I saw this show at the Wintrust Arena, parked in McCormick Parking Lot B, sitting in the cheap seats – with the people. The non-committed. The half-into it. The thousands who did not receive those light-up wristbands because they were not visible on camera.
It was my first AEW event, and first ever experience seeing wrestling in a big arena that wasn’t WWE. The crowd was willing, eating everything up and absolutely booing the balls off of anybody who could classify as a “heel” – except maybe Chris Jericho.
AEW is still finding its production groove, but there’s a joy in that: Justin Roberts introducing Excalibur, who aggressively clapped his way through a moderate pop shrouded in darkness, only the white trim of his mask visible, was a wonderful live wrestling moment I will always cherish.
Cody’s live theme didn’t quite hit, but the live chorus for Jericho’s absolutely did.
I also appreciated all the pyro that didn’t make my chest feel like it was going to explode.
Also, I marked out for Tazz. Who knew?
0. Riho & Yuka Sakazaki vs. Dr. Britt Baker & Penelope Ford w/ Kip Sabian
This match was taped for Dark, and both Yuka and Riho got massive pops before murmurs for Penelope Ford and massive heat for Dr. Britt Baker. It was fun for a while, then settled into the kind of long AEW Dark match that drove me away from watching that show every week. Riho and Sakazaki are fun live and Baker does a great heel shtick, but it overstayed its welcome. **
0. Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky w/ Christopher Daniels vs. The Dark Order w/ w/ Alex Reynolds & John Silver
This match was aired as apart of the Buy In, and the crowd likes chanting for SoCal Uncensored but nobody really cared about Kazarian getting beat up by The Dark Order with a series of wrestling maneuvers. The Scorpio Sky hot tag woke everybody up though, and the Colt Cabana appearance afterwards was TREMENDOUS – awesome hometown moment. *3/4
1. Dustin Rhodes vs. Jake Hager
The decision to not open this show with Darby Allin’s theme music and instead going with Dustin Rhodes’ was a strange one, proven even weirder by the tone deaf 15-minute wrestling match he had with Jake Hager. Hager making out with his wife in the front row was a great start, and then they started to wrestle. I really have no idea what they were going for here, as after a decent first 30-seconds of brawling they kind of worked the arm and traded moves and my eyes began to glaze over just waiting for the final bell. That final bell came off of Hager’s submission finish that nobody knows is his submission finish yet. Dustin kissing Hager’s wife was the dumbest too. Burn this. *1/2
2. Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevera
Sometimes AEW matches on TV feel like the crowd is just waiting for The Spots, and that’s apparent live. In this match, these two cut the shit and got right to it. Darby entering and charging right into a tope suicida in the corner was magnetic, and Sammy’s 630 splash through a table caused my stomach to drop. THEN the bell rang and they just threw big spots at each other for 5 minutes before it ended. Respect. Darby is as cool live as he is on tape. The Coffin Drop is OVERRRR. ***1/4
3. AEW World Tag Team Title: Kenny Omega & Hangman Adam Page [c] vs. The Young Bucks
Still processing. Really good. Long. Really long. Not enough content to be that fucking long. But my GOD was the great stuff great. The Young Bucks and Omega were in the mood to re-establish themselves as The Elite, and though there’s only so many ways to say THIS WAS SPECTACULAR it really was. The athleticism and timing was downright inspiring, somehow more on point than usual, like all the crazy stuff they do was now being put to the ultimate test. Nick Jackson also happened to throw a whole lot of sweet kicks – when did this became a part of the act?
More than anything though they made a superstar, as Hangman Adam Page not only kept up with those three but was THE star of the match. The Orihara moonsault to the floor where he landed on his feet was awe-inspiring, and nobody got the crowd up and invested like he did. Kenny’s one-count kickout of the Bucks’ Golden Lovers finish had Chicago the most hyped I’ve seen them since Phil Brooks won the WWE Title, legitimate fist pumping and high-fives from multiple people.
There were absolutely a few kickouts that felt more “really?” than “REALLY!?” but outside of that we’ve got a special match here. It reminded me of the Omega/Ibushi vs. Young Bucks match, something that went long and didn’t hold together as some serious contest but was also a wonderful winding road of wrestling insanity, an odyssey of 2020 professional wrestling. ****3/4
4. AEW Women’s World Title: Nyla Rose [c] vs. Kris Statlander
Well, we sure got cooled down. The Dynamite TV has done this match and division few favors, and neither of these two seems all together enough to overcome that. The crowd was forgiving and Statlander’s little boop spot is great, but that’s all I’ve got. Nyla’s STF is weaker than Cena’s and the second-rope powerbomb finish was more concerning than anything. *3/4
5. Cody w/ Brandi Rhodes and Arn Anderson vs. MJF w/ Wardlow
This was a lot of individually awesome over-the-top Cody Rhodes moments stuck in what felt like the most endless god damn match. 24 MINUTES??? 24 STINKING MINUTES!?!! There was stalling, blood, a spraytan, bad neck tattoo, revenge belt-whipping, and Arn Anderson took a bump – but it was not intense enough, not fun enough, and just generally the worst thing wrestling can be – boring. Sorry dudes. **1/4
6. Orange Cassidy vs. PAC
A beautiful wrestling match, not just laugh-out-loud funny but athletically impressive and featuring some actual great callbacks at the end of the match that wrapped around to make this not some mere comedy match in between main events but a legitimately great piece of classic wrestling art itself. I’m serious! Orange whipping PAC’s arm down to start was the perfect way to establish Orange as a semi-credible wrestler, and later PAC used the arm-whip to setup his win. Orange’s slow roll outside to avoid PAC’s attacks early was as over as the V-Trigger, and PAC rolling out later on to avoid Orange was phenomenal.
Orange Cassidy is a made man, a wrestling character that you need to be careful with but so far so good. The anticipation for his arrival was palpable throughout the night, a man whose match graphic got bigger reactions than anybody. ANYBODY. Wrestling is fake, everybody knows this, so DO SOMETHING WITH IT. Seems like Orange Cassidy is one of the only fellows who is. People were losing their shit over The Elite match, but I’m not convinced they were as invested as they were when Orange Cassidy was trying to make a comeback.
Orange more than delivered on his promise and PAC felt like the perfect guy to put him against – the reactions, the skill, the ability to base when Orange occasionally decided to show that yes, he can do a tilt-a-whirl DDT. Not sure if it’s concerning or awesome that this was my favorite thing on the show. ****
7. AEW World Title: Chris Jericho [c] w/ Santana & Ortiz vs. Jon Moxley
There is a POWER in the Jon Moxley entrance, but 22 minutes guys? Really? Get over yourselves. Not as bad as their turd series a few years ago, but also not good. Moxley going over was the right finish and was a great moment, it should’ve just come 15 minutes sooner. It was less Hulk Hogan vs. Iron Sheik and more… Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho. **1/2
Happy Thoughts: Should’ve swapped the tag and Cody match, and should’ve tightened up Jericho/Moxley. Otherwise, this was fun. 6/10
