Venue: DCU Center, Worcester, MA

*****

FTR vs Top Flight (Tag Tourney Semis)

Backstory: Winner faces the Bucks in the Finals

Just Tony and Nigel tonight.  Bobby Cruise ring announcing after Dasha was unfortunately fired.  It’s not that Cruise is bad – he’s not – he’s just too associated with ROH which is barely a C(?) brand.

Dax headlock, whipped off, crashing through Darius via shoulder.  Lockup, Darius armdrag, Dax retreating to his corner before starting again.  Double leg countered into a rollup by the youngster, Dax taking time to think then tagging out.

Cash attacking the arm, Darius athletically flipping his way free, nice takedown into a brief cover, deep armdrag, Cash got two via backslide, blind tag from Dante as the two went to work on Cash, kick to the spine, Wheeler taking a breather outside.

Returning to force Dante to FTR’s corner and tag Dax.  Another lockup, wristlock takedown, Dante kipping up, ducking a wild swing, armdrag, a second, Top Flight a good step ahead of FTR so far.

Drop down, leapfrog into a Dante sunset flip for two.

Darius back in, taking a big back elbow before Dax went to work with knife edges.  Cash back in, uppercut in the corner, stinging chop, Darius down, out at one on a cover.  Cash scoop slam, missing an elbow, Darius tagging out, Dante in with a stomp to the shoulder, Cash repaying the favor with a standing one.

Dax in, setting Dante atop the buckle, youngster slipping behind, O’Connor roll and cross body off the buckle for two as he copied Harwood’s usual offense (the cross body caught Dax very high).  Lariat in the corner through the ropes into a tag, nice double-teaming into a Dante slingshot senton.

Before using his brother as a launch pad to leg lariat Dax off the apron.  Then knock Cash off with a right.  Until being suckered outside into a big Cash lariat.

Ads.  I’m not sure the 3,000 in attendance have reacted to a single thing yet.

Back to Cash and Darius atop the buckle, the latter countering a superplex into a cross body pin in midair.  Both crawling for tags, Darius got his, avoiding Dax in the corner into a rollup, pair of them, for a pair of counts.

Dax replying with his fists and hands, big stinging chop which finally got a rise out of these fans.  Darius fighting back out of the heel corner, another rollup, for another two.  Dante leaping kick, Darius sloppy Pele kick off the buckle, some fans trying to force a TiA chant (seriously, not every show has to have one) as Darius bulldogged Dax against the middle rope, Dante taking out Cash via tope, Darius flatliner in through the ropes, for two.

Darius dragged outside, Dante gamengiri from the apron, big splash very obviously meant to hit Dax’s knees, and doing so, right into a cradle for two.  Darius ducking under a ripcord lariat into a German but taken out via Cash brainbuster, Dante elevated toward the buckle by Cash but landing on his feet (just), only to leap back into a Shatter Machine out of the air.

Cool finish.  Match picked up toward the end, the bunch of near falls via rollup formula early was kinda boring and the atmosphere was so very flat.

So, question is, will the Bucks & FTR gel better than they did last year?  There’s a lot on them to save a very dull tournament.  FTR held up three fingers to symbolize both sides trying for a record third AEW title run.

Winner: FTR

We went to an Okada package voiced by Nigel, ‘Written by: Matthew & Nicholas Jackson.’

Many claim to be the best, but there is only one.  The man who embodies everything a wrestler should be.  This is the beginning of a new era in AEW.  They played clips of him in NJPW and AEW.

PAC vs Encore Moore

Backstory: NONE

Guessing at the spelling since they did the thing where they don’t really bother introducing the guy.

After a couple minutes beating the guy, Pac teased the Black Arrow then climbed down and put on the Brutalizer instead for the tap.  Fans booed.  What the hell!!!???  Isn’t he facing Okada?  Who’s a heel.

The Geordie took a mic and said he’d warned us he was done waiting for opportunities that he deserves.  So now he’s taking matters into his own hands.  He’s on a mission to remind everyone who he is, ‘the best bloody professional wrestler on the face of planet earth.’

So he’s ‘calling out’ Okada.  ‘Let’s see how big your bollocks (balls) are.’  He didn’t think Okada could ‘survive the bastard.’

Really like Pac and they kept the squash short, AEW continue to confuse with their placement of wrestlers.

Winner: PAC

Renee with Danielson.  She asked about Ospreay.  He said wrestling has never been about comparing himself to others but that he uses others as a measuring stick to compare himself to himself.

Sure that sounded good in his head…

He talked about people constantly evolving.  How will we live this ‘one life’ we get.  He’s excited to test himself against Ospreay.  He said he was sitting next to ‘Jen Pepperman’ (that’s the writer they brought in for Sasha) watching Ospreay/Takeshita and she said Ospreay ‘might be the best wrestler I’ve ever seen.’

