Venue: DCU Center, Worcester, MA

*****

Adam Copeland out to start the show.  To a big reaction from the roughly 3,000 fans.  The mic was echoing badly, killing an ‘Adam’ chant.  He said he didn’t bring his title and came out here as ‘Adam, to talk to all of you.’

The mic echoed again, then he said lots of negative BS has happened this week.  But he wants to talk positives.  If you’re a fan, there are a lot of positives.  He’s a fan too, he used to watch ‘WWF’ – one or two people booed and Copeland said they’re missing the point.  He also watched NWA, he watched Stampede, he watched everything he could because he ‘love(s) professional wrestling.’

For nine years he had it taken from him and worked hard to get it back because he loves it so damn much.  And when he thought about the end of his career, he realized AEW is where he should do it.  He saw ‘a murderer’s row of talent’.  He’ll put the AEW locker room against any he’s ever been part of.

He can face Ospreay, Kenny (said he hoped he was doing well), Hangman, Joe, Moxley, Darby, FTR, Bucks, HOB (he said ‘Malakai’ and looked right at the camera).  Nearly all to loud cheers.  He said his friends say he looks like he’s having a blast.  And he is.  He insisted this is the most fun he’s ever had in his entire career.

An ‘AE-dub’ chant started.  Copeland celebrates AEW, the guys who started it – ‘the Bucks, Kenny, Cody, Tony Khan’.  They’re all fans, being a fan isn’t something to make fun of, AEW has pushed the industry and the wrestlers into a better place.  That should be celebrated.

AEW makes pro wrestling better.  Makes pro wrestling more fun.  And AEW is where the best wrestle (again looked right into the camera).

He thanked us for hearing him out.  He got fired up this weekend and wanted to get some stuff off his chest.  AEW is moving forward, there’s a reason Okada, Mercedes and Ospreay came here.  ‘Theres a reason I came here.’

So now he wants to introduce a man who symbolizes everything AEW will be going forward…’the Aerial Assassin, Will Ospreay’ (he kept saying ‘Os-pree’ the whole time).

Then waited in the ring to shake Ospreay’s hand.

Phenomenal promo btw.  Don’t use that word lightly.  This is the sort of stuff Copeland should’ve been doing from the start – excited to be here, putting the talent over, and importantly, working with actual AEW talent.  He clearly wanted to speak and was given time.  Came off as a real – very likeable – person.  Hopefully AEW follow his words and leave the past in the past.

Notable how few boos there were for the words ‘WWF.’  Would’ve been very different a few years back.

Will Hobbs vs Will Ospreay

Backstory: NONE

Callis joined on comms.

Ospreay ran at Hobbs and was sent sprawling backwards, spinning and crashing to the mat.  Callis is painting this again as best vs best and Ospreay wanting to test himself.

After a few Hobbs shots, Ospreay went low then high then tripped Hobbs down, standing moonsault for barely one.  More kicks to the legs, Hobbs hit back and tried a cocky pin, Ospreay wasn’t impressed and tried to slug it out, ducked a Hobbs lariat before sending the big man outside with one of his own, then crashing down onto him with a smack via vaulting press.

Hobbs whipped Will to the barricade, he hopped over but was caught atop it and hooked into a delayed suplex down onto the steps.  Tree slam now onto the apron.  Repeatedly.  Then just dumped onto the announce desk by fallaway slam.  Scott Hall used to call it ‘sack of shit drop’ and the way Ospreay was dumped here fits that bill.

Ads.

Slugging it out as we returned, Ospreay handsprung back into a corkscrew kick – just incredible athleticism.  Kip up, Hobbs reeling, back elbow in the corner, to the apron, springboard forearm, for two.

But made the mistake of hurling chops.  Hobbs wasn’t impressed, flinging him back to the corner as Ospreay came out with a big slap.  Hobbs really wasn’t impressed now, Ospreay’s face said ‘oh shit,’ as he was caught and flung via belly to belly.

But avoided Hobbs charging, Hobbs blocked a tornado ddt, Ospreay hit back via stundog; Hobbs blocked an oscutter and got two via snap powerslam.  Then headed upstairs, Ospreay down but moving to avoid a frogsplash, oscutter coming, Hobbs too strong, Ospreay flipping behind to get it at the second attempt.

Near fall.

Elbow pad removed, Ospreay to the corner, Hidden Blade coming, countered, Ospreay countered back to hook a cradle out of a tree slam.  For two.  Hook-kick hit, Ospreay hit the ropes but rebounded into a massive lariat, both down.

