Hey yo.

Time to mix things up.

In order of personal interest, starting with the least.

Chris Jericho vs Hook (FTW Title)

Biggest Plus:

Jericho saying ‘Cardiff, England’ was sensational heel work.

Biggest Minus:

Everything else.

How many shows in a row is it now with this feud as the least interesting thing on it?  It feels endless.

Devil’s Advocate:

Jericho should be at home taking a break; Hook gaining seasoning in Japan.

Worth noting:

• Taz is yet to get physical despite his mistreatment.
• Is Joe finished filming and/or can he take a weekend break in London?

Biggest possible twist (these will be a mix of somewhat likely and just plain crazy, will leave your intellects to do the distinguishing):

Taz turns heel.

Role on the card:

Up-and-comer cements status by finally beating vet.

Yes/No only:

Was the feud good?  No.

Does it feel ‘hot’?  No.

Clean finish (i.e. without dumb refs, cheating or interference, regardless of the rules)?  Yes.

Winner: Hook

Tomohiro Ishii & Willow Nightingale vs Kris Statlander & Stokely Hathaway (Winner chooses stip. for the ladies’ All Out title-match)

Biggest Plus:

Stokely’s fun and will sell his ass off (facially as much as anything) for the babyface combo.

Biggest Minus:

Despite the heel turn, Statlander still feels cold.  Nightingale’s popularity continues to be squandered.

Devil’s Advocate:

Couldn’t there be some New Japan title Ishii could bring into the mix?  Perhaps the Intercontinental?  Can never have too many.

Worth noting:

N/A

Biggest possible twist:

Hathaway pins Ishii.

Role on the card:

A feud AEW don’t want left off but don’t way to pay off either.

Yes/No only:

Was the feud good?  No.

Does it feel ‘hot’?  No.

Clean finish?  No.

When a manager ends up in a match, they’re usually taking the loss.  But the winner chooses the stip. for next time, and those usually exist to give a babyface extra odds to overcome.

Winner: Kris Statlander & Stokely Hathaway

Jack Perry vs Darby Allin (TNT Title, Coffin match)

Biggest Plus:

‘Last year, with all your dumb shit that you pulled, I really wish you got fired.’

Darby Allin sounded like he meant this.  Like he genuinely doesn’t like Jack Perry.

Biggest Minus:

The feud began with Perry trying to run Darby over in a paedo van then being set on fire.

Where does one go from there?

Devil’s Advocate:

Probably a few guys backstage who’d take being suspended if it meant coming back to regular pay-per-view time.  Some scapegoat.

Worth noting:

• Do we get a Sting appearance? Would only make sense if Darby’s winning.  Unless it’s a post-match ‘save.’
• Allin’s rationale for not setting Perry on fire at Blood & Guts was that he wanted the match at Wembley. But Darby definitely seems like he’d be down to have a match with a corpse.
• No references to ‘real glass’ please, let it go.

Biggest possible twist:

Given this feud so far – Allin astride an earth-ending asteroid as it crushes Perry, the ring, our world and any memory of humankind?

Role on the card:

Two guys skirt manslaughter charges.

Yes/No only:

Was the feud good?  No.

Does it feel ‘hot’?  No.

Clean finish?  (Hellllll) No.

Since it seems unlikely Perry’s losing his championship this quickly.  But Darby’s got a shot at the world strap in his bag.  Which is why a heel demanded a stipulation which ostensibly favors the babyface.

So no-one has to get pinned.  (Ideally ever.  Unless it’s via the most devastating finish of the 2010s and beyond, the dreaded rollup.)

Winner: Jack Perry

Young Bucks vs FTR vs The Acclaimed (Tag Titles)

Biggest Plus:

Open to suggestions.  Genuinely cannot think of a single thing.

Biggest Minus:

Looking back a year, wow this company’s changed.  No Punk, no Cole, no Sting, Swerve was a mid-card heel, Jericho still a top guy, and FTR were in a cold feud with the Bucks over the tag belts.

