The Let’s Watch Some Wrestling Double or Nothing 2024 Preview

 

Good Morning!

Right outta the gate, let me tell you about some non-wrestling stuff. Sure, Sweet Saudi Money was fine, and every one of our predictions were correct. But, more importantly, our recruitment/tryout session of Dungeons of Dragons went great! It lasted longer than we planned – like, a solid five hours – but everyone said they had fun and my wife was amazing at running the game as our Dungeon Master. I got to contribute a little, too, playing as a Dwarf Fighter and acting as set designer for the tavern that got the game’s story in motion:

So we’re hoping this leads to a full-on summer campaign with another couple of players from our last group, meaning we’re gonna have to find a table suitable for 7-8 players. I built our current four-player setup using some online plans, and while it’s not perfect it does have cool features like dice trays, cup holders, and a drop-in center with a slot for maps to slide in. So, I guess I’ll look online and see if my creative juices get flowing again. But I digress!

We aren’t here for my D&D bullshit! We’re here for…

The Let’s Watch Some Wrestling Double or Nothing 2024 Preview

This five-year anniversary show is gonna be nuts. We’re looking at ten matches on the main card, and another three on the Buy-In pre show. New champions will be crowned, others will defend, blood will most definitely be spilled, and we’re gonna be exhausted by the end. So we better get this party started.

Thunder Rosa versus Deonna Purrazzo on the Buy-In

This should be good, although if I’m being completely honest I’m still waiting for the Deonna Purrazzo AEW match that is considered great. Maybe getting onto the biggest stage of AEW, albeit on the pre-show, is enough to motivate both of these women to just beat the living hell outta each other. Purrazzo is 10-2 on the year, per AEW, and Rosa is 10-1, so the records aren’t gonna help us predict a winner. I’ll go with Thunder Rosa because I think her constant vamping to the camera after her matches has gotta be leading to something.

The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass versus Brain Cage and the Gates of Agony on the Buy-In

I’ve been trying to think of a nice way to say that this match doesn’t matter but it will still be a good time. It was added on Collision, it’s a pre show match, and half of the guys involved are almost always booked to lose. This will be no exception, although I am interested to see if the rumors of a Bowens singles push will be proven right. Regardless, The Acclaimed should pick up the win here, unless that push is started tonight by way of miscommunication and a loss. But I won’t hedge my bet, my pick is my pick!

Trent Baretta versus Orange Cassidy

We’re on the main card now, with the only match that isn’t a championship match or a crazy stipulation, i.e. Anarchy in the Arena. Trent demanded a straight-up wrestling match against Cassidy to prove once and for all that he’s the better wrestler, and I’m really looking forward to what happens in this one. I could see Trent winning, either by distasteful means or by the interference of former partners Chuck Taylor and/or Kris Statlander. I could also see Orange fighting through all of that to pick up a victory, or for his victory celebration to be cut off by those same interfering forces. Don Callis’ involvement with Cassidy is also likely to be a factor – are we leaning into some kind of Callis/Citrus partnership? My fantasy booker brain goes into overdrive with all the directions this one could take. So we’ll keep the pick simple and go with Trent Baretta for the win.

Jon Moxley versus Konosuke Takeshita in a championship eliminator match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

Are we finally at the point where Takeshita is going to be allowed off the leash? A win over Jon Moxley, setting up a future championship match, is exactly the kind of thing I’d love for my sweet Cinnabon son. This match is gonna be bloody and brutal, and with only a shot at the championship on the line, nobody is worse off if AEW favorite Mox eats a pin. He should lose, and lose clean, and I’d argue that Takeshita should take the belt off of him as well. But that whole run needs to start somewhere, and Take getting a solid win against the Ace of AEW is as good a place as any.

The Elite versus Team AEW in Anarchy in the Arena

I’m almost certain this will be the main event, but I always list the non-title matches before the championship matches so I have to remain consistent for you, dear reader. The build for this has been tremendous, and featured a substitution of arson enthusiasts when Eddie Kingston was replaced by Darby Allin due to Eddie’s leg kerploding. However, the go-home Dynamite proved that Darby isn’t afraid of a little fire-based anarchy, as the recently-Final-Destinationed wrestler proved with his flame thrower stunt on the show. 

