Ring Of Honor
Date: June 22, 2023
Location: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re onto the new reality of this show, as there were three matches taped before Collision and then about ten more after. I’m not sure why there needs to be that much done in one night but we do have a big main event this week. Women’s Champion Athena is defending against Kiera Hogan in a Chicago street fight which could be nice and violent. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tony Khan and the Board present Samoa Joe with a new TV Title belt. Jerry Lynn manages to talk here, saying “Tony it is my pleasure to” before the belt is ripped from his hands.

Serpentico/Kip Sabian/Butcher and the Blade vs. Lucha Bros/El Hijo del Vikingo/Komander

Bunny and Luther are here with the villains. Serpentico and Vikingo start things off, with Vikingo being monkey flipped into the corner. A powerbomb plants Vikingo but he’s right back with a spinning kick to the face. Butcher comes in to send Komander to the floor and Sabian adds a springboard moonsault. The reverse Cannonball connects back inside and a fisherman’s suplex gives Sabian two.

Komander tornado DDTs his way to freedom and the hot tag brings in Penta to clean house. Fenix’s springboard high crossbody helps clear out some villains and a quadruple superkick puts all of them down. The spike Fear Factor is broken up though and Sabian’s double stomp gets two on Penta. Another quadruple superkick sets up a big row your boat spot. The dives take out Butcher/Blade/Sabian, leaving Penta to Fear Factor Serpentico for the pin at 7:17.

Rating: B-. Komander and Vikingo didn’t get to do much here but it was a fun opener with the lowest level villain taking the pin. This is a good way to get the crowd into a show as they will always react to a match like this one. I’m not sure who is going to come after the Tag Team Titles, as the Bros have held them for almost three months and haven’t defended them on a Ring Of Honor show yet. I’m sure that will change at Death Before Dishonor, but that’s a long reign without many defenses.

Gringo Loco vs. Willie Mack

Loco is the hometown boy and works on the wrist to start. Some flips get Loco out of the corner but Mack snaps off a handspring to block a headscissors. A DDT out of the corner plants Loco and Mack kicks him in the face for a bonus. Mack grabs the chinlock with a knee in the back, followed by the Samoan drop and standing moonsault for two.

Loco knocks him off the ropes though and there’s the springboard moonsault to hit Mack. Another dive to the floor sets up a missed moonsault back inside. Mack’s Sky High gets two and they trade kicks to the head for a double knockdown. They go up top at the same time, allowing Loco to snap off a super Spanish Fly for the pin at 7:45.

Rating: B-. Another back and forth match here with Loco getting the win in a nice moment. Loco is someone who catches your eye no matter what he is doing and that might be worth a closer look in the future. Then you have Mack, who feels like he should already be a star but almost never wins anything. I get having a good hand, but Mack being something higher on the card should have been a given a good while ago.

Respect is shown post match.

Trish Adora vs. Allysin Kay

They fight over a lockup to start and Kay bails into the corner. Adora grabs a headscissors n a standing Kay but can’t stay up, allowing Kay to fire off some right hands. Kay gets two off a swinging neckbreaker and sends her hard into the corner. Back up and Adora suplexes her way to freedom, setting up some hip attacks in the corner. The Lariat Tubman is cut off with a kick to the face but the second attempt finishes Kay at 4:51.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to go anywhere but it’s nice to see Adora getting a win for a change. Adora is unique enough to stand out in the division and Kay has some name recognition to be valuable. I could go for having both of these two around more often, and at least Adora got a bit of a boost.

Silas Young vs. Kyle Fletcher

They fight over wrist control to start until Young cuts off a charge with a kick to the ribs. Fletcher knees him to the floor and hits a suicide dive. Back in and Young takes him into the corner for a running shot and of course that means some trash talking. Fletcher is back with a suplex and a belly to back version gets two. A brainbuster gets two more but Young sends him to the apron and hits a springboard clothesline. Back up and Fletcher hits a superkick, setting up a lifting arm trap reverse DDT to finish Young at 6:24.

Rating: C+. Fletcher has been all over the AEW/ROH shows in recent weeks and it’s almost strange to see him morphing into a fan favorite. That certainly was the situation here, though that might have something to do with Young being a rather unpleasant sort. I’m not sure what Fletcher’s ceiling around here is but he’s certainly off to a nice start.

The Embassy vs. Trenton Storm/AJZ/Luke Kurtis

Non-title and Prince Nana is here with the Embassy. Toa runs Kurtis over and shoulders him in the corner to start. Kurtis sunset flip doesn’t work and a DDT does even less as we’re back in the 80s. Storm comes in to dropkick Cage, who clotheslines him down. Cage hits a release German suplex and it’s AJZ coming in to clean some house. A Stunner over the ropes cuts that off fast though and everything breaks down. Toa plants AJZ with Jimmy Rave’s Greetings From Ghana for the pin at 4:56.

Rating: C. This was mostly a squash as the Embassy continues to dominate the most worthless division in wrestling. I’m sure they’ll defend the titles at Death Before Dishonor and I’m sure it will be a most important match, as the division might be back up to three teams by that point. More of the same here from the Embassy and that’s all it should have been.

Dalton Castle vs. Josh Woods

The Boys and the Varsity Athletes are here too. Castle looks into the camera and says take a look at the greatest thing on your television or mobile device. They go with the grappling to start with Woods grabbing a front facelock. Woods sends him to the apron and pulls him face first into the rope to really take over. Hold on though as Castle and the Boys have a quick run around the ring to wake them up. Back in and Castle grabs a waistlock before a running boot to the face knocks Woods outside.

A Sterling distraction lets Woods grab a backbreaker into a German suplex for two as the villain takes over. Woods grabs his own waistlock but Castle suplexes his way to freedom. The Bang A Rang is blocked and Sterling breaks up another attempt. Woods powerbombs him into a hard knee to the face for two but Castle clotheslines him to the floor. Castle DEMANDS A BOY and a few of them are thrown at the Athletes. Back in and the Bang A Rang finishes Woods at 9:32.

Rating: B. There are certain matches that you know are going to be good based on the talent involved. That was certainly on display here, as both of them are solid amateur wrestlers and know their way around an ROH match as well. Castle still has value despite being years removed from the main event scene so it’s cool to see him pick up a hard fought win like this one.

Last week, the Kingdom buttered Stokely Hathaway up about getting a future Tag Team Title match. Apparently the Infantry has been talking trash about them, which doesn’t sit well with Hathaway.

We cut to the Infantry telling Hathaway the Kingdom are the ones who don’t believe in him. The match is made, but the sunglasses still look ridiculous.

The Infantry vs. The Kingdom

The Infantry are hometown boys also. Dean dropkicks Bennett to start and Bravo comes in for two off a splash. A slingshot cutter drops Taven for two with Maria having to make a save. Taven comes back in and beats on Bravo in the corner, setting up a brainbuster for two. Taven’s DDT gets the same as some early frustration sets in. Bravo manages to send Taven into the corner though and a diving tag brings Dean back in to pick up the pace. Back up and Taven hits a springboard kick to the face and it’s already back to Bravo, with commentary saying he might not be ready.

Bennett gets knocked down for a frog splash from Bravo with Taven having to make a rather last second save. A pump kick/Russian legsweep combination drops Taven but Bennett runs the Infantry over. Maria gets on the apron for a distraction, allowing Bennett to chair Bravo. Cue Trish Adora to take out Maria though, leaving Dean to roll Bennett up for the upset pin at 7:22.

Rating: B-. They kept the action going here and that near fall close to the end was very good. The Infantry winning was a surprise and it’s nice to see a new team getting moved higher up the ladder. I’m a bit surprised by the Kingdom losing, but they only have so much equity loaded up in recent months that the loss isn’t too devastating.

Blake Christian/Matt Sydal vs. Lee Moriarty/Big Bill

Moriarty headlocks Sydal over to start but Sydal is back with a dropkick. The exchange of front facelocks sets up Sydal’s running hurricanrana. A standing corkscrew moonsault gets two on Moriarty and Christian comes in to pick the pace up rather quickly. Sydal hits a running boot in the corner and now it’s Bill coming in to glare at Sydal for a change. A hurricanrana is blocked and Bill even throws in a little dance.

Moriarty comes back in and stomps away in the corner so much that Bill has to break it up. Bill misses a charge in the corner and Sydal dives over for the tag to bring Christian in. The Fosbury Flop hits Moriarty and a 450 gets two, with Bill making a save. Bill’s swinging Boss Man Slam gets two on Christian, with Sydal having to make a save. With Sydal on the floor, Bill chokeslams Christian onto the apron. The East River Crossing finishes Christian at 9:56.

Rating: C+. Another nice tag match here as Bill gets to pin someone for a change. He’s starting to find himself as the big monster and that is something that could serve him well going forward. There is always something to be said about someone who can run people over with straight power and that is what he does rather well. Sydal falls pretty fast after his title shot last week, but he very well could bounce back up.

The Kingdom is livid and promise revenge. They knew Stokely Hathaway and remember going to Cracker Barrel with him, where he would apparently order a kid’s meal. Well now Mike Bennett is going to Jerry Lynn and tell him how much he loved ECW. He didn’t of course, but that’s what he’s going to say!

Dark Order vs. Davey Bang/August Matthews

Silver wrestles Bang down without much trouble and then drops him with a clothesline. Reynolds comes in with a tiger driver for two and it’s Matthews coming in to get forearmed in the face. Everything breaks down and Bang is sent into the barricade, leaving Matthews to get caught with the finishing sequence. The jackknife rollup finishes for Reynolds at 2:27. Rather to the point here, though the Dark Order was doing more violent tendencies for a likely rematch with the Righteous/Stu Grayson.

Post match Grayson and the Righteous pop up on screen and say they want to see more of that Dark Order aggression next week. The Dark Order beats them up some more.

Mark Sterling interrupts Diamante and offers to split the winners purse (51/49 to Sterling of course) rather than have her fight Leila Grey. No.

Diamante vs. Leila Grey

Mark Sterling is here with Grey. Diamante offers to lay down before running Grey over with a clothesline. Grey bails to the floor and there’s a baseball slide to take her down again. Back in and Diamante chops away but gets taken down by a running hair pull. The backsplash misses though and Diamante loads up a reverse DDT. Sterling offers a distraction to break it up though and Grey grabs a rollup with feet on the ropes for the pin at 4:04.

Rating: C-. Not much to this one and it’s quite the choice to have Grey beat Diamante, who was getting a bit of a build up in recent weeks. Then again Sterling isn’t on the show nearly enough and needs another act to feature with more often. The match didn’t have time to go anywhere and featured a lot of forearms in four minutes, so it was only going to be so good.

AR Fox/Action Andretti/Darius Martin vs. Shane Taylor/Workhorsemen

Fox has to dodge some Taylor swings to start before it’s quickly off to Martin. Drake pulls him to the floor to start the beating though, setting up a Cannonball in the corner. Everything breaks down in a hurry and Andretti gets to clean house, including a springboard spinning kick to Taylor’s head. A handspring elbow/German suplex combination drops Drake but Taylor is back up with the Marcus Garvey Driver for two. With everyone else on the floor, Henry misses a top rope stomp and gets rolled up by Fox for the pin at 4:19.

Rating: C+. It was fun while it lasted, but it didn’t last that long. This is a good example of a match that really didn’t need to be on the show. The Workhorsemen feel like they’re on the show every week and the winners really didn’t need a rehab win the day after their Dynamite loss. It’s ok to leave this until next week and shave some time off the show, especially when we’ve already had multiple six man tags (plus an eight man) this week.

Mark Sterling and Leila Grey declare her as the #1 baddie when Diamante comes in. A rematch seems imminent.

Rocky Romero vs. Daniel Garcia

Pure Rules and Romero takes him to the mat without much trouble to start, leaving Garcia frustrated. A lockup of all things sends Romero to the ropes for his first break, followed by a cross armbreaker to send Garcia to the ropes to even things up. The Forever Lariats are broken up and Garcia grabs a suplex for two. Romero tries a leglock and Garcia has to burn off another rope break.

Garcia is fine enough to come back with an STF, sending Romero straight to the ropes as well. A kick to the face lets Garcia stop to dance a bit (fans: “YOU CAN’T DANCE!”). They go up top, where Romero snaps off a hurricanrana, with Garcia using his third rope break at two. Garcia is right back with a Boston crab but Romero grabs the rope to get rid of all breaks. A penalty kick is blocked and Romero is back with a tornado DDT. Romero gets the cross armbreaker but Garcia kicks off the ropes into the Dragonslayer in the ropes for the tap at 11:15.

Rating: C+. This was “I can use a rope break too!” as a match and that is only going to get you so far. The Pure Rules stuff can work, but this felt like they were only trying to burn off rope breaks instead of going for a win. Other than that, Garcia and Romero are still only so interesting and they didn’t quite hit their best levels here.

Post match Garcia stays on him but Orange Cassidy comes in for the save.

Women’s Title: Athena vs. Kiera Hogan

Athena is defending in a street fight and they have well over twenty minutes here. Athena takes her down to start and grabs a ladder, which is dropkicked right back into her. Hogan’s hurricanrana off the apron sends Athena into another ladder, meaning it’s time to send some weapons inside. As usual, that takes too long and Athena gets in a kendo stick shot to take over.

Hogan is sent into a trashcan in the corner but the referee yelling at Athena lets Hogan fight up. A fisherman’s neckbreaker onto the trashcan drops Athena again but Hogan spends WAY too much time setting up a ladder bridge on the floor. That lets Athena avoid a middle rope splash and she stomps on a Chicago street sign.

A bunch of chairs are stacked up but Hogan sends Athena through a table. Hogan’s splash onto Athena onto a table doesn’t break anything, so Hogan goes to the middle rope to drive her through it instead. Another table is set up inside and Athena cuts her off again, only to get caught on top.

Athena superbombs her through another table so let’s bring in the thumbtacks. Hogan grabs a belly to back suplex to send Athena into the tacks for two. With the brawling not working, Hogan uses her braids to choke Athena, who superplexes her onto the pile of chairs on the floor for the retaining pin at 19:23.

Rating: C+. Yeah there was a bunch of violence and ladders and tables. All of that added up to nowhere near enough to make me believe that Kiera Hogan was going to take the title off of Athena, leaving this as nearly twenty minutes of taking too long to set up spots and waiting for Athena to crush her. Athena is outstanding right now and maybe the best thing about Ring Of Honor. She needs a strong challenger though, and Hogan never came close.

We get a quick Forbidden Door rundown.

Athena is livid about not being respected after the win and wants a new challenger. And that’s it.

Overall Rating: B-. This show started of well and then it just kept going. Then after that, it just kept going even longer, because that’s what Ring Of Honor does. I’m not sure why, as a fan in the arena, I would want two hours of Collision plus two and a half hours of Ring Of Honor on the same night, but it’s hard to imagine that the masses stuck around. As for the show itself, it was the usual situation: good action, but it goes on for so long that the positives lose so much impact because there is so much here. As is the case almost every week: cut this WAY down and it’s a much better show, but it’s not likely to happen.

Results
Komander/El Hijo del Vikingo/Lucha Bros b. Serpentico/Kip Sabian/Butcher and the Blade – Fear Factor to Serpentico
Gringo Loco b. Willie Mack – Super Spanish Fly
Trish Adora b. Allysin Kay – Lariat Tubman
Kyle Fletcher b. Silas Young – Lifting arm trap reverse DDT
The Embassy b. Trenton Storm/AJZ/Luke Kurtis – Greetings From Ghana to AJZ
Dalton Castle b. Josh Woods – Bang A Rang
The Infantry b. The Kingdom – Rollup to Bennett
Big Bill/Lee Moriarty b. Blake Christian/Matt Sydal – East River Crossing to Christian
Dark Order b. August Matthews/Danny Bang – Jackknife rollup to Matthews
Leila Grey b. Diamante – Rollup with feet on the ropes
AR Fox/Action Andretti/Darius Martin b. Shane Taylor/Workhorsemen – Rollup to Henry
Daniel Garcia b. Rocky Romero – Dragonslayer
Athena b. Kiera Hogan – Superplex onto a pile of chairs

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Double Or Nothing 2023
Date: May 28, 2023
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Taz

We’re back to viewing on a pay per basis and that normally means some very good things from AEW. This show has an unofficial double main event, with the Four Pillars World Title match, plus Anarchy in the Arena. That should make things all the more interesting and the rest of the card is rather stacked. Let’s get to it.

Commentary is ringside here for a change. If that isn’t a first time for AEW, it’s only one of a handful of times ever.

Buy-In: Hardys/Hook vs. Ethan Page/The Gunns

If the Hardys/Hook win, Matt Hardy owns Page’s contract and Brother Zay is with the Hardys/Hook. JR: “Now is he Isiah Kassidy or is he Brother Zay?” Excalibur: “Well right now he’s injured!” Hook works on Austin’s wrist to start and wrestles him down before it’s off to Matt to stay on the arm.

Everything breaks down and the villains are cleared out, only to be throw back in. Colten starts in on Hook back inside and sends him into the corner. Hook manages a quick El Camino though and the hot tag brings in Matt to clean house. The Gunns are sent outside so they go after the injured Zay, leaving Matt to make the save. That takes too long though and it’s a double teaming to take Matt down for a change.

Matt avoids some charges to sent the Gunns outside but Hook and Jeff are pulled off the apron in a smart move. Colten misses a splash in the corner though and it’s Jeff coming in to take over. The middle rope splash looks to set up a Twist of Fate but Jeff tweaks his knee. The Whisper in the Wind is loaded up but Jeff slips and falls down in a crash.

Hook comes back in for a clothesline to Colten, allowing Matt to come in for Poetry In Motion (as Jeff’s knee seems ok). The 3:10 to Yuma cuts Matt off but Jeff Swantons in for the save. Everything breaks down again and Redrum is broken up. Stereo Twists of Fate take the Gunns down and it’s a Twisting Stunner into the Twist of Fate into Redrum to finish Page at 15:43.

Rating: C+. This was a long Kickoff Show match but it did well enough. The Hardys are going to get a strong reaction no matter what they do and that was the case here. Jeff has been gone for a long time now and it will be nice to have him around again, though pushing him in a big role would be more than risky. For now though, he did ok enough in a limited role.

The opening video looks at the majority of the card, including a special look at the main event.

International Title: Blackjack Battle Royal

Orange Cassidy, Bandido, Chuck Taylor, Trent, Lee Moriarty, Big Bill, Tony Nese, Ari Daivari, Komander, Butcher, Blade, Kip Sabian, Jay White, Juice Robinson, Dustin Rhodes, Keith Lee, Ricky Starks, Rey Fenix, Penta El Zero Miedo, Swerve Strickland, Brian Cage

Cassidy is defending and Sabian tries to get rid of him early on. A bunch of people brawl on the floor to start (as they were all on the floor before the bell and haven’t been inside yet) and Komander does a big rope walk dive to take everyone down. The four luchadors take over the middle of the ring so Bandido can get in a very delayed suplex on Nese. As I try to figure out why anyone but the Varsity Athletes would want to break that up, Nese is tossed out for the first elimination.

Daivari and Penta fight on the apron until Fenix walks the ropes to kick Daivari out for the elimination. Cage finally comes in and gets to clean house, including holding up Bandido and Komander at the same time. The Bros kick Cage down but White and Robinson jump them from behind. White knocks Komander out and it’s a Shield Bomb from the Best Friends/Cassidy to Sabian.

With Sabian out, Big Bill is back up to toss Chuck (with what seemed to be an accidental low bridge from Cassidy). Lee tosses Blade and slugs it out with Cage as Swerve gets in for the first time. Swerve and Lee slug it out (without having a match of course, because that’s just loony) and the Lucha Bros kick Butcher out. Moriarty kicks Bandido out (that’s an upset) but Trent suplexes Moriarty on the apron for the elimination.

Trent takes a big boot meant for Cassidy and gets eliminated in the process as the ring is clearing out a good bit. Cage tosses Lee but Rhodes cuts him off with Cross Rhodes. Fenix is sent to the apron and Penta accidentally knocks him out. Starks tosses Robinson and it’s White vs. Penta for a weird showdown. A springboard is cut out with a Blade Runner but Starks spears White and tosses him out.

Robinson pulls Starks outside (not eliminated) and beats him down, including a whip into the steps. Back in and Bill kicks Stars out (eliminated this time) before Dustin Canadian Destroys Cage on the apron for an elimination. Swerve knocks Rhodes out and we’re down to Swerve, Bill, Penta and Cassidy. Penta fires off a bunch of superkicks and adds a Backstabber to Cassidy.

Bill kicks Penta in the face though and clotheslines him out, followed by a swinging Boss Man Slam to Cassidy. Swerve surprises Bill and tosses him out, leaving us with Swerve vs. Cassidy. They tease tossing each other out until Cassidy hits the Stundog Millionaire. A dropkick to the back stops Cassidy though and they’re both down. The Swerve Stomp connects but Swerve mocks Cassidy instead of throwing him out. Fans: “YOU F***** UP!”

Cassidy catches him with back to back tornado DDTs and the Orange Punch sends Swerve to the apron. Swerve pulls Cassidy out to the apron, where a Prince Nana distraction slows Cassidy down. The Swerve Stomp only hits raised boots and Cassidy knocks him out to retain at 22:25.

Rating: B-. The ending was good, but there were only so many people who were going to be viable options to win, making the battle royal a bit unnecessary. Cassidy winning makes sense, but at some point someone is going to have to crush him good and hard to take the title. Perhaps Powerhouse Hobbs this week on Dynamite.

We recap Adam Cole vs. Chris Jericho in an unsanctioned match. Jericho handcuffed Cole to the ropes while Saraya beat up Cole’s girlfriend Britt Baker, meaning Cole wants revenge. Due to reasons, he brought in Sabu. Yes Sabu.

Chris Jericho vs. Adam Cole

Unsanctioned and Sabu is the guest enforcer, with the rest of the Jericho Appreciation Society and Roderick Strong here too. We start with a chair duel between Jericho and Sabu until Sabu chairs him down. Sabu goes up top and dives (meaning falls) onto what looked like Matt Menard to drive him through a table. That’s enough for everyone else and they all head to the back to even things up.

Back in and Cole takes Jericho down and wraps his leg around the post to take over. Jericho is fine enough to catch him with a suplex off the apron to the floor for a big crash. They get back inside and Jericho hits a clothesline but Cole sends him face first into a chair wedged in the corner. Cole superkicks him down but the Panama Sunrise is countered into the Walls. Making it to the ropes means nothing so Cole grabs a fire extinguisher to blast Jericho and break things up.

The blinded Jericho takes Cole down for two and sprays him with the extinguisher to make it worse. The kendo stick is loaded up but here is Britt Baker with a stick of her own to beat Jericho down. Saraya comes in and gets caned down again, with the women heading to the back. A table is set up but Jericho chairs Cole in the face, knocking him through said table. Jericho whips out a chain…with handcuffs on the ends.

That takes took long though and Cole DDTs him onto the chain for two. Cole chains himself to Jericho and hits the Panama Sunrise for two. The Boom misses and Jericho whips him with the chain. Cole manages a quick Boom but Cole doesn’t cover. Instead he wraps the chain around the knee and hits another Boom. Some right hands with the chain knock Jericho out for the referee stoppage at 19:01.

Rating: C-. And that’s being a bit generous. The match was by no means bad, but it was long, never got exciting, and felt like they were going off a Greatest Street Fight Hits list. I didn’t feel like Cole was out for blood or anything like than and the ending was the only part that felt remotely violent. Add in Sabu with the most pointless cameo in AEW history and this was REALLY disappointing.

We recap the Tag Team Title match. FTR and Jay Lethal/Jeff Jarrett are both claiming Mark Briscoe as a friend, so naturally he’s the guest referee.

Tag Team Titles: FTR vs. Jay Lethal/Jeff Jarrett

FTR is defending, Satnam Singh, Karen Jarrett and Sonjay Dutt are here too and Mark Briscoe is guest referee. Harwood takes Lethal down to start and frustration is setting in early. Back up and Lethal is taken into the corner for some hard chops, which has Lethal even more annoyed. Jarrett and Lethal need a breather on the floor and even try the clap behind the referee’s back for the fake tag.

With that not working, FTR hits a double backdrop and everyone heads outside, with Jarrett sending Wheeler into the barricade. Back in and Jeff takes over with a legsweep and some choking on the ropes, allowing Karen to get in a cheap shot. JR yells at Dutt a lot as the beating continues, only to have Wheeler get over for the hot tag to Harwood. House is cleaned and Harwood rolls some German suplexes on Lethal. Another suplex is blocked though and Lethal drops Harwood for a double knockdown.

Everything breaks down and Harwood crotches Lethal on top, setting up a top rope superplex. Harwood isn’t done though and Wheeler goes up for a powerbomb/top rope clothesline combination. Dutt gets involved for a distraction and that’s enough for the dramatic ejection from Briscoe.

Karen whips out a guitar and blasts Briscoe so here is Aubrey Edwards….who she guitar downs as well. Lethal hits a double Lethal Injection on FTR but there is no one to count. Harwood is back up with a piledriver to Lethal but Jarrett gets in a belt shot. The Stroke connects and Briscoe comes in to count two. Jeff slaps Mark, who slaps him back, and right into the Shatter Machine to retain the titles at 19:47.