Oh.

Devil’s Advocate:

If there’s only been one pay-per-view title defense in a year (FTR vs Aussie Open last October) – that didn’t involve Sting, glass or ladders – is the division even worth having?

Worth noting:

N/A.

Biggest possible twist:

Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi return after a Bucks win.  If he is healthy enough to do so, would make sense for Omega to do some teaming while he gets his legs under him.

Role on the card:

Tough one.  The Acclaimed’s crowning moment?  Except they’re not really babyfaces and fans don’t care about them.

Caster’s not great and this incarnation of the Bucks doesn’t even guarantee a good match.  Though easily their best all year came vs Dax and Cash.  So probably tops out at spot-fest.

Yes/No only:

Was the feud good?  No.

Does it feel ‘hot’?  No.

Clean finish?  Yes.

*Shrugs* We’ll go with FTR.  Probably via pinning a Buck.  Puts the belts on wrestlers who don’t have limited dates on their contracts while continuing the FTR/Acclaimed feud.

Winner: FTR

Mariah May vs Timeless Toni Storm (Women’s Title)

Biggest Plus:

Fans are really into Toni Storm getting her revenge.  After an excellent angle which saw her blindsided by her protégé.  Mariah’s promo work’s been good to very good.

Biggest Minus:

And while May’s easily worthy of this feud, she doesn’t feel worthy of the title.  Through no fault of her own.  But because of AEW’s continuing reluctance to have stars pin other stars.  The only credible female she’s beaten all year is Willow Nightingale.

And unlike Danielson, she doesn’t have inbuilt credibility to fall back on.  Heel or not, it’s nice when challengers feel like they’re gaining momentum and have been moving up the card.  Especially for shows this big.

All of which could very much could be a ‘me’ problem.

Speaking of…

Personal POV:

I just can’t take Toni, and thus this match, seriously.  It’s very hard to care who holds the belt when it’s been on a comedy wrestler for a year.

Devil’s Advocate:

AEW spent a year forcing poor defenseless good girls into the babyface buzzsaw that was Storm’s title run.  Then finally turned her, just in time to face a Londoner in London?

Worth noting:

Did the broken bottle ever mean anything?

Biggest possible twist:

Mina Shirakawa helps Toni win.

Role on the card:

The most heated thing on the show.

Yes/No only:

Was the feud good?  Yes (man, so badly want to contextualize a year’s worth of content).

Does it feel ‘hot’?  Yes.

Clean finish?  No.

AEW have set this up nicely:

Long-term heel champion fans want to cheer finally turns babyface and is beaten bloody by her protégé.  She can’t possibly lose here can she?

Rookie has first ever title match in front of her hometown fans.  She can’t possibly lose here can she?

The fact Mariah’s (nominally at least) the heel complicates this massively.  Though it didn’t stop Tony Khan putting the belt on baddie Saraya last year.  Simply for the pop.  Which is not a good approach to booking.  But that’s another story.

Then there’s the really important question:

Why did Mina have promo time last week?  Moreover, why did Excalibur suspiciously claim she was ‘caught in the middle,’ between a woman she’s been very close to and one she’s only just met and feuded with?

Good luck getting that act booed btw.  If it is indeed the path chosen.

Winner: Mariah May

Mercedes Mone vs Britt Baker (TBS Title)

Biggest Plus:

The final angle.

Mercedes played her part well, a little performative at times but a total heel.  With some good lines questioning her opponent’s commitment.  And her smug grin when Britt said she admired her was wonderful.

While Baker was excellent, so strikingly confident on the mic, so believable, convincing in her vow to win, this left the feeling that either might do so.

Biggest Minus:

Mercedes Mone.

Fans just haven’t cared.  Perhaps they will at Wembley.  And while some of her promos have improved since going bad, some… have not.

So this is where the former Sasha can earn her moné, by carrying the unpredictable Baker to a quality match.

Devil’s Advocate:

50,000 fans = 50,000 chances someone’s wearing a disguise.

Worth noting:

Mone has big, badass backup.  The sides are uneven.  Currently.

Biggest possible twist:

N/A.

Role on the card:

‘Big time’ clash between the OG face of AEW’s women and her usurper.

Yes/No only:

Was the feud good?  No.

Does it feel ‘hot’?  No.

Clean finish?  No.

It’s too early to dethrone Mercedes.  When it happens, it should be Willow.  And certainly shouldn’t reward someone who was just suspended, regardless of rights/wrongs/sides.

There’s also every chance the ‘Brickhouse’ decides things here.  Leading to a post-match 2:1 beatdown and possibly the return of Jamie Hayter?  Then an All Out tag.

If she does return, that’ll be one of the best moments on the show.

Winner: Mercedes Mone

The Patriarchy vs House of Black vs Bang Bang Gang vs PAC, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta (London Ladders, Trios Titles)

Biggest Plus:

A renewed focus has at least seen the belts feel more important than they have in a long time.  And given Collision something of a purpose.  (Also, between Wild Card in Cardiff and London Ladders, big win for fans of alliterative branding.)

Biggest Minus:

The previous champs were stripped in a nonsensical segment which saw babyface authority figure Christopher Daniels booed.

Both sets of initial challengers turned face without turning.

A random trio who’d never teamed before were given a shot after one win.

Christian Cage is seemingly (storyline) booking the division.

Reader’s choice.

Devil’s Advocate:

Even worse than the tag division, there has been a single title defense of any kind on pay-per-view in the past year.  Why bother with the belts?

Worth noting:

They surely did not set all of this up so that Kip Sabian could decide the match purely because it’s in England?  That’d be house show AF.  Jay White doing so would be better – he seemed to be heading for a feud with Cage before his injury.

Biggest possible twist:

Juice steals Nick Wayne’s mum from Christian, finally snapping Toni out of it.

Role on the card:

Sleeper – has flyers, big guys, technicians, strikers, vets and rookies – everything needed to steal the show.

Yes/No only:

Was the feud good?  No.

Does it feel ‘hot’?  No.

Clean finish?  No.

Tough to predict a winner since there isn’t a team AEW have clearly been building toward crowning.  Before his injury, it seemed like they were trying to keep the gold on Bullet Club while dislodging Jay White from the mix, so they’re as good a pick as any.

WINNER: Bang Bang Gang

Casino Gauntlet Battle Royal (Winner gets an AEW title shot)

Entrants: Orange Cassidy, Hangman Adam Page, Evil Uno, Jay Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, TBA

Biggest Plus:

The second edition in late May was probably the most entertaining match this year.  The basic anticipation of ‘who’s out next?’ rarely fails.  Especially when there’s a list of potential debutants and returnees.

Biggest Minus:

Last time, they crapped all over the premise: Roderick Strong might lose then just ask for and receive a title shot anyway on the next tv show.

Devil’s Advocate:

On the subject of Roddy, nothing makes your world title more prestigious than a chance to compete for it on the biggest show of the year still being up for grabs two days beforehand.

Worth noting:

• If this is packed with non-stars – and the lineup so far is 3:3 – Hangman will be cheered.
• Ricochet’s apparently signed.
• Lashley’s done with WWE.
• As is Takeshita with the G-1.
• Adam Cole has just/is just about to start training again.
• Jay White’s apparently good to go.

Biggest possible twist:

Okada enters, he clears the ring and… ‘I HEAR THE BATTLE CRY!’

Personal POV:

If Jeff Jarrett wins or gets involved in another top feud, that might be it for me.

Role on the card:

Crowd-pleasing get guys on the card opener.  Or party match between clashes with angles.  All while setting up the All Out main event?

Yes/No only:

Was the feud good?  N/A.

Does it feel ‘hot’?  N/A.

Clean finish?  Yes.

So there’s a world champion, a #1 contender, a contender-in-waiting for Grand Slam, and this?

