Normally, I would spend the night before Christmas watching “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and baking cookies for Santa Claus. Unfortunately, I have what psychologists call an “addiction,” so my steady diet of professional wrestling will have to suffice.
Here are this week’s Five Finds from Fight Night
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Darby Allin vs. The Stairs (Round II)
Earlier in the afternoon, my mother asked me what separates AEW and WWE. Bear in mind, she’s not exactly a layman, either. Mom grew up watching Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and has been an on-again, off-again WWE fan since the late ‘80s.
One of my talking points was the level of violence. For better or worse, the promotion doesn’t shy away from brutality.
Look no further than this segment, where Gabe Kidd threw Darby Allin down a flight of stairs.
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Jack Perry vs. PAC
Earlier this week, Jack Perry was profiled on “Close Up w/ Renee Paquette,” discussing all manner of things, both personally and professionally. The opportunity felt like a harbinger of things to come for Perry, who’s been stifled by abrupt heel turns and a particular backstage incident since the Jurassic Express dissolved in 2022.
The “Continental Classic” has provided Perry with an opportunity to reinvent himself as a fiery babyface, and this match was proof positive of that.
PAC is a brilliant 50/50 wrestler, possessing all the tools to match anyone’s cadence in the ring. Here, PAC is trying to break through to the other side, but just can’t quite shake Perry. The latter of whom conveys purpose and resiliency with startling determination. And, for his effort, Perry found a way to prevail.
With this victory, Perry miraculously managed to tie all of the competitors in the Gold League with six points.
Rating: ***¼
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Bandido vs. Ricochet
Bandido has had a career year in 2025, capturing both the Ring of Honor World Championship and AEW World Tag Team Championship. Now, he’s added yet another accolade to his resume.
Since its inception, the Dynamite Diamond Ring has belonged to MJF. With his victory over Ricochet, Bandido has become the second man to hold the coveted prize.
The match itself was exhilarating, even if it left something to be desired.
Ricochet has fueled his reinvention on the art of stooging, channeling his preternatural athleticism into a more worthwhile effort. Unfortunately, the leader of the Demand checked his less is more attitude at the door. Instead of exercising a deft hand, Ricochet opted for a firefight.
For his hubris, he was gunned down by the superior gunslinger.
Rating: ***¼
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“Hangman” Adam Page & Swerve Strickland Confront MJF
On Christmas Eve, MJF was visited by three spirits.
He observes Hannukah, though, so the spirits took turns whipping his ass, instead of teaching him a lesson about the Christmas spirit.
In all seriousness, what the hell was this? Samoa Joe flooded the ring with a bunch of jobbers with “Opps Dojo” T-shirts, “Hangman” Adam Page referenced the Epstein Files, and Swerve Strickland chastised MJF for having fragile masculinity.
If this was intended to generate more interest in this Saturday’s main event, color me unimpressed.
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Konosuke Takeshita vs. Orange Cassidy
Konosuke Takeshita has wrestled more than 90 times in 2025. Tonight, he’ll wrestle Mascara Dorada on “Collision” and, presumably, twice at “Worlds End” to round out his “Continental Classic” campaign. The sheer breadth of Takeshita’s input is astonishing, but it’s the consistency with which he performs that’s made him a wrestler-of-the-year candidate.
Orange Cassidy is, in many ways, a match made in heaven for Takeshita. Smaller in stature, resilient, and reflexive; Cassidy accentuates Takeshita’s imposing presence and brand of strong-style wrestling. Here, Cassidy absorbs his fair share of punishment without diminishing its lasting effect. The end result is a match with discernible weight, where Takeshita needn’t pour himself into a performance for diminishing returns.
Rating: ***¾
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