So we will end with the chaos that is an Anarchy in the Arena match, featuring some of the best talent on the roster. There are a number of factors that make me question my pick for this fight, but they’re all on the side of the good guys. Tony Khan drove the minivan that brought Darby Allin into the arena on Wednesday’s Dynamite, but the whole evil EVP angle doesn’t feel like it’s run its course just yet. FTR don’t really seem like they are fighting for AEW as much as they are fighting against the Bucks, and Allin is more of a chaos gremlin than a rah-rah team guy.

So that leaves Danielson, a Blackpool Combat Club guy without the BCC backing him up. Claudio Castignoli straight up abandoned Danielson a few weeks back, Moxley has his own problems dealing with my sweet Cinnabon son Konosuke Takeshita, and Wheeler Yuta has been MIA for a while now. I’d personally love to see a BCC breakup, and Claudio versus Danielson isn’t something we’ve seen since pandemic-era SmackDown. But I digress! 

I think there are enough reasons that the slapdash Team AEW can fall apart to assume that The New Elite will take home the victory. And while I’d LOVE a Hangman return after the loss, I don’t think that’s in the cards (that’s a Vegas pun, baybee!)

Adam Copeland © versus Malakai Black in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match for the TNT Championship

If Cope loses here, he’s required to join House of Black. And while I feel like Copeland has a great AEW heel run in him, I don’t think this is how it starts. I know a lot of folks are hoping for a Glamazon sighting during this one, or at least a Gangrel appearance to support Vampire Edge, I’m mostly hoping for the sweet Rob Zombie theme song Never Gonna Stop to make its return. 

But sure, if we’re being realistic in this fight between a vampire and a Satanist, I’m leaning vampire. Beth Phoenix takes her husband’s ring back, the hero remembers that it’s his family that inspired him to make the move to AEW in the first place, and we’re back to being a good guy until the inevitable Cope and Cage Connection later this year. 

Roderick Strong © versus Will Ospreay for the International Championship

When the International Championship was introduced, I felt like it was just another championship. When Pac made it truly international by defending it overseas, it was interesting. And while Orange Cassidy cemented the belt as meaningful during his incredible run, I always longed for another cross-promotional star to hold the title and take it around the world. Will Ospreay is that star, and I’m hoping a win here allows him to travel wherever he wants to defend it. This match is gonna be insane, with Ospreay reversing out of backbreakers in ways that defy gravity and logic on his way to a victory. I’m really looking forward to this one. 

Bullet Club Gold versus Death Triangle for the AEW Trios Championship

A reunited Death Triangle with a motivated Pac and a jacked-looking Rey Fenix?! Sold. I know that AEW wants Jay White to remain relevant, and titles are an easy way to make folks look good on paper. While I’d rather White move into some singles stuff again, the Bang Bang Gang did just spend like a hundred bucks on that little wagon to hold their title belts. I wouldn’t want them to have wasted their money on that thing, so we’ll say White and the Gunns retain.

Chris Jericho © versus Katsuyori Shibata versus HOOK in an FTW rules match for the FTW Championship

If you’re the kind of person who follows me on BlueSky or Twitter, you might know that I have grown to dislike Chris Jericho. I’m tired of him being on TV, and I don’t love this bit he’s doing where he’s using legitimate criticism of him to remain on AEW’s shows when everyone, including Jericho himself, would benefit from a break.

That being said, he’s talked himself into this Learning Tree bullshit, and it’s going to keep him around while he builds yet another faction around him. So Jericho retains in what might be a fun weapons match given the quality of his recent one with Shibata. 

“Timeless” Toni Storm © versus Serena Deeb for the AEW Women’s Championship

Man, Toni has been doing so much with her character. The switch from my assumption that we’d do a straight-up jealousy turn involving her and Mariah May to an angle with May’s STARDOM pal Mina Shirakawa has me interested in the long-term developments of everything the three of them do.