Another big lariat in the corner before Hobbs sat Ospreay up top as the crowd chanted TiA.  Avalanche powerslam.  For another near fall.  Straps down, end coming, Ospreay countered a spinebuster into a ddt, racing to the top, sky twister press (right onto Hobbs’ head), Hidden Blade, win.

After suspending Sammy Guevara, AEW have now twice in a few days allowed matches to finish despite potential head/neck injuries.  Hopefully Hobbs is okay, he seemed to be afterward.  But concussions aren’t predictable like that.

Callis got in to celebrate, Hobbs wasn’t happy and started barking at Will, Callis had to hold him back and talk him down.

As Ospreay was leaving, AEW did their new favorite gimmick of having a feuding wrestler come out ‘early’ for their match and cross paths with their future foe.  In this case, it presumably doubles as Copeland-into-Ospreay-into-Danielson – aka don’t change the channel.

Which is smart after last week’s rating.  Good match btw.  Far from Ospreay’s best but featuring a little more selling than his previous efforts along with a clearer face/heel dynamic and your classic big man vs flyer story.  Would have really meant something if Hobbs hadn’t been left to cool off for so long after smashing Jericho and Omega.

Winner: Will Ospreay

Ads.  Guessing the tag is main eventing then?  Yes, I’m theorizing about what’ll end the show, drink at home 😉.

Bryan Danielson vs Lance Archer

Backstory: NONE

Archer attacked Danielson before the bell (Archer and etc have been mini-feuding with BCC on Collision), scraping his face in the ropes, open palm to the chest, Danielson on his knees being clubbed across the chest until collapsing.

Crowd very quiet.

Choking boot in the corner, hard whip to the opposite buckle, release snap suplex, Danielson struggling.  Pair of running back elbows in the corner, a third missing, Danielson going to work on the legs with dragon screws, crowd waking a bit, the big man on his knees taking chops and kicks.

Danielson now looking for a Romero special but instead stomping the Achilles as he’s been doing lately.  Before some stiff ass kicks to the quads, no daylight there.  Archer hit back with a club to the back, flinging Danielson out, the Dragon ran back in looking for a tope but was caught into a goozle and sent against the apron.

Archer then grabbing a crew member at ringside, slamming him onto the downed Dragon.  Crowd reacted big to that.

Ads.

Archer still on top, Danielson briefly fighting back but smacked down with a single shot.  Coming right back though with more kicks to the quad, vaulting over off the buckle but smashed via an Archer cross body.

The big man setting him in the corner, crushing BD against the ropes with his boot, clubbing blows to the back, Archer now readying his rope-walk moonsault.  But being crotched, Danielson firing up, running dropkick in the corner, a second, a third countered into a bearhug, Danielson hooked him down though via front facelock, into the LeBell, dead center, crowd chanting ‘tap.’

After being in it for a long time – too damn long for a top guy’s finish – Archer got the ropes with his boot.  And bailed outside.  Danielson following, dropkick through the ropes, leaping knees off the apron before sending the big man back in, to the top, shotgun coming, hit, Danielson firing up once more, Archer on his knees.

You know what that means.

Stiff yes kicks to the chest, a fourth caught and countered into a chokeslam, Danielson kicking out just before three.  Archer seeking Blackout, Danielson fighting back from atop the buckle with H&A, Archer hit back with a climbing knee strike, Blackout coming now, Danielson countering again, slipping into a sleeper, dead center, thrown free though.

But responding right into a busaiku.  This has gone way too long now.  At least five minutes.

Another busakiu was blocked, a pair of roundhouses wasn’t.  Make that three.  Now the second busaiku.  For the win.

Well, if AEW learnt anything from last week, it wasn’t that they shouldn’t put on long matches with obvious finishes.  It was good for most of it and built to a really good finishing sequence; unfortunately, despite long periods of dominance, no-one bought Archer winning, so that sequence didn’t mean much.

Danielson led the fans in a yes! chant.  They pushed his match vs Ospreay again.  Then pushed the rest of the show: Jericho being out next was booed viciously.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Ads.

Back to Renee to bring Jericho to the ramp.  He’s still insisting on being ‘Lionheart.’  If you wondered why he’s now ‘calling out’ Hook, you’re not alone.  Jericho finally emerged.  To boos.  Renee asked about his relationship with Hook.  The fans stopped boing as Jericho started to speak.  But they started again the longer he went.

Jericho said it seemed the pair were cool last week but something Hook said stuck with him.  He asked him to come out.  Hook did.  Jericho referred to Hook saying he knows what Jericho is really like last week.

He admitted he’s turned on pretty much everyone.  Then used the third person to talk about himself; the boos stated again.  He basically said to be a top guy, you have to turn on people.

Hook said he believed in Jericho enough to get them a tag.  But still has his eye on Jericho.  Jericho said he wouldn’t expect anything else and gave him a fist bump and said ‘bet,’ like Hook did last week.  That match is on Collision.

During this, Jericho kept sucking up to Hook in a way intended to get the crowd back onside.

*****

Now to Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty.  Seems they’re the ones facing ‘LionHook.’

Billy Gunn vs Jay White

Backstory: BCG invaded Gunn’s home or something, so Billy challenged Jay to a match here, Acclaimed challenged the Gunns to remain backstage with them so this is 1:1

We then got the best theme this side of Elevated.  Unfortunately, Billy Gunn appeared behind White during it and attacked him.  Because Billy Gunn is always better and smarter than all the young dumbasses he wrestles.  Bigger too.

The guy whose career peaked in 1998 ignored the recent IWGP champ’s brief offense and continued to drub him around ringside.  The Acclaimed and the Gunns were shown watching backstage.

Excalibur was forced into his weekly ‘the ref’s being lenient,’ as they were outside for ages.  Gunn now beating White in the crowd.  The announcers keep talking about White invading his home, but still haven’t actually shown that outside of Rampage.  As with Saturday, might want to clue your audience in on an angle that deep.

We’re now several minutes in, White has got in one chop, which Gunn no sold.  He’s now desperately trying to crawl away around ringside after being tossed back there.  You would think Tony Khan had a daughter and White screwed her.

He finally slipped out of a suplex and shoved Gunn into the barricade.  Then continued to pathetically try to crawl away.  Before being beaten on some more.  Crowd pretty dead now.  Much like Jay White.

Crawling back inside, White desperately grabbed the ropes and pathetically screamed that he had them, begging the ref to help him.  Gunn dumped him back outside with a lariat.

Ads.

Gunn continued battering and smashing White until being shoved into the ringpost.  He blocked a Bladerunner and hit the One or whatever it used to be called.  Then a Fameasser.  Then yelled ‘SUCK MY DICK,’ and hit another.

Then went to get a chair.  The Gunns came out to beg him to stop then hit a low blow.  For the DQ.  The fans booed mildly.  The Acclaimed raced out to stop a 3:1 and beat the crap out of the Gunns.  White tried to run away but tripped and was caught.  The Acclaimed threw him back in, then the faces walloped the heels including another Billy lariat to Jay.

‘Stoppppp, he’s already dead…’

The Gunns then saved White from being sent through a table.  The heels fled through the crowd.  ‘This is far from over,’ said Excalibur.

Why?  The heels just got absolutely annihilated?  What’s left?

Guessing they won’t have to talk Billy out of wanting to lose his final match.

Winner: DQ

The Bucks pulled up to boos.  The Best Friends were shown arriving along with Trent’s mom.  Hey, 70 minutes in, did you know a spot in the tag tournament final is on the line tonight?

*****

From the ramp, Renee brought out Willow Nightingale.  Almost nothing backstage tonight.  Maybe trying to keep the crowd hot?  Statlander is now dressed in all black with sunglasses.  Like a walking ‘I’m going to turn on you’ warning.

Willow said she’s feeling ‘motherfluffing great,’ then played for a cheap pop.  She said she really loves this city because for years she was busting her ‘butt’ in this town.  Driving up and down, show to show.  Often with Statlander.  They wrestled at a place called the ‘White Eagle’ (got a huge pop).

To her, this is a home away from home.  This is where she figured out who she is.  And everytime she wondered whether someone like her belonged (the crowd got loud supporting her) a ‘unconventional, chubby, curly-haired freak like me’, the cheers here ‘reassured me.’  The applause watered her and made her blossom.

Into the woman who’ll be challenging Julia Hart for the TBS Title.  She knows she’s going to be the ‘smiling face of TBS’.

Stokely said he’s going to say something uncharacteristic.  Last week, Willow had a banger and knocked it out of the park.  She’s special, she impresses him and the world week after week…

Mercedes’ music interrupted.  Are they trying to turn her heel?