Rating: B-. It was a fun, entertaining match that went all in on the insanity, as it should have. Cut it down by about five minutes and it’s even better, but there was little reason to believe that Jarrett and Lethal were going to be a major threat in the first place. Thankfully they didn’t do something stupid like having Briscoe turn, so this went pretty well all things considered.

Juice Robinson and Jay White jump Ricky Starks but FTR make the save.

Chris Jericho and Saraya are mad and want a tag match against Britt Baker and Adam Cole on Dynamite. Jericho throws a fireball at a production worker, because that’s a thing again.

TNT Title: Christian Cage vs. Wardlow

Cage is challenging in a ladder match. They take their time to start until Christian fires off some rights. Wardlow isn’t having that and runs him over but has to block the Killswitch. It’s time for the ladder, but Christian dropkicks it into Wardlow. Cage’s dive is blocked with a ladder in a hard crash and now it’s time for the tables, because of course it is.

That takes too long though and Cage knocks him onto the ladder in a hard crotching. Cage hits him with the ladder and puts it up in the ring, only to have Wardlow get back up and run him over. With Cage knocked down, cue Luchasaurus to throw him back in so Wardlow can be cut off. The reverse DDT off the ladder plants Wardlow again and Cage goes up. For some reason Wardlow goes up and dives at the ladder, which breaks as he lands on it.

Wardlow tries to climb the broken ladder, allowing Luchasaurus to hit a pair of chokeslams. Cue Arn Anderson to bite Luchasaurus’ thumb, which starts gushing blood. That lets Wardlow put Luchasaurus on a pair of tables for a CRAZY Swanton off the ladder and they’re both down. Cage pops up and tries for the title but Anderson offers a distraction. Wardlow hits a powerbomb on Christian and retains at 17:06.

Rating: C+. I have no idea why this needed to be a ladder match other than it involved Christian. Wardlow gets a win, albeit with help from Arn Anderson (who might need to see Britt Baker to look at those teeth). It was a violent enough ladder match and some of the spots were good (that Swanton was nuts), but this felt like they threw a ladder match out there so they could have one, not because the match needed one.

We recap Jamie Hayter defending her Women’s Title against Toni Storm. This is part of the Outcasts vs. the other women feud and Hayter is coming in with a bad shoulder, thanks to the Outcasts. Therefore, it’s about the title and revenge.

Women’s Title: Jamie Hayter vs. Toni Storm

Hayter is defending….and gets jumped backstage and falls down the ramp. The Outcasts send her into various things but Hayter says she can go, so ring the bell. Storm goes right for the near fall but the referee gets bumped on an interfering Soho. Hayter sends her into an exposed buckle but some spray paint to the face sets up the hip attack for two. Cue Hikaru Shida to go after Soho as Storm is sent into the buckle. Hayterade gets two but Storm sends her into the buckle again. Storm Zero gives Storm the title back at 2:55. This wasn’t good, but I’m thinking that can be blamed on Hayter’s injury.

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

The House is defending against mystery opponents, despite the Acclaimed and Gunn all but saying they were challenging on Rampage. Caster’s rap mentions the House of Black being Caucasian and referencing Dominik Mysterio (as Rhea Ripley is Buddy Matthews’ real life girlfriend). Black takes over on Bowens to start, allowing Black to sit down to mess with Bowens’ head.

Bowens tells him to bring it so it’s Matthews coming in to stomp on Bowens’ arm. Caster comes in and gets taken down as well as the one sidedness continues. It’s back to Bowens, who is taken down into a kneebar and then taken down into a kneebar to mix it up a bit. Matthews adds a top rope Meteora as we’re firmly in the slow beating process. Some cannonballs down onto the leg keep Bowens in trouble as we get a WHO’S YOUR MAMI chant.

Bowens tries to fight up again but gets knocked down hard into the corner again. King’s Cannonball crushes him but Dante’s Inferno is broken up. Bowens is almost over to Gunn but King pulls him down just in time. Back up and the hot tag FINALLY brings in Gunn to clean house, including a Fameasser each to King and Matthews. Black is right back up to kick Gunn in the head and retain at 15:39.

Rating: B-. Nice enough match here for something with more or less no build, though I’m still not sure who the House is supposed to be feuding with next. Gunn and the Acclaimed were one of the biggest trios left and now the House is likely back to feuding with a random pairing. For now though, this was a by the book but well done match with Bowens getting beaten down and Gunn coming in to take the fall (as he should have). Perfectly acceptable way to get the titles on the show.

TBS Title: Jade Cargill vs. Taya Valkyrie

Cargill, with Mark Sterling and Leila Grey, is defending and comes to the ring with a rapper and her dancing sorority sisters. Road To Valhalla and Jaded are both blocked early so Jade is sent outside. That lets Taya hit a dive onto Sterling and then hits the sliding German for a big crash.

Back in and Jade manages a spinning spinebuster for two before beating on her outside again. Jade pulls on both arms at the same time but Taya fights back up and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb. Back up and Jade tries a springboard but gets kneed out of the air. Taya hits a Curb Stomp for two, followed by Road To Valhalla for the same. Jade is right back with Jaded to retain at 8:48.

Rating: C. It was nice to see Jade do something different and her athleticism continues to be insane, but this was just kind of there for the most part, with Jade getting to do a move and then waiting for the next one. I’ll certainly take it over what she does most of the time though, as she finally had someone who actually tested her.

Post match Mark Sterling says there is no one let to face Jade….and Kris Statlander is back. And let’s ring the bell!

TBS Title: Kris Statlander vs. Jade Cargill

Statlander is challenging and elbows her in the face. A Jackhammer is broken up and it’s a pump kick into a failed Jaded attempt. Statlander is right back with Sunday Night Fever to finish Jade for the pin and the title at 46 seconds. Well, it’s nice to have Jade finally lose, and for someone who showed up in a surprise and pinned her after a rough match, Statlander could have been worse.

We recap the World Title match between the Four Pillars. Everyone wants a shot at MJF’s title and after a mini tournament, Sammy Guevara agreeing to lay down and then changing his mind and the match being announced, we’re ready to go.

AEW World Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Sammy Guevara vs. Jungle Boy vs. Darby Allin

MJF is defending and Sammy has Tay Melo with him. They’re here with cue cards….and Melo is going to have a baby! Even Jungle Boy has to clap for that one. Allin’s intro is a mini movie where he interrupts a wedding officiated by Elvis and with the groom being a dummy with an MJF mask on.

Allin comes in and beats him up, then has Elvis help him hide the body. Then he comes into the arena in an Elvis jumpsuit, making me think that he killed Elvis and left his body somewhere. Then MJF appears in his devil mask and sitting on a throne. Oh and there are masked women trying to reach for him on the way to the ring, leaving Jungle Boy looking rather plain.

Everyone goes after MJF to start and he gets chopped out to the floor. Everyone gets the chance to flip over each other until MJF is back in to drop Allin. That means the strut is on but Allin knocks him to the floor. The parade of dives is on and Sammy shooting stars onto everyone else. Back in and Jungle Boy gets caught in the Tree of Woe but manages to sit up, causing Guevara to superplex Allin into MJF for a big crash.

Back up and Guevara and Jungle Boy are sent outside, setting up the headlock takeover to give Allin two on MJF. Allin tries a dive but gets cuttered down by Guevara. The frog splash gives Guevara two on MJF, who is right back with a pumphandle driver to Allin. MJF: “I DON’T LIKE YOU DARBY!” He goes into why but that’s as good of an example as anything.

Jungle Boy is back in but gets dropkicked by Allin, leaving everyone down. Allin hits a Scorpion Death Drop, Jungle Boy hits a Killswitch and MJF hits a Cross Rhodes on Jungle Boy for two, leaving us with a stunned face after a cute sequence. Hold on though as MJF grabs a mic (Tony: “Just text it to us.”) and says Sammy is having a baby and needs the money, so lay down already. Sammy says he’ll do it and the ensuing small package gets two on MJF.

The GTH is countered but so is MJF’s Salt Of The Earth. Instead Guevara grabs a Boston crab on MJF and Allin gets the Scorpion Deathlock on Jungle Boy. Neither gives up so they’re both broken up, leaving Allin to Figure Four Guevara….who ankle locks MJF….who chinlocks Allin for a circle submission. With that broken up, Allin hits a Canadian Destroyer on MJF but Jungle Boy hits one of his own, leaving everyone down again. Another Canadian Destroyer (off MJF and Allin’s backs) hits Guevara for two and it’s time to go outside.

Allin gets a running start and knocks MJF and Jungle Boy over the barricade in a nasty crash. Back in and Guevara hits a top rope Spanish Fly to drive MJF onto the other two, leaving all of them down. They get inside and slug it out until MJF fires off the eye pokes. A triple superkick drops MJF and Guevara hits a Cody Cutter on MJF into Allin’s Code Red into Jungle Boy’s sliding forearm to the back of the head.

We get a pinfall reversal sequence (for a round of applause from the crowd) until Allin Code Reds Guevara for two. MJF breaks up the Coffin Drop though and superbombs Allin, seemingly hurting his wrist in the process. Guevara and Jungle Boy go up top to chop it out until Jungle Boy crashes down. Allin skateboards MJF in the head and hits the Coffin Drop but grabs a headlock takeover instead.

Jungle Boy makes the save and hits Allin for a double knockdown. MJF brings in the title but Jungle Boy takes it away…and throws it to the ring instead of hitting Allin. That earns him a Last Supper for two and it’s Guevara back in to fire off knees. The GTH hits and Sammy goes up but Sammy shoves him down. Allin loads up the Coffin Drop, only to have MJF put the title on Jungle Boy. Allin crashes and the headlock takeover retains MJF’s title at 27:49.

Rating: A-. This was a heck of a match and they tied a bunch of stuff in to make it better. It’s also a great example of a build not exactly working out perfectly but the match made up for it very well. They didn’t have it be two in the ring and two on the floor, as there were several sequences with everyone involved at once. I got way into this one and the action worked throughout, even if MJF winning wasn’t that much of a shock.

We recap the Elite vs. the Blackpool Combat Club. They hate each other and it’s time for Anarchy In The Arena.

Elite vs. Blackpool Combat Club

Anything goes, falls count anywhere. A band plays Wild Thing live and keeps going through the start of the match and the brawling is on in the crowd. Nick hits a big flip dive off the barricade as Don Callis joins commentary. Moxley dives off of the announcers’ table onto Omega and then drops him onto said table. A Figure Four on the floor has Omega in trouble as the referee is somehow bleeding.

Back in and Page rips off the eyepatch to reveal….a completely fine eye. Page pulls out the screwdriver but gets beaten down by the Club. The rest of the Elite comes in to beat the Club down and clear the ring with superkicks. The Elite hit stereo dives, leaving the Bucks to finally superkick the band to cut off the music. Omega hits Moxley with a piece of the announcers’ table as the Bucks dive off the stage.

Page comes back in to help beat on Moxley until Danielson makes the save. Omega gets suplexed onto the ramp as Danielson chokes Page inside. A bunch of people head to the concourse as Moxley busts out a barbed wire poker chip. Omega gets suplexed onto said chip before Moxley drives a fork into his head. We go split screen (thank goodness) as Castagnoli swings Matt Jackson near the concession stand. Back in the ring and Yuta chairs Page before Moxley knees Omega in the head.

We see Castagnoli piledriving Matt into a truck and that should leave him down for a bit. More people start getting back to ringside as the Elite continues to get beaten down. Page gets dropped onto a leaf blower (because there’s a leaf blower) but comes back with a Deadeye to Moxley on the apron. Omega, in Captain America tights, puts a trashcan lid on his arm ala Captain America and starts cleaning house. Castagnoli breaks that up but the Bucks are back in for the save.

Moxley hits the King Kong lariat into a Gotch style piledriver or two on Nick, setting up a crossface/Boston crab combination. Cue Matt and an exploding…something to the head (just go with it) clears Moxley out. A bunch of superkicks into the Buckshot Lariat gets two on Yuta and it’s Castagnoli punting…I believe Matt’s shoe. Moxley whips out the tacks (of course) and Matt goes bare foot into them, setting up a Death Rider for two.

Nick Swantons in to break up Danielson’s heel hook, with Nick’s face hitting the tacks. Castagnoli breaks up Omega’s V Trigger so Omega hits him with it instead. Danielson knees Omega down and then does it to Page as well. Moxley pours tacks in Matt’s mouth for Castagnoli’s uppercut, setting up a German suplex from Yuta.

It’s Page making the save and Omega gets up with him, as they’re family again. Danielson is back up and it’s the Deadeye into the One Winged Angel for two as Yuta makes the save. Callis offers a distraction though and slips Yuta a screwdriver. That takes Page down so Omega goes after Callis…..and it’s Konosuke Takeshita to knee Omega down. Yuta screwdrivers Omega in the head and grabs the seat belt for the pin at 27:02.