Unfortunately, Storm also has to deal with the pesky problem of defending her title occasionally. And while the Deonna Purrazzo rivalry wasn’t incredible, at least it had some fire coming from both opponents. Serena Deeb, for all her talent in the ring, is just not that interesting as a performer. As a person, she’s got an inspirational comeback story, and a capable talker would be able to turn that into a successful face run. Deeb just isn’t that kind of wrestler. She’s a talented worker who has a flag as her personality. At least as a heel she can lean into the “I’m better than you at wrestling” thing. But trying to make her the good guy against an overwhelming character like Toni Storm is a waste of everyone’s time. Storm retains, and hopefully moves on to either Mariah, Shirakawa, or somebody who can keep up with her on the microphone.

Willow Nightingale © versus Mercedes Mone for the TBS Championship

I get that the big star probably has to win in her first match in All Elite Wrestling. I get that Mercedes is a multimedia powerhouse, having appeared in WWE, The Mandalorian, and New Japan Pro Wrestling. I just…don’t care that much. The decision to debut Mone months before she was going to wrestle a match has been to her detriment, as all she’s been able to do is cement that she’s not that great on the mic. 

Hopefully, tonight’s match reminds us why she was such a big signing in the first place. Willow is a good first opponent, and the story is built in with the injury Mone suffered during the pair’s match for the NJPW Strong title last year. But AEW has done such a great job letting Nightingale be a lovely person and champ that I have no reason to root for the new gal. The lack of Julia Hart involvement – nobody’s fault, mind you, injuries happen – has also kinda derailed the story they were initially trying to tell. I’ll be interested to see if they go back to that once Hart returns, or if AEW pivots the attack angle into a rivalry with Kris Statlander or someone else.

Mercedes will win, but I won’t be happy about it. 

Swerve Strickland © versus Christian Cage for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship

Swerve’s title reign has suffered from a bit of questionable booking right from the off. From the decision to hold his championship celebration on Collision rather than Dynamite, to the fact that the AEW champ’s rivalries haven’t had top billing over the whole Elite versus Tony Khan story, to Swerve looking beatable on multiple run-ins with Christian Cage and his pals, it’s been a rough start to the Strickland dynasty. 

HOWEVER, any questions I had about Swerve’s spot have been resolved with Strickland’s treatment of the EVPs in the last few weeks. And the entire Swerve sequence from this week’s Dynamite, from his “What up turds?” directed at the Bucks to Prince Nana’s triumphant return as a blockade to a fleeing Christian Cage was just perfect. I love how cool this guy is, I love that it’s reflected not just in his words but in his in-ring performance and in backstage segments, I love that he’s champ. Swerve’s reign has barely begun, and I’m excited to see how it progresses from here after he retains.

Closing Up Shop

…in which I say goodbye for now

And that’s it! Hopefully I will find the time to recap both of the weekend’s big shows on Monday or Tuesday. As always, I’ll post on the usual socials when I do.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments, drop 'em in the comments section below! And follow me on Twitter (X), Facebook, BlueSky and/or Instagram using the links on the right.

Thank you so much for reading. If you liked what you saw, consider telling your friends, mentioning Let’s Watch Some Wrestling on social media, or even buying me a hot cup of coffee using the Ko-Fi button. Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next time, dear reader. Until then, Let’s Watch Some Wrestling!

Casual Friday + The Let's Watch Some Wrestling King of Kings of the Ring Tournament Announcement!

Good Morning!

What an odd week for pro wrestling that was. I felt like neither Raw nor Dynamite did a lot for me, possibly due to both feeling a little off theme. Raw felt weird because there was almost too much wrestling on the longest wrestling show of the week, and Dynamite felt odd because of its pacing and storyline beats that just didn’t work for me. That AEW Edmonton crowd didn’t help matters – I was equal parts annoyed when they were too quiet and annoyed when they started trying to get themselves over. Enjoy your hockey team elsewhere, Oily fans. Except for that guy who harassed Skye Blue to the point that ref Aubrey Edwards called for security to yeet the guy out – that guy can eat a bag of tacks and fall down the Exorcist staircase.

