Rampage
Date: December 13, 2024
Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Excalibur, Matt Menard, Tony Schiavone

We’re just over two weeks away from Worlds End and that means it is time to firm up the card a bit more. Oddly enough we don’t have any Continental Classic matches scheduled for this week, as instead we are getting a Final Battle preview with Matt Cardona facing Bryan Keith. Also, Toni Storm is back, as she is returning to the ring on Rampage for some reason. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Matt Cardona vs. Bryan Keith

Chris Jericho is on commentary. Cardona knocks him to the apron to start and then grabs a headlock to put Keith down. A corner clothesline sends Keith outside with Cardona hitting a dive. Keith manages to send him into the steps for a needed breather, followed by a neck crank back inside.

Cardona fights up and is quickly kicked in the head for his efforts. We take a break and come back with Cardona pulling him off the buckle, setting up a quick faceplant. The running boot in the corner gives Cardona two but Keith is back with a Rock Bottom for two of his own. Back up and a quick Radio Silence finishes for Cardona at 10:56.

Rating: C. Nothing much to see here as this was about giving Cardona a win. You know, because he didn’t have one around here in a long time before he is getting a title shot on pay per view in a week. That’s what you have to do to build up the title match, but it was just a generic Cardona match, which isn’t making me want to see Final Battle.

Toni Storm vs. Harley Cameron

Storm is no longer Timeless. They trade headlocks to start and Storm nails a running big boot to take Cameron down. Some right hands in the corner have Cameron in trouble as Excalibur ignores the match to run down the card for other shows. We take a break and come back with Storm fighting out of a chinlock and hitting some running shoulders. That means it’s time to ignore the match again to talk about upcoming shows but Storm’s chokebomb brings Excalibur back to paying attention. Storm Zero finishes Cameron at 7:28.

Rating: C+. So not only is Storm back in pretty much a nothing match on the least important of the weekly shows, but almost half of the match was spent on a commercial and a good chunk of the commentary was focusing on other things. This wasn’t exactly a big showcase for Storm, which is annoying given how big of a deal her return was on Dynamite. I could go for more of these two, but Cameron is likely going to be kept in comedy bits, which might not be a bad idea.

Previous for Brody King vs. Komander in the Continental Classic next week.

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Shazza McKenzie

McKenzie grabs a rollup to start and hits a knee to the face but takes too time going up. Purrazzo pulls her into the Tree of Woe for a running shoulder to the ribs. A powerbomb into a Fujiwara armbar finishes McKenzie at 1:25.

Kris Statlander is ready to move forward after her match with Mercedes Mone. She’s still coming for the title.

Here is the Don Callis Family, with Callis yelling about how they’re in the getting over and making money business. Callis brags about Kyle Fletcher taking out Will Ospreay and then Kazuchika Okada. And that’s that.

Don Callis Family vs. Powerhouse Hobbs/Mark Davis

Callis is on commentary as Archer and Hobbs slug it out to start. Some running clotheslines in the corner have Archer in trouble before a double shoulder takes him down. Archer gets in a running clothesline though and we take a break. Back with Davis fighting his way out of the corner but Archer cuts off the tag attempt.

Takeshita muscles Davis up for a suplex but he punches his way to freedom. Hobbs comes in to clean house, only to get dropped by the running knee. Everything breaks down and the Tower Of Doom leaves everyone down. Hobbs takes the straps down but gets kicked in the face, setting up a chokeslam to give Archer two. Hobbs drops Archer in a hurry though and hits the spinebuster for the pin at 11:58.

Rating: B-. It picked up at the end and it was nice to see Hobbs get a pin after coming back. That’s what he needs to help reestablish himself after being gone for so long. Davis is still just kind of there because he was involved with Fletcher before. I’m not sure I can see that being a good long term story, but there might be a spot for Davis elsewhere on the roster.

Hobbs holds up the International Title to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Pretty nothing show here without even as much as a Continental Classic match. That doesn’t make for the most interesting show and there wasn’t much of importance going on anyway. The opener set up the main event of an ROH show, Storm’s match was pretty much nothing, Purrazzo won a squash, and the main event likely set up a midcard title match. That’s not much of an hour, and while the show wasn’t bad, it isn’t something worth the time to see.

Results
Matt Cardona b. Bryan Keith – Radio Silence
Toni Storm b. Harley Cameron – Storm Zero
Deonna Purrazzo b. Shazza McKenzie – Fujiwara armbar
Powerhouse Hobbs/Mark Davis b. Don Callis Family – Spinebuster to Archer

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.

Survivor Series 2021
Date: November 21, 2021
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Attendance: 15,120
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, Pat McAfee

Since it’s Survivor Series and there are no other possible options for the show in the history of ever, it’s time for a Battle Of Brand Supremacy with wrestlers who have been on the roster for about a month. That means a battle of World Champions Roman Reigns and Big E., plus Survivor Series tag matches and….a Rock 25th Anniversary battle royal? Let’s get to it.

For the sake of simplicity, all matches involving champions are non-title.

Kickoff Show: Damian Priest (Raw) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Smackdown)

US Champion vs. Intercontinental Champion and Rick Boogs handles Nakamura’s entrance, much to Pat McAfee’s (now dancing on the announcers’ table) delight. Priest works on the arm to start but a Boogs guitar solo cuts that off, allowing Nakamura to grab a headlock. Nakamura takes him into the corner for Good Vibrations, with Boogs playing something that is in no way Good Vibrations.

Back up and Priest knocks him down and grabs a chinlock, meaning Boogs plays some more for a distraction. Some strikes to the head rock Priest and the sliding German suplex makes it worse (with McAfee jumping up to celebrate). Priest fights up and hits a running elbow in the corner, followed by a hard clothesline for two.

South Of Heaven is broken up though and Nakamura kicks him in the head again. Kinshasa is countered into South Of Heaven for two but the Reckoning is blocked. Priest counters an armbar into a triangle choke but Boogs guitars Nakamura to freedom AGAIN. Finally Priest goes outside and breaks the guitar (McAfee: “YOU SON OF A B****!”), with one of the pieces nailing Nakamura for the DQ at 9:24.

Rating: C. I was having fun with the back and forth as they had some chemistry together, but at the same time, there is only so much you can get with the constant Boogs interference. I do like that they didn’t have a champion get pinned here and instead went with Priest snapping to finish things up. Not a great match, but a fast paced one to start things off.

Smackdown – 1
Raw – 0

The opening video talks about how this is two sides battling….and we see a clip from Rock’s Netflix movie Red Notice. The voiceover talks about how many things the movie and show have in common before moving into the nonsense about this being the ONE NIGHT where Raw and Smackdown go head to head. Clips from the movie mock teamwork, which is what this show is all about. After more clips and more generic opening video statements about how important the show is, we’re ready to go.

We recap Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte. They were old friends but then both wanted to be the best, with Lynch getting there in a big way. Then Lynch left on maternity leave and Charlotte bragged about how great she (as in Charlotte) is so now that Lynch is back, it’s time to fight.

Before we got there though, there was also the VERY awkward moment where Charlotte was supposed to hand over the Raw Women’s Title and dropped it instead, leading to ALL KINDS of problems/discussion. Oh and Charlotte’s REALLY annoying “UH-OH” promo. This does at least have a personal story rather than just doing the Raw vs. Smackdown deal.

Charlotte (Smackdown) vs. Becky Lynch (Raw)

For a bonus, they’re both dressed as characters from Wandavision, with Charlotte as the villain and Becky as the hero. Becky hits her in the face to start and the brawl is on early. Charlotte goes for the leg but has to escape a Disarm-Her attempt. Back up and Charlotte hits a spear but Becky hits a heck of a spinning kick to the face. They head outside for a hard posting to Charlotte but it’s too early for the Manhandle Slam.

Charlotte gets her down and rams Becky’s face into the mat over and over. Becky is sent outside so Charlotte loads up the moonsault, which is shoved HARD into the barricade for a great looking crash instead. Charlotte sends her into the barricade and they both get back in at the same time for the big staredown. Becky avoids a shot to the knee in the corner but an armbar is countered into a powerbomb for two.

Some stomps in the corner have Charlotte in trouble and the fans aren’t thrilled with Becky. A fall away slam sends Becky into the corner for a crash, followed by the Andrade double moonsault for two. Charlotte snaps her throat first across the top but Becky knocks her into the ropes. The Fameasser onto the ropes gives Becky two and Charlotte misses the big boot, only to ram her head into Becky’s for two instead. The second big boot gets two instead so Becky is right back with a Christian layout reverse DDT.

Back up and the Manhandle Slam gives Becky two more, setting up a cross between a Figure Four and a heel hook. Charlotte turns it over for the break anyway and they’re both down for a bit. I’m not sure why Becky is down but it does make things a bit more dramatic. Yet another big boot knocks Becky outside and the moonsault…well it comes close to her at least, with the replay not making it any better.

Back in and Charlotte grabs her own Disarm-Her but Becky slips out. They fight into the corner where Charlotte grabs a rollup with ropes for two, as the referee sees the cheating. Becky reverses into a rollup of her own and doesn’t get caught grabbing the ropes for the pin at 18:13.

Rating: B+. These two work well and they treated it as a huge match, especially at the start where they both came out swinging. The ending was more of a way to save Charlotte than to give us a definitive winner, but after Charlotte has gone over so many times, doing a tainted job to the biggest female star ever isn’t asking too much. Great opener, with all kinds of energy and the big fight feel.

Raw – 1
Smackdown – 1

Classic Rock Moment: Debuting at Survivor Series 1996.

Raw Men vs. Smackdown Men

Raw: Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Austin Theory, Bobby Lashley
Smackdown: Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, King Woods, Happy Corbin, Sheamus

Survivor Series match and MVP/Madcap Moss are the respective sixths. Lashley has his spot after taking it from Dominik Mysterio and also caused Rey Mysterio to lose his spot to Theory. On the other side, Sami Zayn lost to Hardy, costing himself a spot on the team. You know, in case you needed a recap on the five people per show being thrown together. Rollins, the self proclaimed Raw captain, lets Owens start, so Owens bails to the floor and leaves for the countout less than a minute in.

After Owens takes a bow, McIntyre jumps Rollins on the floor as Theory comes in to face Woods. Theory gets his arm cranked on and it’s McIntyre coming in to launch him into the corner. Sheamus and McIntyre take turns chopping at Theory (McAfee is rather giddy) and Corbin gets in on it with a pretty good right hand. Theory manages to punch his way to freedom though and the tag brings in Rollins, who is knocked right back into the Smackdown corner.

It’s Hardy coming in to start on the arm and a quick splash gets one. Rollins is able to grab Sheamus by the arm though and Balor comes in to work on that arm for a change. Again though, that doesn’t last long as Sheamus drags him right back over for the tag to Corbin. We continue to e parade of arm cranking between people who don’t really dislike each other, making this match feel all the less interesting. Deep Six gets two on Balor with Lashley making the save, meaning everything breaks down.

With almost everyone else being knocked down, Balor kicks Corbin in the head and drops the Coup de Grace for the elimination. Hardy comes in to face Balor and the fans are rather pleased. It’s Hardy taking over with the basement dropkick but Balor’s own dropkick gets his own two. Lashley comes in for a running shoulder in the corner to Hardy, which has McAfee worried on commentary.

Hardy fights out of Balor’s chinlock and hits Whisper in the Wind, leaving Lashley and McIntyre to fight on the floor. Lashley posts him (McAfee: “DREW ARE YOU OK???”), leaving Theory to cover Hardy for two as the fans are interested in….something. It’s back to Woods to clean house, including a discus forearm to Theory. Lashley crotches Woods on top though and the Hurt Lock is good for the elimination to make it 4-3 Raw.

Everything breaks down again and Balor’s slingshot dive is pulled out of the air by Sheamus. We get the big Lashley vs. McIntyre showdown with Lashley backing up for some reason. McIntyre jumps him instead but Lashley powers him into the corner. That earns him a clothesline out to the floor with McIntyre following to post Lashley for a change. They fight over the barricade and that’s a double countout to get rid of the big guys.

The fans are NOT happy, even as Lashley jumps McIntyre after the eliminations. A Claymore drops Lashley though and a Glasgow Kiss drops a laughing Rollins before both guys leave. We’re down to Sheamus/Hardy vs. Rollins/Theory/Balor with Sheamus charging into a boot in the corner. That’s enough for Rollins to dive over for the hot tag to Balor, who is quickly powerslammed for two.

Balor is back up with a Sling Blade but the Coup de Grace misses, setting up the Brogue Kick to give Sheamus the pin. Theory is right in for a heck of a dropkick and it’s Rollins coming back in for a chinlock. After a pretty good while, Sheamus powers up and brings Hardy in to clean house.

Everything breaks down with Sheamus playing Matt Hardy for a springboard splash to the other two in the corner. That’s enough for Sheamus and Hardy to hit stereo ten forearms to the chest, followed by White Noise to Rollins. Everything breaks down again and Rollins pulls Hardy off the apron, leaving Theory to roll Sheamus up for the elimination. That leaves us with Hardy vs. Rollins/Theory…but Sheamus decks Theory before he leaves….and then does it to Hardy too.

Rollins is fine enough to get the tag and hit a frog splash for two on Hardy as we settle in to the beating. Theory takes Hardy up top but gets knocked down, setting up the Swanton for the pin. Rollins isn’t happy and glares at Hardy, who grabs a rollup for two. A hard forearm to the back of the head gets two on Hardy but the Twist of Fate drops Rollins. The Swanton hits raised knees though and the Stomp gives Rollins the final pin at 29:55.

Rating: B. It was a fun, hard hitting match, but the Raw vs. Smackdown lineups continue to feel so worthless. They might as well do a Lethal Lottery format and you would get the same result. The good thing is that the talent is here and can make a match like this work, but the format desperately needs to change to make it more interesting.

Raw – 2
Smackdown – 1

WWE did some charity stuff in Harlem.

Vince McMahon arrived earlier and got a big reception from a bunch of the wrestlers. Then he pulled out a gold egg, because cross promotion.

