#babyface vs monsters

[wrestlingarsenal]

[cenationarmyleader]

Man, they should have closed the show with the women honestly. Nia and Naomi put on one hell of a match. Congrats to Tiffany. Can't wait to see this Babyface run of hers. But I don't get what this trend is WWE doing with Naomi. This is the third time she had a high profile match for the Women's Championship that the fans get so white hot behind Naomi but WWE is so scared to capitalize on it. First was with Asuka, then that amazing main event match she had with Charlotte and now against Nia. It's like they build her up just to snatch the rug out from under her. That's why I have no hope in WWE to do a good Naomi heel run because they would be scared and hold her back from becoming over as a monster heel like she should have been during her first heel turn.

We all know while it's good to see Tiffy have her moment but we know she's just being marinated for the belt collector Charlotte Flair. And people saying Naomi should win the Royal Rumble, while I agree, but she won't. Charlotte will just get to Tiffany with ease. Naomi isn't going to go near a world title no time soon after tonight. Hell, she isn't going to be Tag champ for long because she doesn't have her side plates on her title. I would say give me a heel Naomi vs a Face Rhea at Mania to get Rhea out of this Becky & Liv bubble but it most likely be Bianca vs Rhea. At this rate, Naomi has a better chance to be NXT Women's Champion because I know Shawn would be all over that.

[samijey]

disjointed mega rant about how im very into the Bloodline vs Everyone developments from last night

im rarely that positive about main roster wwe but the more i think about the opener + main event from last night the more i like it. i was legit so into the drama of seth and sami that when drews ass hit the claymore i was like WHO IS THAT like a fucking idiot because i was so focused on that killer line from seth of "i love your heart but you need to start using your head" and sami's facial reaction to it because its such a perfect line that conveys right and wrong on multiple levels

YES seth completely has a point, he was sassy about it but he DID somewhat repent for his role in roman's descent into villain status by being cody's (literal) shield at mania and getting the poison that was the title off of roman.... but did he not also prey on roman's trauma (WHICH HE CAUSED) to bait him into hitting that chair shot?

i can see both arguments and it's fair to think seth really believes everything he says right now... but is he going about it the right way? recycling the "you're not family" shot against sami when we JUST established that yes - he IS family was low and even the crowd immediately called him out by chanting 'sami uso' to the point where he had to pivot and acted flustered by adding that he loves 'sami uso' (so then what's the point youre trying to make, man?) but he still IS right in questioning sami's decision to ally back with the bloodline

because seth's correct on one thing - roman hasnt apologized - he hasnt shown real regret for his actions the past couple of years... but he also told jey they were all proud of him, he saved sami from a solo spike, he nodded a silent thank you to sami when he first did the same for him the week prior, he asked the crowd to acknowledge jimmy and offered solo a hug at wargames, before hugging all the others as if he truly loves them... so theres an argument to be made on how he might be incapable of using his words to apologize at the moment and is instead slowly trying to do it with his actions? then again, hasnt he accepted the very people he hurt and pushed away in the first place back because he needed their help? or isn't - as cliché as it sounds - that what family should be? to help you if you hit rock bottom (hehe) and forgive and forget past mistakes as long as you show repentance in either words or actions?

idk once again theres multiple positive/negative arguments you can make for roman too so which is the babyface and which is the heel which of them is right? if you listen to crowd reactions, they both are! even though they are hardcore dunking on each other from a distance while mutually avoiding the other in a way i can narratively dig into for hours but funnily conjures the image of doctor frankenstein being able to turn the monster back into a regular human after 10yrs and now things are super weird between them because yeah you fixed me but you're also the one who fucked me up in the first place so uhh i kinda hate you still; while the doctor is like yea i fucked up but it felt right at the time so idk how sorry i really am about it and also you did do some messed up stuff so uhh AND THEY'RE BOTH AS RIGHT AS THEY ARE WRONG

meanwhile sami is clearly still ridding the buzz of being accepted back into the bloodline and into the family once again - in front of a super supportive crowd and by the man whose acceptance he had to work the hardest to get. it was a perfect echo of the moment jey stepped up to defend him at the tribal court - raw 30 vs post-crown jewel '24 - so OF COURSE hes protective of jey. they have built such a meaningful bond that they got pops for months for simply greeting each other for 10secs backstage for no reason other than to show theyre still in touch... HOWEVER, for someone meant to be an understanding, emotionally mature babyface, brandishing a chair while threatening a fellow babyface SCREAMING at him to admit he attacked jey.... was pretty wild - objectively speaking that wasnt very babyface of him and YET it was understandable and justifiable to the point where the crowd gasped and cheered when he got the chair instead of booing, so yeah he had (not many) reasons to think seth might be responsible but should've taken his own usual advice and thought things through before acting (all heart, like seth said) so there's another whole debate to happen here.

i know the brand split doesnt mean much these days, but even what little of it we get bums me out because having cody and kevin more directly into this mix would elevate it even more because at the moment, kevin and seth have very similar opinions on the roman issue - from a heel and babyface perspective ofc (...for now???) and seth's silence on cody teaming with roman at bad blood has been DEAFENING but thats a whole other topic and im trying to be positive.

i havent even mentioned drew coming back (who has done nothing wrong ever except for all the atrocities <3 and also has common ground with seth and KO rn) and cm punk who's in the wings being a menace and dangling that heyman favour over the narrative's head but yea yea that opener and main event were good stuff - it will probably go to shit eventually because it's wwe main roster but last night had moments of greatness and i will cling to and overanalyse those until my eyeballs start peeling off thank you

[grand-theft-carbohydrates]

Ok remember when i drew xiang yu super babyfaced as a joke because he was only 24 when he became the most feared warlord in china and all that? I am really digging the concept. I dont like conforming to visual shorthands to get characterisation across, i think how the character looks vs acts should surprise you.

One of the things i like about using a visual medium is that seeing a guy go from

this

to this

in the span of 2 years just hits you in a more visceral way than “war aged him”. uh oh girl, did you check your humanity at the door on your single-minded quest for glory and forgot to pick it back up on your way out? did you accidentally become the monster you swore to destroy? are you starting to realise there is a cost to being pitiless and pragmatic, and its chipping away at your psyche?

[dalekofchaos]

Booking King of the Ring for the years WWE didn't have it

Fantasy booking a King of the Ring winner every year WWE didn’t have King of the Ring.

2003: John Cena wins King of the Ring

In 2003, John Cena was finding his stride as a heel having a WWE Title match against Brock Lesnar and facing The Undertaker on PPV, he was becoming a big star. John Cena (Smackdown) would cheat to beat fan favorite Booker T (RAW) in the finals to become King of the Ring and the rap verses he could’ve cut about all of it would have made it even more better.

2004: Randy Orton (RAW) wins King of the Ring

Randy Orton was in the middle of a long IC Title reign and along with Evolution went over two legends at WrestleMania and was being groomed to be the youngest world champion in WWE history. John Cena now a babyface and US Champion on Smackdown would look to become a 2 time King of the Ring winner and repeat but he would make it to the finals and lose in a First Time Ever match to the WWE Intercontinental Champion and Evolution's Randy Orton from RAW.

2005: Christian wins King of the Ring

Now I know WWE wouldn’t have done this, I know they didn’t see Christian as anything more than a mid card guy but around this time he was white hot around this time and a King of the Ring win could propel him to the main event. Christian (RAW) would beat Chris Benoit (Smackdown) after interference from his problem solver Tomko and set up a WWE Title match against John Cena at Summerslam which Christian wins.

2007: Bobby Lashley wins King of the Ring

I would have gone with Mr. Kennedy but he got injured around this time and was later suspended, so why not go with Bobby Lashley on the condition that he turns heel because he proved in TNA he’s a very good heel. We’re in the finals with Lashley vs King Booker, last year's winner. Lashley is going in as a babyface and Booker as a heel but we have a double turn when Queen Sharmell turns on Booker helping Lashley win and aligning with him.

2009: The Miz wins King of the Ring

The Miz was starting to make his way into the upper mid card as the US Champion and a King of the Ring win in 2009 could’ve better prepared him for his eventual WWE Title win in late 2010. Miz would defeat ex tag team partner John Morrison in the finals.