But let’s talk some actual wrestling instead, shall we? The beginning of the King of the Ring tournament gave us a lot of wrestling on Monday night, and plenty of it was good to great! There have already been some injury substitutions, with Kofi Kingston filling in for Xavier Woods (I think this one is storyline), Asuka being replaced with Dakota Kai (legit), Jey Uso replacing Drew McIntyre (real), and Angelo Dawkins taking Bobby Lashley’s spot on SmackDown tonight (also real). Monday saw Jey Uso defeat Finn Balor, Ilja Dragunov beat Ricochet, and Gunther move on at Sheamus’ expense. We also got Zoey Stark over Ivy Nile, former Women’s champ Iyo Sky beat Natalya, and birdperson Lyra Valkyria won over the aforementioned King Kota. The tournaments are off to a solid start, with Gunther being my pick for the guys – and my pick for match of the night, too. I guess that was a given, considering the history he and Sheamus have, but goddamn do those two know how to GO. 

We also got some feud pushes and storyline developments in the rivalries between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan, and Sami Zayn, Bronson Reed, and Chad Gable. The Judgment Day continues to slowly crumble, but not in any really pressing way. 

I dunno…like I said, there were a bunch of matches, most of them good, but nothing really resonated with me. The same can be said of AEW: despite some truly good wrestling, I just kept thinking to myself that if I had anything else to do, would I really feel like I missed out if I didn’t get the Double or Nothing show?

Again, don’t get me wrong. Trent Beretta and Orange Cassidy opened the show with a hell of a fight, and while Orange got the slippery win I think we’ll see these two face off at the PPV again, possibly with a stipulation to encourage some violence and shenanigans. And the main event between Adam Copeland and Brody King was some hard hitting, bloody violence the likes of which we haven’t seen in some time. 

It was everything else that didn’t click for me. Serena Deeb just isn’t compelling as a good guy, especially when pitted against Toni Storm’s charismatic character. The crowd didn’t help, as they literally started a “Let’s go Oilers” chant while Deeb was recounting her horrific experiences with unexplained seizures. But at the end of the day, a better build (or a better talker) might have made things go more smoothly. 

The Young Bucks popped on screen for four segments to cement that they are a) douchebags and b) in charge. I know a lot of people love this version of their characters, I just am not one of them. I do think Jack Perry is doing great heel work right now, however.

Those Elite appearances were peppered throughout midcard matches between Mariah May and Harley Cameron, Rocky Romero and Jay White, and Big Bill & Chris Jericho and *checks notes* Mo Jabari and Harlon Abbott. If you need me to tell you who won those matches, I … well, I would gladly do so, because I’m a nice guy. It almost felt like the show, bookended by some real AEW action, existed to get these promos and stories told. For me, though, aside from Christian Cage and Swerve Strickland building their Double or Nothing title match, it was just people wrestling and talking on my TV. I’ll say this – at least my weekend watches are delayed, so I can jump forward past commercials and speed up matches a bit.

I hate to sound negative, though! I’m looking forward to Cage vs Strickland. And the New Elite in an Anarchy in the Arena match against FTR, Eddie Kingston, and Brian Danielson should be a blast, possibly ending with someone getting lit on fire before the bad guys steal the victory. Mercedes Mone’s in-ring debut (FINALLY, because these promos ain’t working for me) is a big deal for the show. But right now, the product just isn’t where I know it can be, you know? I’m not mad, just disappointed. 

Enough with that, though. Let’s get into something a little more fun. NXT!!! We saw Wes Lee miraculously return to action after last week’s shocking appearance, around six months ahead of schedule. He picked up a win and has his sights set on Oba Femi’s North American title – the old “title that I never lost” situation, or Rule Four of my wife’s reasons for wrestling matches. HE WANTS THAT CUMMERBUND.

Shayna Baszler won over Natalya’s newest pal Karmen Petrovic, and some highlights from the NXT Combine – the pre-qualifier for the new Women’s North American Championship ladder match – were shown. The beloved mafia guys who may have literally murdered Drew Gulak continue to be the good guys in their feud against No Quarter Catch Crew, who found themselves in a match with some great-looking rookies in Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont. Said mafiosos told the NQCC that the ref for the match was unavailable, but fortunately Stacks, right hand man to NXT Don Tony D’Angelo, happened to be available, and had a stripey shirt on too! How convenient. Good guys won after some questionable officiating, and later we’d see the mafia guys straight up kidnap two of the three remaining members of No Quarter Blah Blah to make sure Tony gets his match against current Heritage Cup champ Charlie Dempsey.

