hart pulls the referee. Black kicks Gunn in the head for two and can’t believe the kickout. Dante’s Inferno is broken up, leaving King alone with all three challengers. The Fameasser into the Arrival into the Mic Drop gives us new champions at 9:49.

Rating: C+. They had to change the titles here as it would have been quite the punch to the gut if Billy lost again. The Acclaimed have needed something to do since they lost the Tag Team Titles so this was a necessary title change. That being said, this is what, the fourth no rules/crazy tag match of the night? Cut down on those next time.

Post match the House hands over the titles, allowing Bowens to present Gunn with the title for the nice moment.

We recap the World Title match. Adam Cole and MJF went to a time limit draw in a non-title match, then became friends and now ROH Tag Team Champions. Now it’s about the World Title though, with the question of whether one will turn on the other.

AEW World Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Adam Cole

MJF is defending with the full Devil entrance, complete with a throne and worshippers. They’re both wearing shirts and go to the mat with neither being able to get very far. Back up and MJF sends him into the ropes for a strut and a Rick Rude style hip swivel. Cole takes him down as well and hits the catchphrase, but MJF wants a handshake. MJF: “SPORTSMANSHIP!” Then he gets in a cheap shot to Cole and gives that great evil grin of his.

Cole is back with the fireman’s carry onto the knee for two as things have gotten a lot more serious. MJF gets pulled into the corner so Cole can grab a chinlock as Taz and Nigel argue on commentary. Cole knocks him down again and shouts that he’s better than MJF before ripping off MJF’s shirt. MJF gets serious or a change and hammers away in the corner before biting Cole’s head. Cole is sent outside and MJF hits a dive of his own, giving us a great stunned face.

Back in and MJF hits a top rope double stomp on the arm, sending them into a pinfall reversal sequence. MJF counters a leapfrog into a powerbomb backbreaker for two and they’re both down. They head outside with Cole brainbustering him onto the steps for the big knockdown. That’s good for a close nine count but MJF collapses before the Panama Sunrise can launch. A Tombstone onto the announcers’ table gets two on MJF back inside in quite the near fall.

Cole hits a running Canadian Destroyer but MJF pops up for a low superkick to leave them both down. They both shout DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE, clothesline each other, and go to a double pin at 19:00. Hold on though as Cole wants five more minutes, but MJF says they’re going until they have a winner. The referee gets bumped and they grab a chair, with both of them faking being hit by said chair (MJF even wraps it around his neck). The referee isn’t having this so MJF hits a Heatseeker for two.

Cole hits a straitjacket suplex on the apron and MJF crashes out to the floor. That’s not enough for Cole, who hits a Panama Sunrise on the floor to knock him sillier. Back in and Cole loads up another Panama Sunrise but MJF pulls the referee into the way again. MJF loads up the diamond ring but can’t do it. Cue Roderick Strong to kick MJF low (Cole didn’t see it), allowing Cole to look around and hit the Panama Sunrise. The Boom connects for an incredibly delayed near fall so Cole picks up the title….but throws it away. MJF grabs a small package to retain at 28:59.

Rating: A-. The action was very good here but the storytelling was better, with the teases of turning and Strong not being able to get Cole to go full evil. What matters here is having a result that could set up more than a few different results, as a rematch in Chicago next week wouldn’t shock me. Heck of a story here, and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.

Post match MJF tries to tell Cole that they’re still friends but Cole kicks him away. MJF shouts about how Cole was always all about the title and throws it to him, telling Cole to do it already and turning his back. Cole drops the title again, despite Strong getting on the apron to yell at him to do it. MJF and Cole hug, with the Kingdom holding Strong back to end the show.

Oh one more thing: they’re back in Wembley next year for All In 2024.

Overall Rating: A-. The show was certainly a hit and even the worst matches were good enough. This was a show where the atmosphere and look were what mattered, but then the wrestling lived up to the hype as well. It’s pretty much a home run for AEW and while they have to scramble for All Out in a week, they have more than earned a victory lap for this one. Awesome show, and worth checking out up and down.

Results
Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Adam Cole b. Aussie Open – Double clothesline to Fletcher
Hook b. Jack Perry – Redrum
CM Punk b. Samoa Joe – Pepsi Plunge
Bullet Club Gold/Konosuke Takeshita b. Golden Elite – Rollup with tights to Omega
FTR b. Young Bucks – Shatter Machine to Matt
Orange Cassidy/Best Friends/Eddie Kingston/Penta El Cero Miedo b. Blackpool Combat Club/Ortiz/Mike Santana – Orange Punch to Castagnoli
Saraya b. Hikaru Shida, Britt Baker and Toni Storm – Nightcap to Storm
Darby Allin/Sting b. Christian Cage/Swerve Strickland – Strickland was put in the coffin
Will Ospreay b. Chris Jericho – Stormbreaker
Billy Gunn/Acclaimed b. House Of Black – Mic Drop to King
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Adam Cole – Small package

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

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

AND

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

We have finally arrived in London for the biggest show in AEW history and very likely the biggest event the company will ever run. There are going to be a bunch of big matches as the card is stacked, meaning we should be in for a great night if AEW’s history is anything to believe. In theory the main event will be Adam Cole challenging MJF for the World Title so let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: FTW Title: Jack Perry(c) vs. Hook

This was made on Collision and as you might expect, it will be under FTW rules, meaning street fight. These two have more or less been feuding over the legacy of ECW, but thankfully the ECW legends have stopped showing up. The interesting thing here is that this could go either way, as Perry losing the title seems a bit soon but it seems like a perfect place to give Hook the title back.

I’ll go with Perry winning here, but the FTW Title needs to go away sooner than later. It’s nice to have Perry winning and holding onto something but at some point he has to get away from the ECW/Taz and Hook stuff. Losing the match here isn’t going to help him at all though so we’ll go with Perry retaining, likely through some shenanigans, but I’m hardly convinced that I’m right.

Zero Hour: Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Aussie Open(c) vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Adam Cole

There is a lot to unpack here and we’ll start with the fact that the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles are being used as a plot point in the AEW World Title feud. That isn’t a great way to make the titles look important, but then again what does look important in ROH? Anyway, MJF and Cole are still set or the main event of All In, and this match is likely going to play a big role in how that goes.

As I don’t think the MJF vs. Cole feud ends here, I’ll go with new champions. It’s not like the titles have any value otherwise so maybe they can get a temporary boost here. At the very last, I want to see the Kangaroo Kick and a double clothesline for the titles so there could be something to look forward to here. MJF vs. Cole is the biggest story in AEW at the moment and the Aussies can get the titles back later, as they should drop them here.

Golden Elite vs. Konosuke Takeshita/Bullet Club Gold

There is quite the variety of matches on the show and I’m not sure where else to start. This is one of two matches that are built around Don Callis, who has become pretty much the second biggest heel on the roster, depending on how you currently view MJF. The main feud here is going to be Kenny Omega vs. Takeshita, but the more I get of the Club these days, the better things go.

I’ll take Takeshita and the Club to win here, as Hangman Page or Kota Ibushi are both there to take the fall for the team. Omega vs. Callis N Pals feels like a feud that is going to keep going for a VERY long time and right now we are only kind of getting the fight between them. The villains have to win early so the hero can win later, meaning Takeshita and the Club go over here.

Darby Allin/Sting vs. Christian Cage/Swerve Strickland

This is a Coffin Match, which doesn’t quite fit in with the heels, even though Cage had something similar to one earlier this year. The Coffin Match idea seems to favor Allin and Sting, in addition to the fact that they have interacted for more than about half an hour if you count a 21 minute tag match Strickland and Cage teamed in this week on Collision. That doesn’t exactly bode well going forward and makes me think this match might not be the most surprising.

I don’t see any reason to have Cage and Strickland here, as Allin and Sting have all of the advantages here. Outside of Luchasaurus interfering (which is certainly a possibility), there isn’t much of a way to get behind the villains. It should be the usual wacky all over the place match with Sting doing some big dive before winning in the end, which is the most logical way to go here.

Real World Title: CM Punk(c) vs. Samoa Joe

What we have here is a good example of going back to a classic feud that works rather than just trying to recreate the past. They have issues that are going on at the moment and it makes the match feel like another step after a long break rather than reheating something for the sake of a nostalgic reaction. It helps that both of them are awesome talkers and the hype has been pretty good throughout.

