Tag: AEW Revolution 2022

AEW presents one of its deepest pay-per-views in its young history with Sunday’s Revolution: a 13-match show that will feature four title matches in addition to several grudge matches.

Hangman Page will defend the AEW World title against Adam Cole while Britt Baker will look to remain AEW Women’s Champion when she takes on rival Thunder Rosa.

AEW Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express will defend against former champions The Young Bucks and reDRagon in a three-way with the challengers earning their way in via separate battle royal victories.

TBS Champion Jade Cargill will look to remain undefeated as she defends against Tay Conti.

In three highly anticipated grudge matches, CM Punk rematches MJF in a dog collar match, Jon Moxley battles Bryan Danielson, and Chris Jericho goes one-on-one with Eddie Kingston.

The Face of the Revolution ladder match for a future TNT title match will see Keith Lee vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Ricky Starks vs. Wardlow vs. Christian Cage.

In a tornado trios match, TNT Champion Sammy Guevara teams with Darby Allin and Sting against Andrade El Idolo, Matt Hardy and Isiah Kassidy.

The pre-show will have three matches: undefeated rookie Hook vs. QT Marshall; Leyla Hirsch vs. Kris Statlander; and the House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews) against Death Triangle’s PAC & Penta Oscuro and the debuting Erick Redbeard.

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The Buy-In Pre-Show —

Excalibur and Tony Schiavone ran down the card.

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Leyla Hirsch defeated Kris Statlander [9:58]

Statlander hit a backbreaker right away. Hirsch countered a springboard and beat Statlander down. Out on the floor, Hirsch trapped her opponent’s arm behind the steel steps and dropkicked the steps into it. She continued to target Statlander’s left arm until the latter hit a powerslam for two.

Hirsch cut off Statlander on the top rope, trapping her in the Tree of Woe and attacking her defenseless opponent. She went for the cross armbreaker, but Statlander countered into a cradle. Hirsch slipped on a springboard, but Statlander recovered well by turning it into a bodyslam. 

They traded strikes in the center of the ring before Statlander won the exchange with a backbreaker. A high kick and Blue Thunder bomb followed for two. They moved to the apron, where Hirsch reversed a Big Bang Theory and hit a hurricanrana to the floor.

Back in the ring, Hirsch hit an Olympic slam and a German suplex bridge for two. She then locked on the cross armbreaker again, but Statlander’s foot reached the ropes. Statlander countered double knees in the corner and brought Hirsch up to the top rope. They had a somewhat awkward exchange, but at the end of it, Statlander hit almost an inverted powerbomb for two.

Hirsch rolled to the floor and picked up an extra turnbuckle from beneath the ring, striking Statlander with it. She then landed a step-up Lionsault for the win.

– After the match, Red Velvet ran down to check on Statlander. 

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Don Callis promo

Tony Schiavone was in the ring, saying AEW has a special guest tonight. Kenny Omega’s music played, but it was Don Callis who walked out. He said the crowd doesn’t get any Omega tonight — instead, they will listen to him. He said the fans should be thankful for Omega’s world title reign, but instead they just begged him for more. 

Callis insulted tonight’s card, but he said it’d be an a great night anyway, because the Young Bucks were going to walk out as tag champs. Since Omega’s not here, Callis is confident that Adam Cole will be AEW’s next world champion, and he’ll be a fantastic *transitional* champ until Omega returns. 

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Before the match, QT said he’d show HOOK what being cold-hearted was really all about.

Taz joined commentary.

HOOK defeated QT Marshall [4:47]

HOOK took QT down and locked on a bow-and-arrow right away, forcing QT to reach the ropes. He laid in strikes in the corner followed by a T-bone suplex before sending QT to the floor. QT attacked HOOK’s throat to gain control, but HOOK countered a pump kick into an exploder suplex on the floor.

Back in the ring, QT grabbed the trunks and sent HOOK face-first into the turnbuckle. A suplex and elbow drop followed, but it only got a one-count. HOOK came back with a Northern Lights suplex bridge for two. QT poked HOOK’s eye and landed a back suplex, but HOOK stopped QT from hitting a top-rope move. 