Tough guy Michin visited from the main roster and murdered beauty queen Ariana Grace, which is kind of a bummer since Grace has been doing some fun work with Gigi Dolin. Trick Williams learned the contents of the mysterious envelope that Lash Legend was carrying was a photo of Noam Dar with his shoulder up when Trick pinned him several weeks ago. Dar claimed that Trick was therefore a fake champ, since Trick’s winning streak started with that match, so Trick granted Dar a championship match. Should be fun – Noam’s group, Meta4, are a very silly lot, but that doesn’t mean Noam can’t put on a solid match when the story calls for one. 

Fallon Henley won her first match as a bad guy, Roxanne Perez retained her championship in the main event against a visiting Chelsea Green, and Lexis King defeated Duke Hudson in one of those impromptu matches that we always seem to make time for on wrestling shows. All in all, it was a fun, dumb show with its fun, dumb characters doing fun, dumb stuff.

The Let’s Watch Some Wrestling King of the Kings of the Ring Invitational Tournament!

Alongside our usual Friday banter, I decided I wanted to do a King of the Kings of the Ring tournament! Since it’s KOTR (and QOTR) season in real life, I wanted to put together a tournament to decide, once and for all – or until next year when we have another name to add to the pool – who is King of the Kings of the Ring. There are three brackets, with the first chunk of entrants requiring a bit of fudging to make even sets of eight. Fortunately, the ‘80s featured a ton of just such fudging. 

There were actually double Kings of the Ring after Harley Race took the tournament and the crown in 1986. See, even though the tournament was an annual event from 1985 to 1989, once Race won the title of King of the Ring he really took it to heart. Much like more recent kings Booker T or Baron Corbin, Race fully adopted the King name and mantra, wearing a crown and cape. 

Even though Randy Savage won 1987’s King of the Ring tourney, Race kept the gimmick until he went out with an injury in 1988. After that happened, Race’s manager, the beloved Bobby “the Brain” Heenan decided that he could just name the next King of the fed, and chose Haku.

 “King Haku” ended up losing the crown to “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan in May of ‘89, but then “Hacksaw” lost it to “Macho Man” Randy Savage in late August of that year. The Macho Man celebrated according to tradition, giving birth to the “Macho King” gimmick in the process. 

Hence, we fill out our bracket using King Haku, King Hacksaw, and – since he’s the only two-time winner ever – a double Bret Hart. Fortunately, the game gave us two Brets by default, and I’ve found some great CAWs (or are they CASs now?) for the guys who aren’t in the game. And so, I came up with three divisions and randomized the entries rather than trying to seed the entrants the way any true nerd would – I rolled an eight-sided die and kept rolling until I got the numbers to sync up.

BRACKETS!

Credit where credit is due: WWE 2K24 creator HonchosLegends did Muraco, Haku, Hacksaw, and Santana. DrGorillaNuts (LOL) created Owen, SuperBob made King Mabel, AttitudeCreationz built Mr. Ass, ViceroyFlair put Edge together, and WittyWitterson rounds out the Create-A-Superstar group with his young Brock Lesnar. I also grabbed a King of the Ring belt, made by HeatWave, to award the winner when we get to the Triple Threat Finale.

As you can see, I divided things up from 1985-1991, 1993-2000, and 2001-2021. It worked out that our double-Brets at least are separated by eras. We’ll decide the winner in a triple threat match, but the tournaments will all be simulated by the computer, and we’re turning on the damage retention option to reflect the one-night tournament aspect of King of the Ring that was a thing until its more recent resurrections.

I have a little experience with both brackets and sims, so this is a fun exercise for me. When I was writing for Tilt Magazine, I wrote a piece ranking the Elimination Chamber matches up to 2022 – the 2023 event was about to take place, and that means interest was up in the old Search Engine Optimization stuff. Anyway, if you’re interested, here’s a link to that article.

As for brackets, well…I’ve mentioned before (I think) that I ran a 2k22 Universe featuring the cast and crew of the animal hospital that my wife works with. I even uploaded some of our events on YouTube, and while my camera isn’t the best, my wife and I had a lot of fun making those little videos. She even went fully in character, joining me on commentary for a few of the shows as if she’d just gotten out of the ring from her matches. It was a great time, and even though a lot of those coworkers have moved on to other adventures, I still get the occasional text asking if I’d ever do another.