Classic Rock Moment: recreating the Montreal Screwjob a year later at Survivor Series 1998.

Roman Reigns comes in to see Vince McMahon, who shows him the egg. That’s Cleopatra’s egg, which was given to him by the Rock. Apparently it’s worth $100 million dollars, which Reigns says is as much as his next contract. And that’s it.

The Rock 25th Anniversary Battle Royal

Shanky, Commander Azeez, T-Bar, Robert Roode, Angel, Humberto, Shelton Benjamin, Sami Zayn, R-Truth, Cedric Alexander, Montez Ford, Jinder Mahal, Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro, Otis, Mansoor, Drew Gulak, Erik, Chad Gable, Ivar, Apollo Crews, Omos, AJ Styles, Ricochet, Angelo Dawkins

The Street Profits come to the ring with a bunch of Pizza Hut. Nothing wrong with a sponsorship. Cole and Graves get pizza but Saxton is denied, as he should be. Styles bails to the floor and stands on the announcers’ table as everyone else fights for the smart move of the night. Gulak and Benjamin are out to start with Humberto following them. Truth heads outside to get some pizza, which he offers to Omos and Otis.

The latter takes it before throwing Truth out and going after Omos. Otis doesn’t last long and Gable armbars Cesaro over the rope. That’s broken up and Cesaro knocks Gable out and T-Bar is dropkicked to the floor by Ricochet. The fans want pizza but have to settle for Alexander and Garza being tossed out. There goes Erik and Ivar at the hands of Shanky, because the potential is in Shanky instead of the Viking Raiders. Omos gets rid of Shanky with ease and Roode catapults Mansoor out.

Roode and Ziggler go after Omos and the giant gets rid of Roode, leaving Styles to Phenomenal Forearm Ziggler for the elimination. Zayn tries to rally the remaining Smackdown names but yells at Ricochet, leaving Ford and Dawkins to toss him out. Omos gets rid of Azeez, who pulls Styles out despite Omos’ protests. Crews is out next and we’re down to Omos, Dawkins, Ford, Cesaro and Ricochet. Cesaro rallies the troops to go after Omos, earning himself an elimination. There go Dawkins and Ford, leaving us with Ricochet vs. Omos. That doesn’t last long either as Omos tosses him out for the win at 10:38.

Rating: C. This was ALL about Omos, who threw out about half of the field and dominated throughout. It worked for Andre and even if Omos isn’t quite there, it was a nice performance. Omos is someone who works well in this kind of a spot, even if this had absolutely NOTHING to do with the Rock.

Raw – 3
Smackdown – 1

Post match Styles goes for the pizza but Ford kicks him in the head and throws it into the crowd.

Classic Rock Moment: winning the 2000 Royal Rumble, even if Big Show really won.

We look at the pre-show match.

RKBro (Raw) vs. Usos (Smackdown)

Riddle starts fast with an armbar attempt on Jimmy but gets stacked up for two and the break. A headbutt just makes Riddle mad and he grabs a spinning gutwrench suplex to send Jey flying. Orton comes in and we hear about his hear in Ohio Valley Wrestling for a bit of a rarity. The threat of an RKO sends Jimmy bailing to the floor so it’s off to Jey, who stomps Orton down in the corner.

That just earns Jey a punch to the nose (simple, yet effective) and a trip to the floor, allowing Riddle to hit the springboard Floating Bro. A drop onto the barricade cuts Riddle off though and it’s back to Jimmy for the suicide dive. We slow things down a bit with Jey hammering away in the corner until Riddle manages a kick to the head. That’s way too soon for a hot tag to Orton though and Jimmy is back in with a chinlock.

Riddle fights up and manages a Bro To Sleep (which doesn’t make anything close to full contact), allowing Orton to come back in to clean house. Snap powerslams drop the Usos and Jey gets belly to back dropped onto the announcers’ table. Not to be outdone, Jimmy gets the same as McAfee is losing it even more than usual. Back in and the hanging DDT hits Jey but he’s fine enough to block the RKO.

Riddle is up again and kicks Jey in the head before nailing Jimmy with a running forearm. Jey manages to kick Riddle down for two and the pop up Samoan drop gets two. There’s a superkick to Riddle and a double superkick to Orton. The double superkick from either side gets two on Riddle, who kicks out and stays rigid for a weird moment. Riddle’s enziguri gets him out of trouble though and Orton gets a blind tag. Jimmy doesn’t notice though and his Superfly Splash is pulled into the RKO to give Orton the pin at 14:48.

Rating: B. Two of the best teams in WWE have a good match when they are given about fifteen minutes on a big stage. Sometimes these things write themselves and that was the case here, as Orton even managed to get in the cool RKO that he hits in these important matches. Another solid match on the show in what shouldn’t be a surprise at all. Now just do it again for the titles.

Raw – 4
Smackdown – 1

Classic Rock Moment: vs. John Cena at Wrestlemania XXVIII. I’d say that counts, though it’s still hard to believe Cena lost.

Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce wait for Vince McMahon in his office. Vince comes back…and the egg is gone. The middle management goons are sent to find out who did it, saying if they don’t find out tonight, Vince will find out himself on Raw.

Video on Xia Li, the Protector, in comic book form. Yeah this was too cool to work and it never went anywhere.

Raw Women vs. Smackdown Women

Raw: Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Carmella, Queen Zelina
Smackdown: Sasha Banks, Shayna Baszler, Shotzi, Toni Storm, Natalya

Zelina is still a queen and Ripley is half of the Women’s Tag Team Titles with Nikki Ash, which mean a grand total of nothing (Zelina and Carmella would win them the next night on Raw). Toni Storm (as announced in a completely necessary tweet earlier in the day) starts with Carmella, who drops Storm with a right hand. Hold on though as Carmella hands it off to Zelina before heading outside to put on her protective mask. It takes forever to put the mask on so Carmella has Zelina do it, allowing Storm to grab a rollup for the pin.

Belair and Banks come in for a Wrestlemania rematch but Shotzi tags herself in. A quick backsplash gets two on Belair but she’s right back up to knock Shotzi silly. Belair’s jumping splash gets two so Morgan comes in for a middle rope….uh, something, and a near fall. Natalya comes in for two off a snap suplex and a pinfall reversal sequence gets some near falls each. The step over basement dropkick gives Natalya two more but it’s off to Ripley to freshen things up.

Natalya doesn’t seem to mind and brings Baszler in for a double suplex. The jumping stomp to Baszler’s arm is blocked though and the slugout is on. Ripley has to fight out of an armbar as well as the Kirifuda Clutch, allowing her to stomp on Baszler’s head. Shotzi saves Baszler from the Riptide though and everything breaks down. Ripley breaks out of another choke and it’s a double tag to give us Belair vs. Banks.

Belair tries the power but gets pulled straight into the Bank Statement. That’s broken up so Banks sends her face first into the middle buckle, setting up a tornado DDT for two on Belair. Back up and Zelina tags herself in so Belair launches her at Banks for two more. No one will tag Banks so she has to block Zelina’s Code Red. Banks tags herself in and flips Zelina over into a cutter for the pin. Morgan comes in for a pinfall reversal sequence of her own until Oblivion connects to get rid of Storm.

Baszler comes in to choke Morgan and even kicks Ripley off the apron to prevent a tag (that’s smart). It’s off to Shotzi for a weird looking splash, followed by Banks’ frog splash to eliminate Morgan. Ripley comes in and muscles Banks up for a delayed suplex and a near fall. A missile dropkick sends Banks flying into the corner but Shotzi comes in off a blind tag. Shotzi offers a distraction so Baszler can come in with a knee to the face to pin Ripley, leaving Belair vs. Natalya, Shotzi, Banks and Baszler.

Belair comes in and suplexes Natalya for two before firing off the shoulders in the corner. Baszler’s distraction lets Natalya hit a powerbomb out of the corner for two and it’s off to Banks. Shotzi gets into it with Banks and pulls her to the floor where Banks gets counted out to make it 3-1.

Natalya comes in and Sharpshooters Belair, who rolls Natalya into Baszler for the break. A rollup finishes Natalya to make it 2-1, with Baszler coming in next. The Kirifuda Clutch is countered into a release Glam Slam to get rid of Baszler and it’s Shotzi vs. Belair. Shotzi grabs a choke in the corner and a faceplant drops Belair again. The running hip attack in the ropes gets two on Belair, who sends Shotzi into the corner and hits the KOD for the pin/win at 23:46.

Rating: C-. Well that was ridiculous. The last five minutes of this was Belair doing her best Super Cena impression, as she ran through three people on her own (four if you count getting rid of Banks). The match wasn’t anything special otherwise, as the Belair vs. Banks segment was the only thing worth seeing. This felt long until the ending, when it became one head shaking moment after another. Storm was trying and got a bit of a run, but this was all about making Belair look strong and to say they went overboard would be an understatement.

Raw – 5
Smackdown – 1

Classic Rock Moment: The Rock is at the first Smackdown on FOX and rips on Baron Corbin/hangs out with Becky Lynch.

Paul Heyman knows nothing about the missing egg but thinks those people from BROOKLYN might have had something to do with it. That’s not what he is being asked about though: what about Brock Lesnar’s suspension being lifted soon? Uh, Heyman doesn’t want to talk about that either.

Video on Bobby Lashley.

We recap Roman Reigns vs. Big E. Last month, Big E. cashed in Money In The Bank to become the new Raw World Champion. The New Day celebrated because they’re a brotherhood, but Reigns said they were no Bloodline. Reigns broke Woods’ King Of The Ring crown and now it’s time for a clash between World Champions.

Big E. (Raw) vs. Roman Reigns (Smackdown)

Paul Heyman is here too as we hear about their time together in FCW. They fight over a lockup to start with neither getting anywhere, meaning it’s off to another staredown. Big E. shoves him a bit and Reigns bails to the floor, where Heyman lists off some Anoa’i family members at the table. Back in and Reigns hits the jumping clothesline for two before stomping away rather hard.

An elbow drops Reigns and Big E. gets to talk a bit of trash to set up the missed apron splash. Big E. comes up favoring his knee and you know Reigns is happy with that. Back in and the chinlock goes on for a bit until Big E. powers up for the break. You don’t do that to Reigns, who boots Big E. down for two more. Big E. is sent outside again as Reigns is getting frustrated and growling at the crowd. A reversed whip into the steps puts Reigns in trouble for a change and some belly to bellies make it worse back inside.

The Warrior Splash connects but Big E. charges into a Samoan drop for two. Reigns fires off the corner clotheslines until Big E. Rock Bottoms him out of said corner for two of his own. The Stretch Muffler has Reigns in trouble so he powers up into a sitout powerbomb to rock Big E. again. A Rock Bottom gets two more as they’re sticking with the big shots here. Two Superman Punches only keep Big E. down for a few seconds so Reigns hits a third…but Big E. is back up before the spear can even launch.

Reigns is sent to the apron for the spear out to the floor but comes right back in with his own spear (minus through the ropes) for a rather near fall. They take their time getting up, with Reigns talking about how Big E. doesn’t deserve to be here. The guillotine is broken up but Big E. tries another spear through the ropes and gets caught in the choke. Reigns gets it on again back inside, only to muscle Reigns up into the Big Ending for two.

They head outside again, with Big E. fired up this time as he sends Reigns face first into the announcers’ table. A posting and ram into the barricade have Reigns in more trouble but he’s fine enough to send Big E. knees first into the steps. A Superman Punch off the steps lets Reigns kick the knee out and hit a spear for the pin at 21:56.

Rating: B. It took some time to get going and could have had a few minutes cut out, but this was a heck of a fight. The problem here though was there was no reason to believe Reigns would lose. Big E. is great, but winning the title via Money in the Bank makes him feel a step beneath Reigns, in addition to the fact that Reigns already feels like a bigger star than anyone else at the moment. Big E. was trying here, but you know Reigns getting pinned is going to be a huge moment, not something in a stand alone show like this one.

Raw – 5
Smackdown – 2

Overall Rating: B-. This show is going to depend on how you look at it. While the wrestling was mostly good, with the main event and men’s Survivor Series match carrying it, the biggest problem is NOTHING HAPPENED. Raw dominated the head to head competition and there was nothing on here that I felt like I needed to see. Reigns is still the unstoppable force and whoever got the red shirts this year had a strong night. What else is there to say about the wrestling with non-existent stakes?

Then you have everything else and it was just sad. The Rock obsession was cool and made sense, but without him actually having anything to do with the show the impact kind of falls apart. I know he’s busy, but if he isn’t going to be there, maybe don’t focus on him so much. The egg stuff was stupid, though I can’t fault WWE for trying to make money and it was relatively short.

Overall, as has been the case for a long time, there was enough good to pretty good action to make the show a decent watch, but there is absolutely nothing from a storyline perspective. The Battle For Brand Supremacy stuff worked for a few years but now WWE has given up on it meaning anything, so why should I care about what they’re doing? Good enough show, but totally unimportant.

Ratings Comparison

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Damian Priest

Original: C+
Redo: C

Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte

Original: B+
Redo: B+

Raw Men vs. Smackdown Men

Original: B-
Redo: B

Battle Royal

Original: C
Redo: C

Usos vs. RKBro

Original: C+
Redo: B

Smackdown Women vs. Raw Women

Original: C-
Redo: C-

Big E. vs. Roman Reigns

Original: B
Redo: B

Overall Rating

Original: B-
Redo: B-

Oh yeah this is about as similar as it gets.

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.

All In 2024
Date: August 25, 2024
Location: Wembley Stadium, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinnness, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

It’s the biggest show of the year and they’re in London for the second time in a row. That alone should make the show feel important but in this case the card is mostly living up to the hype. The main event will see Bryan Danielson challenging Swerve Strickland for the World Title in a title vs. career match, which has all of the makings. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Private Party/Ariya Daivari/Dark Order/Jay Lethal/Satnam Singh/Anthony Ogogo vs. Kyle Fletcher/Rocky Romero/Kip Sabian/Tommy Billington/Lio Rush/Action Andretti/Top Flight

Don Callis is on commentary as Billington and Lethal strike it out to start. Sabian and Ogogo come in for a lockup until Sabian hits a dropkick to kick him down. Everything breaks down and we’re left with Singh and Rush for the visual. Rush’s chops to the stomach don’t work so he grabs Singh’s leg, with Singh walking around anyway. Singh isn’t having that and launches Rush over the top and down onto the pile.

