“Yeah — one’s a rapper; the other’s the rapper’s.. friend.” – Eddie Kingston on The Acclaimed
Last week was an off week — we all have off weeks, days, years… adapt and move forward; emerge from the funk with renewed focus and good intentions. Hopefully good intentions.
The World
Christian Cage had a wrestling match, Jon Moxley kicked ass, and AEW showcased some young and promising wrestlers — this is what people in the business call doing what you’re good at. Acclaimed, Ogogo, Red Velvet, and Varsity Blonds all got put in big spots and not just delivered, but added their own distinctive spin to the proceedings too.
There were plenty of beats this week with a heart in the right place and for the most part that made for good TV, even if American flag jacket Cody Rhodes feels as out of touch as Stardust and I am really really bored with The Pinnacle and Inner Circle talking at each other again and again and again and — didn’t they just beat each other bloody and gutsy? Why are they all still just talking? Promos = good; set pieces = lame.
It’s mainly the top guys who don’t hang with Eddie Kingston that are holding this world back, as on top of those guys the 3-Way Dance World Title match at Double or Nothing is still searching for its purpose with promos. Our EVP’s (etc) are all grown up and they’re primarily in stories and situations that someone thinking about starting a new wrestling company might think are kind of lame.
On the contrary, it took Miro and Lance Archer just one promo and one week to have one of the most anticipated matches on the card. You always need a Ron Garvin/Bubba Rogers, you just do.
Congrats on the new TV show.
The Wrestling
Everything between the bell this week ruled – four good to great matches plus a pair of squashes (Hikaru Shida over Rebel, Anthony Ogogo over Austin Gunn).
Christian Cage vs. Matt Sydal – These two never had a match together in WWE (how?!) but there’s something to be said for each guy, Sydal especially, now older and wiser and slowing things down while continuing to provide the things that have made me dig them for decades. It’s 10+ minutes of smart, solid, and occasionally dramatic Christian Cage work plus a super-motivated Sydal freaking you out by landing in many painful positions. Christian’s spear ruled too.
Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston vs. The Acclaimed – The type of match/angle I feel like AEW used to pull off more often, one where everybody got some momentum. Mox and Eddie smacked the newbies around en route to a Tag Title shot, but it was Caster (and Bowens!) who really shined either bumping like goofballs or, dropping bars about Mox’s wife before the match. That didn’t go well for them.
NWA Women’s World Title: Serena Deeb [c] vs. Red Velvet – Serena Deeb returned from an injury like it never existed, right back to a serious championship match in the middle of a show. Deeb brought the credible work and viciousness (that chop block!); Red Velvet brought the star-making performance.
AEW Tag Team Title Eliminator: The Young Bucks vs. The Hollywood Blonds – Flyin’ Brian Jr. and Griff Garrison are a couple of fired up babyfaces in letterman jackets and my gosh it just might work. It did this week, at least. Their promo early in the show was so unbelievably outlaw independent in the 80’s cheesy but it actually paid off with this match, a full and complete babyface tag match with double dropkicks and fired up comebacks and a pair of pretty blond dudes getting sort of famous on TV.
The Entertainment
Max Caster continues to make me text my buds every time he’s on TV. Keeping things topical may keep it fresh over time; making a Renee Young joke this week ensured it was very pro wrestling.
Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston are the new Dream Team, from promos to walkout to kicking The Acclaimed’s asses.
Ricky Starks‘ music is a jam but the Team Taz vs. Christian Cage and Hangman Page stuff is so formulaic it’s becoming boring. The angle this week felt like something mapped out by the NXT UK guys, not Big Tony and crew.
Other things I liked: Britt Baker making an entrance. Jade Cargill getting recruited. Frankie Kazarian being a psycho.
My Favorite Things
- Matt Sydal’s bump into the ropes
- Anthony Ogogo punching people
- Jesus Christ, Miro!
Room for Improvement
- Calm down, Chris Jericho
- Calm down, Cody Rhodes
- Figure it out, Kenny Omega
Top 5 Dynamite Stars
- Eddie Kingston
- Darby Allin
- Miro
- Britt Baker
- Jon Moxley
5 to Keep an Eye on
- Nick Comoroto
- Hollywood Blonds
- Danny Limelight
- Legit Leyla Hirsch
- Tay Conti
