The finals are set for the 2025 AEW Owen Hart Foundation men’s tournament.
Hangman Adam Page defeated Kyle Fletcher on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite in Norfolk, Virginia to advance to the finals of the Owen Hart Foundation men’s tournament set for the Sunday, May 25 Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
Page pinned Fletcher with a Buckshot Lariat in the Dynamite main event in their semifinals matchup to advance to the tournament finals.
Hangman moves on and will face Will Ospreay at Double or Nothing in Glendale, Arizona, with the winner earning an AEW World title shot at All In Texas set for Saturday, July 12.
Ospreay defeated Kevin Knight in the quarterfinals, and Konosuke Takeshita in the semifinals to earn his Double or Nothing spot, while Page defeated Josh Alexander in the quarterfinals, and Fletcher in the semifinals to punch his ticket to Glendale.
The current AEW Double or Nothing lineup is listed below. Our full report from Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite is here.
AEW Double or Nothing, Sunday, May 25 —
Owen Hart Foundation men’s tournament finals: Will Ospreay vs. Hangman Adam Page
Owen Hart Foundation women’s tournament finals: Mercedes Mone vs. Jamie Hayter
The second Owen Hart Foundation men’s tournament semifinals matchup is official for next week’s AEW Dynamite.
As announced during Wednesday’s show, Hangman Adam Page will face Kyle Fletcher in an Owen Hart tournament semifinal on the April 30 AEW Dynamite. The winner will advance to the tournament finals at Double or Nothing on May 25 to face Will Ospreay. The tournament winner will earn a World title shot at the All In Texas pay-per-view set for Saturday, July 12.
In a preview for next week’s contest, Fletcher and the Don Callis Family attacked Page and Ospreay in a segment on this week’s Dynamite.
Ospreay won his way into the finals by defeating Kevin Knight in the quarterfinals, and Konosuke Takeshita in the semifinals. Page bested Josh Alexander in the quarterfinals, while Fletcher topped Mark Briscoe in the quarterfinals round.
The Owen Hart Foundation women’s tournament finals are set for Double or Nothing following Wednesday’s Dynamite, with Jamie Hayter defeating Kris Statlander to advance. Hayter will face Mercedes Mone for an All In title shot at Double or Nothing next month.
The AEW Dynamite lineup for April 30:
AEW Dynamite, Wednesday, April 30 —
Owen Hart Foundation men’s tournament semifinals: Hangman Adam Page vs. Kyle Fletcher
The following is an opinion-based preview and reflects that of the author and not our website.
AEW ended 2024 on a down note. The loss of Bryan Danielson into pseudo-retirement left a yawning void. The person who anchored their programming for a full year was gone. In his place was a once promising heel faction that is now milquetoast at best; a group of people who attempted murder multiple times on television somehow became run of the mill heels, their matches full of interference and unsatisfying finishes instead of company-defining violence.
Compounded with the fact that there was no promise of a David to topple this wanna be-Goliath, AEW felt adrift. But then, a funny thing happened. They got back to basics. They remembered what they were built on: killer in-ring action with interesting enough stories to support it. It’s like a lightbulb went off, they realized the wealth of talent on the roster, and leaned into it.
Revolution is, in many ways, the future. There are young wrestlers up and down the card that would be World champions in any company. MJF (28), Hangman Page (33), Swerve Strickland (34), Will Ospreay (31), Kyle Fletcher (26), Konosuke Takeshita (29) and Mercedes Mone (33) represent, frankly, an appalling collection of talent. Any number of them can be the face of the company. Blending this youth with the still valuable experience of the older talents on the roster (Samoa Joe, Cope, Christian Cage, etc.) is how a company grows exponentially. Over-indexing on the veterans is how they stagnate.
Whether it’s Tony Khan taking a heavier role in day-to-day creative, Kenny Omega returning or wrestlers just finding their groove, AEW has emerged from the ashes of 2024 with a promising year ahead. A good year is more important now than ever with WWE being hotter than a Middle Eastern climate. This card is a great start to their PPV year with an on-paper lineup that looks as good as anything they’ve ever run.
Let’s preview Sunday’s show (8 PM Eastern main card from Los Angeles, California on PPV):
MJF vs. Hangman Adam Page
MJF said it himself: Hangman is the main character of AEW. I’d take it a step further and say that they both fill that role: the man the crowd loves to hate and the man the crowd loves to love. Page has proven to be one of the most versatile performers in wrestling, able to coax reactions out of the audience regardless of how his character is aligned. Connection like that is a gift and his happens to be a transcendent one, aided by playing three-dimensional characters.
He does not live in a linear space and is never a bad guy just ‘because.’ There are justifiable reasons for everything he does. Whether we agree with them is a matter of our respective codes of ethics, but nothing he’s done has been unfounded. His descent into madness started because someone broke into his house and threatened his family. That does something to a person. It transforms them. It transformed him into what he is now and what he’s always been at his core: the heart of AEW.
The realism of his performance and the subsequent connection it provides leads to what we always want: immersion. The goal of watching anything performative is not to ignore it or wonder what’s happening on our phones. Rather, it’s the opposite. We yearn to connect to it and feel something. We don’t want to think of anything else other than what we see on screen or in the arena. When Hangman is on that screen, he is the moment and the crowd hangs on every word and action.
His opponent in this match is his opposite as a performer. Where Hangman leans into gray areas and non-traditional wrestling roles, MJF plays the tried and true hits. When engaged and interested, he’s as good a heel as there is. When he indulges in his bad habits (lame insults and over-reliance on ‘the real world’) he becomes much less so.
But one thing is true with MJF: he raises his game to meet his dance partner where they are. With Hangman operating at a top level, MJF has had no choice but to match him and match him he has. This is as invigorated as Max has felt in quite some time. He could sink his teeth into this program and it’s shown in the quality of results. This is a match with nothing on the line, but it’s important because MJF and Page made it that way.
