Honorable Mention: Ricky Starks and Adam Cole. Ricky Starks in the back said the plan wasn’t for the gauntlet but it’s okay because he put his foot in his mouth and if that’s what he has to do to beat Chris and get out of this “Web of Jericho” so be it. The “Web of Jericho” really does feel accurate to the mud guys seem to get trapped in during these feuds. I love Jericho but a lot of his recent stuff has felt very “WWE under Vince” where it’s the same people constantly interacting and wrestling without branching out or facing other opponents. In a video package Adam Cole said he worked harder than he had in his whole life because he thought his dream was dead and when your dream dies your hope dies and he never lost hope. He doesn’t know who his first opponent will be when he returns but he promises us we’ll get the best version of Adam Cole when he does. This was short and sweet but I like Cole being angled as a face. He’d make a lot of sense as MJF’s next feud after Bryan but I’m not totally sure what you do with him until that. Longer term I want to see Future Shock reunited if/when O’Reilly is healthy to add some new life to the tag scene but until then I’m just glad Cole is coming back regardless of who he faces.
5. Malakai Black. Black said the House doesn’t want Eddie and Eddie doesn’t want the House. But Eddie helped the House prove their mission from day 1 which is to show that everyone is corruptable. He said what Eddie did to Ortiz revealed his true nature. Because “No man is ever truly…” This was more direct than I’d have liked and on one hand kind of deflating since they didn’t do more with Eddie joining House of Black on camera first. But on the other that would have still felt predictable if Kingston eventually split from the group and I loved Black using the quote from his WWE song though I wish he’d have finished “…good. No man is ever truly evil.” because as nice of an Easter egg as it was it doesn’t make sense without that context.
4. Toni Storm and Saraya. The team of former WWE talent took on The Renegade Twins in what was only Saray’s third match since debuting in AEW. Saraya pounded Robin Renegade with knees between the ropes and Storm sent her to the floor with a hip attack and tossed her into the barricade. The Renegades tried to fight back but Storm hit a hip attack in the corner and Storm Zero for the win. After the match they spray painted L’s on both Renegade Twins. This was really just to establish Saray and Storm further as AEW’s women’s n.W.o. down to the paint but I can’t help but feel like unless she’s going to start wrestling near weekly Saraya should have had a slightly higher profile set of opponents. I understand that’s hard because you want to save a few women for what feels like the faction warfare we have starting soon and your most established women’s teams are heels but saving this for Dynamite or next Rampage and doing something like Hogan & Velvet v. Storm & Saray would have felt a bit bigger. Though if they go that route in the next couple of weeks I’ll take that back.
3. Swereve Strickland. Accompanied by Mogul Affiliates Swerve faced off with Brian Pillman Jr. Being a Pillman match there wasn’t a ton to write about but Swerve spent the early part of the match working over the knee before delivering a House Call that Pillman kicked out of. Pillman racked Swerve over the top rope but then as Trench distracted the ref and Pillman Parker took out his legs on the apron. Swerve hit a Death Valley Driver on the apron and a double stomp for the win. After the match Trench held Pillman while Boudreaux hit a lariat. They both held Pillman up as Swerve wrapped a chain around his fist before Dustin Rhodes came out with a turnbuckle to make the save. Trench looks like a randomized Create-A-Wrestler and I love it. He passes “The airport test” with flying colors and is a cool heavy for Swerve whether he can wrestle or not. Boudreaux still does nothing for me and while he might be a great guy I still don’t get what Brian Pillman Jr. brings to any wrestling promotion besides his name. Let him hit the indies and either find something new and different about himself and his character or wash out. Swerve is still the best guy in all of this by a mile and I think he and Dustin will actually be really good.
2. The Elite. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks put their trios titles on the line against the very well-established threesome of Ethan Page, Matt Hardy and Isiah Kassidy in our opener. Page stole Hardy’s thunder by taking out Omega on the floor while Matt climbed for a moonsault. Hardy and Kassidy tried a Poetry in Motion on Omega in the corner but Kassidy ate superkicks from both Bucks. Omega and Hardy went down with double lariats and Kassidy and Nick Jackson hit stereo sentons on their respective opponents. Page powerslammed Matt and Omega hit him with a V-trigger like knee from the side which cued up “This is awesome!” chants from the crowd. Kassidy and Page hit Nick with a double iconoclasm into a Twist of Fate by Matt Hardy but the other Matt broke up the pin. Matt Jackson ducked a charging Matt Hardy which sent him crashing into “All Ego” on the apron. As Matt went to check on him on the floor Kassidy caught Nick springing in with a cutter for 2. Kassidy tried to crawl to his corner but Matt was still checking on Page so Omega flew at him with a V-Trigger to the back of the head in the corner. Matt made it to the apron but it was too late as Omega hit a One Winged Angel as one of the Bucks knocked Matt off the apron and The Elite hit a BTE Trigger to retain their titles. This also had all the usual Elite spots but the ending was predictable because they had already announced Top Flight & AR Fox challenging The Elite for the titles before the match. I just wish they’d add a little disclaimer that Fox & Flight would challenge whoever the champs are after the match even if we knew the challengers weren’t an actual threat. The Page/Hardy stuff is a somewhat interesting story on paper I just have a hard time caring about anything with Matt Hardy right now. A solid opener though and it was nice to see The Elite remember Rampage exists too.
1. Rush. Once again we replaced the pre-match interview with Mark Henry with Mark throwing to a video package hyping up Christopher Daniels v. Rush before coming back with his “It’s time for the main event!” line. This time it made sense since Daniels has been off TV for a while but I actually wish it would have been a little longer. Preston Vance came down with Rush wearing a vest covered with the masks he’s stolen and I thought that was a really cool look. Commentary reminded us Daniels is a former ROH grand slam champion and he was still wearing his Jay Briscoe tribute armband which was nice to see because memorial bands typically end up being 1 show things. Vance ran Daniels into the post during the break and choked him with the string of masks as the ref was busy with Rush. Vance paint brushed Daniels with some of the money MJF gave Rush but then when Jose tried to hold Daniels “The Fallen Angel” ducked and Vance nailed Jose with a pump kick. He tossed Jose in the ring and with Rush confused He rolled up Rush for 2. Daniels hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for 2. Daniels hit Rush with a Death Valley Driver for 2 and followed with a Koji Clutch but Vance put Rush’s foot on the ropes to force the break. As Daniels yelled at Vance Rush rolled him up for 2 but Daniels was able to come back and hit a uranage. He tried for a Best Moonsault Ever but Rush got his knees up and gave him a bell to bell suplex in the corner. Some stomps and a Bull’s Horns later Rush got the win. While Crowbar likes to call himself “The Timeless One” and I’ve hyped up his recent indie run Daniels is 4 years his senior so still being able to go at this level into his 50s should have him challenging for that moniker. Rush continues to be one of the most firey, intense ring workers with a brutal looking finisher so I can’t wait to see him and Danielson convince me he’s actually ended Bryan’s life Wednesday!
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