Rating: B+. This was really good as well, but just like the previous version or Stadium Stampede, it’s not really a match that you can call step by step in the traditional sense. Instead it was a bunch of fights that were all over the place, which is exactly what its name says it was supposed to be. The ending sends things into a bit of a different direction, though anytime someone wants to get Callis off the screen for the better part of ever, I’d be happy. Hard hitting, violent match here and that’s exactly what it needed to be after all the hatred to get us here.

Post match Callis chokes Omega with a belt to knock him even more out. The Club celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show took its time to get going and did have some rocky points, but it got that much better by the end, with the last two matches being awesome. There were some rather violent matches here and some of them felt like a definitive end to a story, but it did go a bit overboard with the insanity. This show had a battle royal, a ladder match, an unsanctioned match, a four way and Anarchy in the Arena. It would have been nice to slow things down a bit and have some more regular matches, but the last two matches carried it pretty high. Not a bad show at all, but pretty low on the AEW PPV chart.

Results
Hardys/Hook b. Ethan Page/Gunns – Redrum to Page
Orange Cassidy won the Blackjack Battle Royal last eliminating Swerve Strickland
Adam Cole b. Chris Jericho via referee stoppage
FTR b. Jeff Jarrett/Jay Lethal – Shatter Machine to Jarrett
Wardlow b. Christian Cage – Wardlow pulled down the title
Toni Storm b. Jamie Hayter – Storm Zero
House Of Black b. Acclaimed/Billy Gunn – Spinning kick to Gunn
Jade Cargill b. Taya Valkyrie – Jaded
Kris Statlander b. Jade Cargill – Sunday Night Fever
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Jungle Boy, Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara – Headlock takeover to Allin
Blackpool Combat Club b. Elite – Seat belt to Omega

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: May 24, 2023
Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

It’s the go home show for Double Or Nothing and that means it’s time for one final push towards the pay per view. It would be hard to imagine anything else being added tonight, but for now at least, we should be in for a nice hard sell. The Blackpool Combat Club gets a Ring Of Honor Tag Team Title shot this week and you know the Elite will be around. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Kyle Fletcher

Cassidy is defending and gets knocked down for a fast two count. Fletcher knocks him to the floor for the suicide dive and a clothesline gets two more back inside. Back up and Cassidy knocks him off the apron for a nine count, allowing Cassidy to put his hands in his pockets. A superkick cuts Cassidy off again and a rather delayed suplex gets two as we take a break.

Back with Cassidy getting in a few shots of his own, only to be kicked off the apron. Fletcher grabs a Michinoku Driver for two, followed by a running kick in the corner. Cassidy is back with a brainbuster of his own but Fletcher grabs back to back Tombstones for another near fall. A super sitout Michinoku Driver gets two on Cassidy, because of course it does. Cassidy manages to reverse into a tornado DDT and a cradle finishes Fletcher at 15:05.

Rating: B-. They lost me with Cassidy being dropped on his head over and over and still getting up, but it wasn’t like there was any drama about the winner here in the first place. Cassidy isn’t losing the title four days before a 21 man match after having been built up as this surviving champion, especially to one half of a tag team. Nice opener, though it went longer than it needed to.

Ricky Starks is in the Blackjack Battle Royal but insists that he is in full control against Jay White and Juice Robinson. He’ll do something about it and win the title but here is Robinson to start the fight. White jumps him from behind and Starks is left laying thanks to some chair shots to the back. Well that’s more than White has been able to do lately.

Jungle Boy talks about working at low level shows in Las Vegas and driving the roads here time after time. What matters is being in the ring, which has let him live the life that he wants. On Monday morning, he’ll be driving on that same road, but this time as the World Champion.

Here is FTR to say it’s time to get serious with Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal. Jarrett has broken countless guitars and still can’t stay relevant, but he needs to understand that a couple of rejects from TNA aren’t going to be the heads of the tag division. After Double Or Nothing, Jarrett better go call the Queen Of The Mountain (Dax: “I mean Dixie Carter.”) to make sure he has some job security.

Top Guys are out but here is Mark Briscoe to cut them off. Briscoe asks about the piledriver last week, but Dax says it was an accident. Briscoe won’t shake his hand and instead slaps him in the face. He goes to leave and here are Jarrett and company. Briscoes shoves Karen away, drops Jeff, and tells Lethal that he’s getting tired of his BS. I’m still not sure how Lethal and Jarrett are the top options for the titles but the division has kind of fallen quiet in recent weeks. At least the match should be very good from a technical standpoint.

Sammy Guevara says MJF doesn’t have enough money to make him lay down because he’s coming for the title.

Trios Titles: Blake Christian/AR Fox/Metalik vs. House Of Black

The House is defending and the challengers have selected Lucha Rules for their Dealer’s Choice. Matthews knocks Christian outside to start but gets sent outside by Metalik. Black comes in to kick away at Metalik and it’s off to Christian, who gets planted by King. It’s back to Black to drop Christian, but Metalik comes in with a double dropkick.

A big step up flip dive to the floor takes out most of the House, but Fox is left alone to stare down King. Fox slips away and hits the big imploding moonsault to take out everyone else. Back in and Fox misses a 450, allowing Matthews to Stomp him down. The Prism Trap (high Rhea Ripley) sends Fox to the rope…which means nothing. Black kneebars Metalik and Matthews no sells Christian’s kicks. King grabs a choke on Christian as Fox finally taps at 5:18.

Rating: C. I know this isn’t the big showdown match or the titles but having a thrown together Ring Of Honor trio coming after the belts isn’t exactly inspiring. The trios division isn’t exactly top heavy right now, though there are some teams out there who could become viable challengers if given the chance. That wasn’t the case here though, and we got a House workout instead of a big time match as a result.

Video on Anarchy in the Arena from last year and the setup of this year’s version.

Blackpool Combat Club is read for Anarchy in the Arena. Jon Moxley talks about how they are the best in the world and they don’t take that lightly. They’ll prove it on Sunday.

Here is MJF for a chat. After mocking the fans, MJF lists off various ways that his challengers can be hurt/maimed/killed (including Jungle Boy being put in an echo chamber so he can hear himself and be bored to death). MJF talks about how four years ago, no one knew who the Pillars were, but now they have given you everything you want. They ARE AEW but MJF is kind of sick of this place. He’s sick of the lack of competition and respect, and hey did you know his contract expires soon?

MJF thinks it is no coincidence that he can lose the title without being pinned, but here is Darby Allin to interrupt. Allin talks about how he was working at the 99 cent store cleaning toilets and living in his car. Then AEW saved him, because no wrestling company is going to let him skateboard with Tony Hawk or drive a car over his house with Travis Pastrana (there uh, might be a reason for that Darby). Allin threatens to win the title and gets hit low.

MJF loads up the Dynamite Diamond but Sammy Guevara runs in for the save. Cue Jungle Boy so MJF goes after him, only to get dropped as well. Jungle Boy holds up the title. They’re trying so hard with this feud and it’s just not making that high level. It’s good, but it doesn’t feel like a main event feud no matter what they do.

Video on Wardlow vs. Christian Cage.

Lady Frost vs. Taya Valkyrie

Valkyrie takes her down to start but Frost is back up with a running hurricanrana. Frost gets sent into the corner and pulled back out for a sliding lariat. A missed charge in the corner sends Valkyrie into the post, followed by a running kick to the head in the corner. Frost’s front flip is cut off by a clothesline for two but cue Jade Cargill and company as we take a break. Back with Frost sending her into the corner and hitting a front flip into a Cannonball. Valkyrie hits a spear and gets two off a Blue Thunder Bomb. Road To Valhalla finishes Frost at 7:30.

Rating: C. Frost can do some nice gymnastics but that’s about all she showcased here. It was more competitive than I would have expected but not so much that it was getting unreasonable. At this point though, Taya almost has to win the title or I’m not sure what else she is supposed to do in AEW. For now though, she had a nice win on the way there.

Tony Khan announced that the first episode of Collision is going to be in Chicago.

Hangman Page isn’t sure if he was ever really friends with the Elite, but they have always been family. Page is ready for revenge and promises to take it back from the Blackpool Combat Club.

Tony Schiavone is in the ring for a contract signing between Adam Cole (with Roderick Strong) and Chris Jericho (with the Jericho Appreciation Society). Cole signs immediately and calls out Jericho for having Britt Baker attacked. Jericho must think that he can do anything he wants but we are going to see just how invincible he is on Sunday. Cole threatens a variety of damage to Jericho and tells him to sign, while calling him a b****.

That isn’t cool with Jericho, who says that isn’t what happened to Baker. We see a clip of Saraya beating on Baker with a kendo stick (as Jake Hager mocks back pain). Jericho asks what kind of a man allows that to happen to the love of his life. That’s enough to get Jericho to sign as he says Cole and Strong are outnumbered.

Cole says it is 5-2, but he made a phone call to someone here in Las Vegas. It’s someone he grew up idolizing…..and I kid you not……it’s SABU. After a long entrance, Sabu pelts a chair at Matt Menard’s face to chase off the Society. I’m not sure what to say here, but Tony Khan’s resurrection of the 90s continues, along with various promoters’ obsessions with trying to live off ECW’s legacy. I mean…..it’s SABU. In 2023. And Jericho and company are supposed to be intimidated? And fans who aren’t diehard ECW supporters are supposed to be interested?

Video on Jamie Hayter vs. Toni Storm.

Roderick Strong vs. Daniel Garcia

Strong wastes no time with the chops and gets two off his first backbreaker. Back with Garcia curb stomping him but taking too long dancing. Strong faceplants him to take over and hits the dropkick for a knockdown. Another backbreaker gives Strong another two but Garcia is back up to strike away. The Dragon Tamer is broken up though and End of Heartache finishes for Strong at 8:48.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of match that is always going to work as there was nothing technically wrong with it and both guys were working hard. AEW has stars like this to have a fine wrestling match and that is what they did here. Good enough stuff and I’d watch them both do something like this on a pretty regular basis.

We look at Willow Nightingale winning the New Japan Strong Women’s Title over Mercedes Mone.

Double Or Nothing rundown.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Lucha Bros vs. Claudio Castagnoli/Wheeler Yuta

The Bros, with Alex Abrahantes, are defending and Bryan Danielson is on commentary. The champs send them outside to start for back to back dives, followed by Made In Japan for two on Yuta. Castagnoli uppercuts Fenix out of the air though and we take a break. Back with Yuta cravating Fenix, setting up Castagnoli’s swing into Yuta’s dropkick. Fenix kicks his way out of trouble, allowing Penta to come in and clean house.

Penta kicks away at both of them in the corner, setting up Fenix’s rolling forearm to Yuta. A running Canadian Destroyer plants Castagnoli and Fenix’s Black Thunder Driver gets two on Yuta. Castagnoli is back up to knock Penta outside and a Rocket Launcher hits Fenix for two. Abrahantes gets on the apron and here are the Young Bucks to cut off Castagnoli. The spike Fear Factor retains the titles at 10:28 (as Danielson is FURIOUS).

Rating: B. As usual, the Bros are able to have an exciting match with just about anyone and they did it again here. Thankfully they didn’t do a title switch to mess with the championship situation even more, as that would have just been one thing too many for the Club. For now, they had a main event level match and the Bros get a win over some big names.

Jon Moxley and the rest of the Club comes in to swear vengeance against the Bucks and the Elite. A lot of violence is promised to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The wrestling was good enough and they pushed the pay per view well so I can’t complain that much. Other than the Sabu (I still can’t get over that) appearance, there was nothing too insane or over the top. Double Or Nothing should be good, but I’m going to be glad to get away from the Four Pillars stuff as it really doesn’t feel like a pay per view worthy World Title match. Solid Dynamite though, and they did what they needed to do.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Kyle Fletcher – Cradle
House Of Black b. Blake Christian/AR Fox/Metalik – Prism Trap to Fox
Taya Valkyrie b. Lady Frost – Road To Valhalla
Roderick Strong b. Daniel Garcia – End Of Heartache
Lucha Bros b. Claudio Castagnoli/Wheeler Yuta – Spike Fear Factor to Yuta

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

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

AND

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

.

Rampage
Date: April 14, 2023
Location: UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We are about a month and a half away from Double Or Nothing but this week’s show has a bit of an international feeling. The major advertised match will see Aussie Open, the new IWGP Tag Team Champions Aussie Open defending against the Best Friends. Other than that, we should get at least some stories advanced with the action to back it up. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

IWGP Tag Team Titles: Aussie Open vs. Best Friends

Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher/Mark Davis) is defending with Davis running Trent over to start. As Excalibur lists off all kinds of former champions, what happened recently and what is coming tonight (taking about a minute to do so), Trent hits a high crossbody to take over on Fletcher. That doesn’t last long though as Fletcher drops him on top and the Best Friends are sent outside.

