The road to “Full Gear” continued last night when AEW made its debut in Manchester, New Hampshire, at the Southern New Hampshire University Arena for Wednesday Night “Dynamite.”
Last night, wrestling fans relived the “Wednesday Night Wars.” WWE’s “NXT” aired head-to-head against “Dynamite,” on The CW Network from the famed 2300 Arena, invoking shades of ECW.
Tony Khan needed to swing for the fences to compete with “NXT” in the ratings. Thankfully, he hit a homerun. Let’s dive in:
Podcast: AEW steaming ahead toward ‘Full Gear’
HIT: Hurt Syndicate Open the Show
Now that Bobby Lashley has officially debuted, the Hurt Syndicate opened the show to address All Elite Wrestling. MVP took center stage and introduced his compatriots, the aforementioned Lashley and Shelton Benjamin; who were all dressed to the nines. MVP addresses the AEW locker room specifically, telling whoever received a business card that they’ve been handed a “golden ticket.” If they choose to accept the Hurt Syndicate’s invitation, then MVP will help maximize their latent potential. If they refuse MVP’s offer, then they’ll suffer the consequences — just like Swerve Strickland.
Speaking of Swerve Strickland, queue Big Pressure.
Strickland’s frustration is palpable. His response was brief, but effective: Swerve Strickland, Bobby Lashley, “Full Gear.” MVP gladly accepts Strickland’s challenge on Lashley’s behalf, demonstrating his supreme belief in the “Almighty” Bobby Lashley.
This was a phenomenal segment, adding more intrigue to a highly anticipated match for “Full Gear.” MVP is the best manager in professional wrestling today and the Hurt Syndicate are quickly becoming my favorite faction. Pairing them with a former AEW World Champion in Swerve Strickland is brilliant. Hopefully, the Hurt Syndicate’s luster lasts long after this feud ends.
HIT: Orange Cassidy & Darby Allin vs. PAC & Claudio Castagnoli
The Blackpool Combat Club has officially been rechristened as the Death Riders, complete with a foreboding entrance theme that I really enjoyed.
Before the match began, Cassidy lured the Death Riders out to the entranceway, giving Darby Allin an opportunity to leap off the tunnel and dive onto Claudio Castagnoli and PAC.
Given the talent involved, this match certainly met my expectations and, at times, exceeded them. PAC and Cassidy are great foils, but I especially enjoyed all of Castagnoli and Allin’s encounters. Castagnoli towered over Allin, magnifying his exceptional displays of strength.
If Marina Shafir and Jon Moxley were going to interfere in the match, this was the way to do it. It was a nice departure from the same formula that’s been applied over the last few weeks. Ultimately, the match was interrupted and the Conglomeration saved both Cassidy and Allin, before Moxley and co. could inflict any further harm on them.
I’m excited to see how Cassidy responds to Moxley next week.
Rating: ***
HIT: Ricochet’s Tag Team Partner
Renee Pacquette was backstage with Ricochet, who was scheduled for a main event tag match against the Don Callis Family’s Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita. The stipulation however, was that Ricochet was allowed to select his own tag team partner. Pacquette asked Ricochet who it was, but he wanted it to remain a secret.
This was a fun way to generate a little more excitement for the main event and give Ricochet a little more practice with the microphone.
MISS: The Six-Man Tag Team Match Without Honor
Chris Jericho and Mark Briscoe’s feud continued this week, in a six-man tag team match “without honor.” A battle “without honor” is a stipulation in a Ring of Honor match that eschews the company’s “Code of Honor.” In layman’s terms (if such a thing exists in the confines of professional wrestling), it’s an anything-goes match.
The contestants were Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith versus Mark Briscoe, Tomohiro Ishii, and Kyle O’Reilly. While the match itself wasn’t necessarily bad, this was a “miss” for the simple fact that it didn’t belong on “Dynamite.” This match should have been featured on “Honor Club.” Simply put, ROH matches, feuds, and championships shouldn’t be featured on AEW programming.
Rating: **¼
Video: AEW heads full steam into ‘Full Gear’
HIT: Adam Cole defeats Malakai Black
Given the circumstances, it was fitting that two pillars of “NXT’s” black-and-gold brand faced off. Adam Cole is still pursuing Maxwell Jacob Friedman. In order to face him at “Full Gear,” Cole needs to win three consecutive matches. The first was last week, against Buddy Matthews. This week, his opponent was a familiar foe for longtime “NXT” fans: Malakai Black.
Cole and Black had faced each other six times, prior to this match. Black had won all six of those encounters. For Cole, who was absent for more than a year, this was yet another tall task: both within the confines of this angle and beyond it.
Cole is still whittling away at the ring rust, but this was still a really fun match. Malakai Black is one of my favorite performers in all of wrestling and his chemistry with Cole was terrific. These two know each other so intimately, which greatly benefited Cole. In the end, Cole narrowly escaped Black’s finishing move, the End, kicking out at 2.99 seconds. Cole rallied from beyond, finishing Black with a flurry of superkick’s and a Panama Sunrise: punctuated by a running knee.
After the match, Cole thanked Black for pushing him beyond his limits, reaching out for a handshake. Black refused to shake Cole’s hand, instead opting to hug him.