HOOK landed an overhead throw, then QT walked right into Redrum for the submission.

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House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, & Buddy Matthews) defeated Death Triangle (PAC & Penta Oscuro) & Erick Redbeard (w/ Alex Abrahantes) [18:39]

This was Redbeard’s AEW debut, and he really couldn’t have looked any better. The match was an excellent all-out fast-paced six-man tag and could have easily been a Dynamite main event.

PAC and Black started off. The former booted the latter and forced him to make a tag to Matthews, with Penta tagging in as well. Penta sent Matthews to the floor with a hurricanrana, but Matthews met him on a dive attempt. They had a rapid fire exchange and wrestled to a stalemate. 

The crowd wanted the big men to enter the match, and they obliged. They traded tackles and strikes as House of Black took out Redbeard’s partners. Redbeard landed a dropkick and almost a baseball slide before taking out the rest of the House of Black on the floor. 

House of Black’s numbers advantage overwhelmed Penta after he tagged in. They attempted to isolate him in their corner, but he escaped to reach PAC, who took out Matthews with a quick kick combination. He climbed the ropes, but a Black distraction allowed Matthews to hit a draping DDT.

King tagged in and hit just a monster chop — the crowd was buzzing after hearing that. House of Black beat down PAC with frequent tags. He finally reached Penta, who entered the match on fire, taking out all three members of the House of Black. Black and Matthews got Sling Blades, and a cazadora on the former led to a destroyer on the latter for a near fall.

Penta wanted the Fear Factor, but Matthews countered. Redbeard got a blind tag, however, and came in with a somersault senton. He hit a modified cutter on Black, but Matthews came in to break up the pin. We then got a parade of big moves, concluded with PAC rolling Black u for two. 

PAC hit a poisonrana on Black but was leveled by a lariat from King. The big men traded right hands and powerful strikes. King got Redbeard up for a great Death Valley driver for two. He then sent Redbeard to the floor and landed a big-time tope suicida. 

Back in the ring, Death Triangle got the better of House of Black, with PAC landing a Fosbury Flop on Matthews. Penta wanted Made in Japan on the apron, but Black fought out of it. Penta recovered and hit Fear Factor on the apron. He covered, but he wasn’t the legal man. Matthew took advantage and hit a curb stomp for a good near fall.

Black hit PAC with the spinning heel kick. Redbeard tagged in and faced off with both Black and Matthews. He dispatched the former and caught a dive from the latter, but ran into a spinning heel kick. Redbeard struggled and fought to his feet, but Black sprayed mist in his eyes and King hit the Fire Thunder driver for the win.

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AEW Revolution report —

The broadcast team was Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Jim Ross, who made his entrance at the end of the pre-show.

Eddie Kingston defeated Chris Jericho [14:12]

This was an unbelievably physical and hard-hitting match. By my estimation it was Jericho’s best match since the Cody world title match, and probably a top-five match in Kingston’s career.

Kingston dumped Jericho right on his head with a half-and-half suplex immediately. A hanging neckbreaker followed but only got one. Out on the floor, Jericho sent Kingston into the barricade. He acted very heelish, flipping off the crowd. Kingston hit an enziguiri, but that just fired Jericho up, so they traded chops — Kingston pulled down the straps of his singlet for maximum effect.

Jericho fought out of some machine gun chops with an eye poke, but Kingston returned the favor and hit a DDT for two. Kingston sold that his vision was shot, and Jericho took advantage with corner lariats. Jericho hit ten punches in the corner followed by a top-rope Frankensteiner for two. 

There was more cheating as Jericho exposed a corner turnbuckle. Kingston came back with an exploder suplex. They fought on the apron, where Jericho suplexed Kingston straight to the floor. Back in the ring, Jericho avoided a spinning backfist and hit repeated Germans, the last of which saw Kingston land on the top of his head. A Lionsault followed for a near fall.

Kingston fired back with a desperation lariat. Jericho countered the Kitchen Sink and turned it into the Walls of Jericho, and Kingston had to fight to reach the ropes. Jericho thought he won, and he got in the official’s face, buying Kingston enough time to plant Jericho with a series of Saito suplexes. Kingston then hit the Uraken, but Jericho kicked out for a great near fall.

