Dynamite
Date: March 9, 2022
Location: Hertz Arena, Fort Myers, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross, Excalibur

We’re fresh off of Revolution and that means it is time to start setting up some new things going forward. We have about two and a half months before Double Or Nothing though and that means we are probably going to need some smaller stories to bridge the gap. Those could start this week so let’s get to it.

Here is Revolution if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Chris Jericho, now with his hair down for a different look, to get things going. Jericho talks about how his neck is still sore from his match with Eddie Kingston but it was one of the best matches he has ever had. After the match he refused to shake his hand but now he would like Kingston to come out here right now. Cue Kingston, who says we are going to get real deep.

On the Friday night before the biggest match of his career, he didn’t want to show up. After telling the fans that Steve Austin isn’t here tonight (in response to the WHAT chants), Kingston talks about how four people came up and said they didn’t kill themselves for his Players Tribune piece. He went to his hotel room (“And you can make fun of me if you want. I’ll still beat you up.”) and cried after the match and it was the biggest night of his career.

The match was what mattered instead of the handshake because that was a Chris Jericho thing. Kingston wanted the Jericho who was in the Super J Cup (as Lionheart, as a fan shouts) and he wants to know how Jericho can fill in the hole in his chest that wouldn’t let him shake his hand. Jericho thanks him for the match and shake his hand but here are 2.0 and Daniel Garcia to take Kingston down.

Santana and Ortiz run in for the save, with Jericho being handed a bat as Ortiz holds Garcia. As expected, Jericho then beats down Santana and Ortiz with the bat. 2.0 comes back in and helps Jericho with the beatdown. Jake Hager comes in to beat on Santana and Ortiz as well as Jericho beats on Kingston with the bat. Hager powerbombs Kingston off the apron and through the table (in a scary landing) and Jericho dubs the team the Jericho Appreciation Society. Jericho: “That’s entertainment.”

CM Punk is happy with the dog collar match and says this is a new version of him.

AEW World Title: Hangman Page vs. Dante Martin

Martin is challenging and gets shouldered down to start but comes right back with a springboard crossbody. That’s pulled out of the air though and Page rolls into a fall away slam to send Martin to the apron. A springboard clothesline knocks Martin to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Martin hitting a missile dropkick for two and a moonsault connects to rock the champ again. They head back inside though and Page counters a moonsault into a powerbomb. The Buckshot Lariat is broken up though and they head back outside. Martin has to duck a forearm though and his springboard is broken up, allowing Page to hit the Buckshot Lariat to retain at 7:27.

Rating: C. It was fun while it lasted but you can only get so much out of a match that lasts about seven and a half minutes including a break. Martin was in a bit over his head here but did get a nice rub in the main event scene. I’m not sure if it needed to be a title match, though with Page winning without much effort, it didn’t hurt anything.

Post match Page calls Martin back to the ring and says that he knows Top Flight is back, but if Martin makes it back to the title scene, he would love to do it again. They shake hands and here is Adam Cole to interrupt. Cole isn’t happy with Page, who is ready to go right now. That’s not good for Cole, but he is challenging Page to a six man tag next week. Page can pick any two partners he wants but Cole has one of the best tag teams in the world as his partners (though he doesn’t say who). He promises to make Page’s life a nightmare until he is the new champion.

Brian Danielson/Jon Moxley vs. Work Horsemen

William Regal is here with Moxley and Danielson while the Work Horsemen are JD Drake and Anthony Henry. Danielson is kicking away at Drake to start so Henry comes in to kick at Danielson instead. That’s fine with Danielson, who takes Henry down into a surfboard, allowing the tag to Moxley. A Crash Landing (vertical suplex released into a powerbomb) drops Henry again as everything breaks down. Danielson’s running knee hits Drake as Moxley Paradigm Shifts Henry on the floor. That leaves Danielson to stomp Drake, setting up the LeBell Lock for the tap at 4:00.

Rating: C. Just a squash to start the new team and that is the right way to go. Regal is already adding something with those great facial expressions of his and it is great to see. I could go for a lot more of these three together, though I’m curious to see where they are going. They are going to need some major opponents for a feud and I’m not sure who that is going to be.

Post match Tony Schiavone talks to the winners plus Regal, the latter of whom says it has been 29 years since he came to America. He is 53 years old now and knows he doesn’t have much time left in the ring due to a lot of empty bottles and a few broken hearts. Regal: “I see you haven’t found a decent tailor in all that time Tony.” Regal thanks Tony for helping him get into the wrestling business in America before moving on to something more important. He has been checked out of wrestling for two months but then someone told him that Danielson mentioned him on Dynamite.

Then he heard that Danielson was going to fight Moxley. For the last several years, Danielson has been mentioned with Regal, who loves sitting down with wrestlers willing to sit down and learn. That can add ten years to your career, and Danielson is the perfect wrestler. They would train for hours a day and Danielson became everything that Regal couldn’t be.

Then, eleven years ago, Regal met Moxley and they went to mental and physical war for a year. He heard that they were going to fight on Sunday so it was time for him to finally get involved. What better way for the younger generation to learn than from the perfect wrestler and the perfect sadistic man who will take things to another level. That is why this team is together and just a warning: anyone who steps in the ring with them will regret it. Either step up or get stepped on. Regal got a little wordy here but he got the point across.

Hangman Page comes in to see the Dark Order, who asks him who he’ll be picking to team with them next week. Actually Page ran into the Jurassic Express, who wanted to fight the Young Bucks anyway. The Dark Order doesn’t seem pleased but they’ll catch up with him later.

Wheeler Yuta vs. Pac

Yuta knocks Pac down and we take a very early break. Back with Pac kicking away but Yuta gets up top for a high crossbody. Pac German suplexes him for two and hits the top rope superplex. The Brutalizer finishes Yuta at 5:40. Not enough shown to rate but Pac didn’t seem to break that much of a sweat.

The Young Bucks and ReDRagon continue arguing until Adam Cole cuts them off. Cole talks about the six man next week and picks ReDRagon for the tag match, which doesn’t sit well with the Bucks. Cole leaves and Brandon Cutler says he would pick the Bucks as his partners. Matt: “Shut up.” Cole: “I HEARD THAT BRANDON!”

FTR talks about how much they want to get their hands on the Bucks and ReDRagon but Tully Blanchard tells them to focus on the Tag Team Titles. That doesn’t work for Cash Wheeler, who fires Tully from the team.

It’s time for an emergency board meeting of the AHFO. Matt Hardy doesn’t like Andrade trying to kick him out of the team he founded and he just wants to make this right. Andrade says the team can take a vote, which works for Matt because Private Party will never vote him out.

Andrade votes no, Matt votes yes, Jose votes no, Private Party votes yes to start and then changes to no’s behind Matt’s back. Andrade tells him to watch his back and the beatdown is on. Sting and Darby Allin come in for the failed save but cue the debuting Jeff Hardy (to the classic Hardys theme) to make the real save for another Hardys reunion. Until Jeff gets bored and walks out again.

Tony Nese interrupts Swerve Strickland’s interview and challenges him to a match on Rampage, since they have a history on Friday nights.

Here is Wardlow for a chat. He has spent a lot of his life trying to make MJF’s life better and he hopes you can forgive him for associating with such trash. Wardlow grew up very poor and he had to watch his mother work hard to raise himself and his sisters. Therefore, he took MJF’s money to build a better life for his family and he used it as a foot in the door. He is thankful to MJF for the start but one day money isn’t enough to let MJF treat so badly.

Yes he is still under contract with MJF, but he doesn’t care. Wardlow is no longer MJF’s bodyguard and he is no longer part of the Pinnacle. He hopes that MJF will let him out of his contract and they can go their separate ways. All that matters now is that he wins the TNT Title and then the World Title. From now on, AEW is Wardlow’s World. Good speech here, as he got his point across and showed why he was on the bad side for so long in a way that people can accept.

QT Marshall talks to Keith Lee, saying that they have a shared enemy in Team Taz. Marshall and the Factory have his back. Lee says he has his own large back and leaves, with Marshall not being happy.

Tag Team Titles: Acclaimed vs. Jurassic Express

The Express is defending and Caster’s rap is about how much of a loser Jungle Boy is. Jungle Boy gets double teamed to but hands it off to Luchasaurus to clean house. Jungle Boy gets knocked outside for a cheap shot though and we take a break. Back with Luchasaurus sending the Acclaimed to the floor so Jungle Boy can hit a big dive.

A springboard is broken up and the Mic Drop gets two on Jungle Boy. There’s a combination powerbomb for two on Jungle Boy so Luchasaurus takes Caster outside. Jungle Boy small packages Bowens for two and Luchasaurus adds a headbutt. A Doomsday Device drops Bowens and the Tail Whip retains the titles at 9:26.

Rating: B-. Solid match here as the Express continues to get better every single week. Having them go over one team after another is going to make them feel that much bigger and that is a great thing to see. Good stuff here, as the Acclaimed is getting better in the ring to back up the cool entrance.

Jade Cargill wants to know who is going to step up to be her 30th victim.

Leyla Hirsch vs. Thunder Rosa

The winner gets a Women’s Title shot next week. They go to the mat to start with neither getting very far so they try it again. Rosa hits a dropkick and a running forearm in the corner but Hirsch knocks her back down and we take a break. Back with Rosa hitting a northern lights suplex for two but Hirsch grabs a German suplex.

Rosa catches her on top though and grabs a fireman’s carry spun into a faceplant. A sliding forearm gets two and Hirsch goes outside to grab the spare turnbuckle. That’s broken up by Red Velvet so Rosa loads up the fire thunder driver, which is reversed into a cross armbreaker. Rosa gets to the ropes to escape and now the fire thunder driver can finish Hirsch at 8:51.

Rating: C+. The entire point of this was getting Rosa the pin to set up her title match next week and they accomplished that perfectly well. Hirsch is someone who makes for a good roadblock on the way to Rosa’s next big showdown with Baker and she was hardly beaten up badly here. They did what they needed to do here so call it a success.

Post match Tony Schiavone (get that man a raise) announces that Rosa’s title shot will be inside a steel cage next week.

Britt Baker laughs at the idea of Rosa getting her shot because she is going to show just why she was the real winner of the Lights Out match.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

TNT Title: Sammy Guevara vs. Scorpio Sky

Sammy is defending and some forearms to the face rock Sky to start. A dropkick sends Sky outside and it’s time to set up a table at ringside. Sammy knocks him onto said table but the 630 only hits table (which EXPLODES on impact) to put himself in a lot of trouble. Cue Tay Conti to check on Sammy and we take a break. Back with Sammy slugging away but getting knocked outside again. Conti checks on him again but has to get into Paige Van Zant’s face at ringside.

A backbreaker puts Guevara down again back inside and we hit a reverse chinlock. Guevara fights up and starts chopping away, setting up a top rope cutter for two. Sky’s TKO is broken up and it’s the GTH to knock him out to the apron. Instead of covering, Sammy loads up the shooting star press but only hits raised knees. Cue Ethan Page for a distraction so Conti goes after her, only to have Van Zant send her into the steps. The distraction lets Sky hit a heck of a TKO to win the title at 11:50.

Rating: B. Another good match here and it should set up Sky as the sacrificial lamb to Wardlow next week. It makes sense with Sammy having been banged up in so many title defenses as of late and eventually was going to get caught. The title change closing the show makes it feel a bit bigger and it is likely a step in what feels like a bigger story.

Post match Sky hits Sammy with the title and Conti gets thrown inside. Van Zant kicks Conti in the head and signs her AEW contract on the back of Conti’s jeans to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. AEW puts on another pretty strong show this week, though you could feel that a little bit of the energy was gone after Revolution. That’s completely fine as you are only going to be able to do so much after that kind of a pay per view and they have stuff set up for the future. Another good effort though, with some big talking segments and action to back it up.

Results
Hangman Page b. Dante Martin – Buckshot Lariat
Bryan Danielson/Jon Moxley b. Work Horsemen – LeBell Lock to Drake
Pac b. Wheeler Yuta – Brutalizer
Jurassic Express b. Acclaimed – Tail Whip to Bowens
Thunder Rosa b. Leyla Hirsch – Fire thunder driver
Scorpio Sky b. Sammy Guevara – TKO

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Revolution 2022
Date: March 6, 2022
Location: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone

We’re back on pay per view and that is usually a pretty good thing for AEW. This is an absolutely packed show with a twelve match (counting the Buy In) card, featuring a double main event of Hangman Page defending the World Title against Adam Cole and a dog collar match between CM Punk and MJF. Let’s get to it.

Buy-In: Leyla Hirsch vs. Kris Statlander

Grudge match. Leyla wastes no time in hammering away and taking Statlander down. They head outside, with Hirsch tying the arm up in the steps and crushing it hard for a nasty visual. Back in and Statlander gets in a shot of her own, only to get tied in the Tree of Woe. The arm is tied in the ropes again and there’s a running dropkick to said arm, knocking Statlander back to the mat.

Statlander avoids a shot though and it’s a bodyscissors to keep Hirsch down. That’s broken up and they slug it out until Statlander grabs a backbreaker for a breather. Hirsch gets sent into the corner for a running kick to the face and it’s time to head to the apron. A running hurricanrana sends Statlander crashing to the floor, though Hirsch’s back is banged up too. Back in and the cross armbreaker has Statlander in trouble until she gets a leg on the rope.