2011: CM Punk wins King of the Ring

This event would replace Capital Punishment with Punk defeating Mysterio in the finals. This added momentum would make him even hotter after his pipebomb promo and his WWE Title win over John Cena at Money in the Bank, all that much better.

2012: Cody Rhodes wins King of the Ring

Cody Rhodes has just come off of a great Intercontinental Title reign but his moment halted because he dropped the belt to The Big Show of all people. Rhodes defeats Christian in the finals to regain his momentum back and hopefully face Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Title.

2013: Dean Ambrose of The Shield wins King of the Ring

Dean Ambrose was US Champion and considered the leader of The Shield. He would go on to defeat Daniel Bryan in the finals with the help of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns getting a lot of heat since Bryan was white hot around this time.

2014: Cesaro wins King of the Ring

Again I know WWE wouldn’t have gone for this but this would’ve have been the right move since Cesaro was super over at the time. In my booking Cesaro has just won the Intercontinental Title and qualifies for King of the Ring. He would go on to defeat ex tag team partner Jack Swagger in the finals to win King of the Ring.

2016: AJ Styles wins King of the Ring

In 2016, Styles debuted in the WWE and had a great debut year and at this point was only a few months from winning his first WWE Championship. I would have AJ and Cena make it to the finals and have their very first one on one encounter and here is where I’d have AJ turn heel when The Club (Gallows & Anderson) interfere and costs Cena the match giving AJ the win.

2017: Braun Strowman wins King of the Ring

Braun was white hot as a monster heel around this time just wrecking anything and everything in his path. Braun would wreck Roman Reigns in the finals to win King of the Ring and go on to win the Universal Title from Brock Lesnar probably at No Mercy.

2018: Shinsuke Nakamura wins King of the Ring

In 2018, Nakamura won the Royal Rumble then faced AJ Styles for the WWE Championship and then turned heel on AJ after failing to win the title making his character more interesting but also killing his momentum because he lost all the time. Then he had a 5 month reign as US Champion which he only defended once on PPV. Nakamura would defeat Roman Reigns in the finals after a low blow and a Kinsasha. After the match, we have Corey Graves say Nakamura is not only the king of strong style but now has become the King of the Ring. Nakamura would go on to defeat Jeff Hardy for the US Title and hopefully have a much better run with it.

2020:Let's say Drew McIntyre. It was his time as the top guy and despite the pandemic era, I think McIntyre as king would've worked.

2022:Seth Rollins. Peak insufferable douchebag Seth Rollins as king would've been hillarious

2023:Solo Sikoa. It adds to building up Solo up as the enforcer and Roman's right hand and heir to the Bloodline.

Bonus round. Fantasy booking the Queen of The Ring from 2016-2023

2016::Charlotte Flair, there we get Charlotte as Queen of the ring out of the way. This is the obvious choice since they really began to push Charlotte hard at this point

2017:Sasha Banks. Feels right move, plus Queen Bo$$ has a nice ring to it

2018:Alexa Bliss. ALexa was in her peak Goddess era and Queen Alexa would've been over.

2019:Shayna Baszler. Shayna got called up and I feel like this would've been a consolation prize for not winning the title at Mania 36(FOR SOME FUCKING REASON)

2020:Bayley. The year that put Bayley on the map and during her longest reign, so Queen Bayley fits so much

2022:Becky Lynch. Big Time Becks as Queen would've worked. The fans hated her when she beat Bianca, boy would they hate her as the bitchy condescending Queen of the Ring.

2023:Rhea Ripley. Rhea was the hottest name in the company and Mami was on top. Queen Eradicator would've just been perfect.

[firebreathingcatss-blog]

How can WWE tell us Kevin is wrong when he's been "the only guy who watches wrestling" and the only one that knows whats going on. Especially when Cody counters with "you have a small dick he's jealous of my suits" and just pulls shit out of nowhere for Kevin's reasons for turning that doesn't support the narrative and only serves to not make it Cody's fault.

We saw why. It is Cody's fault. We SAW it build in the narrative. We saw Kevin struggle for months. With his temper that's been acknowledged for YEARS. Cody helping Roman, the thing that made Kevin snap, does not make Cody a bad person. It's Cody's lack of ownership of Kevin snapping. We could have a great story of Cody trying to be a good person, getting help against the bloodline and not realizing it hurt his struggling friend and now he has to reason with the monster he created (it honestly could be a reversed role Seth vs Roman). Instead, we get "your dick is small" and "you're jealous of my position in the company." When Kevin has helped Cody for YEARS. We saw him decide and the build focused on this, refusing cheap shots at Cody for MONTHS. It was this ONE thing that made Kevin snap. It's how Cody and the rest of WWE is treating him in his reaction that is leaving a bad taste in people's mouths because we SAW what led to this and now it's like WHY KEVIN WHY HUR HUR ITS BECAUSE YOU HAVE A SMALL DICK. Like, im supposed to be rooting against KEVIN?? In this situation?

This is nothing like Drew's turn where we understand why, but he's still clearly the heal because while Jey deserved Drew's hate, Drew continued to spiral and lash out and make choices that made him a hypocrite in his turn like siding with the judgement day or being cool with the bloodline interfering with his match w Jey. SOLO WAS RIGHT THERE THE ONE WHO COST HIM HIS TITLE. He had reasons to hate Jey, but Jey making amends narratively, and Drew just wanted to murder him went against the babyface playbook. Drew didn't have to forgive Jey, but his clear reasoning became muddled. He got in his own head and became this unhinged magnificent beast that I dearly love, and sometimes he's still very much right. Kevin, on the other hand, is just right and nobody here is trying to make amends or prove themselves or even apologize. That's why hes not getting the heal heat they want. The booing is people who just want to have fun and boo when their supposed to. The only saving grace of this story besides Kevin being fabulous as usual would be if they play into Kevin's superpower of understanding Kayfabe and while WWE/Cody are like why Kevin why, narratively it's acknowledged Kevin is right here.

[alamhiganelezen]

Shamagi's Wrestling Corner - NXT No Mercy (2024)

//Sorry for taking so long with this one. I had other things going on. Anyway, enjoy my 2nd installment in this series for what was a very good PPV. My next one will be for AEW All Out (2024).

The NXT x TNA collaboration is the best thing to happen to NXT since the Black-and-Gold era. Getting to see so many talented TNA wrestlers get the spotlight on WWE TV and PLEs (even if it's mostly just NXT) has been an absolute treat and this PLE continued to deliver.

NXT Tag Team Title match: Axiom & Nathan Frazer def. Chase U (Andre Chase & Ridge Holland) (c) - TITLE CHANGE!!! (****)

What better way to open the PLE than with some high flying tag team action. Both teams put on an absolute clinic. Nate and Axiom also get their titles back, and then Ridge Holland turns heel on Chase U to shock the crowd. Not much else to say, really.

Zachary Wentz def. Wes Lee (****1/4)

No title, just a really intense blood feud between two former brothers in arms. The start was a little lackluster, but the rest was essentially a 5 star match to make up for it. They were pounding each other senseless to try and claim superiority and going all out from bell to bell. Then Zach get the assist from Trey Miguel to take the win. I can't wait to see how this feud continues to develop.

NXT Women's North American Title match: Kelani Jordan (c) def. Wendy Choo (**1/2)

The only real stinker on this card. This match could have been a lot better, but it really feels like Wendy Choo is being held back by the character she's playing as she's demonstrated far better in ring ability elsewhere. Instead it felt like Kelani was doing most of the heavy lifting to try and make this match passable. I'd skip this one.

NXT North American Title match: Oba Femi (c) def. Tony D'Angelo (***1/2)

Good effort, Tony. Until now no one had ever kicked out of Oba Femi's powerbomb. But if anything, this only proves that you can delay the inevitable. Oba Femi is an absolute monster and I'd love to see him get a Gunther-like reign with this belt to solidify him in that role. The best part is, he still has a lot of potential to be even better. He'll be tearing it up on the main roster soon enough.