Back in and Silver slams Andretti down and chokes on the ropes, allowing Evil Uno (one of the many extras on the floor) throwing the papers ala Brodie Lee. Private Party hit slingshot hilos and Daivari chops him down for two. Andretti handspring elbows his way out of trouble though and it’s back to Sabian to pick up the pace.

Fletcher comes in with a middle rope cutter to Lethal before knocking Singh off the apron. A brainbuster gets two on Reynolds and everything breaks down, meaning it’s time for the dives. Silly String hits Sabian and Gin and Juice makes it worse. Ogogo gets to punch at various people but Darius is back in with a double DDT onto the Order. Dante drops Daivari and hits a frog splash for the pin at 11:36.

Rating: C+. It was an entertaining match but it was such a mess with that many people in there that no one really got to stand out (save for maybe Fletcher). This was the definition of “get a bunch of people on the show”, but it was also the definition of “most of these people don’t mean much and they’re out there in front of a half empty stadium because the show doesn’t start for over an hour”. That’s not exactly a great start and the wide shot of all the empty seats at the start made me feel more sad for them than excited for the show.

Zero Hour: Kris Statlander/Stokely Hathaway vs. Tomohiro Ishii/Willow Nightingale

The winning team picks the stipulation for Statlander vs. Nightingale next month at All Out. Hathaway is brought to the stage on a sedan, because of course he is. Ishii starts with Hathaway, who isn’t having this and bails out, meaning it’s Nightingale vs. Statlander. Nightingale gets sent into the corner for some shots to the face but comes back with a spinebuster for two.

We pause for some yelling at Hathaway, allowing Statlander to get in some cheap shots to take over. Back up and Nightingale makes the clothesline comeback, only to walk into a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Nightingale slips out of a Death Valley Driver and drops a backsplash for two of her own. The double tag brings in the men and for some reason, Hathaway fires off some chops.

This goes as well as you would expect and Ishii runs him over. Statlander comes back in to forearm away at Ishii, allowing Hathaway to actually hit a spinebuster. The fans are rather happy as Ishii pops back up, with Hathaway hammering away in the corner. That doesn’t last long as Nightingale Pounces Statlander, leaving Ishii to hit the sliding lariat for the pin on Hathaway at 8:15.

Rating: C+. This was all about Hathaway and of course he made it work in his limited chances. The bigger story is going to be the stipulation for Nightingale vs. Statlander, which almost has to be either a hardcore match or Nightingale fighting both of them at once. Perfectly fine match here and it would have fit in on any given Rampage.

Zero Hour: Dustin Rhodes/Sammy Guevara/Von Erichs vs. Kingdom/Cage Of Agony

Kevin Von Erich is here with the good guys and it’s a big brawl in the aisle before the bell. We get a quadruple Shattered Dreams to the villains and, with the referee ok with all of that, it’s the opening bell with Guevara and Kaun starting things off. Guevara quickly clears the ring and stares it down with Cage, who gets dropped with a top rope cutter. Kaun pulls Guevara outside for a whip into the barricade and they head back inside with Guevara caught in the wrong corner.

A backbreaker/springboard elbow drop combination gets two but Taven misses a frog splash. Rhodes comes in to take over and the snap powerslam puts Taven down. We hit the parade of knockdowns as Excalibur can barely keep track of everyone. Taven is back up with the Flight Of The Conqueror so Rhodes teases a dive but dances into a pose instead. Cage tries a running flip dive but mostly misses, leaving Guevara to shooting star onto the pile.

Back in and Cage gets the worst of a Tower Of Doom, leaving Rhodes to hit Cross Rhodes for two on Taven with the Gates making the save. Rhodes gets tossed into a powerbomb for two but Guevara hurricanranas his way out of the same thing. Shibata’s running dropkick hits Bennett in the corner and Marshall’s top rope moonsault gets the same. Rhodes hits Taven with the Final Reckoning and Guevara adds the Swanton so Rhodes can get the pin at 11:03.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure what Rhodes has on AEW but he has been the most active guy in the company (and in Ring Of Honor, because that’s a thing as well) for the last few weeks. That being said, Texas Takes England wasn’t the most thrilling story, especially when it came after a tag match with even more people. This was another bunch of people doing stuff until someone got the pin. The Texas guys don’t do anything for me because I’ve seen them more than I could possibly want to recently, but at least it didn’t go that long.

Post match the villains jump them but Kevin Von Erich makes the save, meaning it’s a group claw to get rid of the bad guys.

Here are the Outcasts, with Saraya’s entire family, for her big moment. Harley Cameron says Saraya is mad, with Saraya going into a rant about not being on the show despite being the best British woman ever in wrestling. And cue the returning Jamie Hayter (now with red hair) to march her way to Saraya, with Sweet Saraya (Saraya’s mother) getting in a cheap shot. The younger Saraya escapes, allowing Hayter to take out Cameron and stand tall.

The last nine minutes of the pre-show are spent on the entrances to the opener so the main show can start fast.

Trios Titles: Patriarchy vs. Pac/Blackpool Combat Club vs. House Of Black vs. Bang Bang Gang

The Patriarchy is defending in a ladder match. The bell rings and Cage runs away to start, leaving everyone else to brawl on the floor. That means a table is already set up on the floor but Austin has to cut Matthews down from a climb attempt. A bunch of people go up but get pulled down, with King dropping Pac with a clothesline. Robinson hits a running flip dive off the apron to take out Castagnoli, leaving Matthews to hit a big flip dive over the top.

Pac dives onto all of them but gets caught with What’s Up from the Gunns. King hits the big suicide dive…and here is Cage again. Cage goes up but gets pulled down by King, who takes Cage outside to be surrounded by a mob. That leaves Mother Wayne to go up, with the Gunns cutting her off and talking some sense into her. Killswitch comes in with chokeslams abounding, including one onto a ladder.

Wayne’s World through a table drops King so Luchasaurus goes up, only for Cage to go up at the same time for the sake of getting the glory. That’s broken up as well so it’s Castagnoli getting to wreck the Gunns. There’s the Swing to Robinson but the Gunns make the save, meaning it’s time for the tables. A bunch of people go up and crash through said tables, leaving Robinson to pull Black off the ladder. Wayne goes up and gets knocked hard through another table so let’s bring in the really big ladder, which is grazing against the bottom of the titles.

Pac goes up but gets pulled back down as Mother Wayne passes something off to Cage. That would be a spray of some kind, which goes into Yuta’s eyes to bring him off the ladder. Cage puts a ladder onto him and unloads with a chair but Robinson blocks Mother Wayne’s spray and sprays her instead. Luchasaurus knocks Robinson through a table, leaving Cage and Matthews to go up a pair of ladders. Cage spears him down through a table but might have hurt his own head in the process. Luchasaurus picks Cage up and climbs but Pac goes up as well and kicks Cage down. Pac gets the titles at 19:10.

Rating: B. Well that was a ladder match with a bunch of weapons and even more people involved. It’s something that has been done time after time and while it can be fun, it’s not something I’m going to get excited to see. This would also be the case with a thrown together team winning the titles. I’m sure it’s to get a British champion on there, but there are going to be more than a few on here without doing this title change.

We recap Mariah May challenging Toni Storm for the Women’s Title. May was Storm’s understudy but then won the Owen Hart Tournament to earn the shot and violently attacked Storm. Now Storm is being serious for the first time in a good while and wants revenge.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm vs. Mariah May

Storm is defending and has Luther with her. They glare at each other and argue to start before slugging it out. May Day and Storm Zero are both broken up so May dropkicks her into the corner. They chop it out until Storm grabs a DDT, with the fans approving. Storm misses a running hip attack in the ropes and gets powerbombed out onto the floor for a nasty landing.

Back in and May hits a running dropkick, followed by Stratusphere for two. Storm fights up from a slap and hammers away, only to get suplexed back down. May even goes outside and dropkicks Luther, which is just not that nice. To make it even worse, May slaps HER OWN MOTHER (in the crowd) but the delay lets Storm hit Storm Zero onto the steps. Storm goes over to hug May’s mother and now May is busted open.

Back in (because the champ’s piledriver onto the steps barely keeps May down for a minute) and Storm throws her around, including a chokebomb for two. May kicks her in the head and hits a bunch of hip attacks but the big one takes too long. Storm is back up and hits her own hip attack, setting up Storm Zero for two.

May goes after the fingers and kicks Storm low before stereo headbutts leave them both down. Back up and May Day gets two so it’s time to grab the title, with Luther pulling it away. Instead May grabs the bloody shoe but Storm takes it away..and can’t bring herself to hit May, who rolls her up for two. May knees her in the face, kisses Storm on the head, and hits Storm Zero for the pin and the title at 15:11.

Rating: B. That was the only result that made sense as Storm’s time as champion had come and gone. It was a hard hitting fight with Storm wanting revenge but coming up short, which is how it should have gone. It wouldn’t shock me to see Storm go a bit more back to normal now, as she can only go so much nuttier. Good stuff here, which overcame a bit of a weak build.

We recap Chris Jericho vs. Hook for the FTW Title. Jericho has already beaten Hook but has had to jump through hoops to get another shot at him.

FTW Title: Hook vs. Chris Jericho

Jericho is defending and gets played to the ring by Fozzy. It’s FTW Rules so the Learning Tree gets in and beats Hook down to start. The Codebreaker connects for one but Hook is back up with a German suplex. Jericho drops him again and hits the Lionsault for two, meaning it’s weapons time. That takes too long so Hook grabs another suplex and pulls out a cricket bat. Hook even grabs some cricket balls and hits them at Jericho but Keith comes in with a trashcan lid.

The Walls are broken up so Hook grabs his own version, only to have Bill make the save. They go outside with Keith setting up a barbed wire board on another table. Hook slips out of a chokeslam but Jericho goes after the good eye to blind him again. One heck of a trashcan shot puts Hook down but the Judas Effect is countered into a t-bone suplex, allowing Hook to reveal that his patched eye has healed and he could really see (Remember when Jericho blinded Jon Moxley and Moxley wore an eyepatch but then Moxley revealed he could really see during their match? Just a random thought.).

Redrum goes on with Bill making the save, only to have Jericho accidentally knock him into the barbed wire board. Keith gets up for a cheap shot, which FINALLY draws Taz off commentary to Tazmission Keith down. Redrum makes Jericho tap and gives Hook the title back at 10:11.

Rating: C+. And that should be it for these two. Hook gets his (latest) win over Jericho and Jericho gets to…well probably move on to a bigger feud because he has to be involved in something important every week. For now though, it’s a feel good moment and that’s all it needed to be.

We recap the Tag Team Title match. The Acclaimed and FTR both want the Young Bucks’ titles but since the Bucks almost never defend them, we have both of them getting a shot at once.

Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks vs. FTR vs. Acclaimed

The Bucks are defending and Caster rushes through his rap, possibly due to nerves. Harwood works on the arm to start but FTR and the Acclaimed get in a shoving match, all while the Bucks approve. The Bucks do come in but are quickly dispatched, leaving Wheeler to get caught in a Scissor Me Timbers attempt. That takes too long though and Nick makes the save, setting up an assisted standing Sliced Bread to Wheeler. Matt grabs a chinlock for a bit before Wheeler fights up and hands it off to Bowens to pick up the pace.

Now Scissor Me Timbers can hit Nick and we pause for some scissoring. Harwood is back in with the German suplexes, including one to both Bucks at once. The PowerPlex only hits raised knees but so does Nick’s 450. The Tony Khan Driver is broken up as well though with Nick being shoved into a moonsault onto the Acclaimed. Matt walks into the Shatter Machine but Nick pulls the referee out.

Back up and Matt hits a tornado DDT to plant Bowens on the floor, leaving Matt and Caster to hit a VIP Trigger to Harwood. Wheeler makes a save but gets sent outside, leaving the Acclaimed to load up Nick. Matt makes the save with a low blow and it’s time for the superkicks. That’s not enough for Matt, who grabs a title, earning himself a Fameasser from Billy Gunn. The Arrival connects but Nick makes the save. Harwood rolls Nick up for two but gets belt shotted for two. The EVP Trigger to Harwood is enough for the pin to retain the titles at 13:21.

Rating: B-. It was a good match but not top level stuff. The Bucks getting their win back in Wembley wasn’t exactly shocking and now we get to find out who they’ll defend against, maybe by Halloween or so. The story coming in wasn’t overly exciting and it dragged things down a bit, though I do appreciate them not going crazy long, which just wasn’t needed.

Post match the Grizzled Young Veterans come in for a staredown with the Young Bucks, who leave instead. Heaven forbid we get that match here of course, because we needed to repeat the previous combinations instead.

Casino Gauntlet Match

This is a 21 person gauntlet match with staggered entrances, but the fall can happen at any time, even if it is only the first two entrants. The winner gets a World Title shot at any time (basically MITB). Orange Cassidy is in at #1 and Kazuchika Okada is in at #2. Okada doesn’t seem worried so Cassidy dropkicks him down into the nip up. NIGEL MCGUINNESS is in at #3 and the fans go coconuts, especially as he and Okada go with the grappling. Nigel takes Okada down and it’s Kyle O’Reilly in at #4.

O’Reilly ties up Okada’s arm but gets caught in an armbar from Nigel at the same time. Cassidy is back in with a Stundog Millionaire and Zack Sabre Jr. is in at #5. We get the Nigel vs. Sabre showdown and the fans are VERY pleased. They go with the grappling before trading rollups for two each until Okada takes Nigel’s place. Sabre gets in a weird neck crank but Okada slips out and hits the top rope elbow. Back up and Sabre goes for the leg but Roderick Strong is in at #6.

