Another Wednesday (actually Thursday as I’m writing this), another Dynamite show. This was live at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA. I believe this might’ve been at a university minus a university type of crowd. Lots of yellow flags in the audience that night (mostly for Britt Baker). Don’t think this was a complete sell out, maybe 5000 from what I’ve read. But still pretty big for a non-WWE showing.
MJF/Wardlow Segment
Teaser for tonight’s “Labors of Jericho” match. MJF did say something to trigger Wardlow, which might hint at yet another turn. But they just did a turn for a monster in Brian Cage? Is this necessary? Also, why turn Wardlow face?
Kenny Omega / The Young Bucks Vs. Dante Martin / The Sydal Bros
Match aside, this was probably too long. The only real thing it did was give Dante Martin a chance to shine. JR put him over big as someone to look for in the future. Well, how about this. Give him some midcard wins rather than having him wrestle the Bucks and Omega. Hated the ending with the triple kick and One-Winged Angel. Triple kick should’ve been more than enough to finish Dante off.
I will say that Dante Martin looked really good here. He’s probably one of the most impressive high flyers out there right now. But he’s incapable of doing anything but jumping around. I wouldn’t mind him if he wasn’t just a high spot show. Like Rey Mysterio Jr back in the day could go to the ground. He understood the psychology of building spots and making what he did look incredible rather than just flying around. But again, the emphasis is that he could mat wrestle and fill in the blanks when he wasn’t flying. That’s how he’s been able to stay relevant up until this point.
Post match had Christian come out with Jurassic Express as backup to announce that he’s going to face Omega at Rampage this week for the Impact title, which is in addition to the World Title at the All Out PPV on 9/5/2021 while Jurassic Express get a tag title shot at the Bucks on 8/18/2021 Dynamite.
Some notes here. Way too much time given to Omega and the Bucks as usual. If Omega and the Bucks are allowed to stay in the office, they should be taken off TV to give others more time. Nothing they do really interest me. Also, Jungle Boy “forgetting” about the tag title shot almost looked unintentional. But his delivery was so bland that it got nobody excited.
As for Christian Cage vs Omega, people are speculating there’s going to be a swerve where Cage loses at this week’s Rampage so that CM Punk takes his place where Cage gets a severe beat down. That would be god awful booking because make your debut program look bad with a swerve on a title match (it was declared the opening match for Rampage as well) on top of making the other company’s title look really bad just to allow CM Punk to have his time to shine. If CM Punk is getting all this hype already, he wouldn’t need a title shot this fast.
Also, since CM Punk’s contract is after Cage’s signing, my guess is that Cage has some guarantees in his contract, one of which probably is a title reign. So with Rampage debuting this Friday, they need a strong start with a title switch. So in that sense, I think Cage will win the Impact Title. My reasoning here is that Cage never got that TNA title run once Kurt Angle showed up but I can see him more than Kenny being willing to put over someone over in Impact down the line. I mean, looking at Rampage’s card for this Friday, the other two title defenses mean nothing so I wouldn’t expect any change for those. Lastly, Cage has enough credibility to beat Kenny so it’s not unreasonable for him to get a title like the Impact title here.
If no title changes hands on Rampage, then I’d really wonder about the long term booking strategies. Part of the problem would be that Kenny and the Bucks are already publicly known as EVPs on AEW, so having them never lose would make them ever more look like a worse version of the Klique. Either way, I can’t see them not having a title switch at Rampage for Christian at least. I mean, why else would Scott D’Amore show up.
Malakai Black Video Package
This was well done. But outside of foreshadowing a return bout with Cody, this video did nothing to promote what’s next for Malakai. Can we have these new ex-WWE people actually wrestle rather than talk all the time? You made your debut. Now, it’s time to get in the ring.
Miro Video Package
So he’s also pumping up Rampage where he’s taking on Fuego Del Sol with the TNT title on the line. This made no sense. Fuego gets a contract and the title if he wins. But let’s be real. No one is giving Fuego a chance in hell here. Also, why does Fuego get a title shot when Christian is the #1 contender for a title shot?