NXT Women's Title match: Roxanne Pérez (c) def. Jaida Parker (****1/2)

My pick for Match of the Night. Roxy continues to put on banger after banger, with this one being one of her best yet. She and Jaida were on the top of their game, and while I honestly would have been fine with Roxy losing I'm glad she retained because we then got to witness the debut of Giulia in WWE! I am so fucking excited for what she's gonna do and I think she'll be the one to dethrone Roxy, most likely as soon as Halloween Havoc. Plus she's half-Doman like me!!! DOMA REPRESENT!

NXT Title match: Ethan Page (c) def. Joe Hendry (special guest referee: Trick Williams) (****)

I'm gonna be honest: this would have been 5 stars if Joe Hendry won. That said, I did go into this match expecting him to lose as he's a TNA wrestler and there's no way WWE would have allowed a non-WWE wrestler to take one of their titles. Still, there was one reason I was invested in this match as much as I was: BELIEF! The whole crowd was behind Joe Hendry. They were singing his theme, they were chanting "We believe!" the whole time, and Joe absolutely fed off of their energy the whole match. He is legitimately the most over babyface in wrestling right now and to have Ego retain feels like a huge missed opportunity. Not to mention the ending kinda fell flat, with Trick Williams (playing the role of guest referee) stopping the count of the backup ref to bail out Joe only to count the pinfall to 3 when Ethan Page hit Ego's Edge for the win. Regardless, this match was really fun to watch and I pray Joe Hendry wins the big one, at least in TNA.

Overall rating: ***3/4

Unfortunately Kelani vs. Wendy was bad enough to drag this show below a 4 star rating, but the rest of the card was so good that it only just barely missed the cut. The tag team match, Zach vs. Wes, and Roxy vs. Jaida are all certified bangers, and while it could have been a lot more the main event ultimately delivered.

Now, sing it with me one more time:

SAY HIS NAME AND HE APPEARS

I BELIEVE IN JOE HENDRY

I BELIEVE IN JOE HENDRY

CAUSE THEY LOVE HIM IN LIMSA AND ISHGARD AND ALA MHIGO

TULIYOLLAL, THAVNAIR AND SHARLAYAN AND WACHUNPELO

THEY SAY "I BELIEVE IN JOE HENDRY

I BELIEVE IN JOE HENDRY"

WAVE YOUR HANDS FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND SAY

"I BELIEVE IN JOE HENDRY

AND JOE HENDRY IS THE PRESTIGIOUS ONE!"

//I really need to make Shamagi do Joe Hendry gposes

[romiswired]

Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns (c) (WWE Wrestlemania 40 Night 2)

Why did he thank Bruce Prichard?

Alright, enough time passed. I can't see myself writing or covering anything related to the Federation for many reasons actually. It's a miracle I'm writing this because this match and this rivalry have caught my eye for a long time now, not because of the reasons all of you think. I've been really honest with how I see Cody Rhodes in all of this, and I've been vocal about him being the "third best Rhodes". I didn't want to write this in Wrestlemania season because I would have come out like the one that ruins the fun, or the party pooper. The thing about this match is that I didn't care about it because of the story or because of the "cinema", I cared about this match because of my friends.

Not so long ago I had a conversation with a friend of mine and we were talking about WWE and how is it that people continue watching it considering the allegations, the lawsuit, and every single thing hidden behind this megalomaniac monster that rules pro-wrestling in its entirety. This friend told me something that got in my head and it was that:

"The Vince McMahon allegations don't have anything to do with the #WeWantCody movement."

With that in mind, I decided to give this rivalry a second shot, mainly because I was taken aback by the fact that this could be a way to make people forget about the lawsuit, but I decided to shut up and tune in. Not because of these guys, but because of the fact that I was seeing a lot of people happy with wrestling, and I guess that made me realize that maybe this thing was better than I thought.

I found myself hyped for this, and to show it I decided to compare Cody to one of my favorite heroes in media, this being Simon the Digger. I thought their stories were similar, to say the least. That helped me understand Cody and his goal. What he stood for, and how many people were there to support him, even if they were not going to be credited for doing so (The Elite)

I saw the whole event with some friends I made a while ago and it was a great experience mainly because of that. I realized watching wrestling alone is something that changes your perception of it so much that it helps you understand why whatever you're watching could be good. And this match I think is the perfect example of what I'm saying because I don't believe I liked this match because of what it offered. I liked it because of what it made my friends feel. Pro wrestling is about emotions, right? You don't get that far without making people at least somewhat interested in your journey, and while Cody is not the perfect babyface by any means, there's a thing about his story that just resonates with people, despite him being the guy with the suit and the corporative smirk. This idea of Cody as the hero could be something that some believe, but it's also something that many reject for obvious reasons. I mean, when you paint a babyface you don't necessarily think of someone like Cody Rhodes. The Homelander-esque attire doesn't help either.

The thing about this match is that it's like a sickness. It's contagious, it's a match that can't be watched alone. It's a match that lives in the moment.

Does this mean this match is good?

Fuck no. I think this match is not meant to be good technically, is meant to be the most crisp example of an Attitude Era main event in modern wrestling, because the match itself is meant to be a clusterfuck. I don't want to fall into comparisons of such, but this match shares the same premise behind something like Rock vs. Mankind: You don't want to watch this match because of technical prowess, or psychology. You want to watch this match to see a guy win, by any means. Of course, you can't compare both main events because one of them has a babyface that looks and feels like a babyface, but you get the idea.

The thing about this match is that I'm conscious of the fact that if I see this alone I would not like it, because I don't feel the same kind of connection with all of these guys appearing as others do. Like, if I watched this match alone I would not pop for known cops supporter Mark Calaway. Come on guys.

But I'm here to talk about one of my main issues with this match and Wrestlemania as a whole. From the beginning to the end this match is a masturbatory tribute to Triple H. The match that is meant to "finish the story" turns into the most blatant and obvious Hunter Hearst Helmsley-esque spectacle because this motherfucker knows he can do whatever the hell he wants now and people would like it because he's the booker and he made The Bloodline or whatever the fuck.

This match could hit harder, it really could, but I think the premise falls apart. Cody finishes the story, and he gets to change the world by making The Elite the first faction to have won the IWGP Title, the AEW Title and the WWE Title. But this is a WWE main event. We're talking about a company that loves its revisionism as much as it loves its Saudi money. In no scenario could The Elite actually be credited for making Cody a star, in fact, people now believe Cody was the star of The Elite when is not hard to go back to 2018 and compare the pops between Cody and Kenny Omega in the G1 Special.

The thing I hate about this match is how it wants to rewrite history and paint Cody as THE babyface, ignoring the real story behind it all. Because when I said The Elite was responsible for all of this, people rejected what I was saying and decided to believe "this match was not about The Elite". It was about the history of WWE, the company that is found to have various allegations and charges against them. Some of those charges relate to BRUCE PRICHARD, the guy who takes the spotlight in the Main Event because in the heat of Cody's celebration, and in the moment where he could thank his peers, his mother, or maybe his father (due to the fact this story is built around Dusty) the first thing he does is thank the office, and thank Bruce Prichard.

So much for a babyface, huh?

[enbywrestlingfan]

"Putting on a great technical match for a U.S. audience is like reading Shakespeare to a dog.” - Zack Sabre Jr.

Great match, Thatcher is a monster and Danielson is the best babyface. Danielson has been in top form so far in 2023, can't wait for his match with MJF.

Few people work a limb like Thatcher does, he's been one of the best parts of NOAH lately. While he's over here, would love to get Thatcher vs. Castagnoli.

[achilleslastwar]

WWE: Battleground 2016

I have decided to watch one of the PPVs that got me back into wrestling fully and still my favorite wrestling PPV ever: Battleground 2016. Here's some thoughts, I won't spoil any real results in case someone wants to follow along. Just because I kept some of my reactions doesn't mean a match was good or bad, I just have more thoughts about certain matches than others.

Pre-Show: Breezango vs The Usos Fun match. Hilarity, great tag team action and some fun spots.

Charlotte and Dana vs Sasha Banks and her Mystery Partner Put Emma and Dana back together and have them go after the Women's tag team titles. Do it you cowards! This was all just a big set up for Sasha vs. Charlotte at Summerslam and the mystery partner made it for me. But damn, Charlotte got booed. Dana Brooke and Charlotte were a fun team for a bit but they never really capitalized on it.