The Friends are rammed into each other before the hand off suplex drops Trent for two back inside. We take a break and come back with Chuck saving Trent and a double chokeslam putting Davis down. We get the Big Hug and a Doomsday knee gets two on Fletcher. Back up and Davis kicks Chuck into a spinning Tombstone, followed by a nasty piledriver to Trent. The double clothesline sets up Coriolis to retain the titles at 9:45.

Rating: C+. Nice stuff here as the Aussies get a win to establish themselves a bit better. The Best Friends are going to be over no matter what they do so there is little for them to lose in something like this. The match was energetic enough to be a featured showdown on Rampage and that’s a pretty good place to be.

Mark Briscoe isn’t sure that he’s on the same page as Sonjay Dutt and company, because apparently a misleading statement leads to a legally binding agreement. Dutt talks to Briscoe about working together and even has a shirt with the entire stables’ faces on it. Isn’t this more or less the same thing as Matt Hardy (also a legendary tag wrestler) with the Firm?

Here is FTR for a chat. It took them two years and five months to get the AEW Tag Team Titles back. There has been some speculation about their futures, but they have signed with AEW for another four years. They are retiring when their contracts are done, but for the next four years, you’re getting everything they have because they want to be the best team ever.

This is their redemption story after they have been beaten down. They have fought and fought to be here and the only difference between themselves and the fans is having the fans in their corner. They have four years left and it will be awesome. Top guys out. It’s nice to have some clarification for their futures and they’re back on top, where they should be.

The Hardys, Isiah Kassidy and Hook are glad to have Jeff Hardy back, after a rough nine months. They are ready for their match against the Firm so Matt and Private Party can be free from their contracts. The match will take place at the Hardy Compound (oh geez) as Matt seems Broken again.

Wardlow had no comment on destroying Powerhouse Hobbs’ card. Hobbs is mad, but he’s ready to destroy Wardlow in their TNT Title match next week.

Mark Briscoe/Jeff Jarrett/Satnam Singh/Jay Lethal vs. Spanish Announce Project/Jake Manning

Briscoe and company have Sonjay Dutt with them and the brawl is on fast. Dutt trips Manning down and Briscoe isn’t happy, leading to everything breaking down. Singh comes in for a gorilla press and chokeslam, setting up the Froggy Bow to finish Manning at 2:00.

Video on the Blackpool Combat Club vs. the Elite.

Taya Valkyrie vs. Emi Sakura

Taya chops away to start and hits a running elbow in the corner to rock Sakura. The running knees make it worse and Taya powering out of a waistlock doesn’t help. The Road To Valhalla is loaded up but here are Leila Grey and Jade Cargill for a distraction. Sakura drops Taya and we take a break. Back with Taya hitting a sliding German suplex but another Cargill distraction lets Sakura send Taya into the steps. Back in and Taya has had enough of this, setting up a spear into the Road To Valhalla for the pin at 8:33.

Rating: C+. It was nice to see Taya having to work for a win for a change as she continues to be built up for Cargill. Sakura is someone who has done well enough to make this mean something and Taya getting a win helps enough. Good match here, and now the question is whether Taya can take the title from Jade. I mean she probably won’t, but it’s nice to see her having more of a chance than most.

Post match Grey comes in but gets Road To Valhalled as well. Cargill comes in and slugs it out with Taya but Leila breaks up the Road To Valhalla. Jade plants her with Jaded to stand tall. It’s so nice to see Jade having an actual challenge to one of her upcoming title defenses rather than the next designated victim.

Jose The Assistant challenges El Hijo del Vikingo for a AAA Mega Title shot on behalf of Dralistico.

The Jericho Appreciation Society “raps” about the Acclaimed. Cue the Acclaimed, with Caster not even bothering to rap. The beating is on, with Billy Gunn whipping out some scissors to try to cut off Matt Menard’s hard nipples. The challenge is thrown out for Dynamite.

Jungle Boy and Shawn Spears are ready for the main event. Spears isn’t friends with MJF anymore but he wants the World Title too. If beating Jungle Boy gets him that much closer, so be it.

Here’s what’s coming on upcoming shows.

Jungle Boy vs. Shawn Spears

Spears rolls him up for two (and a ten) but Jungle Boy hits a dropkick for a ten of his own. They both go to the floor where the other can tease a dive but pull up at the last second. Spears gets sent into the barricade as we see Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara watching in the back. Jungle Boy gets sent over the barricade and we take a break.

Back with an exchange of near falls until Spears pump kicks him down. Jungle Boy hits a clothesline for his own knockdown though and they both get a breather. A rollup gives Jungle Boy two but Spears is back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Spears goes for a cradle but Jungle Boy stacks him up for the pin at 9:04.

Rating: C. This was a completely watchable match which never broke through to the next level. In other words, it was a Shawn Spears match and little more. Spears is one of the good hands around here who won’t give you a bad match but also won’t get anywhere beyond his ceiling. Jungle Boy gets another win to keep up the brilliant yet shockingly simple build towards Double Or Nothing of “have challengers win matches”.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a show that existed, with a bunch of stuff that didn’t really mean much and Jungle Boy getting a win in the main event. That’s Rampage in a nutshell for the most part and it isn’t something you need to see in any way. It’s a complete watchable show, but the big draw of this show was a guest team defending another company’s titles and finding out what is going to happen on Dynamite. That’s not the most interesting hour.

Results
Aussie Open b. Best Friends – Coriolis to Chuck
Mark Briscoe/Jeff Jarrett/Satnam Singh/Jay Lethal b. Spanish Announce Project/Jake Manning – Froggy Bow to Manning
Taya Valkyrie b. Emi Sakura – Road To Valhalla
Jungle Boy b. Shawn Spears – Cradle

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Battle Of The Belts VI
Date: April 7, 2023
Location: Ryan Center, Kingston, Rhode Island
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone

It’s time for another of these specials, which as you might have guessed, are all about titles. These do not tend to feature many title changes and this edition’s card was announced with about ten minutes to go in this week’s Dynamite. This could go in a variety of ways but there are some interesting matches on the show. Let’s get to it.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Dralistico

Cassidy, with the Best Friends, is defending, and runs into Julia Hart, who was still at ringside after the main event of Rampage. Dralistico, with La Faccion Ingobernable, bails to the floor to start before throwing some of his gear at Cassidy. They go with some grappling and Cassidy gets taken down, leaving him glancing up at Dralistico. A hurricanrana sends Cassidy outside, where the seconds get into a staredown.

Back in and Cassidy fires off some lazy chops before taking him by the hand and walking the ropes. Instead of hitting him, Cassidy puts a hand in the pocket and casually jumps down. A dropkick sends Dralistico to the floor and poses, just to rub it in a bit. Jose the Assistant crotches Cassidy on top though, leaving Dralistico to hit a big dive to break up the brawl on the floor.

Everyone else fights up the ramp and we take a break. Back with Cassidy hitting a Michinoku Driver for two and the tornado DDT for the same. Dralistico Codebreakers him for two and they both go to the top to slug it out. They go back to the mat with Dralistico grabbing a Fujiwara armbar to send Cassidy over to the rope. A Canadian Destroyer into a spinning kick to the head gives Dralistico two more. Cassidy is sent outside and punches Jose the Assistant down. Back in and Dralistico’s spinning knee to the face is countered into a small package for two. Cassidy hits the Orange Punch to retain at 10:49.

Rating: C. Not a bad match here, but there was almost no drama about the idea of Dralistico winning the title. It also didn’t exactly feel special when Cassidy has been on TV so often lately as it isn’t a special defense just just the next one. Cassidy is being built up for a major match though as the person who beats him is going to feel like a big deal.

Post match Cassidy is badly favoring his hand, which was already banged up after punching Buddy Matthews’ mast last week. The House of Black pops up on screen and says that was impressive before Buddy Matthews issues the challenge for the title match.

We look back at Dynamite.

Mark Briscoe says he has a lot left and is looking forward to the Lucha Bros’ match tonight. Jay Lethal comes in to ask how long they’ve known each other. Jay Lethal comes in to say everyone is still proud of Mark and they’ve known each other for over twenty years. Lethal offers to have them work together and they shake hands. Jeff Jarrett/Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt come in but Mark isn’t sure about this.

TBS Title: Jade Cargill vs. Billie Starkz

Starkz is challenging and doesn’t like Jade not being impressed. Jade talks trash and gets slapped in the face, earning a ram into the corner. A backbreaker keeps Starkz in trouble and Jade spanks her, only to get caught in a Backstabber. Starkz’s sunset flip is broken and Jade sends her outside as we take a break.

Back with Jade dropping her again but Jaded is countered into a hurricanrana. Jade is sent outside and a running dropkick to the back connects. Back in and a Downward Spiral drops Jade but she gets her knees up to block a Swanton. The pump kick sets up Jaded to retain the title at 8:35.

Rating: C+. Starkz was trying here but again, there was no reason to believe that she was going to win the title. At the end of the day, Jade’s title reign has been built up as such a big deal that it is going to take something special to beat her. Starkz is talented, but she isn’t going to come here and be the big streak breaker.

Post match Taya Valkyrie comes out and takes Jade down. Road To Valhalla is blocked though and Jade bails.

Brandon Cutler and Michael Nakazawa are the only ones left of the Elite right now but they’re going to stand up to the bullies in the Blackpool Combat Club.

The Lucha Bros and QT Marshall/Powerhouse Hobbs are ready for a fight.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Lucha Bros vs. QT Marshall/Powerhouse Hobbs

The Lucha Bros are defending. Penta does his pose at Marshall to start and they trade a few flips until both miss their finishers. Marshall gets knocked into the corner so it’s Hobbs coming in to go nose to nose with Penta. Hobbs knocks Marshall to the floor by mistake and everything breaks down, only to have Hobbs run Penta over. Fenix gets pulled out of the air and a slam plants Fenix hard. Penta tries to chop both of them down so it’s a double shoulder to drop him instead.

We take a break and come back with Penta still in trouble but managing a Sling Blade on Marshall. The Backstabber out of the corner allowing the tag off to Fenix as everything breaks down. The wheelbarrow splash gets two on Marshall and a top rope splash is good for the same with Hobbs making the save. An exchange of kicks to the head leaves everyone staggered so Hobbs runs Fenix over.

Marshall hits his cutter but Fenix takes him down again to leave everyone down again. Back in and Marshall gets kicked down again, followed by a top rope splash for two more. Hobbs runs both Bros over but Penta is back up, drawing in the rest of the QTV crew. Aaron Solo gets some of Harley Cameron’s spray into Fenix’s eyes for two. Penta gets powerbombed onto the apron but Fenix reverses Marshall’s suplex into a hurricanrana for the pin to retain the titles at 14:44.

Rating: B-. The Bros are awesome, Hobbs was treated like a monster and Marshall is still a good hand. Everything they did in the ring was good enough, but again the lack of drama hurt this a bit. The inclusion of Marshall brings everything down and there is no real way around that. Hobbs defending his own title would have been more interesting/useful, at Marshall just isn’t going to be seen as a potential champion.

Overall Rating: C+. Ever since this show began, it has felt like something AEW has to do rather than wants to do and that was the case again there. The main event is good enough but it’s nothing you wouldn’t see topped on any given Dynamite. None of the titles felt like they were in jeopardy as we will now have gone over a year since the last time a title changed hands at one of these shows. It’s nothing you’ll be mad at yourself for watching, but there’s no reason to watch this show.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Dralistico – Orange Punch
Jade Cargill b. Billie Starkz – Jaded
Lucha Bros b. QT Marshall/Powerhouse Hobbs – Hurricanrana to Marshall

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Rampage
Date: March 31, 2023
Location: Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross, Chris Jericho

It’s time for the show that is stuck in the middle of the biggest weekend of the wrestling year. In this case, it’s going to be hard to find something that gets a lot of attention and there is a very real chance that AEW might punt here and wait for more eyes to be on them. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Sammy Guevara

Guevara has Tay Melo with him. Guevara gets on commentary’s nerves to start but Takeshita knocks him back a bit. Takeshita takes the leg out to put Guevara down and even strikes his pose as we see Darby Allin watching in the back. Guevara drops Takeshita over the top rope and hits a big top rope flip dive to take him down again.

Back in and Takeshita kicks him to the floor instead, setting up the big no hands flip dive. They both go up top with Guevara biting his way out of a German superplex. There’s a running stomp to bring Takeshita out of the Tree of Woe and we take a break. Back with Takeshita reversing a brainbuster into one of his own and grabbing a German suplex.

Guevara flips out of another one though and catches Takeshita in a standing Spanish Fly for two. Takeshita pulls him out of the air for a Blue Thunder Bomb for two and goes up top. That’s cut off by Guevara but Takeshita knocks him off the top. A hard clothesline connects but Melo grabs Takeshita’s ankle, allowing Guevara to hit the GTH for the pin at 9:41.

Rating: C+. This was about Guevara getting his win to match the rest of the Four Pillars, meaning that he might be on the way to Double Or Nothing for a World Title match as well. For now though, what matters is that Guevara keeps his momentum, but Takeshita taking another loss isn’t the best thing to see. Just let him beat someone important, please?

And now, QTV (JR: Really?”), with a discussion of who should be the next challenger for Powerhouse Hobbs. That doesn’t last long so QT Marshall talks about debuting the Dirt Sheet Driver, which he stole from Japan, so “the marks already love it”. Maybe he could hit it four times in a row and call it the Dirt Sheet Symphony. This is still rather bad.

Matt Hardy has drawn up Ethan Page’s contract for his match with Hook on Dynamite. Page doesn’t know what’s in it but signs (as Hook has already done). Hardy even winks at the camera as Page signs.

Best Friends vs. House Of Black

Trent hits a standing Meteora on Black to start and drives him into the corner. Chuck comes in but Trent gets knocked off the apron, leaving Chuck on his own against both monsters. King lariats Chuck down for two and sends Trent outside to keep up the beating. We take a break and come back with Trent getting the hot tag to clean house.

Trent hits the big running flip dive to drop King on the floor, followed by a missile dropkick to Black for two. The half and half Soul Food combination drops Black again but King is back in to…get low bridged to the floor actually. Everyone heads outside and King powerbombs Chuck through the table. Trent hits King with a chair and it’s a double DQ at 9:24.

Rating: C. The match was only so logical as I’m not sure why the House Of Black was needing this long to take out the Best Friends. The House Of Black has a bad tendency to not fight like monsters and they only did so much of it here. It’s not like the Best Friends should be squashed, but this was more even than it should have been.

Post match the beatdown stays on so Orange Cassidy comes out for the save….and gets laid out on the stage by Buddy Matthews.

Video on Keith Lee vs. Swerve Strickland. Note that the team split in November and they haven’t had a singles match yet.

Marina Shafir vs. Taya Valkyrie

Cue Jade Cargill and company to watch as Shafir goes with the grappling to start. Taya powers up and knocks Shafir away, setting up a quick Road To Valhalla for the pin at 2:37. More of the same from Taya.

Post match Mark Sterling sends the process server (Tootie) to the ring to sue Taya, who gives her Road To Valhalla as well.

Anna Jay is ticked off at Julia Hart for mocking her broken ribs. Jay: “I have a fat a** and a bad attitude.” She promises to choke Hart out. Jay is a lot of things, but a good talker isn’t one of them.

Juice Robinson is ready to beat up Action Andretti on his way to facing Ricky Starks.

Here’s what’s coming on future shows.

Action Andretti vs. Juice Robinson

Andretti starts fast by climbing the corner for a springboard armdrag. Robinson takes him into the corner and chops away while shouting about Ricky Starks. A headscissors drops Robinson though and we take a break. Back with Robinson hitting a gutbuster and driving a knee into the ribs. Robinson whips him into the corner as Excalibur talks about how Robinson has been using his power to keep control (point for telling the story). Andretti manages to send him outside for an Asai moonsault, setting up a springboard clothesline back inside. Robinson kicks him in the face though and hits the forward DDT for the pin at 9:02.

Rating: C+. We’ve pretty much reached the point now where Andretti is little more than a jobber to the stars, which is about all you could have expected from him. He wasn’t going to become the next bit thing off of one upset win so just being around is about all he could have expected. As for Robinson…he’s just kind of there as well and seems to be someone that Ricky Starks happens to be dealing with at the moment. Maybe that gets better, but for now he’s just ok.

Post match Ricky Starks runs in to chase Robinson off to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Pretty ho hum show here with some decent action. There’s only so much you’re going to be able to get with Guevara as the top singles star in action on the show, but at least they did seem to set up something with the Best Friends and Orange Cassidy vs. the House of Black. Other than that, a watchable yet not exactly must see show, which is pretty much Rampage to the letter.

Results
Sammy Guevara b. Konosuke Takeshita – GTH
Best Friends vs. House Of Black went to a double DQ
Taya Valkyrie b. Marina Shafir – Road To Valhalla
Juice Robinson b. Action Andretti – Forward DDT

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Dynamite
Date: March 29, 2023
Location: Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We are on the way to Double Or Nothing and that means the card needs to start coming together. You can probably guess a few of the matches that are expected, but there is also a big show next week in New York. There is a good chance that we will be finding out some of the matches on this week. Oh and Kenny Omega vs. Jeff Cobb, if we just have to. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jungle Boy vs. Matt Hardy

Ethan Page is here with Hardy, who stares Jungle Boy down to start before working on the arm. That’s reversed into Jungle Boy’s wristlock and a dropkick puts Hardy on the floor early on. They trade places and Matt hits a dive before the brawl can continue. A Side Effect on the apron plants Jungle Boy and we take an early break.

Back with Jungle Boy fighting back but Page pops up on the apron. Cue Hook to even things up and brawl with Page but he accidentally hits Hardy for trying to break it up. Back in and Jungle Boy backslides Hardy for two before nailing a superkick. A running Downward Spiral sets up the running elbow to the back of the head for the pin at 9:57.

Rating: C+. It’s a good idea to have Jungle Boy in the ring with someone like Hardy, who isn’t going to go too nuts and can keep things a bit more grounded. Jungle Boy is talented at what he does but can use some help in the ring from time to time. Hardy is a shell of the shell of himself but he can still wrestle a basic match, just like he did here.

Post match here is MJF, who says he runs the show around here so the fans can shut up. Not that it matters though as next week, they’re back in the best place in the world in Long Island, New York MJF isn’t happy with how Jungle Boy interrupted things two weeks ago and calls his entire AEW run mid. It’s not MJF’s fault that things are falling apart for Jungle Boy and he brings up their match at Double Or Nothing.

For the first time, MJF felt like he had met the man he would be at war with for the rest of his career. That night, MJF shook his hand but now, here they both are. MJF says that people like Marko Stunted Growth and Christian (MJF: “Great call by the way.”) held him down and Hook will do the same.

They could have run this place together but now Jungle Boy only cares what the fans think. Jungle Boy calls him selfish and self centered, which is enough for MJF to keep running his mouth. MJF finally goes too far by saying Anna Jay wasn’t impressed with Jungle Boy’s, uh, yeah, meaning the fight is on. Jungle Boy beats him down in the corner but MJF bails from the running forearm to the back of the head. It still feels like we are going towards that four way and this might have been adding another pillar to the founda….I have no idea how construction works but you get the idea.

Kenny Omega is getting taped up for his match tonight when Don Callis, who tells Omega to not worry about Hangman Page. Callis is off to apologize.

The Jericho Appreciation Society treats the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn to a night on the town, complete with a St. Louis Blues game, ice cream and a rather nice looking dinner. The Acclaimed will make their decision about joining the team next week. When Matt Menard sees the bill for the night, he hopes all of this is worth it. The Acclaimed could have a hotter feud than this in an igloo.

Dalton Castle/The Boys vs Blackpool Combat Club

The Club jumps them to start and Moxley brawls with Castle on the floor. The bell rings and Castagnoli Riccola Bombs Brent for the pin at 49 seconds. Well that was unexpected and exactly what it should have been if Castle wasn’t in the ring.

We look back at Kenny Omega vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo. Tonight, Omega is ready to defend the IWGP United States Title against Jeff Cobb.

Don Callis tries to apologize to Hangman Page, saying he just lost his balance last week and knows Page didn’t do anything. Page isn’t sure but the Blackpool Combat Club comes in to deck him. Callis tries to shake Moxley’s hand but gets beaten down as well, leaving him busted open.

Post break Omega is told about what happened to Callis and Page. He’s shaken but has a match.

IWGP United States Title: Kenny Omega vs. Jeff Cobb

Omega is defending. They stare each other down to start until Omega’s shoulder has no effect. Cobb is sent to the floor though and Omega hits the big flip dive. Back in and Cobb goes after Omega’s banged up ribs to take over, with a hard shot sending Omega outside. We take a break and come back with Omega slipping out of a bearhug and trying a backslide.

With that not working, Omega blasts him with a V Trigger into a pair of snap dragons. Cobb pops right back up though and hits a hard clothesline to leave them both down. They go up top with Cobb hitting a delayed superplex and a V Trigger of his own. Omega is able to counter the Tour of the Islands into a ripcord knee and another V Trigger. The One Winged Angel retains the title at 9:57.

Rating: B. I’m not the biggest Omega guy but he is miles better on the good side than the evil one. Omega’s offense is built to be a hero and it has been on display in the last two weeks, both of which have worked well. Let him be more of the AEW superhero than anything else and he should be a lot easier to watch week in and week out. Cobb continues to be a guy who feels like he could be slotted into any main event spot but he’s never around long enough to do so.

Post match the Blackpool Combat Club comes to the apron surround Omega….and Bryan Danielson returns to get in the ring. Danielson chases them off and says no before offering to help Omega up. Omega accepts but, after going after Wheeler Yuta, gets caught with the running knee and the LeBell Lock, with the rest of the Club stomping away. Security and Brandon Cutler come in and are beaten down too.

Video on FTR vs. the Gunns.

The Gunns are ready for FTR and know they’re just as good as FTR could ever been. They don’t respect FTR though and next week it will be top guys, out.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. The Butcher

Blade is challenging and has Blade with him. Cassidy gets jumped before the bell but says he’s fine enough to go. Butcher beats the fire out of him for a bit before taking it outside. A hard whip into the barricade drops Cassidy again and we take a break. Back with Cassidy rolling through a Texas Cloverleaf and going to the eyes to escape a powerbomb.

The Stundog Millionaire connects and the tornado DDT plants Butcher for two. The diving DDT gives Cassidy the same but Blade comes in with a cheap shot to the back (with some kind of object) to give Butcher two. Cue the Best friends to go after Blade, plus a cheap shot to Butcher, with the same object, so the Orange Punch can connect. The Beach Break finishes Butcher at 7:54.

Rating: C+. Cassidy wins again as I believe that is 17 in a row since winning the title. It’s still working, but I’m not sure how long he can go without some of the charm wearing off. Having him out there week after week is going to start taking away some shine, especially if it’s just a bunch of one off opponents.

Jade Cargill and company think Taya Valkyrie is going too far by stealing Jaded. Vengeance is promised on Rampage.

Juice Robinson is ready for Action Andretti on Rampage before he gets to Ricky Starks.

Willow Nightingale vs. Ruby Soho

The rest of the Outcasts are here too. Soho is chased to the floor to start and we get a meeting with the Outcasts. That’s not cool with Nightingale, who pulls her back in and counters No Future. A side slam into the basement crossbody gives Nightingale two. Hold on though as Soho has something in her eye, allowing Saraya to get in some knees to the face. Choking on the ropes ensues and we take a break.

Back with Nightingale hitting a hip attack in the corner and a powerbomb gets two on Soho. That’s enough to make Soho ask for a truce, only to get caught in a Death Valley Driver for two more. Nightingale goes up but gets distracted by Toni Storm, allowing Soho to hit a pair of No Futures….for two (ok they got me). Destination Unknown is countered into a backslide but Nightingale is back up with a hard Pounce. Storm breaks up the doctor bomb though and Soho grabs a rollup with feet on the ropes for the pin at 9:03.

Rating: C+. It’s kind of sad that AEW has someone as naturally charming as Nightingale but you know she is going to lose as soon as her music starts playing. The Outcasts claim another victim as this story continues to not exactly be great. It’s just another female heel group, which has been done to death in wrestling over the last few years. It isn’t like they’re doing anything interesting and that is starting to show fast.

Post match the Outcasts load up the Pillmanizing on Nightingale’s ankle but Riho and Skye Blue run in. That devastating pair is beaten down but here is Jami Hayter for the real save.

Powerhouse Hobbs is ready to hurt more people. The lack of QT Marshall or QTV made this roughly 485% better than anything he has done in recent weeks.

Adam Cole vs. Daniel Garcia

Feeling out process to start with Garcia grabbing a headlock. Cole reverses into one of his own before shouldering Garcia down. A headscissors drops Cole though and a piledriver sends him outside as we take a break. Back with Cole hitting a pump kick and the brainbuster onto the knee gets two.

They trade kicks to the face until Cole gets caught in a German suplex. Some elbows to Cole’s head keep him in trouble but he’s back up with a failed Panama Sunrise. The Dragon Tamer has Cole in more trouble until he makes the rope. An arm trap piledriver (that’s a new one) gives Garcia two but he charges into a boot in the corner. The Panama Sunrise sets up the Boom to finish Garcia at 11:05.

Rating: B-. This was all it needed to be (despite further death of the piledriver) as Cole comes back and gets a win over a wrestler with some status. Garcia was there to help Cole get his feet wet again and it was a good match to help him do just that. Cole is still smooth and my goodness I’m glad to see him as a hero for once. His heel stuff is good but I could go for seeing him do something else, which is actually happening for a change.

