-God damn. The Demand vs. Swerve Strickland and The New Level for the AEW World Trios Championships to start the show this week was just excellent. Tons of pace, unique spots, and a New Level team that is clearly hell bent on truly reaching a new level of in-ring prowess. Austin Creed and Kofi are able to show a more aggressive and violent side of themselves during their matches in AEW and it’s been very fun to watch on a weekly basis.
Lookout for the trios titles!
-Sidebar. Ok, don’t look now, but the AEW World Trios Championship match at All Out is one of the better built matches on the show. The Swerve Strickland and Adam Page dynamic heats everything up and both guys did a nice of job of tapping into their history during their promo this week. It was very compelling to see Page talk to The New Level about history they wouldn’t know about.
-Mike Bailey is in Will Ospreay’s US version of United Empire. That totally works. A great fit that will not only help Bailey, but Ospreay too. Bailey is a strong and sympathetic babyface. Heel Ospreay opponents working Bailey on the way to Ospreay is ideal for heat.
-Jon Moxley beat Desmond Xavier to the surprise of nobody. This was a good little match, though. Xavier really showed off his selling capability in taking the Moxley offense. Xavier understood his role in the match and played it well.
Phoning it in?
-Call me crazy, but it felt like FTR, The Young Bucks, and Cope/Cage were going through the motions during their final promo segment together before the big triple threat ladder match at All Out this weekend. I blame Cope and Cage. Look, The Bucks actually cut a serviceable babyface promo on this shot at the titles possibly being one of their last. FTR were annoying and awful heels. Cope and Cage? Just a lot of nothing. Cage did his usual schtick and Copeland played second fiddle to it. This unquestionably will be a good match once it’s in the ring on Saturday night, but it should mean more than it does.
-Thekla and Willow Nightingale didn’t get a ton of time to write the final chapter for their match at All Out, but they used the time they got wisely. Two backstage promos that were aligned with each of their characters, while also declaring victory. Simple stuff, but to the point and clear regarding what the stakes are on Saturday.
-Sidebar. Nightingale is finally finding her voice on promos. Just a little earlier this year, Nightingale was too over the top with the character when she spoke. She’s pulled back a bit and it plays much nicer and is easier to like. A smart pivot on her part.
-Ok, Kazuchika Okada and Tommaso Ciampa is a fun match for the PPV this weekend, but it’s not the dream match that AEW is trying to present it as. Can we agree? That said, Ciampa cut a nice promo on Okada this week after his win against Jake Doyle. Lots of attitude and intensity. Classic Ciampa, but he’s not winning the AEW International Championship at All Out.
It’s awkward with Britt Baker
-Persephone is getting a strong push at the moment. Not just because of the TBS Championship that she holds, but because Britt Baker is essentially her manager. Now, it’s still a little awkward to see Baker in AEW at the moment. She doesn’t appear to have the same comfort level as she had when she left. It’s as if she and everyone around her are walking on eggshells. Hard to see where this goes right now, but Baker on AEW television again in a prominent role would be my goal if I’m Tony Khan. It’ll take many steps and lots of time.
-An action-packed main event of Dynamite this week with Ospreay teaming up with Bailey to take on a couple Death Riders. The audience loved this match and Ospreay didn’t have to do much “Ospreay” stuff during it. That’s the sweet spot.
-Bottom line? I loved the final Ospreay and Moxley promo after the match. It didn’t have a lot of depth to it, but it didn’t need much. Moxley doubted Ospreay and Ospreay jammed that doubt down his throat. “God damn fucking right I feel like the champion?” Boom. That’s a line from a confident and over babyface. Thumbs way up.
-Ughhhhhhhhhh. Jack Perry hurts my brain. His promos rarely connect up with the momentum of his storylines. A livid Perry cut a promo on The Opps this week and why? It’s as if he just decided to be incredibly angry because that’s what wrestling promos are supposed to be? Another week and another miscalculation on his part.
Just a tease
-Effective final hype on Collision this week for Divine Dominion vs. Brawling Birds in a street fight for the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships at All Out. Both teams got to be a little vicious with a few weapons and teased the street fight stipulation. Boxes checked. Well done.
-So, AEW might be out ahead of their skis a bit too much with Steven Borden. Look, the guy has been fine — better than fine. He’s still really green and doesn’t have a standalone character. At All Out, he and Darby Allin are working Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight. Those are two talents that have been positioned as next in line for top AEW spots and they’re playing behind Borden now? We’ll see how the match at All Out goes, but both Fletcher and Knight are too important to job out to Borden.
-Is the Nick Wayne and Chris Jericho promo still going on? Holy smokes that was long. Not bad, just long. This was Wayne’s best mic work yet. It’s the arrogant young heel against the aging veteran. Nothing special, but a tale as old as time and AEW is telling it with these guys.
-Queen Aminata vs. Skye Blue happened. Not a bad match, but near the end of hour three, it very much blended into to everything else on the show.
The final All Out pitch
-Same exact thing with PAC vs. Ace Austin. It was a match that happened. Look, the final hype for All Out forced a lot of the three hours this week to be focused. From that perspective, it was a good show. On the flip side, because of the length of the show, you didn’t have a product that came across as sizzling hot as things ended and the final pitch for All Out was made. If you’re a fan that already decided to buy the event, you likely still will. If you hadn’t, I don’t know that there was anything on this show that would lead to another look at that decision.
Are you buying the AEW All Out PPV event this weekend? Let us know in the comments!
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