AEW Revolution - 2/29/2020

[LoneWolf&Subs]

That OC match shocked me with how fast they went into Cassidy surprising him with wrestling. I was expecting it to be completely one sided, but it’s clear they want to do big things with this character. I’m not joking anymore when I say he has potential to be “The Guy” of AEW.

[Just Dave]

Additional random thoughts;

 

As big a piece of shit as I find Jake Hager as a human being, I thought he looked better and more motivated than he has in years. 

Guevara/Allin are two guys on the shortlist for "company cornerstone" in five years. I hope this is the first of many. Holy shit.

I LOVED the Tag title match, but I get why the folks here that thought it was too long or overly self-indulgent think that way. There were sections where the finisher spamming got "nxt Takeover" worthy. Hangman Page is on that list with Guevara and Allin, and might be the top name on it.

Except for MJF. That guy was born to do what he's doing. Thought Cody brought it, like he almost always does now in big matches. 

Women's match was what it was. I'm not a Nyla Rose fan, and I think the sooner they start re-building the women around Statlander & Baker the better, but nothing offensive.

OC is a fucking STAR. PAC remains the most vicious and believable wrestler on this planet of Earth. What a showcase.

Mox winning felt like the right call. Gotta strike while the iron is hot with him. My biggest issue with how he was used in WWE is his constant overlooking by Vince and co for his less over, less charismatic Shield brethren. Mox was always the goods in that stable, but by the time they got the title on him it felt hollow. AEW not gonna make that mistake. Looking forward to where this story goes from here.

 

All in all a wonderful pro wrestling night. Let's see how the competition that isn't competition responds.

 

 

[John from Cincinnati]

If it was a fake eye patch, I still question the logic of giving Jericho and his gang a target. It may seem like I'm picking at nits, but it was the crux of the match and they opened themselves up to it. 

I don't know why I'm doing this for a match I enjoyed on the whole. I must really hate myself. 

[John from Cincinnati]

OC's Superman punch might give Reigns a run for his money. 

Also, OC vs Roman Reigns would be weird. I kinda want it.

Edited March 1, 2020 by West Newbury Bad Boy

[jaedmc]

1 minute ago, West Newbury Bad Boy said:

If it was a fake eye patch, I still question the logic of giving Jericho and his gang a target. It may seem like I'm picking at nits, but it was the crux of the match and they opened themselves up to it. 

I don't know why I'm doing this for a match I enjoyed on the whole. I must really hate myself. 

Here's how I justify it:

The Jon Moxley character isn't actually smart. He comes up with plans and to him the plans "worked" because he won. But in reality he won because he's tough as nails and crazy as shit. It's like a boxer who has a great chin thinking he's great because he can eat lots of punches to the face and still land a knockout. 

[John from Cincinnati]

2 minutes ago, jaedmc said:

Here's how I justify it:

The Jon Moxley character isn't actually smart. He comes up with plans and to him the plans "worked" because he won. But in reality he won because he's tough as nails and crazy as shit. It's like a boxer who has a great chin thinking he's great because he can eat lots of punches to the face and still land a knockout. 

This is a quality explanation. Especially since him being crazier than he is smart has always been at the center of who he is. So much so that it almost explains some of the dumb WWE booking that he likes to kvetch about. 

[S.K.o.S.]

14 minutes ago, West Newbury Bad Boy said:

His skin, his choice. I think I've got all my "what's wrong with you, dude" out of my system.

I didn't watch (yet) but I can tell you that like 75% of my Twitter timeline right now is about that tattoo.

[Bryan]

6 minutes ago, West Newbury Bad Boy said:

If it was a fake eye patch, I still question the logic of giving Jericho and his gang a target. It may seem like I'm picking at nits, but it was the crux of the match and they opened themselves up to it. 

I don't know why I'm doing this for a match I enjoyed on the whole. I must really hate myself. 

To lull Jericho into a false sense of security—-in the match, Jericho thought Moxley was blind after the eye gouge spot and got really cocky.

On commentary, JR really sold that it’s what led Jericho to making an uncharacteristic mistake when he walked into the paradigm shift. And that works for me.

[DreamBroken]

What a show. The tag title match was absolutely incredible. I loved that selling did play a big factor throughout the match and all the little story telling bits. The pop when Kenny kicked out of the Golden Trigger at 1 was massive and totally worked in a 'he's pissed they stole his move' way before he gets kicked right back down,  then the pop for Hangman getting back into the match after that was even bigger. Hangman felt like the biggest star of the show. I don't think anyone needs to turn but kept waiting for it with all the teases and glad nothing happened there. Definitely one of my favorite matches of the year.

Holy shit Orange Cassidy was OVER. Excellent match, Pac was great in his role, and every comeback/shine sequence from Cassidy was perfectly done. The diving DDT looked like a legit potential finish. Fantastic stuff. Guevara's 630 through the table was insane. Knew Cody had to lose in the end but solid grudge match with MJF. Great main event. I would've liked to have seen Jericho continue his reign but Moxley going over works too. Felt very stone cold overcoming all odds here. Just about everything got a good amount of time on the show.

Stoked for The Match Beyond to happen, and on Dynamite at that. Looking forward to seeing who will be in it. I really liked the original setup for Inner Circle vs. The Elite but feels like that's been separated now.

[John from Cincinnati]

Just now, Bryan said:

To lull Jericho into a false sense of security—-in the match, Jericho thought Moxley was blind after the eye gouge spot and got really cocky.

Right. But I question the value of such a trade-off when it led him to having a gusher opened on his head, which was partially trapped in said eye-patch. 

I really only buy it if I buy into jae's explanation of Jon as a brain-dead maniac. 

[John from Cincinnati]

Question re: Jericho: We all assume he's sticking around for a while, right? Who can we see him feuding with after Mox? And who's Mox's next challenger? A rematch may be in the cards, but I don't see them flipping the belt right back so I'm more interested in those questions. 

[Firebreaker Chip]

Dustin Rhodes could have a good match doing nothing but punches

The tag title match was incredible. It would be a bit indulgent for my tastes watching it in a vacuum, but the quality and intrigue of that build and how well they know each other's moves gives them leeway imo. It sounded a bit like the crowd never quite recovered from it? They've got like three main event quality angles on the go, must be tough to sequence

Downstait turning in possibly the worst live performance by a group of people who have ever been in the same room before. Also Cody's entrance doesn't need an entrance just let the crowd react to the powerchords!

God bless Schiavone going all in on calling an Orange Cassidy match with a straight face, the sound of Jim Ross' soul leaking out of his ears just barely audible on the feed

The first half of the show was stronger overall, but it makes such a difference to not feel like you're watching six matches cut from the same template

 

[John from Cincinnati]

1 minute ago, Firebreaker Chip said:

God bless Schiavone going all in on calling an Orange Cassidy match with a straight face, the sound of Jim Ross' soul leaking out of his ears just barely audible on the feed

Hearing him grudgingly call that shit was the best part. I only want to see that Dr Luther-Jimmy Havoc match if he's calling it. 

[LoneWolf&Subs]

I don’t know, it sounded to me like OC made JR a believer. He legit sounded impressed afterwards.

[Spontaneous]

Really enjoyed the show. Missed the women's title but saw everything else on the main show. Loved the tag titles,  pac-oc and Jericho-Moxley.

Still find darby a dweeb though. 

[Nice Guy Eddie]

I got my money's worth tonight.

SCU/Dark Order delivered on the Buy In. I liked the Colt Cabana appearance and not going with the obvious choice of Christopher Daniels as the Exalted One. I feel like the Dark Order will be next in line for a tag title program, with them possibly beating Omega & Page.

I felt like Darby/Sammy should have opened the show, although there was nothing technically wrong with Hager/Dustin. 

The tag title match was my MOTN. I loved the story being told and the Bucks being the heels in this match. I think I enjoy them more when they amp up the heelishness. I liked Page's nod to Marty with the kick to the shin and the chicken wing, and Excalibur's call of it. I also like Page not being on board with making amends like Kenny seemed to be.

The women's match wasn't particularly good. I would rather see Kris Statlander with the title, but I knew that wasn't happening with Nyla only recently winning it. Nyla does a good job coming off as an unstoppable beast, but she still needs some work on the in-ring stuff.