I totally would, by the way. I just don’t know how to run it outside of the animal hospital environment. But I digress.

How to run these brackets is the next question. Do I try livestreaming the game and watching along with you? Or just sim through and post the results, leaving more time for writing and maybe giving some backstory into the matchups? And what about the finale? Do we go nuts and make it a Ladder Match, or just keep it a traditional triple threat? I’d love any feedback you might have. Let me know, dear reader.

Closing Up Shop

…in which I say goodbye for now

And that’s it! No pay-per-views or premium live events this weekend, so it’s SmackDown on Saturday morning, and then I’ll be playing catch-up with AEW on Sunday morning due to some prior commitments.

I’ll see you next week for the usual Casual Friday and Untitled blog posts. If you have questions, concerns, or comments, drop 'em in the comments section below! And follow me on Twitter (X), Facebook, BlueSky and/or Instagram using the links on the right.

Thank you so much for reading. If you liked what you saw, consider telling your friends, mentioning Let’s Watch Some Wrestling on social media, or even buying me a hot cup of coffee using the Ko-Fi button. Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next time, dear reader. Until then, Let’s Watch Some Wrestling!

AEW Double or Nothing recap from 5/29/2022

 

AEW Double or Nothing was a good show! It was also VERY long, which some folks see as a negative. Personally, as someone who gets all the WWE pay per premium live events free with Xfinity, I'm all for getting my money’s worth for a show that costs me fifty bucks. Let’s run down the show, with my predictions that were mostly right but also slightly off!

HOOKhausen vs Tony Nese and Smart Mark Sterling

My guess: HOOKhausen wins - I WAS RIGHT!

Well, they sure did. It was exactly what I wanted - Danhausen got beat up some, HOOK got to look great, Nese ran the match well, and Sterling lost to the Cursed Pin after HOOK destroyed him and tagged his buddy Danhausen in.

MJF vs Wardlow - If Wardlow loses, he can never sign an AEW contract, but if Wardlow wins he is released from contract with MJF

My guess: If the match happens at all, Wardlow wins by violence. So much violence. - I WAS RIGHT!

This match, which was in doubt to even happen due to the MJF contract issues, ended up being what I think we were all hoping for. MJF avoided Wardlow as long as he could, but in the end ate ten powerbombs on his way to taking the loss. At one point, MJF pulled his Dynamite Diamond Ring from his trunks and very sneakily put it on. During that moment, both Wardlow and the referee watched him perform the act, and the ref very dramatically took the ring. It was fun, and a good way to open the show and put the rumors to rest.

The Hardys vs The Young Bucks

My guess: Matt and Jeff > Matt and Nick, one night only - I WAS RIGHT!

This was about what I expected, for whatever that’s worth. I wish it went a little shorter, honestly. I have no idea if anyone got hurt or what, but Jeff looked a little out of it for a good portion of the match. That being said, Matt Hardy really took over when he knew he needed to, and the Bucks had plenty of times where I was sure they were going to walk out with the win. The Hardys did hit their signature finishers and were victorious. I just feel like they would have looked even better if they didn’t need to go so long.

Anna Jay vs Jade Cargill © for the TBS Championship

My guess: Jade Cargill wins, quickly and without mercy - I WAS (mostly) RIGHT!

Well, I didn’t anticipate this being the match that would feature TWO debuts from former WWE talents, but here we are. The match itself was pretty good, and Jade looked fantastic as my friend and I mentioned how much Jade has improved since her debut. Interference from Keira Hogan and Red Velvet was fought off by Anna Jay, and more interference by Mark Sterling was handled by John Silver assisting his Dark Order pal. Sterling’s crutch, tossed in the ring to help Cargill, was used in an assisted Russian leg sweep for Jay, resulting in a near fall.

Sterling was quickly replaced by, I assume, Jade’s new manager, Stokely Hathaway! He was Malcom Bivens, leader of NXT’s Diamond Mine, as well as being Two Star Bivens on the amazing Battle of the Brands on Xavier Woods’ YouTube channel, UpUpDownDown. Hathaway’s distraction led to Cargill hitting Jaded from the top rope and retaining the TBS championship.

