Venue: Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

*****

Konosuke Takeshita vs Tommy Billington

Backstory: NONE

Callis on comms, he called Takeshita the best athlete in AEW.  Kid got about the bare minimum response any wrestler would coming out to the Bulldogs’ music in Calgary.  Or maybe it’s just a tiny crowd.  Lights are down like folks are getting it on in the stands.

Light ‘Tommy’ chant before a lockup, Kid shoved on his ass, Take talking trash.  Kid hit back via armdrag, headlock, whip, clash of shoulders x3 before a Takeshita boot saw Billington hit back via lariat.

‘His uncle wasn’t a very pleasant person; great wrestler,’ said Callis of Billington.  As Takeshita bailed outside to regroup.  Back in to a grapple and the Japanese overpowering the Brit to the corner.  Stopping to pose, Kid hitting another shoulder block, Takeshita side stepping a dropkick, rights in the ropes then choking Billington using them.

Billington tried to cross body both outside but only he ended up out there.  Takeshita followed and took a suplex at ringside, then had his head rammed into the apron.  Callis said he looks for ‘Young, athletic and handsome’ in his recruiting.  Nigel said Schiavone didn’t have to worry then.  ‘Yeah, you’re fine,’ added Callis.

Takeshita caught Billington coming back in, series of elbows before setting the Brit atop the buckle, biting the head then seeking a tippy-top superplex.  And hitting.  Picture perfect.  For two.  Right into a choke.  Now a knee to the spine, crowd rallying slightly behind Dynamite, trying to fight out but being spun back through as Take maintained the hold.

Out into an exchange of rights which Take ended with a big forearm.  Kid switched behind but was launched into the ring post.

Ads.  Takeshita’s so good – facials, selling, everything he does in the ring looks great.

Back to a Kid cross body from the post to the floor, Take flung back in, Kid back to the top, shotgun dropkick, kip up, Dynamite lariat, snap suplex, back upstairs, taking ages and obviously waiting to be cut off and thrown off Flair-style.  Crowd absolutely flat as Takeshita readied a kill shot, not all that invested in Billington.

Who snatched a rushing Takeshita into a tombstone; twice each man countered back through before he hit it but didn’t have the energy to make a cover.  Who knows why.  Nigel tried to cover by saying it’s cause Takeshita’s heavy.  Finally Billington clambered upstairs for a diving headbutt, Take moved.

They grappled with Billington on the apron until Takeshita dragged him in to hit a Blue Thunder.  Billington kicked out cause ‘good match.’  Then tried to block a suplex via cradle, then slipped behind another for another roll up, Take out at two, Billington hit a back elbow, Take shook off another to nail a lariat then set up the Powerdrive Knee.

That better do it.  It did.

Surprised at how competitive this was.  And shouldn’t be at this point.  AEW are not in the business of getting folks over via matches.  Particularly Japanese ones named ‘Takeshita.’  A guy who got one of the stronger reactions at Forbidden Door despite being a heel.  Yet this is the first thing he’s done in the two weeks since.

Technically a good match; no atmosphere and no drama.

Winner: Konosuke Takeshita

Callis hit the ring with a mic.  Usual loud boos, at least by this crowd’s standards.  He said Billington wrestled the match of a lifetime (lot of ‘… of a lifetime’ lately, less is more).  He said Kid is 23 and has everything he looks for in the Callis Family.

He said his mentor Bad News was also a mentor to Billington’s uncle, and showed pics of this on the screen.  Bad News and his Uncle would ‘want this.’  Callis offered his hand.  Billington hesitated.  Then eventually shook.  But then said, ‘kiss my arse.’

Callis slapped him.  Takeshita waited patiently till Kid put his hands on Callis before attacking.  Fletcher came out and they were battering him until FTR came out.  Dax seemingly recovered; Cash clean-shaven.  Loud ‘FTR’ chant, easily the most over act so far here.  Possibly the Calgary folks remembering that tag match about this time last year.  Which Schiavone noted just as I’m typing.

The heels fled.

*****

They replayed Mariah May’s attack on Toni at the end of Weds.  They really took their time with this, dramatic music behind it.  And a slo-mo of May kissing a bloody Storm.  They pushed a May promo this coming Weds.

The Gunns & Juice Robinson vs Shaun Moore, London Lightning and Some Dude With Four Names (They only put the graphic up briefly)

Backstory: NONE

Announcers noted the Trios titles aren’t on the line cause Juice can’t defend them.  Not because they’re facing three absolute scrubs who’ve done nothing to earn a shot.