Jericho countered a Northern Lights bomb in to a Codebreaker for a good near fall of his own. He hit a German and another Codebreaker. Kingston fired up and hit two more Urakens before locking on the Stretch Plum for the submission victory. 

– After the match, Kingston offered his hand to Jericho for the promised handshake. Jericho teased it, but he pulled his hand back and walked up the ramp.

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AEW World Tag Team Championships: Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus (c) defeated reDRagon (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) and The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) [19:11]

This was just like the six-man tag on the pre-show: excellent, all-out action with the added benefit of storytelling between the Bucks and reDRagon.

The rules were two in, one out for this three-way tag match, so anyone could tag anyone. O’Reilly and Jungle Boy started off, with the former gaining the advantage and tagging in Fish. The Bucks entered the match, but Jungle Boy dispatched them both with his rope-walk arm drag. Luchasaurus chopped down everyone, but reDRagon saved Nick from a chokeslam. Jungle Boy then dove onto the pile, wiping all four opponents out.

reDRagon and the Bucks worked together to regain control. They were a cohesive for awhile in dismantling Jungle Boy until the Bucks wanted a tag and reDRagon opted to work on their own. The Bucks got a blind tag. O’Reilly took out Jungle Boy with the comeback lariat on the floor, then Fish wiped out Luchasaurus from the apron. 

O’Reilly broke up a pin attempt from Matt, leading to the former inadvertently hitting the latter with a boot. Luchasaurus got a tag and landed corner attacks on all four opponents. Both Bucks got high kicks and reDRagon got an apron moonsault to the floor. Luchasaurus continued his assault by chokeslamming O’Reilly onto Fish and landing a standing moonsault on Matt for two.

Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus worked together to hit an escalera Doomsday Device for two. Matt superkicked Fish, leading to O’Reilly tagging in and teeing off on Matt. Fish and Nick did the same but ran into a Luchasaurus lariat. O’Reilly and Matt continued their fight. Jungle Boy got involved, but O’Reilly hit his rebound lariat and everyone was down. 

reDRagon stacked Jungle Boy up with an assisted German for two. Fish hit an avalanche exploder suplex and O’Reilly landed a diving knee to Jungle Boy’s leg before locking on a knee bar. Fish landed a diving headbutt on Jungle Boy and O’Reilly re-applied the hold, but Matt broke it up with an elbow drop. 

Nick started a nice run of offense but was cut off by Luchasaurus, who hit a chokeslam. O’Reilly got the big man in a guillotine, which Jungle Boy broke up with a shooting star press. Luchasaurus covered, but Nick broke up the pin with a 450 splash. 

Matt grabbed a title, but O’Reilly used the distraction to hit Jungle Boy with it for a near fall. reDRagon then hit the High Low for a good near fall, with Luchasaurus breaking up the pin. The Bucks hit superkicks on Fish, Jungle Boy, and O’Reilly before Nick landed a step-up dive to Luchasaurus on the floor. The BTE Trigger followed, but O’Reilly broke up the pin for another good near fall.

The Bucks wanted More Bang For Your Buck, but Jungle Boy countered and hit a German. Luchasaurus then landed a step-up dive onto the pile. Matt rolled Jungle Boy up for a close near fall, but then Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus hit the Thoracic Express for the win.

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Taz joined commentary.

Face of the Revolution Ladder Match: Wardlow defeated Keith Lee, Christian Cage, Orange Cassidy, Ricky Starks, & Powerhouse Hobbs [18:18]

This was much better than last year’s edition of this match. Not all the spots landed perfectly, but it was laid out well and appropriately brutal.

The winner of this match earns a future TNT Championship title shot. The three big men (Hobbs, Lee, and Wardlow) sent the little guys packing right away. Orange re-entered and landed his soft kicks on those men, then hopped on their backs to try and reach the brass ring. 

Christian grabbed a ladder and took out most everyone at ringside. Starks set one up in the ring but was pulled down by Orange, who landed a hands-in-pockets dropkick before nonchalantly making his way up the ladder. Christian stopped him and sent both Orange and Starks to the floor. Hobbs climbed, but Christian stopped him and hit a reverse DDT off the ladder to the mat.

Lee re-entered the ring and leapfrogged over both Starks and Christian before taking them out with a crossbody. He caught an Orange hurricanrana and used him as a weapon. Lee climbed, but Wardlow challenged him to a fight in the ring. Hobbs took them both out with a ladder strike, but then he faced off with Starks. They raced to the top, but Orange disrupted the ladder and sent them crashing to the mat before helicoptering the ladder. 

Wardlow and Lee stopped Orange’s flurry. Hobbs trapped Lee behind a ladder and tossed Orange into it. He then superplexed Orange off the ladder perched in the corner. Christian speared Hobbs onto a ladder bridge. Starks dove through the ladder and took Christian out with a spear, but Wardlow cut off his climb attempt.

It was just Wardlow in the ring climbing, and he continued to climb even with Starks and Orange on his back. Hobbs met him at the top. Lee set up another ladder, and all six men climbed. Orange, Christian, Lee, and Starks all fell, leading to Wardlow and Hobbs meeting at the brass ring. They teed off on one another before crashing to the canvas.

Lee threw Orange onto Starks and Christian on the floor — he overshot and it looked brutal. He then sent Lee and Hobbs to the floor as well. The three big men fought up the ramp, with Hobbs and Wardlow working together. They then ripped apart a ladder, with Hobbs using his half of the ladder to attack the other two big men.

Hobbs and Lee fought to the announce table, but Wardlow tackled them both off the stage out of nowhere. Back at the ring, Starks hit Christian with a low blow and climbed. Wardlow quickly re-entered the ring, but then Danhausen appeared and “cursed” both Starks and Wardlow somehow.

Cage climbed the ladder, but Wardlow cut him off with a powerbomb. Wardlow box jumped his way onto a ladder bridge and powerbombed Starks onto it. Wardlow then climbed and unhooked the brass ring to win.

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Shane “Swerve” Strickland signing announcement

Tony Schiavone introduced him and brought him out as AEW’s newest acquisition. He was listed as “Swerve Strickland” on the graphic. Swerve signed the contract and Schiavone welcomed him to AEW. Swerve had a question for everyone: “Whose house?” “Swerve’s house!” 

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Jade had a live guitarist play her theme, which was fantastic.

TNT Championship: Jade Cargill (c) (w/ Mark Sterling) defeated Tay Conti (w/ Anna Jay) [7:03]

This was clunky and disjointed, but the two wrestlers both came across like stars and it felt high-energy for the most part.

Conti got in Jade’s face, so Jade kissed her for some reason. Jade immediately went for Jaded, but Conti fought out and looked for the armbar. Neither woman could establish an advantage early on until Conti hit judo throws and pump kicks followed by a swinging DDT. 

Out on the floor, Jade floored Anna Jay at ringside with a pump kick. Back in the ring, Conti rolled Jade up for a close two, but Jade ran into a chair shot from Jay and rolled up for a good near fall. Conti hit the DDTay for another near fall. Jade blocked Tay-KO and hit the Eye of the Storm for two before landing a frog splash for another near fall.

A distraction from Anna Jay allowed Conti to hit a straight piledriver for two. Conti climbed the ropes, but Jade stopped her in her tracks and hit Jaded to win and retain.

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Before the match, MJF came out to Cult of Personality before changing to his own theme. Punk returned the mind games by coming out to his old AFI theme and ROH attire.

Dog Collar match: CM Punk defeated MJF [26:48]

This was a long, patient match with flawless storytelling and execution.

Punk tried to pull MJF in using the chain, but MJF whipped it into Punk’s face. Punk was able to hang MJF over the ropes. He then used the ring post as a fulcrum to drive MJF into the turnbuckles. MJF tried to bargain, but Punk wasn’t having it. Punk landed ten punches in the corner and wrapped the chain around his fist, but MJF used the chain to tie Punk up and hit a thrust kick and powerbomb for two.

MJF countered a running bulldog from Punk and laid in chain-wrapped right hands. Punk was busted open. MJF demanded a microphone and got one. He told Punk to tell these people that he quits, and Punk told him to “eat sh*t” in return. MJF was about to continue his promo, but Punk yanked him down to the mat and landed a diving headbutt to the groin.