After the match, a Baddie beatdown of Anna Jay was prevented by Kris Statlander heading to the ring to stare down Cargill. Jade could not contain her excitement when her IRL Twitter nemesis, Athena (formerly Ember Moon), headed to the ring next! It led to the bad guys hauling ass and the good guys posing in ring.

I thought the match was good, considering there was zero build for it. Both women did alright, and the addition of a fantastic manager in Stokely Hathaway and one of the best wrestlers out there in Athena are really exciting.

House of Black vs Death Triangle

“I think House of Black comes out on top, even with Blond-terference. Maybe they claim Julia as a manager!”

My guess: House of Black, possibly with shenanigans and mist - I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE RIGHT!

For me, this was the most exciting match of the night. From the entrances, to the ring gear, to the match itself, all the way to the finish, I loved everything about this. The wait was a hundred percent worth it!

The counters to open the match were amazing, as everybody was out to establish that they knew everyone else’s moveset. Which makes sense, House of Black and Death Triangle have been at each other’s throats for months!

Things progressed at breakneck speed, and I thought Buddy Matthews was highlighted really well tonight. In the end, Pac got his hands on Malakai Black and kicked him square in the junk to set him up for the Black Arrow and end this match. He went to the top rope, when the lights went out! When they came back up, Julia (sans eyepatch but with dope Malakai-esque eye makeup) used the same black mist that blinded Pac several months ago, causing him to fall from the turnbuckle. That led to Black Mass (is it still called that?), a pinfall, and the House of Black leaving with their newest member.

Dr. Britt Baker, DMD vs Ruby Soho - Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Final

My guess: Ruby Soho, definitively, not by rollup

Adam Cole vs Samoa Joe - Owen Hart Foundation Tournament FInal

My guess: Adam Cole BAYBAY!

Well, I was half right. The thing I didn’t really want to happen, happened, as we ended up with the heel couple (in matching pink outfits, in case you were wondering if this was telegraphed) winning their matches over Ruby Soho and Samoa Joe. The Joe/Cole match featured some interference from Bobby Fish, who yanked on the injured arm of Joe to cause a distraction. Joe worked his way out of that only to get distracted a second time, leading to a knee to the back of the head and a Cole pinfall victory.

Britt and Ruby, both played to the ring by Fozzy’s guitarist and FREAKIN’ RANCID, respectively, were less reliant on outside interference. They had some good back and forth, and I really thought Ruby was finally going to get the win and the push she deserves. The fact that the Cole match went on first, and both Britt and Cole wore pink, led me to wrongly believe AEW wouldn’t really make it that obvious that Britt would win. But a victory roll by Soho was rolled into the pin and the win for Britt Baker. I don’t know…I like both these matches! I was just really disappointed by Baker winning. 

Martha Hart was out next, and the presentation of some belts and a Stanley Cup-esque trophy followed.

Paige VanZant, Scorpio Sky, and Ethan Page vs Tay Conti, Sammy Guevara, and Frankie Kazarian - if they lose, Guevara and Kazarian can’t challenge for TNT championship

My guess: Please for the love of God Men of the Year and VanZant and we move on - HEY I WAS RIGHT AGAIN

I thought this was a decent match, everyone looked okay. Guevara started out hot, hitting Scorpio Sky with a springboard cutter while Tay Conti kept VanZant out of the ring. Conti took a breather and left Kaz to fend for himself, and the team fell apart after that. VanZant got to hit Conti with a Theisz press and backflipped into a tornado DDT, and she knocked the wind out of Guevara with a punch to the stomach. Sammy and Tay got a little comeuppance when Sammy missed a kick to Kaz and hit Tay in the face. That led to Kaz taking a cutter from Sky, and the pin. 

Darby Allin vs Kyle O’Reilly

My guess: Allin wins after jumping off something - WRONG

This was fine for a short, hastily added match. Allin did his thing, flying around the ring and taking strikes from O’Reilly. There were some fun moments, but without any stakes this really just felt like a Dynamite one off match. A knee drop onto Allin’s back led to the pin and the win for Kyle O’Reilly.

Serena Deeb vs Thunder Rosa © for the AEW Women’s World Championship

My guess: Thunder Rosa retains, maybe moves on - RIGHT AGAIN!