BCG won quickly then Juice pretended to piss like a dog on the losers.

Winner: The Gunns & Juice Robinson

It seems they are actually still heels since Schiavone was appalled by this.  But then they grabbed a mic and talked crap about the Patriarchy.  They said Juice is officially a trios champ because Christian took out Jay White (who’s seemingly supposed to be injured from one Spear).

Chris Daniels decided tonight was one of those nights where the authority figures aren’t impotent.  So came out and said Juice couldn’t replace Jay.  And was booed.  Then announced they were stripped of the belts.  And was booed.

Uber heel Christian Cage came out, pleased with the babyface authority figure’s work.  And did his standard ‘shut your mouths’ line despite there being no noise.  He said Daniels had made the right call but demanded they be made trios champs.

Daniels said the six would have a match for the titles.  Austin said they should do it right now.  Crowd yelled ‘Gunns Up!’  Cage of course declined.  After teasing the crowd.

An absolute mess of, heel?  Face?  Huh?

*****

Recap of Marko Stunt accepting Jack Perry’s challenge last week.  Which cut too early to ads.

*****

More blah blah blah from the House of Black.  Next week they’ll ‘start building the foundation of Wembley.’  They were speaking figuratively of course, but at this point an angle where they become builders would be a refreshing change.

*****

Then an Owen Hart package featuring Jeff Jarrett and Owen’s family.

Roderick Strong vs Dalton Castle

Backstory: Winner faces Mark Briscoe for the ROH title

Literally don’t think Dalton Castle’s ever been victorious on AEW tv.  He of course got a reaction massively disproportionate with his push.  He fed that weird 80s tag team who are now his ‘Boys’ some ‘oats’ on the way to the ring.

Strong got the better of a grapple and tried to show up Castle.  A second go saw Strong scramble for a rope break.  As the crowd chanted for Dalton.  It’s crazy they don’t do more with this guy.

Strong back in, Castle again getting the better, take down into a choke, Strong finally breaking the hold then kicking up to send Castle reeling out through the ropes.  The Outrunners posed like Hulk Hogan and this fired Castle up.

Back in to duck a shot, quick flurry before driving Strong to the corner.  Crowd again chanting for Dalton as he rammed Strong’s head to the buckle then draped him across it and launched a knee strike from the apron.

Strong landed outside, tried to send Castle back in but he countered into a tejeiras off the apron.  The Outrunners and Kingdom got in a pose-off outside, in possibly the least star power ever caught by AEW cameras.

Ads.  Interesting to note the reaction to the charismatic Castle vs the colorless Strong, despite a chasmic gap in tv time.

Back to Strong on top, aiming strikes and talking trash.  Castle hit a back suplex, series of forearms, knee strike in the corner, spinning bulldog out.

Battling on the apron, Strong hit a belly to back and got two.  The Kingdom got on the apron and the ref just watched.  Castle countered a rushing Strong into a spinning cradle for two, Strong slipped out of a Bangarang into a knee strike to anti-climactically win a pointless match for a pointless promotion’s pointless title.

Possibly because Castle seemed to land awkwardly on that belly to back.

Winner: Roderick Strong

Mark Briscoe at home: AEW gave him a week off but he doesn’t take weeks off.  He’d been training in his ring for Blood and Guts.  The Elite are overdressed, they might get blood and guts on their suits.  They can’t get down and dirty.

He then addressed facing Strong for the ROH title.  He said they were both older than when they’d last faced but he’s also wiser and vowed to win.

*****

Another of those short clips which people thought might be for Ricochet.  Apparently they’re for some CMLL dude called Aramis.

Tony, can you play properly with your current toys instead of always buying new ones?

*****

Lexy with Statlander and Stokely.  She asked about their intentions in interfering in the women’s match Weds.  In one of the dumbest questions in AEW history.  They called themselves petty and made fun of Willow for smiling and hoping everything works out.

They don’t think it’s worked out very well for her.  Stat was mimicking or maybe signing everything Stokely said.  If the latter, that’s really very kind from the heel.  She vowed that things would continue going badly for Nightingale.

Nyla Rose vs Ava Lawless

Backstory: NONE

Least it was quick.  ‘Nyla Rose wins again,’ said Schiavone.  It’s win #60 for her in AEW.  Cannot say I remember the last time I saw her do so.