Strong’s entrance takes so long that Mark Briscoe is in at #7 by the time he gets to do anything. House is quickly cleaned and it’s Hangman Page in at #8. Clotheslines abound and it’s Jeff Jarrett in at #9. We get the strut before Jarrett gets to hammer on Page in the corner. Page breaks that up and powerbombs Jarrett onto a pile as Ricochet makes his debut at #10. Ricochet starts firing off the kicks and goes to the floor to hammer on Page. Christian Cage limps in at #11 but Ricochet cuts him off.

Okada dropkicks Page, who fights back and loads up the Buckshot Lariat. That’s broken up with a guitar shot, leaving Okada to Rainmaker Jarrett. Cassidy is back up to clean house until he walks into End Of Heartache. Briscoe is in to wreck everyone until he accidentally helps Nigel hit the Tower of London (hanging Stunner) on Sabre. Cage drops Nigel though and it’s Luchasaurus in at #12. He starts firing off the chokeslams, including one to O’Reilly, with Cage stealing the pin at 25:50.

Rating: B. They were rocking here for a bit before a kind of downer ending. Cage being added to the match and stealing it in the end felt like something out of Unforgiven 2008 with a banged up Chris Jericho winning the World Title. That being said, the good stuff here more than outweighed the bad, with Nigel being a crazy great surprise and Ricochet being a cool moment. I liked this, but make it an annual PPV event, as this is the third time we’ve sen it this year.

We recap MJF defending the American Title against Will Ospreay. MJF beat Ospreay in a match that went about an hour via some cheating and now Ospreay wants the title back.

American Title: Will Ospreay vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

MJF is defending and comes out dressed as Uncle Sam, while Ospreay gets an Assassin’s Creed entrance. Just to make it worse, MJF has a big American flag come down from the rafters, which Taz calls “heat”. They slug it out to start with Ospreay getting the better of things to send him outside. That means a Sasuke Special to drop MJF, who is right back with a running boot against the barricade. Back in and Ospreay can’t hit the Oscutter so they trade rollups for two each.

MJF powerbombs him onto the knee and adds a Kangaroo Kick. That means we get a hip swivel but Ospreay is back up with an enziguri for two. A skytwister press gets two and MJF heads outside, where he catches Ospreay’s dive in a Tombstone on the floor. Ospreay is back on his feet 51 seconds later and catches MJF’s Moonsault in a Spanish Fly. Back in and MJF is draped over the top for a shooting star to the back for two more.

Stormbreaker is countered into Cross Rhodes for two, only for Ospreay to come back with the Oscutter for the same. MJF hits a quick piledriver for two more but has to counter Stormbreaker into a discus forearm. He takes too long to follow up though and walks into the Stormbreaker for two. The Hidden Blade is loaded up but MJF rolls out to the apron instead. The Oscutter misses as Ospreay only hits mat in a nasty crash. A Canadian Destroyer on the apron knocks Ospreay even sillier, to the point where he collapses before MJF can try a Hidden Blade.

The Heatseeker is blocked and NOW the Oscutter on the apron connects. The crash takes out a production crew member though and Ospreay goes to check on him, allowing MJF to grab the title. Ospreay superkicks MJF and goes after him again, only to bump the referee. MJF hits him low and loads up another shot but a man in black jumps up to cut him off. It’s Daniel Garcia, with MJF threatening him as he leaves. The running forearm drops MJF and the Tiger Driver 91 gives Ospreay the title back at 25:36.

Rating: B. This got going and turned into a showdown, with Garcia being a fine way to go. It was either going to be him or Adam Cole and while I’m not a Garcia fan, I’d rather they go with him over reheating Cole vs. MJF. The match was the kind of hard hitting special that works well for Ospreay, though MJF better be out of action for the better part of ever after all the hype the Tiger Driver 91 received. I know he won’t be, but that’s how he should be after the story they were telling.

Post match Christopher Daniels presents Ospreay with the International Title as the America’s Title goes away.

We recap Britt Baker challenging Mercedes Mone for the TBS Title. Mone is the dominant champion but Baker is back to get into the title hunt again.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone vs. Britt Baker

Mone, with Kamille, is defending and comes to the ring in a carriage with her corgis. They run the ropes to start until Mone hits a dropkick but Baker is back up to knock her to the floor. Kamille catches her though and Mone poses with the title as a villain should. Back in and it’s too early for the Lockjaw so Baker settles for a superkick. Kamille offers a distraction though and Mone grabs a backbreaker onto the turnbuckle for two.

Another backbreaker keeps Baker in trouble but she fights up. A kick to the back cuts her off and Banks grabs Three Amigos. Baker fights up again and takes Mone up, only to get slammed down from the middle rope for a nasty crash. Back up and Baker tries a stomp but gets countered into a powerbomb. A quick cutter drops Mone but she goes to the back again for some near falls. Mone loads up…something, only to be reversed into the Air Raid Crash for two.

They go up top and Mone tries another slam, which is reversed into a wicked super powerslam to give Baker two more. Mone tries a belt shot but gets caught, allowing Kamille to tease one, only for Baker to drop down, Eddie Guerrero style. Kamille is ejected and the Panama Sunrise hits Mone for two. Lockjaw goes on but Mone bites the fingers and grabs the Mone Maker to retain at retain the title at 17:20.

Rating: C+. This went long and it hurt things a lot, as they could have wrapped it up about five minutes earlier. As usual, Mone is much more about the sizzle and setup than the match itself, though she was doing well here. Just find a finisher that doesn’t look terrible all the time and she’ll be in a much better place. I’m not sure what is next for Baker, but she could use a win in a good feud. Maybe Deonna Purrazzo?

We recap Darby Allin challenging Jack Perry for the TNT Title. Allin doesn’t like how Perry was handed the title and since Perry is the Most Interesting Wrestler Ever, he wants it to be a Coffin Match.

TNT Title: Darby Allin vs. Jack Perry

Allin is challenging in a Coffin Match and goes after Perry with a chair to start. They go to the floor with Perry being sat in the chair for a dive, meaning it’s time for the coffin. Perry cuts off a dive though and it’s already time for a bag of broken glass. The fans sing CRY ME A RIVER so Perry swears at them, only for Allin to drive a skateboard into his back, sending him into the glass.

They go outside with Allin hitting a dive, only to get rammed into the coffin. Now it’s time to go up the ramp and Allin gets thrown off the stage and through a table. Perry throws him into a bodybag and carries him back to the ring….where Allin is thrown into the coffin. A running knee is enough to knock Allin out and retain the title at 10:35.

Rating: C+. Well, there’s your Jack Perry win over someone who is more interesting and better than him. It’s not exactly a shock and Allin is on the way to bigger things with the World Title shot at Grand Slam, but as usual, this felt more about Perry and….yeah it’s still the same guy. The tough guy thing isn’t working for him and they had to get the glass spot in, which might not be the most lucrative call back.

Post match the Young Bucks come out to light the casket on fire…..but STING returns for the save. Perry chairs him in the back for no effect so Perry runs off, leaving Sting to lay the Bucks out. Then Allin is helped out of the coffin to pose, which doesn’t exactly make Perry look like a killer. Granted that might be minor to having a 62 year old retired legend take out the top heel stable on his own.

We recap the AEW World Title match with Swerve Strickland defending against Bryan Danielson. That’s not big enough so Danielson, whose neck is held together by paper clips and a dream, is putting his career on the line.

AEW World Title: Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson

Swerve is defending and gets rapped to the ring. After the Big Match Intros, Danielson chops away to start but gets taken down by the arm, allowing Swerve to glare at Danielson’s family in the crowd. Back up and Danielson goes to the arm but it’s too early for the LeBell Lock attempt. Swerve misses a dive so Danielson is up with a springboard flip dive to take him down on the floor.

Back in and Danielson starts in on the arm, which is fine enough for Swerve to grab a suplex. The confidence starts to pick up as Swerve knocks him into the corner. Swerve heads outside but gets caught in a triangle choke over the ropes. Back up and Swerve tries a Death Valley Driver, with the referee getting knocked down. That lets Prince Nana slide in the title, with the Driver onto the belt knocking Danielson silly and busting him open in the process.

Swerve asks why we have to do this when Danielson’s family is watching, though he’s fine enough to hit a middle rope elbow to the back. They head back outside where Swerve stomps at the bloody Danielson and then yells at Danielson’s family. The Swerve Stomp misses though and Danielson pulls him into an STF.

That’s broken up but Danielson is right back with a clothesline for the double knockdown. The Cattle Mutilation is broken up so Danielson settles for the YES Kicks. A tiger superplex drops Swerve again and we hit the Cattle Mutilation again. This time Swerve powers out and hits a Vertebreaker for the big, scary crash. That’s enough to pause for the medical team to come in and check on Danielson but deem him ok to continue.

The Swerve Stomp gets two so Swerve hits back to back House Calls…for two more. Swerve is stunned as Danielson gets up and strikes away, setting up a triangle choke. After we cut to Danielson’s daughter not watching the match, Danielson suplexes Swerve down and hits the running knee…which Swerve brushes off. Another House call drops Danielson and the JML Driver gets two.

Swerve loads up his own running knee but cue Hangman Page for a distraction. That’s enough for Danielson to hit the running knee for two, with Nana almost diving in for the save. They slug it out until Swerve tries a roll but gets kneed down. Another running knee to the back sets up the LeBell Lock but Swerve powers out, only to get pulled into a Rings of Saturn variant for the tap at 25:45.

Rating: A-. They did a good job here of making me wonder how it was going to end and that’s a nice feeling. When in doubt, going for a feel good Danielson win is as safe of a moment as you can have and it worked here. It felt like the last hurrah of a legendary career and while he probably won’t hold the title for very long, he had one last great one (so far). Strickland can move back into the Page feud, and thankfully the interference didn’t lead directly to the ending. Heck of a main event and it felt important, which is how a match of this magnitude should go.

Danielson’s family gets in the ring to celebrate, with the Blackpool Combat Club (and Pac) joining them to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. The matches that needed to deliver did so and they nailed the big happy ending. There were some weaker parts, such as the Coffin Match, Baker vs. Mone and Hook vs. Jericho, plus having SO MANY PEOPLE on the show, but the good stuff was more than enough to make this work. It’s absolutely AEW’s biggest event of the year and they worked out some of the kinks from last time, with a show that not only felt big but was better. Rather solid stuff here, and if they can leave some of the people alone next time, it could be even stronger. Heck of a show, with the big feeling taking it higher.

Results
Private Party/Ariya Daivari/Dark Order/Jay Lethal/Satnam Singh/Anthony Ogogo b. Kyle Fletcher/Rocky Romero/Kip Sabian/Tommy Billington/Lio Rush/Action Andretti/Top Flight – Frog splash to Daivari
Willow Nightingale/Tomohiro Ishii b. Kris Statlander/Stokely Hathaway – Sliding lariat to Hathaway
Dustin Rhodes/Sammy Guevara/Von Erichs/Katsuyori Shibata b. Cage Of Agony/Kingdom – Swanton to Taven
Pac/Blackpool Combat Club b. Patriarchy, House Of Black and Bang Bang Gang – Pac pulled down the titles
Mariah May b. Toni Storm – Storm Zero
Hook b. Chris Jericho – Redrum
Young Bucks b. FTR and Acclaimed – EVP Trigger to Harwood
Christian Cage won the Casino Gauntlet – Chokeslam to O’Reilly
Will Ospreay b. Maxwell Jacob Friedman – Tiger Driver 91
Mercedes Mone b. Britt Baker – Mone Maker
Jack Perry b. Darby Allin – Perry put Allin in the coffin
Bryan Danielson b. Swerve Strickland – LeBell Lock

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This is the biggest AEW show of the year, if nothing due to the outstanding atmosphere. Last year’s edition looked like a Wrestlemania level event and that is a hard trick to pull off. The crowd is going to be a bit smaller this time, but the card is feeling a bit bigger. It’s not exactly perfect, but I’m curious enough to see what we’ll be getting on this size of a stage. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Kris Statlander/Stokely Hathaway vs. Willow Nightingale/Tomohiro Ishii

This is part of the long running Statlander vs. Nightingale feud and the winning team gets to name the stipulation for their match next month at All Out. That could make things interesting here as it could go either way. You could have Nightingale pick a match where she can get revenge, or you could have Statlander pick a match where she is a heavy favorite. Either way it likely winds up being some kind of a hardcore match, but how do we get there?

I’ll go with Statlander and Hathaway winning here, as Ishii can torment Hathaway without getting the win. This feels like a way for Hathaway to steal a pin on Nightingale for some humiliation before she comes back and gets revenge on both of them next time. The Hathaway stuff should be funny, but he and Statlander win to stack the beck against Nightingale in the blowoff.

Zero Hour: Dustin Rhodes/Von Erichs/Katsuyori Shibata/Sammy Guevara vs. Kingdom/Cage Of Agony

And here is your “we’re just throwing stuff out there” match, as Dustin Rhodes and the Von Erichs apparently must be on EVERY POSSIBLE SHOW. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m not a fan of how much they’ve been around, just because I’m tired of seeing them over and over. The match will be the Ring Of Honor showcase, which just has to happen because reasons, even if I’m not sure how much interest Ring Of Honor could possibly have.

There is zero reason to believe that the villains will win here as Texas gets to annex England once and for all. The cage Of Agony could not be treated as bigger loses and I can’t imagine the Kingdom gets a win on a stage like this. It feels like another big thank you to Rhodes, because apparently being a double champion in his late 50s while having him appear more than he has in years just isn’t enough. But yeah, the good guys win.

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

This is the closest thing to a rematch that we have from last year, as the Bucks manage to have their second title defense in four months as champions. It doesn’t help that FTR doesn’t have much of a claim to a title match and the Bucks could not be more ice cold if they moved into a freezer. On top of that, the Acclaimed isn’t exactly on fire either, and that leaves one option.

I’ll take the Bucks to win here as they get their win back after putting FTR over last year. It’s not a result that needs to happen, but for some reason AEW seems to think that there is something to the Bucks as some o the top heels in the company. This isn’t something I’m looking forward to, making it rather similar to most of what the Bucks have been doing during their title reign.