I’ll go with Punk here, as he is a bigger star in AEW and it isn’t like the ROH TV Champion getting pinned is going to hurt him very much. There isn’t much of a reason to give Joe two belts and again, I can’t imagine much of a way for the villain to win here without some kind of interference (Ricky Starks and/or Big Bill in this case). What matters here though is having a legendary rivalry renewed (and likely ended) on a huge stage. With Punk winning.

Trios Titles: House Of Black(c) vs. Acclaimed/Billy Gunn

It’s another case where it really could go either way but there is one way that it needs to go. This is the fallout of Gunn retiring/possibly dying based on how the Acclaimed was reacting, but now he’s back for the big fight in his chance for one more run with his friends. That should tell you where this is going, but there is something to be said about the dominance of the champs.

As dominant as the House has been, there is little reason to not put the titles on Gunn and the Acclaimed here, as having them lose would feel very anti-climactic after everything that has gone on. At the same time, the House has already run through most of the believable challengers so changing the titles here makes the most sense. I could see the House retaining, but the good guys getting their moment is the better way to go.

Tag Team Titles: FTR(c) vs. Young Bucks

Here we have the big showdown that should have happened about a year ago but instead we were left standing around because….something about the Trios Titles being absolutely necessary. FTR has been back to doing what they do better than anyone else in the world over the last few months while the Bucks have wrestled two regular tag matches since February. But it’s a big feud so reheating it this fast isn’t that big of a stretch.

As much as I want to pick FTR to retain here, I have a bad feeling that the Bucks are going to get their big moment here and get to be the first three time champion. Throw in Cash Wheeler’s legal issues in the last few days and it would be hard to picture FTR retaining. FTR should win, and while I would certainly hope that I’m wrong, I think they’ll go with the “special” moment of the Bucks winning the titles. Again. At least it isn’t a ladder match.

Women’s Title: Hikaru Shida(c) vs. Britt Baker vs. Saraya vs. Toni Storm

If there is one thing that AEW does very well, it is give you a match where you could see multiple winners. Here you have Shida, who has not gotten the big moment as champion, Saraya as the home country girl, Storm doing some of the best work in his career, and Baker, who REALLY needs the boost but hasn’t been doing much of anything interesting in months now. Three out of four isn’t bad though and we have some real options to leave with the title.

I’ll go with Shida retaining here, as there is something to be said about her getting the big moment. She had a long title reign the first time around but never got to do anything special like retain the title here. It’s also hardly a stretch to keep the title on here and only Storm feels like someone who is ready to take it off of her, but her whole thing is being upset over NOT being the champion. So yeah, Shida wins here, just hopefully not beating Storm in the process.

Eddie Kingston/Orange Cassidy/Best Friends/Penta El Zero Mideo vs. Blackpool Combat Club/Santana/Ortiz

This is Stadium Stampede, which we’re doing in theory a week before the already set up matches between Moxley/Cassidy and Castagnoli/Kingston. I’m not sure how they’re going to do one of these things with all of the people around but why go sane when you can go insane? The previous versions of this have been quite the spectacles, but their quality has been a bit up and down. Odds are we’re going to get some more totally out there stuff though and that can be fun.

This feels like the way to set up some rematches between the members of the team, which will hopefully include Moxley getting to take the International Title from Cassidy. Therefore, I’ll go with the villains winning as Moxley pins Cassidy to set up their match. The other option of Kingston beating Castagnoli is out there, but it wouldn’t shock me to see them wait for Final Battle in December to finally give Kingston the title. For now though, I’ll take the villains to win.

Will Ospreay vs. Chris Jericho

So here we have one of the most successful British wrestlers of all time and one of the most entertaining stars going today being presented as a heel (he’s with Callis so yes he’s a heel) on the biggest wrestling show in British wrestling history. I’m sure there’s a logic to that move, even if the face/heel dynamic could be all over the place here. That being said, the promo battle to set this up was one of the best I can remember in recent months so they’re certainly onto something.

As was the case earlier with the six man tag, the villains have to win early so they can lose in the end. Jericho losing here is the way to go as he can continue dealing with the fallout of initially wanting to join Callis’ family. Ospreay is probably coming to AEW full time sooner rather than later so it would make sense to give him the big win here. You can all but guarantee Callis’ interference, which isn’t likely to be enough to overcome the cheers Ospreay is going to get as he wins here.

AEW World Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman(c) vs. Adam Cole

This is the biggest story in AEW right now and my goodness it needs to keep going after this show. The good thing is that the story has all kinds of ways it can go and that’s not even factoring in the Roderick Strong side. The question becomes who turns on whom here, but the options of both or neither are strong possibilities. Having that many options is a great sign and now we get to figure out where it goes.

With all of the options available, I’ll go with…..Cole wins, but neither turns yet. It opens the doors for a rematch, likely at All Out, but what is going to matter is seeing where it goes from here. Cole has already failed to beat him once and having MJF be revealed as this big criminal mastermind would make Cole look like the biggest loser in the world. I might as well be flipping a coin here, but yeah I’ll take Cole to win and Strong to not get overly involved just yet.

Overall Thoughts

The best thing that I can say about any show is that I have almost no idea who is going to win most of these matches. There are different ways that you could go in almost every match and that makes for a rather interesting care. This show is going to be about the spectacle though and if AEW does it right, the place is going to look incredible. The wrestling has to back it up though, and the good thing is the potential to do so is absolutely there. Now just make it work.

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

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

AND

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

Collision
Date: August 26, 2023
Location: Gas South Arena, Duluth, Georgia
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Caprice Coleman

It’s the final go home show for All In and that means it could go either way. We are going to get a final push to the show but the question is how much new stuff might be added. At the same time, All Out is in eight days and there isn’t much set for the show. While All In will have a lot to do with the card, we could get something or it here as well. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Here is Jack Perry, along with some people carrying the FTW Title, to open things up. The ring is set up for a funeral and Perry says it was a good title, which was just misunderstood at times. Instead of being sad at its demise, we should remember the good times. We see Perry with the title in various places, including bed, the bathtub, by the pool, in the shower etc.

It’s time to send the title to a better place though, and that means it’s time for a sledgehammer. Cue Hook on the video screen to say this wasn’t a good idea and now here he is in the ring. The beatdown is on and Perry gets suplexed through a table. Hook: “Wembley, Sunday.”

Orange Cassidy/Penta El Cero Miedo/Eddie Kingston vs. Butcher and the Blade/Kip Sabian

Penta loads up the glove on Sabian but Penelope Ford shoves Alex Abrahantes on the floor. Everything breaks down fast and it’s Penta superkicking his way out of trouble in the corner. Sabian crotches Penta against the post but Cassidy makes the save and comes in to pick up the pace. Cassidy gets sent to the floor and it’s a double team neckbreaker to give Sabian two back inside.

Blade’s swinging neckbreaker drops Cassidy again and we take a break. Back with Cassidy dropping Sabian hard and handing it back to Penta. House is quickly cleaned, including an assisted Canadian Destroyer on Sabian. Butcher knocks Penta into the tag to Kingston and it’s hoss fight time. Kingston gets the better of things before sending Sabian and Blade into the corner for the rapid fire chops. Cassidy hits Butcher with the Orange Punch and there’s an exploder to Sabian. Made In Japan hits Sabian and Kingston gets the pin at 9:50.

Rating: C+. The good guys here felt like a bunch of people who had nothing else to do so here they are. Cassidy is going to get a reaction no matter what he’s doing so it’s smart to have him on a show like this. Butcher and the Blade continue to be a team who feel like they could do more but they are forever tied to Sabian for some reason.

Post break the Best Friends are in the ring with Cassidy and company to call out the Blackpool Combat Club and Santana/Ortiz. Those people BROKE TRENT’S MOM’S VAN so they’re coming or revenge. The Club pops up on screen to say it shouldn’t be a surprise that they picked Santana and Ortiz. Kingston starts heading to the back but the other four stay back as Castagnoli says Kingston and company will be out of friends again soon. We cut to the back where Kingston has a chair but can’t find anyone. Kingston promises to hut Moxley. They had me until the part about the van.

Video on FTR vs. the Young Bucks, with both of them talking about how important this match is.

Dark Order vs. Action Andretti/Darius Martin

Silver and Andretti start things off with Silver taking over, allowing Reynolds to come in for an elbow to the face. The powerbomb onto Silver’s knees gets two and a double elbow puts him down again. We take a break and come back with Andretti bringing Martin in to pick up the pace. A double DDT plants the Order and Andretti comes in with a springboard 450, meaning Silver has to make the save. Andretti is sent outside and it’s the jawbreaker into the German suplex into the flipping cradle for the pin at 8:37.

Rating: C. So the Dark Order is becoming a thing again and these two getting the focus is the best possible combination. Evil Uno being left out of the whole thing helps it so much as Silver and Reynolds have never been the issue. It was a watchable match, but again it does feel like these guys were out there to fill in time. Not their fault, but it was noticeable.

On Wednesday, AR Fox apologized to Nick Wayne and Darby Allin for everything that happened. Fox offered a handshake to Wayne, who walked away. Allin shook Fox’s hand though.

We get a new Acclaimed music video on how Billy Gunn is back and they’re coming for the House Of Black.

Video on the Women’s Title match.

Big Bill vs. Vary Morales

Ricky Starks is here with Bill, who gets tossed down hard to start. A swing around by the hair (ouch) sets up the chokeslam to finish Morales at 1:35.

Post match Starks whips Morales and promises a bigger strap next week.

Ruby Soho challenges Kris Statlander for the TBS Title at All Out. Soho calls Statlander more than a woman but less than an Outcast.

Willow Nightingale vs. Robyn Renegade

Robyn’s sister Charlette is here too. Robyn knocks her into the corner to start but Nightingale drops her with a shoulder. The basement crossbody gives Nightingale two and she manages a pair of Amigos into a fisherman’s suplex for two. Charlette offers a distraction though and Robyn takes over as we take a break. Back with Nightingale hitting a spinebuster for two but Robyn scores with a missile dropkick for the same. They head outside with Nightingale hitting a double suplex on both Renegades. Back in and the Babe With The Powerbomb finishes Robyn at 8:27.

Rating: C. Nightingale did her Nightingale style stuff and of course it worked because she’s the most adorable wrestler in recent memory. At the same time, she really needs to win something that matters around here sooner than later because otherwise she’s going to turn into the lovable jobber. On the other hand you have the Renegades, who have always felt like they could be something, but have lost all over the place in recent weeks. There is a lot of talent here, but none of them are really doing much and that’s a shame.

We see some quick clips of AEW stars in London.

Video on Miro vs. Powerhouse Hobbs.

Kris Statlander is sick of being stepped on by people like Ruby Soho so they’re on for All Out.

Keith Lee vs. Zicky Dice

Dice hammers away a few times and gets Pounced for his efforts. The Supernova finishes for Lee at 1:35.

We go back to Mexico, where La Faccion Ingobernable has been kidnapped and beaten up. Then they fought back and beat up their attackers, only to be knocked down again as someone we can’t see walks in.

Here is Samoa Joe to rant about how he wants to get his hands on CM Punk but has been told to wait until All In. Therefore tonight he’ll be on commentary for the main event and be a professional, but the beating is coming on Sunday.

We run down the All In card, complete with Hook vs. Jack Perry for the FTW Title confirmed for Zero Hour.

Video on CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe.

All Out rundown.

Hook/Darby Allin/Sting/CM Punk vs. Jay White/Luchasaurus/Brian Cage/Swerve Strickland

The Gunns, Juice Robinson and Christian Cage are on ringside. Punk headlocks Swerve to start but a hammerlock gets him backed into the corner. An anklescissors takes Punk down though and Swerve mocks his weird wrist thing. It’s too early for the GTS though so here’s White instead. They stare each other down a bit, but White wants Sting.

Punk goes to bring in Sting but gets jumped from behind (rare mental screwup there from Punk) before White goes after the leg. Punk suplexes his way out of trouble and it’s off to Hook to go after White in the corner. Allin comes in to stay on the arm and the tease of a tag to Sting sends White bailing back to Luchasaurus. Sting and Allin take turns crashing into Luchasaurus in the corner but Punk tries one too many.

Punk kicks his way out of trouble though and a big boot to the face cuts him off. We take a break and come back with Punk still in trouble and Swerve putting on a chinlock. An elbow cuts Punk off again and there’s a snap suplex to make it worse. Punk rolls away though and it’s back to Hook to pick up the pace. Hook gets knocked outside in a hurry though and some tosses into the barricade have him in trouble.

We take another break and come back with Hook fighting his way out of trouble and suplexing Cage for a needed breather. The hot tag brings in Punk to clean house, including a bulldog/running clothesline combination to White and Swerve. Punk goes up top but pauses for a good while, only to hit the elbow anyway. Swerve takes Punk down but Hook makes the save, meaning it’s time for the parade of knockdowns. Punk finally hits the GTS on Cage (with a heck of a stare at Joe) before grabbing the Koquina Clutch for the tap at 21:06.

Rating: B. This wasn’t as long as most of the main events around here but it worked well enough with everyone involved. The match was about getting in as much of a hard push towards All In as possible in one match, with Allin vs. Luchasaurus at All Out getting a bit of time of its own. Not a classic or anything, but they covered as much as they could in a limited time and that works.

Post match Joe says the match is officially over so the big brawl is on, with Jack Perry coming out to join in. The fights break off and a bunch of weapons are brought in, with Perry and Hook fighting up the steps. Joe belts Punk in the face and leaves to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show felt like it was designed or one purpose and one purpose only: fill in two hours and don’t screw up anything before London. They did that about as well as they could, if you ignore that the first hour and a half might as well have been an extended Rampage. You absolutely did not need to see this show, but there were some interesting pairings in the main event. The show is absolutely not going to matter this time tomorrow though and I think they knew that coming in.

Results
Orange Cassidy/Eddie Kingston/Penta El Cero Miedo b. Butcher and the Blade/Kip Sabian – Made In Japan to Sabian
Dark Order b. Action Andretti/Darius Martin – Flipping rollup to Andretti
Big Bill b. Vary Morales – Chokeslam
Willow Nightingale b. Robyn Renegade – Babe With The Powerbomb
Keith Lee b. Zicky Dice – Supernova
CM Punk/Sting/Hook/Darby Allin b. Jay White/Luchasaurus/Brian Cage/Swerve Strickland – Koquina Clutch to Cage

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

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

AND

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

Rampage
Date: August 25, 2023
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We are less than two days away from All In and you can feel how important the show is going to be. With just this show and Collision left, there is not much that needs to be covered before we get to London. Odds are this will be the lighter of the remaining shows but there could be a surprise. Let’s get to it.

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

I was in attendance for this show, sitting about ten rows back in the first section off the floor with the entrance on my right.

In Memory of Windham Rotunda.

Opening sequence.

Excalibur: “It’s Friday!” Liar. This was filmed on Saturday and you know it. Granted by the time it was done it was also Sunday so he’s lying twice.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Aaron Solo

Solo (with a singing Harley Cameron) is challenging and this show is airing out of order from how it was taped. Cassidy takes him down with a headlock to start before putting his hands in his pockets for a toss to the floor. Cameron gets in between then so Cassidy gives her the lazy kicks before ducking Solo’s forearm. A big dive drops Solo but he takes Cassidy down back inside as we take a break.

Back with Cassidy ramming him into some buckles, followed by Stundog Millionaire. There’s the spinning DDT for two but Cameron starts singing….about how Cassidy is stupid for looking at him. The distraction lets Solo hit Trouble In Paradise before nearly dropping Cassidy on his head (that looked bad live and worse on TV). A top rope double stomp gets two so Cameron offers a distraction, allowing Solo to get in a boot (I think) shot for two more. Back up and the Orange Punch into the Beach Break retains at 9:13.

Rating: C+. This was for the sake of getting Cassidy in the ring as there was no reason to believe that Solo was going to end the forever reign. Solo is little more than a midcard villain with long hair and a loud singing manager, making him fine for a slightly difficult foil to Cassidy. At the very least though, Cassidy got a strong reaction and that’s why he was on the show.

Jim Ross gets a sitdown interview with QT Marshall, the new AAA Latin American Champion. Marshall says it is time to get the new respect that he deserves, because people have incorrectly thought that he kept latching on to people. The reality is that those people have come to him because he has put the pro in professional wrestling. Why is it taking a foreign promotion to see how great he is? He’s not on AEW posters or trucks? There is an Excalibur action figure but nothing of him! Starting now, he’s getting his respect. This didn’t air in the arena.

Video on CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe.

AAA Latin American Title: QT Marshall vs. Gravity

Gravity is challenging and Johnny TV is on commentary. This is the match that was taped before Collision started. Before the match, Marshall speaks some Spanish that sounds like he’s doing his best high school impression. Gravity starts fast with a handspring armdrag and then another one out of the corner.

A dropkick sends Marshall out to the floor and there’s a rather scary looking flip dive. Back in and Marshall knocks him out of the air so they’re right back on the floor. Gravity tries a hurricanrana but gets caught in a toss apron powerbomb instead. We take a break and come back with Gravity getting two off some rollups, plus a Canadian Destroyer.

Marshall grabs a backbreaker into a Downward Spiral, only to get hurricanranaed down for two. Gravity grabs a 21 Plex for two more but Marshall catches him on top. Something like a snapmare sends Gravity flying but he lands on his feet. A super Samoan drop gives Gravity two, only to have QT hit a pop up cutter. That and the Dirt Sheet Driver retains the title at 9:55.

Rating: B-. You know, if Marshall didn’t have such a lame history in AEW, he could be just fine as a midcard villain (at best that is). He has a good look and is in better shape than I would have guessed. Apparently he’s doing something right in Mexico to get that kind of a push (or maybe it’s part of a deal with AEW) so why not do that instead of the QTV nonsense?

Video on the Dark Order being all violent. This includes a clip of them slamming someone onto Legos, which isn’t the most serious visual.

Luchasaurus vs. Ren Jones

Non-title. The fans want to know where Luchasaurus’ title is as he chokeslams Jones. A clothesline to the back of the head finishes Jones off at 1:12.

Video on Adam Cole vs. MJF.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Outcasts vs. Hikaru Shida/Britt Baker

Ruby Soho is the odd outcast out. Shida and Storm fight to the floor to start, leaving Baker to hit a quick Sling Blade. Soho grabs Baker’s leg though and Saraya scores with a forearm to take over. Baker gets taken into the corner and choked on the ropes, followed by Saraya’s knees to the chest. Soho gets in some more shots but cue Kris Statlander 9wearing the TBS Title) to carry her off.

We take a break and come back with the Outcasts taking turns taunting Shida with the title. Baker neckbreakers her way to freedom though and there’s the hot tag off to Shida. The fans are behind Shida as she torture racks Storm and then drops her backwards (she’s used that spot before and I don’t think it exactly works). Storm gets in a shot of her own so Shida scores with an enziguri before bringing Baker back in. Baker is taken into the wrong corner again but Saraya throws her over to Shida.

With Baker put on the apron, Saraya makes her slap Shida’s hand….which somehow counts, but Baker tags herself back in anyway. A hip attack in the corner hits Baker and a double powerbomb gets two with Shida making the save. Shida hits the Falcon Arrow and Baker adds the fisherman’s neckbreaker but Storm makes the save this time. Saraya grabs the referee though, allowing Storm to spray paint Shida. The blind Shida hits Baker, knocking her into the Nightcap (Rampage) for the pin at 11:57.

Rating: C+. This was a not exactly veiled preview for the Women’s Title match and there isn’t much of a better way to go about it. Shida is getting her first title defense but couldn’t stop one of the Outcasts from getting a pin, which shows how vulnerable she is going into London. That’s a smart way to go about things as it’s a simple way to tell the story.

Saraya and Storm hold up the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They weren’t trying to do anything special here and that is what a pre-major event Rampage should be. Don’t screw anything up and get through with this show before we get on to the one that matters. The women’s match was the only one that had any bearing on the pay per view and it went well enough, so we’ll call this a success despite it not exactly being must see TV.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Aaron Solo
QT Marshall b. Gravity – Dirt Sheet Driver
Luchasaurus b. Ren Jones – Clothesline to the back of the head
Outcasts b. Hikaru Shida/Britt Baker – Nightcap to Baker

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

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

AND

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

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

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

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

AND

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

Dynamite
Date: August 9, 2023
Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We are less than three weeks away from All in and the show is starting to come together. The World Title match is now set and there are a few other matches that are all but official. Those matches should make for a nice foundation, but there are more matches that need to be added. Throw in All Out a week later and there is a lot of work to be done. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is the Jericho Appreciation Society, minus Chris Jericho, for a special meeting. Jericho is called to the ring and tries to calm things down. Daniel Garcia cuts him off and rants about how Jericho will never pick them. Garcia has done everything for him but he can’t do this so he’s out. Jake Hager says he’s known Jericho longer than any of them and while he liked his hat, he does NOT appreciate Jericho, so he’s out too. Tay Melo is feeling sick but it’s not because of the baby. She’ll be back in a year to be a champion without Jericho because she quits.

Anna Jay quits because Jericho is selfish and Angelo Parker talks about how he has given everything to Jericho, with nothing left to give. They’re both out, leaving Matt Menard and Sammy Guevara. Menard talks about using his first check to buy a Chris Jericho shirt. Then when his wife was 8 months pregnant and he didn’t have a job, Jericho heard his story and brought him underneath his wing. Menard gets why people he looked up to hate Jericho though and walks out. Guevara says he isn’t quitting, but once Jericho figures this out, maybe he’ll be around. Jericho has nothing to say and that’s the segment.

Post break Don Callis comes up to a distraught Jericho and says he’s sorry if he caused any of that. Jericho has an answer for Callis and they’ll announce it next week. Why not now?

Hardys vs. Young Bucks

Jeff takes over on Matt Jackson’s arm to start and the Hardys drop Nick onto his brother for a crash. Matt Hardy comes in and plants Matt Jackson for two. Nick makes a save and the Bucks get to clean house, including Risky Business to Matt Hardy. We take a break and come back with Matt Hardy fighting out of trouble and bringing Jeff back in for the house cleaning.

The Whisper In The Wind gets two on Nick Jackson but the Bucks superkick Jeff down. Something close to a 3D gets two but Matt Hardy breaks up the Meltzer Driver. The Swanton hits Matt Jackson with Nick making the save. Jeff loads up another Twist of Fate but gets his leg superkicked out, setting up the BTE Trigger to finish Matt Hardy at 11:10.

Rating: C+. First and foremost, this could have been FAR worse. There was a chance that this could have been a disaster but instead it was mostly fine. That being said, they were in a bind here as the match is billed as a dream match but they can’t do anything epic or even long with it because the Hardys are broken down. That left it as kind of stuck under a hard ceiling, but they did as well as they could.

Post match respect is shown before the Bucks call out FTR. Cue FTR and the match is official. Well that was quick.

There will be a tournament to set up a four way Women’s Title match at All In, though Toni Storm has cashed in her rematch clause and is automatically in. Who isn’t in you ask? Champion Hikaru Shida, who is defending in a first round match. This is overthinking something even by AEW standards.

Adam Cole and MJF bonded again, by going to a trampoline park. They also have video games, a ball pit (!) and dodgeball. MJF likes the idea of dodgeball and assaults some children (in slow motion), while yelling various insults such as “I slept with your mom” and “you’re adopted”. Cole comes up to say MJF can’t do this but a young girl says they must be nerds for being adults in a trampoline park. Cole has to hold MJF back, but one more insult lets MJF chuck the ball at her as well. This was so ridiculously over the top that it was hilarious.

We recap the Blackpool Combat Club being all violent recently.

The Blackpool Combat Club is happy to have hurt the Best Friends and Pac.

FTW Title: Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Perry

Perry, in Jerry Lynn style gear, is defending under FTW Rules (pretty much anything goes and falls count anywhere). Perry jumps him to start but gets rolled up for a fast two. Van Dam knocks him out to the floor and the spinning legdrop to the apron CRUSHES Perry, with commentary laughing at how hard it hit.

We take a break and come back with Perry missing Rolling Thunder and getting kicked in the face. There are a bunch of chairs in the ring (one in the corner) and a table set up at ringside as Van Dam monkey flips Perry. The dropkicked chair into the corner hits Perry and Rolling Thunder onto the chair gets a delayed two.

The split legged moonsault misses (mainly because Perry moved before Van Dam flipped) but Perry’s thrown chair hits the referee in the head. Perry catches Van Dam on top but gets sent through the table on the floor. Back in and the Five Star (not bad) hits Perry for no count. Another referee comes in for the count but Perry sends Van Dam into the chair in the corner and gets the pin at 9:22.

Rating: C+. The weapons stuff was a bit annoying but it does fit with the ECW theme. Van Dam was the only real option to make this work, but this needs to be the absolute end of the ECW stuff. It didn’t exactly look great to start with and there is pretty much no one else who is going to be interesting and able to have a decent match from ECW’s past. The match itself was perfectly decent, though they got out exactly when they should have.

The Lucha Bros promise revenge on the Blackpool Combat Club.

Here are Adam Cole and MJF for a chat. MJF has seen something about footage of him saying that everyone in the midwest is dead but that footage was HEAVILY doctored. May God strike him down dead if what he is saying isn’t true, but his favorite place in the country is the midwest! Cole and MJF cringe but MJF survives, leaving Cole to promise to take the World Title at All In. MJF: “So you want a little promo battle eh? OK!”

MJF goes on to say that Cole is so skinny and white that if he had been around in the 80s, Hogan would have snorted him. Cole says that’s NOT what he wanted, because he thinks they want the Tag Team Titles. Er, the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles in this case. Cole talks about how much he’s done in Ring Of Honor over the years and what it means to him, but he has never won the Tag Team Titles. They already have the World Title match, but on the All In Zero Hour, they should win the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles!

MJF: “Normally when someone wants to make me wrestle more than once a year, I want to stab them in the face with a soldering iron.” He’s a sucker for a cheap pop though so he’s in. The challenge is officially on. Cue Roderick Strong to say he should be winning the titles with Cole, but MJF goes on a rant about how Strong needs to go listen to some Taylor Swift and shake it off. Strong says the Kingdom was right and here they are to leave with him. MJF laughs at Strong so Cole snaps, with MJF telling Cole to go check on him. Strong just looks so, so lame in all of this. Even if it is a swerve from Cole, my goodness it’s pathetic.

Video on Collision.

Lucha Bros vs. Blackpool Combat Club

The Bros jump them from behind to start and the big flip dives connect as the bell rings. Fenix’s rolling cutter into Penta’s top rope double stomp gets two and Made In Japan gets two on Castagnoli. Fenix adds a high crossbody but the stereo superkicks only hits the others’ foot. Moxley comes in to clean house as everything breaks down in a hurry. Wheeler Yuta belts Fenix and it’s a gorilla press into Moxley’s cutter for two. We settle down to Castagnoli working on Fenix’s arm and we take a break.

Back with Fenix chopping up but getting dropped with a spike piledriver. Castagnoli picks Fenix up into an electric chair but Fenix drops back to avoid the Doomsday Device. Fenix rolls over for the tag to Penta so house can be cleaned. Fenix’s superkick gets two as everything breaks down. Moxley hits a cutter (third of the match) and everyone is down for a bit.

Castagnoli and Fenix strike it out from their knees and then their feet until Fenix hits his rebound spinning kick to the face. Penta and Moxley come in to chop it out (for a long time) until the Fear Factor hits Moxley. The spike Fear Factor is broken up but Wheeler Yuta tries to interfere, only to get cut off by Alex Abrahantes. Moxley uses the distraction to roll Penta (who got unmasked somewhere in there) up with tights for the pin at 13:02.

Rating: B-. This was the all action match that you might have expected and it felt like one of those beat on each other until someone gets a pin rather than building up a match deals. That’s the Lucha Bros’ specialty and the match did well, but sometimes it’s nice to see a traditional match for once. Oh and again with the mask being ripped off, because that’s almost required in half of the Lucha Bros matches.

Post match the beatdown is on, with Castagnoli putting on Penta’s mask for a bizarre look.

Kenny Omega will be sitting down with Jim Ross next week to talk about what he’ll be doing at All In.

Here is Swerve Strickland, with the Mogul Embassy, for a chat. They went to Seattle to prove a point last week because they are above the law. AR Fox wants Darby Allin out here right now so cue Allin, saying he wants the whole story. Allin lived with Fox and his demons, but now Fox has some new friends. Well Allin has friends of his own, so the lights go out and Sting is back. Everyone but Sting and Swerve leave, allowing Sting to bat Swerve in the ribs. Sting (who appears to have a bit of the Joker face paint) points to the All In sign. That’s an escalation.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Sting/Allin vs. Fox/Swerve (in a coffin match) is officially approved by Tony Khan for All In. So did Tony Khan just have nothing planned for All In and is letting the wrestlers book the show for him?

Women’s Title: Anna Jay vs. Hikaru Shida

Jay, with Angelo Parker and Matt Menard, is challenging but this is also a first round match in the tournament to set up the Women’s Title match at All In. Shida shoves her down to start and they fight up against the ropes. A jumping knee staggers Jay but she manages to kick Shida to the floor. Then she throws Shida back inside for two and we take an early break.

Back with Shida hammering away and knocking Jay outside. The clothesline off the chair is broken up by Parker and Jay sends her face first into the steps. Anna gets the Queenslayer back inside but Shida climbs the rope and crashes back down for the break. A Falcon Arrow gets two, followed by the Katana to retain the title at 8:44, despite Parker trying to interfere and somehow failing.

Rating: C. This whole tournament is rather high up there on the list of Things AEW Has Overthought. We’re having a tournament to set up a four way title match and the champion has to qualify but the person she beat doesn’t. I’m sure there’s some logic in there and I’d rather it not be allowed to get out. The match itself was just ok, as Jay isn’t someone you want to try to have a big showdown. Shida held it together well enough though and they got out of there pretty fast.

Overall Rating: C. This show was all over the place and rather unfocused. They added stuff to All In, but it felt like a show that just had one thing after another put on the card with nothing feeling overly important. It also doesn’t help that the first hour of this show was primarily dedicated to Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam and the Hardys. That’s a heck of a tag match on a late WWF Raw but here it doesn’t quite measure up. The show was far from bad, but it needed a second or third draft to tighten up a lot of things.

Results
Young Bucks b. Hardys – BTE Trigger to Matt
Jack Perry b. Rob Van Dam – Van Dam was sent into a chair
Blackpool Combat Club b. Lucha Bros – Rollup with tights to Penta El Cero Miedo
Hikaru Shida b. Anna Jay – Katana

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

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

AND

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

Dynamite
Date: August 2, 2023
Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Taz, Excalibur

It’s the 200th episode and you know that means we should be in for something good. The most important thing here is that it is time to start getting ready for All In, which needs something announced already. Other than that, we have a Women’s Title match as Hikaru Shida challenges Toni Storm. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

The old set is back for a nice touch.

Sammy Guevara/Daniel Garcia vs. Chris Jericho/Konosuke Takeshita

Jericho and Takeshita have Don Callis with them. Guevara and Jericho chop it out until the former scores with a jumping knee. Garcia and Guevara get to strike a pose before Garcia chops it out with Jericho. Takeshita comes in to kick Garcia down so Jericho comes back in for a suplex. Jericho drops Garcia again and we take a break.

Back with Guevara coming in to clean house, including a suicide elbow to Jericho and a running flip dive to Takeshita. They get back in and Takeshita gets the Blue Thunder Bomb on Guevara but can’t get the Walls Of Takeshita (which is apparently a thing). Jericho is back in with the Codebreaker for two as all four get in again. Guevara kicks Takeshita to the floor as Garcia gets the Dragontamer on Jericho. Callis bats Garcia down but Jericho doesn’t approve….but does get the pin at 12:21.

Rating: B-. This was about Callis still trying to recruit Jericho, who might be getting with the program a bit. Other than that, you had Garcia and Guevara being entertaining enough as a team and Takeshita feeling like a star. Odds are this is heading towards Jericho vs. either Takeshita or someone else from Callis’ family down the line, but we might be a good way off from that point just yet.

Tony Khan says we are on the way to the biggest wrestling event of all time (no) and we see a highlight package from some of the best moments in Dynamite history.

Matt Menard tells Chris Jericho has to be at a mandatory meeting of the Jericho Appreciation Society.

Here is Jack Perry to say that he wants Jerry Lynn out here to end this. Lynn comes out to say that he isn’t going to come down there and beat up Perry, because that would be child abuse. On top of that, his neck is so banged up that no doctor would ever clear him. Instead, he’s made a phone call to a friend of his, who wrestled in ECW and still wrestles today. Cue Rob Van Dam to chase Perry off, with Perry hiding behind a young girl. Was there anyone else who could have stood up for ECW and been something of a big deal?

Video on the Women’s Title match with Hikaru Shida challenging Toni Storm.

Trent Beretta vs. Jon Moxley vs. Penta El Cero Miedo

The introduction make it clear that this is anything goes. Trent and Penta hit dives to start but Moxley is back up and grabs the 2×4 with nails. Penta ducks a swing and Backstabs Moxley, only to get a trashcan lid kneed into his face. Moxley piledrives Trent but Penta is right back to take Trent outside. Some tables are set up at ringside and the already bleeding Trent superplexes Moxley through them as we take a break.