‘I’m standing right here…’ thought Danielson.

He has no doubt the fans will enjoy it but that isn’t why he does what he does.

Like pretty much everything about Danielson (outside of his matches), this lacked consistency and clarity.

Chris Jericho & Hook vs Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty

Backstory: Taylor challenged the duo Weds, after Hook said he trusts Jericho enough to at least team with him

The Hook signal went up and ten people went ‘Yaaay.’  Jericho didn’t seem to be being booed as he was Weds.

He and Taylor to start.  The latter rushing Jericho to the corner, big rights to the gut and face, whip, charging lariat, more rights.  Jericho tagged out and hit a double suplex with Hook.  Who was backed to the heel corner by Taylor, Moriarty in stomping a mudhole.

Hook fought back with a throw then tagged out.

Moriarty was briefly on top, leapt off the ropes into a Walls but got right out, Taylor took a springboard dropkick, allowing Moriarty back on top.

Ads.

Jericho avoided a Moriarty dropkick, Lionsault, Hook wanting the tag, getting it, pair of lariats, judo throw out of the corner, a second, pivot under into northern lights for two.  It’ so quiet you can hear individual shouts of ‘Let’s go Hook’.

He went Macho Man with a double axe handle to the outside, Jericho took an elevated DDT inside, into the Border City Stretch, hand hovering until pivoting around into the Walls.  Hook suplexed Taylor to stop him breaking the hold, Moriarty tapped.

Nothing match.

Anthony Ogogo then attacked from behind.  Just why?  You cut a dozen people but kept a guy we haven’t seen for years.  Seems he’s joined Shane Taylor Promotions.  We’re all pissing ourselves with excitement.  He ‘knocked out’ Jericho and they draped a banner over him.  Did not see Hook and Jericho getting into a feud with these guys.

Winner: Chris Jericho & Hook

Dustin Rhodes promo over sad music.  He said he’s underappreciated.  He can remember Dusty bringing home the world title when he was seven.  And he snuck and held the belt and vowed to become world champion.

Something he’s never done.  He said Joe is under no obligation but is asking for ‘a chance.’

He’s challenging him for Dynamite.

As I said about Dustin a week or so ago, his performances are always good.  But as ever with AEW, they’re all ‘tell’ and no ‘show.’  If they did this after Dustin was shown to be on a winning streak, after he’d been talking for months, maybe years, about wanting to be a champion like his dad (hey, isn’t another guy doing that ‘story’ atm?), this might mean something.

But it’s just another cheap way to build a cheap title match.  This is why people aren’t watching, Tony.  Right here.  There’s no story, absolutely no question about the outcome, no drama.  There are tens of name wrestlers who fans would tune in to see Joe defeat and who Joe would gain a lot from beating.  Dustin Rhodes is not one of them.  Braver booking please, tell someone to go out and put over the damn champion.

*****

Renee with Ospreay now (both of her interviews were done very casually, sitting on the crates backstage).  He said he’s noticed the competition in AEW is a lot quicker, but less ground-based than New Japan, which makes him confident facing Danielson since ‘that’s his style.’

He said he sees Danielson as the ‘S-Tier professional wrestler’ but doesn’t change his approach for their match.  He believes he’s the best wrestler of the 21^st Century.  He doesn’t think Danielson was at the level he is, even at his peak.

He’s here for a fight, to prove he’s the best, it’s the best of all time vs the best of the 21^st Century.  ‘Where wrestlers wrestle.’  Which seems to be a new company tagline.

Ospreay again coming off as a very real, very likeable guy.  He’s not a character, he’s Will Ospreay.  And even managed to call himself the best of all time without sounding arrogant, just full of conviction.

Thumbs up.  They need to air this on Dynamite so people actually see it.

*****

They showed Mark Briscoe winning the ROH Title last night.  Jammed that right in there.

House of Black vs Christopher Daniels, Matt Sydal & Bryan Keith

Backstory: NONE

Malakai beat Keith around the ring until a Keith exploder got two.  Malakai knee strike, tag to Brody, Keith rolling away to tag Sydal.  Who tagged Danielson so they could double up.  King ran through both via lariat.

Ads.

Sydal kicking the crap out of Buddy, elevating behind into a flying headscissors, kick to the back of the head, to the top, Buddy moved, Sydal this time turned a headscissors into a roll up for two.  Really nice flurry from Sydal, even got the fans to make some of that ‘noise’ stuff.

Keith blind tagged in but just watched Sydal take Dante’s Inferno without helping.  Then ran through Buddy and Brody with kicks until a Brody lariat laid him out.

Barks, cannonball, combined with the other HOB hitting stereo kicks.  Daniels saved the pin.  But was left 1:3. He tried to fight back, the End laid him out.  Keith nearly sneaked the win but took a bicycle knee and pump handle driver to lose.