One of my favorite debuts ever. And Sasha was so proud of the reaction.

The New Days vs. The Wyatt Family God, I miss the New Day. And I hope Bray's ok, cause his absence is really starting to worry me. And I hope Big E and Kofi are recovering and come back. And I hope Erick Rowan is still doing well and adding to his collection of excellent music t-shirts. This match was kind of weird but Woods being frozen kind of was dumb. This was the final match before Braun actually became truly a monster amongst men, James Ellsworth came and went and Bray and Erick went to Smackdown. The overall RAW versus Smackdown commentary on this entire event including the main event kind of distracted from some of the matches, honestly. Still though, this match is free on Youtube: https://youtu.be/R6CrMJs90qI

Rusev vs. Zack Ryder (US Championship) Rusev smash and Zack Ryder babyface.

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens The match that fully got me invested and back into wrestling. Sami vs. Nakamura actually lured me back into wrestling, but this is what actually sold me on the storylines, the work, the fun. It's probably my all time favorite match because it got me back into a lost hobby. The Underdog from the Underground versus the Prize Fighter. I had been lapsed so I didn't know about their previous history in ROH. Owens mocked the crowd and he does need to turn back heel so he can do more mocking of the crowd. Zayn did a brainbuster on Owens on the ring apron, which proved how much WWE already trusted both of these guys in their decision making. The finish. "Why won't you stay down? Don't make me do this."

Becky Lynch vs. Natalya This match should have gotten more time. Becky had such a good babyface performance here. This was still solid, especially Pre-The Man. Still though, the full match is free: https://youtu.be/lMNC86wjl9w

The Miz vs. Darren Young (IC Match) Weird match, it had Marsye, Bob Backlund, Darren Young going into a hulk like rage. Very odd and prolly the dud of the night.

The Club vs. John Cena, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady It's kind of ironic I want Big Bill to join the Bullet Club Gold in AEW now because my favorite performance by him is still in this match. Enzo and Cass were so, so over and the inclusion of John Cena just made it all the better. I can't really stand Gallows or Anderson but AJ Styles is insane talent and just makes them worth it.

Chris Jericho, Randy Orton in the Highlight reel that just should have been on RAW This was also pre-Brock Lesnar beats the absolute tar out of Orton, which is still outside of chairshots to the head and stuff like that one of the times I've ever felt truly uncomfortable watching wrestling in. Just the biggest of OOFS now with hindsight. Still, Orton and Jericho had some back and forth lines. I hope Randy comes back soon.

Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns (WWE Championship) If the Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens match hadn't happened on this PPV, this match would have still gotten me back into wrestling. The Lunatic Fringe vs. the Architect versus Roman Reigns still in his Shield gear. Moxley and Seth are on the top of my list of favorite wrestlers and Roman has great to amazing level matches with just about anyone and any style. I'm not gonna get into the Tribal Chief thoughts here, but he's still a top level wrestling talent and also probably one of the safest workers in the business. Seth and Ambrose had to team up to overcome Vince McMahons booking at one point in a temporary alliance. They all traded shots amongst each other until they were all rocked. Seth Rollins tried to get them to do the Shield pose and Roman Reigns destroyed him. And I had missed all the Shield stuff during my lapse in wrestling fandom and this match still sold me on it with the promos WWE did for. The intro video to this PPV is also one of my absolute favorites. The trope RAW Is 3 hours long and needs Recaps is absolutely true with WWE sometimes, but they did this perfect.

Oh, I will say to close: Thank god JBL is no longer on commentary.

[hang-on-lil-tomato]

oh fork!!!! These guys comment on media, but are far from objective.

they just cry about everything being WOKE the Reich wing boogieman.

nerdrotic, Az Heel Vs Babyface and all their cronies all support the orange monster .

they don’t even hide their hatred.

I dislike a lot of the shows and franchises they talk about, but not for the reasons they use.

az does not understand either gender or sexuality. they whole group is anti gay, anti trans.

they don’t want to be called ists and phobes, but their word betray them.

[wrestlingisfake]

Resurgence preview

Jon Moxley vs. Shota Umino - This is Moxley's third defense of the IWGP world title.

On June 5, 2019, Jon Moxley debuted for New Japan Pro Wrestling, destroying Juice Robinson for the US championship. Days later, on June 9, he was scheduled for an improbable bout against a young Shota Umino, who was still a Young Lion in the promotion's dojo. It wasn't clear why the mismatch was booked until Mox clobbered Shota, declared himself for the G1 Climax, and unilaterally decided to take the kid under his wing.

For the rest of 2019, the running gag was that Moxley would rant and rave about how he was teaching "Shooter" to be a cool badass, and Shota would just stand there with this blank look, since he probably didn't understand a word his "mentor" was saying. When he returned from excursion in 2022, Umino had a cool leather jacket and entrance like Moxley, but other than that he was every bit the white-meat prettyboy babyface you would've expected him to be before he ever met Mox. So there's always been a dissonance between what Moxley is trying to teach Shota to be, and what Shota has actually become.

When Moxley won the world title last month, he immediately called out Umino to challenge him. The idea is that Mox knows his protege will start wondering if he can take the gold, so better to get it out of the way up front. It's effectively a "final exam" for Shota's "apprenticeship"--he'll need everything he's learned from Mox, because the champ is going to show no mercy once the bell rings. Personally I don't think Shota has demonstrated the grit that a guy like Mox uses to get through a tough fight. But that may simply be part of the story--if Mox is disappointed by Shota's offense, he might slap the kid around until he awakens the monster I've always wanted to see.

It would be hella cool if Umino scored a big upset on his mentor to win the world title and usher in a new era of New Japan. However, if that was really the plan, I think they'd book it in Osaka or Tokyo, not Los Angeles. Whatever the endgame is for Moxley's title reign, we're not there yet. The champ is bound to retain--the only question is what his relationship with the Shooter will be after the match.

Eddie Kingston vs. Gabe Kidd - Kingston defends the STRONG men's championship in a "no ropes last man standing match." So I guess they're going to take down the ropes around the ring, which seems like a pain in the ass, since they'll have to put them back up for the main event. I'm not sure how that really adds to the concept of a last man standing match, though, where the whole idea is to brawl in and out of the ring until one man is down and unable to answer the referee's standing ten-count.

Kidd has been a loudmouth hooligan since he joined Bullet Club's War Dogs group, but in the past few months he's really shown me something, and I'm rooting for him to move up in the world. But realistically, this feud isn't too different from him challenging Shingo Takagi for the NEVER title last week, or his upcoming GHC title bout next month. His role is to be the big mean bully who makes a lot of noise but ultimately gets shut down every time by the babyfaces. I'd like to see him beat Eddie, but in a brawl where anything goes he has to be considered an underdog. Champ retains.

Shingo Takagi vs. Yuya Uemura - Takagi's NEVER title is on the line, but Uemura's KOPW title is not. I'm not really feeling this one, probably because I don't buy that Uemura has any chance to win and become a double champion. Maybe if the match is really good that won't matter, but that remains to be seen. Shingo wins.

Jeff Cobb vs. Lance Archer - Cobb won the NJPW World television title last week; this is his first defense. Unlike other New Japan title bouts, the time limit for the TV belt is fifteen minutes. During the press conference Cobb brought up the talking point that AEW/ROH guys keep jumping ahead in line for big opportunities in New Japan. I assume that's his actual legit feelings about it, because in kayfabe I don't know why it would matter to him, as long as he beats whoever is put in front of him. Anyway, this should be a good "big meaty men slappin' meat" match, and hopefully the LA crowd will chant "MEAT" where appropriate. Cobb is bound to keep his belt.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. - This is a rematch from January 4, when Tana won the television title from Sabre. Since then, Tana dropped the belt, and Sabre won it back and lost it again...but Zack still needs to avenge that loss in the Tokyo Dome. In one-on-one matches, Tana currently leads 7-5 over Sabre, and I don't see him improving to 8-5. Zack has been talking like he's ready to move up to chasing the world title, and I think winning here will get him on that path.

