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We are LIVE (or is it Memorex) from Dailey's Place. Two Championship matches, one number-one contenders match and probably The Dark Order. I am not a betting man, but next month's mortgage is on the champions to retain their belts tonight.
The pyro welcomes us and the AEW World Tag Team Championship kicks us off as Kenny Omega makes his way to the ring (everyone else is already there (that NEVER bodes well for the challengers). Speaking of the challengers, Allie, as promised, is not at ringside. Isn't Marshall undefeated with her by his side? I honestly don't care how old Dustin is, he's wrestling as well as he did in 1996-1997, what I'd call his prime. Dustin got his bell rung by an errant Omega knee. On the subject of knees, best wishes to John Skyler who tore just about every ligament in his knee and reacted like he had a bit of mild discomfort. THAT is tough. Tony Schiavone reminds us that Britt Baker is a role model. I honestly don't know if her or Bayley came up with it first, but I personally think they're excellent in their spots. Baker is passing a series of notes to Schiavone from her Roll's Royce.
OK, back to action. Decent match so far, Dustin seems OK. Herein lies the issue. This match, while fine, has ZERO, and I mean ZERO drama to it. I have absolutely no doubt who's winning and, like the Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley match, there's no point paying attention until the blonde woman comes out. Not only that, but until about 6 weeks ago, Marshall was treated as glorified enhancement. Now the best tag team in AEW can't put him away? Dustin with a pair of beautiful snap powerslams. The audience, consisting of AEW talent, are being bleeped out. GREAT action, no doubt. Here's comes Allie, now we can pay attention. QT kicks out of a V Trigger. Last call by the champions and Omega and Page retain. So after the big tease of Allie, we got nothing. She's actually playing the worried girlfriend.
As a match, this was good, bordering on very good. As an angle, a whole lot of nothing. Anna Jay is next.
We get a quick profile on Jay before her match against Abadon. Both these women put a lot into their character. Abadon is straight out of a horror movie but doesn't wrestle like a gimmick, I don't know if that makes sense or not. BEAUTIFUL Hurancanrana by Abadon for the pin. Given the pre match profile, I'd call this an upset. Makes me really want to see Abadon again and I'm real curious as to what's next for Jay.
And here comes the mighty Dark Order, led by Brodie Lee. Are they here for Colt Cabana at ringside? Evil Uno presents an envelope to Colt while the Dark Order helps Anna Jay from the ring. This I find really interesting. In a 2 minute women's match of almost no consequence, they advanced and/or began 3 storylines
MJF vs Billy of the Gunn Squad. If MJF is 24, then that puts his birth around the time of the formation of the New Age Outlaws. Billy is with Austin and Colton Gunn. Britt Baker wants to know how referee Aubrey Edwards is still employed. These notes from Baker are going to be a highlight. Billy Gunn is ageless, looks better than he did back in the day. MJF with the Fargo strut and a couple of chop blocks. I love how this guy lives the character. Good move by AEW in running a crawl at the bottom of the screen with Dark results from Tuesday. Makes the show seem more important as opposed to a place where you dump meaningless matches. Keep an eye on Robert Anthony, who has looked really impressive in successive weeks during his losses to Scorpio Sky & Jon Moxley.
While we're on commercial, I've noticed Colt Cabana, Jurassic Express, Pineapple Pete, Private Party, Luther and The Librarians at ringside as fans tonight. Sonny Kiss and Brandon Cutler are also accounted for. IF AEW came out in 1997 with a similar presentation, Billy Gunn would have stood out as a giant. Billy with a famouser and Wardlow distracts Billy. MJF has the Dynamite Diamond ring and clocks Billy for the win. MJF is a snarky heel who should be cheating every chance he gets. Post match brawl with Jurassic Express.
Alex Marvez interviews Le Sex Gods, possibly my favorite team name ever.
Tony Schiavone is back for his emasculation at the hands of Britt Baker. Breaking news: Penelope Ford will face Hikaru Shida for the AEW World Women's title at Fyter Fest. Big Swole has control of the Role's Royce and drives Baker far away.
Wow! AEW TNT Title match is next. After main eventing 2 weeks in a row, Cody wisely moves this to the mid-card. He can't run the risk of being Triple H 2003 2.0.
I've been following him on NWA Powerrr. NWA's loss is where he ends up's gain. I think this kid has star written all over him. Make no mistake, Cody's winning here. All Straks needs, and I'm 100% he'll get it, is a great showing here. He makes it clear he's a free agent. NWA Champion Nick Aldis is VERY high on him. Code of Honor adhered to as we see Jake Hager watches from backstage. Yes, folks, he seems to be directly facing the TV. Starks was the main player of the NWA's last PPV in January when he won a tournament for the NWA TV title, which he dropped to the Outlandish Zickey Dice. Cody in ful control at the outset here. Arn assists Cody out of harm's way by pushing him away from a charging Starks. Starks picks up the pace. The kid can work like a babyface but has the swagger of a great heel. Cody with the AA Gordbuster for 2. Superplex by Starks. They have pushed at least twice now that Starks is a former NWA TV Champion.Cody's slow burn heel turn is in effect wondering where the Elite and the N?ightmaere family were when he was getting a beat down. Double A takes the mic and says it's time to focus on tonight's opponent....RICKY STARKS.
We're degenerating into a brawl. Just as I type that, Cody nails the CrossRhodes for the pin to retain the TNT Title. Nothing buried Starks here at all. He came off well, had the champion in trouble at times but ultimately succumbed to the champion. IT was also refreshing that Cody, as a top guy, was ever in serious trouble as he was the last 2 weeks. Sometimes a champion just needs a solid, no-frills title defense and that's exactly what we got here.
BTW Happy Anniversary to the day the words "White Bronco" entered our permanent lexicon.
Time for Cory Strode's nightmare, reporting a Young Bucks match. Hopefully the presence of the lovely Penelope Ford will make it easier for him. I imagine we'll be getting an appearance here somewhere by FTR. This should be a nice catch-as-catch-can rules-abiding match. Butcher and Blade, on the verge of a 2-match win streak before getting beat by FTR last week, jaw off with the Bucks. They jump the rail and cause the distraction, allowing Kip Sabian & Jimmy Havoc to gain the advantage as we go to commercial.
While we're on a break, I'd like to remind everyone that, while we all want COVID-19 to "just be over", it isn't. Please keep yourself and the people around you safe.
Back from commercial, FTR come out and confront Butcher & Blade, sending them back to their seats. Jim Ross touts AEW's tag team division, which is certainly deep. ROH has a very deep roster as well. Either company could make that argument, obviously AEW is running so they're in the forefront. Penelope Ford breaks up a sharpshooter with a vicious shot from a plastic WET FLOOR sign. Butcher & Blade are back at ringside. Kip Sabian is bleeding. Seems hardway from the ear. Havoc kicks out of the springboard/standing moonsaults by the Bucks. Double stomp by Sabian and for a second there, I thought we might get an upset. Bucks with the win and FTR and Butcher/Blade start brawling with everyone in the ring. FTR and the Bucks make the Superbad Squad and B&B look pretty weak in the brawl.
Pretty loaded lineup next week as that envelope handed to Cabana earlier was a contract for Colt & Mr. Brodie Lee to take on Sonny Kiss and Joey Janela. Luckily cameras were rolling as Big Swole drove off with Britt Baker. Turns out she was deposited in the dumpster outside Dailey's Place. Baker, angered by her situation, fires and then re-hires Reba. She demands to talk to Tony Schiavone. Bitt nails everything she's done for the last 3-4 months.
Matt Hardy joins the commentary team as we are set for our main event. It's Unkillable Matt Hardy. As Le Sex Gods make their grand entrance, TNT chooses to interrupt Sammy's beautiful singing.
We kick off this defacto number one contenders match with Le Sex Gods bumping like crazy before things slow down. This needs to be different from the earlier insanity we got from the Bucks. The announcers are pushing a little too hard that Guevara needs to break off from the Inner Circle. Way too soon to break up the act. Trent in full control until Jericho nails him with Floyd the baseball bat. There's a real star in Trent waiting to break out. I generally enjoy Best friends as a team, but there seems to be a ceiling. They're at the bottom of the top or the top of the bottom. They may the type of act that needs the AEW Tag Team Title to get fully over as an act. As long as they get past tonight, I see them as the only real shot at there being a title change at Fyter Fest. In fact I think whoever gets the win here tonight has a real chance at the gold.
Le Sex Gods in full control after the attack on Trent. Le Sex Gods with a new pose for their impending new T Shirt that I'm certain I'll buy from ProWrestlingTees (hopefully they send me my Inner Circle: Stadium Stampede Champions shirt soon). Jericho prevents the Best riends Hug In. They keep referncing the attack on Orange Cassidy, which tells me he's interfering here to set up Fyter Fest showdown with Jericho. Matt Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara next week where Sammy gets to pick the personality Matt'll use. Best of the 3 tag team matches we've seen tonight, based both on quality and uncertainty of the ending.Jericho throws Taylor into Pineapple Pete and reinforces his hatred. A cameraman trips Sammy and Trent scores the pin. And the unmasking of said camera man reveals Orange Cassidy. Clever use of him here and he is going after Jericho hard. We're definitely getting this at FyterFest. In 5 seconds time, Tony Khan gets word that Cassidy v Jericho is official.
Thanks for reading. Cory Strode and I will be on soon with tonight's post game
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