Punk hit a chain-assisted Russian leg sweep and a diving knee drop. He landed the corner knee and running bulldog combination. At this point, Punk was bleeding profusely, just as much as he was on Wednesday. He whipped MJF with the chain. MJF dug his nails into Punk’s lacerated forehead and locked on a chain-assisted sleeper, much like how he beat Punk in Chicago.

The official gave Punk his three chances to regain composure, and Punk did so on the third. He jackknifed over for a cradle, forcing MJF to break the hold. MJF blocked the GTS and applied the Salt of the Earth, but Punk eventually countered it into the Anaconda Vise. MJF pulled Punk’s hair and rolled Punk up, forcing Punk to break the Vise.

MJF went for the Heatseeker, but Punk stopped it. He wrapped the chain around his knee and struck MJF with a shining wizard, sending him to the floor. Punk then wrapped the chain around MJF’s eyes and laid in punches before whipping him into the steel steps.

Back in the ring, Punk called for the GTS, but when he went for it, his knee buckled under the pressure. MJF got enough energy to wrap Punk with the chain, and he went for a piledriver on the apron. Punk reversed the positioning and hit a tombstone. 

Punk climbed the ropes and wrapped the chain around his elbow, but MJF avoided the elbow drop and covered for two. MJF rolled to the floor and produced a small bag, dumping out its contents to reveal thumbtacks. He landed Punk’s rising knee strike, but Punk countered the bulldog by biting MJF’s hand. MJF tried to knock Punk down onto the tacks, but Punk countered. Punk wasn’t strong enough to hit the suplex, but MJF had the same thing happen. Punk finally took MJF down with a high kick.

MJF fought out of a Pepsi Plunge attempt and crotched Punk over the top turnbuckle before hitting a superplex onto the thumbtacks for a near fall. The chain became unhooked from MJF’s collar, so MJF called for Wardlow while the official put it on. 

Wardlow strolled out having just won a match and put a suit on. MJF demanded the Dynamite Diamond Ring, but Wardlow couldn’t find it. Punk used the distraction to hit MJF with the GTS, with MJF taking an awesome bump onto the tacks. Wardlow suddenly found the ring in his right pocket and passed it to Punk. MJF spit in Punk’s face, but Punk hit him with the ring for the win. 

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There is a new women’s title belt.

AEW Women’s World Championship: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (c) (w/ Rebel & Jamie Hayter) defeated Thunder Rosa [17:30]

This was awful. The crowd truly did not care at all and Baker’s match layout, just dripping with interference and distractions and cheating and HEAT~ is completely antithetical to what I think most AEW fans want in 2022. The work was passable, but all the other mitigating factors made this unpleasant. Hopefully the visual pinfall and submission gives Rosa a rematch.

Neither woman established an advantage early on as they performed an extended back-and-forth sequence. Baker avoided a corner elbow and hit a neckbreaker to earn an advantage. She distracted the official while Hayter attacked Rosa. Baker continued to dominate, often using illegal tactics to maintain control.

Rosa finally started a comeback after a long beatdown with a German. She followed it up with dropkicks to Baker’s back and then front. A Northern Lights suplex was next for two. Baker countered an Iconoclasm into an Air Raid Crash for two of her own. She then hit a pendulum suplex for two before a butterfly suplex got two more.

Rebel passed Baker the glove as she was thinking Lockjaw, but Rosa surprised her with a running dropkick. She then hit a superplex and floated over into a fireman’s carry neckbreaker. A sliding lariat followed for two. Baker fought out of a Fire Thunder driver attempt and hit a neckbreaker and underhook suplex for two.

They traded cradles for more two counts. Baker hit an avalanche Air Raid Crsh for a near fall. Rosa went for a tombstone, but Baker countered it, then Rosa rolled through for another cradle. Rosa then hit a tombstone, but Rebel distracted the official as Rosa got the visual pinfall. 

Rosa dispatched Rebel before they traded more cradles. Hayter passed Baker the belt, and Baker hit a curb stomp onto it for a good near fall. Baker went for the Lockjaw, but Rosa turned it into a Lockjaw of her own. Rosa then turned it into a straitjacket sleeper, but Rebel distracted the official as Baker tapped. Rosa then speared Rebel to the floor in a cool spot before taking down Hayter with a lariat.

As Rosa re-entered the ring, Baker hit a curb stomp for the win.

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Jon Moxley defeated Bryan Danielson [20:44]

This was a physical, technical war. The crowd was clearly tired at this point, which limited the match’s ceiling — still, it was fantastically worked and entertaining from start to finish. The post-match was awesome.

A “WE WANT VIOLENCE” chant started things off. They performed technical wrestling before spilling to the floor. Back in the ring, Moxley gave Danielson a slap, so Danielson came back with a snapmare and a soccer kick to the back. Moxley invited Danielson in for a slap, and Danielson obliged, but Moxley came back with hard chops.

Moxley laid in strikes, forcing Danielson deep into the corner. Danielson tried to evade with his corner flip but Moxley took Danielson down with a lariat. Moxley laid in mid kicks until one was caught and turned into a dragon screw. Danielson laid in Yes kicks and celebrated while Moxley recovered. 

Danielson targeted Moxley’s midsection. A chop woke Moxley up and he fired up until Danielson cut him off with a mule kick. Danielson went for a diving headbutt, but Moxley rolled out of the way. Danielson kept up the attack with a knee lift and a corner dropkick. 

Moxley started a comeback with a German and then a Saito suplex but ran into a roundhouse kick. Danielson applied a flying guillotine, which Moxley fought out of. He laid in more mid kicks, which just fired Moxley up. Moxley backdropped Danielson to the floor and both men evaded tope suicidas, leading to a brawl outside.

Both men hit simultaneous elbow strikes, leading to a double down. They both were busted open, with Moxley just bleeding everywhere. They traded knee strikes to the midsection until Danielson hit a rolling elbow and Moxley turned it into a rebound lariat. 

They fought on the top rope, where Danielson hit a brutal avalanche back suplex for two. Danielson laid in repeated elbows before locking on a dragon sleeper, and Moxley had to reach the ropes to force a break. Moxley locked on a rear naked choke but then turned it into repeated elbows of his own. He switched to the cross arm breaker, but Danielson turned it into the LeBell Lock until Moxley reached the ropes.

Both men clasped hands and attempted to kick the other’s head in. Moxley got the advantage and did so before applying the Bulldog Choke. Danielson cradled Moxley and hit a Regalplex to break things before landing a Busaiku knee for a near fall.

Danielson locked on the triangle sleeper. Moxley fought for a long time and rolled Danielson up for a trap pinfall victory.

– After the match, Danielson got in the official’s face before he and Moxley brawled. Security came out to break them apart to no avail. WILLIAM REGAL, a mentor to both of these men, walked out to talk sense into everyone. He gave Moxley and Danielson each a hard slap before demanding they shake hands.

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AEW Dynamite (3/9) lineup:

• TNT Championship: Sammy Guevara (c) vs. Scorpio Sky
• AEW Women’s World Championship #1 Contender: Thunder Rosa vs. Leyla Hirsch

AEW Dynamite: St. Patrick’s Day Slam (3/16) lineup:

• TNT Championship: Guevara OR Sky (c) vs. Wardlow
• AEW Women’s World Championship: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (c) vs. Rosa OR Hirsch

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Tornado Tag: Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin, & Sting defeated A.H.F.O. (Andrade El Idolo, Matt Hardy, & Isiah Kassidy) (w/ Marq Quen & Jose the Assistant) [13:01]

This was an absurd crowd-pleasing spotfest.

Darby immediately took out Andrade with one of his ridiculous topes. Sting dispatched José the Assistant, propping him on a chair with a trash can over his body, allowing Darby to take him out. Hardy crushed Darby with a chair shot before Andrade tossed Guevara into the front row. Darby and Guevara suplexed Andrade.

Hardy and Kassidy isolated Sting in the ring, but Sting popped right up and took them both down with trash can shots. Darby hit Coffin splashes and Guevara landed his double jump moonsault on Kassidy. Andrade planted Darby in the corner before Hardy hit the Twist of Fate on Guevara for a near fall.