AEW keep telling us Keith is worth bothering with.  Problem with that?  He never wins.

Copeland’s music played, HOB waited, except Malakai who impatiently headed up the ramp, Copeland attacking the other HOB from behind then staring down Malakai.  And catching a bad case of DBS, allowing the other HOB to attack.  Mark Briscoe and FTR racing out to help.

Was wondering why they’d chosen to do four faces vs three heels.  Reason was, the EVP’s are out too.  They did their big entrance, FTR racing to brawl with them, Copeland nailing Brody with a chair and a Spear, one for Buddy too after Briscoe laid the foundations.

Copeland and Malakai stared each other down again before the latter decided he’d have better odds another day.  All leaving Matt Jackson to do the uh-oh turnaround into a pack of babyfaces, Nicholas though pulling his brother to safety.

Okay, actual stuff!  This was good.

Like that they’re building Copeland/Malakai slowly, they don’t touch, just stare.  And no time being wasted trying to build the tag finals.

Winner: House of Black

Lexy with Rocky Romero.  He’s won titles elsewhere but not in AEW.  And he knows there’s a ranking system and he can’t just be ‘hotshotted into a title match’ (unless you’re Dustin, or Penta, or… or… or…) so he wants an Eliminator vs Roderick Strong.

Strong was handily right off camera and yelled Rocky’s name.  Strong asked if Rocky had seen what he’d done with his International Title (err, nothing?).  He’s doing it on his own, just like his good friend Kyle O’Reilly.

Rocky will get to tell his grandkids he got beat by a wrestling legend.

*****

They announced the Bucks would be showing ‘never before seen’ backstage footage from All In 2023.  On Dynamite.  Presumably it’ll actually be making fun of FTR or something since they wrestled there.

Seems a bit inside and a little gimmicky.

*So scratch all that, apparently they are actually showing Punk and Perry and etc per this site and others.  Wow.  That might backfire.  Will be must-see though.

*****

Lexy with Lionhook.  Apparently ‘the real story is the shocking return of Anthony Ogogo.’  That’s what I’m taking away from this show.  Definitely.

Jericho’s pissed off but they welcome a three vs two.  Hook interrupted to say he has a third man.  And brought in Shibata who played a translated promo on his phone.

Jericho didn’t look all that pleased but did join a fistbump.

Yuka Sakazaki vs Trish Adora

Backstory: NONE

Adora came out to the Infantry’s music.  Which they seem to be trying to make a thing.

I watch every week, basically have no idea who either of these women are.  Or who I’m supposed to root for.

Sakazaki hit a forward roll enziguri, basement lariat for two.  Step-up headscissors blocked, Adora hit a nice backbreaker.

Ads.

Gamengiri from the apron, Yuka to the top, dropkick, two.  Sakazaki spends as much time screaming as wrestling.  Adora countered a suplex into one of her own, too strong for Yuka.

Exchange of forearms, Adora coming out better until a Yuka hook kick, Adora hit back with a German, Yuka popped up to hit a high-angle suplex.  Adora hit a double underhook suplex, full nelson slam, two count.

Sakazaki hit an airplane spin into a drop then rolled Adora center before heading to the apron, splash off the ropes for the win.  Not much of a finish.

Decent enough.

Serena Deeb came out.  To clap – probably sarcastically? – for maybe two seconds before we raced away.

Winner: Yuka Sakazaki

To show Trent turning on Orange Wednesday.  Also for a matter of seconds.  That’s not how you get angles over.  You emphasize them so they mean something.

*****

Before going to Matt Menard with Daniel Garcia.  Menard said Garcia isn’t even in his prime.  Garcia won last night but ‘wins are expected.  We want more.’

Garcia said he gets motivated by seeing top wrestlers in their primes.  But he thinks it’s time he was amongst them and along with Menard they’re ‘coming for more.’

This was good.  Really hope it’s not building to a turn.  Menard adds a nice bit of personality to Garcia and is a really good talker.  Plus, it’s nice when babyfaces have friends.  It makes them seem not dicks.

Claudio Castagnoli vs Butcher

Backstory: NONE

Your standard ‘big guy’ start, crashing together, neither budging until Butcher bit Claudio.  The Swiss hit back via scoop slam, double stomp, corner uppercut, Butcher avoided a second and hit a backbreaker right up into a suplex/brainbuster.

‘Butcher and Blade has been one of the great tag teams in AEW.’  Schiavone’s a fan.

Nigel said Butcher was dyslexic, ‘You know what they say though, when life gives you melons…’

Butcher took Claudio down into a crossface, Claudio powered up with Butcher on his back, into a DVD.  Uppercut flurry, short-arm lariat, swing time.  Ten rotations, Neutralizer, which Tony doesn’t seem to know the name of, win.

This is about the length matches like this should go. They don’t need to be ‘good matches.’