Prediction: Page
Ricochet vs. Swerve Strickland in a World title number one contender’s match
Prince Nana added weight to this. What otherwise could have been a paint-by-numbers program has introduced the ideas of friendship, loss, and legacy. It’s easy to label Nana as a sidecar to Swerve’s incredible act, but he’s much more. He’s so ingrained in the universe of Swerve’s character that we can lose sight of him. But whenever he’s been called upon for more, he has shined. His promo on the February 26th Dynamite has stayed with me. He showed his pain and how deeply he’s hurt by losing his robe.
It’s so important to him that he’s willing to walk away from something that’s brought him such fulfillment and success. This isn’t a cheesy breakup angle; this is about someone who is hurting and seeking help from a friend. They have fought through challenges together, struggled, and reached the peak as a unit. What defines a great friend is the ability to selflessly uplift each other. Nana’s done that for Swerve and now it’s time for Swerve to help him.
Ricochet has been unlocked as a heel. He’s always performed best when he’s cocky, and he’s always been able to do it. The smiling ‘happy to be here’ persona doesn’t resonate, doesn’t work, and hasn’t for years in wrestling. The tried and true heel tactics still work, but the Hulk Hogan/John Cena style of pure good guy rarely does. You can’t just smile and be happy to be there. It’s boring and has been done hundreds of times.
In modern wrestling, a character needs depth to thrive. Ricochet realized the crowd doesn’t love him like they used to and it changed him. As a result, he became so much more interesting. A geek with an edge is a tough thing to sell, but Ricochet has done it and developed into a valuable player for AEW.
As good as the turn has been, it still needs time to marinate. It’s not something that feels like a main event level act just yet. What does? The return of the Most Dangerous Man in AEW. The World title picture needs life, and Swerve is just the man to provide it.
Prediction: Swerve
Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher in a steel cage match
Fletcher’s growth over the last year has been stratospheric. He’s taken to being a heel better than anyone could have expected. Instead of filling the space in matches with more moves and more action — things he is preternaturally gifted at — he is filling them with less. By taking fewer opportunities to show his impressive skill and using the space to pose and preen, he’s denying the crowd something they want.
To temper oneself by suppressing a gift that less than one percent of people have is tremendous restraint for someone raised in the ‘moment making’ era of wrestling. Fletcher can do everything in the ring, but by deciding to do less and focusing on the space between, he is learning a lesson that can sometimes take decades and is positioning himself for a potentially historic career.
In some ways, he is learning the right lessons from Ospreay’s career. The move to AEW has certainly helped curb some of his worst habits. Far less prone to overwhelming bouts of self-indulgence and forgetful selling, Ospreay is an example of someone who too often finds himself trying to create something momentous at the expense of something memorable. For better or for worse, he is a pro wrestling maximalist even when the situation doesn’t require it.
If I come off as consistently critical of such an acclaimed and talented wrestler, it is because there are so few with his physical gifts. Those with the most talent face the most scrutiny. I just want less, and subsequently more, from him.
A loss for Ospreay means nothing, but a win for Fletcher means everything. He gets the biggest one of his career on Sunday.
Prediction: Fletcher
AEW World Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum)
From day one in AEW, the Hurt Syndicate have been stars. Most ex-WWE acts struggle after an initial push before finding something that works with the aforementioned Ricochet being a perfect example. Not Bobby, Shelton and MVP. They came in with an established act that should never have ended. From presentation to promos to in-ring, the Hurt Syndicate does everything at such a high level while bringing much needed fresh air to the tag team division.
Historically, AEW’s tag division has been full of high work-rate champions. Having a physical, bruising team like the Hurt Business on top changes the dynamic for the better.
The Outrunners are never going to be the best tag team in the world, but they are absolutely going to be someone’s favorite tag team and there is value in that. Acts like this are necessary for a well-rounded company. Not everyone can be a top act, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try to be fully developed characters that connect with the audience. Low-card, fan-favorite acts round out a roster and The Outrunners are exactly what they should be.
Prediction: The Hurt Syndicate retains
AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita defends against Kenny Omega
The return of a modern god of pro wrestling cannot be wasted. Omega almost transcends description at this point. Being on the shelf for over a year and returning with that match with Gabe Kidd at Wrestle Kingdom? What an absolute freak. A legendary wrestling sicko.
The days of him having classic matches on the regular are likely over. There are still bullets in the chamber, but they aren’t going to fire as frequently. He’s still fully capable of having classic matches, and he gave us proof of concept on January 4th. It was just a different kind of special. The once remarkable athleticism and explosiveness were lessened, but the match remained captivating. Omega has a unique wrestling mind, one that knows how to structure, how to build to an inflection point, and how to take us on a ride home. As his ability to drop jaws with pure physical prowess lessens, his ability to capture minds, and hearts, remains. This is the transition of an all-time great to the next stage of his career.
This match needs to be different than the ones they’ve had before. Omega is not the athlete that Takeshita is at this point in his career, and he knows it. He’s never doubted his capabilities as an all-time performer, but he’s lost to Takeshita twice already and knows what a third loss means. He desperately needs to prove that even in this new season of his career, he’s the better wrestler. Trading bombs and huge moves with Big Soup is the recipe for an unwinnable disaster, but Omega has forgotten more about wrestling than most people will ever know. His path to a win involves using more of his mind and less of his body.
There are still two PPVs to get through, but the money match at All In is with Okada, ideally with belts on the line (hopefully with some kind of unification). The build to that should start at Revolution.
Prediction: Kenny Omega wins the title
AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Brody King
This might sound odd, but I wish this were the main event of a Dynamite rather than here. Top to bottom, this card is loaded, so much so that this runs the risk of being lost. No shade to either of these cats intended. King is long overdue for some singles shine and Okada is Okada — one of the best wrestlers of this century. I worry there will be too much of the same. But then again, if Okada flips the ‘big match’ switch, this could steal the whole show.