Andrade went for a springboard to the floor which Darby sidestepped. Private Party worked together to attack Guevara, and they managed to hit the Silly String on the outside. Hardy and Sting brawled into the crowd, but then the Butcher and Blade appeared to attack Sting. Butcher repeatedly swung Darby into a barricade, then Private Party had Guevara perched on tables on the stage. Guevara fought back and climbed up to meet Kassidy at the top, hitting an insane Spanish Fly through the tables. 

Butcher and Blade started setting up a contraption of tables. Sting fired up and fought them off, but he was eventually overwhelmed by Andrade and Hardy, who hit a low blow. Darby and Andrade fought on the tables — Hardy got the advantage but collapsed from exhaustion. Sting then splashed Andrade through the tower of tables in another ridiculous spot.

Back in the ring, Darby hit a Scorpion Death Drop on Hardy through chairs followed by a Coffin Drop for the win.

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AEW World Championship: Hangman Page (c) defeated Adam Cole [26:00]

I wasn’t that high on Cole as a challenger coming in, but this match had a super layout with great drama, work, and performances from everyone involved.

The crowd was surprisingly pro-Cole (this came across on the broadcast but people in the crowd were saying it was almost entirely behind Cole). Cole laid in corner forearms and yelled at Page, who came back and downed him with one strike. Page dropkicked Cole out on the floor and repeatedly sent him into the barricade. 

Cole gained control by avoiding a lariat, which sent Page’s arm hard into the ring post. He followed it up by sending Page into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Cole hit a ushigoroshi but only got a one count. He planted Page with a spinning slam for two.

Every time Page thought about starting a comeback, Cole would but him off — such as reversing a pop-up move into a backstabber. Cole hit a feint kick and looked for the Panama Sunrise, but Page booted him on the attempt. He followed it up with the springboard lariat and a brutal-looking apron powerbomb before landing an Orihara moonsault.

Back in the ring, Cole rolled out of the way of the Buckshot Lariat, but Page was able to hit a Liger bomb for two. They fought on the top rope, leading to a great spot where Cole reversed Page’s top-rope moonsault with a perfectly timed superkick.

Cole tuned up the band, but Page hit the Deadeye for a near fall. They traded strikes in the middle of the ring, leading to Cole hitting a superkick but running into a discus elbow. Cole turned the follow-up lariat into a crossface, forcing Page to fight to reach the ropes. 

Page countered the ushigoroshi and hit a tombstone piledriver for two. They battered one another like a hockey fight before Page hit a German and Cole hit a ushigoroshi for two. Cole wanted the Panama Sunrise, but Page met him at the top rope and hit a ridiculous moonsault powerslam for two.

reDRagon ran out. Cole used the distraction to superkick Page before hitting the Panama Sunrise on the floor, which only got two. reDRagon distracted the official, allowing Cole to low blow, Panama Sunrise, and Lower the Boom on Page for a close near fall. 

Cole hit repeated superkicks, but Page countered the Boom into a lariat. Cole countered the Buckshot into a superkick before hitting two more, but Page collapsed on Cole’s Boom attempt, making it impossible to hit. reDRagon set up a table at ringside, but Page was the beneficiary as it allowed him to hit the Deadeye through the table. 

The Dark Order came out to check on Page, before their presence devolved into a brawl with reDRagon. They chased O’Reilly and Fish up the ramp. Page then hit the Buckshot, but Cole just got his hand on the ropes to stop the count.

Page used his belt to tie Cole to the rope, just as Cole had done to Page at Dynamite this week. He laid in repeated thrust kicks before running into one from Cole, who freed himself. Page hit a crushing thrust kick and lowered the Boom on Cole before hitting the Buckshot Lariat for the win. 

– After the match, Page acknowledged Cole and posed with the belt. 

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Final thoughts:

This was yet another stellar pay-per-view from AEW. I thought this show legitimately had seven must-see matches — not to mention two exciting debuts. AEW still needs to iron out their women’s division, but assuming Rosa wins next week and the following week, they’ll be well on their way to making that happen. AEW PPVs are as close to a sure bet as anything in wrestling.