Malakai Black received a warm ovation from the crowd. It appears as though Black, and by extension the House of Black, have seemingly turned face. It’ll be interesting to see what happens on Saturday Night “Collision,” when the House of Black face FTR.
I thoroughly enjoyed this match. I love watching Malakai Black, who proved to be the perfect opponent for Adam Cole.
Rating: ***¼
MISS: Kamille and Mercedes Moné Attack Kris Statlander
Kris Statlander gave a brief statement to Renee Pacquette backstage. Shortly afterwards, it was insinuated that Kamille and Mercedes Moné hit Statlander with their SUV off-screen. However, Statlander got right back on her feet, and quickly dispatched both Kamille and Moné; slamming the passenger door on Kamille’s arm and incapacitating the TBS Champion with an Ura Nage to the roof of their SUV.
Even in the context of professional wrestling, Statlander was hit by their SUV, it’s a little crazy she was able to immediately get back up and fight off both Kamille and Moné. I expect a little more from these three women.
MISS: HOOK & Christian Cage
Christian Cage, Mother Wayne, and Nick Wayne made their way to the ring, accompanied by actual security guards — complete with bullet proof vests and masks. Cage announced that he has adopted Kip Sabian into the Patriarchy. However, Cage wants one more son to join him: HOOK.
The Cold-Hearted, Handsome Devil exited the tunnel and asked Cage to quickly explain himself. Cage revealed that when he attacked HOOK’s father, Taz, he wasn’t wearing a mask. So, it begs the question, why didn’t Taz just tell HOOK who attacked him? Was it because Taz thought Christian Cage would be a better father figure for HOOK or because they hadn’t decided who it would be when this angle began?
Anyways, Christian Cage said he wished that Taz was dead, which caused HOOK to lose his composure. The Patriarchy escaped while HOOK choked out a hapless security guard.
In all honesty, I don’t care about this feud. HOOK exited one feud with a scorned mentor and entered another one. Save for a few idiosyncrasies, this feels too similar. The only way this feud could start to interest me is if Christian Cage puts his AEW World Championship contract on the line at “Full Gear.” Otherwise, this is just “HOOK vs. the Learning Tree 2.0.”
HIT: Jamie Hayter defeats Penelope Ford
This was a really fun match. Penelope Ford’s animosity towards Jamie Hayter may seem a little contrived, but there’s an underlying sense of urgency here. Both of these women missed a significant amount of time and in their absence, the division’s landscape has drastically changed. Therein lies the intrigue and while it may seem subtextual, I find it fascinating.
While Jamie Hayter already had a brief feud with Saraya, the winner of this match would have a decisive advantage in re-entering the fray. Of course, the former AEW Women’s World Champion, Hayter, stood victorious — dispatching Penelope Ford with relative ease. For Ford, who has only wrestled once since her return, this was quite an impressive performance.
I hope both of these women find their place in the division sooner, rather than later.
Rating: **¾
HIT: The Main Event
Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita were the first team to exit the tunnel, setting the stage for the highly anticipated unveiling of Ricochet’s mystery partner. Is it Will Ospreay, Mark Davis, Matt Sydal, etc.? No, it’s a former member of the Don Callis Family, Powerhouse Hobbs.
This was a really fun surprise. Powerhouse Hobbs was way out of left field, but seemed to work well with Ricochet. Overall, this was a very fun match, which wasn’t surprising given the talent involved. Ricochet, Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita were as excellent as ever. Powerhouse Hobbs suffered a knee injury in April, which has left him sidelined for the past six months. However, he didn’t miss a beat in this match, thanks in large part to his reserved style.
In the end, it was Ricochet who scored the pin over Takeshita, with his inverted version of Ospreay’s Hidden Blade, that Ricochet has dubbed the “Spirit Gun,” a reference to the famous anime/manga Yu Yu Hakusho.
While it was initially jarring to see Ricochet pin Takeshita, the situation immediately devolved from there. Kyle Fletcher attacked Ricochet with a chair, prompting Mark Davis to intervene. The two engaged in a shoving match, which was quickly interrupted by Lance Archer and Brian Cage. Adam Cole exited the tunnel to help Davis, but was intercepted by Konosuke Takeshita. After that, Will Ospreay made his return — coming to Davis’ rescue.
While the match itself was fun, the ending was a bit predictable. Nonetheless, I’m excited for Ricochet and Takeshita’s match for the International Championship and Ospreay and Fletcher’s match at “Full Gear.” This was very efficient booking to say the least, furthering two or more angles in one segment. I’d call that a homerun.
Rating: ***
Final Verdict
While the ratings have yet to be determined, I think this was an excellent outing for AEW. All of the matches were fun and the segments were phenomenal.
I haven’t been this excited for an AEW Pay-Per-View in a long time.
The rest of the week’s programming
Friday Night “Rampage”
- Lio Rush vs. Komander II
- Undisputed Kingdom vs. Dark Order vs. The Infantry
- Hikaru Shida vs. Viva Van
- Top Flight vs. JD Drake & Beef
Saturday Night “Collision”
- Nick Wayne vs. AR Fox
- The Outrunners vs. Top Flight (Full Gear 4-Way Contender Series)
- The Death Riders [c] vs. The Conglomeration
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