-It was good to see a fun mid-card feud like Orange Cassidy vs. Trent start the show. The match was fine, but the finish and post-match was an abomination. Cassidy got the win, but then all heat for him was immediately strangled away thanks to an attack from an upset Trent. This little program doesn’t need another match, but it’s looking like we’re set for more at Double or Nothing. That isn’t the worst part of this. The worst part was Trent drops Cassidy on his head with a piledriver ON THE STEEL STEPS. The announcers sold the spot well and the audience reacted with heat on Trent, but then Cassidy just kind of gets up and keeps fighting. This was awful. Cassidy no-sold that spot in the worst way and essentially extinguished the entire match and segment. Thanks to this, the match REALLY doesn’t need another go. Cassidy has been a strong and consistent worker for AEW throughout the years, but this was terrible judgement on his part.
Jack Is Back
-I thought Jack Perry cut a solid promo this week. Maybe his best ever. He was intense, serious, and seemed to have some direction behind him. Perry, The Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega all have referenced “changing the world” in recent promos, yet nobody really knows what they mean or why they are referencing that. They should iron that out soon.
-Speaking of Kenny Omega, we saw him in a hospital bed address the attack from last week. He was good here. He conveyed the significance of the attack emotionally and then the physical harm was articulated by being in a damn hospital. This was well done and culminated with Omega making the Anarchy in the Arena match, AEW vs. The Elite at Double or Nothing. Omega is clearly playing the babyface authority role opposite the heel Elite. So far, he’s playing the part well.
-Serena Deeb had a tough night at the office. As she accounted for her time away from the ring in a very personal promo in front of the live audience, the crowd basically ignored it all and started chanting “let’s go Oilers” instead. Toni Storm couldn’t save the segment either. Look, the bottom line is nobody believes Deeb has a shot to beat Storm. She’s a role player on the show that can have really good matches, but people just don’t care about her at this point. Sure, the point of the promo this week was to make them care more, but the dye is cast. There just isn’t a reasonable way to present Deeb a top title challenger anymore.
Mariah May the babyface
-Another good showing for Mariah May this week and another strong pop to go with it. May was officially a babyface in this match against Harley Cameron, so it looks like that will be where she’s slotted moving forward. This all aims at a big match between May and Toni Storm at some point later this year. She’s organically getting over and though that match was unthinkable on a big stage just a few months ago, it isn’t anymore.
-Swerve Strickland and Christian Cage have chemistry together and brought it during their promo. Strickland gave a serious, but relaxed promo, in which he talked to the audience and not at them about the happenings last week with Cage. He looked like a star. On the flip side, Christian was smug and only interested in getting heat opposite Strickland and he did. P.S. It’s smart to tie Christian Cage with The Young Bucks in all of this material with Swerve. The longer putt is Swerve vs. The Elite and this nicely sets that table.
Thank goodness
-Thank goodness the Mogul Embassy turned on Swerve. Strickland doesn’t need to be anywhere near that old group of his, so even though the turn was out of left field, that’s better than saddling Strickland with that faction again. Phew.
-Are we seeing a PAC character shift? His demeanor this week was dejected and it didn’t work. We need to see this play out, but week one was a miss.
-How about it, Samoa Joe. AEW ran a fantastic hype video for him this week. He gained a lot from that title run. If Tony Khan can book Joe like Brock Lesnar, they can still get a ton out of him.
-The Chris Jericho and Big Bill tag team match was what it was, but that promo after is the story. Jericho continues to lean into inauthenticity and all the negative things he hears about himself online. In doing so, he’s already pivoted the masses on their disdain for seeing him. It didn’t take long either. I like this Jericho iteration. If he can tie it into serious business in the ring, it’ll be relevant for a while. Because the Jericho character is getting over, Hook should get a nice big pop when he returns next week.
-Adam Copeland vs. Brody King was a good main event. I’m not sure it needed the blood, but it was a hard-hitting title match. Even with Copeland winning, it still seems as if we’re on the path to Copeland vs. Black at Double or Nothing.
Figure it out, Mercedes
-Ok, the Mercedes Mone promo this week was the worst of her career. Not only was she unlikable, but it didn’t make sense. Her arrogance is off the charts, but it feels as if the way she truly believes it’s a way to connect with fans and that they’ll bow at her feet because she is who she is. Mone has to find a lane. If you’re a heel, act like one fully. If you’re a babyface, same thing. Instead, we’re getting these performances of Mone doing Mone and it’s accomplishing nothing.
-FTR, Bryan Danielson, and Eddie Kingston as the babyface foil against The Elite in Anarchy in the Arena at Double or Nothing works for me. All four of those guys bleed AEW, so they make sense to take a stand on the company’s behalf against The Elite. They all have their own beefs with The Elite too. In a way, this all feels rushed, but you don’t want your babyfaces standing around doing nothing when they should be enraged at how The Elite have carried themselves. Thumbs up.
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