Trios Titles: Patriarchy(c) vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House Of Black vs. Pac/Blackpool Combat Club

This is a ladder match, marking the third ladder match on pay per view out of five shows this year. As usual, I would wonder what would happen if any other gimmick was used that much, but that’s another problem. The other issue here is THAT’S A LOT OF PEOPLE in one match, especially when Pac and the Club are pretty clearly there because they have nothing else going on.

That being said, I’ll go with the Patriarchy to retain here, as there is little reason for it to go another way. Christian Cage has been great in his role and it would be a shame for them to lose the titles so soon. The Gang and the House have both held the titles recently enough, leaving either the champs to retain or the makeshift team to win. Either is possible, but I’ll hope for some sanity with the Patriarchy holding the belts.

FTW Title: Chris Jericho(c) vs. Hook

Remember when Ricky Starks beat Jericho and then had to jump through a bunch of hoops to get his rematch so he could do it again? That’s exactly what we have again here and somehow it’s even less interesting. I know Jericho has some defenders (mainly himself) but it’s really not working for me so far. There is a really good chance that this wraps up the feud and we move on to Jericho doing something even bigger, because that’s just kind of how Jericho rolls in AEW.

I’ll go with Hook getting the big win here, which he certainly needs more than Jericho. At the same time, I don’t expect Jericho to be downgraded whatsoever after the match while Hook continues to do the same stuff he’s been doing for months. This whole feud has felt like such a waste of time but I guess the idea is Jericho puts Hook over on the big stage in the end. It doesn’t make up for everything, but it’s better than nothing.

TNT Title: Jack Perry(c) vs. Darby Allin

Why does Perry want this to be a Coffin Match? Other than trying to be the cool heel that he SO CLEARLY ALREADY IS (because Perry is obviously the most amazing heel ever), why would he want that stipulation? On top of that, the bigger question is whether or not Perry will make a glass reference, because that is the kind of thing that can’t be let go no matter what happens.

Normally I would go Allin here but he seems to have bigger fish to fry with the World Title match in about a month at Grand Slam. Allin can lose via some shenanigans here, or perhaps by doing something really stupid to cost him the match, but odds are Perry wins. For reasons I still can’t fathom, AEW sees something special in him and odds are here gets a big win here.

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

This is one of the more personal feuds on the show but unfortunately it reached its peak about a month ago and now they are limping to the finish. Storm has held the title for what feels like forever and May seems ready to move into the spotlight, but other than that big attack, they haven’t really done much that makes me want to see them fight. It should be intense, especially if Storm is playing it more straight, but I’m not sure how much they can do.

This is May’s to win as there is no reason to keep the title on Storm after everything she has already done as champion. May has a good bit of star power and deserves the win, while Storm can move on to….I have no idea actually, but she’ll probably be gone for a bit before she gets there. I can’t imagine May losing here as there is no reason for her to, so we’ll say the title changes hands.

Casino Gauntlet

I’m not sure what to do here as I don’t know most of the people in the match. The one thing I do know is that the rules have apparently been changed to make this more or less Money In The Bank, because THAT is something AEW needs. We only know a handful of the people involved, but there is one name that stands out above the rest and seems to be a likely candidate.

In short, this has to be Hangman Page right? He is the bigger singles star (in AEW) of the Elite/their associates and it wouldn’t shock me to see him winning here to have a chance at stealing the World Title from Swerve Strickland. While there is a chance that he does it to end the show, I’ll assume he saves it for later, meaning he has to win it first, which is what we’ll go with here.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone(c) vs. Britt Baker

This has been an interesting feud in the last few weeks, even if the match itself might not have the most drama. Mone is still treated as one of the biggest stars in the company and certainly in the women’s division but Baker is one of the most successful women AEW has ever seen. That makes for a more interesting match and it certainly feels big, which is exactly what this needs to be.

That being said, there is almost no way that Mone is going to lose the title so far. Mone hasn’t exactly hit the ground running so far in AEW and needs a major win. That is exactly what she can do here, perhaps with an assist from Kamille. What matters the most here though is that she gets the win over Baker, who can move on to something else after the loss. Money on the other hand gets to keep telling us how big of a star she is while actually having a win to back it up so….progress?

American Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Will Ospreay

On paper, this should be one of the easiest matches on the card, but the fact that I’m not sure about the result has me wondering. While Ospreay winning the title seems like the obvious way to go, he’s in there against someone who is on another level in MJF. There is a chance that MJF does retain through some shenanigans, but it is almost hard to fathom Ospreay losing another major pay per view match.

I’ll go with the safe pick here and say Ospreay gets the title back here in front of his home country crowd, as it makes a lot more sense. At the end of the day, this one could go either way but one of the ways fits a lot better than the other. Ospreay is near the top of the popularity charts in AEW and a big win could move him up to an even higher level, which would be quite the accomplishment.

AEW World Title: Swerve Strickland(c) vs. Bryan Danielson

Now we have what is starting to feel like a big main event as it’s title vs. career, even if Strickland has gone from a pretty likable face over the summer into a full on villain again seemingly overnight. While it would seem that Danielson winning for the big feel good moment would be the way to go, his neck and overall health is just enough to make me wonder if things are going in another way. That’s a good trick to pull off and AEW has managed to do it.

That being said, I don’t think I can go with the idea of Danielson losing again, so we’ll say he gets the World Title in the big moment. There is almost no chance he keeps it long (I’ve got Nigel McGuinness costing him the title at Grand Slam, setting up Danielson’s retirement match with McGuinness at WrestleDream) but that has never stopped a great moment before. Danielson wins the title here, as he absolutely should.

Overall Thoughts

The more I think about this show, the more I’m talking myself into being excited about it. There are some problems with the card (WAY too many people being one of them), but the idea of Danielson having one more major World Title win is a good way to go. This week’s Dynamite did a lot of good for the show and if they can live up to the hype, we could be in for something strong, but more importantly, special.

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Dynamite
Date: August 21, 2024
Location: Utilita Arena, Cardiff, Wales
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone, Taz

It’s the final Dynamite before All In and the show has some work to do. While the pay per view card is set, there are still some matches that could use some additional build. AEW still has time to make that happen, but they are going to need to do it well this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Tony Schiavone brings out Britt Baker and Mercedes Mone (with Kamille) to sign their contract. Mone says she is the future but Baker is the past before signing. Baker says there was a DMD before there was a CEO and signs as well. Mone doesn’t like the DMD chant and thinks Baker having another career means she isn’t all in.

Baker laughs it off and says that Mone is one of four but she is one of one. She praises Mone for being a trailblazer and hopes Mone finds that person again, because it’s who Baker wants to beat. Baker says she’ll agree to not get violent with Mone to start but then jumps Kamille, who is knocked into Mone to send the villains running. It’s hard to imagine Baker winning, but she looked strong here.

Chris Jericho talks about how he was on his way to Cardiff, England and wonders why Tommy Billington is bidding himself as the Dynamite Kid. Billington isn’t as good as the original Dynamite Kid and doesn’t even belong on Dynamite!

Chris Jericho vs. Tommy Billington

Non-title and the Learning Tree is here with Jericho. Billington grabs a headlock to start but gets sent outside, where the Learning Tree jumps him for a posting. We take a break and come back with stereo crossbodies leaving both of them down for a breather. Billington strikes away for two but gets pulled into the Walls in the middle of the ring. The rope is grabbed so Billington hits the snap suplex before diving onto Bryan Keith. That’s enough of a distraction for Jericho to hit the Codebreaker for the pin at 9:23.

Rating: C+. Billington is still brand new around here but they’re certainly putting him in there with some big names. That could take him a long way if they do it right and at least the start has gone well. Jericho was his usual self here, but he was going to lead a match like this no matter what, just due to the massive experience edge.

Post match Jericho says he would beat Hook up if he was here so cue Hook, who gets chokeslammed by Big Bill.

Women’s Title: Saraya vs. Toni Storm

Storm is defending and Harley Cameron is here with Saraya. Storm’s headlock into a rollup gets an early two and she jumps over Saraya a bit, setting up another rollup for another two. Back up and Saraya sends her outside, where Cameron tosses Storm into the barricade. Saraya adds a cannonball and we take a break. Back with Storm grabbing a DDT an a fisherman’s suplex for two. Storm Zero is countered into the Nightcap to give Saraya two and the Rampaige gets two more. Back up and Storm grabs a quick chokebomb for two before kissing Saraya and hitting Storm Zero for the pin at 8:40.

Rating: C+. I can go for tying up a loose end and that’s what they did here, as Saraya gets and loses her title rematch. Storm has a bigger deal with May anyway, but this gave Saraya a nice moment before she won’t be on the pay per view card. The match was ok enough as well, and it gave Storm some momentum before All In.

Post match Mariah May jumps Storm and leaves her laying.

The Conglomeration is ready for Collision and All In. Mark Briscoe is rather animated, as you might expect.

Here is Will Ospreay for a chat but cue MJF, in an American flag suit, to interrupt. MJF asks the crowd to shush but gets soundly booed, leaving Ospreay to request a resounding weapon. Ospreay talks about everything he has done to get here and all the tiny places he has wrestled in over the years. Sunday is about cleaning up everything MJF has done and promises to finish him at All In.

MJF says he didn’t have to break his body like Ospreay, because all he had to do was tease a kangaroo kick. The reality is that MJF came back early from an injury because the bosses want him to clean up Ospreay’s mess. A lot of people have heard about this wrestling first promotion but then MJF was the World Champion. The joke went on too long and now the owner is asking Ospreay not to make their match about wrestling, because the champion can’t do it.

All In is about restoring the feeling and Ospreay is that feeling. MJF laughs it off because Ospreay is only where he is because the fans like him. The reality is that MJF is the youngest World Champion in AEW history and Ospreay doesn’t have the nerve to use the tiger driver. Ospreay talks about being the best in the world in all kinds of countries and that is what he has to defend at All In in front of his family and country. MJF loses it over the OSPREAY chants but says he talked to Ospreay’s wife and so called kid earlier today.

The reality is that Ospreay is the kid’s stepfather, but after the talk MJF had with Ospreay’s wife, the next kid she has won’t be Ospreay’s either. Ospreay asks Tony Schiavone about the fine if he jumps MJF right now and that would be about $127,000. It’s worth it, so the fight is on with security not being able to break it up. The diamond ring shot drops Ospreay (and busts him open) and a brainbuster leaves him laying. Security breaks up a tiger driver attempt from MJF. That move better connect on Sunday and it better put MJF on the shelf for eleventy billion weeks after the hype it has received.

Hangman Page has been asked to leave the building following an unexplained altercation. He’s in the Casino Gauntlet at All In, but here is Evil Uno to say he’s in too. Page drops him and talks about wanting to ruin Swerve Strickland.

Continental Title: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Kazuchika Okada

Okada is defending and backs him into the ropes to start, meaning it’s a fairly sarcastic break. Castagnoli backs him right back up against the ropes as well before both the Rainmaker and Neutralizer are broken up. Okada strikes away so Castagnoli tells him to bring it, earning himself a running forearm.

We take a break and come back with Castagnoli muscling him over for a suplex before knocking Okada outside. Back in and they forearm it out with Castagnoli getting the better of things. A DDT gets Okada out of trouble and a neckbreaker gives him two. Castagnoli blocks a Tombstone attempt though and they crash out to the floor in a big heap.

We take another break and come back again with Castagnoli muscling him over with a gutwrench suplex and stomping him down for two. Okada’s dropkick sends Castagnoli outside though and the top rope elbow gets…well no cover, but Okada does get to flip the crowd off.

Castagnoli is back with the Giant Swing but Okada cuts off the clothesline with a dropkick. The Air Raid Crash onto the knee leaves both of them down as the fans approve again. They slug it out from their knees and we have a minute left in the time limit. Swiss Death sends Okada mostly outside and the time limit expires at 20:00 as Castagnoli can’t quite get the cover.

Rating: B. This was Okada at middle of the road speed and believe it or not, it still worked. Okada is long past the point where he is expected to be his old self, but I can go for this version of him from time to time. Castagnoli was his usual self and they had a good match, which thankfully didn’t see Castagnoli lose another big one. Strong chance they run it back at All Out.

Post match the Young Bucks come out to ask if the fans want five more minutes…but that isn’t going to happen. They ask Castagnoli to leave and threaten violence before the main event, only to be interrupted by their opponents.

FTR/Darby Allin vs. Young Bucks/Jack Perry

The brawl starts on the floor before the bell until we get Harwood elbowing Perry in the face for two. Allin comes in and hits a dive onto Perry as everything breaks down. The Bucks dive onto FTR and it’s a Doomsday kick to Allin’s chest as we take a break. Back with the powerbomb/corner enziguri getting two on Allin, who dives over for the tag to Harwood anyway.

Harwood rolls the German suplexes and gets two off a brainbuster to Perry. Wheeler comes in and gets superkicked down for two but the EVP Trigger misses. Back up and FTR/Allin grab stereo Sharpshooters, all of which are broken up. The villains tease leaving but get caught, with Allin hitting a Canadian Destroyer. Perry reverse DDT’s Allin but walks into the Shatter Machine. The PowerPlex into the Coffin Drop finishes Nick at 9:57.

Rating: B-. This was a good bit shorter than I was expecting and one of the Bucks getting pinned didn’t feel like that big of a deal. It’s hard for me to fathom them losing the titles on Sunday, but the three way deal makes it more of a possibility. At the same time, I had forgotten that Allin vs. Perry was a coffin match, as it doesn’t really add much to the whole thing. That being said, this was a nice enough way to promote two matches in one segment, which is always nice to see.

Post match here is the Acclaimed to say they’re better than the Bucks and FTR.

Bryan Danielson tells Will Ospreay to DO IT. He means beat MJF, perhaps with the tiger driver 91, in case you thought he was wanting Ospreay to quit wrestling and become a beekeeper.

Nigel McGuinness is in the ring to moderate the final showdown between Swerve Strickland and Bryan Danielson. Swerve is out first and Nigel calls him a huge favorite in the title match. Swerve lists off the people he has hurt and promises to take Danielson apart. Nigel goes to introduce Danielson, but Swerve says he feels disrespected by Danielson wanting to win the title and walk away.

Swerve doesn’t want Danielson to be able to wrestle again, so if Danielson loses and wants to wrestle at some small show in Washington, Swerve will be there to beat him down. If Danielson wants to put on a mask and wrestle in Arena Mexico, Swerve will be there to beat him down. Swerve brings up Danielson’s family and here is Danielson to clear the ring.

Danielson says it’s not just a catchphrase, because he is the best wrestle in the world and has been for the last 20 years. Swerve is going to have to near kill him to beat him on Sunday. The question is whether or not Danielson can win the title and the answer is….well the fans chant YES and Danielson says they know the answer. This was an effective final showdown, though it felt like I saw a very, very similar thing (down to the family talk) between MJF and Ospreay about an hour ago.

Overall Rating: B. This show felt more like a recent WWE go home show for a pay per view and that isn’t a bad formula to follow. They pushed the big stories for Sunday and while I’m still not entirely feeling the show, this was a step in the right direction. Danielson vs. Swerve could go either way and Ospreay vs. MJF feels a bit more personal. All In has the pressure on it but they did a good job at building it up here.

Results
Chris Jericho b. Tommy Billington – Codebreaker
Toni Storm b. Saraya – Storm Zero
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Kazuchika Okada went to a time limit draw
FTR/Darby Allin b. Young Bucks/Jack Perry – Coffin Drop to Nick

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Collision
Date: August 17, 2024
Location: Esports Arena Arlington, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone

We are just over a week away from All In and there is a good chance that we are going to see something new added to the show this week. One of the featured matches will see FTR vs. the Acclaimed for a Tag Team Title shot against the Young Bucks, which could have quite the fireworks. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Britt Baker vs. Harley Cameron

Cameron works on the wristlock to start but Baker takes her down without much trouble. Back up and Cameron sends her to the apron and starts in on the leg, including a 619 to the knee for something a bit more unique. A Russian legsweep gets two on Baker, whose comeback is quickly cut off. Cameron’s enziguri staggers Baker but she comes back with a superkick and a Sling Blade, setting up a curb stomp for the fast pin at 5:25.

Rating: C+. This was a fine way to go as the match didn’t take up too much time and didn’t need to. Baker gets a win as she is eight days away from one of the biggest matches of her career and beats the friend of someone who is facing her opponent at All In next week. It was simple and to the point, which is just fine in this case.

Post match here are Mercedes Mone and Kamille for the staredown so Baker whips out the kendo stick. Kamille takes it away without much trouble and breaks it in half. Baker is laid out with a sitout Dominator and Mone poses over her.

All In is coming to Arlington next year.

We look at Dustin Rhodes winning the Ring Of Honor Six Man Tag Team Titles with the Von Erichs, but now he wants the Tag Team Titles with Sammy Guevara, because they’re all from Texas.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Sammy Guevara/Dustin Rhodes vs. Kingdom

The Kingdom is defending. Rhodes and Bennett start things off with Rhodes chopping away in the corner. A superkick cuts that off in a hurry but Guevara comes in with a high crossbody to drop the villains. The dive takes them out on the floor again and we get a double tranquilo pose back inside. Bennett takes Guevara down on the floor for some choking though and we take a break.

Back with Guevara still in trouble but Rhodes offers a distraction, allowing Guevara to grab a much needed super Spanish Fly. Rhodes gets the tag and cleans house, including the snap powerslams. Shattered Dreams hits Taven in the corner and Cross Rhodes gets two with Bennett making the save. Bennett busts Guevara’s spine and here is Beast Mortos for a distraction, allowing Rodrick Strong to come in with a Sick Kick to Rhodes.

The Von Erichs run in for the save but here is the Cage of Agony, followed by the Conglomeration, to brawl everyone to the back. Taven rolls Rhodes up for two so it’s time for Hail Mary, which Guevara breaks up with a super cutter to Taven. The Final Reckoning into a Swanton finishes Bennett for the titles at 10:37.

Rating: B-. This was more about all of the insanity going on and the big moment but it wound up being a pretty decent match. The fans seemed to like it, though seeing Rhodes get his big nostalgia title win just a few weeks ago takes away a bit of the impact. The Texas love fest hasn’t exactly had me thrilled, but I’m not the audience that it seems to be focused on anyway.

A bunch of people offer their picks for Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland. Having Nigel McGuinness cost Danielson his career could be incredible.

Chris Jericho says hi and s ready to face Tommy Billington in Cardiff, Wales next week on Dynamite. Billington didn’t have the training in the Hart Dungeon, so he’s going to be Dynamite done.

Hologram vs. Angelico

Serpentico is here with Angelico. Hologram starts working on the wrist to start and anklescissors his way out of trouble. A standoff lets Angelico dance a bit so Hologram sends him outside for a heck of a dive as we take a break. Back with Hologram diving between the ropes to avoid some charges, setting up a springboard hurricanrana to send Angelico flying. Hologram has to bail out of a 450 though, allowing Angelico to get two off la majistral. A hurricanrana gives Hologram two and they trade rollups for two each, followed by Hologram’s cradle for the pin at 8:05.

Rating: B. More fun from Hologram here, who is turning into a showcase. It also helps that he wasn’t on a team with a bigger name or coming after another high flier on the same show. It’s still working for him, but it is probably time to move him into either a feud or at least some bigger competition. Rather entertaining stuff here though, which is the entire point.

Video on the tiger driver 91 and of course Excalibur is right there to tell us about how devastating it is. I get what they’re going for with it, but maybe it would be more devastating if it, like, put someone out?

Jack Perry vs. Danny Orion

Non-title. The bell rings and Perry takes off his jacket before unloading in the corner. A rebound lariat and a running knee finishes Orion at 1:15.

Post match Perry whips out a body bag and spray paints Orion’s face white, ala Darby Allin. Orion is put in the bag…with the TNT Title. Perry pulls out a new version of the TNT Title, which is all black. Well it’s Perry so it must be interesting.

We look at the Patriarchy attacking the House Of Black and the Bang Bang Gang.

The House Of Black and the Bang Bang Gang both want the Trios Titles back.

Christopher Daniels makes a four way titles match (Patriarchy, House Of Black, Bang Bang Gang and a wild card team), say it with me, in a ladder match, for All In.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Lio Rush

Rush rolls away from him to start but eventually gets pulled into a gutwrench suplex. That’s broken up as well and Rush grabs a jumping Stunner, which seems to annoy Castagnoli more than anything else. Castagnoli uppercuts him out of the air and bends Rush’s back over his knee, setting up a chinlock as we take a break.

Back with Castagnoli missing a charge into the corner and getting sent out to the apron for a flipping kick to the head. Rush’s suicide dive is pulled out of the air but Rush is fine enough to grab a quick hurricanrana. Back up and Castagnoli LAUNCHES HIM over the barricade for a crash, followed by a running uppercut for two back inside. Rush strikes away and hits the spinning kick to the head, only to charge into Swiss Death for the pin at 8:49.

Rating: B-. Oh dang this was looking fun and could have been a lot more if they had more time. They only got about five minutes on the full screen and that isn’t enough from these two, at least based on what we got. Power vs. speed works every time and it felt like they were on the verge of doing some good stuff before they had to wrap it up so quickly.

Stokely Hathaway and Kris Statlander know that Tomohiro Ishii is tough and crazy, but so is Statlander. The winning team gets to pick the stipulation for Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale at All Out. Hathaway knowing pain is coming is great.

Eddie Kingston, still recovering from his knee injury, says he isn’t seeing the Bryan Danielson that he knows so well. This Danielson is going to lose, because he doesn’t have the fire. Bryan needs to figure that out, because going in to lose isn’t a good way to go out.

Mariah May vs. Londyn Dior

Storm Zero finishes in 37 seconds.

Post match Toni Storm pops up with a video called My Final Gift. She talks about how a sad clown should come to see her and promises that the River Thames will run red with May’s blood at All In. May looks shaken up but hits Dior in the head with the shoe to blow off some steam.

Max Caster does a musicless rap about how the Acclaimed is going to beat FTR.

FTR vs. Acclaimed

For the Tag Team Title shot at All In and Billy Gunn is here with the Acclaimed. Bowens takes Harwood into the corner to start and it’s an early clean break. Back up and a running shoulder sends Bowens into the corner, followed by a small package to give Harwood two. Wheeler comes in to headlock Caster, who is right back with one of his own to even things up a bit.

That’s broken up and it’s back to Bowens, who rolls Caster up for two. Everything breaks down and the Acclaimed backdrop FTR outside for some needed head shaking. Back in and Caster has to fight out of the corner before being sent back outside for a clothesline as we take a break. We come back with Harwood missing a charge into the corner, allowing Bowens to come back in and pick up the case.

The jumping Fameasser is blocked and Wheeler comes back in, only to get rolled up for two. Wheeler knocks Bowens to the floor but there’s no Harwood (wrong corner anyway) so Caster knocks him down, only to look a bit confused as well (weird segment there). Things settle back down to a suplex/high crossbody combination for two on Wheeler. A sunset flip gets two on Caster and Wheeler powerslams Bowens for a roll out to the floor. The Steiner Bulldog gets two on Caster as we take another break.

Back again with Bowens belly to back suplexing Harwood for a double knockdown. Wheeler comes back in to clean house, including a running European uppercut to Caster. The fans chant FIGHT FOREVER, which makes me remember that the video game was a thing. Wheeler’s rollup gets two on Caster and it’s back to Harwood, who gets beaten up by Bowens. Caster and Harwood drop each other again and it’s Bowens going after Harwood’s knee to take over.

The Sharpshooter goes on Bowens and then another goes on Caster, with Bowens making a save for two. Harwood puts Bowens on top as we get the five minute call. Bowens gets crotched and it’s the PowerPlex (more like a PowerDDT) for a delayed two. Harwood and Bowens slug it out from their knees but the Shatter Machine is broken up.

Instead the Acclaimed hit the Shatter Machine on Harwood for two with Wheeler…well possibly making a save. Everyone is down again and the fans are WAY into this. The double slugout from their knees and Caster is sent outside, leaving Bowens to get caught in the Shatter Machine. Caster makes the save from the apron as we have a minute left. Harwood and Caster slug it out and collide with Harwood falling on top for two as time expires at 30:00.

Rating: B. This took its time to get going and while the draw felt like a fairly obvious outcome (one way or another), that’s not a bad thing. The story they’ve been telling was setting up a three way title match and that’s what we’re likely getting, with some rather good action on the way there. Solid match here, thankfully without the Young Bucks interfering and dragging things down.

The brawl stays on after the match and Tony Schiavone announces that it’s a three way title match at All In. Well, yeah.

Overall Rating: B+. The action was rather good throughout, they set up some things for the two upcoming pay per views and had a title change. This was one of the better done editions of Collision in a good while and shows how much better it is when the show is given some extra attention. Moving some of the bigger stuff from Dynamite over to here would be a smart move and this was something of a version of that, making it a pretty good week.

Results
Britt Baker b. Harley Cameron – Curb stomp
Dustin Rhodes/Sammy Guevara b. Kingdom – Swanton to Bennett
Hologram b. Angelico – Cradle
Jack Perry b. Danny Orion – Running knee
Claudio Castagnoli b. Lio Rush – Swiss Death
Mariah May b. Londyn Dior – Storm Zero
FTR vs. The Acclaimed went to a time limit draw

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: August 16, 2024
Location: Chartway Arena, Norfolk, Virginia
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard

It’s back to what has become a well done supplemental show, which might not feel the most important but often has some rather strong in-ring action. That is usually a strength of AEW and it should work out again well here. We’ll probably get some build towards All In as well, with just over a week to go before the show. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Conglomeration vs. Outrunners/Butcher

Kyle O’Reilly is on commentary and Erica Leigh is here with the non-Conglomeration. Briscoe and Butcher start things off with Briscoe striking away and hitting a running shoulder. Magnum comes in and gets dropped just as fast so it’s off to Floyd, with Ishii to help with a double hiptoss. Floyd’s forearms to Ishii don’t seem like a good idea as Floyd is taken into the wrong corner for some alternating beating.

Briscoe gets tripped out to the floor, where Butcher drops him onto the barricade as we take an early break. Back with Briscoe fighting out of a chinlock and suplexing Floyd, allowing the tag back to Ishii. Everything breaks down and Briscoe loads up the chair for the step up dive, only to be cut off by Butcher. Not that it matters as Briscoe fights back and hits the dive anyway, setting up the Jay Driller to pin Magnum at 9:49.

Rating: B-. Rather fun opener here and that’s what it needed to be. The people involved work well together and Briscoe is always entertaining. This was a good example of a match that was never meant to be serious and was just a way to get popular wrestlers in the ring. It worked well as a nice popcorn match.

Nyla Rose vs. Erica Leigh

The Outrunners are here with the terrified Leigh. A powerslam into a backsplash crush Leigh but Rose stops for a pose off with Truth Magnum. Rose’s running back elbow sets up the Beast Bomb to finish Leigh at 1:19. Just what it should have been.

Here are the Outcasts for a chat. Harley Cameron tries to wing Happy Birthday for Saraya’s birthday tomorrow, but Saraya is not in the mood. Cameron: “WELL THEN NEITHER AM I!” Saraya: “Let’s recap the past year of my life shall we?” Cameron: “WE SHALL!” Saraya won the AEW Women’s Title last year at All In (Cameron: “VICTORY!”) and then began her career as the unproblematic icon (Cameron: “NO PROBLEMS!” Saraya: “You’re screaming in my ear!”). Then Saraya lost friends (Cameron: “Loser!” Saraya: “I’m not a loser.”) and the title.