Post match Britt Baker comes out to celebrate with Cole as a bunch of streamers fly. Cue Chris Jericho to….help Garcia to the back and glare at Cole without doing anything. Cole and Baker celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Between last week’s huge main event and next week’s big show in New York, this was the show between the shows. As a result, AEW rightfully took its foot off the gas a bit, as you don’t want to run through everything you have. Next week should be a heck of a big show and this helped set that up with nothing bad and some good action throughout. I liked the show and it has me more invested in next week so well done here.

Results
Jungle Boy b. Matt Hard – Running forearm to the back of the head
Blackpool Combat Club b. Dalton Castle/The Boys – Riccola Bomb to Brent
Kenny Omega b. Jeff Cobb – One Winged Angel
Orange Cassidy b. Butcher – Beach Break
Ruby Soho b. Willow Nightingale – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Adam Cole b. Daniel Garcia – Boom

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: March 22, 2023
Location: Cable Dahmer Arena, Independence, Missouri
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Taz

We have a dream match this week as Kenny Omega is facing El Hijo Del Vikingo in what should be a heck of a showcase. Other than that, the big question coming out of last week is what is going on with the Elite and Hangman Page, as that is going down again. That should be enough to carry things for a week so let’s get to it.

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

We open with Hangman Page outside an ambulance as the Young Bucks have been attacked before the show. Page gets in the second ambulance as it leaves.  Oh dear.

The ropes are red, white and blue, ala the WWF in the 80s.

Sting/Darby Allin/Orange Cassidy vs. Butcher And The Blade/Kip Sabian

Penelope Ford is here with the villains and this is fallout from a fight at the House Rules show. Cassidy frustrated Blade to start and it’s off to butcher to forearm Sting. With that not working, Sting sends him into the corner for the Stinger Splash. Everything breaks down as Sting tries for the Scorpion and he winds up getting caught in a double suplex.

Sabian goes up top so Sting does the slow motion Orange Cassidy roll to escape. Allin comes in and gets taken down by Sabian and we take a break. Back with Allin escaping and handing it off to Cassidy for the tornado DDT. Sabian takes Cassidy down but gets tapped on the shoulder by Sting, who does his own lazy kicks. Blade and Butcher eventually break up the Scorpion but Allin makes the save. Sting is back up and hits the Scorpion Death Drop to finish Sabian at 11:15.

Rating: C+. Sting matches aren’t going to be anything serious but they are going to let the fans have a good time watching a legend. Putting him in a bunch of tag matches so he doesn’t have to carry the load is a good idea. Let them go out there and have some fun against villains with nothing to lose and get the crowd going for the show.

Post match Allin stares up at the Double Or Nothing banner.

Video on last week’s Four Pillars showdown, with MJF talking about how he has already beaten all three of them.

Video on Kenny Omega vs. Hijo Del Vikingo.

Excalibur has gotten a text from Brandon Cutler accusing the Blackpool Combat Club of attacking the Young Bucks.

Tag Team Titles: The Gunns vs. Top Flight

Top Flight is challenging and the Guns are cleared out to start. We settle down to Dante vs. Austin, with the former backflipping over him, only for a hair pull to put Dante in trouble as we take a break. Back with Dante hitting a swinging half nelson suplex into the Nose Dive. Cue the Kingdom to make the save though, allowing 3:10 to Yuma to retain the titles at 7:05.

Rating: C+. Another match that felt like it could have been a lot better if we could have actually seen most of it take place. The Gunns are on the road to facing FTR and it wouldn’t shock me to see FTR go down again. Top Flight still feels like a team who could be champs later on, and if that is the case, it would be nice to have them not lose like this so often.

Post break the Kingdom gets chased off but here is FTR to interrupt. The Gunns don’t want to see them and yell about how no one wants to see them. FTR offers their AEW career as a team for a title shot but that’s not good enough either. Instead, Dax offers the two of them leaving AEW if they lose. Deal, with the Gunns spitting on them and bailing before violence ensues.

Mark Sterling has issued a cease and desist order against Taya Valkyrie using Jaded. Oh and the open challenge is over so there’s no title shot for Taya.

Stokely Hathaway vs. Hook

Non-title, No DQ and Hathaway is described as having the wisdom of an owl. Hold on though, as Hathaway isn’t medically cleared to compete so he is retiring. Hathaway: “Special thanks to my fans, all 12 of y’all!” He even has a doctor’s note…which is apparently a receipt for Wingstop.

The referee says ring the bell so Hathaway runs into the crowd, only to be tossed right back. A running elbow to the jaw doesn’t phase Hook, who sends Hathaway flying with a suplex on the floor. Hook grabs some weapons from under the ring but Hathaway manages a blast with a fire extinguisher. Hook is fine enough to block a chair shot and blast Hathaway with it over and over. Another suplex onto a piece of barricade in the corner gets two, with Hook pulling him up. Redrum finishes for Hook at 3:07. Exactly what it should have been.

Rating: C+. The match itself was just a joke but watching Hook smash through a loud mouthed manager is a good idea. Hook is someone who could go a long way around here and letting him get another win like this works well. Just get him into another feud so he can have some more training matches and he could get even better than he already is.

In the back, Matt Hardy says Ethan Page is the man to beat Hook.

Here is Adam Cole for a chat. He’s back in the ring in seven days and right now, he feels great. Now he wants to know who he is facing, so cue Daniel Garcia (in a lot of leather) to say it’s time for his own story time. Garcia lists off everyone he has beaten while Cole has been playing video games on Twitch. Garcia almost calls himself a wrestler before asking what makes Cole special. Cole: “When they ring the freaking bell.” He actually praises Garcia but asks about the company Garcia has been keeping. The match is on for next week, with Cole getting in a BOOM to wrap it up.

Kenny Omega is upset about the Bucks being injured and not going to the hospital with them.

Stu Grayson vs. Jon Moxley

The Blackpool Combat Club and Dark Order are here too. Grayson charges to start but gets taken down as we hear about Grayson’s kickboxing career. They head outside with Grayson getting in a few shots, followed by a hurricanrana back inside. A belly to back suplex puts Grayson to the apron, setting up a running charge to send him into the barricade. We take a break and come back with Moxley stomping at the head for two and getting frustrated.

Grayson fights up and starts elbowing away, followed by a springboard spinning Swanton for two. The teams get in an argument on the floor so Grayson moonsaults out onto them for the big knockdown. Moxley dives onto Grayson but gets kicked in the face back inside. A 450 looks to set up the Knightfall but Moxley flips over into the bulldog choke. Grayson manages to fight up and sends him into the corner to escape, setting up a Pele. Moxley catches him on top though and hits a super Death Rider for the pin at 10:02.

Rating: B. This was a lot easier to accept than last week (the lack of a spike piledriver on the floor helped) as Grayson got a heck of a rub out of Moxley. It wasn’t so much that Moxley was in danger but more that he had to do a lot of work to put Grayson away. They were working hard here and it was a much better showcase for Grayson than anything he did last week.

Ricky Starks is ready for Juice Robinson on Rampage.

QTV shows us Powerhouse Hobbs beating Rey Fenix on Rampage. Apparently Aaron Solo has stolen Wardlow’s identity (and house and car)…..and hacked some Observer’s Twitter account. As for Hobbs, he’ll be defending again in another open challenge on Rampage. Hobbs wasn’t even in the segment and that might be a good thing.

Skye Blue vs. Toni Storm

The rest of the Outcasts are here too. Blue starts fast and sends Storm outside for a diving hurricanrana. Some Outcasts cheap shots take Blue down though and we go to a break. Back with Blue hitting a high crossbody and snapping off a headscissors to send Storm into the ropes. Storm is back with a DDT for two but misses the running hip attack. Ruby Soho’s distraction means code Blue doesn’t get a count, meaning Storm can dropkick her into the corner. Now the hip attack into the Storm Zero finishes Blue at 8:13.

Rating: C+. Blue has come a long way but is still needing to get an important win. Other than that, this was more about the Outcasts beating up their rivals as the story continues to meander. If this story is going to mean something, they need to have the Outcasts win some gold, because otherwise they’re just kind of annoying NWO knockoffs.

Post match the beatdown is on but Willow Nightingale and Riho (with a pipe and looking ridiculous while trying to be intimidating) make the save.

Stu Grayson is getting checked out by the medics when Jon Moxley, with the Blackpool Combat Club, attack him again.

Kenny Omega vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo

Vikingo’s AAA Mega Title (which he won after Omega vacated it) isn’t on the line. Vikingo dives onto him before the bell but Omega is back with his own right hands. The bell rings and Omega stays on him, only to get hurricanranaed to the floor. Vikingo hits a big dive, setting up a springboard 450 for two back inside. Omega is back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and sends Vikingo into the barricade. A table is set up at ringside and we take a break.

Back with a strike off on the apron until Omega plants him hard onto said apron. Vikingo fights back up and climbs onto the post for a super dragonrana. Back in and another super hurricanrana drops Omega on his head, setting up a springboard Phoenix splash for two. Another springboard hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb and the V Trigger gives Omega two.

Omega adds another V Trigger but Vikingo is back up with a springboard poisonrana to drop Omega on his head again. With Omega on the table, a step up 630 drives him through it and gives the fans their next loud chant. Back in and a Code Red gives Vikingo two more but Omega avoids a 630. Omega hits another V Trigger and the One Winged Angel finishes Vikingo at 16:53.

Rating: A. Yeah this was a blast and that’s all it was designed to be. This was about telling two people to go out there and go nuts with one highlight reel move after another. There’s no story (not a significant one at least) to it and there didn’t need to be. It was about the crazy spots and letting Vikingo do his insane flips. From that perspective it was a blast and that’s all it needed to be.

Post match the Blackpool Combat Club interrupts Omega to beat him down. Cue Hangman Page in the ambulance (with a board with nails in it, because that comes with every ambulance) for the save. Don Callis goes to check on Page, who pulls away before stopping upon seeing who it is. Callis does quite the fall (without being attacked in any way) and Omega checks on him while looking confused at Page to end the show. Because the Elite must have drama you see.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a heck of a fun show as they seemed to drop a lot of the more serious stuff and just let the matches be entertaining. Nothing on here (save for QTV) was bad and the main event is going to get a lot of attention. Very good show here and probably the most engaging show they’ve done in a lot of Wednesdays. I have no idea if they can keep it up but for now, this was back to the AEW of old.

Results
Sting/Orange Cassidy/Darby Allin b. Kip Sabian/Butcher and the Blade – Scorpion Death Drop to Sabian
Gunns b. Top Flight – 3:10 To Yuma to Darius
Hook b. Stokely Hathaway – Redrum
Jon Moxley b. Stu Grayson – Super Death Rider
Toni Storm b. Skye Blue – Storm Zero
Kenny Omega b. El Hijo Del Vikingo – One Winged Angel

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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Rampage
Date: March 17, 2023
Location: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Commentators: Paul Wight, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We’re still in Canada for St. Patrick’s Day Slam, which will actually air very early on Saturday due to the NCAA basketball tournament. That means the audience is going to be down, which means the show might not be as stacked as usual. It would make sense, but that could make for an interesting show. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

TNT Title: Rey Fenix vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

Hobbs, with QTV (Aaron Solo/QT Marshall), is defending and Fenix flips around to start. Fenix knocks him to the floor for a dive, setting up an Asai moonsault to drop Hobbs again. Back in and Hobbs runs him over for a change and takes it right back to the floor for a whip into the barricade. Hobbs takes it back inside and is rather pleased with how crumpled Fenix seems to be. The nerve hold goes on, followed by a suplex for two on Fenix as we take a break.

Back with Fenix being pulled back inside and the nerve hold going on. Fenix fights up and bounces on the ropes before having his springboard armdrag pulled into a powerslam for two. Fenix is able to snap off a German suplex for two and the rope walk kick to the head drops Hobbs again.

Hobbs is fine enough to drive him HARD into the corner, setting up a nasty spinebuster for two. Fenix gets back up and kicks him down, setting up a frog splash for two. A roll is pulled out of the air into another spinebuster though and Town Business (a reverse FU, which I don’t think was what they called Town Business before) retains the title at 14:13.

Rating: B-. Good power vs. speed match here and it’s nice for Hobbs’ first title defense to be against someone with credibility. That being said, my goodness does it feel like a waste for Hobbs to be part of a group. Hobbs is a force but now it looks like he’s part of the Factory 2.0, with QT Marshall being the star of their vignette last week. I don’t get the thinking here, as Hobbs could be fine on his own, but AEW does love its stables.

Post match, Hobbs beats up Alex Abrahantes for a bonus.

Adam Cole is ready to come back on March 29.

Stu Grayson wants Jon Moxley next week.