Here’s the list of wrestlers who’ve beaten Okada clean, one-on-one in AEW: Bryan Danielson (2x) and Kyle Fletcher. How beautiful would it be to have Brody on that list? In a match with Ricochet, Okada, and Strickland, he was the one getting the chants and biggest reactions. The crowd has loved him forever and he deserves the opportunity to bathe in their appreciation with success and gold. Unfortunately, there are probably bigger plans for Okada that require a title around his waist.
Prediction: Okada retains
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Momo Watanabe
The doubters have been silenced. The haters continue shouting into the void as they know no other way. Through it all, Mone sits atop the wrestling world. Her matches with Kris Statlander were remarkable. Her match with Hazuki was sensational. She tossed Harley Cameron into her backpack and carried her to a solid match at Grand Slam Australia. Few wrestlers are better at big match wrestling.
She is both a floor lifter and ceiling raiser, and is a talent that will be appreciated far more once she’s done. There isn’t much she hasn’t accomplished in wrestling. One of the few things left is a run towards the AEW Women’s World Championship. Mone vs Toni Storm for both belts at All In sounds like a (no pun intended) money match to me. To get there, she needs to keep her title.
Prediction: Mone retains
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Mariah May in a Hollywood Ending match
This is the real main event and what should be the final chapter in a 12+ month story. Regardless of your feelings about “Timeless,” it’s one of the more impressive character performances in modern wrestling. A gimmick that should have expired long ago, she has somehow kept it fresh and relevant. This would have been fodder for eye rolls and channel changes in the hands of less dedicated and weaker performers. In a sea of expected and flat characters, this continues to stand out as something different and always worth the time.
May’s run up to the title was a combination of great writing and great performance. The same writing that brought her success undermined her time as champion. She was rarely given anything substantial to do, and her character devolved into a stereotypical ‘mean champion’ trope. It often felt, correctly I might add, that she was waiting for Storm to come back around. May needs a soft reset to get away from the only meaningful program she’s been involved with in AEW. Her future as a performer remains as bright as ever. She just needs some time and some tweaks.
A Hollywood Ending match promises finality and even though all signs point to Storm retaining, is this the end of the “Timeless” character? It’s impossible to separate “Timeless” (I am so tired of typing this) Toni and May from each other. Their stories are so intertwined, is it reasonable to expect that one can’t exist without the other? The most interesting outcome sees Storm retain, May get a break, and “Timeless” Toni retires to Sunset Boulevard – this show is in Los Angeles, after all – and Storm reinvents herself once again.
Prediction: Storm retains
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley defends against Cope
An unfortunate truth about this match is that a clean outcome isn’t satisfying. Not a ringing endorsement of the main event scene! The Death Riders are an unsuccessful experiment. Extending Moxley’s run with the title is just kicking the can down the road. A 51-year-old Cope being the one to overcome the heel champion is equally empty. The intrigue lies in the gray. Credit to AEW for having multiple outside options that impact the main event’s outcome.
I rarely do in-depth fantasy booking in this space, but indulge my thinking for a moment. This week’s Dynamite introduced both Jay White and Wheeler Yuta as additional ingredients in the de facto main event. A White heel turn could not have been telegraphed any harder, to the point it feels like a red herring. We’ve also been hit over the head with the idea that Moxley is truly all alone. The heel all alone, but the face with someone in their corner for support? I wonder what could happen there.
Imagine a world where Cope is close to winning, White tries to cost him the match, Yuta stops him, but Moxley retains. This gives everyone something more interesting to do. White is properly aligned as a heel and can have a serious program with Cope. Yuta splinters The Death Riders while Strickland can be the one to take down Moxley at April’s Dynasty. I don’t know how likely this is, but I’d leave Revolution feeling better about where the top title is.
A six-man tag team match is set for AEW Dynamite Holiday Bash.
Tony Khan announced on social media that Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and PAC) will meet Jay White, Orange Cassidy, and Hangman Adam Page this Wednesday. Moxley’s opponents will be squaring off against him in a fatal four-way match that will take place at Worlds End on December 28.
“Before #AEWWorldsEnd, the 3 World Title challengers aim to take down Death Riders THIS WEDNESDAY!,” Khan wrote.
This Wednesday, 12/18 Washington, D.C. TBS, 8pm ET/7pm CT Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite
White, Cassidy, and Page have all made their claim to be next in line for the championship. On last week’s show, the Death Riders laid out all three of their future opponents after Page interfered in their match.
The Death Riders have continued to wreak havoc across all of AEW’s television shows. The end of Collision on Saturday saw the group attack FTR, putting bags over their faces and dragging them outside of the building.
AEW Dynamite (Wednesday, December 18) —
Continental Classic Gold League match: Will Ospreay vs. Darby Allin
Continental Classic Blue League match: The Beast Mortos vs. Shelton Benjamin
Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and PAC vs. Jay White, Orange Cassidy, and Hangman Adam Page
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Anna Jay
The following is an opinion-based preview and reflects that of the author and not of the website.
The Sopranos, long may it reign, had a habit of loading up the penultimate episodes of a season and dealing with the fallout in the finale. Two of the best episodes in the show’s history (“The Knight in White Satin Armor” and “Long Term Parking”) didn’t end their respective seasons, but were powerhouse episodes that stayed with viewers more than two decades later.
Last year’s Full Gear offered something similar. We saw the bloody, gruesome beginning of the Hangman Page/Swerve Strickland saga which kickstarted Swerve’s run at the top of the card. It also saw the start of “Timeless” Toni Storm’s lengthy run with the Women’s title. Both of those characters and stories began ramping up after Full Gear and there are a few candidates for this year:
Daniel Garcia: It’s well past time for him to make a jump into being a consistent main character.
