July 8th, 2020
Jacksonville, FL
1) Hangman Page & Kenny Omega (c) vs. Private Party - AEW Tag Team Title Match
The AEW tag division is so stacked and consistent so yes, this ruled. Omega continues to be WOTY despite not even being a singles wrestler or top focus in the company technically. Action packed, balls to the wall, classic AEW style tag title opener. Page & Omega retain. Private Party look the best they’ve looked since the Bucks match. Being in there with more seasoned workers definitely helps tie up their loose ends.
Match rating - ***3/4
2) Lance Archer vs. Joey Janela
This is a match on paper I wouldn’t care about but actually was good. Janela took a hell of a beating and Archer looked like a beast. Archer wins after a gruesome table spot. Most I've enjoyed a Janela match in a while! Super good.
Match rating - ***1/2
Taz comes out with Brian Cage and introduces the FTW Title like it’s 1998. He crowns Cage as the FTW Champion and continues to sell the upcoming title match with Moxley next week. Taz is killing it in this role.
3) The Young Bucks & FTR vs. Lucha Bros, The Butcher & The Blade
As said in my review of the opener, the AEW Tag Division is insane right now and this match is the perfect example of it. So much story work with FTR & The Bucks to match the crazy spots and moves. Awesome stuff. This is must see for the canadian destroyer over the top rope to the floor spot alone. I don't even know how to properly explain/articulate how it happened. The finish with a misplaced super kick from The Bucks to FTR gave the Lucha Bros and Butcher/Blade a huge win without sacrificing anything as it just adds to the Bucks/FTR story. DEPTH.
Match rating - ****
Big Swole tries to enter the arena, but is served papers that she is suspended.
4) Nyla Rose vs. Kilynn King & Kenzie Paige
Good squash match with Nyla literally throwing both women around the whole time. Post match, Nyla has an announcement. Apparently she has a manager now and that is gonna help her get the title back from Shida. I love Shida’s facial expressions.
Colt Cabana is bruised up and has a hematoma from the attack he suffered last week but he is cleared to compete. Brodie Lee comes up and tells him with him having his back now, that won’t happen again and tells him to get ready for the match they have later. Colt says “will do Mr. Brodie” - it’s looking like Cabana is really being sold on joining Dark Order.
5) The Dark Order (Brodie Lee & Stu Grayson) & Colt Cabana vs. SCU (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, & Scorpio Sky)
They continue to play the Colt story insanely well. SCU was SCU and made great opponents. After some back and forth, Brodie destroys Daniels and lets Colt get the pin which makes him visibly happy. Colt hasn’t lost a match since his talks with Dark Order began and they even left a spot beside Brodie during their entrance. It’s gettin real.
Match rating - ***
Big Swole shows up in the arena despite being suspended and causes some havoc with Britt Baker.
6) Chris Jericho (w/ LAX) vs. Orange Cassidy
Cassidy tells Chuck & Trent to stay backstage and vows to face Jericho on his own. This was a classic popular not so serious underdog against cocky veteran. If it had a crowd I’d argue this could’ve been a 4.5 star affair. Big Dave went 4.25 and I’m going slightly lower but this was still so fucking good. Jericho continues his career resurgence with another awesome match that will be looked back on when all is said and done. Cassidy fought from underneath the entire time with flurries that would get cut off either by Jericho himself or Santana & Ortiz at ringside. He kept his lazy gimmick in moments but also showed fire and poise. Seeing him hit Y2J with a fucking falcon arrow was INSANE. Jericho locked him in the walls multiple times but Cassidy escaped each time. In the end, it was the Judas Effect that put him away after a lot of back and forth and interference from LAX that was thwarted by Best Friends. I wish this had a crowd, but it’s still amazing regardless.
Match rating - ****
Final thoughts: This has to be a Top 5 episode of AEW since they debuted in October. 3 matches right at four stars and the other three were more than solid in their own right. AEW has an off week now and again but right now they have such a solid set of stars and stories and next week looks to be just as good with Moxley/Cage, Elite/Jurassic Express, Lucha Bros/FTR and a Cody title defense.
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