There were three matches I wanted to rewatch without feeling obligated to take notes. The House of Black vs Death Triangle trios match, the main, and this one. It was so well done, with these talented wrestlers putting on a clinic the whole time. I saw a pendulum submission hold that I honestly have never seen in my thirty plus years watching this sport! Top to bottom, an amazing match. I didn’t think Deeb had a chance going in, and I really never felt like she was going to win during the match, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the skill of both competitors in this contest. Thunder Rosa retained with a superplex and a fire thunder driver to get the pin, but I would aggressively suggest you watch this match if you have a chance.

Jericho Appreciation Society vs Blackpool Combat Club w/Eddie Kingston, Santana, and Ortiz - Anarchy in the Arena match

My guess: Blackpool Combat Club, Eddie, Santana, and Ortiz by submission(s) - NOPE

I don’t know what I expected going in, but this was a bloodbath. Jericho’s crew came out in all white, and they were covered in red by the finish. Moxley and crew came into the arena from several different spots, and just engaged with whoever they got their hands on first. Kingston went into a freight elevator at one point. Santana and Ortiz went through multiple tables, off multiple ladders. Eddie Kingston walking out from backstage with a gallon of gasoline was a terrifying visual! 

Moxley’s music played for the first half of the match, as he was paired with Jericho. They made their way to a production area, where Jericho was able to unplug the audio and end the song. There were some silly parts, but overall it was a brutal match that ended with Bryan Danielson getting choked out by a disassembled ring rope. A great time if you don’t mind a little blood in your sports entertainment.

Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee vs Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks vs Jurassic Express © for the AEW Tag Team Championships

My guess: Swerve Scott and Keith Lee become our NEW AEW Tag Team Champions - WRONG AGAIN

This match was another great time. Three really good tag teams, any of whom could have walked out champion, put together a great contest with very little in the way of shenanigans or goings on. Everybody had a chance to shine, and I thought Lee and Swerve really deserved to win based on their showing tonight and how much the crowd adored them. But I’m not the one booking this show, and even though Luchasaurus hit Jungle Boy with an errant kick that led to a near fall by Swerve in my Glory, the champs hit their finisher and retained.

C.M. Punk vs Hangman Adam Page for the AEW World Championship

My guess: C.M. Punk does something underhanded, wins the championship - MOSTLY RIGHT, PUNK STRAIGHT UP WON

Full disclosure: I am a HUGE Punk fan. Grew up outside Chicago, wore the shirts, know all the words to Cult of Personality…LITERALLY OWN A DOG NAMED CM PUG.

That being said, I can admit that this wasn’t his best work. You get older, maybe you start saying you’re the best in the world a little more often, just so you believe it. The story they told in the ring was not that Punk was overconfident, but that Hangman just wasn’t. The match itself was good, although Punk looked awkward in his attempts at the Buckshot Lariat. Hangman, however, did hit Punk with a nice looking GTS.

Punk got Hangman up for the GTS and hit the ref, leading to Hangman in the ring with an unconscious ref, a stunned Punk, and the AEW Championship title. After a LONG crisis of conscience, Hangman decided to forego the easy attack and tossed the belt aside. Page went for the Buckshot again, but Punk did that floatover reversal that usually ends in a DDT, but this time led to the Go To Sleep. Punk got the pin and the championship. I was delighted.

Overall I had a blast with this show. Sure, there were a couple matches that would have been better served on an episode of regular TV. But if you only run four big pay per views a year, should you not err on the side of overstuffing? I say no, but then again, I’m not waking up at six the next morning to get to work, and many folks are! 

I have some questions about the booking as well, but we’ll save that for another edition of the blog. It’s late in the day and I have some grilling to do before Raw starts!

I appreciate you stopping by, dear reader. You can also follow me on Twitter @ElOsoPequeno, where I try to remember to post whenever I update the blog. I recap Raw, Dynamite, and Rampage weekly, and also plan to write about any other wrestling that I happen to watch. There’s also a weekly wrap up on Fridays, and I’ll do predictions before any big AEW or WWE pay per premium live events. I hope to see you tomorrow for the Double or Nothing recap! Have a great Sunday, and enjoy the show tonight!

Have a good one!