Kyle Fletcher: Can he use his match with Will Ospreay as a launching pad to something bigger like Swerve did?
Orange Cassidy: Does he have a real chance to be the hero that conquers Jon Moxley’s Death Riders or is he keeping the seat warm for the true protagonist in the story, Darby Allin?
Other than this bit of self-created intrigue, this show feels flat. It was done no favors by a tragically weak go-home show on Wednesday. There’s been too much recycling of tired WWE-style tropes and hodgepodge booking decisions lately. AEW does not feel cohesive. Too many of the performers feel like they are performing in isolation. The connective tissue to so much of this is missing. Hopefully, the Continental Classic portends a return to AEW’s bread-and-butter: really, really good professional wrestling. Last year’s tournament was a doozy, and they need this one to be the same.
First, let’s see how things shake out this Saturday. Here’s my previews and predictions for Saturday (8 PM Eastern main card start on PPV):
MJF vs. Roderick Strong
The sooner AEW moves past this “story,” the better. It is a jumbled, unnecessary mess. MJF’s contributions to this consist of pre-tapes shot on a seven-megapixel Logitech camera from 2006. And, in case you forgot, Strong is supposed to be the bad guy in this! Remember The Devil™ storyline from last year? Of course, you do. We all do. We all wish we didn’t. But here MJF is, running down Roddy’s family while he cuts a generic babyface promo. There is nothing here now, and there won’t be anything even if Adam Cole winds up wrestling MJF at Worlds End. All parties are best served to end this and move on toward anything else. At least this should be good between the bells.
Prediction: MJF
Jay White vs. “Hangman” Adam Page
Page is incapable of being boring. Whether it’s his anxiety, a promo about worker’s rights, or his descent into simmering lunacy, he is must-see. Few wrestlers in AEW draw consistent eyeballs, but Page is one of them. He is their most successfully versatile performer. Other wrestlers can switch alignments like he does, but none do it as well. He’s succeeded no matter what he’s been given and should be positioned much higher on the card.
Every show needs a match like this. It plays off of history, has good mic work, and fits both characters. It’s an easy, paint-by-numbers booking. I am higher on White than most, it seems. Perhaps I am disarmed and misled by his accent, but I generally like him. I do wonder what his ceiling is, though. He exudes confidence, cuts promos full of venom and has precise character work, but I can’t help wondering if his fate is to be the guy who comes close without ever actually getting to the top. There’s always going to be someone just a little bit better.
White has had Hangman’s number throughout their careers and will give him another check in the loss column this weekend.
Prediction: White
Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher
Fletcher and his sudden tattoos aren’t there yet, but AEW wants him to get there. They need him to get there. They’re giving him the space and the time to smooth out the edges on regular TV. He’s not anything special on the microphone, but he’s getting better. He’s growing like an actor graduating from bit parts to meatier roles. Each week, the nervous energy turns more toward ease with his oodles of raw athleticism and talent coalescing into something potentially special. Giving the ball to someone this inexperienced is a gamble. With Fletcher, it’s starting to feel less so.
Positioning Ospreay as The Guy on PPVs is another smart decision. This is not someone who should be deployed for filler episodes. He’s modeled his game after Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada: two of the best big-match performers of this generation. What makes Omega’s whole Best Bout Machine gimmick work is that not every match is the “Best Bout.” That’s the model Ospreay needs to follow during his peak years. He doesn’t need to give someone the match of their life on a random Wednesday night in February. Kicking out of the Stormbreaker or Hidden Blade should mean something, not moves that take us to commercial. Keep the bullets in the chamber for the brightest lights and biggest stages. That way the matches, and moments, mean more.
As bright as Fletcher’s star might be, Ospreay’s is still brighter. He’s the most over wrestler in the company and he adds to his big show resume with a win.
Prediction: Ospreay
Swerve Strickland vs. Bobby Lashley
Time and again, Strickland has plunged himself into the deep end, daring to test his mettle against the best of his generation. His position as top-tier talent is cemented; an unteachable cocktail of charisma, presentation, and edge. On Saturday, his biggest challenge yet casts quite a shadow.
Hopefully freed from corporate storytelling’s straitjacket, Lashley seems poised to soar, or to steamroll AEW. AEW has the market cornered on mid-sized wrestlers who can fly around the ring. He’s a different type of athletic marvel. What they’re missing, and what’s always been missing, is someone this physically imposing. Few are more imposing than big Bob Lashley. His brute strength and explosiveness combined with Swerve’s puzzle box of unpredictability and penchant for the moment make for a match worth watching. This is a rare occasion where it doesn’t quite matter how we got to our destination, but we sure are happy to be here.
Swerve remains teflon. A loss here won’t hurt him at all and losing to Lashley, combined with his recent losses to Danielson and Page, would introduce some fascinating struggle to a character that has otherwise shined on major shows. A win for Lashley would go a long way to establish The Hurt Syndicate as a serious force in AEW.
Prediction: Lashley
AEW Tag Team Champions Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) defend against The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd), Kings of the Black Throne (Malakai Black & Brody King) and The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) in a four-way
How long are we going to continue to do this with The Acclaimed? An act long past its expiration date, constantly bogged down by the anchor of Caster. Bowens deserves so much more than waiting around for a Caster heel turn that no one cares about. Not a soul.
Edgelord gimmicks are less successful in wrestling than they are in real life. They’re even worse when the “edgy” content isn’t even funny. Unfunny, corny, and bad at wrestling is not a three-ingredient dish that anyone, let alone the wrestling audience at large, has an interest in eating. The idea of him in The Hurt Syndicate is a laughable one. There is no quicker way to kill momentum than by adding a dash of “Platinum.”
Fortunately, the other teams in the match are all different types of good. Refreshingly, they have gimmicks that are more than “good wrestlers.” Private Party, House of Black, and The Outrunners are all different types of teams that wrestle different types of matches. Diversity is paramount in wrestling (and in life!) and leads to quality matches which this should be. I’m mostly excited about this one!