Hirsch changes plans by trying a rollup out of the corner, only to get caught in an electric chair faceplant. Something like a Michinoku Driver gives Statlander two so Hirsch rolls outside. That lets her pull out a spare turnbuckle, which goes upside Statlander’s head, because the referee isn’t very good at his job. The moonsault gives Hirsch the pin at 9:51.

Rating: C. I’m not sure why this needed to be on the card tonight as it felt more like something you put on Dynamite. Hirsch continues to impress as there is always a place for a wrestler/grappler like her. Statlander even got cheated out of the match so they can go to a rematch if they want, which is not the worst idea.

Buy-In: Hook vs. QT Marshall

Hook starts fast and throws him down, setting up something like an STF to send Marshall out to the floor. Marshall tries to get in a few shots but gets sent outside for a suplex (Taz: “POP THOSE HIPS!”) on the floor. Back in and Marshall manages to send him face first into the buckle, setting up a jumping elbow for two. Marshall goes up top but gets suplexed back down for a big crash. Another suplex sets up Redrum to finish Marshall at 5:01.

Rating: C. I believe that is Hook’s longest match to date and he continues to do his thing very well. He doesn’t have the most impressive look but there is something to be said for the idea of having someone with a unique presentation who is a killer once the bell rings. At some point he will have to move up to better competition, but for now, things are working well for him in these short bursts. Plus, who doesn’t love to see Marshall get beaten up?

Buy-In: House of Black vs. Penta Obscuro/Erick Redbeard/Pac

Matthews and Obscuro start things off and stare at each other for a long time. Penta does the CERO MIEDO and gets his fingers bent backwards. Matthews gets taken down but neither can hit a low superkick. A rollup gives Penta two and they both flip up to their feet. King and Redbeard come in to exchange a bunch of shoulders, setting up the slugout. Everything breaks down with the other four brawling on the floor, leaving Redbeard to dropkick King to the floor.

Redbeard follows to take out the rest of the House, including a running crossbody to King. Back in and Black hits a Cannonball in the corner for tow on Penta as we settle down again. Penta gets over for the tag to Pac, who fires off some kicks. Matthews catches him with a hanging DDT though and now it’s Pac being caught in the corner for the rotating beatdown. Black grabs a headscissors to keep Pac in trouble, with Matthews distraction the referee so he doesn’t see Pac make the rope.

The beating continues but Pac finally gets in a shot of his own, allowing the hot tag to Penta. That means house can really be cleaned, including a catapult sending Penta into a Canadian Destroyer to Matthews. A low superkick rocks King and we slow down a bit with Matthews mostly done. Redbeard manages a slingshot hilo to crush Matthews but Black comes in off a blind tag.

Some kicks rock Redbeard but he muscles Black up for the suplex into the corner. Pac comes back in with a springboard missile dropkick and the poisonrana to drop Black on his head. Everything breaks down and it’s Redbeard vs. King in the big forearm slugout. Redbeard kicks him in the face but gets picked up for Death Valley Driver. Redbeard and King head outside, leaving the other four to pull themselves to their feet for the slugout.

The House gets taken down, including a snap German suplex to Black and a big running flip dive to Matthews. Penta can’t hit Made In Japan on the apron as Black slips out and hits his own kick. That earns Penta kicks Black right back, setting up the Fear Factor on the apron. Back in and Matthews stomps Pac and Black kicks Pac in the face (What Fear Factor?), only to have Redbeard come back in for the staredown.

Redbeard grabs Matthews by the throat but Black kicks him in the face. That doesn’t bother Redbeard, who grabs Black by the throat for the chokeslam, only to get misted in the face. A running knee from Matthews sets up the over the shoulder piledriver to give King the pin at 17:22.

Rating: B. This felt like it belonged on a fairly big show, or as a really featured Rampage main event. Redbeard did feel like he was there to take the pin until Fenix gets back for the real showdown and that isn’t a bad idea. This feud has some legs, even if Black’s creepy/evil stuff might start getting a little tiresome. Adding in Matthews helps keep thing fresh too, and the quality of the match makes up for most of the issues from the buildup.

A video from Draft Kings tells us how to gamble on the show and we’re ready to go.

Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston

They’re starting big and Eddie goes right to it with a half and half to rock Jericho early. A neckbreaker gives Kingston two and we’re off to the early chinlock. Jericho breaks that up and takes him to the floor for a rake to the eye to take over. Back in and an enziguri staggers Eddie but he pops up to chop it out. Kingston goes with the Kenta Kobashi chops and then bites Jericho’s head in the corner.

Jericho slips out and hits some corner clotheslines, setting up the top rope hurricanrana for two. With that not working, Jericho unhooks a turnbuckle pad but doesn’t seem to like his decision. They fight to the apron with Jericho suplexing him down to the floor in a big crash. Back in and Jericho hits a German suplex and gives us a big evil grin. The Lionsault (with Eddie having to slide over) sets up a Lionsault without too much spring to Kingston’s face for two. Kingston gets in a desperation lariat but Jericho pulls him into the Walls.

The rope is eventually reached and it’s Kingston coming back with a Saito suplex. The spinning backfist gives Kingston two and he can’t believe the kickout. Kingston’s northern lights bomb is countered into a Codebreaker for two and now Jericho cant believe it. Kingston gets up and gets caught with another suplex, only to pop up. Jericho cuts him off with another Codebreaker but the Judas Effect misses. A pair of spinning backfists drop Jericho and the Stretch Plum makes Jericho tap at 12:19.

Rating: B. This is a good example of how to put someone over and it was long overdue. Kingston has been knocking at the door of success for a long time now and Jericho is the kind of person to put him over. They beat each other up well and Kingston got the win that he has been needing for a very long time now. Hard hitting opener with the feel good ending.

Eddie looking shocked that he won and even checking with the referee is a great touch. Jericho won’t shake hands, even after he promised to do so.

Here’s the card you already paid to see.

Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks vs. ReDRagon vs. Jurassic Express

The Express is defending and this is one fall to a finish. Jungle Boy gets taken into the Bucks’ corner to start as Bobby Fish will not stop running his mouth. A double slam of some kind is escaped and it’s Luchasaurus coming in to chop away at Matt Jackson. ReDRagon gets chopped down too but all four challengers bail before Luchasaurus can dive. They don’t get away from Jungle Boy’s dive though and the champs are in control early.

Back in and some double teaming puts Luchasaurus down on the floor, meaning the big group beatdown is on. Back in and a running neckbreaker onto a knee puts Jungle Boy down for two, with Fish making a save to annoy Matt. ReDRagon’s double belly to back suplex is escaped and Nick tags himself in. Jungle Boy gets sent outside but blocks Nick’s apron kick, leaving ReDRagon and the Bucks to argue some more.

That’s enough to allow the hot tag to Luchasaurus so house can be cleaned, including some kicks to the Bucks. A moonsault off the apron takes out ReDRagon but the Bucks are back up to kick Luchasaurus down. Luchasaurus is fine enough to plant Matt for two, leaving Matt holding his back. Matt winds up on Luchasaurus’ shoulders, allowing Jungle Boy to run the corner and hit a top rope clothesline for two.

Luchasaurus gets kicked down but O’Reilly is back in to kick away at Matt. Jungle Boy goes to the apron to kick Matt in the back but ReDRagon grabs a DDT, which is kicked into a wheelbarrow suplex for two. O’Reilly hits the top rope knee to Jungle Boy’s leg and the kneebar goes on. That’s broken up as well and Luchasaurus chokeslams Nick off the top. O’Reilly comes in with a front chancery to Luchasaurus but Jungle Boy comes off the top with a shooting star to the two of them for the break.

ReDRagon goes high/low on Jungle Boy for two but it’s Matt coming back in to go after Jungle Boy this time. O’Reilly has to make a save of his own and Matt is annoyed, only to miss More Bang For Your Buck. A hurricanrana into a German suplex takes the Bucks down and it’s Luchasaurus hitting his big dive to the floor. Back in and the Throwassic Express finishes Matt to retain the titles at 18:36.

Rating: B+. This was the wild spotfest that it needed to be, as you know what you are getting with the Bucks in a three way match. The Express needed to win here to give them a fall over the Bucks to establish themselves as more of a dominant team, but it won’t matter if the focus shifts to the Bucks’ issues with ReDRagon. Hopefully that isn’t the case, but there is a bit of a precedent of things going in that direction.

Video on the Face of the Revolution ladder match.

Keith Lee vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Wardlow vs. Ricky Starks vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Christian Cage

Ladder match for a future TNT Title shot. The three monsters clear the ring to start so Cassidy comes back in for the lazy kicks. Cassidy tries to climb up the people to get to the brass ring, only to be sent outside. The others come back in and it’s Starks getting up and climbing the ladder. Cassidy breaks that up and tries the very slow climb, allowing Christian to make the save.

With Cassidy sent outside, Christian puts a ladder in the corner but Lee does his rise up spot and crossbodies Christian and Starks at the same time. Cassidy’s attempt at a hurricanrana is blocked so Lee can swing him into the others. Lee goes for the ladder but Wardlow is here for the staredown. That lets Hobbs run the two of them over with the ladder but here is Starks for the Team Taz double run up the ladder. Cassidy makes the save this time and puts the ladder around his head for the helicopter.

Hobbs and Lee grab the ladder though (giving us a great “uh oh” face from Cassidy) and Cassidy is in trouble. They lift it into the air….so Cassidy skins the cat to land on the raised ladder and stands up to get a hand on the ring, only to get crotched back down (that was one of the most creative ladder match spots I’ve seen in a long time). The ladder is laid in the corner and Hobbs superplexes Cassidy back down for the huge crash.

Christian is back in now but Starks pulls the ladder away and dives through it with a spar to cut Christian down. Wardlow and Hobbs go up the ladder, with Starks and Cassidy climbing on Wardlow’s back…but not being able to stop them. Everyone winds up on the pair of ladders until Christian and Cassidy crash down. Starks and Lee go down too so it’s Hobbs and Wardlow fighting on top until the both fall too, leaving everyone down. The three monsters are back up and Lee Uncle Phil Biels Cassidy to the floor in a nasty crash. Everyone else winds up on the floor too so Wardlow and Hobbs go after a ladder on the stage.

They actually rip it in two with Hobbs knocking him down, as JR suggests they GO BACK TO THE RING. Lee and Hobbs wind up by the announcers’ desk, with Wardlow coming in to shove them both off the stage and through a table. Back in and Starks takes Christian down but it’s Danhausen to curse Starks, allowing Christian to make the save. Christian goes up but Starks makes another save, leaving Wardlow to powerbomb Christian hard. Wardlow powerbombs Starks off the ladder onto a bridged ladder and pulls down the ring for the win at 17:08.

Rating: B. It’s another spot fest with one big crash after another. Sometimes you need a car crash match like this one and the hosses getting to throw people around was a change of pace. Wardlow winning makes sense and we should be in for a good match when he faces (likely) Sammy Guevara. That Cassidy spot was a great bonus and I had another good time here.

Tony Schiavone brings out Shane Strickland to officially sign his AEW contract. Swerve is happy to be here and could tell us about the titles he is going to win, but first he needs to ask: who’s house? The fans say Swerve’s house and he loves them too. This was expected and is still an awesome sight.

TBS Title: Jade Cargill vs. Tay Conti

Cargill, with Mark Sterling, is defending and gets played to the ring. Conti tries to take it the mat to start but Cargill powers her way out. That means it’s time to mock Conti’s martial arts again so Conti sends her into the corner for some running shots to the face. A swinging DDT connects but Cargill’s feet are under the rope. Cargill heads outside so Conti goes up for a big flip dive, which takes Sterling out.

That lets Cargill kick Conti in the face to take over but Conti kicks her down back inside. Jaded and the DDTay are broken up so Cargill grabs a rollup, only to be kicked off into a chair as held up by an appearing Anna Jay. A DDT gives Conti two but Cargill is back with the Eye of the Storm for two of her own. Jade hits a frog splash of all things for two more so Conti comes back with a piledriver for the save. Cargill kicks her off and Conti might hit a camera in the corner. That’s enough to set up Jaded to retain the title at 6:50.

Rating: C+. Cargill continues to wrestle beyond her experience and Conti was a good challenger here. There might not have been the most drama as Conti felt like the challenger of the week, but she got in some good stuff of her own here. Cargill is going to need a big challenger coming up, but Conti did rather well for a spot like this.

Video on CM Punk vs. MJF. They started off with a war of words but MJF keeps getting the better of him, meaning it is time to get bloody and violent in a dog collar match.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. CM Punk

MJF wears a robe to the ring but Punk comes out to Misaria Cantare, his old Ring of Honor theme. They pull each other closer by the chain with Punk missing a big swing. Punk chokes in the ropes before raining down rights and lefts. A big chain shot is broken up and MJF gets two off a Cheeky Nandos kick. Punk is back up with a running knee in the corner but the bulldog is countered with a pull of the chain. Punk’s back already has chain marks across it and there’s a chain shot to the head.

That leaves Punk VERY busted open so MJF asks for a censored mic. He tells Punk to quit on the people like Punk quick on him but Punk tell him what he can eat. Punk uses the chain to pull MJF off the middle rope and there’s a Russian legsweep with the chain. MJF is back up with a sleeper using the chain but Punk slips out, only to get caught in the Salt of the Earth. That’s broken up as well and Punk grabs the Anaconda Vice, which is escaped as well.

MJF sends him to the apron but the Heatseeker is countered to leave them both down again. A chained knee shot to MJF’s face busts him open too and it’s time to wrap the chain around said bleeding face. They head outside with Punk pounding away against the barricade. A crash into the steps bangs up Punk’s leg though and they’re both down. Back in and Punk loads up the GTS but the leg gives out to give MJF a breather.