Winner: Nyla Rose

Recap of Danielson/Hangman Weds.  Transitioning into a recap of Swerve and Danielson talking about being the best.

Top Flight vs Anthony Ogogo & Lee Moriarty

Backstory: NONE

Wow, Ogogo’s actually wrestling.  Is this his second ever AEW match?  Quite a comedown from his first.  Schiavone said this showed how deep the trios roster is in AEW.  And that this match has ‘been brewing.’

Dante and Lee to start, Moriarty trying to take Martin down; Martin trying to avoid it with his quicks.  Moriarty took him down and clapped.  Dante hit back with a very smooth trip into a series of cradles for two.

Then an armdrag takeover, Moriarty tried to counter via one of his own, Dante held on to maintain control of the arm then tag his bro: duckdown/dropkick double team.  Ogogo got the tag, hit a running elbow, whipped Darius to the corner, Darius slipped behind to get two via backslide.  Then shoved the Brit to the corner, Dante in, lariat through the ropes, then countering a suplex to hit a slingshot senton, quick tags in and out from the Martins.

It sounds like an empty arena match.

Darius fighting off both heels from the apron, leading to Ogogo taking the ref and Moriarty hitting a cheap shot.  Going to ads with Ogogo grabbing an armwringer.  Not exactly climactic.

Ads.

Moriarty ran into a Darius German, cool move, landing looked like it sucked.  Both got tags, Dante firing like 12 shots, Ogogo to his knees, round kick very obviously meant to miss as he avoided Ogogo repeatedly via his quicks and athleticism, into a springboard cross body.

For two.  Very slick.  Crowd actually made noise for that.

Dante got two again via leg trip pin, knee to the face, tag to Darius, Ogogo fought both off and hit a pop-up right to Dante.  Moriarty hit a very creative combo-back suplex/lariat to Darius, who hit back via bulldog through the ropes and apron gamengiri.

Shane Taylor then tripped him, Action Andretti leapt at him off the buckle.  Inside, Moriarty got two on Darius via rollup, missed a Harlem sidekick very obviously and took the loss after being slammed onto his face.

So of course, the winners had to get beaten down afterward, heels standing tall. The sort of 50/50 booking which possibly led to the utter silence this match played before.  Since neither side is going anywhere.  Despite some very good moments, slick moves and exchanges.  Ogogo was fine in pretty much everything he did.

Winner: Top Flight

Lexy with Deonna Purrazzo.  She cut Lexy off to say she’d promised to burn the whole place down to create the Age of the Virtuosa.  She asked where Rosa was.  Well, Rosa was like two steps off camera.

She said she’s sick of Deonna’s games.  But learned patience so she’s going to wait till the bell rings to get her revenge.  Deonna asked incredulously why she wanted the bell to ring, since she always beats her anyway: ‘why don’t you just lay down now!?’

Rosa said Deonna had more enemies than she realizes, so they’ll have a lumberjack match next week.  Deonna laughed dismissively, then we just cut to ads before the segment ended.

This was really good, always enjoy Deonna’s talking, especially now she’s actually a heel.  Carries herself so well.  Perhaps we might have found room for more of this feud amid pointless Collision matches?

*****

Nyla Rose promo. Re: Mercedes’ open challenge to anyone who isn’t Britt Baker: she’s not a dentist but she knocks people’s teeth out; she’s never driven a Mercedes but she’ll damn sure wreck one at Dynamite 250.

Back-to-back nice promos.  Shame the only credibility they’ve given Nyla in months is the above pointless win over a nobody.

Skye Blue vs Harley Cameron

Backstory: NONE

Yet another seg where it isn’t clear who’s what.  Cameron’s a heel, Blue certainly was but has a new look and is now dressed in white.  Perhaps another of those ‘turns’ they’ve been doing lately that involve no storytelling whatsoever?

Cameron threw Blue to the corner then choked her with her boot while shrieking.  Blue repaid the favor, Cameron avoided a corner charge, back in from the apron to land a lariat and leaping H&A elbows.  For a one count.

It is now so silent that even silence is poking the crowd with a stick like, ‘C’mon, make some noise.’

Blue hit a thrust kick then knocked Cameron off the apron.  Saraya yelled loudly and aggressively, so just an average day for her; Cameron took advantage, the ref wasn’t bothered.

Ads.

