November 11th, 2020
1) Brian Cage (w/ Taz & Ricky Starks) vs. Matt Sydal
You honestly can't book a better big man/little man match in modern american wrestling than these two. I am pretty bored of Cage, but in matches like this he's very fun. Sydal definitely made up for his miscue at the PPV here with an awesome performance reminiscent of what made him the legend that he is in the underground wrestling community. Sydal hits a meteora to Cage on the ramp at one point which was a sick spot. In the end, Cage hits the drill claw for the win.
Match rating - ***
Cody Rhodes comes out and he's finally got his full name back. He's here to discuss what's next for him. He is interrupted by a woman named Jade Cargill. She says she's been sitting back for months scouting her competition and scouting him. She mentions that Cody referred to himself as a giant killer and hints that "her giant" Shaq didn't take kindly to that. As she goes to leave, Brandi Rhodes comes out AND LAYS INTO JADE OH MY FUCKING GOD. This ruled so fucking hard and honestly gave me chills. Best thing Brandi has ever done by far. She calls Jade a bitch and tells her to get her ass off her stage and to never talk to her man like that ever again. Brandi whips her hair and walks away, but Jade slaps her ass as she's walking off and they start to go at it, but JERRY LYNN comes out to get in between them. This is such a... spectacle. Cody is watching on and Brian Cage sneaks in from behind for an attack. DARBY ALLIN'S MUSIC HITS. Darby goes to make the save and Ricky Starks pops up, but Darby takes out Ricky. Cody is up and they take Cage out. Will Hobbs also runs down to help out. This entire segment was wild as fuck and popped me hard. Just.. so much fun and accomplished so many different things.
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley is backstage and cuts a fantastic promo AAAAAS USUAL. He says this belt is for everyone out there struggling to pay bills and every kid who gets made fun of for liking pro wrestling. Moxley says he will never give up and that his match with Omega will turn out no different than their big match last year where he won. As I said in my Full Gear Review, Mox is the PERFECT champion and badass babyface for this company.
2) Natural Nightmares (Dustin Rhodes & QT Marshall) vs. The Butcher & The Blade (w/ The Bunny) - Bunkhouse Match
Thank you to AEW for bringing trash hardcore wrestling and blood back to TV on a semi-regular basis. This felt like one of those old TNA brawls that I loved as a kid watching Spike TV. Just garbage weapon ridden wrestling. Blade & QT both bled a good bit. Bunny got shoved through a table. I'm a sucker for shit like this and it was a lot of fun. Dustin & QT get the victory.
Match rating - ***1/4
LATER TONIGHT: Penta El Zero M vs. Rey Fenix - w/ Eddie Kingston on commentary
MJF is inducted into The Inner Circle
(and Wardlow.) But yeah. Jericho brings out all the OG members of Inner Circle. Hager, Santana, Ortiz and... Sammy Guevara doesn't show up. Jericho goes on with this anyway. Ortiz speaks up and says MJF doesn't belong when he starts quoting Drake lyrics in his speech. Obnoxious, oblivious rich heel stuff here from MJF and it's great. Jericho tells Ortiz that MJF won his way into Inner Circle and they have to make it work. MJF ends his speech with "Inner Circle is GOIN TO VEGAS" and they all pose to close the segment.
3) Shawn Spears (w/ Tully Blanchard) vs. Scorpio Sky
God, I don't know who I like less.. Shawn Spears or QT Marshall. But QT delivered a match I enjoyed this week for like the first time ever so maybe this will be okay too. I have a soft spot for Scorpio Sky because SO CAL PWG LOVE FOREVER. But yeah, this happens and it's decent! Spears hits a sidewalk slam on Sky on the steel steps to set him up for a submission. Tully throws a steel "slug" in and Spears uses it to get the cheap win.
Match rating - **1/2
Kenny Omega is in the parking lot acting sketchy on the phone as he apparently just ran off from a sit-down interview. They want his thoughts on the announcement of his title match with Jon Moxley on December 2nd. Omega says he wants to take back from Moxley what he took from him - the cover of magazines, the title of the best wrestler in the world, etc. OOOO I LOVE THIS DIRECTION. Omega says they've never had a clean, straight up wrestling match, but that changes December 2nd and Omega asks if Mox thinks he can beat him in a real wrestling match. Omega leaves and tells everyone to enjoy Dynamite because he has a flight to catch. We are definitely seeing a darker, less optimistic side of Kenny as he seemed very unenthusiastic.
4) Tay Conti vs. Red Velvet (w/ Brandi Rhodes)
Not a bad match here between two relatively new faces. Tay is in Dark Order so, Anna Jay is with her at ringside. After a pretty back & forth match, Anna tries to slide Tay Conti a chair to use. Tay contemplates it, but ultimately doesn't and decides to kick it out of the ring and wins on her own terms. The Dark Order is in the entrance ramp as Tay & Anna hug despite the slight.. miscommunication I guess you'd call it? Good showing for both Velvet & Conti here.
Match rating - **1/2
Backstage, Jericho, MJF and the rest of Inner Circle are celebrating their trip to Vegas all courtesy of MJF. Sammy Guevara shows up and says MJF told him to go to the beach. MJF says he sent him a second email telling him the plan for here tonight. Sammy doesn't believe him, Jericho calms it down and they walk away leaving just MJF & Sammy. MJF gives Sammy his Vegas ticket. They are building this MJF/Guevara issue super well.
Eddie Kingston is out next and he says he has to live with the fact that he said "i quit" in his match with Moxley, but he will never quit being a pro wrestler and he will be a world champion one day. He runs down the fans and then says "you're welcome" for the next match.
5) Penta El Zero M vs. Rey Fenix
I actually liked this match more than their first encounter the other week. They were about the same quality wise, but totally different stylistically and story-wise. They rip at each other's masks and make this personal. The commentary adds to the story as they make it sound like Eddie is the one who pushed them this far in the spirit of competition and that it's gone beyond that. Eddie pushes the idea that Penta has always been better than Fenix. Penta destroys Fenix at the end with a package piledriver on the ring apron, a canadian destroyer on the floor, and another package piledriver in the ring for a three count. Crazy main event.
Match rating - ****
Post-match, we get the epic return of PAC. Covid has kept him off AEW TV since March and man it was awesome to see him back as it looks like he is going to take issue with Eddie Kingston and reunite with his Death Triangle stable-mates, Penta El Zero M & Rey Fenix. They do a sort of pull apart brawl as they don't let King & PAC touch. Great closer to the show!!
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