Winner: Claudio Castagnoli

Queen Spooky with your HOB ‘spooky promo.’  She said Willow makes people smile but their smiles will disappear.  She’s beaten Willow twice.  Something about ‘rolling the dice’ re: Mercedes.  I think everything here was supposed to rhyme.

Not as bad as the HOB’s usual esoteric twaddle.  Decent for what it was.  Nice presence.

*****

Joe now.  A big part of being champion is managing perception.  There are people whose perceptions are out of whack.  He likes to talk big about where he’s been and what he’s done: ‘Then why aren’t you standing here (as champ) Dustin?’

Men like Dustin don’t possess the one thing that helps people survive around here, ‘fear of me.’

So he won’t give Dustin what he wants.  He doesn’t deserve a shot.  But he’ll give him a match.  And if he wins, sure he can have a shot then.  But Joe’ll make him an example to everyone who ‘speaks my name.’

‘Dustin, you will set that example for me.’

Joe’s amazing.  Like that he makes guys earn shots too.

Penta vs Komander

Backstory: NONE

Penta has a title shot Weds.  Wouldn’t it be an idea to have this match first, have Penta win, then announce he’s getting a shot so it seems he’s earned it?  At the same time making this at least slightly less predictable?  Seems win/win.

But would require forethought.

Silent outside of a few ‘zero miedo’ chants as we got going.  Grappling for control until penta span out into a kick to the gut, each ducking, dodging and countering the other, couple pin attempts, kip up, reset.

Rapid.

Komander offering a shake, Penta ooffering only a shove to the face in return, so Komander teed off with an open hand, landed on his feet out of a tilt a whirl which clearly went wrong since they did it again, into a tejeiras.  But Penta followed him into the ropes with a brutal low dropkick.

Before setting him in the ropes for a stinging open hand.  ‘One more time!’

Komander countered a pop-up into a rana, following Penta outside via tope but caught military-style.  And dumped across the steps.

Ads.

Komander used Penta like a jungle gym into a tejeiras, this time landing the tope, stiff kick, Penta flung back in.  Where he met Komander with a thrust kick as he came off the top.  Then a springboard into a destroyer.  For two.

Komander slipped behind to grab a rollup for two.  Magistral into a knee bar, the ref having pointing out that Penta was under the ropes so Komander could drag him back center, rather than making Komander break.

Penta got the ropes, kicked his way free, Penta to the apron, flipping in, rolling through, right into a Komander Spanish fly for two.  Nigel talked about both landing awkwardly and it not being clear who got the worst.

Komander on the apron, Penta sprang over into a destroyer.  Which wasn’t even sold for a second, Komander popped up to elevate Penta onto the ramp via back body.  Before then collapsing.

Both down.

Before scrambling their way back inside, fighting from their knees to their feet, big Penta open hand, each beckoned the other bring it, Komander got a crisp flurry but ran into a thrust kick, Made in Penta, Komander kicked out.

Penta set Komander atop the buckle, Komander landing on his feet out of a superplex, Penta landing awkwardly, Komander tornijo splash for another two.  Rope walk dropkick, Penta back outside, rope-walk moonsault, Penta back inside, Komander walking the ropes again, Penta popping up to catch a shooting star into a lungblower, Fear Factor, win.

Faster than anything else on the card.  More cool moves and sequences than anything else on the card.  Crowd more into it than anything else on the card.  Probably sloppier in parts than anything else on the card.

Copeland wandered atop the ramp to eye Penta.

Winner: Penta

After watching my first WWE in two years, it was interesting comparing and contrasting.  First, this looked so small-time.  But it’s probably not fair to compare it to WrestleMania.  Though the average channel flipper will.

WWE takes too long between matches; I’d still take it over rush, rush, rush:  FTR winning their way to a tournament final, the two teams who are supposed to define tag team wrestling squaring off once more, and we absolutely raced away.  No time for anything to have meaning.  Equally importantly, it makes AEW seem like they lack confidence in their product – No but here’s some more stuff, and some more stuff, please don’t change the channel.  Very counterproductive.

 ________________________________________________________________

Added to Dynasty:

• FTR vs Young Bucks (Tag Tournament Final for the Titles)

Next Dynamite:

• Adam Copeland vs Penta (TNT Title)
• Dustin vs Joe (Eliminator)
• Jericho, Hook & Shibata vs STP
• Anna Jay vs Mariah May

Thumbs Up/Down

• Ospreay interview
• Copeland, Bucks, FTR, HOB, Briscoe angle(s)
• Joe’s promo

 *****

• Yeah, they were onto a loser airing tonight, but literally every match was so utterly predictable
• And most had no reason to exist
• It sounded like they’d gagged the entire audience
• As much as the main event was a ‘good match,’ I can’t remember the last time I saw either guy win

Appreciate you reading.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend.