Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship in an exploding barbed wire deathmatch headlines tonight’s AEW Revolution PPV. 

Omega won the AEW title from Moxley at Winter is Coming in December. He agreed to a rematch provided he could choose the stipulation — an exploding barbed wire deathmatch. 

The AEW World Tag Team titles will be on the line tonight as The Young Bucks defend against Chris Jericho and MJF of The Inner Circle. 

Brian Cage and Ricky Starks of Team Taz will face Sting and Darby Allin in a street fight. This is expected to be a cinematic match. 

Hikaru Shida will defend the AEW Women’s World Championship against World title eliminator tournament winner Ryo Mizunami. 

Cody Rhodes, Scorpio Sky, Penta El Zero Miedo, Lance Archer, Max Caster and a mystery participant will square off in a Face of the Revolution ladder match for a future TNT Championship match. 

A 15-team Casino Tag Team Royale battle royal will be held for a future Tag title shot. The participants are PAC & Rey Fenix, Bear Country, Varsity Blonds, Preston Vance & Alan Angels, Evil Uno & Stu Grayson, Peter Avalon & Cezar Bononi, Matt Sydal & Mike Sydal, Santana & Ortiz, John Silver & Alex Reynolds, The Butcher & The Blade, Frankie Kazarian & Christopher Daniels, Private Party, Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn, Natural Nightmares, plus Luchasaurus & Jungle Boy. 

Hangman Page will face Matt Hardy in a Big Money match, where the winner gets all of the loser’s earnings for the first quarter of 2021. 

Miro and Kip Sabian will face Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor in a tag team grudge match. 

Paul Wight will be on hand to announce AEW’s “major signing.”

On The Buy In pre-show, Riho and Thunder Rosa will team against Britt Baker and a mystery partner. 

Our live coverage begins with the pre-show at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.

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Britt Baker came out for a promo to begin The Buy In. She said that Reba had been brutally attacked by Nyla Rose and was unable to compete. She said that Tony Khan didn’t accept her doctor’s note for Reba, so she got one from the Jaguars team doctor instead. 

She said that Tony Khan then finally agreed that she needed a replacement partner. Rebel came out on crutches. Baker then introduced her mystery partner, Maki Itoh.

Itoh gave a musical performance as she entered. The crowd loved this. 

Britt Baker & Maki Itoh (w/Rebel) defeated Thunder Rosa & Riho

This was really good. They got a ton of time. Things got clunky at the finish when Rebel had to get involved, but everyone was super over and the crowd was hot. 

Baker and Riho began with a back and forth exchange. This was solid. Baker hit a kick and a forearm strike. Riho hit two dropkicks and a hurricanrana. Both tagged out. 

Rosa and Itoh traded holds, then shoulder tackle attempts. They traded strikes. Itoh did some of her trademark spots. Rosa dropped her face-first on the top turnbuckle and tagged out. 

Riho hit a 619. Rosa tagged back in for a chinlock. Riho jumped in for a shitgun dropkick while Itoh was still in the hold. Riho got a tag. Baker tripped her from the floor to give Itoh an opening. Itoh missed a kokeshi and tagged out. 

Baker began to work over Riho. Itoh got another tag as the match became a more traditional babyface/heel structure match, with Riho selling as the babyface in peril. 

Rosa got a hot tag and hit a senton for a two count. Itoh made a blind tag. Baker hit a a slingblade on her way out. Itoh hit a kokeshi for a near fall on Rosa. Rosa came back with a stunner. 

Everyone jumped in to hit a move as they worked to the finish. Itoh hit a swing DDT to Rosa. Itoh missed a diving kokeshi off the top rope. Riho tagged and tried a shining wizard to Itoh, but Itoh turned it into a single-leg crab. That was a cool spot. 

Baker hit an air raid crash for a two count on Riho as Rosa saved. Rosa tagged in and traded cradles with Baker for a good series of near falls. Rebel jumped on the apron and accidentally hit Baker. Rosa hit a DVD on Baker for a two count as Itoh saved. Riho hit a dive to Itoh. 

With the ref’s back turned, Rebel hit Rosa with a crutch. Baker then covered for the pin. 

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Jim Ross entered to close The Buy In. The main card is next. 

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AEW World Tag Team Championship match: The Young Bucks defeated Chris Jericho & MJF (w/Wardlow) to retain the titles

An excellent opener. This was different in that the Bucks did more brawling than they typically would, but their opponents and the story of the match called for it. 

The Bucks came out firing off punches, really selling this as a blood feud after Jericho and MJF attacked their dad. They brawled to the outside. The Bucks continued the early onslaught in the ring. Nick hit a 450. 

Wardlow tripped Matt from the floor to turn the match in Jericho and MJF’s favor. Matt was cut off for a bit. Nick got a hot tag and ran wild with his trademark spots. They did a cool spot where Nick supposedly mis-timed a facebuster into a Liontamer from Jericho. 

Matt got a tag and the idea was that his temper was getting the best of him. MJF and Jericho worked Matt over. Jericho hit an interfering Nick with a codebreaker. While MJF took the ref, Jericho hit Matt with a baseball bat. MJF hit the Heat Seeker, but Matt kicked out. 

Nick got a hot tag. The Bucks hit stereo crossbody dives, one to the floor and one in the ring. The Bucks hit the BTE Trigger to Jericho. MJF saved Jericho from the ensuing pinfall. 

Matt and Nick sent MJF back and forth with seemingly a few dozen superkicks. They then hit Jericho with the Meltzer Driver. Matt pinned Jericho to retain the titles. 

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The broadcast team of JR, Excalibur and Tony Schiavone previewed the rest of the card. JR apologized for his voice. He sounds very sick. 

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Rey Fenix & PAC won a Tag Team Casino Royale

There were 15 teams. 2 began, the other 13 entered at 90 second intervals and they didn’t fudge the times as far as I can tell, as there was a countdown clock on the video wall the entire time. 

The particpants were PAC & Rey Fenix, Bear Country, Varsity Blonds, Preston Vance & Alan Angels, Evil Uno & Stu Grayson, Peter Avalon & Cezar Bononi, Matt Sydal & Mike Sydal, Santana & Ortiz, John Silver & Alex Reynolds, The Butcher & The Blade, Frankie Kazarian & Christopher Daniels, Private Party, Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn, Natural Nightmares, Luchasaurus & Jungle Boy. 

Bear Country were made to look strong. There were some clunky eliminations, including some during entrances. 

The final four were Silver, Fenix, PAC and Jungle Boy. It got really good here. Silver was tossed, then PAC. 

Jungle Boy and Fenix tore the house down. Fenix hit a crazy tope suicida through the ropes and into the front row of the audience. Jungle Boy hit a poison rana. 

Fenix won with a thrust kick and a clothesline over the top. Fenix is the most outstanding wrestler and the best flying wrestler in the world. 

This was a mixed bag. The final few minutes were very good, but I would not have put this on PPV. This would have been better suited for a pre-show. 

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Dasha interviewed Paul Wight. He gave a clue as to the identity of the mystery signing, saying no one will outwork them. 

Paul Walter Houser, DDP and Al Snow from OVW were shown in the audience. They hinted at an OVW-AEW agreement. 

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We got a lengthy video package for the Women’s title match, giving some backstory to Ryo Mizunami and her retirement and return to wrestling. 

AEW Women’s World Championship match: Hikaru Shida defeated Ryo Mizunami to retain the title

This probably went one or two near falls too long, but the crowd was with them up to that point and the match was very good. Mizunami has a unique charisma and she can work. Shida was excellent as always. 

They opened with some crowd work and a niceback and forth strikinq sequence. 

Shida hit an inverted bastard driver and a superplex for a near fall. 

Shida hit the Tamashii, but Mizunami kicked out. They traded strikes. Mizunami got the best of the exchange. 

Mizunami hit an uranage and a spear. She followed with a top rope legdrop for a near fall. They traded strikes and lariats. Shida hit a gamengiri. Mizunami hit a lariat.

Shida hit a falcon arrow, two more Tamashii knee strikes and another falcon arrow, but only got a two count. Mizunami hit a lariat. Shida hit another Tamashii, then used an eye poke for a near fall. 

Shida hit another Tamashii. Mizunami reversed the ensuing pinfall attempt into a crucifix for a two count. Mizunami tried a DDT, but Shida turned it into a uranage. Shida hit yet another Tamashii. 

Shida hit a corkscrew Tamashii and got the pin. 

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Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero ran in after the match and went after Shida and Mizunami. Shida tried to save for Mizunami, but Baker, Rebel and Itoh ran in. Rebel hit Shida with a crutch. 

Thunder Rosa ran in and cleared the ring. 

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AEW Double or Nothing was announced for Sunday, May 30 in Jacksonville. 

Alex Marvez was with Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy backstage for an interview. Miro, Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford entered. Sabian and Miro attacked Cassidy and Taylor. Miro demanded that his music be played. 

Miro dragged Taylor to the ring for their match. Taylor was bleeding. 

Miro & Kip Sabian (w/Penelope Ford) defeated Orange Cassidy & Chuck Taylor

This was more of an angle than a match and I’m not sure why this was on PPV either. 

Sabian and Miro worked on Taylor. Cassidy was still backstage selling the beating. 

Orange limped in while selling his back. He managed an Orange Punch to Miro on the ramp.Orange and Taylor hit the Best Friends version of the Strong Zero for a two count on Sabian as Miro made the save. 

Penelope took the ref. Miro hit a low blow to Orange. Orange hit the stundog millionaire and another Orange Punch. Penelope jumped on the apron for a distraction. Miro bumped Orange into Ford by mistake. 

Taylor and Miro got tags. Miro hit a pump kick and used Game Over for the submission. 

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Marvez was with Jericho, MJF, Santana and Ortiz backstage. Jericho announced the Inner Circle war council for Wednesday’s Dynamite. He promised changes in the group. 

MJF agreed that they need a change. 

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Hangman Page defeated Matt Hardy in a Big Money match

They went a lot longer than I would have recommended, but the right guy won and you got the happy ending with the Dark Order and Hangman. 

Hardy tried some strikes, but Page gained the advantage with punches in the corner. They brawled to the outside. Hardy posted Page’s right hand. He then bit his fingers. Hardy trapped Page’s hand between the ring steps and the ramp and kicked the steps. 

Hardy continued working on the right hand. Private Party ran in to provide a distraction for Hardy. Page came back with clotheslines. He went for a Buckshot Lariat, but Hardy turned it into a side effect for a great near fall. 

Dark Order ran out to save Page as Private Party tried to interfere again. Page hit the Buckshot Lariat for the pin. 

Dark Order celebrated with Page and some beers. 

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Scorpio Sky defeated Cody Rhodes, Lance Archer (w/Jake Roberts), Penta El Zero Miedo, Max Caster and Ethan Page to win the Face of the Revolution ladder match for a TNT title match on this week’s Dynamite

Ethan Page was the mystery man. 

Cody and Penta took absolute punishment in this match. This was a car crash that really lifted the show after the last hour or so. 

The big spots early were a Penta slinglbade on Archer, a Page powerbomb on Sky on a ladder with Archer sandwiched in the ladder and Penta giving Cody a destroyer on a ladder bridge. 

They did an injury angle where Cody was helped to the back after the destroyer, but he came back later on. 

Other big spots included a Cross Rhodes from Cody, a frog splash off the ladder by Sky, an elbow drop off a ladder by Caster, a powerbomb off the ladder by Page to Archer. 

After Page powerbombed Archer, Jake Roberts jumped in and hit a short-arm clothesline to Page. Penta hit a clothesline to Jake. Cody hit a top rope cutter to Penta on a ladder. Penta hit Cody with a chair as he climbed the ladder. 

Sky hit Penta with a chair. Cody jumped back up and climbed the ladder with Sky. Sky punched Cody off the ladder, then grabbed the brass ring. 

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Christian Cage signed an AEW contract 

The announcers threw it to ring announcer Justin Roberts. Roberts introduced the wrestler here to sign a contract. 

A countdown played on the video wall, then Christian Cage appeared. 

Christian signed a contract in the center of the ring. He opened his jacket to reveal an “Out. Work. Everyone.” shirt, so that will be his catchphrase. 

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Sting & Darby Allin defeated Brian Cage & Ricky Starks in a street fight

This was a cinematic match. It was creative and a good usage of Sting. Allin did some spectacular stunts. 

Cage and Starks drove to the warehouse for the match in a Fast and the Furious car. Sting was driving an old pickup truck and Allin was riding on the tailgate. 

The set for the match was the warehouse used for the Sting and Darby vignettes in the build. The ring was surrounded by people in robes and Sting masks. 