Prediction: Private Party retains
AEW TNT Champion Jack Perry defends against Daniel Garcia
We have tried and we have learned all we need to about Perry. There is no failure because something doesn’t work; there is only failure in the absence of effort. Perry could have coasted along as a member of Jurassic Express, equal parts doomed and privileged to be a mid-card, crowd-pleasing act. But in the search for the elusive ceiling — the search for something greater — change was needed. If Perry was going to become an actual pillar of the company, he couldn’t remain static.
The change has not worked. Perry is no more believable as a top guy now than when he started. He is neither top class as a worker, a talker, or in any other way. He’s above average in all three and can play an important but lesser role as long as he wants. But we know what the ceiling is now; a ceiling artificially raised by entrance music.
If I went through my old columns, I’d imagine the phrase ‘now or never’ shows up more than anything else. I’ll continue that overuse here because it is actually now or never with Garcia. The collective heart of AEW cannot take another stop-and-start. It cannot take more stalled momentum. An audience that has been dying to embrace Garcia needs at least some kind of crowning moment to hold on to. I’d argue winning the TNT championship is much less than beating MJF clean on a PPV show, but who am I? I’m just a guy that clickity clacks his days away. Let us love something, one time.
Prediction: Garcia wins the title
AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita defends against Ricochet
This is a match, once again, added late in the week and well past bedtime for all East Coast Dads. It is also a match that reflects the evolution in my pro wrestling fandom more than any other. Like a lot of fans, Ring of Honor was my first discovery when I started venturing outside the WWE monolith. I was taken by not only the charming grime, but the different styles of wrestling on the shows.
But nothing opened my eyes more than Pro Wrestling Guerilla. The stacked supershows run out of Reseda immediately captivated me. I looked forward to their show trailers and DVD sales more than anything else, and Ricochet was front and center of that. I had never seen someone be able to show off athleticism like that. I fell for the flips, and off I went.
As I’ve grown, I’m less drawn to the overly choreographed flippy stuff. Now it’s the ones that hit hard that pull my eyes to a screen — that explosive strong style. If you’ve read any of my columns over the past year or so, you know that I think Takeshita is the present and future of pro wrestling. He’s a perfect prospect, and a real litmus test for Ricochet. If he wants to prove he can hang with the best wrestlers in the world, few are better than the current International champion. He can probably hang, but he probably can’t win.
Prediction: Takeshita retains
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Kris Statlander
The sudden and sad splintering of Statlander from Stokley Hathaway is unfortunate. One day, they were together, aligned against Willow Nightingale in a street fight. The next, they were nothing. They didn’t exist. Vapor. It’s a shame because it was clicking for me. It let Statlander show some of her personality and unique sense of humor. Now she’s back into a generic babyface role which is fine, but like Jack Perry, fine might be the ceiling in that role.
God bless Mone for continuing to do the most at all times. She’s putting in a lot of effort to elevate a program that feels like a TV build rather than one that belongs on a major show. I am confident this will deliver in the ring. Statlander is solid-to-very good whenever she gets a chance, and Mercedes is at her best when going against someone bigger. I have high hopes for the match, and low hopes for a title change.
Prediction: Mone talks
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley defends against Orange Cassidy
Up until a few months ago, it had been a surprisingly forgettable year for Moxley. An empty IWGP championship reign ended with a hollow loss to Tetsuya Naito. Some good enough but forgettable TV matches. But now? He’s as dynamic as he’s ever been. A reinvigorated ronin. The Ace of Everything is in the best shape of his life and fully engaged. Nothing is off-limits for him. No ceiling exists for this version of Moxley. He can be whatever he wants and shape AEW to his will.
This version of Mox is a looming, seemingly unconquerable force of nature — an Anton Chigurh-like presence. This is the creation of the first real “big bad” of AEW. Sure, they’ve had heels (early Jericho, belt collector Omega, MJF) but none felt like this. None of them felt like something that could block out the sun and reshape the company. None felt inevitable. The scariest villains are the ones completely driven by purpose.
As much as I enjoy the Death Riders part of the story — their matches, promos, presence, fashion choices, etc. — the rest is lacking. Outside of Cassidy and Darby Allin, there isn’t much for them to be afraid of. The Dark Order holding the line in the parking lot? Surely not. The rest of The Conglomeration standing up for AEW? Not a needle mover in the bunch. No disrespect to the Rocky Romeros and Dark Orders of the world, but they are not equipped to be the protagonists that can save the company.
If heavy hitters don’t engage in this story, success could be elusive. A caveat: if the rumored plans of a triumphant Young Bucks/Elite return to save the day, the success won’t be elusive, it will be non-existent. This is the chance to really do something. Even if Allin is the one who saves the company, the inclusion of The Elite would only serve to tarnish that. This is an opportunity to build something different and establish something new at the top. More of the same isn’t what AEW needs to get to the next level.
Whoever winds up overcoming Mox must be prepared for war. Taking him down won’t happen on the first try. The conqueror must fail, get back up, and keep coming. Their will must be tested, and this is only the first question of the test. It’s a test Cassidy will fail.
John LaRocca and I are back to talk about the major topics in the world of professional wrestling on this week’s Fight Game Podcast.
We kicked off the show with our Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down winners and losers of the week. Then, we went through our Top Five topics of the week which included discussions on the following:
The MJF/Will Ospreay/Daniel Garcia angle from Dynamite
Hangman Page as the wildcard and possible winner of The Owen Cup
John LaRocca and I are back with another episode of The Fight Game Podcast.
We kicked off the show talking about the great job Samoa Joe has been doing as AEW World champion. We look at his program with Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page and discuss who should be champion coming out of next month’s AEW Revolution.