David Finlay & KENTA vs. Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji - Finlay's War Dogs have been feuding with Naito's Los Ingobernables de Japon for a while now. On the last tour, Finlay defeated Tsuji in a big match, and NOAH's Jake Lee crashed a few shows to help the War Dogs out by targeting Naito. Kenta is not a War Dog; he's just a regular Bullet Club guy that seems to be here because nobody more important could make the town. That makes me thing he's the one who will lose the fall.

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Alex Windsor - This is for the STRONG women's title, which Vaquer has held since March 10. Vaquer is also the CMLL women's world champion, and one of the CMLL women's world tag champions, but those belts aren't at stake. Windsor was in a prelim tag match last month, and I wrote that somebody in that match would probably be the next challenger, but I never even considered Windsor would be the one. I hope she does well, but I can't see Vaquer dropping the belt just yet.

Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls vs. El Phantasmo & Hikuleo - Last month, ELP and Hiku lost the STRONG tag team title to Haste and Nicholls in a four-team match, so now they're getting a straight two-on-two rematch. I don't see any reason why'd switch the belts just to switch them back so soon. Haste and Nicholls are kind of looking past the challengers to chase the IWGP heavyweight tag champions, and something tells me that will end up being another four-team clusterfuck, perhaps with both sets of belts on the line. I figure this is another match where the champs retain.

Tom Lawlor & Fred Rosser vs. Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson - These two teams were a part of that four-team STRONG tag title match I mentioned above. The West Coast Wrecking Crew (Isaacs and Nelson) used to be aligned with Lawlor, but Lawlor's decision to enter the match with his longtime rival Rosser tested their loyalties. In the end Isaacs and Nelson turned on Lawlor, cutting his hair, eating his hair, and shoving some of it into Rosser's mouth. So that was different. I can't believe this is going to be the blowoff match for the feud. I'm picking the West Coast Wrecking Crew to win with shenanigans to set up something bigger.

EVIL & Jack Perry & Ren Narita vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Rocky Romero & The DKC - I think everyone assumed Jack Perry had finished up with New Japan (and the House of Torture) when he returned to AEW and joined the Elite. Apparently not. Whereas Chicago was dangerous territory for him last month, Los Angeles is his backyard, so it'll be interesting to see if that plays into the crowd reaction. I think DKC is the only LA Dojo graduate who hasn't joined Bullet Club or signed with another promotion, so I'd like to see him step up, but I suspect he's just here to lose the fall.

Mustafa Ali vs. Lio Rush - This is a pre-show match. Ali is the TNA X division champion, but the title is not at stake here. This is Lio's first New Japan match since a medical issue forced him to withdraw from an IWGP junior title match on October 9. He's been wrestling since then, just not for New Japan, which seems odd to me. I'm not sure why it took so long to bring him back, or why you'd bring him back on a pre-show that most people won't watch. For that matter, I don't get why you'd follow up Ali's big win last month with a pre-show match. In any event, I think Ali has to win.

Matt Vandagriff vs. Adrian Quest - Another pre-show match. I think this is another one of those "strong survivor" matches, like the one they did in Chicago. But after I spent some time trying to figure out what the hell that means, I got to the building and found out the pre-show happened before the advertised bell time, so I missed the match altogether. It's like New Japan doesn't want me to see these pre-show matches, so I'm starting to wonder why I bother covering them. I guess Vandagriff wins all of these, so he'll probably win again.

[anthonysstupiddailyblog]

Anthony’s Stupid Daily Blog (319): Sun 29th Jan 2023

Although my plan was to wake up at six am and watch the mens rumble match to see if The Rock turned up or not. However since I was still awake at one I tuned in and sad that the Rumble match was happening then and there so I decided to stay up and watch it. This may have been the greatest Rumble match of all time. There were hardly any surprise entrants but other than that it was well structured, had some great eliminations, a star making performance by Gunther, decent showings from Sheamus and Drew McIntyre, some cool spots including one which trended between Logan Paul and Ricochet and eventually winner Cody Rhodes getting a monster babyface reaction. I now know what the main event will be when I go to watch my first WrestleMania live and in person. I’m sure this will be a great match but I still don’t want Cody winning. They have done finishes where the heel wins (Roman vs Brock 2) but if they are going to book him to win I hope it’s only for the WWE title.

I slept much better last night. The acid reflux tablets did the trick as my wheeze wasn’t keeping me awake, my cough wasn’t as bad and throughout the day I wasn’t breathing as heavily. Maybe this latest round of acid reflux was just a result of the massive amount of junk I ate over the Christmas period. It’s a relief that it’s starting to subside now because the last thing I want while I’m on a nonstop flight to Los Angeles is to my coughing my guts up as this would not only leave me unable to sleep but also terrify the shit out of my fellow passengers.

We got told this morning that the stock we’d received today was shit so it was likely to drag but on the upside we wouldn’t have to worry about our rates as much. As the end of my first shift was coming to an end I was told to go to pack after lunch. I’m always elated whenever I get told to go to pack because not only is the work more enjoyable and the process makes more sense but I have an excuse as to why my rates are often low since I’m only on stow for a limited time.

[randy-ortons-chair]

Ok, let me begin... Matt Riddle vs Seth in the Fight Pit at Extreme rules

Oh boy, DO I HAVE THINGS TO SAY (i know this was announced last week leave me alone)

This has the potential to be the match of the year. In this essay I will

In my opinion the Fight Pit has way more potential than the cage matches. I love the debut of the fight pit its going to be at a ppv, nice

HAVE U SEEN THE MATT RIDDLE VS TIMOTHY THATCHER MATCH? GO WATCH IT STOP READING GO WATCH IT NOW

I love how in the poster Matt is advertised as the cute babyface when he is one violent mf (professionally)

No, seriously this guy has dynamite in his fists, he's a monster inside any ring

If I'm not mistaken he has like the 2nd nastiest k.o from TUF in an official ranking. Spoilers, there were broken bones, pain screams and ambulances involved

I would pay money to see the training for this match

I know Seth's in-ring style and i'm confident that he will adapt effortless to the fight pit

I love Matt's style but I wouldn't like seeing him being the only one using the pit to his advantage

I need to see Matt winning this one

Forget it, my heart wants him to win, but my mind knows wwe keeps giving him the pins and nevermind

[dalekofchaos]

The downfall of Wardlow is something that future generations will study as botching a sure thing. Fans flocked to Wardlow when he was still MJF's heavy. Instead of sticking to the Batista playbook, which was working; they keep having him drop the TNT title.

It'd be so easy to book Wardlow.

He should just murder everyone. Give him that Goldberg/Batista run and have him carry the TNT belt into a world title match with Max.

MJF vs his former bodyguard, the last man to beat him before he won the World Title. How the fuck do you fumble the most logical booking for your clearly over and hot prospect?

Tony Khan should be tarred and feathered for how he has fucked over and chopped Wardlow's nuts off with this constant start and stop booking.

How is it that fucking Orange Cassidy can have an undefeated Streak with the International Championship, but not fucking Wardlow?

3X BOOKER OF THE YEAR

At this point Wardlow should leave AEW. Go to WWE or Impact, Tony Khan is killing your career with his shitty booking.

Has any monster sized babyface, that’s over with the fans, lost more regularly on national TV and PPV than Wardlow?

It was all downhill for Wardlow since that stupid 20 "security guards" bullshit and doing a competitive match with the company mascot.

[danwhobrowses]

AEW Full Gear 2022 - Review

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, but also sleeping, and thus I opted to get one last good sleep before I have to get ready for returning to work...it didn't work so well XD

Nevertheless, now it's time to catch up with Full Gear. 10 matches on the main card filled with in-ring debuts, bitter rivalries and 7 titles on the line. Let's see how it went

Spoilers for the PPV

The Buy-In

Best Friends, Rocky Romero & Danhausen def The Factory (QT Marshall, Lee Johnson, Cole Karter, Nick Comoroto & Aaron Solo) [Pinfall by Danhausen on Comoroto via Big Boot] The babyfaces interestingly started without their 'Very Mysterious, Very Evil' partner but the tag synergy of Best Friends/Roppongi Vice held the early advantage over QT and his rookies. QT's experience did allow openings for the Factory to have brief moments of number advantages, including QT catching the Orange Punch with a Diamond Cutter, but when he attempted a steps piledriver Danhausen came out with the jar of teeth, outwrestling the Factory members up to Nicky C, who ate an Orange Punch, was fed the jar of teeth and then hit with the big boot for the 3. QT tried to escape but was hit with the spike by Danhausen. A nice pre-show opener to unveil Danhausen's Very Evil side, probably would've had QT take the pin if I were booking it but it was some nice fun. One does have to continually worry about the Factory, not only do they now have a size of at least 6 members (remember Anthony Ogogo is a part of them, Blake Li is a question mark now) but they lack firm direction, which can be a negative for the likes of Lee and Comoroto, they may need repackaging and downsizing.