Blue hit a snapmare, knee strike for two.  Cameron fought off her shoulders, avoided a corner charge into a roll up, very smooth, nicely done.  Jawbreaker got two.  A cradle got the same for Blue before a thrust kick and shining wizard got two for Cameron.  Looked really good.

Blue held the ropes to block a backstabber, Cameron reversed behind but took a thrust kick and TKO through into a choke for the tap.

Actually wasn’t sure who was winning here.  And it shouldn’t have been Skye.  Announcers noted how much more experience she has than Harley, damn sure didn’t look like it, Cameron’s coming along much more quickly.

Winner: Skye Blue

Recap of the Learning Tree stuff from Weds.  Again over dramatic music.  Had totally forgotten that Joe was sent to the hospital since they hadn’t mentioned it till now.  Not how you get injury angles over, individually or collectively.

They didn’t actually give any update either.

*****

Skye Blue promo, she said ‘bitches needed to start putting some respect on my name.’  So challenged Shida.  Definitely a better promo than her previous work.  Minus-points for total lack of creativity.

The Kingdom vs Orange Cassidy & Kyle O’Reilly

Backstory: Kingdom are still trying to recruit Kyle

This is the main event?  An ROH-riffic show.  Shown by the fact Orange got a monster pop.  You could imagine folks grabbing and hugging in the stands then falling to their knees in thanks: Is it really…?  Is an actual star coming out?  Tears aren’t out of the question.

Roddy joined on comms.  The Kingdom tried to play games by bailing outside, Orange followed, determined to start fast, zooming around vs Bennett, series of arm drags before faking out Bennett and posing to the crowd’s cheers.

He fought off the other guy too and went for the pockets but was cut off by Bennett.  As Kyle came in behind to hit a knee to the gut.  Taven (that’s his name) came back in and Orange hit him with stundog then a Kyle discus shot, leg pick into an ankle lock on Bennett until being kicked off into a Taven gamengiri from the apron.

Orange hit Bennett via tope after knocking Taven down.  Bennett nailed Orange then jawbreakered free of a Kyle choke before Kyle climbed his back into a sleeper.  Bennett drove him toward a Taven sick kick.  Strong made a joke of that.

All four guys are just constantly in and out without tags, Kyle took out both heels via lariat.

Ads.  A smartly very fast start, like they sensed they had to do something to try and give fans their money’s worth.

Orange took a pop-up shot from Bennett for two.  Quick tags from the heels as they worked over Cassidy in their corner.  Until he avoided both, crawling for the tag, fighting off Bennett, then Taven, twice, tag made.

Kyle fought off both heels with a flurry of kicks then a double dragon screw.  He continued fighting both for several minutes, ref uninterested in tags.  Taven finally hit a springboard gamengiri as they took control.  Orange returned to break the pin.

Crowd chanted ‘freshly squeezed’, totally uninterested in the other three wrestlers.  Cassidy finally came in to hit a tornado ddt to Bennett.  Who countered a Punch.  Cause ‘good match.’  Taven did the same to beach break.  Cause ‘good match.’  Kyle took him out, Bennett kicked out of beach break.  Cause ‘good match.’

Forget the damage it does to a popular guy’s finish.

Strong got up, he and Kyle jawed till Ishii came out to wallop him up the ramp.  Kyle and Bennett exchanged discus strikes, Taven broke up a cross-arm breaker off the top.

Then tagged in to hit a spike piledriver to win.  I went ‘what!?’; crowd went ‘…’.  To complete the highlighting of colorless wrestlers, Trent came out to attack Orange.  Until arguing with the Kingdom.  So Orange nailed him with a monkey wrench.

He was going to nail the Kingdom too till Kyle stopped him.  The heels bailed up the ramp but Ishii returned to nail them with lariats.  In an effort to make the fans here at least a little happy.

Winner: Orange Cassidy & Kyle O’Reilly

It was more ‘pointless’ than it was ‘bad’…?

Dynamite 250:

• MJF vs Will Ospreay (International Title, starts the show)
• Kazuchika Okada vs Swerve Strickland (‘Title vs Title,’ was all they said)
• ‘TV Time’ w/ Learning Tree
• Mariah May promo

Check Out

• If you really need a fix:
• Top Flight vs STP had some nice sequences
• The opener and main event I guess were ‘good wrestling,’ but had dead atmospheres and no drama

Appreciate you reading.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend.