Venue: Wintrust Arena, Chicago Ill

*****

Renee met us backstage to hype the show and brought in ‘the backbone of AEW,’ Daniel Garcia.

She asked him about pressure.  He said it’s the most important night of his life.  ‘Respect…respect…respect…’ for Ospreay.  Garcia said he ‘put it on his mother’s life’ that he’ll win.  MJF came in and said that’s the right attitude.  Got a huge pop.  He offered to be in Garcia’s corner.

Yesss!  He’s going back heel!  Thank the gods!

Menard said MJF was alright with him after the past few weeks.

Vomited a lil at the ‘backbone’ comment.  This is some Rocky Maivia ’97 ish.  But will exchange that for heel MJF.

PAC vs Bryan Danielson

Backstory: Winner advances to Owen final

‘Holy S’ chant before this got started.  Good crowd by AEW standards.  Tentative start with cagey grapples and circling.  Danielson takedown, Pac right out, both back up, reset.  Pac armdrag and twist, Danielson trying to block, trying to pivot; Pac forcing him to the mat with wrist control.

BD back up, rolling through, bridging back, pivoting round to snap Pac’s arm across his shoulder then force him to the mat.  Pac front flipped to escape, armdrag exchange, Pac got two after a trip, flipping to avoid Danielson’s attempt: BD on his knees, Pac his feet, fans clapping.

Start again – dueling chant – stiff grapple, Danielson forced to the corner and nailed with a chop.  Firing back with stinging ones, Pac handspringing out to avoid a corner attack, BD flipped off the buckle to avoid Pac, both crashed thinking cross body.

Super start.

Danielson feeling his neck as they got up, exchange of strikes: lifters and forearms till Danielson hit the mat.  Ref checking as Pac swarmed in and was forced away but raced back to nail a boot sending Danielson outside.  Following with a gorgeous Asai.  Big reaction from the crowd.

Rushing back in to apply the Brutalizer, Danielson got the break with his feet.

Ads.

Pac nailing yes! kicks to a downed Danielson.  BD landed on his feet out of a German, missed much of what came next cause Tony was blathering about a Tony Khan announcement.  Both down, fans chanting ‘A-E-Dub.’  Danielson got revenge with yes! kicks against the ropes, Pac bailed outside to avoid the roundhouse but couldn’t avoid a diving knee attack off the apron.

Pac now sat in a ringside chair but popping up to nail a thrust kick as Danielson raced at him.  Pac atop the barricade, picture perfect diving elbow, BD thrown inside, springboard elbow this time from Pac, Danielson wobbly, hauled into a tombstone for two.  Two more quick pins getting the same result, Pac frustrated.

Complaining to the ref and turning into a LeBell, dead center.  As Danielson had earlier, Pac got the ropes with his feet.  Kicks and chops in the corner now, Pac followed out with an elbow strike, Danielson returned the favor with his running leg lariat, BD to the apron, to the top, holding his neck, shotgun coming, cut off.

The Geordie seeking a superplex from the very top, almost a brainbuster, which is what Excalibur called it.  Pool empty on a Black Arrow, Danielson firing up, crowd with him, hauling himself up in the corner, busaiku out but the vet too spent to make the cover.

Finally crawling over, one leg hooked, ref at two when Pac transitioned into a Brutalizer, tilting his weight to synch it, Danielson countering his weight back to break it, rolling through to a LeBell, exchange of cradles until Danielson bagged three.

Better than anything on Sunday sans the main event and one of the best tv clashes this year.  Very hard to complain after such a tremendous match.  But would it kill AEW to have strong wins in this?  The doc was checking on Danielson afterward.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Renee with Willow.  Who looked very sad.  She said ‘nothing matters, smile anyway.’  Those are the words she lives by.  Life can be so miserable.  So you have to look on the bright side.  She does that for her and for all the fans.

But Stokely and Stat mock her cause they don’t understand and don’t try to.  But ‘smile anyway’ is for anyone who works hard and never gets appreciation.  For her friend battling depression.  For the little girl who wanted to be a wrestler, got knocked down but got back up again.  And became TBS champ.

And she’s going to kick down that door and be a two-time Owen winner and go to Wembley and become a two-time champion.  And now she’s about to go to the ring and kick Stat’s butt.

God damn, that was incredible.  Goosebumps.  Nice changes of cadence and emotion…  if this woman’s losing here, they’d better have something for her for Wembley.  She’s the best all-rounder in the division at the moment.  And one of the best in the company.

Ads.  Great start to the show.

*****

TNT ladder match package.  Highlighting Jack Perry’s win.

*****

Mark Briscoe in the ring.  ‘Dem Boyz’ chant.  They call him chicken, but he ain’t scared of shit (bleeped).  He came within inches of winning the title but Jack Perry must’ve shoved a horse shoe up his ass so he got lucky and snatched the win.

But that was last week and this week is Shark Week.  Which makes him think of blood.  And Blood & Guts.  He’s the first member of ‘Team AEW.’ (This was Tony Khan’s announcement.) He said the Elite didn’t know what violence is.  As Jack Perry attacked from behind with his belt.

Big heat.  Though no Punk chants.

Kyle O’Reilly came in and walloped him till Okada laid him out via Rainmaker.  Perry the opportunist then rained blows on a downed Kyle.

The Bucks came out too.  More loud boos. Still no Punk chants.  They laid Briscoe out with an EVP trigger.  And all four posed with their gold.  Apparently the Acclaimed were happy to let their teammates get walloped if it maximized their entrance.  So they finally came out to their music.

And the Elite left through the crowd.  Outside of Briscoe, that’s a lame ass team.  Though presumably Swerve will get involved later.  Excalibur wondered who the Elite’s fifth would be.

*****

Toni Storm and Mariah backstage.  Mariah was on Toni’s bosom.  Renee asked her about facing Shida Friday in the Owen.  Toni said Shida was dangerous but nothing can stop Mariah.  This was badly mic’d so the crowd were louder than most of it.

Mariah did Toni’s jammed-in closing line.

Btw, no need to worry about her head, glass bottles being broken over them are meaningless.  As they have been in many badly booked wrestling companies throughout history.

Kris Statlander vs Willow Nightingale

Backstory: First meeting since Stat turned on her former friend; winner advances to Owen semis

Flat reaction for Stat, not so for Willow, who Stat met on the ramp.  Till Willow pounced her down it.  Loud chants for Nightingale as she rammed Stat’s head into the apron.  Snap suplex outside.

Good crowd tonight.

Willow threw her in, bell rang, she went for a cover, got two.  Then clubbed Stat across the back and rammed her to the buckle.  Until an eye rake led to Statlander leaping back at her from the middle rope.  Not the smoothest.

Ads.

Stat pulled Willow to the apron, the latter hit rights till Stat ducked and tried a German, Willow landing an elbow to drop her former friend to the ringside mats.  Stokely came to check on her, Willow went to cannonball him, he moved and she hit Stat.  Then a middle buckle shotgun back inside.  For two.

She went for Babe with the Powerbomb, Stat fought it off to hit an armwringer thrust kick then an axe kick, the whole sequence a la Booker T except for the execution.  Stat tried to go upstairs and was hauled off via German from the middle.  Crowd behind Willow as she climbed the ropes but was herself caught via bootwash, into Wednesday Night Fever position.  Willow rolled through, each got two counts.

Stat fought out of a dvd and hit an F5 for a near fall.  As Stokely put a chain in the corner.  Willow was distracted by Stokely getting on the apron but ducked Statlander’s attack from behind.  Managing to roll her up to win after she nearly crashed into her manager.

So that’s back-to-back cradle finishes in matches between ‘names.’  Brave booking.  Not much of a match.  Crispness and fluidity present in the women’s efforts Sunday lacking here.

Might Willow be facing Toni as they delay May/Storm’s split?

Winner: Willow Nightingale

Renee with Jarrett and the other goons.  She asked a question and he just left.  Lethal said Jeff’s never been more prepared.

Hangman! Hangman! Hangman!

*****

Schiavone in the ring to bring out Britt.  Whose pop didn’t get near Sunday’s but that’s a high bar.  She had a big hug with her ‘old friend Schiavone, key word: old,’ as Taz noted.

Crowd chanted ‘welcome back.’  She said she’d missed the fans and had overthought what she was going to say.  So she’s just going to talk about three things we all have.  A past, a present and a future.

The past is our lesson, present is a gift and the future is our motivation.  Re: the past, for the last ten months people have been wondering where she was.  The answer was she was injured.  But Britt said that wasn’t totally the case.  She was banged up but that wasn’t all of it.  She was running on empty.

She’d kept looking in the mirror and telling herself she was ‘good.’  Until one day, she started feeling really sick and the room started spinning and her right arm was numb.  But she looked herself in the mirror and said ‘I’m good.’  She tried to open water and couldn’t because her whole right side shut down.

She spent a week in hospital.  And what happened was a major warning sign for a stroke.  And she finally looked in the mirror and admitted she wasn’t ‘good.’  She needed to get herself together.  And asked for time off.

Re: the present.  She’s here, cleared and healthy.  But she was never more nervous than she’s been before Sunday.  She’d never doubted herself more.  She didn’t know if people would give a damn about her returning.  We’ve all felt the fear of rejection.  And Sunday when she needed wrestling, AEW, the fans, she was welcomed back with open arms.

So she’s always there for us because ‘at the end of the day I’m one of you.’

Re: the future.  When you are going through a hard time, go through that shit.  It’ll be better when we get to the other side.  ‘We all possess the impulse to be Elite.’  And speaking of Elite, she heard there’s a new female face of AEW.  And winning Sunday must have felt really good after having been here the whole time and having helped build the company.

And Mone must also have worked very hard to earn the letters ‘CEO,’ the way she did her doctorate.  And it must be so gratifying to push fans into chanting those letters by piping them through speakers.  She said we all know the only three letters are ‘D-M-D.’

A horn blared and Mercedes arrived outside, stepping out of a car.  The Bucks were there to welcome and congratulate her and say her championship celebration was ready.  She continued inside; the Bucks told the guys to get everything ready.

Mone came out to have her celebration.  All while Britt remained in the ring.  Guys brought out balloons and stuff as Britt looked on.  She remained in the ring as Mone went into it.  She’s dressed in black today, in case fraternizing with the Bucks didn’t make things clear.

She danced as usual.  Decent number of boos.  Then a loud ‘DMD’ chant.  As Britt smiled.

Mone took a mic and said ‘…oops, did I interrupt?’  She said it’s time to celebrate with the crowd’s double champion.  Britt said she gets it.  She outshone Mone Sunday so now Mone’s trying to do it back.  Mone said she made the Forbidden Door ppv famous.

‘STFU!’  Loud.

Mone said she wants Britt to get a good look at what a real star looks like.  Britt said two words: ‘All In.’  She wrestled at the first one right here in Chicago.  Was the first female to go All In by signing an AEW contract.  She wrestled at All In last year while Mone was ‘looking like a broke bitch with a broken leg’ in the stands.  So wants to face Mone at All In.

Mone face-palmed Britt.  Called her ‘bitch’ and said she needs to go to the back of the line.  Britt called her a ‘bitch’ again.  Mone did her ‘price to pay’ line and posed with her belt.

The idea was good.  But this never properly grabbed me.  Britt didn’t really have the crowd with her during her promo, which also had a good idea behind it but was a little meandering.  And one ‘bitch’ is bad enough, but three?  In a feud that’s just starting?  Then it just kind of ended.

Though at least Mone was clearly a heel here.

*****

They finally remembered there’d been a world title match Sunday, showing Ospreay not using the screwdriver and eventually losing.  ‘Ospreay’s undoing,’ per Excal.

Renee with Will and Kyle Fletcher.

She asked how he was.  Callis interrupted, Ospreay asked Renee to give them a minute.  Then said Callis doesn’t have to say anything.  It’s his fault, he couldn’t bring himself to hit the tiger driver.  He doesn’t think he’s that guy anymore.

Callis gave him Kenny and Jericho last summer, which helped his career, so Ospreay owes him.  But now he wants out of the Family.

Callis said he’s not normally in the habit of letting people out of signed agreements.  But he’s so proud of Ospreay that he’ll do him the favor.  And maybe one day he’ll ask Ospreay for a favor back.  Ospreay said no probs.  They hugged.

Callis’ face betrayed him when they did.  He told Fletcher to come with him.  To emphasize that Ospreay had left the group.

At least they tried to explain why Will stayed with uber heel Callis so long.  Btw, where’s Swerve?  We’re an hour in.

*****

Jericho out.  They replayed Hook beating him with a Judas Effect Sunday.  Thankfully I gave that one a miss.

Jericho said he’d come down to guest commentate ‘cause he has to have his tv time.  He said Hook broke a cardinal rule of wrestling when he ‘stole someone’s finish.  That doesn’t work for me brother.’

Then said Taz had stood and clapped like a mark.  When he’s supposed to be impartial.  So he spoke to the Bucks and has an ‘executive order’ removing Taz for the rest of the show (from the arena too).  Crowd booed.

Please tell me that doesn’t mean we’re getting Jericho for the next fifty mins?

Schiavone said this was BS, course Taz would cheer, ‘it’s the man’s son.’

Brian Cage & Gates of Agony vs Samoa Joe, Hook & Katsuyori Shibata

Backstory: NONE

Jericho said Schiavone’s been in the business since the 50s so should understand stealing someone’s finish is a no-no.  Have to admit, laughed at that.

Joe and Toa to start, Leona landed a back elbow then hit rights in the ropes.  Crowd has flattened out after a long, flat pair of segments.  Shibata in with a flurry of forearms to Cage in the corner.  The big guy popped up with a shoulder block, Shibata leg tripped him to the mat then dragged him back to tag Hook.

Who was driven to the heel corner where Kaun came in.  Lariat in the corner.  Cutter across the top rope.  Pump kick off.

Ads.  As usual, a pushed act is selling way too much for a bunch of losers.

Shibata grabbed a sleeper on Leona then sent him out and tagged Hook.  Kaun in too, he nailed an elbow strike and took out all three heels with strikes and throws.  Leona distracted Hook and Kaun hit a lungblower.

Joe broke a pin attempt but was blocked from a tope by a Leona pounce.  Cage nailed Shibata, he and Hook left in the ring.  Hook countered into a ddt and tagged Joe.  Snap powerslam to Kaun, STJoe to Leona, Manhattan drop to Cage, all three faces in, corner attacks leading to Shibata’s hanging dropkick.

Hook and Shibata suplexed Leona into a Joe splash.  Btw, Jericho’s just saying very obvious things like ‘ddt!’ and ‘he made the save!’  The faces all countered suplexes into chokes to win a match which would’ve been much better with half the time.  Crowd into the face act though.

Jericho stood and clapped; the faces are dumb so his goons attacked from behind.  Keith took off his sling and nailed Shibata with a chair.  The announcers said there was never anything wrong with his arm.  He Pillmanized Shibata’s arm.  The heels continued to attack with chairs.

A ‘please retire’ chant started as Jericho nailed Hook with a knuckle duster.  Crowd booed; droning boos, this wasn’t heat.

Will this feud never end?  The faces are fun but not if they’re facing these guys again.

Jesus and we’re still not done.  They got a table ready and Bill chokeslammed Hook through it.  So that’s a broken arm, a knuckle duster and a table in like ninety seconds.

Winner: Samoa Joe, Hook & Katsuyori Shibata

Ads.  Show’s gone downhill since Willow’s win.

Jeff Jarrett vs Hangman Adam Page

Backstory: the Elite entered their ‘wild card’ last week; Jarrett’s vowed to win for his ‘best friend’ Owen and advance to the semis

Jarrett came out and despite the schmulzy crap, didn’t get much of a response.  Almost like he was a massive heel and his character didn’t change.

They haven’t spent much time pushing who the mystery man will be tonight.  Seems like Hangman judging by a cowboy-ish video. Yep, new heel music.  In a continuing issue for AEW, fans cheered and chanted ‘cowboy shit!’

Those chants continued as the bell rang.

They locked up, Page sent Jarrett flying back to his corner.  They did so again, Page backed him to the corner.  Then launched a right.  Jarrett tried to hit back but was knocked on his ass.  The announcers said Page was using cheapshots.

Jarrett hit his thing where he sits on someone in the middle rope, Page no sold and nailed him with a lariat.  Fallaway, Jarrett ending up on the apron.  Page’s face has been fixed in a growl all match.  As the announcers pointed out.

Page powerbombed him against the apron (very carefully).  Then rammed his head into the steps.  Very weakly.

Ads.  Seems like AEW have misjudged their audience again.  They expected sympathetic babyface Jarrett to generate a ton of heat for bully Page.  But fans are either indifferent or chanting for Hangman.

Back to Page down on the apron, exchange of rights, weak yay/boo till Page bit Jarrett.  Jarrett slipped out of a dead eye and hit a Stroke on the apron.  Which did draw a reaction.

Both down outside, Aubrey at six before they stirred.  Jarrett in first, Hangman at close to ten.  Jarrett tried to fire the crowd up then hit rights and lefts and a Russian legsweep.  Page countered the figure four but took an enziguri.

Page blocked a Stroke, Jarrett rolled through dead eye again and looked for a sharpshooter.  Page hit rights to escape then got dead eye.

A ‘Whose house!?’ chant started, the first real noise in a while, as Schiavone said it’d be nice if they chanted for Jeff.  Page thought Buckshot but wandered back in to the ring and was shoved back out.  Seemed Jarrett forgot what they were doing or wasn’t in the right place.  He countered a Buckshot into a sharpshooter.  Which did get a big reaction.

Page got the ropes.  Right as Page hit a Buckshot but rained punches instead of a pin.  He just about got Jarrett up for another dead eye.  Then pinned him.

Well, we passed the ‘return with impact’ point a good few minutes ago.  A returning ex-champ you wanted to portray as a badass wouldn’t take this long with an old loser.  Page faces Jay White Saturday.  So White is yet another guy who has turned without turning.  Jarrett was dead and Karen checked on him as we raced away to another attack.

Winner: Adam Page

Backstage.  Jericho is doing his stupid fireball gimmick again.  As they attacked Hook.  Again.  Chairs, broken arms, brass knucks, tables and now fire.  You can almost see them going down a list of ideas to try to get fans to care.

*****

Renee with Page.  The Bucks rushed in and hugged him and stuff and said he could thank them any time he wanted.  They said they’d continue scratching his back if he scratched theirs.  They need a fifth for B&G.

Page grabbed Matt by the jacket and said he’s not their puppet or the Elite’s man and doesn’t need any more of their bullshit (bleeped) games.  He said he’s in the Owen and is going to win.  Then shoved Matt as Nick said that was embarrassing and told the camera to cut.

****

MJF came out to another big pop before Disco Daniel came out to gyrate on the ramp.  Excalibur said his only losses were to Christian and some champion.  Almost as if he beats a bunch of nobodies and loses when he faces names. Like 80% of the roster.

Ospreay got a huge pop as usual.

Will Ospreay vs Daniel Garcia (International Title)

Backstory: Ospreay offered him the match last week, upstaging MJF

Big cheer as the bell rang.  They grappled to a rope break.  Where the hell is the world champion!!!???

Ospreay knocked Garcia down with a shoulder, Garcia hit back with a mare and weak kick to the spine.  Then was sent flying across the ring with a big chop.  MJF gave him a pep talk.  Ospreay telegraphed a back body and Garcia hit a hip toss, they grappled to the mat, Ospreay tried to kip up and was caught into a low piledriver.

Garcia took him to the corner, shots to the gut, cravate, dropkick, as fans chanted for Will.  Not much reaction for DD.  Some fans tried to start a chant and it quickly died.  He hit a lariat in the corner then aimed ten punches.  But Ospreay slipped under after three to hit Nando’s.  Then his vaulting press to the outside.  Max stepped in front and they eyed one another before MJF backed up.  Garcia tossed back in.

Ads.

Ospreay hit a chop in the corner, another, Garcia plummeting into the middle rope.  Btw, no update on Hook getting his face burnt off.  Garcia fired up but Ospreay rushed out of the corner with a boot.  Garcia no sold this too and hit two neckbreakers and a ddt when he ducked a rushing Ospreay.  Then the third neckbreaker for two.

Fans again tried to start a chant for him.

Ospreay hit an AJ forearm for a near fall.  Before hooking the arms, Garcia fought free, Ospreay hit Kawada kicks, Garcia backed up, Ospreay offered his own head for Kawada kicks but Garcia did his devastating dancing dick to the face instead.  Twice.  In a match where he could win a title.

Ospreay nailed a Spanish fly in response.  Garcia hit back for two.  Ospreay hooked the legs to counter a rana for two, then hit a step up enziguri, then his floatover into a powerbomb for two right back up into a Styles clash.  For two. Just unbelievably fast and smooth.  Crowd ‘oohing’ at every move.

Garcia climbed his back into a sleeper then lowered himself into a front chancery but was thrown off face first.  He blocked a stormbreaker, Ospreay blocked Red Cross, Garcia caught an Oscutter into a piledriver for a near fall.

MJF put his ring down for Garcia to use.  Garcia picked it up and looked at it like he’d never seen metal before so was rolled up for a bunch of twos but popped up to hit a lariat.  MJF again tried to get him to use the ring.  Garcia looked at it again.  Then handed it back.

And was nailed with a Hidden Blade.  AEW: where the best wrestle to cradle or distraction finishes.

Probably good but I wasn’t at all invested: you may have picked up the subtle message that I’m less than uninterested in Garcia, and the outcome was so very obvious.

Garcia was literally crying in the corner so Ospreay called for Ginuwine’s ‘Pony’ over the PA to cheer him up.  Or offered some words of encouragement.  Will let you decide.  Excalibur put over Garcia’s youth and said there’d be other opportunities.

Leaving Garcia and MJF.  Max told him that the loss was his fault, not Garcia’s.  Then held his arm up and hugged him.  Then kicked him in the nuts.  And I audibly cheered.  He set his face to ‘heel,’ took out his ring and loaded it.

Nailing Menard who ran out to help.  He spat on Garcia, yelled for him to get up then knocked his ass out so the only dancing was those little birds you see in cartoons when someone’s KO’d.

The announcers called him despicable.  Good amount of boos but also chants of ‘he’s our scumbag.’  AEW have a real problem getting heels booed.  He fought off security (who showed no interest in the million other attacks tonight), then continued pounding on Garcia, who was bleeding from the head.

Then took him upstairs for a tombstone from the middle rope.  Chris Daniels was out and begged him not to.  But he did it anyway.  Ospreay finally came back out and Max bailed through the crowd, getting into spats the whole way, even going head to head with a fan.

Garcia was being strapped to a board.  Ospreay was pissed.  Might be argued a stretcher job and someone getting their face burnt off on the same show is too much.  But then again, it does mean I don’t have to see Garcia for a while…

Winner: Will Ospreay

 _______________________________________________________________

Next Collision:

• Adam Page vs Jay White (Owen SF)
• MJF opens the show
• Toni Storm vs Trish Adora

Next Dynamite:

• Bryan Danielson vs Page/White
• Willow vs May/Shida
• Swerve returns

Thumbs Up/Down

• BD/PAC
• Willow promo and she won
• MJF’s a heel again – angle was pretty good

 *****

• Where in the blue hell was the world champion!!?? He finally, finally, gets some momentum with a win over another top guy and they don’t mention him all night!?  If dude genuinely can’t make the show, it needs to be a big deal, he’s the damn champ.  If it’s a personal matter, we don’t need to be told what it is, just that he’s not here.  But it needs to matter
• Poor job pushing the mystery of the Wild Card, as usual
• Britt/Mercedes, for the reasons mentioned previously
• After such a strong start the show nose-dived into nothing matches, a whole lot of Jericho and too many extreme angles for a single show, especially when Mariah May having a glass bottle broken over her head last week proved meaningless
• Which is possibly why it’s so hard for heels to get booed

Appreciate you reading.  Hope you’re having a good week.