Post-Match latest AEW recruit Konosuke Takeshita was interviewed by Renee, Beloved Cinnabon Man basically sad he's happy to be here, more a 'in case you missed it' kinda thing.

World Championship No.1 Contender Eliminator Semi-Final Ricky Starks def. Brian Cage (w/Prince Nana) [Pinfall via Roshambo] Ethan Page joined commentary to scout his opponents as Cage immediately went for the weakened Ricky. Page was very focused and intelligent on commentary, noting how he wants his opponents to wear each other out but he only cares about fighting Mox or Max. Naturally, the Machine used his monster strength to further damage Ricky's ribs, back and neck but it's Ricky's quickness and counter-wrestling that kept Cage on his toes. After kicking out of a Spear from Ricky but failing to beat him with a Discus Lariat, Cage went for an Elbow Drop but missed, Ricky tried the Roshambo but was overpowered into an F-5 position, but countered it into a Canadian Destroyer, a labored Roshambo finished Cage and books the desired outcome of Ricky vs Ethan - delayed however to be fought on Dynamite due to Ricky's legit injury last week. It was a good match, maybe could've gone a bit longer but given how there was a desired outcome they also didn't drag out Ricky fighting from underneath.

Fight Forever's trailer was aired after the match, followed by the promo package and an Eddie interview, Eddie was all jitters and butterflies about facing his hero, further selling his mindset on his personal dream match.

Eddie Kingston def Jun Akiyama [Pinfall via Uraken] The Buy-In Main Event started scrappy with both men trying to get the early advantage, the trade in chops and forearms get things further into the King's Road style. Akiyama got a lot of offense with a guillotine knee drop on the apron, a spike piledriver, a curb stomp and a running knee but Eddie hit back with an Avalanche Brainbuster, back and forth they went trading moves, Akiyama kicked out of the Uraken but Eddie kicked out of an exposed running knee, Eddie got the win with a Northern Lights Bomb and following up with a second Uraken to put the legend down. Very emotional, Eddie showed his respect to Akiyama who shook hands, when given the ring he embraced Ortiz and thanked the crowd, Akiyama, King's Road Style and all the past Japanese legends who aren't with us anymore, before telling the audience to 'buy the damn pay per view' in his classic tongue-in-cheek manner. It's a good match enhanced by Eddie's visible emotion and passion, they should've just let him run down the card - I mean he almost did - I probably preferred the Ishii match from a wrestling standpoint but frankly I'm just happy Eddie's happy.

The steel cage lowered to telegraph what the opener would be as Jim Ross joins commentary.

Main Card

Steel Cage Match 'Jungle Boy' Jack Perry def. Luchasaurus (w/Christian Cage) [Submission via Snare Trap] A battle between tag partners in the same arena they struck gold, Jungly Jim came in quietly and focused, shutting the cage door behind him as he faced the Dark Dino-Man. Jack's athleticism and Luchasaurus' power were both positions of advantage in the cage, but Jack was busted early by a lawn dart, Cage making sure to mock Perry from outside the cage. Jack was almost sent to the shadow realm after his rebound clothesline was shrugged off and he was thrown a fifth time into the cage wall, almost being caught in between. Christian however pulled a pickpocket by stealing the keys to the cage, unlocking the door just before Mike Posey got security to drag him out, Luchasaurus' attempts to save him were cut short by Jack, but he ate a slingshot into the cage's outer wall. Out came the table, and the chairs, JB got an advantage hitting a Destroyer for 1 and a Killswitch on the chair for 2, but Luchasaurus hit a Chokeslam on the chair for 2 also. After an Avalanche Sliced Bread, Luchasaurus did the sit up, but so did JB, Jack's refusal to stay down unleashed a babyface rally and a piledriver for 2. Luchasaurus though again hit back, a Tombstone and his swinging Tombstone facebuster only good for 2, he tried to powerslam JB through the table but Jack went into a sleeper, cracked his partner with a chair shot to keep him laid on the table and scaled the top of the cage for an elbow drop, after locking the snare trap, Luchasaurus tapped out. After climbing out the cage Jack embraced his mother and sister before leaving.

I have to say it, AEW Cage Matches > WWE Cage Matches. Compare this to Drew vs Kross and there's no contest, just shows how much more intensity can come by eliminating the 'escape cage finish' options. JB and Luchasaurus pulled off a wonderful 'irresistible force vs immovable object' battle as Jack's relentless babyface energy once again pulls out a banger from the underrated pillar. Take nothing away from the big man either, he was a great mountainous adversary for Jack, though I do think we lacked comeuppance for Christian, I did feel like him stealing the keys was gonna go somewhere more, but I'm sure the two will eventually collide in the future.

AEW Trios Championship Death Triangle (c) (w/Alex Abrahantes) def The Elite (w/Don Callis, Brandon Cutler & MT Nakazawa) [Pinfall on Omega by Fénix via Hammer-assisted Roll-up] Penta back in Joker mode (without his vest) while Fénix was en fuego, PAC was of course PAC. But everyone was awaiting the Elite's return, who came to Kansas' Carry On My Wayward Son to a big ovation. Callis joined commentary as PAC and Kenny began the fight, the Jersey fans erupting in 'Fuck him up' and 'Colt Cabana' chants. PAC and Kenny did roll back their earlier feud with PAC flipping out the Kotaro Crusher and spitting in the face of the Best Bout Machine, so the tag went to the Flipshow Nick vs Fénix and Power Brothers Matt vs Penta. I needn't tell you that Lucha Bros vs Young Bucks went exactly how you'd expect it to, the back and forth concluding with all of Death Triangle eating superkicks, the Elite pulled the playbook with Nick being given a cola? by the audience, but PAC intercepted a You Can't Escape to put the champions back in position. It became very clear that PAC would be central to the finish, with him continually antagonizing Kenny, but Nick got a slight in the match too hitting Punk's rising knee/bulldog combo. Matt murdered Fénix with a leaping apron DDT while Nick super hurricanrana'd Penta into the group of Elite and DT members, leaving PAC and Kenny in the ring, the Bucks recovered to attempt a Superkick Tombstone combo but DT came in and spiked them all with a triple Tombstone (every time someone hits a Tombstone Undertake gets a nickel). DT almost had it with a splash to Kenny, classic step-over destroyer to Matt, rolling cutter to Nick and then PAC hitting the Black Arrow/Brutalizer combo on Kenny but the submission was broken up.

The ring hammer came in though with PAC throwing it to Fénix while Penta had Bryce distracted, but once more Fénix refused, eating a V-Trigger for his troubles, Tiger Driver 98 was only good for 2. Trios BTE trigger broken up by PAC, who prepped to clock Kenny with the hammer but was blindsided by Nick's superkick. After hitting Fénix with a V-Trigger, Kenny was unable to see PAC hand his partner the hammer once more, who clocked Kenny while up in the OWA position to roll up Omega, retain the titles and spoil the Elite's return...and it was magnificent. Honestly the heat is gonna be fantastic for this because heel Lucha Bros are great too, even if Fénix feels dirty by it right now, I knew the hammer would come into play but I was thinking it'd be a DQ. I was surprised the House of Black did not show up though. The match unsurprisingly was great, and swerving the crowd will further both teams' direction.