Now, let me say this. Miro works best beating smaller guys around. But eventually, he’ll need to face actual competition. He did 1-2 big matches initially but I suppose Cornette’s commentary scared off the booking committee. The thing is that he should have been fed easy wins early on. Now, it’s just a joke since it looks like he’s being fed nobodies moving forward.
Looking at their “rankings,” the only two people that probably should deserve a shot are Orange Cassidy and Christian Cage. I’m putting Darby off a bit since he was the previous champion and they didn’t de-rank him as badly as Hikaru Shida. But Christian should be considered even though he’s aiming for the Impact and World titles. And Orange Cassidy kind of makes sense, even though I think he shouldn’t ever be taken seriously as any form of title contender. Oddly, Hobbs is in there too but I can’t see them placing him against Miro.
Sadly, Hobbs is the guy they should’ve turned rather than Brian Cage. I’m sure Hobbs is better as a heel, but I like how he speaks and he seems like a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. His only issue is general inexperience, which is why I wouldn’t rank him at this point without more mid level feuds that bolster his experience.
As far as Fuego Del Sol goes, he’s just an internet meme at this point. He’s going to become AEW’s version of Barry Horowitz. So keep him at that level.
Daniel Garcia vs Darby Allin
This felt more like an exhibition match for Daniel Garcia. I have no idea about his background and he just seems like a random jobber that showed up and was loud enough to catch some attention. Maybe if he pumped up a bit in 2 years he might have a chance. But I didn’t care.
2.0 have been making noise and I guess the outcome of this match is that they get to face Darby with Sting next week in a Texas Tornado match. Which is the fancy way of saying generic, out of the ring brawl so that Sting doesn’t have to bump, 2.0 get their time in with Sting and Darby gets another worthless win.
Death Triangle Backstage Interview
Rey Fenix sounds like a villain about to pick pocket you. Pac talks okay but the main thing is pushing the notion that the Lucha Bros will continue aiming towards the tag titles while Pac will face Andrade. If only they were allowed to wrestle rather than talk already….
Wheeler Yuta / Orange Cassidy / Chuck Taylor Vs. The HFO
Pretty sloppy match with too much shit going on everywhere. Kris Statlander got attacked at one point by Nyla Rose, but that led nowhere. Orange Cassidy barely did anything. Hybrid2 interfered a few times. And Chuck Taylor just isn’t good. I guess they’re still trying to get Wheeler Yuta over by having him (guess what?!) wrestle in front of a national audience. But as per how AEW books, he gets the time but no win. I still think he should be displayed on Dark and Elevation if they want to have him get more experience and be displayed like Dante Martin. But at least with Dante Martin, he can actually fly and looks incredible whereas Yuta looks as green and generic as his tights. Matt got the win over Yuta so I’m hoping that if they lead Yuta towards anything it’s a Matt vs Yuta match down the line to let Yuta get a midcard victory.
Andrade Backstage Segment
He tried talking. Like seriously tried. It was awful. If you’re featuring a brewing feud like Andrade vs Pac/Death Triangle, why have both teams talk? Just back and forth it. One week, one team talks, the other team wrestles.
I read on a few places that Andrade is simmering down. Well, no shit. All the heat he had coming in flamed out in that shitty match vs Sydal. Ever since that moment, they kept shoving a mic in front of him and he’s fucked it up. I get that the big money match that people are salivating over is him vs Pac. But why not have him wrestle someone like Dante Martin or Wheeler Yuta while they’re building this guy up? Dante and Yuta can lose to Andrade without either person losing credibility but at the same time get a moment to shine while people warm up to Andrade rather than these horrible interview segments that lead nowhere.
Santana/Ortiz Video Package
A reminder why they’re still feuding with FTR even though Cash is on the shelf. Honestly, you don’t need to do a whole package. Just have an announcer say it briefly. Save some money on this.
Nyla Rose Vs. Kris Statlander
They’re pushing Rose down (thank god) and giving Statlander a small push up. Statlander looks good in terms of physical appearance. She’s got actual power and height. Her gimmick stinks but she has a few decent moves. But again like most of the women on their roster, Statlander is just very inexperienced.
Best moment came with Vickie Guerrero screaming like a banshee into Orange Cassidy’s ears. That actually made me laugh because of how horrible it was.
At any rate, not sure what the plans for Statlander is. I think she needs a midcard series of matches to get her more experience. If she faces Britt Baker in the near future, I think it will be a disaster.
Britt Baker Interview Segment
Britt talks too much. She is over and people like her but she should be wrestling. I don’t understand why she isn’t in more matches trying to get more experience as opposed to more injuries every time she’s in a match. I think AEW figured they found a formula for her to help them get ratings but she will ultimately be forced to wrestle in main event matches where all her weaknesses will become apparent. And all her weaknesses is that she’s not that good in the ring.
Red Velvet did a brief run in to give a taste of the main event for Rampage. But she shouldn’t even be factored into the title picture according to their official rankings. Obviously, Thunder Rosa should be Britt’s oppponent but I’m guessing they’re saving that match for All Out.
That said, as I alluded to, I doubt Red Velvet will win against Britt Baker. I’ve seen her on Dark and Elevation and it looks like she improved but all her matches are short squashes in front of no one or their Dark crowds. She hasn’t really beaten anyone up and has been given nothing but those gratuitous wins to make it appear that her ranking is much higher than her ability. That’s why it’s impossible to get behind a challenger that AEW feels should be worth anything.
More importantly, I think the Britt vs Red Velvet match will stink. It’s not that they do not have ability, but that they just don’t have enough experience to carry a long match. Red Velvet seems to panic in bigger matches where she feels the need to do a crazy move that she ends up botching like that suicide dive. Britt doesn’t have the in ring stamina and has been injury prone (of course, that was against Nyla Rose but I stand by my point). And again I blame these problems because of AEW’s refusal to give them reasonably length matches (say at least 8-10 minutes per show) on a consistent basis, then forcing them to put on a big show in front a large audience where they simply do not have the experience to confidently carry a match.
Now, from what I understand Serena Deeb is injured. But she’s the only person I’ve seen who has the ability to work in AEW and can carry a long match because she has the experience. People talk about Thunder Rosa but I’m unconvinced of her just because her matches tend to be complete squashes and the only match worth talking about is the one she had with Britt Baker. But I’m discluding that match just because it was a bunch of spots with gimmicks tossed in rather than a long, well worked match that can convince me they can fill in spots and not depend upon reckless wrestling.
Starks/Brian Cage Promo
Did nothing for me. Again, if they wanted to push this, just let the announcers briefly mention it. I’d prefer less wasted time given to at least one more match.
The Good Brothers Vs. Dark Order
Impact Tag Team titles match. Scott D’Amore came out for commentary but barely got anything in. Dark Order were Evil Uno and Stu Grayson. Man, Impact must be hurting because AEW gave them two people no one really cares about. Maybe in the mind of a typical AEW fan, the Dark Order are someone. But they’re just the Job World Order in my book.
Why can’t people like the Varsity Blonds or Lucha Bros get a shot? I think it demeans an external title even more when you’re obvious bottom feeding bunch get a shot rather than more established tag teams. I mean, Uno and Grayson aren’t even ranked so how did they get any shot? All I see them do is lose unless they’re on Dark. And even on Dark they lose from time-to-time (the Dark Order that is). This is more like AEW feeding Impact a bone for having Omega be their champion for this long.
Either way, the finish sucked. They blew their finisher and the match just sucked win with poor Scott coming around and being drowned out by Excalibur.
QT Marshall Apology Segment
They waited this long for this crap. I don’t even know why they waited. Poor Schiavone had to sell for his son by cursing. So his son gets TV time. The real problem is that QT talked. I’m fine with him having a backstage promo on Dark because then no one has to listen to him. But they gave him TV time.
The only positive is Paul Wight coming out, giving Aaron Solow a big choke slam and looking at QT and Nick Comorotto a stare down. Most people are speculating about Wight facing Comorotto and possibly putting him over. That actually might blow up in their faces. Comorotto just isn’t good, he’s too green, he mostly has size but the inexperience factor against someone who is broken down and need someone a bit more exciting to carry the match won’t work. The only way I can see Wight doing well is if he does an energetic brawl with Comorotto. Otherwise, the match will have to be short.
I wouldn’t mind QT vs Wight just because at the very least QT can wrestle, even though he’s more boring than a micro economics class. But if you are going to “build” for Comorotto, throw Wight a bone by having QT bump around for Wight that leads into a Comorotto match. Heck, toss in Aaron Solow just for fun on Dark/Elevation just to get Wight back in a few times.
Chris Jericho vs Wardlow
Did anyone in their right mind expect anything different than the outcome here? What a wretched match with a slopping looking Judas Effect for the win. The announcers had to sell Jericho’s labors catching up for his lack of a showing here. Dude, the guy had a full week to rest and did not have any matches in between. Honestly, back in the day, the 5 labors would have been a single night of TV since most of these matches were short and meaningless. Then they could have sold Jericho’s fatigue.
I’ve heard people going, “Well, you’ll be sorry once Jericho retires.” Yeah, not really. They botched his run early on and since that point it’s been nothing but an embarrassing ride. The only matches that really meant anything were him vs Omega and Moxley but I’m guessing that Moxley beat him so he didn’t have to carry the entire weight of the company on his shoulders as a performer.
But since that time, he’s been worse and worse. The whole MJF stipulation here was dumb and meaningless. And Wardlow got nothing from this. I would have been more thrilled seeing at least someone like Ultimo Dragon or Onita come in if they’re doing a “Chris’s biggest hits” tour. I suppose this match was for Wardlow getting some rub along with the tease of a future turn against MJF. But in truth none of that looked like anything.
This whole “feud” has been dumb. MJF just sits back on commentary with Jericho winning. Jericho never needed any wins because he’s the veteran with the experience. On the other hand, MJF needs more experience in the ring and the wins to look credible. Instead, AEW is equating microphone time as what makes someone the better wrestler. It makes no sense.
I really don’t understand AEW’s hesitancy of giving what they perceive their key players almost zero wrestling time. I think a lot of that has to do with the Bucks and Omega being part of the office. My feeling is that when someone gets over, they shove them into a non-wrestling role, give them mic time when they don’t really need it, or have them wrestle in bad matches on Dark rather than setting up key mid card wins to make that wrestler look better.
Like why was Christian Cage given the Blade? What does the Blade have anything to do with the title picture? Who really won in that series? For me, it’s not about getting someone like the Blade TV time and saying, “Oh, well he’s looking good against Cage so he’ll be a future star!” No, that’s all wrong. Blade is old (mid 30s I think) and looks like a schmuck that should be beaten. Cage could have been beating upper mid tier people en route to Kenny.
When I looked at this show in retrospect, I felt that this show was plodding with the usual garbage that make me think it’s just a throwaway. Nothing really is accomplished by the way things are booked. It doesn’t feel meaningful. Maybe the Velvet vs Britt segment did something logical. But other than that, you still have that “here’s an exhibition of what we do” rather than providing TV quality matches.
Right now, I feel if they cut Omega, the Bucks and Jericho, they would lose absolutely nothing. Matter of fact, I think the promotion would improve considerably. Jericho is the only person truly over in this situation but I feel he loses steam and credibility every week he’s on just because it isn’t the Chris Jericho we fondly remember from his 96-2002 years.
And here’s the scary thought. When Hulk Hogan arrived in WCW in 1994, people were ridiculing him of being too old. I think he was early 40s. Chris is 50 now and the slowdown is far more apparent. Hogan had two bum years with 94 and 95, but mid 96, he was one of the primary reasons for WCW’s massive change. And it had nothing to do with his in ring performance. In some way, Hogan looked better between between 96-98 than his later WWF years (meaning 91-93). On the other hand, Jericho looks worse and worse every week.
The only thing I can think of at this point is that Omega and the Bucks want to drill home their legacy in their own minds. You don’t get an announcer like Jim Ross forcibly admitting that they are the best in the business. That’s just patting yourself on the back. It’s like what John Cena said about Roman Reigns before the crowd echoed Cena’s own true greatness at this stage of the game.
And here’s the thing. Omega and the Bucks should be using their position to put others over rather than themselves. AEW has far more than capable people of carrying the banner at this stage. So they should drop the belts and start jobbing to others who are going to be carrying the banner for them.
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