After a years-long run of nobody wanting the world title, AEW sure are loading up on potential challengers.  So presumably whoever wins here faces the champ at All Out?  Since a tv match between then and Grand Slam would get in Darby’s way.  And WrestleDream seems too long a wait.

What AEW haven’t made clear is when exactly this shot kicks in.  Can the winner take advantage of a battered Danielson/Strickland later on the show?

What they have made clear is that Hangman’s the guy we’re supposed to expect to win.  It might be too obvious, but he’s the best bet of anyone announced thus far.

WINNER: Hangman Adam Page

Swerve Strickland vs Bryan Danielson (AEW Title, Danielson retires if he loses)

Biggest Plus:

Danielson filled the swear jar to end the feud on a high Wednesday.  And aid Strickland’s good work in carrying it prior.  For what should be excellent action before fans invested in this not being the last time they see Danielson wrestle.

So when Final Countdown kicks in for what could be the final time, man…

Should make for a hell of an occasion.

Biggest Minus:

It’s pitched as ‘title vs career,’ but AEW haven’t made clear what happens if Danielson wins.  Not helped by a convo with JR who stated that it sounds like Danielson’s done, ‘win, lose or draw.’

And the Dragon didn’t disagree.

Devil’s Advocate:

Bryan Danielson has paid the purest homage to his three-year run by seemingly caring not in the least about the title.  And Swerve Strickland has paid the purest homage to Bryan Danielson’s three-year run by meandering randomly from babyface to heel.

On the bright side, Jeff Jarrett believes in him.  Which is like Riff Raff telling Kendrick Lamar, ‘You got this.’

Personal POV:

I initially said there was no way Danielson was winning here.  Which was probably projecting my own feelings that a world championship should not be a lifetime achievement award, no matter how nice the moment or how good the wrestler.

This isn’t Sting winning a set of afterthought tag belts over comedy heels who’ve been champions multiple times.  So I hope they have a good plan in mind so this doesn’t end with Swerve losing then drifting away.

Worth noting:

• The champ hasn’t been pinned since December. When Danielson did so.
• Who’s working without a contract. And has admitted he’ll likely need neck surgery before year’s end.  Though that could be an exaggeration for effect.
• There’ve been reports that a Darby world title run is a legit consideration.

Biggest possible twist:

The serious: Hangman helps Danielson win, leaving the vet conflicted.  Or ‘cashes in’ to take advantage of either winner.

The ridiculous: The Dragon goes heel by cheating to win, flipping off his daughter and signing a new contract soaked in her tears as she watches

Role on the card:

Emotional rollercoaster.

Yes/No only:

Was the feud good?  Swerve’s part – Yes; Danielson’s – No.

Does it feel ‘hot’?  No.

Clean finish?  No.

Since AEW so very rarely have stars beat stars decisively.  And there are at least two storyline ‘outs’ here.  Adam Page and Nigel McGuinness.  Not that the latter would be advisable.  Might use it for a near fall though.

That aside, there are a bunch of intriguing outcomes based around prior storylines:

• Beginning with the aforementioned ‘twist’ ideas re: Hangman.
• Danielson’s neck has never actually cost him anything. Until now?
• Danielson fights and fights but eventually stays down when he sees his daughter crying.
• Swerve’s shtick is that Danielson’s beaten-up and on the downslope. Which is either what a very dumb winner says or what a cocky guy taking his opponent lightly says before losing.

Within the last year, the former Daniel Bryan vaguely described heaven as being bleeding before a few hundred fans.  Making it hard to believe this will be the last time we see him betwixt the ropes.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

MJF vs Will Ospreay (‘American’ Title, if Ospreay wins it reverts to the International title)

Biggest Plus:

The match itself.

They had a belter last they met.  And it’s not cool to say, but it probably would have been even better at thirty-five minutes.  Which is closer to what they’ll get here.

Plus, William Ospreay got a hell of a response from a few thousand people the other day.  So multiply that by like fifteen fingers and toes – should be goosebump city.

Biggest Minus:

A few weeks back Jason Powell asked – re: the ‘American’ title thing – Do you think we’ll look back and think… ‘That was worth it?’

The answer has to be, ‘No.’

For the sake of a few weeks tv, it muddied MJF’s fresh heel turn as he came out draped in all kinds of stars and stripes.  To predictable ‘USA!’ chants.  And if the first Dynamite back in the US sees Ospreay scrapping the ‘American’ title, are fans supposed to cheer?

There was a good concept here somewhere.  But it felt poorly thought out.  Like many of Captain Kangaroo Kick’s ideas.  ‘Sunday is about cleaning up the mess that you’ve made here,’ to quote Messer Ospreay.

Devil’s Advocate:

Fairly sure a nationalism angle wasn’t needed to get Ospreay cheered in the UK.

Personal POV:

Despite the heel turn, I’ve been struggling to care about MJF.  It feels 2020 with a new catchphrase, packed with every bottom-feeding heel trick in the book.  Though Wednesday was an improvement and got me into the match.  Could’ve done without the TNA and WCW-like allusions to the company sucking (in fairness, both guys were guilty of this), but his letting slip that he was jealous of the Brit was masterful.

Worth noting:

PAC has a shot coming up.  Facing MJF would allow the latter to continue his new gimmick.

Biggest possible twist:

Adam Cole helps MJF win and they reunite as heels.

Role on the card:

Showstealer.

Yes/No only:

Was the feud good?  No.

Does it feel ‘hot’?  No (but it will Sunday).

Clean finish?  Yes.

Such a fuss being made of the ‘new’ title does make the finish less predictable.  For the reasons suggested by Jason Powell’s question; otherwise, that’s a lot of work for little payoff.

Contrarily, is the tiger driver story worth paying off over a short feud for one of three mid-card titles?  MJF basically dared Will to use it this past Wednesday.  There’s also Don Callis to consider.   Who made it clear he wasn’t happy when splitting from the Essex boy.  That payback’s coming at some point.

Anybody order a screwdriver?  (Maybe Andre?)

And the implied story is that MJF can only get the better of Will when he cheats.

Match placement will say a lot.  If this goes last it means Ospreay’s definitely winning.  So I’ll go with him, but don’t think this is as cut and dry as others might.

Winner: Will Ospreay

To Sum Up

On the way to All In, AEW have overthought most of their top feuds.  If victorious, Will Ospreay might be faced with getting rid of the ‘American’ title before American fans.  Bryan Danielson with upsetting his eight-year-old daughter.

Strip away the flag outfits and fatherhood issues and we’re left with what fans really want to see:

1. Two wrestlers trying to prove they’re the best
2. Or two wrestlers who don’t like each other settling things (there’s a reason Toni/Mariah’s the hottest thing on the show)

Which the company seemed to realize on a final Dynamite containing three strong angles for previously tepid feuds.

Problem is, both of the above remain hard to accomplish without decisive finishes when name wrestlers meet.  The majority of the time in this company, wins come over undercard wrestlers.  Those that don’t come via interference, via gauntlet, or via rollup.

Which makes it hard for wrestlers to ascend and become stars, doesn’t make for compelling tv and makes it tough for matches to seem like they matter.  A rather large problem for a company so focused on the action itself.

Something AEW can address here.  On a show featuring numerous clashes between stars with some doubt over the finish.  Not only making for intriguing viewing, but providing a chance to make clear the wrestlers fans should care about going forward.

This is our biggest show of the year, here’s who we’re getting behind; here’s who you should get behind.

If not, I fear the company will continue to lose their audience as fans figure out that most of the tv is a bunch of random matches they just don’t need to watch.  And that when they finally do get something compelling, they won’t get a satisfying finish.

RKO out of nowhere: gutted about the Lucha Bros ☹.

Anyway, hope you’re having a great weekend, enjoy the show and thanks for reading.  Always appreciated.  Don’t know when/if the next one will be, All Out very unlikely.