She brought a mic with her.  Thankfully the music stopped quickly.  She too played to the locals, though with her very heelish tagline: ‘Please say hello to your CEO.’  She can’t wait to see Willow tear it up with Julia.  A ‘CEO’ chant interrupted briefly.

But whoever is the champ at Double or Nothing, ‘I get next.’  Cause in Vegas, ‘money changes everything.’

Her music played again.  She danced.  This must have been a turn right?

Interrupting a heartfelt babyface promo, a very heel tagline, just announcing she’s getting a title shot without wrestling a single match and basically saying money gets you whatever you want.

Guess we know when her first match is anyway.  Hell of a wait.  Especially since they’re already struggling to make her a relevant part of the show.

Ads.

Young Bucks vs Best Friends

Backstory: Winner advances to Tag Finals

Sue came out with the Friends.  Heel heat alert.

Trent got the better of Nick, tag to Orange, double shoulder block, elbow drop, barely one.  Snap suplex, crowd quiet again, more tags from the faces, double suplex, Trent getting two.  Ducking a lariat but tripping over Nick and smacking into the ropes.  Matt tagged in and hit loco northern lights.

Trent no sold to hit a tornado ddt off the buckle.  Double knees to Nick as he returned.  But Trent went to the apron and was tripped off it.  Orange too was caught and double powerbombed against it.  One for Trent now too.

Boos as Matt put on a headset.  He mocked Excalibur and sent us to break.

Ads.

Nick ripped the pad off in their corner, Matt readying a powerbomb; Trent backdropped free and tagged Orange.  In off the top via cross body, another, but caught into a ddt trying a double rana.  Nick punted Trent, Matt tried to run Orange into the exposed buckle, Cassidy missed a Punch, Nick slugged him from the apron then ran to his corner to tag in.

Crowd are so quiet.  This feels so far from being one match away from winning the tag titles.

The Bucks held Orange in position for the EVP Trigger but kept mocking Orange’s kicks so he ducked the Trigger and ran wild, spiking both Bucks, to the top, diving ddt for two.

Trent in, Matt fought off a double team, crotching Orange up top, German to Trent, who recovered to shove Matt into Nick, he and Orange hit a TK Driver for a near fall.

Orange got the pockets and hit a half and half soul food combo with Trent.  Then did the stupid hug.  And it cost them: the Bucks throwing superkicks to everyone, including Chuck outside, where Matt nearly hit Sue with one too but just stopped himself.

Then offered a fistbump.  That’s hilarious.  Might be my favorite part of the show.  This disingenuous character’s great.

She very very weakly slapped him, Cassidy hit a Punch, the faces hit Strong Zero, Nick just saved the pin but took a Cassidy tope.  Leaving Matt and Trent.

Sue encouraged her son and he went for another Strong Zero, Matt countered to catapult him into the exposed buckle and hooked the tights to win.  The Bucks then mocked Sue.

Bang, bang, bang match but without much crowd interest and certainly not near the level of these fours’ best efforts.  Or any drama as to who might win.  Crowd were hot for the faces nearly winning after the Bucks nearly took out Sue but were flattened again by the finish.

The Friends looked all dejected, Trent and Cassidy readied a hug but Trent aimed a running knee at Cassidy instead.  Chuck was in the ring and just watched as Trent left.  He also stormed past his mom.

Yeah, that’s what happens when dumbass babyfaces stop to hug.

Winner: Young Bucks

Mariah May vs Thunder Rosa

Backstory: Winner faces Toni Storm for her title

May being part of this seems storyline driven.  Which is fine… if you don’t also have rankings.  Make your mind up AEW.  Or plan a hell of a lot better so both correspond.

She came out as the old Toni Storm again.  The latter joined comms.

Rosa went right after May, aggressively running her into the buckle.  Storm called Rosa a dog.  May aggressively fought back, stiff rights in the corner, hip attack coming, and hit.  She keeps pointing at Toni.  Running dropkick, Rosa out at two.

Quickly to ads.

Exchange of forearms, each sending the other to the ropes and back.  Slaps now, until a Rosa flurry into a German, two count.  Not content with racing to ads, they keep cutting to Toni so it’s hard to get into the match.