All four began in the ring. Allin did a cool wall-walking spot with Cage. Allin and Cage paired off on the outside while Sting and Starks were in the ring. Sting hit a couple of Stinger splashes. 

Sting and Starks left the ring and brawled around the set. Sting threw his bat at Starks. Starks dared Sting to get rid of the bat, so Sting tossed it away. Sting walked off to find Cage and Allin. 

Cage and Allin were fighting in a stairwell. Cage lifted Allin in a vertical suplex position and carried him up a flight of stairs. Cage dropped Allin on a trash can. Sting saved. Allin hit a shotgun dropkick into a ladder. 

Starks speared Allin into a wall. Sting used a fire extinguisher on Cage and Allin hit a suplex to Cage. Starks took out Sting with a 2 x 4. Starks missed a spear into a column. Allin hit a Coffin Drop off the column. 

A masked man ran in and slammed Allin into the column. The masked man was Powerhouse Hobbs. Hook ran in as well. Cage shoved Sting to the ground, then Team Taz went 3-on-1 against Allin. 

Cage and Hobbs tossed Allin through a pane of glass. Team Taz then stalked Sting. Cage hit Sting with a shovel. Allin threw Sting a bat. Sting made a comeback with his bat. He broke the bat over Cage’s back. Sting then hit Cage with the shovel. 

Allin hit Cage with an elbow drop from about two stories up through a crash pad. Sting and Starks went back to the ring. Sting missed a splash. Starks hit a spear for a two count. Starks hit a low blow. Sting reversed a powerbomb attempt into a sunset flip for a near fall. 

Sting followed up with a Scorpion Death Drop for the pin on Starks. 

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Matt Jackson vs. Rey Fenix was announced for Wednesday’s Dynamite. Britt Baker, Rebel & Maki Itoh vs. Thunder Rosa, Hikaru Shida & Ryo Mizunami, plus Darby Allin vs. Scorpio Sky for the TNT Championship were also announced for Wednesday. 

The main event is next. 

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AEW World Championship exploding barbed wire deathmatch: Kenny Omega defeated Jon Moxley to retain the title

Moxley took a swig from a flask before the match. He entered wearing an Onita tribute jacket. 

We got some tentative brawling as they trid to avoid the ropes. Before any explosions, they brawled to the ramp. A trash can full of weapons was introduced to the match. Omega threw powder into Moxley’s eyes to set up the first explosion.

Omega whipped Moxley into the ropes for the first explosion. Omega got whipped into the ropes for an explosion, then Moxley hit a shotgun dropkick on Omega for a second explosion. Both went through barbed wire boards. Moxley was bleeding from the forehead. 

Omega mixed in some wrestling with a moonsault, a kotaro krusher on a trash can and a One-Winged Angel attempt. Moxley popped up after two snap dragon suplexes and hit a side slam on a chair. Moxley wrapped barbed wire around his arm to try a bulldog choke with the barbed wire. 

They fought to the apron. Moxley hit a Paradigm Shift off the apron through an exploding barbed wire board on the floor. Omega was bleeding now. An ominous countdown sound began playing. Moxley fired up and went for two quick near falls. 

Omega hit a low blow, then stacked Moxley up with a powerbomb for a two count. 

Omega hit the One-Winged Angel. Moxley kicked the ropes at two and caused an explosion to break up the pinfall. 

Moxley grabbed a barbed wire bat. Gallows and Anderson ran in. Both took shots with the bat from Moxley. Before their punishment, they handed Omega an exploding barbed wire bat. Omega hit Moxley with the exploding bat for a two count. 

Omega hit a One-Winged Angel on a chair. Moxley couldn’t make the ropes this time and Omega scored the pin. 

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Gallows and Anderson handcuffed Moxley after the match. Omega continued to beat on Moxley with a a barbed wire bat. 

The one minute countdown clock began. Omega and the Good Brothers ran for the hills. Eddie Kingston ran to the stage with Butcher and Blade trying to hold him back. 

Kingston shoved them aside and climbed in the ring. He didn’t have time to drag Mox out, so he laid on top of him as the final explosions went off. 

Referees, medical personnel and agents tended to Moxley and Kingston as the show closed. 

The explosions were good throughout the match. The grand finale explosion was weak and Moxley and Kingston looked silly selling like they were dead from sparklers. Up to that point, this was a violent spectacle.