But there's at least one that only needed some Dustin.
Okay, I'm done kidding around.
Yet the giant elephant in the room has to be addressed. Cody Rhodes, founding member of All Elite Wrestling and the person who arguably kickstarted the idea of a rival wrestling promotion opposite Vince McMahon, is likely returning to his old stomping grounds. And the reasoning may be frustrations with both the crowds as well as losing his booking privileges. Many are baffled by this decisions while others would gladly ship him away. I'll withhold my judgement until I see him walk through that jumbotron (and judging by Vince's tactics, we may have to endure this until Wrestlemania), but here is my take. I want to like Cody, and his story is one of the most fascinating in wrestling, but I can't argue that the show has been more smoothly without him. It's gotten to the point that many fans and even Kenny Omega himself has dubbed his segments the 'Codyverse'. I have my doubts that he will fare better there, but I won't take the bet that he won't make a name for himself there. Good luck. You're gonna need it.
Back to the recap. Because of Cody shenanigans, there are now two TNT titles. Yes they're back together. No they haven't been unified for some odd reason. But at the very least we've gotten some stellar matches with them on the line. Sammy lost the main one, regained the intern one over Dustin and then won it back in a bonkers ladder match which ended up being Cody's last match. Just watch this insane sequnce.
Darby Allin and Andrade have also set their sites of the title and have had some entertaining feuds with each other. All while Sting keeps doing his own thing... such as landing on Andrade through three tables at 62 years old. You're a crazy old bastard, but you have my upmost respect for your dedication for the business. This latest setback will likely spell the end for the Andrade/Hardy Family Office. Part of it has been due to injuries, but it has been a rough period of time for Matt Hardy. It will be interesting who hold the rights to the business, but we're close to that time before a certain brother will be free to lend his sibling some aid.
You may be wondering why there has been no mention of the Inner Circle with Sammy. Well, that's because that group is also on the cusp of breaking up as well. The main point of contention has been with Proud and Powerful members Santana and Ortiz who, along with Eddie Kingston and many people on this thread, believe Chris Jericho has been holding them back. With PnP and Sammy out, Chris Jericho laid out his frustrations on Kingston in Revolution, only to eat a surprising loss. But things are far from over as the former Le Champion is now poised to inject some sports entertainment into AEW. Time will tell what that means for the brand.
Speaking of tag teams, that division continues to deliver with great match after great match. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus became the latest tag team champs after dispatching The Lucha Bros (just don't watch what happened to Fenix... yeesh). While the two may not as much experience as a team as most, they have the talent to get them by the likes of The Factory, Private Party and Ass Man and the Ass Boys (more on that later). The duo managed to outlast dual threats from the Elite and hope to continue their good fortune. There's still the question of how Christian Cage is feeling while these younger talent have better success than him in the title picture.
Right, so if you haven't noticed, the Elite have gained some members ever since Kenny took a break due to injuries. And it came in the form of Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish! ReDRagon have reunited on AEW and have their eyes set on the tag titles. There's just one problem: so do the Young Bucks. The two teams haven't been able to consistently get along throughout their stay on AEW. All while Adam Cole tries to navigate things to keep both groups happy. But it will only be a matter of time before he has to choose a side.
While the Lucha Brothers don't have the titles (and are down a brother), the Death Triangle have other problems to deal with, namely the antics of The House of Black. Malakai and a growing posse of wrestlers that include Brody Lee and Buddy Matthews are poised to poison the minds of all in their wake. They have succeeded in causing discord with the Varsity Blondes and now hope to do the same with Penta. But that may well be a mistake, as Lucha Underground fans know just how dangerous the man can be when pushed. That's right, we're getting Penta Dark, the arm-breaking menace that was one of the best parts of the show!
On to the Women's division, where Dr. Britt Baker continues her reign of terror (or wonder for certain fans) as your AEW Women's Champion. After taking care of business with a Riho that technically earned the right for a title shot, the only woman standing in her way was her long time rival Thunder Rosa. It took many months, but she finally earned a shot for the title... which she ended up losing (I have a feeling that this was the match that was changed last-minute). But it may not be the end her, as she has one last chance to prove herself which may well be a great homecoming in her old territory of San Antonio. She might be able to get some help from rival turned ally Mercedes Martinez as well as growing divisions between Britt and Jamie Hayter. All she has to do is to beat Leyla Hirsch who has taken up a mean streak as of late.
Thunder Rosa had another title shot earlier, this time in a tournament format. The eventual winner ended up being Jade Cargill. The inaugural TBS Champion has no qualms about challenging anyone who wants a piece of that precious gold. Saddled with 'Smart' Mark Sterling, her physique and unique moveset has earned her fans even as a heel. Most of her bouts continue to be squashes, but she did survive longer bouts against the likes of Ruby Soho, Julia Hart and Tay Conti. It remains to be seen who could possibly end her reign.
That tournament also ignited a war of sorts between former AEW Women's Champion Hikaru Shida and former NWA Women Champion Serena Deeb. The two have been trading victories with Shida earning her 50th victory in one of them. It seemed like The Professor gained the upper hand by injuring her leg a fierce one. The woman of a thousand holds hoped to continue her superiority over the other women with a 5-minute challenge, embarrassing rookies that dared to take on her. But Holy Shida did she make her return and things about to heat up once more.
On to the main event picture. And we have ourselves the hottest feud in professional wrestling today. that is CM Punk and MJF. Two of the best talkers in the business when about tearing each other apart and their allies in words and on the mat. I can't describe how amazing it is. I can barely even make a list of all that happened. The main thing is that MJF has become the CM Punk of old in his Ring of Honor days as a heel and Punk is trying to bring the young man to heel for disappointing him after leaving the wrestling business for 7 years. Just go read the recaps. There's just so much good stuff to be able to put in a single paragraph. Not to mention the fact that Wardlow, the new Face of the Revolution, may have finally abandoned The Pinnacle. All three men will be after some gold in the coming weeks. And I for one can't wait for these men to cross paths yet again.
But these men will have to get past stiff competition to get a shot. One of the biggest threats? Bryan Danielson. I mean... what else can I say besides that he's a wrestling god. The man's incapable of a bad match. He showed his prowess against the Dark Order before failing to take the main title off Page. But that didn't deter him from kicking people's heads in, this time from whoever he believed were worthy of eating said kicks. And that includes a returning Jon Moxley. While people were right to believe their match would be the best one in the card, no one could have guessed what happened afterwards. After a contentious with from Moxley only caused the two to fight some more, who else than Lord William Regal, mentor of both men, could stop these violent men from tearing each other apart? This latest development is gonna get real spicy.
Okay yes, all of these developments meant that the reign of 'Hangman' Adam Page has gone more quietly than some people would like. But Cowboy Shit is more than capable of having great matches. And they're all been impressive. Surviving not one but two wars with Bryan Danielson. Improvising a Buckshot Lariat with a ref to beat Lance Archer. Beating back challenges from former Undisputed members to defeat Adam Cole. As long as he is able to meet the challenge with great promos and matches, he's more than happy to take things slowly enough to make everyone proud. Not to mention this burn on the Big Red Mayor of Knox County:
The man has great babyface energy and I hope he can continue his success for as long as he can.
The AEW roster continues to grow with other acquisitions such as Isaiah 'Swerve'Killshot Scott and Danhausan. The later made his mark before he even entered the ring by cursing Gunn brothers Austin and Colton to be forever called the Ass Boys wherever they appear in an AEW ring. The very evil being continues to bring about curses on others. It's only a matter of time before someone tries to put an end to his shenanigans.
Newcomers haven't been the only debuts making noise. After months of speculation, the cold-hearted Hook finally made his debut. People have been clamoring for this ever since CM Punk told Taz to 'Send Hook' he may end up regretting those words. The young man was proven to be a prodigy in the ring the likes of which we haven't seen in a long time. Every much the takedown specialist his father was, he has gained a huge following of Hookers that want to see him choke the like of every possible jobber in the roster. I'm just gonna say it; Punk Fears Hook, and he has every right to.
That doesn't mean there hasn't been some bumpy rides. Big Swole and Lio Rush have left the company in this period naming complaints with their treatments in the company as well as TK's understandably slow treatment of black people in the roster. Khan's tweets haven't helped in that regard. Jake Atlas was set to have a nice little run in the company only to have his ACL torn in his first match on television. And with certain contracts expiring soon, and while the statuses of Chris Jericho and Brian Cage are secure, there is speculation that the likes of TH2, Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss are on the way out in the company. I got my rubber match between the last two, but I hope to get something for these two on television or PPV if it means the end. But I'd prefer that they stay if they can.
Still, there's a whole lot to look forward to, from the next challenge for the Hangman to whether Scorpio Sky can beat Sammy for the TNT title or whether Wardlow gets to have the challenge at all. We also got the returns of Trent, The Butcher and Top Flight member Darius Martin, Will Thunder Rosa get another chance to beat Britt Baker and should she have done so at Revolution (I think so)? How will Leyla Hirsch nagivate her heel turn in this current political climate? When will a certain Hardy Boy make his debut? Has Rampage offiicially become The Hook Show? Will the Ass Men take their frustrations on Danhausen. Is anyone going to let go at the end of May? Who else will go through the Forbidden Door besides Jay White? And what's Tony Khan doing to do with the remiments of Ring of Honor? All of this and more will be answered soon in the next edition of All Elite Wrestling.
And now a word from our sponsor Rivenblade
Where to watch:
USA: Wednesdays 8/7c for Dynamite on TBS, Fridays 10/9c for Rampage on TNT, All Elite Wrestling's Youtube page for Dark and Elevation
Canada: TSN Direct, with certain episodes airing on the network proper. For example, The First Dance is scheduled to air at 11 ET on TSN2.
Everywhere else: Fite.tv
Okay, I'm done kidding around.
Yet the giant elephant in the room has to be addressed. Cody Rhodes, founding member of All Elite Wrestling and the person who arguably kickstarted the idea of a rival wrestling promotion opposite Vince McMahon, is likely returning to his old stomping grounds. And the reasoning may be frustrations with both the crowds as well as losing his booking privileges. Many are baffled by this decisions while others would gladly ship him away. I'll withhold my judgement until I see him walk through that jumbotron (and judging by Vince's tactics, we may have to endure this until Wrestlemania), but here is my take. I want to like Cody, and his story is one of the most fascinating in wrestling, but I can't argue that the show has been more smoothly without him. It's gotten to the point that many fans and even Kenny Omega himself has dubbed his segments the 'Codyverse'. I have my doubts that he will fare better there, but I won't take the bet that he won't make a name for himself there. Good luck. You're gonna need it.
Back to the recap. Because of Cody shenanigans, there are now two TNT titles. Yes they're back together. No they haven't been unified for some odd reason. But at the very least we've gotten some stellar matches with them on the line. Sammy lost the main one, regained the intern one over Dustin and then won it back in a bonkers ladder match which ended up being Cody's last match. Just watch this insane sequnce.
Darby Allin and Andrade have also set their sites of the title and have had some entertaining feuds with each other. All while Sting keeps doing his own thing... such as landing on Andrade through three tables at 62 years old. You're a crazy old bastard, but you have my upmost respect for your dedication for the business. This latest setback will likely spell the end for the Andrade/Hardy Family Office. Part of it has been due to injuries, but it has been a rough period of time for Matt Hardy. It will be interesting who hold the rights to the business, but we're close to that time before a certain brother will be free to lend his sibling some aid.
You may be wondering why there has been no mention of the Inner Circle with Sammy. Well, that's because that group is also on the cusp of breaking up as well. The main point of contention has been with Proud and Powerful members Santana and Ortiz who, along with Eddie Kingston and many people on this thread, believe Chris Jericho has been holding them back. With PnP and Sammy out, Chris Jericho laid out his frustrations on Kingston in Revolution, only to eat a surprising loss. But things are far from over as the former Le Champion is now poised to inject some sports entertainment into AEW. Time will tell what that means for the brand.
Speaking of tag teams, that division continues to deliver with great match after great match. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus became the latest tag team champs after dispatching The Lucha Bros (just don't watch what happened to Fenix... yeesh). While the two may not as much experience as a team as most, they have the talent to get them by the likes of The Factory, Private Party and Ass Man and the Ass Boys (more on that later). The duo managed to outlast dual threats from the Elite and hope to continue their good fortune. There's still the question of how Christian Cage is feeling while these younger talent have better success than him in the title picture.
Right, so if you haven't noticed, the Elite have gained some members ever since Kenny took a break due to injuries. And it came in the form of Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish! ReDRagon have reunited on AEW and have their eyes set on the tag titles. There's just one problem: so do the Young Bucks. The two teams haven't been able to consistently get along throughout their stay on AEW. All while Adam Cole tries to navigate things to keep both groups happy. But it will only be a matter of time before he has to choose a side.
While the Lucha Brothers don't have the titles (and are down a brother), the Death Triangle have other problems to deal with, namely the antics of The House of Black. Malakai and a growing posse of wrestlers that include Brody Lee and Buddy Matthews are poised to poison the minds of all in their wake. They have succeeded in causing discord with the Varsity Blondes and now hope to do the same with Penta. But that may well be a mistake, as Lucha Underground fans know just how dangerous the man can be when pushed. That's right, we're getting Penta Dark, the arm-breaking menace that was one of the best parts of the show!
On to the Women's division, where Dr. Britt Baker continues her reign of terror (or wonder for certain fans) as your AEW Women's Champion. After taking care of business with a Riho that technically earned the right for a title shot, the only woman standing in her way was her long time rival Thunder Rosa. It took many months, but she finally earned a shot for the title... which she ended up losing (I have a feeling that this was the match that was changed last-minute). But it may not be the end her, as she has one last chance to prove herself which may well be a great homecoming in her old territory of San Antonio. She might be able to get some help from rival turned ally Mercedes Martinez as well as growing divisions between Britt and Jamie Hayter. All she has to do is to beat Leyla Hirsch who has taken up a mean streak as of late.
Thunder Rosa had another title shot earlier, this time in a tournament format. The eventual winner ended up being Jade Cargill. The inaugural TBS Champion has no qualms about challenging anyone who wants a piece of that precious gold. Saddled with 'Smart' Mark Sterling, her physique and unique moveset has earned her fans even as a heel. Most of her bouts continue to be squashes, but she did survive longer bouts against the likes of Ruby Soho, Julia Hart and Tay Conti. It remains to be seen who could possibly end her reign.
That tournament also ignited a war of sorts between former AEW Women's Champion Hikaru Shida and former NWA Women Champion Serena Deeb. The two have been trading victories with Shida earning her 50th victory in one of them. It seemed like The Professor gained the upper hand by injuring her leg a fierce one. The woman of a thousand holds hoped to continue her superiority over the other women with a 5-minute challenge, embarrassing rookies that dared to take on her. But Holy Shida did she make her return and things about to heat up once more.
On to the main event picture. And we have ourselves the hottest feud in professional wrestling today. that is CM Punk and MJF. Two of the best talkers in the business when about tearing each other apart and their allies in words and on the mat. I can't describe how amazing it is. I can barely even make a list of all that happened. The main thing is that MJF has become the CM Punk of old in his Ring of Honor days as a heel and Punk is trying to bring the young man to heel for disappointing him after leaving the wrestling business for 7 years. Just go read the recaps. There's just so much good stuff to be able to put in a single paragraph. Not to mention the fact that Wardlow, the new Face of the Revolution, may have finally abandoned The Pinnacle. All three men will be after some gold in the coming weeks. And I for one can't wait for these men to cross paths yet again.
But these men will have to get past stiff competition to get a shot. One of the biggest threats? Bryan Danielson. I mean... what else can I say besides that he's a wrestling god. The man's incapable of a bad match. He showed his prowess against the Dark Order before failing to take the main title off Page. But that didn't deter him from kicking people's heads in, this time from whoever he believed were worthy of eating said kicks. And that includes a returning Jon Moxley. While people were right to believe their match would be the best one in the card, no one could have guessed what happened afterwards. After a contentious with from Moxley only caused the two to fight some more, who else than Lord William Regal, mentor of both men, could stop these violent men from tearing each other apart? This latest development is gonna get real spicy.
Okay yes, all of these developments meant that the reign of 'Hangman' Adam Page has gone more quietly than some people would like. But Cowboy Shit is more than capable of having great matches. And they're all been impressive. Surviving not one but two wars with Bryan Danielson. Improvising a Buckshot Lariat with a ref to beat Lance Archer. Beating back challenges from former Undisputed members to defeat Adam Cole. As long as he is able to meet the challenge with great promos and matches, he's more than happy to take things slowly enough to make everyone proud. Not to mention this burn on the Big Red Mayor of Knox County:
The man has great babyface energy and I hope he can continue his success for as long as he can.
The AEW roster continues to grow with other acquisitions such as Isaiah 'Swerve'
Newcomers haven't been the only debuts making noise. After months of speculation, the cold-hearted Hook finally made his debut. People have been clamoring for this ever since CM Punk told Taz to 'Send Hook' he may end up regretting those words. The young man was proven to be a prodigy in the ring the likes of which we haven't seen in a long time. Every much the takedown specialist his father was, he has gained a huge following of Hookers that want to see him choke the like of every possible jobber in the roster. I'm just gonna say it; Punk Fears Hook, and he has every right to.
That doesn't mean there hasn't been some bumpy rides. Big Swole and Lio Rush have left the company in this period naming complaints with their treatments in the company as well as TK's understandably slow treatment of black people in the roster. Khan's tweets haven't helped in that regard. Jake Atlas was set to have a nice little run in the company only to have his ACL torn in his first match on television. And with certain contracts expiring soon, and while the statuses of Chris Jericho and Brian Cage are secure, there is speculation that the likes of TH2, Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss are on the way out in the company. I got my rubber match between the last two, but I hope to get something for these two on television or PPV if it means the end. But I'd prefer that they stay if they can.
Still, there's a whole lot to look forward to, from the next challenge for the Hangman to whether Scorpio Sky can beat Sammy for the TNT title or whether Wardlow gets to have the challenge at all. We also got the returns of Trent, The Butcher and Top Flight member Darius Martin, Will Thunder Rosa get another chance to beat Britt Baker and should she have done so at Revolution (I think so)? How will Leyla Hirsch nagivate her heel turn in this current political climate? When will a certain Hardy Boy make his debut? Has Rampage offiicially become The Hook Show? Will the Ass Men take their frustrations on Danhausen. Is anyone going to let go at the end of May? Who else will go through the Forbidden Door besides Jay White? And what's Tony Khan doing to do with the remiments of Ring of Honor? All of this and more will be answered soon in the next edition of All Elite Wrestling.
And now a word from our sponsor Rivenblade
Just going back around to this.
An AEW Primer
Where can I find out more about AEW?
- The AEW YouTube page (excellent resource for latest highlights, preview shows, post-shows, etc.)
- The official AEW website (check out the roster page to see who's currently in AEW, read Dynamite results, etc.)
- The AEW Wikipedia page (a good history lesson)
- AEW early history lesson video
Where can I watch AEW television and PPVs?
- AEW Dynamite: Wednesdays @ 8PM EST on TNT in the United States and Canada, or on FITE.TV everywhere else
- AEW PPVs: brlive.com (US and Canada), FITE.TV (rest of the world)
What if I want to catch up on EVERY episode of Dynamite?
You can! They're all available for free on BR Live.
Are there other AEW shows in addition to Dynamite?
Yes!
- AEW Dark: Elevation airs on Mondays at 7PM EST, and AEW Dark airs on Tuesdays at 7PM EST on the official AEW YouTube page. These shows largely feature unsigned and/or younger talent wrestling against main roster performers. Elevation has more of a focus on story and character moments, while Dark is usually just matches.
Is there any other ancillary content I should be aware of?