We then got to the rest of our Top 5 which included:
Darby Allin’s promo on AEW Dynamite being a step backward
The main event angle/angles for WWE WrestleMania
A look at the updated Elimination Chamber and Revolution cards
It’s the AEW DOUBLE OR NOTHING go home show edition of AEW Dynamite! Join on-camera personality Denise Salcedo as she breaks down the events of the night, analyzes the storylines and matches while also engaging with the live viewers!
Topics include the build to AEW DON, Wardlow and MJF’s feud, the beef between Hangman Adam Page and CM Punk, NJPW’s Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan of the United Empire appear, a wacky Hardy Boys promo, the Owen Hart Cup Men’s and Women’s tournament, and more!
This podcast is sponsored by Wrestle Rumble.
Denise will also return on Monday to discuss her live event experience at AEW Double or Nothing.
CM Punk will challenge for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing on Sunday, May 29 in Las Vegas.
Punk vs. AEW World Champion Hangman Page at Double or Nothing was announced during this week’s Dynamite.
After serving as guest commentator for a Dax Harwood vs. Cash Wheeler match, Punk took the microphone and addressed the audience. He said that he will not guarantee a win against Page, but that every match since he joined AEW has been warming up to this, and he promised to “fight until the wheels come off.”
The Punk vs. Hangman match was teased in a brief face-to-face staredown between the two on last week’s Dynamite episode.
Page has held the AEW World title since defeating Kenny Omega at Full Gear in November 2021.
The match at Double or Nothing will be Punk’s first World title bout since a July 2013 WWE World Heavyweight title match against Alberto Del Rio at a house show in Atlanta, a match that Punk won by disqualification.
Editor’s Note: The following is an opinion-based preview and reflects that of the writer and not of our website.
The importance of Cody Rhodes can not be overstated.
The magnitude of his contributions to both AEW and North American pro wrestling as a whole is tremendous. He is a major reason for the current landscape of wrestling in this country. AEW does not exist without him and he is as big a part of their success as anyone. Our personal feelings towards him are just that: personal.
But clearly, Turner Broadcasting thought, and possibly thinks, enough of him to give him his own reality show and feature him on a game show. People who don’t matter and don’t move the needle don’t get that kind of opportunity. Cody wants to be remembered as his father is: someone who had as big of an impact beyond what happens between the ropes. And maybe he won’t be as universally loved as his dad, because who can be, but the impact he had had is just as big.
So the Code-man is gone, the Codyverse is no more, and that leaves a lot of space to fill. Will we, the weekly viewer of AEW, miss what he brought to our screens? Short answer, probably not. The longer and more complicated answer? We probably will. All the talk of Cody putting himself over is largely unwarranted, considering how often he lost big matches. He put over MJF at the expense of him ever being able to wrestle for the AEW World title. Without a contract, he put on an all-time great ladder match with Sammy Guevara.
Even if something was totally unnecessary — like setting himself on fire — he was willing to do it. He was willing to do it because of his legacy. He wants to be remembered like his father is, not just as a wrestler, but as someone who had an impact beyond what happened between the ropes. And say what you want about him personally, his booking, and whatever else, but starting a critically acclaimed wrestling promotion from nothing is as legacy-defining as it gets.
All of this might look silly if he winds up coming back in some capacity, but that’s showbiz, baby. Nevertheless, the show must go on. The two biggest matches have no title attached to them, but all the title matches are still good. This is a good card and heck, maybe even a great one!
Face of the Revolution Ladder match for a future AEW TNT title shot: Keith Lee vs. Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Ricky Starks vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Christian Cage
If I could bottle the feeling I got when Ricky Starks did his Keith Lee impression, I would carry it with me everywhere. Whenever I need a hit of dopamine, I would just watch that three-second video. Lee gives voices to all the NPCs in Final Fantasy and reads their dialogue out loud. Lee wears a pageboy cap just to unnecessarily doff it at people he makes eye contact with. What I’m saying is that Keith Lee is a cornball: a very good wrestler, but still a cornball.
Usually in a ladder match, there is one, maybe two, hefty boys and the rest are lighter dudes who fly around and bump like crazy. The big guys are the base and the little guys are the style. But this might be the thickest ladder match in history with hoss after hoss after hoss. AEW hosses are still not quite full hosses. Billy Gunn towers over 95% of the roster for God’s sake, but this match has three 100% USDA grass-fed sirloin hosses. Lee is huge! Hobbs is big! Wardlow is also big! I do feel bad for Cassidy and Starks because they are going to get tossed around like crazy.
Lee has to win this. There’s a world where Wardlow does, but somehow he doesn’t need it. Whenever he finally turns on MJF, he’s immediately a top babyface with the proverbial rocket on his back. Lee winning here immediately establishes him as a huge deal and if they want him to live up to the hype Tony Khan gave leading up to his debut, he needs to be a huge deal.
Prediction: Keith Lee
AHFO (Andrade El Idolo, Matt Hardy & Isiah Kassidy) vs. Sting, TNT Champion Sammy Guevara and Darby Allin in a trios tornado match
I was hoping this would move to the pre-show, but alas, this made the main show. The AHFO is a dumb thing even though I like everyone in it. I’m much more interested in Andrade as a solo act and much, much, more interested in him getting some kind of push toward the top of the card. I’ve written many a word on this site about the wonders of Andrade (he was part of the best match I’ve ever seen live) and I have a feeling I’ll be doing it again later. I’m going to save some space and hit you with five minimally spicy thoughts about this match and the TNT title:
Glad to see Sting is healthy!
Sammy needs to ditch the two belts! He only has one title!
Do people like the cue card gimmick? Who is the audience for that!?!
Matt is just waiting for Jeff.
Where is Miro? I miss God’s Favorite Champion. 🙁
Prediction: AHFO
Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston
LeonardoDicaprioNowYouHaveMyAttention.gif. This was the definition of whatever until Jericho and King finally went face-to-face and cut whole-ass promos on each other. The ten-minute “sports entertainment” segment both sports entertained me and sold me on the match. No more backstage sniping, no more clever quips. Two beefy boys in the ring having it out on the microphone. You love to see it.
As he frequently does, Jericho said a whole bunch of words leading up to this. But something he said threw me with how right he was. He is the biggest deal in AEW. Beating him is beating the top guy in the company. Bryan Danielson is better, CM Punk might be more popular and Hangman Page is the champ, but Jericho, political affinities and all, is still the biggest deal. He’s the Hall of Famer and is in the discussion for best wrestler of all time.
It’s been a while since Jericho was cutting a promo not in service of himself or trying to get a bad catchphrase over – looking at you ‘GFY’ – and it’s nice to see him engaged with something that isn’t purely self-serving. There’s some truth to what he was saying, too. We are imperfect, impermanent creatures and it is our nature to doubt ourselves.
Indulge me here for a second. Is the reason Eddie never got into great shape because he believed, in his heart, he couldn’t do this? Did he doubt his substantial gifts? If he got rid of one of his hangups or perceived faults, he wouldn’t have a reason for his failure. It wouldn’t be “Oh Eddie is talented but he doesn’t have the right look” and is instead “Oh Eddie just doesn’t have ‘it’.” Being forced to confront your inadequacies head-on is terrifying and it certainly makes sense for him, or anyone, to try and avoid them. Often, the scariest thing any of us can do is try. Jericho held a mirror up to Eddie’s insecurities and they smacked him right across the face. I can’t wait to see these two go at it.
When wrestling is good, like it is here, it can let us explore deep human emotions. It’s great! They should do more of it!
Prediction: Kingston
Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley
The Purveyor of Violence vs. its Poet Laureate is a match worthy of the pay-per-view price on its own. If this was the only match on the card, I would gladly pay full price for it. Danielson is a supreme being — a pure aspect of pro wrestling delivered to an undeserving world. He is as close to perfection as it gets: a wrestler working at an S+ tier level while not overshadowing the rest of his peers. It’s a tough line to walk, but somehow Bryan does it better than anyone. He walked into AEW and immediately started doing some of the best work of a historically great career.
Where Bryan is elegant and calculating, Moxley seems to make it up as he goes. Unpredictable, frenetic and appearing unpolished, he is the chaos to Bryan’s order. Compared with Bryan’s surgical precision that wastes no movement and spares no limb, Moxley almost looks sloppy, almost haphazard. But that’s just who he is. He doesn’t care about technical precision; he just cares about hurting whoever he’s in the ring with.
Look at the two of them when they have gone face-to-face. Bryan barely moves when he talks, delivering his message calmly. Moxley can’t sit still. He’s moving constantly, pacing around the ring, gesturing at the crowd and gesturing at Bryan. He can barely keep the words in his mouth. He’s like a shark; if he slows down or doesn’t get the conflict he so desperately wants, it’s all over.
(Before I get to the match prediction, can someone please tell me when Bryan’s theme song got a chorus with vocals? Apparently, this version of his theme has been around since September which seems…impossible? Surely he did not come out to this when he wrestled Adam Page? There is no way! (He did not, I checked.) I am both professionally and recreationally medicated, but there is no way I missed this. If anyone can tell me when Bryan started using this entrance at a show, I will buy you one (1) large cheese pizza no questions asked. If you know, let me know and I’ll hit that Venmo for the ‘za.)
As different as they are stylistically, these guys are both at the absolute apex of what they do. That’s what makes this match such a treat. They are two guys that just want to fight, two guys that just want to bleed together. Guys being dudes, what’s better than that? What’s better is what comes next: the potential pairing of these two. Them teaming up and creating the next generation of violence in AEW could be the best thing the company has ever done. I’ve gone back and forth on this, but I can’t see Moxley losing and then partnering with Bryan. It just goes against his fundamental alignment.
Prediction: Moxley
CM Punk vs. MJF in a dog collar match
We witnessed a perfect wrestling promo on February 23rd — one that had a single, perfectly timed tear. It was a promo that deftly subverted our expectations…at least for a week. I kept waiting for MJF to pull the rug out, except he never did. How many times have we seen a version of the promo that flips the last 15% on its head? Not this time. Young Maxwell stood on the rug with us and made us uncomfortable. And who is he to make us feel something? To make us feel anything other than loathing and disgust? Impossible. For someone who hasn’t won a title in AEW, Max has done a whole lot. But on February 23rd, he did something implausible. He made us relate to him. That’s what made this past Wednesday work so well.
Everything about it hit the right notes. The telltale white t-shirts. Punk questioning his role/alignment in all this. The unsure handshake turned hug. The callback to Punk’s 2005 ROH promo on the day Tony Khan acquired ROH. Just beautiful. It all worked — a masterclass of pro wrestling. The build to this has been exceptional to the point that it’s overshadowing most of the rest of the card.
After all of this, MJF has to win. He needs to come out on top so he can move from smarmy heel to full-on evil megalomaniac. I’ve gone back and forth a bit on MJF but not in terms of how talented he is because goodness gracious, is he talented. But I like him so much more when he leans away from the expected “you people are fat” and “Cleveland has ugly women” stuff. Anyone can do that. Anyone can refer to Punk as “Phil” and get a muted “oooooh” from the crowd, but Max has shown he is capable of so much more. His ability on the microphone is so far beyond that and he proved it in the shadow of WWE of all places. He wins on Sunday and starts his path towards dethroning Hangman.
Prediction: MJF
TBS Champion Jade Cargill vs. Tay Conti for the title
The introduction of green into Cargill’s gear and presentation is perfect for non-coitus-havers like me. Of course, she’s wearing shades of green as she’s money, people are jealous of her, etc, etc, etc. But what I specifically appreciate is the wink to the main criticism of her in the fact that she’s, well, green. A lack of experience shouldn’t immediately be a critique of a performer. Sure, there are cases where someone is clearly not ready for their spot, but that’s not the situation here. The ringwork is coming along and everything else is more than ready.