TBS Championship Jade Cargill (c) (w/Kiera Hogan & Leila Grey) def Nyla Rose ('c') (w/Vickie Guerrero & Marina Shafir) [pinfall via Jaded] Nyla continues to endear herself to me by coming out in an Eddie Guererro-esque low rider, Vickie sporting the 'I'm Your Papi' shirt too. Lord though, Jade sporting the Cheetara from Thundercats gear, Jade does not miss when it comes to gear (I'm sorry but if you're not seeing this you cannot tell me to contain my thirst, I am not strong enough for this). Nyla went for the Baddies first though which allowed Jade to enact her aggression on Rose, including a pump kick over the barricade. Nyla hit Jade into the steps to regain the advantage, scouting much of Jade's trademark offense and hitting the Beast Knee. Jade hit back with a sit out powerbomb of her own for 2 and managed to counter Nyla's scrappy attempt to roll out of the Jaded, she ended up eating her own finisher for 2, but the true TBS Champ got the win thanks to avoiding Nyla's Swanton, allowing her to nail the Pump Kick and Jaded, 42 and 0.

I think that may've been Jade's best match so far, a proper physical challenge for the champion. Give nothing away from Nyla too, her physicality was a great match for Jade but her antics to help build this match has been great, Nyla being a hilarious tweener is her best position.

ROH World Championship Chris Jericho (c) def. Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli & Sammy Guevara [Pinfall on Castagnoli via Judas Effect] Ian Ribacconi joined commentary for ROH representation. Sammy's entrance gear was...a thing, like devil cape with SG on the straps makes sense but it also kinda looked like the Borat swimsuit, Jericho's bedazzled shirt was clean though. Naturally the match started with BCC vs JAS, Claudio facing Jericho and Bryan facing Sammy. The BCC managed to dispose of the JAS leaving both alone in the ring, a lingering handshake foretelling that the two were set to exchange blows. Jericho intercepted Bryan and Claudio's clinic but ate a flapjack and double crab, but Sammy hit a flying cutter on both men. Le Sex Gods then divided and conquered the BCC members, aiming for Danielson's injured eye like they did on Dynamite. A little tension though as Jericho had Sammy stand by as he pinned Danielson for 2, Danielson though rallied in Danielson fashion, raining kicks on Jericho and Guevara, but Sammy's athleticism evaded him enough to hit a Spanish Fly, which led to Jericho pouncing with a Lionsault. Claudio gutwrenched back into the match but ate a Codebreaker, which Sammy then broke up! Allegiances became damned as Guevara fought Jericho, hitting his own Codebreaker for 2, but he ended up in the Walls, Danielson tried to dropkick him but ended up in the walls too. Jericho was unrelenting in the hold against Claudio's big boots, but a suplex broke the hold and put Jericho in a Sharpshooter - which he had tapped to on Dynamite - wily, the Ocho crawled to pin Danielson in front of him, but ended up being locked in a LeBell Lock as well, saved by Sammy's superkicks. Sammy helped Jericho up and embraced him, but he maintained wrist control when the hug broke, landing a GTH and a Shooting Star Press for 2. Sammy Hammer and Anvil'd Danielson but it was no sold by the American Dragon, who had Claudio gorilla press Sammy out the ring into Jericho, only for Claudio to eat the Buisaku Knee for 2. Hammer and Anvil was exchanged between the two BCC members, exchanging nearfalls, as they tussled on the turnbuckle Sammy went double time with a cutter on Claudio and then a Super Spanish Fly on Danielson, but Danielson got him into a LeBell Lock, Jericho breaks the hold, Claudio then becomes the Tour de Force; uppercuts to Jericho against the barricades, he catches Danielson's knee and hits a Gotch Neutralizer outside the ring, Sammy hits the Shooting Star but his second dive is caught into a Pop-Up Uppercut for 2, Sammy uses the ropes to try and roll up Claudio for 2 but ends up in a Swing, Jericho then dives in with a Judas Effect on the swinging Sammy, and then another on Claudio to retain.

A great match again, hate Sammy for his personality but god did he wrestle out of his skin tonight. Claudio, Jericho and Danielson are once more fantastic, though I'm surprised we went for Jericho pinning Claudio again, especially without shenaniganry or a surprise Final Battle opponent showing themselves. Nevertheless, you rarely bet against the heel champion in the multi-man.

Saraya def Dr Britt Baker DMD [Pinfall via Ram-Paige x2] With her brother Zak Zodiac identified in the crowd, Saraya made an emotional return to the ring. Baker intentionally arrived alone, intent on making a point. Chants of 'welcome back' rung in the crowd as the two women locked up, though Saraya acted tender to her neck. Britt honed in on the neck with a neckbreaker to the outside, before mocking Zak who cheered his sister on. In control, Baker continued to act confidently, preparing the glove early, but her frustration with Saraya was palpable also, who kept firing back - a crossbody to the outside gave the former Anti-Diva the rally, Baker did hit the turnbuckle facebuster but also ate a Paige-Turner for 2, Baker hit an Air Raid Crash and a Curb Stomp for 2 also having failed to get the Lockjaw fully cinched. At the turnbuckle, Baker's Avalanche Air Raid Crash was countered into a Sunset Powerbomb and a Ram-Paige (I dunno what the Saraya-names are for this) for 2, but she escaped the Cloverleaf to ram Saraya into the turnbuckle pad and get the Lockjaw, both exchanged Crucifix Pins for 2 but Saraya came out on the advantage with a thrust kick and running knee. DMD hit a ripcord forearm and her own Paige-Turner and Curb Stomp for another 2, but her next Air Raid Crash attempt was reversed into a Knee Strike and two Ram-Paiges for the win. Afterwards Saraya embraced her brother before departing.

This was a good match, the crowd however hurt it. I dunno why but they seemed kinda gassed, maybe it was an energy dip due to the quality of the prior matches but the lack of energy did make it feel less impactful of a match, which is a shame because both women worked really well. Saraya had a bit of ring rust which is passable given how long it's been, her running knee perhaps needs a bit more theatrics to it because sometimes it looks a tad messy plus we need to know the non-WWE names of her finishers, but this is a starting point for Saraya, hopefully we can see her shake off the cobwebs and even go beyond the level she was before.

TNT Championship Samoa Joe def Wardlow (c) & Powerhouse Hobbs [Submission on Hobbs via Coquina Clutch] - NEW CHAMPION! Our Triple Beef Barbecue began with Wardlow releasing frustrations on Joe, which allowed Hobbs to take advantage. Hobbs held the early advantage being able to fend off Joe's attacks when interrupted, but Wardlow roared back with a moonsault on both his opponents, Hobbs was tendered by a Swanton by Wardlow and an Elbow Drop by Joe, the Samoan Submission Machine taking advantage next with his classic offense. Beef continued to slap outside of the ring with each men trading advantage, Wardlow kicked out of the Hobbs Spinebuster, so Wardlow started hitting the Powerbomb Symphony, Joe however snuck in, hitting Wardlow with the TNT title and getting a dazed Hobbs in the Coquina Clutch for the win.

It was as advertised, but also I have to say I enjoyed this the least so far. It was way too short for one but I also felt that Joe didn't need the win, you know who did need the win? Powerhouse Hobbs. Hobbs was coming back from losing to Ricky after all, giving him the TNT Championship would've helped elevate him while Joe and Wardlow fought over the ROH TV title, instead he took the fall and Joe's a double champion. Now I get it, we all like Joe, but you did pick the oldest dude in the match to hold 2 championships while the two bright and young talents get nothing, Hobbs hasn't touched gold and this was kinda the perfect time for it, so it was a let down.

Post-match Jericho praises Sammy's competitive spirit, only to be met by Orange Cassidy and Danhausen. Neither are his challenger though, on Wednesday the Ocho will be challenged by the Stone Pitbull, Jericho vs Ishii. Hager and his Hat also is gonna face OC for the All-Atlantic Title.

