by Best Friends challenge FTR for the AEW Tag Championship
Best Friends may not look like much, but they can absolutely go in that ring and have tremendous chemistry. FTR continues to be a sure thing at the forefront of the best tag Division in nearly 20 years. It was a wise choice to have FTR hold onto the belts until an eventual showdown with The Young Bucks.
Miro and Kip Sabian win a squash match
Miro was doing a great job getting over as an untouchable monster until he completely botched the finish. The last thing we need to be reminded of is wrestling being scripted, and the finish did exactly that. He went for his version of the Camel Clutch and whiffed, while his opponent acted like he was in intense pain. That memory isn’t leaving my brain anytime soon.
On a side note, the video game concept was cool while it lasted and no one can deny that Penelope Ford may be the sexiest woman in AEW, if not all of wrestling.
Lance Archer attacks Jon Moxley backstage
That’s just really smart booking. Archer is supposed to be an untouchable badass who doesn’t play by the rules. Why not have him attack the babyface champion? No one saw it coming and it came off perfectly. Well done!
The entire field for the World Title Eliminator Tournament was revealed.
With all due respect to the other combatants, there appears to be a clear path of a Hangman Page vs Kenny Omega final. The only possible variable there is Wardlow, but I see MJF costing him his second-round match against Hangman Page. As it stands, here are my predictions.
First round
Ray Fenix over Penta El Zero
Kenny Omega over Joey Janella
Wardlow over Jungleboy Jack Perry
Hangman Page over Colt Cobana (causing him to get kicked out of the Dark Order)
Semi Final Round
Page over Wardlow
Omega over Fenix
Finals
Page over Omega in a mild upset.
MJF calls out the Inner Circle to make his announcement
The MJF pandering of Jericho is so obnoxious and overdone that it works brilliantly! You just want to smack MJF every time he talks. The entire segment amounts to nothing however, other than MJF toys with the idea of joining The Inner Circle without actually being asked. Apparently, they will talk more about over a steak dinner next week.
Britt Baker takes Tony Schiavone for a Spa Day
Britt Baker is so talented that she actually found a way to make this segment tolerable.
Cody defends the TNT Title against Orange Cassidy
Am I the only fan that finds the “OC” gimmick to be stupid? I’m sorry, but a combination of laziness and awkwardness really doesn’t do it for me as a fan. As a novelty for a few weeks, maybe, but how can anyone take this guy serious? Meanwhile the Cody entrance remains of the best in sports.
I do find it quite clever however that because of his sloth like style it caused the match to go to a time limit draw. Smart booking that will set up the rematch perfectly. Also, not exactly sure the point of having Darby Allen in the crowd for that one? Rumor has it he will challenge Cody at Full Gear. So maybe that was the reason?
Matt Hardy Promo
Cool live interview with Matt Hardy and family that eventually gets broken up by Sammy G. This feud just keeps giving and has been one of the better things Hardy has done since coming to AEW. I’m excited to see where it goes next.
It’s announced that The Butcher & The Blade, Private Party, The Dark Order & The Young Bucks will have a four way match next week to decide the new number one contenders.
Again, if the Young Bucks don’t win this match, then I’m not real sure what the last month has been all about for them.
Hikaru Shida defeats Big Swole to retain her Women’s Championship
Shida is very good and has made this division somewhat watchable. She carried Swole tonight in an abysmal performance by Swole. Shida proved again tonight she can work with anyone. Who is next? I do not believe Nyla Rose ever got a rematch, and if they don’t go that way, then it is time to push Britt Baker to the moon!
Eddie Kingston joins the commentary booth for the Main Event.
Kingston reminds me of someone who would have been relevant in the original ECW. His act, his gimmick, his physique and pretty much everything about him are about 20 years too late. This guy is totally useless.
Jon Moxley vs Lance Archer for the AEW World Championship
It was as brutal and as hard hitting as advertised. Archer has come a long way and Moxley continues to show the WWE just how badly they used him. Moxley can carry a company on his back and continues to do so with AEW.
Moxley wins and brings Archer to 0-2 lifetime in AEW title matches, with his other loss coming against Cody back at All In this past May. It will be interesting to see which way they go from here with The Big Man Archer.
As for Kingston attacking Moxley at the end of the show, he truly has no worthy qualities to hold my attention. At least his Montreal Expos throwback jersey looked cool, that is about all I got for him.
The show itself was very good. Every champion retained which is what you would expect for a Dynamite, however it did advance a few storylines and began a few more. As it has the last 52 weeks, it will keep me tuning in.