As quickly as Jade is growing, Conti has come a long, long way herself. Not even her staunchest of supporters could have claimed to see this coming when she was in WWE NXT. She’s spoken openly about how hard that experience was for her and how freed she feels in AEW. No one does their best work in a stifling environment and it’s great to see her flourishing. She gets better each time she’s in the ring and works a style that is unique both to who she is and her background.
The first person to beat Jade needs to be a big deal. It should be a big deal! It’s the chance to really make someone a star. The first person to put an L on her ledger should be made on the spot. It’s just not here because it’s just too soon.
Prediction: Jade
AEW Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express vs. reDRagon vs. The Young Bucks in a three-way title match
As I age with an alarming lack of grace, more and more I’m appreciating the difference between the critical good and the casual good like the popcorn movie type of good and the kind of good that requires nothing from you. There’s a difference between sitting down and watching Now You See Me – the wildly underrated *magician* caper from 2013 – and watching Funny Games or the end of Oldboy. One requires nothing of you and one requires significantly more of an active brain.
The more I have to stretch my hips in the morning, the more I’m appreciating these simpler pleasures. Does this make me sound kind of like an a**hole? Sure! But there are levels to this and enjoying them for what they are, let us (me) enjoy them even more.
Jurassic Express is a reasonably enjoyable action flick. Some people do what they do better, but the crowd just eats them up. They might not be my cup of tea, at least the reptilian half, but they serve a purpose and their matches always have a hot crowd. The people love them, even if I don’t. And you’ve got to give the people what they want. This formally, and sadly ends my crusade against Luchasaurus…unless he gets a big singles run. If that’s the case, I am BACK, baby.
This match is going to absolutely rule. PPV Young Bucks are always great and ReDRagon always delivers in big matches. The spots will be plentiful and the thigh slaps robust. Maybe this is a bit of an upset, but I think ReDRagon winning opens up the tag division for more compelling matchups – mainly them vs FTR – and that’s where we go Sunday.
Prediction: ReDRagon
AEW Women’s Champion Dr. Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa for the title
Is it time for Britt’s reign to end? She’s closing in on a year with the belt and this feels like the first time it could reasonably end. She is still the best overall performer in AEW. The sheer force of her talent has made her run with the title memorable, but none of the feuds have been great. This one is different. These two had the best women’s match in AEW history. Taking it a step further, it was probably the best North American women’s match since Bayley/Sasha in Brooklyn. I still can’t help but feel like this should have more heat. These two should be doing everything they can to get their paws on each other. Something is missing here and I can’t quite put my finger on it. Regardless, a rematch between these two should be electrifying.
As great as Britt is as a performer, Rosa isn’t far behind. She’s intense in the ring and so passionate outside of it. Listen to any interview she’s done and it immediately becomes clear just how much this means to her and how seriously she takes her craft. She’s unique, she’s different and she’s magnetic. Comparing her and Britt on the mic isn’t fair because Britt outclasses everyone there, but Rosa is just as good everywhere else.
This is one of the places where a title change makes sense. Britt is great with the title, but has proven she doesn’t need it to be over. She’s made no matter what. This is a chance to put the belt on someone new that the crowd is firmly behind.
Prediction: Thunder Rosa
AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Adam Cole for the title
When a world title match is like the fifth best match on the card, you know the card is a banger.
Booking a pure babyface champion is so much harder than booking a heel. Page hasn’t been as prominent on weekly TV as some other champions, but the booking he has been a part of has been fantastic. His two matches with Danielson deserve all the praise they have received and then some. It’s easy to give Danielson most of the credit in those because he’s Bryan Danielson, but you can’t have a classic without both parts bringing it. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are only as good as the peanut butter and thejelly together.
The criticism of Cole’s booking is just wild to me. Losing a gimmick match to arguably the most popular wrestler in the company is just that: a loss. If losing one match and getting a world title shot is a burial, then bury my shell at wounded knee. People have to lose matches. The same people that complain about so-and-so being buried are the same people that complain about WWE’s penchant for DQ finishes and rematches. If you want wins and losses to matter, then everyone is going to lose at some point. Not everyone can hold the title at the same time.
Page’s long-fought coronation didn’t happen just for him to lose his first PPV defense. Between the Bullet Club, The Elite and ReDRagon, Cole has far too much on his plate already. Adding a title to that would be way too much. Page closes Revolution the same way he closed Full Gear: as AEW World Champion.
All Elite Wrestling’s flagship show Dynamite on TBS featured a lot of major news . Join on-air personality Denise Salcedo as she reviews the February 2nd edition of the show which includes the removal of an announced Brian Kendrick match, an unpopular segment, and CM Punk’s first loss on AEW. This is the perfect show for all AEW fans!
A date has been set for the “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Bryan Danielson AEW World title match.
AEW president, CEO and general manager Tony Khan announced on Twitter that Page will defend the AEW World Championship against number one contender Bryan Danielson at the Winter is Coming edition of Dynamite on Wednesday, December 15 in Garland, Texas at the Curtis Culwell Center.
Page won the AEW World Championship from Kenny Omega at the Full Gear pay-per-view on November 13. At the same event, Danielson defeated Miro in the finals of an AEW World title eliminator tournament to set up the match. Page earned the title shot at Full Gear by winning a Casino Ladder Match on Dynamite’s second anniversary episode on October 6 as a surprise entrant.
Danielson faces Dark Order’s Alan Angels on tonight’s Dynamite episode. Page will be on commentary for the match.
Omega defeated Jon Moxley at the 2020 Winter is Coming to win the AEW World title and held it until losing to Page at Full Gear.