No DQ Sting & Darby Allin def. Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett (w/Sonjay Dutt & Satnam Singh) [Pinfall on Lethal by Allin via Coffin Drop] Ric Flair's last match without Ric Flair, Jarrett came out with some Sting-mask goons as well, which is often a bad strategy. A Body bag was left on the ramp to bait Lethal and the Sting Goons as Darby charged out with a skateboard to lay them out, Sting meanwhile appeared behind Jarrett in the ring. Lethal did return in time to divide the fights between Sting/Lethal and Darby/Jarrett around the crowd. Darby got out a ladder to coffin drop Jarrett but was caught like a baby by Satnam Singh before being dumped on the ramp. Singh caught Lethal before he was dumped out too, but Sting dived from the crowd to down the giant, erstwhile Jarrett used weaponry to punish Darby. Back in the ring it suddenly just turned into a 'with rules' tag match, since there are legal tags (I mean what's the ref gonna do?) Sting hit the hot tag to Stinger Splash both men and lock Jarrett in the Scorpion Deathlock, Sonjay tried to break the hold and failed, so Satnam shoved him aside and chokeslammed the Icon. Lethal and Darby fought next, Lethal catching a Coffin Drop and getting a Lethal Combination, Jarrett whipped out the guitar but stopped before hitting Lethal by mistake, allowing Darby to hit the flip stunner, Darby's Coffin Drop was met by the guitar shot, but Darby kipped up! Unleashing the Sting-rally that prompted Singh to come out, Sting tries a Scorpion Death Drop but cannot get the Drop part, so Darby lands the Coffin Drop on him too, smashing Jarrett with a suicide dive as Sting catches Lethal's Lethal Injection with a Scorpion Death Drop. Since Sting was either winded or not legal, Darby finished the match with a Coffin Drop.

If you want a chaotic fun tag match, you call Sting and Darby. It's a great Palate Cleanser I must admit, it might not always feel like it belongs but it's entertaining, and it does remove the TNT bad taste. Where it goes from here is a bit of a down because it doesn't really advance anything but the result is the right call, Satnam Singh also deserves credit for his role in the match.

AEW Interim Women's Championship Jamie Hayter def. Toni Storm (c) [pinfall via Hayterade] - NEW CHAMPION! I do really wish that we made Toni the official world champion, like it wouldn't have hurt Rosa to appear backstage and call Toni the de facto world champ, she's held it long enough. Regardless, Hayter appeared alone just as Baker did, highlighting the support the crowd had for her. The women started with their technical prowess, narrowly avoiding the other's finishers. Hayter ate the ring post while Toni hurt her hand chopping it, but the weakness activated Hayter's aggression, swinging Toni into barricades, turnbuckles and into the mat, exerting her physical dominance over her former friend. Toni struck back with a Thesz Press, Hip Attack and Crossbody for two, falling into her common strategy of using DDTs, a headbutt led to Toni falling on Hayter for 2 which prompted Rebel to come out. Seemingly unbeknownst to Hayter, Rebel cracked a rope-prone Toni with the belt, leading to an Ushigoroshi and a sliding Lariat for two, when Rebel protested though Hayter was disappointed by her inclusion, but watched on as Rebel was kicked out. Toni reversed the Hayterade (her ripcord lariat) to hit her own, she went for a hip attack but ended up out the ring, where Baker hit a curb stomp on the belt, Hayter hits the Storm Zero but it's another nearfall! Now it seems like Hayter was in on the plan, but her Hayterade misses again for a Half-and-Half and a Storm Zero for 2, she goes for the Texas Cloverleaf but decides to swipe at Baker on the apron, causing Hayter to hit back with her Backbreaker for 2. As Hayter attacks Toni in one corner, Baker attempts to remove the turnbuckle pad on the other, but collides with Hayter during the removal, Hayter however still throws Toni into the exposed turnbuckle dazing her enough to hit the Hayterade and get gold.

The crowd erupts for Hayter despite being a heel. Toni had a fantastic showing in demonstrating her toughness which made it a dramatic battle, however I do wish that Hayter won either clean or without knowing of Rebel and Baker's interference, Tony is right to put the belt on Hayter, striking on her popularity, but he seems to be delaying the inevitable face turn.

AEW World Tag Championships The Acclaimed (c) def Swerve in our Glory [Pinfall on Swerve by Bowens via Avalanche Falcon Arrow] Caster came out with an extended rap for the champions but they were noticeably without Daddy Ass, so sadly no Scissor Me Daddy Ass, the crowd at least kept the spirit alive. The focus once more was on Bowens' injury, this time his shoulder established on Wednesday, Lee took a nasty bump hitting his knee on the apron when clotheslined over but he was walking well, the champions focused on Swerve with a Scissor Me Timbers but the challengers continued to hone in on the injury, Swerve trying isolate Caster from Bowens. Bringing out a barricade, Swerve and Lee remained at odds over tactics, but it didn't get used for a while. Bowens got a tag after hitting a Poison Rana on Lee, but he couldn't lift the Limitless one. Bowens came in again to hit Swerve with a Facebuster/Cutter combo, but Swerve attacked the arm once more. The barricade came into play when Lee saved Swerve from being kicked into it, only to be crossbodied into it himself by Bowens. Swerve kicked out of an Arrival, catching Bowens with a Flatliner and a foursome of Swerve Kicks, when he set for the Swerve Stomp Bowens avoided it and hit the Arrival again, Bowens hit the Mic Drop but Lee broke up the pin.

Swerve avoided a team move because of the injured shoulder, allowing Lee to be tagged in and pounce both men, Fall From Glory on Bowens was only good for 2, Bowens is tagged in thanks to Caster reaching from a powerbomb position, but Lee just throws Bowens into him continually, Swerve attacks Caster and has the Pliers, which has Daddy Ass come out. In the chaos of the refs trying to eject him, Swerve passes Lee the pliers, but Lee throws it away, so Swerve slaps Lee! Incensed, Lee picks Bowens up, and leaves Swerve to fend for himself. Swerve escapes the roll up twice, including one that reverses the JML Driver, his roll up is stopped by the blind tag making him eat a dropkick, Swerve is finished though by an assisted Falcon Arrow.

It was a good match, maybe not the best of the trilogy but one that narratively sends Swerve and Lee to fight one another. You can't go too bonkers before the main event also, so it was a good match where the right people won.

Announced for Thanksgiving however was Elite vs DT again, announced now to be a Best of 7 Series! Which will go throughout the entire year including Holiday Bash and New Year's Smash.

AEW World Championship MJF def Jon Moxley (c) (w/William Regal) [Pinfall via Brass Knuckles shot] - NEW CHAMPION! I'm a little confused because my stream had no entrances, maybe something was running too long? Things started ruggedly as Moxley ensured that this would be his kind of match, MJF however popped the crowd with antics - which only further aggrieved Mox, playing the heel. Mox was whipping out submissions befitting of the BCC with STF and a Cross Armbreaker, but MJF was pulling classic wrestling, Flair's strut, Atomic Drop, Rhodes jabs, back rake etc. Out came the table but Mox came out with the Cutter and the BCC Stomps. MJF jacked his knee hitting an apron Tombstone, which allowed Moxley to hit a Piledriver through the table. MJF beats the count out but lands into a Paradigm Shift for 2, Mox then wrenches the knee with a Figure Four, Max turns though so Mox uses the rope break. Heatseeker is only good for 2, his knee prevents a second so Mox uses the Chop Block and hones in on the injury, on the turnbuckle it's hammer and anvil and an Avalanche Paradigm Shift, but MJF is saved by a rope break. Mox trades blows willingly with Max, but when he tries the Lariat Max pulls the ref in the way. He brandishes the ring, which brings out Papa Regal, telling him to not, which he does. However, Mox locks in the Bulldog Choke, Max tries to pin Moxley but he simply releases and locks in again, a second Ref Bump appears as Max visibly taps from the choke, but Regal tells Mox the ref is still down. Astonishingly, Regal passes Max the Brass Knuckles! Smacking Moxley with it for 3.

It was the right winner, but I can't say I loved that match. It kinda trudged, and although it was possible for Regal to betray BCC for Max, I never liked the option. BCC are now without the leader, which seems more of a loss than Max just faking the whole Firm betrayal like I had anticipated was the case. It wasn't a bad ending like Revolution's fizzle was, but I do feel a little deflated.

As a result, this was a really good PPV, just edged out of being great. Full Gear stumbled from being an all timer by the curious booking choice of the TNT title match and the world title finish. For the most part the direction we are going is good and this is certainly worth the price of admission, but I feel like the personal weak points diminished the feeling I have. Regardless, huge praise has to go to so many people in this show, and Moxley can finally have his well-overdue holiday as we can finally begin Max's world title era.