Back with Penta hitting a super Canadian Destroyer to drive Trent through a table, followed by Moxley spearing Penta through a table in the corner. Moxley gets the thumbtacks and opens Penta’s shirt, setting up a piledriver into the tacks for two. Trent, for some reasons not in an ambulance, is up with the Crunchy to Moxley into the tacks but Penta makes the save. Moxley Paradigm Shifts Penta but Trent hits the running knee to steal the pin at 12:21.

Rating: C. Yeah fine. You knew you were going to see some kind of violent match on here whether it made sense for the story or not and they even had one of the fan favorites get a pin on a milestone show. The Canadian Destroyer through the table not knocking Trent out of the match was nonsense but that ship has long since sailed. I still can’t stand this kind of stuff, and they really didn’t need the weapons and violence.

Post match Moxley chokes Trent out and the Blackpool Combat Club comes out to help. Cue Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor to cut them off and clear the ring, with Taylor issuing the challenge for a parking lot fight on Rampage.

Rob Van Dam challenges Jack Perry for the FTW Title next week. When Van Dam wins the title, he’ll just retire the thing.

Here is MJF to talk about having ADD, but also a condition that makes it difficult for him to accept rejection. One day when he was a kid, some people threw quarters at him and said “pick it up, Jew boy, pick it up.” It made him believe that he had to stab everyone in the back before he did it to them, but that’s no way to live.

It’s tough for him to trust people, but he’s not scared anymore because of all these people. These people have sympathy for the devil, even if he’s still a scumbag. But dang it he’s ready to be YOUR scumbag. He also has to thank Adam Cole, so here is Cole to see MJF face to face.

Cole says MJF is not alone and knows that there is a good guy down in there. The people here are proud of him, which has MJF thanking him for the kind words. That brings MJF to the promised title match, which Cole doesn’t deserve. That’s because Cole deserves THE match in the main event of the biggest show AEW has ever seen, in the main event of All In. Cole signs the contract (fans: “READ IT!”) without reading it and they hug. MJF has told that story before but it still has impact. Other than that, they’re building towards someone turning and it’s going to be a big moment when it happens.

Roderick Strong breaks a bunch of stuff in the back but here is the Kingdom to say they Cole is forgetting his real friends.

Elite vs. Jeff Jarrett/Satnam Singh/Jay Lethal

Brandon Cutler, Sonjay Dutt and Karen Jarrett are here too. Jeff slams Omega down to start but Matt comes in to take over. That brings in Singh, with Omega and Nick immediately backing away. Singh shrugs off some dropkicks and crossbodies both of the Bucks, meaning the villains get to most the Elite’s pose.

We take a break and come back with Nick getting over to bring Omega back in for the pace to pick up. You Can’t Escape is broken up by Singh, allowing Lethal to get his knees up on the moonsault. The Bucks kick Singh down the though and Omega adds the V Trigger to put him completely down. Dutt has to break up the One Winged Angel and Karen offers a distraction. That earns her a cold spray from Cutler as the Hardys come out to beat up the villains as well. Cue Hangman Page to jump Jarrett with the Buckshot Lariat, meaning (after an Omega guitar solo) the One Winged Angel can finish Lethal at 8:58.

Rating: B-. Much like some of the other stuff on this show, they absolutely had to get the Elite on here somehow and putting them in a fun match like this one was the way to go. They were the centerpiece of the company for a long time and getting them on a show like this, even in a match where they weren’t going to be in serious trouble, was a requirement.

Post match Page announces that the Elite have re-signed with AEW. Omega says you’ll be seeing more of them everywhere, including Collision. We get the old goodnight and goodbye catchphrase to wrap it up. That’s a nice little flashback.

The Mogul Embassy (Swerve Strickland/AR Fox in this case) is happy with beating up Darby Allin and we see them going to Nick Wayne’s gym (which is in a garage). Wayne and some students get beaten up and Swerve breaks something made of glass over Wayne’s head. Swerve puts down a photo of Wayne and his father, before calling Darby Allin to show the bloody Wayne. It’s that easy to make a phone call, so why didn’t Allin call AR Fox when he got to AEW? The beating continues to wrap up one heck of a segment. This felt like Swerve and Fox getting to show what they can do and it was really effective.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Aussie Open vs. Komander/El Hijo del Vikingo

The Aussies are defending. Fletcher and Vikingo start things off with the latter avoiding a charge in the corner. Vikingo’s springboard crossbody takes Fletcher down so it’s off to Davis, who gets superkicked outside. We settle back down to Fletcher clotheslining Komander, who is right back up with the chops in the corner. Komander’s springboard is broken up so it’s of to Vikingo instead. The champs are sent outside but they are fine enough to cut off the stereo dives as we take a break.

Back with Vikingo getting caught with a flipping Iconoclasm for two, leaving Fletcher frustrated. Vikingo is put in a fireman’s carry but Komander tags himself in, jumps on Vikingo’s back, and hits a Canadian Destroyer. The challengers walk the ropes at the same time for stereo moonsaults, setting up stereo 450s for two on Davis. Vikingo is taken down though and the rope walk shooting star press misses for Komander. The double clothesline sets up Coriolis to retain the titles at 9:57.

Rating: C+. There was some nice stuff in here with the Aussies using their power offense to hold off the rather flashy high fliers. I’d like to believe that this is just a one off as I really do not need the Ring Of Honor titles on the show again, but at least they had an entertaining match and didn’t go too long. It’s also always nice to see Vikingo, as some of that stuff he does is hard to fathom.

Video on Ricky Starks vs. CM Punk on Collision.

Women’s Title: Hikaru Shida vs. Toni Storm

Shida is challenging and Storm has the rest of the Outcasts with her. Shida starts fast and knocks Storm to the floor, followed by some right hands back inside. They go outside again and this time Storm takes over, only for Shida to head back inside and suplex her into the corner. Storm gets in a shot of her own and adds the running hip attack to knock Shida outside again. The Outcasts get in some stomping and we take a break.

Back with Shida hitting an enziguri into a German suplex but Storm pulls her off the top. The hip attack in the corner and a DDT get two on Shida (which would not be stealing it, despite what Excalibur says). They strike it out until Shida knees her in the face and hits a Falcon Arrow for two. Saraya throws in the kendo stick but Shida takes it away and takes out the other two. Storm uses the distraction to hit the spray paint into the Storm Zero for two more. Shida is right back with a rollup for the pin and the title at 13:16.

Rating: B. And there’s your big moment to make the show feel special. Storm hadn’t exactly been doing anything as champion and wont he title from an injured Jamie Hayter. The story coming into this was that Shida deserved to have a title run in front of people rather than empty chairs and that is exactly what she is going to get. Good match here, with Shida getting a nice moment to wrap up the show.

Overall Rating: B. I kept saying that they had to get this and that in, but they managed to cover everything and had a heck of a show as a result. This was a nice look back at Dynamite’s history, while also giving a feel good moment at the end and also setting up something for All In. That’s a heck of a way to spend two hours and I smiled more than I have in a good while with an AEW show.

Results
Chris Jericho/Konosuke Takeshita b. Sammy Guevara/Daniel Garcia – Baseball bat shot to Garcia
Trent b. Jon Moxley and Penta El Cero Miedo – Paradigm Shit to Penta
Elite b. Jeff Jarrett/Satnam Singh/Jay Lethal – One Winged Angel to Lethal
Aussie Open b. Komander/El Hijo del Vikingo – Coriolis to Komander
Hikaru Shida b. Toni Storm – Rollup

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

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

AND

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

Rampage
Date: July 28, 2023
Location: MVP Arena, Albany, New York
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

For the second week in a row, the featured match is a battle royal, though this time it is a tag team battle royal for a future Tag Team Title shot. Other than that, we might get more on the upcoming All In card, as no matches have been announced though you can probably guess quite a few from here. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Battle Royal

Luther/Serpentico, Jay Lethal/Satnam Singh, Hardys, Brother Zay/Ethan Page, Big Bill/Brian Cage, Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal, Butcher/The Blade, Angelo Parker/Matt Menard

Both members have to be eliminated and the winners get a future Tag Team Title shot. Everyone goes after Bill to start but can’t get anywhere. It’s the usual brawling to start with no one going anywhere until Luther gets a knee in to Cage. Bill isn’t having that and dumps Luther, with Blade getting rid of Serpentico a few seconds later.