MJF hits the knee with a chained fist and they go to the apron, where Punk hits a Tombstone piledriver to knock MJF silly. Punk’s knee is further banged up though and they’re both down again. MJF gets in another shot of his own and it’s time to bring in the thumbtacks. The running knee in the corner hits Punk this time but he bites the hand to get out of the bulldog.

Punk’s suplex onto the tacks is blocked and the Pepsi Plunge is as well so MJF superplexes him near the tacks (fair enough as they’re on the other side of the ring) for two. MJF has come unhooked from the chain so he calls Wardlow in as the chain is linked up again. Wardlow comes down but can’t find the ring, allowing Punk to hit the GTS, with MJF falling into the tacks. Punk looks at Wardlow, who puts the ring (which was in the other pocket) down on the apron and walks off. Punk pulls MJF up so MJF spits at him, earning a ring shot to the face for the pin at 26:22.

Rating: A-. In the words of Stu Nahan from Rocky, “they look like they’ve been in a war, these two.” That’s the feeling I got from Punk as he was sitting there after the win and that is how it was supposed to feel. I don’t know if they are going to have another match out of this as it felt like a blowoff, but one more time could be rather great. Above all else, this felt like two people out to hut each other and Punk survived in the end, which is all you could ask for. Awesome match and almost as great as it was hyped up as being.

Punk motions he wants the title.

We recap Thunder Rosa vs. Britt Baker for the Women’s Title. Baker says she is the women’s division and Rosa says she wants to be champion.

Women’s Title: Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa

Baker, with Jamie Hayter and Rebel, is defending. They fight over a lockup to start and go to the mat before fighting into the corner. Baker grabs a hammerlock but Rosa fights up, only to be driven up against the ropes. A neckbreaker drops Rosa and Jamie/Rebel mock her from the floor.

Rosa fights up again but Baker hammers her down into a rather appropriate hammerlock. Back up and Rosa hits a running kick into a northern lights suplex for two as the fans are trying to get into this. Rosa fights up with some elbows in the corner but gets butterfly suplexed for two. A superplex drops Baker again but Rosa holds on and lifts her up into a fireman’s carry swung into a faceplant.

The sliding lariat gets two on Baker but she’s back with a knockdown of her own. Lockjaw doesn’t work though and Baker goes to the corner, where a super Air Raid Crash gets two more. Rosa is back up with a Tombstone but Rebel has the referee to prevent a count. That means a choke to make Baker tap, but Rebel has the referee again. This time Rosa spears Rebel through the ropes, allowing Baker to hit the Stomp on the way back in for the pin to retain at 17:19.

Rating: C+. These two were in a terrible spot as there was no way to follow that dog collar match. It also doesn’t help that this was a pretty straight match as the followup to their all time brawl last year. It’s a weirdly built feud and this felt like a big time TV match instead of some major pay per view war. Not bad, but the fans weren’t into it and the ending was flat.

We recap Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson. Moxley is back after rehab and Danielson wants the two of them to join forces and raise up the next generation. That’s a possibility, but Moxley can’t stand next to someone until he bleeds with them.

Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson

Danielson wrestles him down to start so Moxley gets up for a breather. Then it’s Moxley driving him to the ropes so Danielson goes to the apron for a breather of his own. Moxley wins a slugout and drops Danielson with an elbow before firing off some YES Kicks. Danielson reverses one of them into a dragon screw legwhip though and now it’s time for the REAL YES Kicks.

More kicks have Moxley bailing to the floor before he comes back in and gets kicked in the corner. A shot to the ribs slows Moxley down and the running kick in the corner makes it worse. Danielson: “HOW’S THAT MOX?” We hit the guillotine but Moxley gets out and sends him outside for the suicide dive. Danielson is ready though and goes back inside, leaving Moxley to stick the landing.

That means Danielson can try a dive but Moxley blocks that too, setting up the slugout on the floor. The exchange of elbows busts Moxley open hard and Danielson starts striking away at the body. Moxley fights up and gets in a shot of his own though to put them both down. Danielson takes him to the corner and rakes the back, setting up a big superplex for two. Moxley is back up with a sleeper but Danielson backflips into a dragon sleeper, which is reversed into some elbows to the head.

A cross armbreaker has Danielson in trouble but he reverses into an armbar of his own, sending Moxley to the ropes. Danielson’s stomps are loaded up but Moxley ties up the legs so they can kick each other in the face. Moxley gets the better of it and puts on the bulldog choke, only to have Danielson roll out for a change.

The running knee gives Danielson two so he stomps on Moxley’s head. Now it’s a triangle choke to Moxley, complete with elbows to the head. Moxley gets creative by grabbing the beard but Danielson punches him in the face over and over. Somehow Moxley manages to flip over into a cradle though and Danielson is pinned at 21:02.

Rating: B. This was another bloody, violent fight with those shots to Moxley’s eyes being a nearly scary visual. What mattered here was letting both guys beat on each other until Moxley stole the win, as this was almost all about Danielson. Heck of a fight, but it was the secondary bloody war of the night.

Post match the fight stays on so referees come out. William Regal of all people debuts and gets in between them, but Moxley goes after Danielson again. Regal headbutts Moxley and slaps Danielson, which is enough to get them to shake hands. Well yeah that certainly worked.

Here’s what’s coming on Dynamite.

Darby Allin/Sting/Sammy Guevara vs. Andrade El Idolo/Isiah Kassidy/Matt Hardy

Texas Tornado match in Florida. Allin gets in another mini movie, showing the AHFO’s funeral and asking if he is crazy. It’s a brawl to start with Sting and Allin putting Andrade’s manager Jose in a trashcan so Allin can take him out with a suicide dive. Andrade makes the save though and hits a running suplex drop to send Sammy ribs first onto the barricade.

House is cleaned and Andrade rolls Allin up before tossing him into the corner in a kind of one armed buckle bomb. Sting and Hardy fight on the floor and Andrade misses a charge into the barricade. Cue Marq Quen to uneven the odds, setting up Silly String to plant Sammy on the floor. The fight heads into the crowd with Sting sending Hardy into the barricade. Butcher and Blade run in to jump Sting as Sammy fights Private Party on the stage.

Sammy goes onto a piece of the set with Kassidy, setting up a super Spanish Fly onto a pair of tables (with only one breaking). Butcher and Blade set up a bunch of tables but Sting fights up and hammers on the two of them. Sting takes Andrade back to the tables and hits a splash off the balcony to drive Andrade through all four of them in the HE’S 62 YEARS OLD spot of the match. Back in and Matt beats on Allin with a chair, only to have Sting make the save with a Scorpion Death Drop. Allin goes up and misses the Coffin Drop but gets the pin anyway at 13:12.

Rating: C+. I’m not big on the wild brawls and that was the case again here. Sting can still do all of those big dives, though I cringe a bit more every time he does one. Throw in Sammy and Kassidy’s scary landing on the stage and this felt like hoping no one was injured rather than an entertaining match, which is not a good sign. The action was fun and it was a crazy fight, but I could have done without it.

We recap Hangman Page vs. Adam Cole for the World Title. Page is champion, Cole wants to be World Champion. They came up in wrestling together and now Cole wants to be where Page is.

AEW World Title: Hangman Page vs. Adam Cole

Cole is challenging and comes out in Halo themed gear, though JR one ups him by not recognizing the AEW World Title (JR: “Is that a new title belt?”). Fans: “LET’S GO ADAM/ADAM SUCKS!” Ok that’s a great one. Page chops him up against the ropes as the fans want Adam to f*** him up. More chops in the corner set up a short arm lariat to put Cole down and Page adds a running boot to the head from the floor.

Cole manages to send him into the steps a few times though and it’s time to start on Page’s arm. Back in and we hit the arm crank before Cole starts talking about how Page will never be him. Page slaps him in the face and blocks a Panama Sunrise to put them both down. Cole gets sent to the apron so Page clotheslines him down, only to hurt the arm again. An apron powerbomb sets up a moonsault to the floor but the Buckshot doesn’t work for Page.

Instead Cole hits a Liger Bomb (with JR testing Excalibur about the difference between a powerbomb and a Liger Bomb and sounding defeated when Excalibur got it right) and goes up, only to get shoved back. Cole superkicks him out of the air but Page is back with the Deadeye for two. Fans: “THIS IS ADAM!” That’s somehow even better than the first. Back up and they trade shots to the face until Cole pulls him into a crossface. Page is right there for the rope so Cole slams him arm first onto the apron.

Back in and a Tombstone gets two (and JR is NOT happy with the kickout) but Page is back up with some shots to the face. Cole reverses a suplex into the brainbuster onto the knee for two and is frustrated at the kickout. Fans: “FIGHT FOR ADAM!” The go up top again with Page hitting a backflip World’s Strongest Slam for two more but here is ReDRagon to break up the Buckshot. Cole superkicks Page to the floor and it’s a Panama Sunrise on the floor, drawing what sounded like a HOLY ADAM chant.

Back in and Cole can’t believe another kickout so ReDRagon offers a distraction, allowing Cole to kick Page low. Another Panama Sunrise sets up the Boom for two but Page is back up again. The Buckshot is countered with a superkick but Page drops down to avoid another Boom. ReDRagon puts a table at ringside, only to have Page hit the Deadeye off the apron to put Cole through it instead.

Cue the Dark Order to check on Page and brawl off with ReDRagon, leaving Page to hit the Buckshot for two, as Cole gets his hand on the ropes. With nothing else working, Page uses his belt to tie Cole to the rope and fires off some superkicks (with Cole losing a tooth). Cole gets loose but Page knocks him down again, setting up his own Boom. Another Buckshot retains the title at 25:41.

Rating: B-. This was a pay per view main event, but it was a pay per view main event at the end of a VERY long show. The crowd chants were great and it certainly wasn’t bad, but this wasn’t exactly going out on a high note. Page does get a good win though and moves on to something bigger, though I wasn’t jazzed with this match coming in and they didn’t do anything to make it better here.

Page shows respect and celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Another excellent AEW show, but the crowd was starting to get worn down in the middle. I can absolutely sympathize with them on that as counting the Buy-In, this was about five hours with very few chances to breathe in the middle. AEW really could use a lesson in less is more, as there was a lot that could have been cut, or at least trimmed, on here to get done at least half an hour earlier.

Now that being said, this was another great AEW pay per view, with no bad matches, an instant classic in the dog collar match and an awesome moment with Regal debuting. AEW knows how to put together the action on these big shows, but they do need to learn how to present them a bit better. Fix some of those problems and this is a masterpiece, but for now I’ll settle for just a classic.

Results
Leyla Hirsch b. Kris Statlander – Moonsault
Hook b. QT Marshall – Redrum
House Of Black b. Erick Redbeard/Penta Obscuro/Pac – Over the shoulder piledriver to Redbeard
Eddie Kingston b. Chris Jericho – Stretch Plum
Jurassic Express b. Young Bucks and ReDRagon – Throwassic Express to Matt Jackson
Wardlow won the Face of the Revolution ladder match
Jade Cargill b. Tay Conti – Jaded
CM Punk b. Maxwell Jacob Friedman – Punch with the Dynamite Diamond Ring
Britt Baker b. Thunder Rosa – Curb stomp
Jon Moxley b Bryan Danielson – Rollup
Sting/Darby Allin/Sammy Guevara b. Matt Hardy/Isiah Kassidy/Andrade El Idolo – Coffin Drop to Hardy
Hangman Page b. Adam Cole – Buckshot Lariat

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It’s back to the pay per view schedule for AEW and that is a great thing to hear. AEW has a pretty awesome track record for pay per views and there is a good chance that it will do the same here. This time is a bit different though as there is a staggering twelve match card with three matches taking place on the Buy In. The positive thing is that the matches look good, but dang that is a lot. Let’s get to it.

Buy-In: QT Marshall vs. Hook

We’ll start off with one of the fun ones here as Hook has taken AEW by storm in his still short career. What seemed to start off as little more than a big joke has turned into a pretty great run from Hook, who has smashed a variety of people without overstaying his welcome once. I believe this will be his first live match though and that could make for a new challenge.

I mean, I say challenge as seriously as it can be meant as it’s Marshall across the ring from him, meaning Hook wins this in a walk. There is no reason to expect this match to go longer than about four minutes, with Hook grabbing Redrum for the win. Marshall should be good for helping Hook get to an ok match, but that’s about the extent of his usefulness in this spot.

Buy-In: Leyla Hirsch vs. Kris Statlander

This one is already more interesting as you have two such different styles. Statlander has taken the gloves off to insult her former friend while Hirsch continues to look ready to maul various humans at any given time. That should make for a showdown, though I’m not entirely sure how well these two are going to work together. Statlander can do well, but there are also times where she doesn’t quite click.

I’ll take Hirsch here, as she is rather perfect in her role as the tiny killing machine who could pull Statlander into a variety of knots. Statlander has promised a new version of herself, but that does not necessarily mean she is going to win. Neither would seem likely for a future title shot, but a Hirsch push sounds like the better option of the two. Either way I would expect at least one rematch, but Hirsch takes the first one.

Buy-In: House of Black vs. Pac/Penta Obscuro/Erick Redbeard

I’m not sure why this match is on the Buy-in, as it feels like it could headline either a Dynamite or Rampage and get more attention. Redbeard is substituting for the injured Rey Fenix, so while I can understand wanting to keep the feud warm until Fenix is back, it would seem that there are some better options than going this way. Still though, it should be a heck of a fight.