Saraya: “Then I did shows for them like Dinner And A Movie.” Cameron: “Streaming now on the TBS App!” Saraya: “Oh my gosh.” Now she isn’t even on All In this year but here is Toni Storm to interrupt. Storm is ready to fight against a monster of her own creation in Mariah May but she will never forget what she and Saraya have been through together. Saraya can face her on Dynamite and if she wins, she can have it all. Saraya: “I’M GOING TO KICK YOUR A**!” Storm: “Darling, you’re going to need a bigger foot!” This was hysterical and one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in AEW.

We look at the Young Bucks escaping with the Tag Team Titles from the Acclaimed on Dynamite. The Acclaimed isn’t pleased.

Kip Sabian vs. Nick Wayne

Mother Wayne and Killswitch are with Nick. They trade headlocks to start until Sabian is ready for a leapfrog and hits him in the face. Sabian sends him to the floor for the Arabian moonsault but a Mother distraction lets Nick get in a posting. We take a break and come back with Sabian springboarding into a cutter and Nick grabbing a double underhook DDT for two. Back up and Sabian catches him on top in a torture rack but Mother offers a distraction, allowing Killswitch to get in a cheap shot. Wayne’s World finishes Sabian at 8:15.

Rating: C+. The wrestling was fine and while this wasn’t exactly a top story, it was at least something that has been built up for a few weeks. I’m not sure how important Sabian is supposed to be after what feels like years of doing nothing, but Nick being a jerk to him for a few weeks is better than nothing.

Scorpio Sky isn’t allowed into Private Party’s club but Private Party comes out and says let him in.

Kyle Fletcher/Rush vs. KM/Rhett Titus

Don Callis is here with Fletcher and Rush. KM jumps Fletcher to start but gets caught in a quick Michinoku Driver. Titus comes in and Rush half and half suplexes him into the corner. The Bull’s Horns finishes at 1:55 in a total squash.

Post break Callis says that was just a taste of what the Family can deliver. Rush wants something bigger, which works for Callis. Fletcher isn’t sure what he’s doing now but Callis says focus on the future instead of the past.

Top Flight vs. MxM Collection

Leila Grey is here with Top Flight and Lio Rush is on commentary. Dante wristdrags Mansoor down to start but Mansoor is back up with a hiptoss into a stylish pose. An armbar has Mansoor down again before it’s off to Mason vs. Darius. A loud chop in the corner has Darius in trouble and a running hip attack makes it worse, leaving us with a double Collection pose. Everything breaks down and Top Flight sends them outside for (with air traffic control from Grey) the stereo dives.

We take a break and come back with Mansoor getting two off an atomic drop into a spinebuster. Mason and Grey get on the apron for a pose off though and Mansoor is so distracted that he gets superkicked down. Dante comes back in with a high crossbody, setting up a double airplane spin to Mason. A tornado DDT gets two on Mansoor but Mason is back in with a spinning Boss Man Slam. The Collection hits a chokeslam/German suplex combination (that’s a new one) for two on Dante but Darius pulls Mansoor out. Back in and Darius plants Mansoor, setting up a frog splash to give Dante the pin at 13:37.

Rating: B-. This was another fun match with the Collection being their usual entertaining selves and Top Flight getting a win. I could absolutely go with Top Flight getting a serious run towards the top of the division and the Grey addition could be a good sign for them. They have the talent and if they can stay healthy, it is certainly worth a try.

Overall Rating: B-. I could absolutely go with this as the norm for Rampage, as this was a collection of people getting to do their thing without having much in the way of pressure on them. The biggest moment of note was a Women’s Title match being set up for next week and it came in a hysterical segment. Really easy to watch show this week and I can absolutely go for that.

Results
Conglomeration b. Outrunners/Butcher – Jay Driller to Magnum
Nyla Rose b. Erica Leigh – Beast Bomb
Nick Wayne b. Kip Sabian – Wayne’s World
Kyle Fletcher/Rush b. KM/Rhett Titus – Bull’s Horns to Titus
Top Flight b. MxM Collection – Frog splash to Mansoor

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

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Dynamite
Date: August 7, 2024
Location: LJVM Coliseum, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re on the way to All In and a lot of the card is already set up. Odds are we are going to be seeing some more of that added to the show this week, as there are still things that need to be set up. We have a big match here with MJF facing Kyle Fletcher in an Eliminator Match, plus Jeff Jarrett vs. Bryan Danielson, anything goes. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Kyle Fletcher

Non-title and Don Callis is on commentary. MJF bails to the floor at the bell and grabs the mic, saying lock up with him like a real wrestler or get out. Back in and MJF kicks him down but gets backslidden for two. Fletcher gets in a slam but it’s way too early for the piledriver. An arm crank into the corner has Fletcher in more trouble and MJF starts cranking away. A shoulderbreaker sets up an armbar as this is mostly one sided so far.

Fletcher gets out and scores with a superkick, allowing him to hammer away in the corner. Another kick sends MJF outside and there’s the suicide dive. A huge moonsault to the floor takes MJF down again but he drop toeholds a charging Fletcher into the barricade. MJF misses a charge of his own though and gets plowed through for a big crash. Fletcher drops a top rope elbow for two back inside but the piledriver is countered into an Alabama Slam.

The hammerlock DDT gives MJF two and they’re both down. MJF starts slapping him in the face and yelling a lot, allowing Fletcher fight up with a big clothesline. Fletcher lawn darts him into the middle buckle but has to escape a super Tombstone. Fletcher’s piledriver gets two and Callis heads to the ring to throw in the screwdriver. That isn’t going to happen though and it’s a low blow into a kangaroo kick into the brainbuster to give MJF the pin at 17:43.

Rating: B. I’m not sure how much of a reason there was to believe that Fletcher was going to win here but he put in quite the effort on the way. MJF is on his way to a huge showdown with Will Ospreay in London and a nice win here was a good way to go. If nothing else, MJF getting to bust out the Kangaroo Kick makes him that much more of a jerk so this went well.

Post match Will Ospreay tries to storm the ring but is delayed by a blocked door, allowing MJF to hit Fletcher with the diamond ring. MJF loads up a tiger driver 91 but Ospreay gets to the ring to clear him out. Fletcher’s blood is all over Ospreay’s shirt for the big visual.

Video on Bryan Danielson vs. Jeff Jarrett, with Ricky Steamboat saying he wants to see it.

Mariah May vs. Viva Van

May drops her to start and snaps off a release German suplex. Van gets beaten down in the corner and May fires off right hands…as we take a break? In this match? Back with May stomping away in the corner and adds a kiss to the cheek before May Day…gets no cover. Instead it’s Storm Zero to finish Van at 6:25. Not enough shown to rate but I have no idea why this needed a break.

Post match May unwraps a big picture of herself and Toni Storm, with the words DIE MARIAH DIE on the back. Cue Storm for the brawl and security has to break it up.

Jack Perry watches clips of Blood & Guts and talks about being willing to sacrifice anything.

Darby Allin wants Perry to show up at Wembley. That’s why he didn’t light Perry on fire.

Bryan Keith vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Chris Jericho is on commentary. Keith jumps him to start but Shibata is right back to work on the arm. They head outside with Shibata being sent into the barricade to work on his arm for a change. We take a break and come back with Shibata knocking him into the corner but getting caught in a fireman’s carry backbreaker. Shibata snaps on a cross armbreaker and Keith taps at 7:04.

Rating: C+. This didn’t have time to go anywhere as about half of the match was spent on the break. Shibata seems primed to be the next challenger to Jericho and the FTW Title and beating up the lackey is a tried and true way to go. Either that or Hook is on his way back, but Shibata seems to be the more logical way to go.

Post match the Learning Tree runs in for the beatdown but the returning Hook makes the save.

Orange Cassidy is the lone member of the Conglomeration here due to travel issues but he’s going to wrestle anyway.

Hangman Page only wants to destroy Swerve Strickland but people keep getting in his way. He’ll get his revenge.

Swerve Strickland sits down with Jim Ross, who wants to see the World Title match at All In with Swerve defending against Bryan Danielson. Strickland doesn’t feel remorse over some of the worse things he’s done and he won’t feel bad about beating Danielson up. This his his company and he doesn’t care about Danielson’s family. Not only can Swerve beat him, but he he will.

Orange Cassidy/FTR vs. Rush/Beast Mortos/Roderick Strong

The Kingdom is here with the villains. Rush and Harwood start things off but it’s quickly off to Mortos for a drop toehold so Rush can get in a basement dropkick to the side of the head. Back up and Strong is taken into the wrong corner so Harwood can grab a snap suplex. Everything breaks down and the villains are sent to the floor, with FTR putting their hands in their trunks for team unity.

Back from a break with Wheeler being sent into the corner for a string of running splashes. The chinlock doesn’t last long and Wheeler grabs a sunset flip for two. It’s back to Harwood to clean house, including a spinebuster for two on Mortos. Strong pulls Harwood off the top and hits the Sick Kick, allowing Mortos to knock Harwood outside.

We take another break and come back again with Harwood and Rush knocking each other down and the big tag brings in Cassidy to pick up the pace. The very spinning tornado DDT plants Mortos but it’s back to Rush for a dropkick on Harwood. Everything breaks down and the Shatter Machine finishes Rush at 16:49.

Rating: B-. This was a long match and it was entertaining, but I’m almost having a hard time fathoming that FTR was substituting for Mark Briscoe and Kyle O’Reilly. That would be the third time we had seen a similar tag match in a bit over a week and while they’re fun, I could go for something a bit different. FTR being used as the substitutes isn’t a surprise as they see to be the perfect choice for such a spot, as the fans are always going to react to them. Nice stuff here, but three times being so similar is close enough.

Post match here is the Acclaimed….but Caster’s mic doesn’t work. Security comes in and hold them back from FTR on the second or third try.

We look at the Patriarchy getting beaten up on Collision.

Christian Cage and the Patriarchy announce the Bang Bang Gang vs. the House Of Black on Collision for a Trios Titles shot at All In. Maybe they need a father, so Cage will be guest referee.

Video on Hologram.

Kamille vs. Clara Carter/Jazmyne Hao

Mercedes Mone is here with Kamille. House is cleaned, with Kamille stomping away despite having Hao on her back. A torture rack bomb and a Dominator are enough to give Kamille the double pin at 1:52.

Post match Mone and Kamille brag about being so great but Britt Baker isn’t here. Tony Schiavone says Tony Khan has overridden the Elite (make a note of that for when it would be appropriate later) and Baker is not only no longer suspended, but here she is on screen. Baker promises to win the title at All In.

Video on Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland.

Claudio Castagnoli won a triple threat on Collision and gets a shot at Kazuchika Okada.

Bryan Danielson vs. Jeff Jarrett

Anything goes and Ricky Steamboat joins commentary. Jarrett jumps Danielson on the stage with a guitar shot to the back and they go inside for the opening bell. Danielson is clotheslined to the floor and then sent into the barricade as Jarrett is starting fast. They go into the crowd and then into the concourse where Danielson fights back. Jarrett suplexes him through a trashcan though and slugs away, only to get suplexed onto the same trashcan.

We take a break and come back with Jarrett using a chair to wreck Danielson’s knee. Jarrett hammers away in the corner but gets sent outside for Danielson’s suicide dive. Back up and Jarrett goes after the knee again, including some more chair shots. Danielson gets in a chair shot of his own though and the spider superplex sets up a missile dropkick.

For some reason Danielson fires off the YES Kicks but Jarrett pulls him into the Figure Four. Some chairs to the knee break it up so Jarrett switches to the Sharpshooter, which Danielson reverses into the LeBell Lock. That’s broken up as well and they slug it out, with Danielson grabbing the chair and hitting the running knee into it into Jarrett’s head for the pin at 15:33.

Rating: B-. Is there any surprise that this wound up working? Despite his less than great reputation, Jarrett has been around for going on forty years and wrestles a very effective style. This was a fun brawl with both guys getting to show off a bit before we got to the serious stuff at the end.

Post match Steamboat and Jarrett’s friends get in the ring as respect is shown. Cue Swerve Strickland to say we just saw three legends of TBS programming: Jarrett, Steamboat and Swerve. They’ve all been World Champions, unlike Danielson. Everyone else clears out and Swerve gets in the ring to say he won’t hesitate to hit the kill shot on Danielson. Swerve wants a warmup next week as well, so he’ll face….Wheeler Yuta, with Danielson sitting ringside. A staredown ends the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show was in a weird place with little being added to the card but enough solid content to keep the two hours moving. At the same time, the Olympics are likely going to take away a good chunk of the audience so it wouldn’t make sense to waste a bunch of stuff when the viewers weren’t going to be there. Solid show here though, with two more Dynamites to go before it’s off to London, meaning there is time to really hammer it home.

Results
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Kyle Fletcher – Brainbuster
Mariah May b. Viva Van – Storm Zero
Katsuyori Shibata b. Bryan Keith – Cross armbreaker
Orange Cassidy/FTR b. Beast Morton/Rush/Roderick Strong – Shatter Machine to Rush
Kamille b. Clara Carter/Jazmyne Hao – Double pin
Bryan Danielson b. Jeff Jarrett – Running knee with a chair

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

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AND

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Dynamite
Date: July 31, 2024
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re coming off a big week with Blood & Guts last week and after that, plus with this week’s show being up against the Olympics, there is a chance that this week might go in a bit of a different direction. We are just under a month away from All In as well so odds are it’s time for some building towards the show. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Here is MJF to get things going. He makes fun of the southern accent and southern people in general before talking to the REAL Americans. After a promise to take out Will Ospreay again at All In, we’re asked to stand for a real American hero but here is Ospreay to chase him out of the ring. Ospreay promises violence but finds it funny that no one here acknowledges the America’s Title because of the person holding it.

Men have worked hard to make the International Title mean something, like Pac, Orange Cassidy, Jon Moxley, Rey Fenix, Roderick Strong and himself. MJF isn’t worthy of holding it but some fans chant USA. Ospreay says he gets it but MJF doesn’t represent the American worth ethic. MJF promises to take out Ospreay at All In, but tonight, everybody dies. They’re trying to set up Ospreay for the big win at All In and that should work out. I’m not wild on what feels like it could very easily turn into another MJF election year story though.