Taya Valkyrie vs. Ava Lawless

This is Taya’s in-ring debut and she powers Lawless into the corner for a running clothesline. The running knees in the corner set up a spear and the Road To Valhalla (better known as Jaded around here) finishes Lawless at 1:17. Total dominance.

Post match Jade Cargill, Leila Grey and Mark Sterling come out to glare at Taya.

Matt Hardy (in a Ribera Steak House jacket) train Stokely Hathaway for Hook. Hathaway’s tickle counter to a slam and having a cookie might not be the best idea.

Bollywood Boyz vs. Jericho Appreciation Society

The Boyz give Parker a modified Hart Attack (top rope elbow instead of a running clothesline) to send him to the floor to start fast. Back in and it’s off to Menard to take Gurv down as we go to a break. We come back with Harv cleaning house, including a running spinwheel kick to Parker. The Society double teams him down though and grabs the double implant DDT for the pin at 6:47.

Rating: C. I still do not get the logic behind having almost half of a match take place during a break, especially one as low level as this one. The Boyz are always worth at least a glance just due to how much fun they seem to be having out there but the Society is only so interesting. They’re a good enough team, but the idea of them feuding with the Acclaimed feels like as much of a downgrade as you can get after losing the titles.

Post match the Society mocks the scissoring.

Don Callis greeted Konosuke Takeshita at the airport with flowers and a Japanese man banging a drum.

Video on Hijo del Vikingo vs. Kenny Omega next week on Dynamite.

We look at the triple threat Trios Titles match from Dynamite.

Here’s what’s coming at various shows.

The Gunns are happy about being Tag Team Champions and run into Top Flight, who they think are the valets. They get in an argument about being the best brother team and Top Flight wants the titles. The title match is set for next week. The Gunns leave their bags though and Top Flight takes them. Thieves.

Daniel Garcia vs. Brody King

Chris Jericho is here with Garcia while King has Julia Hart. Garcia bails to the floor to start and the chase is on and lasts over a minute until Garcia dropkicks the knee. With that not working, King sends him into the corner, only to miss a splash. Garcia gets sent outside where he stops to hit on Hart, earning himself a heck of a chop. The running crossbody against the barricade crushes Garcia again but he avoids a charge and sends King into the steps.

We take a break and come back with King planting him with a swinging Boss Man Slam for two. A piledriver gets the same and there’s a Cannonball in the corner to give King two more. Garcia goes after the ankle and slaps on a sleeper, which is broken up through straight power. Another missed charge lets Garcia grab his own Walls, sending King to the rope. Jericho gets in a baseball bat shot so Garcia grabs a choke to win at 12:26.

Rating: C+. Well that’s one way to go. King has been presented as a monster for the last few weeks and the solution is just “hit him with a baseball bat”. The fans went nuts for Jericho (of course) but I’m not sure how wise it is to have Garcia pin the monster like this. If you need Jericho to do something like this, do it in a dark match and save King’s unstoppable aura.

Overall Rating: B-. As usual, Rampage is an enjoyable watch and nothing was bad but it feels like another show where they were just supplementing Dynamite. The good thing is that everything served at least something of a purpose, which puts it above most Rampages. Now just have Hobbs crush the rest of QT and feed them to his cat (I’m picturing one named Milo) and everything is a lot better.

Results
Powerhouse Hobbs b. Rey Fenix – Town Business
Taya Valkyrie b. Ava Lawless – Road To Valhalla
Jericho Appreciation Society b. Bollywood Boyz – Double implant DDT to Harv
Daniel Garcia b. Brody King – 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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Dynamite
Date: February 1, 2023
Location: Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We are about a month away from Revolution and that means it is time to start hammering down the card. You can probably guess a good bit of it from here and that is a strong sign for the show. This week will feature a pair of title matches, including Jade Cargill’s latest conquest and Samoa Joe getting his rematch for the TNT Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page

Moxley comes through the crowd with Wheeler Yuta and….his own father. That’s a new one. Moxley starts the fight in the crowd and takes it into the audience as we are waiting on the opening bell. Page gets in a whip into a barricade and they keep brawling back to ringside. Moxley wraps the chair around Page’s leg but Page throws said chair at Moxley to take over.

They finally get in the ring and slug it out, with Moxley’s eye busted open. Moxley is fine enough to grab an armbar but Page is back up with a German suplex. They fight to the apron and slug it out again with Page tossing him into the post as we take a break. Back with Page hitting a super Death Valley Driver for two. Moxley knocks him into the corner though and starts the stomps to the head. The Death Rider is blocked so Moxley switches into a cross armbreaker.

With that broken up, Page sends him outside but misses the moonsault. Moxley blasts him with a clothesline but can’t put Page through the ringside table. Page can put him through it though and gets two back inside. Page misses a jumping kick to the face and gets caught with the King Kong Lariat. They forearm it out again until Page hits a small package driver for two more. A Tombstone into the Buckshot Lariat gives Page two so he immediately goes into the bulldog choke. Moxley fights up and cradles Page for the win at 16:31.

Rating: B. These guys beat the heck out of each other and it worked as a trilogy match. I’m a bit surprised that Moxley won, though it was one of those matches that could have gone either way. The ending coming out of nowhere with a wrestling move after all of the intense brawling worked well too, so this was a fine way to go and felt like a showdown.

Post match the Blackpool Combat Club comes in to separate them, with Moxley flipping Page off and getting in a pretty clear F bomb. They have to be separated again and odds are we’re getting a rematch at Revolution.

Video on Samoa Joe vs. Darby Allin.

The Bunny challenges Jamie Hayter for the Women’s Title. We cut to the back (well, elsewhere in the back) where Saraya and Toni Storm are attacking Britt Baker.

Acclaimed vs. Turbo Floyd/Truth Magnum

Non-title. The jobbers (whose tights look like toothpaste) want some scissoring but get Scissor Me Timbers instead. Even Billy comes in for the scissoring before the Arrival into the Mic Drop gives Caster the pin at 50 seconds.

Post match the Gunns come out and say they want the title match. That earns them a bunch of the Acclaimed’s accolades but Billy says he’s sick of this and walks away. Austin says Billy is doing what he always does by turning his back on them. Colton: “Why don’t you do what you used to do and bury your sorrows in the bottom of a pill bottle?” Billy gets back in the ring and makes the title match for next week. Acclaimed doesn’t seem pleased.

Jungle Boy appreciated his time teaming with Hook but he wants a singles title.

Brian Cage vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Prince Nana is here with Cage, who gets clotheslined out side to start. Takeshita hits a big slingshot dive to take cage out again and they slug it out inside. A Blue Thunder Bomb plants Cage for two but he kicks Takeshita outside. The apron superplex lets Cage stop to pose as we take a break.

Back with Takeshita hitting a hurricanrana into a middle rope kick to the face. A German suplex gives Takeshita two but the running knee is blocked. Cage’s F5 is countered into a sitout powerbomb for two more. Cage discus lariats him for two more and the F5 connects as well. Takeshita hits him in the face though and the running knee finishes Cage at 10:06.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to see Takeshita get a win that feels like it matters a bit so well done on moving into the right direction. It isn’t like Cage has much to lose anyway but he still has enough of a look and athleticism to him feel like a threat. They needed to have Takeshita get a win at some point and this was as good of a way as it could have gone.

The Jericho Appreciation Society doesn’t like the idea of being accused of cheating last week. Now though, they have an idea: the Garcia/Guevara Gauntlet, which is Ricky Starks running a gauntlet to get another match with Chris Jericho. I was thinking just having Starks pin Jericho for a big rub was a good way to go but apparently not. Also, don’t we kind of already have a gauntlet with MJF trying to avoid Bryan Danielson?

The Elite is in a basketball gym and tells Top Flight and AR Fox to show up and shoot their shot next week. Matt Hardy/Isiah Kassidy/Ethan Page come in with Stokely Hathaway to challenge them for Rampage. Don Callis worries about the team selling NFT’s but the match is on.

Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher

This is Thatcher’s AEW debut. Feeling out process to start with Thatcher taking Danielson (with his injured shoulder) into the corner. Thatcher can’t get anywhere with Danielson against the ropes so Danielson takes him down by the leg. A grab of the bad arm gets Thatcher out of trouble and he takes Danielson down by the arm. Thatcher’s Kimura sends Danielson to the rope and we take a break.

Back with Danielson headbutting his way out of trouble but being sat on the top. Danielson headbutts that off too and fires off the kicks but his O’Connor roll is blocked. Thatcher goes for the Fujiwara armbar but gets kicked in the head for two instead. Danielson grabs a choke, which is driven into the corner for the break but the referee gets bumped as well. Cue MJF but Konosuke Takeshita cuts him off, leaving Thatcher to Fujiwara armbar Danielson again. The rope is reached so Danielson ducks a clothesline and hits the running knee for the pin at 13:38.

Rating: B+. Oh of course this was good and there was no way it was going to be anything else. AEW brought Thatcher in for this kind of a match and it delivered very well. What matters here is Thatcher getting to torment Danielson, who survived anyway and won in the end with the thing he did better than Thatcher. Heck of a match here and I’m not slightly surprised.

In the back, MJF and Takeshita have to be separated. Renee Paquette pops in to make MJF vs. Takeshita for next week.

Mogul Affiliates is ready to hurt Dustin Rhodes because the generation is changing. For now though, they’ll settle for Brian Pillman Jr. on Rampage.

MJF pays Rush off to take out Bryan Danielson next week. Rush is in.

TBS Title: Red Velvet vs. Jade Cargill

Cargill, with Leila Grey, is defending. They seems to miscommunicate a bit on a slugout but Cargill gets sent outside for a dropkick through the ropes. Back in and Cargill hits a wheelbarrow suplex for two and we take a break. We come back with Velvet kicking away until the pump kick gives Cargill two. Cue Kiera Hogan to send Grey into the steps and the distraction lets Cargill kick out of the Final Slice. Cargill muscles her up into Jaded to retain at 7:06 for her 50th win.

Rating: D+. STOP DOING THIS SAME MATCH! The Velvet vs. Cargill feud felt like the latest in a long, long string of people who didn’t make Cargill break a sweat and gave us no reason to believe she was going to lose. Just pick someone and have them beat her already so she can move on and do something else. Doing the same stuff over and over isn’t interesting and until she has to learn something new, her career is going to stall.

Post match Cargill picks up her daughter and walks off.

Ruby Soho comes in to see the injured Britt Baker. Soho denies being involved in the attack but Baker says she’s good anyway.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

TNT Title: Darby Allin vs. Samoa Joe

Anything goes and Allin is defending (Joe’s ROH TV Title isn’t on the line), so he comes to the ring in a hoodie covered in thumbtacks. Allin charges at him to start and hits a few tack filled shots, only to have Joe use the towel to clothesline him down. Joe stomps away in the corner and it’s already time for a table. That takes too long though as Allin dives into the table as Joe picks it up, meaning Joe is busted open.

Joe sends him into the steps and over the barricade so the fight can go into the crowd. A Rock Bottom onto the hand rail leaves Allin laying as we take a break. Back with Allin fighting out of a neck crank but charging into the Rock Bottom out of the corner. Allin jawbreaks his way out of trouble and chops away but gets tossed over the top for a nasty crash.

The chairs are loaded up and Joe drops him back first onto them but Allin is fine enough to throw some powder in the eyes and hit a Code Red for two. Allin grabs the tack hoodie and hits the Coffin Drop….for two. With nothing else working, Allin whips out a boxcutter and cuts up the mat (taking his sweet time to do so). Joe uses the time to send Allin through a table and them wrap the tack hoodie around Allin’s face. Allin goes for the eyes to break it up but the Coffin Drop is blocked. The Muscle Buster onto the exposed boards knocks Allin silly to give Joe the title back at 15:25.

Rating: B. Well it was nice for Allin to be the TNT Champion and this workhorse for a full month, but now he gets beaten down in another match. It was an entertaining one (depending on how much pain you can handle Allin taking) and it felt like a main event, with the title change being a big deal. Allin’s body continues to be turned into something no longer resembling a human but that ship has long sailed.

Post match Wardlow is back and goes after Joe, who bails before the powerbomb. Wardlow beats up security instead and loads up a powerbomb….which we don’t see as the show goes off the air. So if Wardlow gets the title back, we’re right back where we were in November for everyone involved.

Overall Rating: A-. This was a pretty awesome show with one very good match after another and only the latest Jade match hurting it in the slightest. Other than that, this moved some stuff forward and has me wondering where some of the stories are going. Now just start finalizing the Revolution card and the shows can be off to the races. Back to the winning formula here and it worked very well.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Hangman Page – Rollup
Acclaimed b. Turbo Floyd/Truth Magnum – Mic Drop to Magnum
Bryan Danielson b. Timothy Thatcher – Running knee
Jade Cargill b. Red Velvet – Jaded
Samoa Joe b. Darby Allin – Muscle Buster onto exposed boards

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

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

AND

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