There is no reason for the newly expanded House of Black to lose here so we’ll say they make up for their loss in the recent tag match. If nothing else, Redbeard can be there to take a fall while keeping Pac and Obscuro strong on the way to Fenix’s return. This should be a wild brawl if they stick to what works best for them, but hopefully it gets the time that it needs and deserves.

TBS Title: Jade Cargill(c) vs. Tay Conti

The Cargill express continues as she mows down one challenger after another. That is going to make for a special moment when someone finally dethrones her and the question becomes who gets be the giant slayer. Conti is certainly a popular star and needs to win something big at some point, but I’m not sure if this is the spot where she finally breaks through.

I’ll take Cargill to retain here, as that is the more logical result. While I could see Conti being the one, Cargill seems more destined to eventually win the Women’s Title. I don’t know if she drops this title first, but she needs to be kept strong on the way there. At this point that means defeating Conti, who continues to be able to stay crazy popular despite rarely wining anything important.

Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match

Well of course it’s a ladder match and this time the winner gets a shot at the TNT Title. The appeal here is the amount of hosses involved in the thing, which should serve for some interesting options. For once I don’t think there are any names who can be immediately eliminated, which makes this all the more interesting. It’s the sign of a well put together match and AEW has set this up well.

I think I’ll take…Christian Cage to win here actually, as he really needs something to do. Keith Lee is a viable option as well as he came in with such fanfare, but he hasn’t exactly done much since his big debut toss of Isiah Kassidy. Neither of the Team Taz members make the most sense and Wardlow already has a story with MJF. Orange Cassidy….please no, so that leaves Cage in a prediction that is likely to go wrong.

AHFO vs. Sting/Darby Allin/Sammy Guevara

There is something very telling about this match. Earlier tonight I watched Andrade El Idolo, Sammy Guevara and Darby Allin tear the house down in an amazing triple threat that served as the main final push towards this match. That was great, but the idea of Matt Hardy being involved drags the rest of it down. His recent Jeff Hardy teases make it even worse and I’m not exactly interested in seeing the match.

The good thing is that it shouldn’t be a hard pick as I’ll take Sting and company for the win. You don’t have someone like Kassidy involved here to have his team win, so I’ll go with Allin pinning Kassidy so Sting can celebrate his first match in Orlando in however many years it is since he left Impact. This is another match that feels like it could be on Dynamite though and that isn’t a good sign for the show.

Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson

This was all but set for Full Gear last year when Moxley had to step away for rehab. That was far more important, but I still want to see what these two can do. Moxley may be a brawler most of the time, but he knows how to make a match feel big. They have done that here, as there is almost a will they or won’t they vibe to the whole thing. The question is can Danielson get Moxley to join up with him, and we probably find that out here.

I think they do get to that point eventually, so we’ll go with Danielson winning here, likely through cheating. I’m not sure if they are going to be able to come up with a way to get the fans to boo Moxley, but it might work out if he gets to cut the right kind of promo. As much as I don’t want some new heel power alliance, it might be the best thing for everyone with Danielson having already run through his World Title shots and Moxley needing something to do.

Women’s Title: Britt Baker(c) vs. Thunder Rosa

We’ve been waiting for this one for about a year now, as these two went to war against each other back at St. Patrick’s Slam. Rosa won there, which should mean that she is able to do it again and get the title that she never picked up before. This is the match that has been set up for so long now that it has kind of hurt Baker’s reign, as you knew the rematch with Rosa was hanging over everything.

Despite an instinct to say otherwise, I’ll go with Rosa winning the title here. It’s kind of interesting that the match feels like it is coming in cold despite the history, as Rosa hasn’t done much lately. Other than pinning Baker this week on Dynamite, I can’t think of any major win that she has had in recent weeks. Then again I’ve never quite gotten how the rankings work, but Rosa’s 4-0 is better than Hirsch’s and Deeb’s because…well because she’s Rosa and is winning the title here.

Tag Team Titles: Jurassic Express(c) vs. Young Bucks vs. ReDRagon

I’m not sure what to think of this one but the Bucks getting another title shot is one of those things that shouldn’t be a big surprise. At the same time, it doesn’t feel like it is soon enough to put the titles back on them, making them more of a possible spoiler or road block than anything else. That leaves you with two potential winners, either of whom could leave with the titles.

I think I’m going to go with Jurassic Express retaining here, as they just haven’t held the titles for very long yet. If they lost here, they would have the shortest reign in the history of the titles to date and that is not something you want to see. ReDRagon will probably get the championships one day, but for now I think Jurassic Express retains. They can even do so with the Bucks costing ReDRagon the fall to continue the Bucks’ emotional issues that are oh so interesting.

Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston

Here we have another grudge match for Jericho, who thankfully has turned heel after so many weeks of seemingly being ready to make the jump. That should make for an interesting showdown, as Kingston can bring it on the mic and does well enough in the ring to back it up. At some point he has to win something though, and that seems to be the point we are reaching now.

I’ll go out on a limb here and say they give Kingston the win here, as it is LONG overdue to give him a big victory, which has even been the story of the feud. At the end of the day, Jericho does not need to win another match in his career and will not lose a step, so have him put Kingston over and give him his big win merit badge. It needs to happen and this is as good of a time as any.

World Title: Hangman Page(c) vs. Adam Cole

I know the tradition is that the World Title headlines the show, but come on in this case. There are only so many ways you can present Page vs. Cole as the biggest match on the card and it seems to be the case. This just does not feel like a main event match, as Cole has felt like just the next challenger instead of some big moment. Maybe it was having him lose to Orange Cassidy and then moving into the title feud?

Page retains here and I don’t think there is all that much drama. There is almost no reason to believe that Cole is taking the title here as Page gets to retain the title on pay per view. The match is probably going to be a good one, assuming they don’t go all the way with one of Cole’s ridiculous long matches. I really hope this doesn’t headline, because there is something that is just flat out better.

CM Punk vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Like this could have been anything else. This has been one of the best feuds AEW has presented yet (if not its best in history) and I want to see these two get so violence that they cannot go much further. Some of the angles that have taken place have been nothing short of amazing and now they need to stick the landing (or at least this part of the landing) to set up the big blowoff match. That means this needs to have a winner and I’m not sure where to go.

I’ll flip a coin here and go with Punk, as his win sets up the big blowoff, unless they have some other way for MJF to cheat and steal another win. What matters here is the violence and blood that need to come with a dog collar match and we should be in for a great one. Every important step in this feud has been pure gold and if they can find that again on the big stage, we are in for a treat.

Overall Thoughts

There is a lot of potential on this card, but it might be a hair too long. AEW has a tendency to try and cram in too much and that might be the case again here. That being said, the top part of this show is looking pretty awesome and there are several matches that could be nothing short of great. The dog collar match seems to be the big feature attraction, and if that works out, this show is going to be the latest on AEW’s incredible list.

Rampage
Date: March 4, 2022
Location: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Chris Jericho, Ricky Starks, Taz

It’s a rare live edition this week as it is also the go home show for this weekend’s Revolution pay per view. That could make things a bit more interesting, as we also have a title match. Sammy Guevara will be defending the TNT Title against Darby Allin and Andrade El Idolo, which should be a good one. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

TNT Title: Andrade El Idolo vs. Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara

Guevara is defending. Andrade bails out to the floor to start before being chased back inside. Allin hits a high angle springboard armdrag to take Andrade down but Sammy takes Allin down as well. Sammy loads up a superplex but Andrade turns it into a Tower of Doom, albeit after walking forward while holding both of them up at once (geez).

We take a break and come back with Andrade suplexing Sammy into the corner and a moonsault press connects to give Andrade two. Allin gets back up and helps double team Andrade, meaning it’s a superkick to send Andrade into the corner. Sammy charges at Allin but gets sent into the corner, leaving Andrade to knee Allin in the back.

Andrade gets crotched on top and Allin whips him with a belt, setting up Sammy’s Coast to Coast (over Allin in the process) to nail Andrade hard. Allin and Sammy trade rollups for two each until Andrade comes back in to kick Andrade in the face. A lifting powerbomb gets two on Guevara with Allin diving in to make a save. Guevara gives Andrade the GTH but Allin sends Guevara to the floor. The Coffin Drop connects but Sammy Swantons in for the save and pins Andrade to retain at 12:05.

Rating: B+. Aside from Allin looking a bit dumb by not going for the cover off the GTH, this was an outstanding match with three guys going nuts throughout and hitting one big spot after another. Guevara continues to remind me of the good parts of Jeff Hardy and that is some rather high praise. Allin has long since proven what he can do, and Andrade is always so much more interesting when Matt Hardy is nowhere to be seen. Awesome match here, as they packed in some amazing stuff.

Pac and Penta Obscura are in the ring with Alex Abrahantes as the Dark Priest. They want to face the House of Black on Sunday for revenge, so here is the House of Black to pop up on screen and say they are ready to fight. The House of Black pops up on the apron and seems ready, but Abrahantes says that they may be down one Lucha Bro, but they have someone else. Cue Erick Redbeard (Rowan) and the big brawl is on, with security failing to make the save. Penta breaks a security guard’s arm to prove his point. The match is official for Revolution.

Dan Lambert has gotten Scorpio Sky a TNT Title shot next week on Dynamite in exchange for bringing Paige VanZant to Revolution to sign her AEW contract.

Keith Lee vs. JD Drake

They trade chops to start with Drake getting knocked into the corner. Drake jumps over him out of the corner so Lee blasts him with the Pounce as we take a break. Back with Drake hitting a Cannonball and adding a moonsault for one. Lee runs him over again and muscles him up into the Big Bang Catastrophe for the pin at 6:48.

Rating: C+. The match didn’t get much time, but there is something to be said about watching people of this size throw each other around. Lee getting to show off that power of his is something else and it was a heck of a spectacle. It wasn’t exactly great, but dang it’s fun to watch Lee do scary impressive things.

Post match the rest of the Wingmen come in but get beaten down by Lee in short order. Team Taz comes to the ramp to stare at Lee, with Orange Cassidy showing up to stare at everyone.

After the attack on Dynamite, a bloody CM Punk applauds MJF, saying that this kind of blood makes certain people feel alive. MJF is going to learn that Punk is the master and Punk knows who the **** he is. Punk knows that MJF isn’t ready and he’s going to beat MJF until his mother doesn’t recognize him. On March 6, he is becoming a monster to fight the monsters of the world. He is CM Punk (wink) and he is better than you. This match should rock.

Jade Cargill is ready for Revolution, with Mark Sterling saying there could be no contact between Tay Conti and Cargill until 48 hours before the match. Anna Jay pops up for a distraction and Conti jumps Cargill from behind. Sterling brought that on himself.

Serena Deeb vs. Leila Grey

Grey bails to the floor to start but gets caught with a neckbreaker over the ropes. The front chancery finishes Grey at 55 seconds.

Post match the Serenity Lock goes on but Hikaru Shida returns to club Deeb with a kendo stick for the save.

Eddie Kingston has a promo (because Chris Jericho has to use insider terms, but Eddie says kayfabe may be dead but we don’t have to desecrate its grave) for Chris Jericho, who he’s ready to fight. As for now, they have that Reese’s peanut butter pie at catering so he and Tony Schiavone have somewhere to go.

Ethan Page is ready for the main event, with Christian Cage promising to make Scorpio Sky a transitional champion next week.

Face of the Revolution Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Christian Cage vs. Ethan Page

They start fast with an exchange of shots in the corner until Christian tosses him over the top. The dropkick through the ropes connects with Page and we take a break. Back with Christian throwing him back inside and raining down the right hands in the corner. Page gets in an elbow to the face but Christian’s reverse DDT gets two.

A cutter gives Page two but Christian snaps the back of his neck across the top rope. The top rope headbutt gives Christian two more, only to miss a charge into the corner. Ego’s Edge is countered and Christian hits the spear for two. Back up and Christian is sent shoulder first into the post but he’s still able to counter Ego’s Edge. The Killswitch is good for the pin on Page at 8:55.

Rating: C. There wasn’t much to this one as Page didn’t get in a ton of offense before losing in the end. Cage moving on to the ladder match makes sense for the sake of his history in such matches, but it isn’t like he has done much of anything on his own in the last few months. This felt like “we need someone else so here’s Christian”, which may be efficient but isn’t that exciting.

Post match the Jurassic Express come out to celebrate with Christian but here are ReDRagon and the Young Bucks to steal a title each. Luchasaurus takes them back and Jungle Boy adds a running flip dive to take the four of them out to end the show (with Jericho getting in one last threat to Eddie Kingston).

Overall Rating: B. That opener alone was going to carry the show and sometimes that is all you need. The rest of the show was good enough, though Shida and Redbeard returning were both nice moments. I’m looking forward to Revolution and this was the big push to get us over the edge to the show. Throw in the rather fired up Punk promo and this was a pretty great last hour before the pay per view. I can’t get over that opener though, which was so good that it deserves an extra egads.

Results
Sammy Guevara b. Darby Allin and Andrade El Idolo – Swanton to Andrade
Keith Lee b. JD Drake – Big Bang Catastrophe
Serena Deeb b. Leila Grey – Front chancery
Christian Cage b. Ethan Page – Killswitch

AEW, 2022, Rampage, Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin, Andrade El Idolo, Keith Lee, JD Drake, Orange Cassidy, Team Taz, CM Punk, Serena Deeb. Leila Grey, House of Black, Penta Obscura, Alex Abrahantes, Pac, Christian Cage, Ethan Page, Jurassic Express, Eddie Kingston, ReDRagon, Young Bucks, Jade Cargill, Scorpio Sky, Dan Lambert, Jade Cargill, Anna Jay, Tay Conti,

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

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Dynamite
Date: February 23, 2022
Location: Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

We are two and a half weeks away from Revolution and that means it is time to start hammering down the card. That could go in a few different ways, which makes this show all the more interesting. One of the spots in the Tag Team Title match will be determined tonight in a tag team battle royal, as opposed to next week when one of the spots in the Tag Team Title match will be determined by a tag team battle royal. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Battle Royal

Dark Order, Young Bucks, Butcher and the Blade, Best Friends, Private Party, Gunn Club, Santana/Ortiz, FTR, 2.0, ReDDragon

There are ten teams in all and both members have to be eliminated. It’s a huge brawl to start, with no entrances of course, and people fighting in and out of the ring. Blade knocks Alex Reynolds of the Dark Order out but spends too much time posing, allowing John Silver to toss him out. Santana and Ortiz get rid of the Gunn Club without much trouble and the Butcher double clotheslines the Bucks.

The Best Friends low bridge Butcher out but ReDDragon gets rid of Chuck Taylor. Private Party is put out back to back, with Matt Hardy slowly walking out on them. Santana dumps 2.0 but the Bucks toss Ortiz and double superkick Santana out of the air. FTR and the Bucks have a showdown which is broken up in a hurry. Everyone brawls near the ropes until FTR tosses Matt Jackson out.

ReDDragon throws Trent over the top but Orange Cassidy pops out from underneath the ring for the save. Back in and Trent cleans house, including a running clothesline to get rid of Bobby Fish. We take a break and come back with Silver eliminating Cash Wheeler, leaving us with Dax Harwood, Kyle O’Reilly, Nick Jackson, Santana, Silver and Trent. The remaining seven circle each other until it’s time for a series of strikes, leaving Trent and Santana to slug it out.

A discus lariat drops Trent but he pulls Santana out to the apron with him. Matt and Kyle knock both of them out though and we’re down to four. O’Reilly and Harwood fight to the apron with Harwood being eliminated. Silver is back up with a running knee to Nick’s back, setting up the Spin Doctor. Jackson and O’Reilly get together for an improvised Chasing the Dragon, leaving Jackson to dump Silver…but O’Reilly tosses Jackson to give ReDDragon the win at 18:21.

Rating: C+. Battle royals are always weird to rate as they’re such a free for all until you get down to a manageable number of people. ReDDragon winning by getting rid of the Young Bucks at the end is about as logical of an ending as there could have been here, but it would not surprise me to see the Bucks somehow get into the title match anyway next week.

Post match the Bucks and ReDDragon are ready to fight but here is Hangman Page to go after ReDDragon in revenge for last week. Adam Cole comes in but has to get pulled out by ReDDragon. John Silver takes ReDDragon out so it’s the Buckshot Lariat to O’Reilly. Page grabs a chair and it’s time for Story Time With Adam Page Bay Bay! This week’s story is about a smug kid named Adam Cole who got into wrestling a long time ago and now wants the most prestigious prize in wrestling. What he doesn’t realize is that he is inching closer to a grave, and he’ll land in that grave with a BOOM.

Bryan Danielson is ready for Daniel Garcia tonight because he had a great mentor in William Regal. Imagine what Garcia could have done with a great mentor like Danielson or Jon Moxley.

Here is MJF for a chat but he has to pause for the CM PUNK chants. He used to love Punk just like us and we hear about Punk showing a photo of MJF meeting him as a kid. MJF used to wake up every morning because of wrestling because he was a huge fan. He had really bad ADD but he could succeed because of football. It wound up working, but then his teammates threw a bunch of quarters at him and said “pick them up Jew boy, pick them up.” It hurt of course, but that night he got to meet his hero CM Punk, who he wanted to be just like when he grew up.

Fast forward until 2013, when MJF had a bunch of scholarship offers to play football but all he wanted was to be a wrestler, but then Punk left everyone in 2014. Punk left when he needed them the most, but MJF promised to be the hero that Punk should have been and the man that everyone could look up to. At Revolution, Punk can whip him with the chain and make him bleed but he will not give up. Cue Punk, who doesn’t know what to say. Punk, without a mic, looks at MJF and asks if that was the truth. MJF says it’s true and leaves, possibly with tears in his eyes.

This was a VERY different MJF as there was no swerve to mock the audience and it felt like one of the best good guy promos you would have heard in a long time. Punk being freaked out over not knowing if he should believe him or not was a great twist, as you don’t see anyone get inside Punk’s head ever. Awesome stuff here.

Daniel Garcia and 2.0 are ready for Bryan Danielson.

Kings of the Black Throne vs. Pac/Penta Obscuro

Penta has a special entrance, holding a shovel and rising from behind a grave which reveals his new name. Cool, as it is basically Pentagon Dark. It’s a brawl before the bell (makes sense) with Penta diving onto both of them on the floor. The bell rings and Pac hits a quick 450 for two on Black. Penta and Black slug it out before it’s off to King to blast Pac with a clothesline.

We take a break and come back with King putting Penta on Pac’s shoulders and hitting a hard chop to turn it into a poisonrana (I’m not sure if that’s how physics work). Everything breaks down and it’s a series of strikes to give us a four way knockdown. Dante’s Inferno is broken up and it’s Pac German suplexing King. The spike Fear Factor is loaded up but Black makes the save. Black loads up the mist but Penta covers his mouth and grabs a rollup for the fast pin at 7:34.

Rating: B-. This needed a bit more time but what mattered most was having Penta get the pin. You don’t want to bring back this evil version and then have him lose his first match so well done on getting the result right. It wasn’t even a definitive win but rather a fluke rollup, which saves a bit of face for Black in the loss, so well done.

Post match the big beatdown is on with the Kings beating down Pac and Penta. Black grabs the shovel but the lights go out and it’s…Buddy Matthews (Murphy) in the ring. Black doesn’t know what to do but Matthews jumps Penta, joining the House of Black in the process. Penta gets his face stomped onto a chair.

Britt Baker says Thunder Rosa never beat her on paper. Rosa says at Revolution, it’s going t count. Still not the best sounding explanation.

Here is Eddie Kingston for a face to face showdown with Chris Jericho. With security in the ring just in case, Kingston asks what’s going on with the security. Jericho says they’re here to make sure that the two of them can talk, but Kingston says this is a wrestling company instead of a sports entertainment company. We’re just a few miles from Stamford so maybe Jericho will give him some sports entertainment, but maybe it will be entertaining.

Jericho talks about how he heard Kingston was coming and he had never heard of him. At first he thought it was Eddie Edwards but then he saw Kingston and knew why he had never heard of him: Kingston looks like a jobber. Then he saw Kingston’s match against what’s his name (Cody Rhodes) and heard Kingston’s promo and knew there was something there. Jericho even told him he would become a huge babyface and that’s what happened.

Everyone was happy to see Kingston sign a contract at 38…except for Jericho, who made it at 22. By the time he was 38, he had main evented pay per views and made millions of dollars. Kingston says Christopher only did all that because he wasn’t there. Now Jericho is out there talking, but Kingston doesn’t want to talk to him because Jericho is sucking the blood out of this place. Instead, Kingston wants to fight and the challenge is on for Revolution.

Before he answers, Jericho asks if Kingston has ever heard of the fear of success (Kingston: “No, I have a GED.”). Jericho explains that Kingston is afraid of success and if he did he had Jericho’s success, he would fall off the side of a mountain. Jericho has heard all of the stories about Kingston’s family (Kingston: “Careful. Careful.”) like his uncle, who was a failure, and his father, who was a failure.

Kingston can’t win the big one and in AEW, Jericho is the big one. If Kingston wants Jericho at the pay per view, it’s on, but if Kingston manages to beat him, he will look Kingston in the eye and say he respects him. If Kingston beats him, it means Jericho has helped him get over his fear of success. Kingston says the match is on, but don’t give him the one who gave him the Mimosa match or the one who got shoved off the cage by MJF.

Give him the one who was the first World Champion, the one who bled in Tennessee, the one got respect from Tenryu in WAR and the one who Levesque hated. If it isn’t that Jericho, Kingston is going to eat him alive. Jericho promises to be that Jericho, but he knows Kingston can’t do it because he’s a loser. Now hit Jericho’s music. As usual, Kingston brought it here and Jericho is way better as a heel.

Matt Hardy is ready to see Andrade win the TNT Title but also suggests a tornado trios match with the two of them and Isiah Kassidy vs. Sting/Darby Allin/Sammy Guevara at Revolution. Andrade seems to approve.

Face of the Revolution Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Ricky Starks vs. 10

Powerhouse Hobbs is here with Starks while the Dark Order is here with 10. Starks kicks him in the ribs to start but a running shoulder doesn’t work. A running shot to the mask puts 10 down but Starks stops to pose, allowing 10 to hammer away in the corner. 10 hits a delayed vertical suplex and we take a break. Back with 10 grabbing a full nelson but Starks makes the ropes. A discus lariat plants Starks again and another full nelson goes on. Starks pulls at the mask to escape and the spear is good for the pin at 5:55.

Rating: C. They didn’t have time to get very far here and a lot of the match took place during the break. That being said, it was the right idea here as the ladder match needed someone other than a hoss to mix things up a bit. Starks is someone who could be a dark horse candidate to win and that makes things a lot more interesting.

ReDDragon and the Young Bucks argue over the battle royal with Adam Cole in the middle. The Bucks are in next week’s battle royal too and now they’re more motivated to win. With the Bucks gone, Cole tells ReDDragon to get it together because he has enough on his plate at Revolution.

TBS Title: Jade Cargill vs. The Bunny

Cargill, with Mark Sterling, is defending. Bunny drives her into the corner for a clean break so Cargill lifts her up by the arm. A legdrop to the arm sets up an armscissors with the legs, with Cargill throwing in some pushups. Bunny manages to send her to the apron for the breather and a sliding forearm to the back puts Cargill on the floor. A Russian legsweep into the barricade drops Cargill and we take a break.

Back with Bunny hitting a running knee but charging into a spinebuster. Cue Matt Hardy to jump up onto the apron to throw in the brass knuckles, but Sterling throws in the TBS Title. The knuckles shot is cut off by a belt shot and it’s a double ejection of Hardy and Sterling. Bunny uses the distraction to hit some superkicks. Down the Rabbit Hole is loaded up but Cargill reverses into Jaded to retain at 6:43.

Rating: C+. Cargill is starting to look more and more natural and that is a great sign for her future. The problem is I’m not sure who is going to be able to take the title from her, but it is going to be a pretty big event when someone does. What mattered here was having Cargill break a sweat and then add one more name to the list, which wound up working very well.

Post match Tony Schiavone comes in to talk to Cargill, who says cut the s***. She is on the way to 50-0 and wants to know who is left. Cue Tay Conti to say she is the one who is going to beat her at Revolution. Conti charges inside and gets in the ring, with Cargill kissing her on the head. Bunny pops back up to brawl with Conti, who hits the TayKO, only to get kicked in the face by Cargill. Anna Jay runs in for the save.

Keith Lee is ready for the Face of the Revolution ladder match when Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs interrupts. Starks explains that Team Taz runs this place and wants him to mind his p’s and q’s. Lee and Hobbs have a staredown.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Daniel Garcia vs. Bryan Danielson

Danielson shoves him into the corner to start and talks some trash, setting up an exchange of uppercuts. Garcia can’t get anywhere with some grappling so he hits a chop instead. Danielson likes that and tells Garcia to chop him again, only to take him down in a leglock. A suplex looks to set up the LeBell Lock but Garcia rolls around. More rolling sets up most of the LeBell Lock, with Garcia getting a foot in the ropes for the break. Danielson flips over him out of the corner and tries the running clothesline, with Garcia taking out the leg instead for a nice counter.

We take a break and come back with Danielson hitting a missile dropkick and getting fired up. Danielson grabs a leglock but Garcia hooks one of his own, meaning it’s time to kick at each other on the mat. Cattle Mutilation goes on until Garcia slips out and goes for the leg again. Some kicks to the back of Danielson’s head don’t work as he takes Garcia down and grabs a test of strength on the mat. With their hands still interlocked, they forearm it out until Garcia goes for a dragon screw legwhip. That’s blocked for some stomping and a triangle choke, with the double bicep pose, finishes Garcia at 10:24.

Rating: B. This was what you would have expected from these two, as they beat each other up and traded holds and strikes until Danielson won. That’s all you could ask for from these two and that is a good thing, as Garcia got to look strong against a much brighter star. It’s a piece of a bigger story though and that is not a bad thing.

Post match Danielson says that is what he wanted and praises the violence. Cue 2.0 to go after Danielson but Jon Moxley makes the save and clears them out. Garcia loads up a chair but Danielson takes it away. The Paradigm Shift drops Garcia so Moxley and Danielson stare each other down. Danielson grabs the mic and says it’s on for Revolution, where Moxley might be the only one bleeding. The staredown ends the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a show built around talking and that is one of the better ways to make me care about a show. The Jericho vs. Kingston stuff was good but the MJF promo was special and took their feud in a direction I didn’t expect. Other than that, there was some good but not great action, which all adds up to another strong show as Revolution continues to look better each week. Granted it helps when you add three matches to the show in one night.

Results
ReDDragon won a tag team battle royal last eliminating the Young Bucks
Penta Obscuro/Pac b. Kings of the Black Throne – Rollup to Black
Ricky Starks b. 10 – Spear
Jade Cargill b. The Bunny – Jaded
Bryan Danielson b. Daniel Garcia – Triangle choke

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

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AND

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Rampage
Date: February 18, 2022
Location: Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Chris Jericho, Ricky Starks

We’re a few hours earlier this week due to the NBA All Star Weekend. This week’s show doesn’t have quite the same level of star power that most weeks have, but Revolution is in about two weeks and it’s time to set up some more things. You can probably guess most of the matches from here though and that’s a good thing. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Adam Cole vs. 10

10 shoves him around to start before snapping off a German suplex. The right hands start up in the corner but Cole slips out and kicks 10’s braced knee. The knee is wrapped around the post but 10 is fine enough to hit a delayed vertical suplex. Cole knocks him outside though and it’s right back to the leg as we take a break.

Back with 10 not being able to get the full nelson, meaning Cole can enziguri him into a Backstabber for two. A discus lariat gives 10 his own two but Cole kicks him down again. The Panama Sunrise is countered with a spear for two so 10 grabs the full nelson. Cole drives him into the corner though and it’s a low blow to escape. Some superkicks set up the Boom to give Cole the pin at 9:46.

Rating: C. 10’s selling issues aside, this worked well enough as a showcase for both of them. Cole is only way to the World Title shot at Revolution and needed a win like this to help make him seem like a bigger deal and it isn’t like the Dark Order is going to be hurt by a loss. Nothing great, but at least Cole didn’t no sell something.

We look at CM Punk announcing his dog collar match against MJF at Revolution.

Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Dante Martin

Martin strikes away to start and hits a springboard dropkick, followed by a non-springboard version to put Hobbs on the floor. Another springboard is broken up though and Hobbs launches Martin hard into the corner. Then he does it again as commentary points out how that has happened in every qualifying match so far.

We take a break and come back with Martin escaping a bearhug but not getting very far with some running shots to the face. A springboard uppercut works a bit better though and a springboard corkscrew dive to the floor drops Hobbs again. Back in and Martin tries to fly around a bit too much, allowing Hobbs to plant him with a spinebuster for the pin at 9:28.

Rating: B-. Power vs. speed/high flying is about as simple and classic of a wrestling formula as you are going to get and that is what we had here. Hobbs winning actually surprised me as Martin would have seemed to be a layup for the ladder match, so I can appreciate a bit of a twist. Good enough match here as Martin got to do his flying before taking the loss.

Jade Cargill wants her next opponent so here is Matt hardy with the Bunny. Matt thinks that would be a money match so Cargill says she’s fine fine with beating up the rabbit lady.

Serena Deeb vs. Angelica Risk

Five Minute Professor Challenge. Deeb takes her down without much trouble to start before sending Risk into the corner. There’s a catapult into the bottom rope for two as Deeb pulls her up. The powerbomb sets up the Serenity Lock for the fast tap at 1:51.

We get the split screen interview, with Jay White saying he’s ready for Trent Beretta, while Trent says he is in fact ready as well.

Trent Beretta vs. Jay White

Orange Cassidy is here with Trent. Commentary hypes up White being the first Grand Slam winner in the history of New Japan, which has been around for decades. Granted the Grand Slam has only been around since 2017 but he is the first. White drives him into the corner to start and stomps away until Trent fights up with some chops.

A suplex drops White and they head outside with White being sent into the barricade. Trent clotheslines him down and then heads back inside, only to get suplexed over the top. We take a break and come back with Trent whipping him into the corner and hitting an Asai moonsault (though Trent landed HARD on the floor). They head back inside where White hits a Downward Spiral into a bridging German suplex for two.

Trent punches and elbows him down against the ropes and White is knocked outside again. Trent’s spear is cut off with a raised knee though and Trent gets suplexed into the barricade. Back in and White hits a spinning Rock Bottom but the Blade Runner is countered into a running knee to give Trent two. They strike is out until Trent hits a piledriver for another near fall. Back up and White grabs the Bladerunner for the fast pin at 15:05.

Rating: B. White continues to look good and this was a nice debut for him. Trent is someone with the value to make White’s win matter without doing that much damage to him, making this a logical way to go. White is probably in for a huge story because he’s involved in the Bullet Club, meaning we are likely to see him a lot more going forward. That’s not a bad thing.

Post match Cassidy checks on Trent but White bumps into him, which sets up a bit of a showdown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This one slowed down a bit as the star power wasn’t quite as high. That being said, it was still a good show with nothing bad and White making his debut. Rampage has a nice formula and it worked well here, albeit with some slightly weaker star power. If this is a bad one though, this show is going to be fine.

Results
Adam Cole b. 10 – Boom
Powerhouse Hobbs b. Dante Martin – Spinebuster
Serena Deeb b. Angelica Risk – Serenity Lock
Jay White b. Trent Beretta – Bladerunner

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

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AND

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Dynamite
Date: February 9, 2022
Location: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

This is another big night and that is because Tony Khan has promised a huge debut in a qualifying match for the Face of the Revolution ladder match. As a result, there has been a lot of excited speculation and that has made the show feel that much more important. Other than that, we are probably seeing some more from the potential Jon Moxley/Bryan Danielson pairing. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here is Wardlow with some cardboard cutouts of MJF sitting on CM Punk’s chest and MJF putting Punk in the sleeper. Wardlow looks annoyed as he hands Justin Roberts some cards with introductions for FTR with Tully Blanchard and Shawn Spears, who has his own introduction for MJF. As you might expect, it is as over the top as you can get, including talking about how he beat punk TWICE in the garbage heap that is Chicago in the mid-mid-mid-midwest.

MJF comes out on a throne carried by various men and kisses one of the women nearby. Confetti falls and the Pinnacle (minus Wardlow) celebrates before MJF talks about how he has proven that he is the best in the world. Actually, he is better than the Best In The World, but he couldn’t have done it without that big strapping muscular man…..Shawn Spears (Wardlow is not pleased). Speaking of Spears, he has a gift for MJF: his new Better Than The Best In The World shirt!

MJF is happy, but now he wants to be World Champion. Cue CM Punk to the stage, with Tony Schiavone going up with a microphone. Punk mocks MJF’s spray tan but realizes that he’s at a numbers disadvantage. That’s why he has some friends with him. Cue Sting and Darby Allin with baseball bats, with Punk saying he’s getting what he wants or beats it out of him: he wants a rematch.

MJF says no, but Punk wants a rematch with the man who really beat him: Wardlow. Dax Harwood is ready to fight, but MJF has an idea. We’re in Atlantic City so let’s gamble: Punk can pick any partner save for Sting/Allin and if he can beat the Revival, he can face MJF in any kind of match he wants. As for Wardlow, who is in a suit, he has a match right now!

There was a lot here, but something stuck out when Punk came to the stage. One thing I love about AEW is that when someone comes out with a microphone, it sounds like a person talking rather than a wrestler reciting lines given to them. Punk sounds different than MJF who sounds different than Hangman who sounds different than Britt Baker etc. It feels like people talking instead of people performing. That was the case here, as I’m not sure anyone else saying these lines would have worked, as they felt natural coming from these people. That’s a huge difference to what you hear in WWE and it helps a lot.

Andrade is in the back with Sting and Darby Allin and asks about Sting owning him. Sting says Allin has already explained this and Allin, who isn’t a boy, doesn’t need Sting to speak for him. Allin says he wants the TNT Title back, but Andrade says he’s the next champion.

Blade vs. Wardlow

Blade stomps him into the corner to start but Wardlow snaps off an overhead belly to belly. They head outside with Wardlow driving him into various hard things and we take a break. Back with Wardlow hitting a suplex and then the first powerbomb. The Powerbomb Symphony finishes Blade at 6:11.

Rating: C-. I doubt enough was shown for a rating but this was near total dominance, as it should have been. Wardlow continues to rise up the ranks and this time he beat someone with some more status. The Powerbomb Symphony is over and when Wardlow FINALLY turns on MJF, the reaction is going to be incredible.

Post match Wardlow celebrates and Shawn Spears chairs Blade in the back. Wardlow doesn’t look happy.

Penta El Zero Miedo is ready to destroy Malakai Black.

Here is part of the Inner Circle for a chant. Chris Jericho (who looks like he has slimmed down) says they haven’t seen Santana and Ortiz all day, but here they are to their own entrance and not in their Inner Circle gear. Jericho talks about how they wouldn’t tag him in during a six man tag a few weeks ago and wants to know what is up. Santana says it boils down to Jericho only caring about himself.

Every time Santana and Ortiz get closer to winning the Tag Team Titles, they have to come save Jericho from whatever he is doing. The days of bailing Jericho out are over because Santana and Ortiz need the titles. Jericho says Santana reminds him of Eddie Guerrero and says this is all because of Eddie Kingston getting in their ears. Kingston has never done anything but it was Jericho who brought them in and is responsible for their success.

Jericho brings up them losing the Tag Team Title shot against the Young Bucks about a year ago, which had nothing to do with him. He brought them into the Inner Circle and he can kick them out, because maybe he brought in the wrong members of LAX. Jericho: “Hey Jake, do you have Homicide and Hernandez….” and Santana lunges for him.

Sammy Guevara cuts them but Jericho tells him to shut up. Guevara tells Jericho to save it and while he loves these guys, he’ll quit again if the team can’t figure this out. Guevara leaves and Ortiz yells at Jericho about how he keeps talking about things. Instead of talking, they can fight it out next week. Jericho accepts the match on Hager’s behalf against the two of them and attendance is mandatory next week. Hager never said anything during the whole showdown.

Roppongi Vice is ready for the Young Bucks, who show up and are ready to fight right now. Adam Cole jumps Vice from behind and the big beatdown is on, including the BTE Trigger to Rocky Romero. Cue Jay White to take out Romero and seem to be happy with Cole and the Bucks.

Face of the Revolution Qualifying Match: Isiah Kassidy vs. ???

The mystery opponent is…..Keith Lee, who looks like he has gotten in better shape. The fans sing BASK IN HIS GLORY and Lee LAUNCHES Kassidy with a beal to start. Kassidy gets sent outside but comes back in to fight out of the Spirit Bomb. A dropkick has no effect on Lee, who Pounces him out of the ring. Matt Hardy walks out on the match so Marq Quen grabs Lee’s leg. The distraction lets Kassidy get in a corkscrew dive to actually knock Lee down, but Lee swats a kick to the face out of the way. The Big Bang Catastrophe finishes for Lee at 4:26.

Rating: B-. But remember: there was nothing for him to do in WWE. You know what you have him do? Beat up people every week and wow the crowd, then have him do it to a bigger name. That’s how wrestling has worked for the better part of ever, but for some reason WWE couldn’t think of something for him. Either way, at least he’s here now and got a great debut.

Post match Quen goes after Lee, who gets knocked to the floor. Then he catches a diving Kassidy, followed by catching a diving Quen.

Mercedes Martinez is ready to end Thunder Rosa in a No DQ match, because we need one every week or so.

FTR vs. CM Punk/???

The partner is…..Jon Moxley in a good choice. Harwood works on Punk’s wrist to start but Punk is out without much effort. Moxley comes in for a headlock takeover but it’s quickly back to Punk. Everything breaks down in a hurry with FTR being sent outside for a dive from Punk (who is favoring his leg).

We take a break and come back with Moxley getting choked down in the corner. Some legdrops put Moxley in more trouble but he manages a belly to back on Wheeler for a save. That’s not enough for the save though as it’s a Veg-O-Matic (old Midnight Express move) for two on Moxley.

Back up and the big clothesline gets Moxley out of trouble, allowing the hot tag off to Punk. Everything breaks down and it’s a Doomsday Device for a close two on Harwood. Wheeler pulls Moxley outside for a tornado DDT before grabbing the ring bell. Punk rolls Harwood up for two and the kickout lets Wheeler hit Punk with the bell.

The brainbuster gets two on Punk but the GTS is countered into the Big Rig for two more, with Moxley having to make a save. A simultaneous GTS/Paradigm Shift is broken up so Punk pulls Harwood down into the Anaconda Vice for the tap….which the referee doesn’t see. Instead Tully Blanchard hits Punk with a jacket so it’s a GTS (after some stumbling) to Tully. Now the Paradigm Shift/GTS can connect for the stereo pins at 19:36.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was great and I don’t think that’s the biggest surprise. I don’t think there is any shame in losing to a pair of former World Champions and it isn’t like FTR has meant much in the last few months anyway. What mattered here was having a great match with Punk and Moxley fighting through all kinds of trouble to get the win. I don’t think Punk vs. MJF II is a shock, but Moxley getting involved, even slightly, is interesting. Heck of a match.

Jade Cargill vs. AQA

Non-title and the debuting AQA was trained by Booker T. AQA goes after the arm to start but her short armscissors is countered with a deadlift into a slam. A dropkick puts Cargill on the floor but she blasts AQA with a forearm. We take a break and come back with Cargill hitting an Ultimate Warrior gorilla press slam but AQA knocks her down again. A heck of a shooting star press gets two on Cargill but she catches AQA with a Tour of the Islands. Jaded finishes AQA at 7:31.

Rating: C+. This was longer than it needed to be but AQA showcased herself well. She looked smooth and crisp in the ring and felt like she knew what she was doing. At the same time, Jade continues to be a force of nature, though she is clearly still rather green. That being said, leaving her to basic power moves that show off her natural skills is a great thing and works very well for her.

The Young Bucks, with Adam Cole, are ready to go after Roppongi Vice. Cole says Jay White can have their back next time, but the Bucks aren’t wild on Cole bringing in White without giving them a heads up. Don’t worry though, because Cole says it’s cool.

Serena Deeb vs. Katie Arquette

This is part of Deeb’s new Professor’s Five Minute Rookie Challenge, meaning there is a five minute time limit. Deeb knocks her into the corner, pulls her down, waits for a second, and finishes with the Serenity Lock at 58 seconds.

The Gunn Club is ready to win the Tag Team Titles on Friday.

AEW World Title: Hangman Page vs. Lance Archer

Page is defending in a Texas Death Match and the fight is on in the back before the bell. They come to the stage with the bell ringing and Page hitting a running belt shot. Page sends him through a glass wall and Archer is busted open. They get inside where Page hits the Buckshot Lariat to send Archer outside for a seven count. A suicide dive is cut off with a trashcan lid to the head, but here is Dan Lambert to unhook a turnbuckle. Page has to superkick his way out of a chokeslam and it’s a moonsault off the barricade to take Archer down. They head back inside, where the top rope is down, meaning no Buckshot Lariat.

We take a break and come back with two tables set up at ringside. The Black Out and the Deadeye are both broken up so Page (also bleeding) kicks Archer in the face twice but gets knocked down again. Jake Roberts hits the short arm clothesline on the floor but Archer won’t let him hit the DDT for some reason.

Instead Page hits one behind Jake’s back but a bunch of kendo stick shots wake Archer up. The chokeslam onto the trashcan knocks Page silly but Archer would rather whip out a fork to stab Page in the head. He even licks the blood off as it feels like we’re in ECW again. Archer pulls out a barbed wire chair before hitting the Blackout onto the side of the steps.

Instead of winning, Archer picks him up though and Page pulls the barbed wire off the chair. The Hangman Page, using the referee instead of a rope, with wire around the arm, drives Archer through the tables at ringside. That’s finally enough to finish Archer and retain the title at 15:24.

Rating: B. The ending was cool, but egads this was up there in the “violence for the sake of violence” category. I’m not sure how much drama there was over the result but at least they beat each other up. That being said, the fork and the licking of the blood was WAY too far for me, as it didn’t so much make me think thata the match was extreme. Instead, it made me think I was watching something out of XPW or some hardcore indy and that’s not a good thing.

Post match Adam Cole comes down and picks up the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. This show was built around surprise moments and energy and they both made for an awesome night. Lee wasn’t the biggest surprise, but you could feel that he was bringing something different and it worked on all levels. Jay White is a very cool addition and Moxley made for a great partner in an outstanding match. The main event is going to be hit or miss for a lot of people, but it was a hard fought cap on one of the more entertaining nights I’ve seen around here in a long time.

Results
Wardlow b. The Blade – Powerbomb Symphony
Keith Lee b. Isiah Kassidy – Big Bang Catastrophe
Jon Moxley/CM Punk b. FTR – Double pin
Jade Cargill b. AQA – Jaded
Serena Deeb b. Katie Arquette – Serenity Lock
Hangman Page b. Lance Archer when Archer couldn’t answer the ten count

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Rampage
Date: January 28, 2022
Location: Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Taz, Chris Jericho, Excalibur, Ricky Starks

It’s another Friday and Jon Moxley is back in the ring. That should be enough to make the show work, but we also have a pair of title matches, as Jade Cargill defends the TBS Title against Julia Hart and Private Party challenges for the Tag Team Titles. That’s not bad for an hour so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Anthony Bowens vs. Jon Moxley

Moxley gets a great ovation. Castor’s rap is about every thing happening to Moxley as of late, save for his rehab. Moxley jumps Bowens before the bell and beats him up, including taking it to the floor. He even stops to bow to and pose with referee Aubrey Edwards. The fight goes into the crowd with Bowens getting beaten up out there too. Back to ringside with Bowens managing to post him to slow things down.

They get back in with Bowens starting in on the arm but Moxley fights out of a suplex. Bowens neckbreakers him back down though and we take a break. Back with Moxley’s super Paradigm Shift being countered though as Bowens takes him down again. Moxley sends him outside and hits a suicide dive onto Caster, only to have Bowens catch him on the way back in.

A twisting hanging DDT drops Moxley for two but Bowens is back with a series of strikes. Moxley grabs a quick piledriver for his own two though and they’re both down. Bowens knees him in the face for two and hits a kind of belly to belly for the same. Caster throws in the boom box but it gets taken away, allowing Bowens to pull out a chain. Moxley isn’t having that and knocks Bowens silly, setting up the Paradigm Shift for the pin at 13:04.

Rating: B-. I liked this one a lot more than I would have expected, as Bowens got in a good deal of offense. There wasn’t any drama about the win and that’s ok in this case, as Bowens made Moxley put in the work. It’s a way to give Bowens a rub while Moxley gets back in the swing of things and that is a smart way to go.

Bryan Danielson is watching Moxley from the back.

Nyla Rose is ready to destroy Ruby Soho on Dynamite.

Andrade El Idolo comes in to see Darby Allin and offer him a contract. Allin didn’t realize that Andrade really believed Allin worked for Sting before talking about how money doesn’t matter. Andrade leaves without incident, saying he’ll talk to Allin’s boss.

Brock Anderson/Lee Johnson vs. FTR

Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard are here too. Johnson uses some power to slow Wheeler down to start before it’s off to Harwood, who can’t do much with Anderson. Brock slips out of a headlock and teases a right hand, making Harwood pause for a breather. Everything breaks down and FTR is sent outside for a pair of dives from Johnson. We take a break and come back with Johnson hitting a neckbreaker but Wheeler cuts off the hot tag attempt.

Then the tag goes through to Anderson a few seconds later, meaning it’s time for the comeback. A suplex takes Harwood down and it’s a gutwrench suplex to plant Wheeler. Harwood gets knocked off the apron, leaving Wheeler to get DDTed. A spinning frog splash gives Johnson two, with Wheeler having to put a foot on the rope. Anderson gets taken outside, leaving Tully to get into a staredown with Arn. Tully gets punched out, but it’s a spike piledriver to finish Johnson at 9:57 back inside.

Rating: C. Anderson and Johnson had no chance here but they lasted long enough to make this an old Superstars level main event. Anderson has improved some since he was last on television and Johnson can put in a good effort when he is given the chance. That is what we got here, but ultimately FTR wasn’t going to be in any real danger.

Thunder Rosa and Mercedes Martinez are ready to end each other next week.

We look at Serena Deeb beating up Hikaru Shida and putting her on the shelf.

TBS Title: Jade Cargill vs. Julia Hart

Cargill is defending and doesn’t seem to mind when Hart jumps her early on. Hart’s forearms are shrugged off and Cargill gets in some situps. Back up and Hart charges at her in the corner, setting up a hurricanrana for two. That earns her a kick to the face, setting up Jaded to retain the title at 2:24.

We get the face to face interview, with Christian Cage mocking Matt Hardy’s handling of Private Party. Matt yells back at him, with Jungle Boy saying there is no comparison between the two of then and they’re about to prove it.

Tag Team Titles: Private Party vs. Jurassic Express

Private Party is challenging and has more of the AHFO outside. Before the bell, the champs get in an argument with the Gunn Club at ringside, allowing Private Party to jump them from behind. It’s Gin and Juice for an early two on Jungle Boy and a neckbreaker gets the same as we take an early break.

Back with Luchasaurus getting crotched against the post so Kassidy can miss a charge into the barricade. Luchasaurus gets back in but Hardy sends Kassidy back inside to break up the tag. That’s fine with Luchasaurus, who keeps walking towards the corner, with Private Party grabbing a leg apiece. The hot tag brings in Jungle Boy to clean house, including some dives to take Private Party out.

Back in and Kassidy hits an enziguri for two, which sets up a Doomsday Device. That’s fine with Jungle Boy, who counters into something like a tabletop suplex to send Quen crashing down. Luchasaurus comes back in but gets taken down by the Silly String for two. The Snare Trap goes on but Quen breaks it up with the shooting star (with commentary thinking that might have taken a bit too long). Gin and Juice is loaded up but Jungle Boy reverses into a Canadian Destroyer. The Throwassic Express retains the titles at 7:14.

Rating: B-. Another good match here as Jurassic Express keeps mowing down teams. They’re trying something different with these guys, as the idea seems to be to get them in the ring a lot more frequently. That isn’t a bad way to go, as it is going to make whoever takes the titles from them look that much better. Good main event here, with the Express being put to another test.

Post match the Gunn Club comes in and lays out Jurassic Express to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Another packed yet still rather good edition this week, with nothing bad and a lot of hard work, as usual. That’s about all you can ask for out of Rampage, though it would still be nice to see them let the show breathe a little more. They do get a lot out of their time though and the ending sets up the next mini feud for Jurassic Express. Good show this week.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Anthony Bowens – Paradigm Shift
FTR b. Brock Anderson/Lee Johnson – Spike piledriver to Johnson
Jade Cargill b. Julia Hart – Jaded
Jurassic Express b. Private Party – Throwassic Express to Quen

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Rampage
Date: January 21, 2022
Location: Entertainment & Sports Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Excalibur, Ricky Starks, Chris Jericho, Taz

We’re coming off a not so great Dynamite but we have another special moment this week as Jon Moxley is getting back in the ring. It was a great feeling to see him back on Wednesday and now it’s time to show that he still has it in the ring. From just a wrestling perspective, it’s a relief that he wasn’t gone that long so he shouldn’t have much ring rust. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Jon Moxley vs. Ethan Page

Scorpio Sky is here with Page, who shoves Moxley down to start. Moxley kicks him in the ribs and elbows Page in the face to take over, setting up some shots to the face in the corner. Back up and Page knocks him outside, only to be sent hard into the barricade. Page goes intellectual and starts taking out Moxley’s knee, setting up a hanging spinning backbreaker for two back inside. Moxley misses a charge and goes into the post to make it worse as we take a break.

Back with Moxley escaping the Ego’s Edge and hitting some German suplexes. Moxley hits a hard clothesline but Page is right back with a brainbuster. Page goes back to the knee with a half crab, sending Moxley over to the rope. Moxley mixes it up a bit and goes up top, earning himself a super powerslam right back down. A crucifix gives Moxley two so he fires off elbows and knees to the head, setting up a bulldog choke for the knockout at 10:21.

Rating: B-. This was a different kind of Moxley match and it took some getting used to. What matters here though is that he is back and doesn’t seem to have lost much of anything. Moxley also still has that connection to the crowd and they are going to be into everything he does, which is something any promotion can use.

Post match Moxley hits a Paradigm Shift and leaves. On his way out, he runs into Bryan Danielson, who offers some applause.

The Jurassic Express don’t think much of the Gunn Club attacking Christian Cage. When Cage comes back, it is time to stomp the Gunns’ heads in.

Nick Jackson vs. Trent Beretta

Matt Jackson, Brandon Cutler and Orange Cassidy are here too. Beretta kicks him in the ribs to start so Nick evens things up with a springboard corkscrew wristdrag. A necksnap across the top gets two but Trent is right back with a northern lights suplex. The referee checks on Trent for a second before he seems quite ok while hitting a backdrop. Trent’s running crossbody misses though and he crashes into the ropes, allowing Nick to kick him to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Trent hitting a clothesline and a German suplex, setting up a running knee. The backdrop driver sets up a tornado DDT for two on Nick and an exchange of German suplexes put them both down. Back up and Nick is sent to the apron, where he comes back with a slingshot Canadian Destroyer for two.

Trent’s neck seems to be banged up but he manages a half nelson suplex. Nick pops up with a superkick so Trent hits a lariat for a double knockdown. A piledriver gives Trent two so they go to the ramp, where Nick hits another suplex. There’s a Swanton onto the ramp, followed by a 450 back inside for two. Nick hits a low superkick but Trent is right back with the Crunchie for the pin at 13:57.

Rating: C+. A few weeks ago, I saw a description of these matches that made a lot of sense: they aren’t so much wrestling matches as much as real life video game fights where the idea is to deplete your opponent’s energy bar. That was exactly how this match felt as it was one move after another, with limited selling and some rather unnecessary flips. Trent’s neck was a focal point though and the action was good, but it did feel like watching a video game come to life and that’s a weird thing to see.

Video on Thunder Rosa vs. Mercedes Martinez.

Hook vs. Serpentico

Hook jumps him before the streamers can be cleared out and a keylock has Serpentico bailing to the ropes. An overhead belly to belly sends Serpentico flying and Redrum finishes for Hook at 1:12. Again: get Hook in and out in a hurry where he can look good and impress before anything can go wrong.

Post match here is QT Marshall to yell about Hook, earning himself a suplex on the stage.

Jade Cargill isn’t impressed with Anna Jay while Anna is ready to win the TBS Title. Mark Henry hits the catchphrase.

TBS Title: Anna Jay vs. Jade Cargill

Cargill is defending with Mark Sterling in her corner so Anna has John Silver to even things up. Cargill wastes no time in suplexing her down and getting in the nip up. Hold on though as Anna sends her outside, where it’s a pose down with Silver. That lets Anna knock Cargill down and refer to herself as “that B**** Slayer*. The horrendous choice of language makes me worry for the future of America as we take a break.

Back with Cargill escaping the Queen Slayer but getting caught in a Downward Spiral. Sterling offers a distraction so Silver gives him a brainbuster on the floor. Anna gets two off a backslide so Cargill kicks her in the face. Jaded is countered into the Queen Slayer but Cargill fights up and escapes. The running kick in the corner is pulled out of the air and countered into a powerslam to plant Anna again. Now Jaded can retain the title at 8:42.

Rating: B-. It wasn’t great and Jade still looks like she is just going from move to move, but the combined level of inexperience here made this all the more impressive. This was a completely watchable match with Anna trying for her one chance and falling short, as Jade just powered out of the Queen Slayer. They’re turning Jade into a big deal, and that is going to mean something when someone finally beats her.

Overall Rating: B. Four pretty good to good matches made this a solid hour. Rampage is still not a show that you need to watch most of the time but they do some nice things with the time that they have. It’s kind of weird to see Rampage be that much better than Dynamite, but the stripped down formula can do a lot of good at times. Cut out the unnecessary swearing (five total this time around) and it’s an even better show, but what we got was quite solid.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Ethan Page – Bulldog choke
Trent Beretta b. Nick Jackson – Crunchie
Hook b. Serpentico – Redrum
Jade Cargill b. Anna Jay – Jaded

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

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Dynamite
Date: January 19, 2022
Location: Entertainment & Sports Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

It’s a big night around here as we have the return of Jon Moxley after a nearly three month absence. Moxley has been out of action due to undergoing alcohol rehabilitation treatment and it is great to have him back. What matters most is that he is healthy and if that is the case, I’m glad he can be around here again. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Jon Moxley to a hero’s welcome to get things going. Moxley gets in the ring and, after telling a fan “Go f*** yourself, get that piece of s*** out of here” (completely uncensored on the broadcast), Moxley talks about having a dream where a demon told him he would never make it. He has more scars on his body than most people and those are the things that tell our story. Those scars are the ones that tell us the story of who we are. Nobody is perfect and no one should be afraid to stand up and bare it all.

Everything that makes you the person you are, scars and all, should make you say THIS IS ME. If you want to write him off, he’ll tell you where to shove all that s***, just like he told that demon. For everyone who has supported him, thank you. He is going on a pilgrimage and do whatever he wants to the world of professional wrestling because he is truly free. No one here can put him through worse than he has been through and these days, all he drinks is blood. Well that was amazing, and one of the most emotional speeches you’ll see in a LONG time.

MJF talks about CM Punk needing to steal a win by using the hair and trunks last week to beat Wardlow (who could have escaped with a bit more experience). As for this week, it is Wardlow’s birthday and MJF offers him a sincere apology for losing it last week. Wardlow seems to appreciate that….but MJF is docking Wardlow’s pay for putting his hands on him. MJF moves on to Shawn Spears, who is going to hand PG Punk his first loss, while teaching Wardlow a lesson. The turn is going to be incredible when we finally get there.

Adam Cole/Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander/Orange Cassidy

The women start but Baker tags out almost immediately. Then Cole tags out, meaning Statlander has to come back in. Hold on though as Cassidy does the lazy kicks, earning himself a stomp to the food. Statlander comes in to slam the posing Baker but it’s too early for the Big Bang Theory. It’s back to the men, meaning Cassidy can hit a tornado DDT to send Cole outside.

Back in and Statlander grabs a delayed vertical suplex on Baker, with Cassidy shoving it over. Cassidy hits a rather low dive on Cole before stopping for a pose, allowing Baker and Cole to superkick them down. A nice kiss sends us to a break and we come back with Cassidy taking Cole down.

The women come back in with Statlander hitting a Blue Thunder Bomb for her own two. A neckbreaker takes Statlander down though and it’s back to Cole for the superkick to Cassidy’s knee. Cole hits an enziguri but Stundog Millionaire gets Cassidy out of trouble. Baker comes in off the blind tag to break up Beach Break and Stomp Cassidy down. Statlander kicks her in the face and hits something like a Falcon Arrow for two.

Area 451 is loaded up but Cole covers Baker….which is fine with Statlander, who splashes both of them. The Beach Break hits Cole for two but he superkicks a dive out of the air. Baker takes Statlander to the ramp for a Canadian Destroyer, leaving Cole to Panama Sunrise Cassidy for two. With nothing else working, Cole loads up a table at ringside (because we need tables), only to have Cassidy accidentally knock Baker through it. Cole is livid and it’s a low blow into the Boom for the pin at 14:22.

Rating: C+. That’s it for the feud right? There is no reason for Cole and Cassidy to feud any longer and hopefully we can move on and let Cole do something more important. The match was your usual AEW match with big kickouts and went on a bit longer than necessary, but it did have the entertaining bits that you would expect.

Chris Jericho tells Eddie Kingston to GFY but Santana and Ortiz don’t like him talking about Kingston that way. Actually, when has Jericho even had their back? Maybe next week, they can prove that they don’t need Jericho. That seems to shake Jericho a bit.

Adam Cole is sick of Orange Cassidy. He has beaten Cassidy every way he can, but now Cassidy is attacking Baker? Next week, it can be No DQ, anything goes, lights out. It might not be a good idea to point out that you have beaten the guy over and over before challenging him to another match. And great, ANOTHER hardcore match.

CM Punk vs. Shawn Spears

MJF is on commentary as the GTS finishes Spears at 12 seconds. Much like last week: that’s how I like my Spears matches.

Post match Punk poses so MJF tries to sneak in, only to have Punk jump in his face. Punk grabs the scarf but MJF bails from the threat of a right hand.

Billy Gunn stops Christian Cage in the back and says his sons have earned a Tag Team Title shot against Cage’s friends, the Jurassic Express. Cage says make a statement and they’ll talk. Cue the Gunn Club to jump Christian and send him head first into the steel door. Billy as a mouthpiece for his kids is a completely acceptable idea and an upgrade over what he has been doing.

Here is Cody Rhodes, with a huge ladder in the ring. Rhodes talks about CM Punk’s pipe bomb, which was the beginning of a revolution. Some of the things Punk were saying were the blueprint for what AEW would do. After pausing for some negative chants, Cody talks about how Punk made the comeback of the decade and we are all living it. Cody starts yelling about how he carried the revolution and since “you ask me why I won’t turn heel”, it’s because they cheered him when he needed it the most.

There are industry journalists who talk about opening the forbidden door…and now let’s talk about how ReDRagon passed hiptoss class. There are wrestlers elsewhere named Gunner McGillcutty or whatever it is but then he was gone for two weeks and there is an Interim TNT Title. Fans have been taught to believe that any title without the word World in it doesn’t matter.

That’s why he wants to face Sammy Guevara in a ladder match at Beach Break for the undisputed title. I got the gist of what Cody was saying here, but this was all over the place with one idea after another thrown out there but he kept moving on before getting to the point. The ladder match (because this company loves ladder matches) is a fine way to unify the titles, but this was a rambling mess of an insider/shoot promo and it was all about Cody, again, without making much sense until the end.

Jade Cargill has issued an open challenge for the TBS Title and Anna Jay is ready to accept it. Jay talks about the hardcore match from a few weeks ago to show she’s ready.

Kings of the Black Throne vs. Varsity Blonds

Brody shoves Garrison around to start and sends him outside, meaning it’s off to Pillman. That doesn’t work though as Pillman won’t try Air Pillman. Instead he drops outside to talk to Garrison, who is driven into the steps. Back in and Black sweeps Pillman’s leg so Garrison can hit a backsplash. Garrison is taken out again and Dante’s Inferno finishes Pillman at 1:48.

Post match Black tells the House of Black to rise but Pac, still blind, pops up on screen to say he is beyond Black’s reach.

Video on Lance Archer vs. Hangman Page, with Jake Roberts returning to say Archer is ready for Page.

Roppongi Vice steals Brandon Cutler to challenge the Young Bucks to a match on Rampage. They beat the Bucks in Japan once so they can do it again. Cutler thinks the Bucks are going to kill him. Romero: “Then turn the camera off bro.”

Lance Archer vs. Frankie Kazarian

Jake Roberts and Dan Lambert are in Archer’s corner. Archer hammers him down before the bell and then stands on Kazarian’s neck. The beating continues with Archer slowly pounding away as Kazarian can’t get anything going. Kazarian gets dropped again and again and we take a break.

We come back with Archer loudly saying “F*** YOU” (seemingly to a fan) and sending Kazarian chest first into the buckle. The Blackout is broken up with Kazarian finally getting in a little something. That doesn’t work for Archer though and he chokeslams Kazarian down as this is going WAY too long. Archer finally finishes with the Blackout at 10:01.

Rating: D. This was a bad miss, as Archer didn’t look like a monster but rather a guy lumbering around and (very) slowly beating Kazarian down. I don’t know if they were told to fill in time or what, but they took what should have been a three minute match and stretched it way further than it needed to be. This doesn’t make me want to see Archer vs. Page, but rather seeing a big audible call.

Post match, Dan Lambert goes on another cowboy rant against Hangman Page, but Archer cuts him off because he’s sick of this s*** (as we have even more swearing, which isn’t as edgy as AEW seems to think it is). Archer loads up a chokeslam off the ramp but here is Hangman Page for the save. Page gets kneed down so he pulls off his cowboy boot to blast Archer in the head. The Buckshot Lariat is blocked so Page forearms him out to the floor. Page stands tall.

Dante Martin is ready for Team Taz, with Lee Moriarty and Matt Sydal having his back until his brother gets back.

Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs are going to prove Martin is all alone because he’ll need someone to watch every side.

Leyla Hirsch breaks up a Red Velvet/Kris Statlander interview to complain about their loss on Friday. Velvet says it was miscommunication and gets her arm barred as a result.

Serena Deeb vs. Skye Blue

Deeb takes her down to start and sends Blue to the apron to keep up the beating. Back in and some uppercuts to the back of the heck set up a fisherman’s neckbreaker. The Serenity Lock finishes Blue at 2:50. I can absolutely go for more of this Deeb.

Ethan Page wants a big match on Rampage and tells Tony Khan to put the franchise player in.

On Rampage: Ethan Page vs. Jon Moxley, plus Roppongi Vice vs. the Young Bucks. We get some New Japan footage of their previous matches.

Video on Hook.

Matt Hardy has signed Andrade El Idolo 51% of the Hardy Family Office but he is still in charge of the board of directors. Andrade will be the president though, and they are now the AHFO. Now, they want Darby Allin. I’ll take them combining some of their more boring acts into one.

Acclaimed vs. Darby Allin/Sting

Caster’s rap promises to make this worse than Starrcade 97 so you know it’s serious. The Acclaimed jump them before the bell as Tony says he still can’t explain Starrcade 1997. A chair is wrapped around Allin’s neck and Caster whips it into the post. Sting is back up as medics check on Allin but he’s willing to fight on his own. Sting takes the Acclaimed down to start but the Stinger Splash hits an exposed buckle, giving Bowens two.

We take a break and come back with Sting putting Caster in the Deathlock. Bowens hits a discus forearm but Sting yells and doesn’t let go. A superkick breaks it up but Allin comes back in to make the save. Allin gets taken down again so the Mic Drop can give Caster two. Sting backdrops Bowens over the top and splashes Caster through a table at ringside. Fans: “YOU STILL GOT IT!” I don’t think YOU STILL GOT IT is a term that applies to something that Sting rarely did, but fair enough. The Coffin Drop finishes Bowens at 9:20.

Rating: C+. Sting matches are all smoke and mirrors, but dang they’re fun smoke and mirrors. They aren’t doing anything too bad and the fans’ reactions alone carry the matches to another level. That being said, Sting and Allin have to be close to being #1 contenders right? They’re undefeated and just beat the #1 contenders, so shouldn’t their title shot be coming soon? That’s not a bad thing, but it should be addressed.

Overall Rating: C-. I’m not sure what happened tonight but this might have been the biggest miss Dynamite has had to date. There were good parts to it (Gunn being moved into a manager role (at least for now), Deeb’s squash, the main event, Spears going short again and King/Black’s debut) but the rest was a bit of a mess. It felt like they didn’t have a plan tonight and it was kind of all over the place.

The biggest standout part was the Cody promo, which started and ended well but took a right turn into lala land in the middle. I still don’t know what he was trying to say with a lot of that and it was one of the bigger head scratchers in recent memory. In addition, you have Cole saying that he has done everything he can to Cassidy, including pinning him tonight, but now we’re going to do it AGAIN, and this time in a hardcore match.

That is where AEW is starting to slip a bit for me, as it feels like they are trying to be a modern day ECW. Between the constant hardcore based matches (I believe Cole vs. Cassidy makes three since December 31), the table spots (two tonight) and ALL THE SWEARING, it feels like they are trying to push the envelope for the sake of pushing the envelope. When you do that kind of thing all the time, the impact goes away very fast and that is what they are doing now. Just pull it back a bit and save that stuff for when it matters, not whenever you can throw it out.

Overall, this show just did not feel like AEW quality. Dynamite has been good to excellent most of the time but they have been missing a bit in recent weeks. I don’t know if that is due to some kind of Covid deal shaking things up backstage or something else, but the shows have not been the best as of late. Maybe they need to change something backstage, because this is starting to trend in a bad direction.

Results
Adam Cole/Britt Baker b. Orange Cassidy/Kris Statlander – Boom to Cassidy
CM Punk b. Shawn Spears – GTS
Kings of the Black Throne b. Varsity Blonds – Dante’s Inferno to Pillman
Lance Archer b. Frankie Kazarian – Blackout
Serena Deeb b. Skye Blue – Serenity Lock
Sting/Darby Allin b. Acclaimed – Coffin Drop to Bowens

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