While not 100% necessary, if you want to go beyond official AEW shows, you can also check out:
- Being the Elite YT page (the most essential of all of these. It's a skit show that often has important story morsels and lots of roster cameos. Highly recommended)
- The Sammy Guevara vlog (lots of cameos from AEW talent, and backstage videos. Sometimes crosses over with Being the Elite)
- Nightmare Family YT page (lots of early AEW history in the oldest videos going back to the All In show)
- The Nerd Slam (Evil Uno's YouTube Page with all things Dark Order)
- Plenty of wrestlers have their own YT pages too, such as Ethan Page, Adam Cole, The Bunny, Thunder Rosa and Matt Hardy. Explore on your own. :)
List of AEW PPV events
List of All Elite Wrestling pay-per-view events - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
VIEWING GUIDE (links provided when available)
2019
Double or Nothing PPV (Watch all of it. Best wrestling show of 2019)
Road To Double or Nothing (sixteen 5-10 minute episodes. The "Road To" series is can't-miss in general)
PRE-SHOW
FULL SHOW ($14.99)
MUST WATCH: Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes
Cody's throne breaker entrance (in Alucard gear and sending the first message to Vince and Triple H)
Cody's now-infamous "I need my older brother" post-match promo
Jon Moxley's now-infamous debut backstage promo after the event
Post-show footage
Fyter Fest PPV (Free on BRLive.com. A fun show top to bottom. Worth the time)
Road To Fyter Fest Ep.1
Road To Fyter Fest Ep.2
Road To Fyter Fest Ep.3
PRE-SHOW
FULL SHOW (free)
MUST-WATCH: Cody vs. Darby Allin, Bucks and Kenny vs. Lucha Bros. and Laredo Kid, Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela lights out match
Also fun: Christopher Daniels vs. CIMA, Riho vs. Yuka Sakazaki vs. Nyla Rose
Fight for the Fallen PPV (Free on BRLive.com. A mixed bag of a show)
Road To Fight for the Fallen Ep.1
Road To Fight for the Fallen Ep.2
Road To Fight for the Fallen Ep.3
PRE-SHOW
FULL SHOW (free)
MUST-WATCH: Kenny Omega vs. CIMA
Also fun: SCU vs. Lucha Bros
Optional: main event between The Young Bucks and Cody/Dustin
Cody's post-show promo ("When this group goes to TNT this fall...are you coming with us?")
All Out PPV (Worth watching the entire thing. FIRST AEW CHAMPION IS CROWNED)
Road To All Out Ep.1 (these are ALL MUST-WATCH)
Road To All Out Ep.2
Road To All Out Ep.3
Road To All Out Ep.4
Road To All Out Ep.5
Road To All Out Ep.6
Road To All Out Ep.7
Countdown to All Out
PRE-SHOW
FULL SHOW (free): PART 1 and PART 2
MUST WATCH: Kenny Omega vs. PAC, The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Bros, Hangman (on a horse!) vs. Chris Jericho
Post-show interviews (the birth of Jericho's early catchphrase, "A little bit of the bubbly!")
Jericho lost the title at a Longhorn Steakhouse. This was his video covering for it
-----
Road To AEW on TNT Ep.1
Road To AEW on TNT Ep.2
Road To AEW on TNT Ep.3
Road To AEW on TNT Ep.4
Countdown to AEW Dynamite special
AEW DYNAMITE STARTS!
Dynamite Episode 1, 2019-10-02
Cody vs. Sammy Guevara, Hangman Page vs. PAC, Riho vs. Nyla to crown first women's champion, Young Bucks/Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho(c)/Santana/Ortiz, formation of the Inner Circle, Moxley Paradigm Shifts Kenny through a glass table
Dynamite Episode 2, 2019-10-09
Hangman Page/Dustin Rhodes vs. Chris Jericho(c)/Sammy Guevara, Emi Sakura/Bea Priestley vs. Riho/Britt Baker, Jimmy Havoc vs. Darby Allin (#1 contender's match to face Chris Jericho), Jon Moxley vs. Shawn Spears, Tag Team Tournament (TTT) begins, TTT round 1: Young Bucks vs. Private Party
...that's all I've got for now
Where to watch:
USA: Wednesdays 8/7c for Dynamite on TBS, Fridays 10/9c for Rampage on TNT, All Elite Wrestling's Youtube page for Dark and Elevation
Canada: TSN Direct, with certain episodes airing on the network proper. For example, The First Dance is scheduled to air at 11 ET on TSN2.
Everywhere else: Fite.tv
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