Lance Archer vs. Will Ospreay

Archer wastes no time in hitting a chokeslam and hits some running elbows in the corner. Ospreay fights back and knocks him to the floor but the dive is cut off with a drop onto the apron. Archer takes his sweet time to follow up though and a hurricanrana sends him into the barricade. Back in and a springboard dropkick gets one on Archer as Ospreay is starting to pick up the pace. Something else off the top is cut off with a huge chokeslam and we take a break.

Back with Ospreay still in trouble and a huge spinebuster getting two. Archer goes up top but gets caught, meaning it’s a super Spanish Fly for two more. The Oscutter gets another near fall but the Hidden Blade is countered with a hard clothesline. The Blackout is countered into a tornado DDT and the Hidden Blade…gets one. Another Hidden Blade finishes Archer at 11:23.

Rating: B. This was a good way to make Osprey look like a giant slayer as Archer is still someone who has some value due to being presented as a monster. Ospreay is set up for a huge match next month and giving him a win like this will help. At the same time, Archer can bounce back up with just a few destructions.

Post match MJF comes in for the beatdown but Kyle Fletcher makes the save. Don Callis isn’t happy but Fletcher says he was helping his best friend, family or not. Fletcher goes into a rather fired up rat about how he doesn’t like what MJF has been saying about foreign wrestlers. He wants MJF right now, but MJF says we’ll do it next week, with promises of a kangaroo kick and a broken neck.

Video on Swerve Strickland.

Big Bill has a cake to celebrate Chris Jericho being FTW Champion for 102 days (yes 102). Jericho promises revenge on Katsuyori Shibata at the hands of Bryan Keith. Alex Marvez gets to keep the cake.

Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander

Non-title. Stokely Hathaway is here with Statlander. Nightingale gets jumped to start and a missile dropkick connects as the bell rings. They head outside with Nightingale sending her into the barricade but missing the Cannonball. We take a break and come back with Nightingale hitting a release gordbuster and a spinebuster for two. The Pounce is blocked so Statlander grabs an electric chair facebuster.

An ax kick gives Statlander two and they go to the apron to chop it out. Nightingale’s Death Valley Driver plants Statlander but she stops to go after Hathaway. That’s enough for Statlander to come back with a clothesline, only to have Nightingale powerbomb her out of the air. A DDT gives Nightingale two but Statlander headbutts her off the top. That means Statlander’s 450 can connect for two, leaving Hathaway to slip in a chain. The discus lariat, with the chain, finishes Nightingale at 9:48.

Rating: C+ This is a feud that has been going on for a good while now and it isn’t much of a surprise that Statlander cheated to win here. That being said, I’m really not sure if it needed to be a non-title match to set up what seemed to be a title match that was all but made. I can go for Statlander winning though and now we could be in for seeing her win in a title match down the line.

Post match Statlander wrecks Nightingale with a chair and hammers away.

We look back at Jeff Jarrett telling Bryan Danielson to give it his all at All In.

Here is Danielson for a chat. Danielson is glad to be in Greenville, South Carolina, which is where he and his wife got their engagement pictures taken. They were looking at those pictures and they have Danielson thinking. He is here to talk about presence and promises. A few years ago, he had to retire and had it all taken away from him. Now he’s back in AEW and having the most fun in his career. He was able to be present here and we get a THANK YOU BRYAN chant, which has him almost in tears.

For that moment, he was able to be present, but now let’s talk about promises. He promised his daughter that he would stop wrestling full time when she was seven. On top of that, he promised that his current AEW contract would be the last one he signs. That contract expires tomorrow and he is still promising to give it his all every time. Over the years, he has kicked a lot of heads in, but he hasn’t won the AEW World Title….yet.

This will be his last shot at AEW’s biggest show of the year. He promises to go to Wembley Stadium and be present for that moment because he will give us 100%. With his body and soul, he will go all in….and here is Swerve Strickland to interrupt. Swerve says he would be cheering for Danielson at any other time but not this time. He came to this place and said he would win the AEW World Title, which is exactly what he did.

Danielson came here promising to kick heads in, but apparently he couldn’t handle it when they started kicking back. The title isn’t an achievement award but rather something that shows you are the best in the world, which is Swerve himself. Last year, Swerve was competing at All In while Danielson couldn’t get on a plane. Maybe Danielson’s body can’t handle the pressure of being champion.

Swerve promises Danielson just isn’t winning at All In and he might not be walking again after their match. Swerve goes to leave, but Danielson ups the ante by putting his career on the line. Works for Swerve, who tells Danielson to keep that promise to his family. This was a segment with a lot going on, from Danielson’s emotional speech, Swerve’s dangerous sounding threats, and then the big reveal at the end. They’ve also laid the groundwork for the idea of Danielson possibly leaving, even though I can’t imagine it going that way. Rather good stuff here with a stipulation that isn’t ridiculous.

In the back, Danielson is congratulated by Jeff Jarrett, but Danielson says they can fight next week.

Rush/Beast Mortos/Roderick Strong vs. Conglomeration

It’s a brawl at the bell, with Cassidy using his jacket as a cape to make Mortos chase him. A very spinning DDT doesn’t quite work for Cassidy (with Taz accusing him of stealing his spots) and Mortos hits a spear to take over. Ishii comes in to slug it out with Mortos, who is knocked out to the floor. It’s off to Rush (there haven’t been any tags thus far) who wins a slugout to put Ishii down. Briscoe comes in for a slugout and knocks Rush outside, only to have the step up dive cut off by Strong.

That’s fine with Briscoe, who knocks him outside for a flipping neckbreaker, followed by a big dive to Rush and Mortos. Back from a break with Cassidy in trouble but avoiding a charge in the corner. The Stundog Millionaire staggers Mortos though and the tag brings in Briscoe to clean things out. Ishii comes back in to strike away but a piledriver is blocked. Strong hits an Angle Slam for two as everything breaks down. Mortos’ spinning piledriver finishes Briscoe at 11:18.

Rating: B. Wild match here, especially at the end, with the surprise finish. Odds are that sets up Mortos for a Ring Of Honor World Title match, though odds are it happens in AEW rather than Ring Of Honor. Other than that, a good hard hitting match here, with Ishii and Rush both looking strong.

Acclaimed and Billy Gunn want FTR but they’re nowhere to be seen. Instead, they’ll come see FTR at Collision.

Mariah May, not looking overly serious, talks about wanting to be like Toni Storm so she became just like her. Storm was perfect because she never did anything to her but May wore her like skin. And that’s the end so Renee Paquette walks out.

Here is Toni Storm, with a shoe and the title, to say she loved May too. She hits herself with the shoe and says it will be the romance of a lifetime at All In.

Britt Baker and Mariah May got in a fight at Comic Con. As a result, the title match was officially set for All In.

Kamille vs. Brittany Jade

Mercedes Mone is here with Kamille. The beatdown is on fast with Kamille unloading in the corner. A sitout Dominator finishes for Kamille at 1:16.

Post match Mone says Kamille is now part of the Mone Corporation and brags about how great the two of them are. She can’t stand Britt Baker, who is suspended for attacking Mone at Comic Con. For now though, this is Mone’s house and she is going to turn it into a mansion.

Darby Allin vs. Hangman Page

They take their time to start until Allin knocks him to the floor. The Coffin Drop is pulled out of the air with a German suplex and they go up the ramp, with Page grabbing a chair. That takes too long and they get to the stage where Allin hits a flipping Stunner. A Coffin Drop of the entrance hits Page and we take a break.

Back with Page swinging Allin around in a sleeper and slowly hammering him down. A rollup and springboard spinning crossbody hits Page….and the lights go out. They come back on to reveal nothing has changed as Page elbows him in the chest. Allin flips over the steps and dives at Page, who posts him hard and adds some powerbombs onto the apron. A fall away slam onto the steps (geez) has Allin in more trouble and we take a break.

Back again with Page hitting a super fall away slam and glaring at Allin as he tends to do. Allin gets dropped onto the steps again but sweeps the legs to send Page into the steps for a change. The suicide dive takes Page back of the steps and they’re both down on the floor. Back in and Allin’s Coffin Drop is pulled into a sleeper, which is reversed into a rollup for two on Page. The Buckshot Lariat gives Page two and a powerbomb is good for the same as Allin is in trouble. Back to back Deadeyes connect but another clothesline is countered into a rollup to give Allin the pin at 20:17.

Rating: B. It was a good fight with Allin taking an incredible beating, but I was left with a “really” response at the ending, as Allin just popped back up and won after that much punishment. While I like Allin winning, I’m not sure I would have had Page take another loss as that’s back to back singles losses for someone who was being presented as a big return. Either way, it was a good match, especially when it wasn’t exactly the biggest showdown.

Overall Rating: B+. This show was in a weird spot as this show was a bit of a step off the gas but it still wound up being rather entertaining with a bunch of good action throughout. That is more than I was expecting and it made for a nice surprise. The build to All In is already on and they can get into the harder push in the coming weeks, though this week was more about having fun with some select important moves being made.

Results
Will Ospreay b. Lance Archer – Hidden Blade
Kris Statlander b. Willow Nightingale – Clothesline with a chain
Rush/Beast Mortos/Roderick Strong b. Conglomeration – Spinning piledriver to Briscoe
Kamille b. Brittany Jade – Sitout Dominator
Darby Allin b. Hangman Page – Rollup

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

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AND

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Battle Of The Belts XI
Date: July 27, 2024
Location: Esports Stadium Arlington, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Ian Riccaboni

It’s another of these shows and in this case most of the card isn’t for a title. We have two Eliminator matches, plus a match for the recently revived Ring Of Honor Six Man Tag Team Titles. That doesn’t make for much of a show but then again this has never been much of a series. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look at various titles, including some title matches being set up at All In.

Toni Storm vs. Taya Valkyrie

Non-title. Storm is looking a bit more serious here so Taya throws her some sunglasses. Said glasses go on and Storm hammers away to take over fast. A hair toss sends Taya flying and a running hip attack knocks her out to the floor. Taya is fine enough to hit a Meteora to against the steps to take over but Storm fights back without much trouble. That earns her an electric chair drop onto the apron and we take a break.

Back with Taya holding a half crab with Storm crawling over to the ropes. Storm grabs a Backstabber out of the corner and suplexes her down for two. The running hip attack sets up a DDT for two on Taya but she’s right back with the sliding German suplex. A spear gives Taya two more and Shania Pain is good for the same, with Storm having to grab the rope. Not that it matters as Storm Zero out of nowhere gives Storm the pin at 9:08.

Rating: C+. The important thing here is that Storm was playing it more seriously, which is what should happen after such a violent attack. Storm is someone who can make either story work and it seems that we are in for a fresh version of her. I’m not sure I can imagine her retaining the title at All In, but at least she is going into it as she should.

Post match Storm says this tramp is still the champ before saying Mariah May was perfect. She was all of Storm’s dreams come to life and occasionally a better Storm than Storm. Then May made a mistake by not cutting her head off when she had the chance. This is already a better version of Storm for this story and that is great to see.

Kip Sabian wants to do his family proud and that means going after the Patriarchy and Nick Wayne.

Willow Nightingale vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Non-title. Nightingale shoves her way out of a headlock to start so Purrazzo goes for a test of strength. Back up and Nightingale slams her down, setting up a faceplant and crossbody for two. Purrazzo knocks her outside for a breather though and we take a break. We come back with Nightingale clotheslining her way out of trouble and grabbing a spinebuster for two.

Nightingale goes up but gets pulled down in a heap, only to come back with a Death Valley Driver for two on Purrazzo. Back up and Purrazzo hits a superkick but Nightingale runs him over with a clothesline. Cue Taya Valkyrie with something made of metal, only to have Thunder Rosa run in for the save. The Pounce into the Babe With The Powerbomb finishes for Nightingale at 11:36.

Rating: C+. The interference at the end became the focus and we should be in for a tag match down the line. Nightingale gets a win shortly after winning the CMLL Women’s Title, and odds are this couldn’t be a title match due to some issue from CMLL itself. That makes me wonder why they would put this on, but at least Nightingale gets the win.

Ring Of Honor Six Man Tag Team Titles: Dustin Rhodes/Von Erichs vs. Undisputed Kingdom

For the vacant titles and Kevin Von Erich is here as well. Paul Wight is on commentary as well to make this feel a bit more special. Ross and Strong start things off before it’s quickly off to Marshall for a dropkick. Some hiptosses put Bennett down so Taven comes in, meaning it’s off to Dustin for some arm cranking. Everything breaks down and the villains are kicked to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Taven suplexing Ross for two and grabbing the chinlock. That’s broken up and Ross hits a Sling Blade as Dustin gets back up after being piledriven on the ramp during the break. The Canadian Destroyer hits Taven and Cross Rhodes gets two on Bennett. Shattered Dreams is broken up and the Kingdom strikes away for two on Dustin. Bennett gets in a cowbell shot for two so here is Katsuyori Shibata with the Claw. Kevin adds his own, leaving the Von Erichs to clean house. Dustin gets the Final Reckoning to pin Bennett at 13:27.

Rating: C+. The match was good enough, but this was about Dustin getting a title and the Von Erichs getting to do something to pop the Dallas area crowd. That being said, it feels like the titles were brought back for the sole reason of this kind of moment and as a result, it doesn’t have the same impact. You had one thrown together team beating a team who rarely teams together and now they’re champions. That’s a stretch, but it could have been worse.

The locker room comes out to celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. And yes, I did say all of the matches were better than the overall rating. That’s not the point here. This show is supposed to be about titles and title matches, but instead we got a show with two matches that weren’t for titles and one for a vacant title. No champions actually defended their titles here and most of the show didn’t even have belts on the line. Not only is the show thrown together at the last minute, but now they’re barely even focusing on the point of the show. This wasn’t a special but rather a lame version of Rampage with a “feel good” ending. AEW can and should do better than this.

Results
Toni Storm b. Taya Valkyrie – Storm Zero
Willow Nightingale b. Deonna Purrazzo – Babe With The Powerbomb
Dustin Rhodes/Von Erichs b. Undisputed Kingdom – Final Reckoning to Bennett

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