Rosa got an elbow up in the corner as Toni said she wasn’t wearing underwear so to keep the cameras high.  May tried Mayday, Rosa got a sloppy cradle for two but took a headbutt.  She countered Mayday again, into a backstabber, Tijuana Bomb, win.  Finish came out of nowhere after a disconnected match, both in terms of coverage and the action between the ropes.  Storm constantly cracking jokes and trying to pop the announcers does anything but help build the match.  She’s totally not a heel.

Rosa ranted at her like a madwoman, challenging her to go right now.  Toni sat back in her chair looking some combo of scared/confused.  Unable to speak.

Guess at least it got Rosa a win and can now play into the Storm/May relationship.

Winner: Thunder Rosa

Backstage, Penta with Alex Abrahantes.  Penta’s for the people and the people are for Penta.  Penta challenged Copeland to stop facing outsiders and face an original next week on Dynamite.

Would love that if I thought Penta had a chance in hell.  But can’t remember the last time he won.

*****

Schiavone in the ring for the contract signing which I’d forgotten was happening they’ve mentioned it so infrequently.  He brought out Swerve.  Who took ages doing his entrance considering tv time is fast running out.

Joe isn’t in a suit which seems to suggest an angle.  He sat and signed as Swerve paced and a ‘Swerve’s house’ chant played.  Joe took a mic and said he had some advice for Swerve.  He thinks Swerve is working on bad info.  He’s been watching – his feud with Page, his path to two title opportunities.  All ending with Swerve holding the gold, right?

That’s the bad info – signing this contract is ‘doom and destruction, a career-defining mistake.’  He’s going to beat him so badly it’ll leave a mental scar ‘like you left Diddy’s party too late.’  Crowd really oohed at that.

He advised Swerve to ‘do the right thing.’

Strickland took a mic and said he’s wanted this moment all his life.  He dreamt about it because he didn’t believe it was actually possible.  A light-ish ‘Joe’s gonna kill you’ chant started.

He said there’ve been roadblocks but the journey’s taken him all the way to Dynasty.  Which is what AEW are building.  With signings like Okada, Mercedes and Will Ospreay.  An ‘MJF’ chant started then died after Swerve paused to let it do so.

‘This championship is bigger than the both of us.’  He understands the danger, ‘you are the definition of a killer… but so am I.’  At Dynasty, he’ll show he’s every bit of that.  He’ll win and turn AEW into ‘whose house?’

He called Joe a bitch then tried to choke him with the chain.  Joe headbutted free and nailed him with the chain.  Then beat him down with it in the corner.

After leaving him bloody, Joe left up the ramp, Swerve did his evil villain cackle, said he ‘loves this shit’, asked if it was all Joe had then said he was taking the title and signed the contract with his own blood.  Joe then raced back in and uranage’d him through a table.

AEW’s booking tonight has been just awful in terms of how they’ve made talent come across.  I really liked Swerve’s promo but then he introduced a chain when it wasn’t warranted.  And got his ass beat.  Fair and square.  In fact, he was the only one who tried a shortcut.  Like he came up with the idea of signing the contract in with his blood and didn’t care how bad he had to look to get there.

I came out of this seeing Joe as a badass who didn’t have to cheat.  And thus the guy to root for.

On another show lacking any real oomph.  Nothing you can’t wait for next week to see the continuation of.  Ospreay/Danielson will be a killer match but has cooled off after little interaction in weeks.  Very much could just be me, not much about the product excites me currently.

_________________________________________________________________________

Added to Dynasty

• Bucks vs TBA (Tag Titles)
• Willow vs Julia
• Rosa vs Storm

Next Collision (11.30pm Eastern):

• FTR VS Top Flight (Tag Semis)
• Penta vs Komander

Next Dynamite:

• Copeland vs Penta

Thumbs Up/Down

• Copeland’s promo was fantastic – passionate, real – more of this, from everyone in the company
• The two opening matches were decent again – Ospreay’s better since it didn’t go self-indulgently long – but no drama
• Joe was very good in the show closing angle
• Willow’s so very likeable, please keep her that way

 *****

• Every ‘Winner’ section was filled in before the show started, only ‘Jay White’ had to be changed
• On the subject, that’s among the worst booking in AEW history, to go into why would require a hell of a lot more words
• Is Mercedes a heel? The way she’s being used continues to underwhelm
• Swerve was made to look a goof – you cannot, cannot, have your top babyface attack somebody then get their ass beat fair and square
• Jericho needs to go away for a bit, things aren’t getting better and him seeming like he’s trying to leech off Hook won’t help

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