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It's Wednesday, you know what that means. Actually tonight I'm really hoping we get some kind of personality profile on Red Velvet just so we're led to believe she has some credibility heading into next week. Speaking of angles not fleshed out, Jon Moxley, he of the "Barb Wire Exploding Ring Death Match" at Revolution, takes on Ryan Nemeth. No disrespect, none, but it seems ridiculous at this stage do this death match. Omega is still fresh as both heel and champion. This is, theoretically, the 2nd match of this go-round between them. We're just not at the point where a death match is needed. This feels so much like what Hell in a Cell has become. The powers that be got it in their heads that they need this particular match. Great, but let it build organically.
Tony Schiavone is quick on the call with hyping the signing of Paul Wight. I have to say, Nemeth some fire to him. Moxley puts this away fairly quick (about 3-4 minutes) but Nemeth had some shine. Moxley pulls up a chair. I don't believe he'll have kind words for Mr. Omega. Per Moxley, we're getting blood, fire, burns, torture and agony. I have a school of thought, I'm very afraid that there guys are going to try with all their lives to live up to this. I don't want these men permanently injured. On the other hand, if this whole thing is just gimmick, then the audience tuning in for the violence promised is going to feel completely ripped off. I am really torn as to what to expect and what I hope happens.
Rey Fenix and Lance Archer are your main event tonight, winner goes to the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match. We get a little brawl.
We get footage from last week where Sting was laid out (FINALLY) by Team Taz.
The Young Buck arrive with their parents. We get a nice family moment where they take a photo in front of an AEW truck with their likeness on them.
Ricky Starks and Brian Cage take on the Varsity Blondes next. By the way we're about 20 minutes in and the words "Red Velvet" have yet to be uttered. Taz has joined Tony, JR and Excalibur. In something that I'm sure will not be important in the next 5-10 minutes, Taz lets us know that Hook is in the parking lot, getting the car ready so Team Taz can get the heck out there. Everything should be fine as nothing ever happens in wrestling parking lots. We got our first Red Velvet name drop of the night, so AEW fans can rest assured that she is still at least going to be in the match, despite the complete lack of promotion for her.
We're back from picture in picture and this match has been exactly what it should be. Garrison and Pillman are not at a high level yet but they shouldn't be getting squashed in 30 seconds either. Cage and Starks are dominant but you know the Varsity Blonds are going to get a chance to shine a bit. These kids are really good and I appreciate how they invested in matching trunks. Just a little nuance to show you they're for real. Cage with the drill claw on Pillman. EXACTLY what this should have been.
Lights are out we see a black and white movie of Sting driving along the desert dragging a bodybag. When he stops, it is indeed Darby Allin who emerges. Allin with a devious smile. Kid is something else! Back at the arena STING comes out to confront team Taz and he's dragging a bodybag. Only the guy in said bad is trying to fight his way out. To the surprise of no one, Sting unzips the bag and it's Hook. I can't believe there was an attack in the parking lot. Darby Allin emerges from the balcony via a zipline. Allin takes out Starks and Sting beats Brian Cage down like money was owed to his children. Always good to see babyfaces get revenge, but maybe this beatdown should have waited for Revolution.
Tony Schiavone with Kip Sabian, Penelope Ford (Sabian?) and the Best Man Miro. Miro with some sweet compliments for Charles' butlering work. Tony gets handed a note, essentially a challenge for a tag team match at Revolution.
Brandon Cutler is out and hell bent on revenge against Jake Hager. This needs to be an annihilation, through and through. The monsterous MMA fighter should not break a sweat against a guy positioned as low as can be as a credible threat. An annihilation is pretty much what we get. Santana, Ortiz and MJF join in for a little beat down until the Young Bucks make the save.
MJF and Chris Jericho appear on the screen. Working as long as I have with Cory Strode I know for a fact that the Truck with the Buck's picture was going to come into play. We find that Papa Buck has been bloodied up. The Inner Circle throws him headfirst into each picture on the truck. Nice set up for the tag team title match.
Second Red Velvet mention complete with a video package of how we got here. Velvet even gets some face time here as we Shaq unable to remember her name.
TH2 comes out with Isiah Kassidy for his match with Hangman Page. I'd like to right now apologize to the readers and listeners of the Post Game Party. Watching last week, it never struck me as odd that Kassidy, dressed as the Jacksonville Jaguars mascot, attacked Hangman Page when the angle was supposed to be a celebration of Page signing with Matt Hardy. Why would Kassidy have been set up to attack at that exact moment if they were all supposed to be friends? Hardy was surprised by Page's trickery, so it's not like he read the contract going in. I completely missed that. I expect the Dark Order to come out before this segment is all said and done. And right on cue, John Silver and Alex Reynolds run down to inform Aubrey that Matt Hardy interfered. Aubrey ejects Big Money Matt as we head to commercial.
Silver and Reynolds stay out there. Notice how, as soon as Dark Order accepted my application for membership, their fortunes turned around and they're on roll? I don't want to take full credit, just some. Dark Order, should Adam Page join them as the new leader, would have a decidedly different feel to it that may work given Silver's charisma. Hangman with a running elbow that I thought could have been the finish, it was a thing of beauty. Page finally puts this away with the Deadeye. Maybe a tinge too long for what it was they were trying to accomplish. Over the mic, Matt Hardy announces he's going to hurt the Dark Order, since Page chose them, which he hasn't. Anyway. Hardy drags #5 Alan Angels out and throws him off the ramp through a table.
Alex Marvez interrupts Kenny Omega while he's constructing the Moxley Extermination Chamber (kind of a poor choice of words). We can't hear much as one of the other guys in the work room is making a ton of noise.
We get a rundown of the Women's Title Eliminator Tournament. This Sunday on Bleacher Report will feature a six woman tag and a pair of tournament matches (Riho v Thunder Rosa is one of them!). This leads to Dr. Britt Baker vs Nyla Rose in a tournament match. Interesting match up as these two women are at similar positions in AEW as heels on the way up. I was fully expecting there to be some odd angle somewhere where they'd never actually do a match. I was wrong. They're going at it and it's all Nyla early on. Britt walks off and I assumed we were getting a Money Inc-esque count out here but the good Doctor cooled off enough.
We are back from commmercial and I've noticed there's been no reference yet to Vickie Guerrero. I was assuming she was out due to weather conditions in Texas. Nyla hits a superplex but Baker immediately counters with a vertical suplex of her own. Poor Reba (or is it Rebel?) gets chokeslammed on the apron. Baker's showing some toughness here until a Rose chokeslam takes care of her. Baker can't apply the lockjaw. Gotta say it, Baker looks great tonight. Nyla finally get the beast bomb but Baker kicked out! Best match either have had in a long time. Another Beast Bomb and this time Baker goes down for the pin. Nyla advances. This, boys and girls, is how you get two people over in one match and the one who loses actually gains credibility. Well done!
We get words from FTR and Jurassic Express leading to the big six man tag next week. Paul Wight will be on next week to talk about his new contract.
Main event time. Lance Archer vs. Rey Fenix. calculated risk here by AEW as neither of these two have been presented as "top tier" since their early days in the company. I'll be interested to see this particular match TV rating tomorrow. Archer and Fenix both come out of the babyface side of the aisle. Fenix misses a hook kick by a mile. I'm not mentioning that to laugh at the mess up, I mention because, instead of transitioning, Fenix tried the exact same thing. Instead of connecting, Archer caught the leg and clotheslined him. What I'm questioning here is why they'd go back to it when Archer could have simply clotheslined him after the miss.
I wouldn't ever want to be either of these guys' chests after the chops they're taking here. Back from commercial, Archer has been in total control and he nails what looks like a brutally hard forearm. Given how these two have pushed recently (strong, I think), I find it somewhat unfortunate that one of these guys won't be going to the big ladder match at Revolution. Schiavone calls this a match of year candidate. It's been pretty good but not something that'll be remembered in the weeks and months to come. Archer is wrestling like a babyface. I get why he's doing that here as he's new to this role but he needs to show some more ruthlessness out there. That's what brought him to the dance.
Interesting side note: at no point have the commentators put over the IWGP U.S. Title match between Moxley and KENTA Friday night.
Fenix is fighting for everything he's work. Physically this is another Britt Baker v Nyla Rose match. Fenix runs the top rope and nails a PK. That's coordination. Fenix barely kicks out of the fisherman buster. They're wise to both have him barely kick out and not have him kick out of the finish. I amend, what I said earlier. This match has graduated from pretty good to excellent. Fenix kicks out of a chokeslam. Blackout by Archer and he finally puts this away. For the second time tonight, we have a big person-small person match and, both times, we got really good stuff and the loser actually gets elevated. Tony Schiavone gives us a "WE'RE DESPERATELY OUT OF TIME" as we go to credits.
I'll say it: AEW came through with another good outing tonight as they build momentum for Revolution Week. Thanks for reading.
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