The fans seem to approve of Big Bill, even as Parker hits him in the ribs. Singh gets rid of Zay and Sydal follows him out. The Hardys get rid of Parker and Singh dumps Page. The Hardys get smart and ram Singh into Lethal for another elimination, leaving Page and Lethal to brawl up the aisle as we take a break.

Back with Menard being dumped, leaving us with Bill, Cage, Butcher, Blade, the Hardys, Singh and Daniels. Butcher and Blade toss Daniels but Matt can’t do much with Singh, who tosses him with ease. Jeff manages to stagger Singh and Cage/Bill help out with a double clothesline to put Singh out. Butcher and Blade dump Jeff and we’re down to the two of them vs. Cage/Bill in what sounds like a good hoss fight.

Cage gets knocked down with a fisherman’s neckbreaker and a Stunner into a lariat drops Bill. Back up and Cage saves Bill but Blade hits him in the face. Bill pulls himself up and hits his own double clothesline as the fans still seem to approve. A powerbomb/clothesline combination gets rid of Blade but Butcher fights away. Bill’s splash hits Cage in the corner and a backbreaker puts Cage down again. That’s it though as a clothesline/chokeslam combination knocks Butcher silly for the win at 16:36.

Rating: C+. This went on for a good while and Bill continues to get bigger and bigger reactions. I do like having some fresh blood in the division and Cage/Bill have done well so far. The division has fallen through the floor in recent months and maybe they can start building things back up a bit here. It also makes me want to see more Butcher and the Blade, as they still feel like they could be the big bruising heels of the division at any time.

Video on the Kingdom getting a second chance at being great in Ring Of Honor. Why Maria Kanellis-Bennett isn’t here isn’t clear.

Komander vs. Kip Sabian

Komander is replacing the injured Scorpio Sky and Alex Abrahantes and Penelope Ford are here as well as Sabian takes him down to start. Sabian sends him outside and mocks the salute, earning himself a knock out to the floor and a dive. We take a break and come back with Sabian getting the better of a slugout.

A headscissors gives Komander two and a cradle gets the same. Sabian knocks him back down and hits a running shooting star press for two. Komander fights up but gets his eyes raked by Ford, allowing Sabian to hit a hanging suplex for two more. That’s enough for Komander, who hits a springboard Canadian Destroyer into the rope walk shooting star press to put Sabian away at 10:19.

Rating: C+. This was a bit better than most Komander matches as he didn’t do a bunch of his usual stuff. His matches have a tendency to be centered around trying to set up one convoluted match after another but this one was about fighting back and hitting a spot here and there. Nice match here, even if Sabian is still as middle of the road as you can be.

Video on Jack Perry disrespecting the memory of ECW and getting called out by Jerry Lynn.

The Kingdom vs. Hayden Backlund/Hyaung-Jae Lee

Taven kicks both of them down to start and hands it off to Bennett for a Death Valley Driver. Just The Tip sets up the Proton Pack to finish Backlund at 42 seconds. I can go for more of the Kingdom.

Video on the Dark Order beating the Righteous and Stu Grayson in a Fight Without Honor at Death Before Dishonor. They will NOT be disrespected and it is time to rebuild. Can it be time for the Dark Order to be dropped already?

Video on FTR vs. MJF/Adam Cole.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Video on Hikaru Shida vs. Nyla Rose, a feud with quite the history.

Hikaru Shida vs. Nyla Rose

Marina Shafir is here with Rose, who jumps Shida fast to start. Rose grabs the kendo stick but throws it away after realizing that would be stupid. Back up and Shida headscissors her into the corner and rains down some right hands square into the turnbuckle. Rose knocks her outside though and we take a break.

Back with Shida hitting a running elbow and managing a suplex for two. They fight to the apron with Shida hitting a knee to the head, setting up a dropkick from the apron. Shida loads up a springboard but gets chokeslammed down for two. Back up and Shida hits a Falcon Arrow but Rose runs her over with a clothesline. Rose goes up but gets crotched down, setting up a super Falcon Arrow. Shafir puts the foot on the rope though, earning her a heck of a kendo stick shot. Rose loads up the Beast Bomb but gets reversed into the Katana to give Shida the pin at 10:57.

Rating: B-. This is one of the feuds that has been around since the start of AEW and it works well enough, even though both of them have fallen a bit down the ladder. Pushing Shida again isn’t a bad idea and that stick shot to Shafir was loud enough to get some attention. On the other hand you have Rose, who feels like she hasn’t won anything of note in, like, ever.

Post match the Outcasts come out for the staredown.

Overall Rating: C+. Oh this was the full on B show this week and there was no hiding it. While they did set some things up for the future with the title shot (or possibly shots with Shida), the show didn’t feel important whatsoever with the lack of star power or really anything involving the big stories. It’s a completely skippable show, but you won’t be bored if you watch it either.

Results
Brian Cage/Big Bill won a tag team battle royal last eliminating Butcher and the Blade
Komander b. Kip Sabian – Rope walk shooting star press
The Kingdom b. Hayden Backlund/Hyaung-Jae Lee – Proton Pack to Backlund
Hikaru Shida b. Nyla Rose – Katana

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

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

AND

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

Rampage
Date: July 7, 2023
Location: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Chris Jericho

It’s the 100th episode of the show and we have something of a grudge match on our hands. This time around, Hangman Page/the Young Bucks are facing the Dark Order, who still aren’t happy with how Page has treated them. Other than that, we have more tournament shenanigans to get through so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Young Bucks/Hangman Page vs. Dark Order

Reynolds shoulders Nick down to start so it’s off to Page. That means Reynolds needs to bail a bit and then he does it again on the floor. This time Nick kicks him in the head and it’s time for the Elite to start diving. Back in and Matt rolls the northern lights suplexes on Reynolds before adding Silver for the last one. Risky Business gets two on Reynolds and the fans describe this one sided match, which hasn’t lasted four minutes yet, as AWESOME.

Silver gets in a cheap shot from the floor though and Evil Uno comes in to strike away in the corner. Nick tries to flip over to the corner but the Order pulls Page and Matt down and we take a break. Back with Matt knocking Reynolds off the top and diving onto Uno and Silver. Page comes in to clean house, including a clothesline to send Reynolds outside for a slingshot dive.

Everything breaks down and Un is sent tot he apron for a big boot from Page. The Bucks catch Uno, allowing Page to hit the running shooting star from the apron. Back in and Matt hits a slingshot Canadian Destroyer on Reynolds, followed by a top rope elbow for two. Silver is back in for a kick to the head but Nick makes the save, setting up the Meltzer Driver on Matt for two with Uno making the save.

Page and Uno slug it out until the Bucks come back in to clean house with the superkicks. Page can’t bring himself to Buckshot Lariat Uno so the Bucks dive onto the rest of the Order. Cue Konosuke Takeshita for a distraction, allowing Claudio Castagnoli to hit a heck of an uppercut on Page. Uno gets the pin at 13:56.

Rating: B-. Pushing the Dark Order as something serious is certainly a choice, though it’s not like this was some clean win that is going to change their fortunes. The action was good as Silver and Reynolds are still a pretty decent tag team. Castagnoli or Takeshita vs. Page could make for a good showdown and that’s what matters here, especially if it gets Page away from the Dark Order again.

Post match Kenny Omega comes out to clear the ring.

QTV is still relatively clueless, including Harley Cameron thinking she’ll make a cute couple with Anthony Bowens. In a related story, Johnny TV doesn’t like Max Castor’s music.

Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament: Daniel Garcia/Sammy Guevara vs. Matt Hardy/Jeff Jarrett

The rest of Jarrett’s cronies are here too. Garcia waistlocks Matt to start but gets reversed into a headlock. Guevara comes in and gets hiptossed by Jarrett, setting up the strut. That earns Guevara a dropkick to the floor and garcia gets in his own strut. The running flip dive takes out Jay Lethal by mistake though and we take a break. Back with Matt hitting Splash Mountain for two on Garcia and punching Guevara out of the air. Jarrett’s cronies try to offer a distraction (despite Jeff’s partner being in control) so the guitar can be slid in. Matt is sent into Lethal, allowing Guevara to hit the GTH, though Garcia steals the pin at 8:45.

Rating: C+. They got the result right here, as the Society team moves forward over a team who wasn’t going to work together well. Both Garcia and Guevara need to break free of Jericho, but they do work well together without him. Matt not wanting to cheat like Jarrett and his friends made sense, though I’m almost scared of the Hardys getting together to fight Jarrett and his cronies.

Post match the beatdown is on and Brother Zay’s save attempt doesn’t work. Ethan Page makes the real save.

Video on Collision.

Hikaru Shida vs. Marina Shafir

Shafir kicks her down to start but Shida is back with a bunch of kicks. A running knee gets two on Shafir and the Falcon Arrow gets the same. The Katana finishes Shafir off at 3:30.

Rating: C. It’s nice to have Shida out there getting a win, even if it is over Shafir. I’m not sure if it is the constant having to head back to Japan or something else, but you would think Shida would be worth a stronger push. She has all the tools, with the striking being on display in this one.

Kris Statlander is a fighting champion and she’ll face anyone anywhere. She is the defeater of the undefeated (and thinks that would be a good shirt) and Kris Stat is where it’s at. Those are some pretty terrible taglines but giving Statlander camera time is a good thing.

Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament First Round: Trent Baretta/Matt Sydal vs. Brian Cage/Big Bill

Cage runs Sydal over without much trouble to start and it’s off to Bill vs. Trent. Some shots to the face stagger Bill and Trent knocks him outside, where Bill chokeslams him onto the apron. A fall away slam sends Trent flying and we take a break. Back with Trent DDTing his way out of trouble, allowing the tag off to Sydal. Cage and Bill get struck down and stereo double stomps to the back keep Bill in trouble. Cage is back up with a double clothesline and all four head outside.

Sydal Meteoras Bill on the floor but Cage and Bill hit stereo slams for two back inside. Bill and Cage clothesline each other by mistake but Cage is back up with a discus lariat to Trent. Sydal ducks another discus lariat but the top rope Meteora is blocked. Trent release German superplexes Cage and adds a piledriver, setting up a top rope Meteora from Sydal for two. Back in and Bill runs the good guys over and it’s a powerbomb/clothesline combination to finish Sydal at 12:24.

Rating: B. This match was a blast with everyone going hard and fast for a long time. Cage and Bill are rather good as a pair of monsters while Sydal and Trent worked well for a first time team. What mattered here was just letting everything go nuts and have a good time, which is all you can ask for out of something like this. Fun stuff.

Overall Rating: B-. You had a pair of fun matches here and the tag tournament is starting to take some shape. It made for an easy show to watch and that is what you need from Rampage. The show almost never feels important compared to Dynamite and Collision so letting it be an easy hour of TV is as important as it gets. Nice stuff here, and I’ll take something like this week to week.

Results
Dark Order b. Hangman Page/Young Bucks – Uppercut to Page
Daniel Garcia/Sammy Guevara b. Matt Hardy/Jeff Jarrett – GTH to Hardy
Hikaru Shida b. Marina Shafir – Katana
Brian Cage/Big Bill b. Matt Sydal/Trent Beretta – Clothesline/powerbomb combination to Sydal

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

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

AND

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

Rampage
Date: June 30, 2023
Location: First Ontario Center, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We’ll close out the first half of the year with the first Rampage after Forbidden Door. This week’s Dynamite was a bit off (but still good) and now we get to see if Rampage is the same. The big draw this week is Claudio Castagnoli defending the Ring Of Honor World Title, which should make for something interesting. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Kommander

Castagnoli is defending and drops Kommander with a forearm to start. Kommander balances himself in the corner and snaps off a headscissors. The sleeper is broken up and Castagnoli plants him hard to break up a rollup attempt. The Swing sends Kommander flying again but the Riccola Bomb is armdragged to the floor. Kommander’s dive is pulled out of the air so he fires off some knees to the head to escape again.

Castagnoli isn’t having this though and kicks Kommander over the barricade for a nasty crash. Back in and a DDT gets two as we take a break. We come back with Kommander needing a super hurricanrana to counter a superbomb. Kommander spins around Castagnoli’s shoulders to send him outside, setting up the big flip dive. Castagnoli misses another running boot so Kommander (very slowly) walks the barricade for a shooting star to the back.

A top rope hurricanrana gives Kommander two back inside but Castagnoli drops him with an uppercut. Back up and Kommander climbs onto Castagnoli’s shoulders, jumps backwards, and then tornado DDTs him down. A double jump phoenix splash gives Kommander two but the rope walk shooting star misses. Castagnoli uppercuts him out of the air and that’s enough for a knockout via referee stoppage at 13:45.

Rating: B. This was some crazy amped up version of power vs. high flying as Kommander was doing all of his nutty stuff and Castagnoli finally just stopped it with straight strength. Kommander cut down on some of the ridiculous time it takes to set up some of his stuff here and it made for a more exciting match. Castagnoli just knocking him silly for the win was a great way to go and the champion looks as dominant as possible given how much Kommander threw at him.

Shawn Spears vs. The Blade

The Butcher is here with Blade. They go to the floor for a chop off to start with Spears getting the better of things. Spears thinks his chop was a ten and drops Blade back first onto the apron. Butcher gets in a cheap shot though and Blade drops Spears face first inside. More chops just wake Spears up though and he strikes away to take over. The left hands in the corner set up the C4 to finish Blade at 4:02.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here and neither guy is exactly the best choice to keep things fired up. Spears hasn’t been around much in recent months but I’m sure the Canadian crowd was happy to see one of their own. The match was far from boring and Spears had to overcome some cheating so it was a completely fine use of some time.

Video on the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament matches on Collision.

QTV vs. Matt Hardy/Brother Zay

It’s QT Marshall/Johnny TV with Harley Cameron and Ethan Page as the respective seconds. Zay works on Johnny’s arm to start before Marshall comes in to hit Zay in the face. It’s off to Matt for a double elbow but QT drives him into the corner for some alternating shots to the face.

Matt shrugs it off and hands it back to Zay for a springboard crossbody. Zay tells Cameron to call him until he is sent outside, setting up a heck of a dive from Johnny. We take a break and come back with Zay kicking Johnny into the corner…and right back to QT. Zay shrugs it off and brings Matt back in to clean house as the pace picks up.

A powerbomb out of the corner gets two on Johnny, followed by the middle rope elbow to the back of the neck. Everything breaks down and Johnny’s Flying Chuck gets two. Johnny can’t hit his flipping neckbreaker and it’s back to Zay, who hits a big dive onto both villains on the floor. Back in and a Cameron distraction lets QT crotch Zay on top. Starship Pain finishes Zay at 10:12.

Rating: C+. Well at least Marshall didn’t get the pin. I’ll take TV in here as the ace of QTV over Powerhouse Hobbs as if nothing else he feels like a more natural fit. Beating Matt Hardy and Zay won’t hurt them a bit, especially when it’s just a temporary thing with Jeff out of action. If they keep QTV on low level stuff like this, they’re a fine nothing heel group.

Post match Page offers a save but gets superkicked. The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn make the real save.

Video on Hikaru Shida vs. Taya Valkyrie.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Video on Wheeler Yuta vs. Kenny Omega next week on Dynamite.

Hikaru Shida vs. Taya Valkyrie

Taya powers her into the corner to start but gets caught with a running knee. Shida hammers some right hands and knocks Taya outside, meaning it’s time for the chair. The launched knee misses but an enziguri connects back inside. Taya sweeps the leg though and wraps it around the post as we take a break.

Back with Shida barely able to stand but being able to hit some strikes to the head. The knee is fine enough to hit a jumping knee but Taya knocks her off the ropes. Shida gets in another shot to set up the running Meteora off the apron. The Katana is blocked and Taya hits the running knees in the corner for two. Road To Valhalla is loaded up but Shida reverses into a cradle for the pin at 10:36.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to see Shida getting a win for a change and the knee being fine enough to do some of her stuff didn’t even go too far. Taya has fallen hard since those losses to Jade and I’m not sure how much she is going to be able to come back from them. Shida is a rather successful star around here, but it’s another loss as Taya has yet to beat anyone that really matters.

Overall Rating: B-. The opener was good and the last two matches were certainly fine. This feels like a better than average version of the normal Rampage, with matches that don’t have much major impact on storylines and little more than some people getting in the ring. It’s a show that can be rather entertaining, but it’s not important or required viewing in any way.

Results
Claudio Castagnoli b. Kommander via referee stoppage
Shawn Spears b. The Blade – C4
QTV b. Matt Hardy/Brother Zay – Starship Pain to Zay
Hikaru Shida b. Taya Valkyrie – Cradle

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

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

AND

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