I really enjoyed MJF/Cody. IMO, MJF is the best heel going right now, maybe only with Jericho and Jay White behind him. I thought the Arn turn may have been coming after Cody's miscue. I look forward to seeing what kind of hurdles MJF makes Cody clear in order to get rematch.

I loved OC/Pac. I like the set up of Best Friends & OC vs. Lucha Bros & Pac. I might have had OC pull off the upset and have Pac go ballistic after the match, but OC looked great in defeat. I like the cat being out of the bag that you can't underestimate him.

It was definitely the right time for Mox to win. Like @just drew said, you gotta strike while the iron is hot. I liked the story of Mox's MMA training enabling him to counter Jericho's Boston Crab and also luring Jericho into a false sense of security with the eye injury. 

I'm super hyped that Newark is getting the Match Beyond. My guess for the match is the Inner Circle vs. Moxley/Darby/Dustin/Luchasaurus/Jungle Boy. Maybe we start to see dissension among the Inner Circle.

[LoneWolf&Subs]

20 minutes ago, West Newbury Bad Boy said:

Question re: Jericho: We all assume he's sticking around for a while, right? Who can we see him feuding with after Mox? And who's Mox's next challenger? A rematch may be in the cards, but I don't see them flipping the belt right back so I'm more interested in those questions. 

Cody could be a potential rematch. Maybe even go for the tag belts again.

Edited March 1, 2020 by LoneWolf&Subs

[Firebreaker Chip]

Also: Wardlow and Hager look like the evolved/roided up versions of Marty Scurll and Orange Cassidy

[Firebreaker Chip]

I liked Cody's ramp sprint clothesline, Sting-worthy

Elsewhere, Adam Page combines the pisshead gimmick of Scott Hall with the brooding, melancholic inscrutability of peak Crow Sting - and folks, he ain't even wearing paint

When it comes to Anxious Millennial Cowboy, the only thing that's for sure...is [daintily sips beer from a plastic glass]

Edited March 1, 2020 by Firebreaker Chip

[Godfrey]

Tag title match ruled. Loved it. And I thought the women’s title match did great getting an exhausted crowd on board.

Great night. MJF was orange right?

[Jiji]

Ravings of a man on an edible who really enjoyed a pro-wrestling show:

Man, that tag title match... They managed to outdo the Long Beach match and I adored it, thinking it was a flawed masterpiece. This was that without any of the flaws. Incredible blend of storytelling, character work, and just the right amount of highspots. And they went full ahead with the Hangman push. The Golden Trigger stuff is when I went from being totally fine with the Bucks' actions to booing the shit out of them in my own house. So great and the perfect reaction. Kenny being fucked up due to the iron man match was really great stuff. Page once again had to save the day and he did just that. It's going to be so good when they split but I don't want it to happen for a while yet.

Main event was good but I think when you have stuff like that tag title match on your card, you need your best worker to be in the main event and you need the belt in the main event. Kenny needs to beat Moxley at All Out after they do the Page match at DoN. I feel West Newbury Bad Boy with the eye patch question, as I was thinking the same thing. In my defense, I am high. I totally get why you belt Moxley but in the ring he's just not the right guy for too long for this type of company. People love 'em but his matches are always a bit of a slog. Jericho's hair plugs in the middle of his hairline coming out cracked me up. Between the tattoo on Cody and that, a faux pas for the two big stars of AEW, hahaha. Crowd was pretty much done by this point but they saved enough energy to get into the integral parts. 

Pac/OC was the other incredible match on this night. Superb pacing and psychology with the roll outs coming back to bite OC. Pac is just one of the best on the planet. As perfect of a heel as he is, one day I'd like to see him be the Bastard with a conscience. Keep his killer attitude but he does the right thing. He's too good to boo! OC was perfect with an even more extended role of counters and offense with hands firmly entrenched in pockets. Dug Excalibur's nudge nudge with the Fire Ant line. Best worked superman punch I've ever seen btw. Both of these guys are absolutely incredible and this was perfectly placed in the co-main slot. No matter how tired or emotionally drained a crowd, they're going to buy into any Orange Cassidy match, but particularly a coming out party like this was.

Unfortunately, the Cody/MJF match was one that required complete audience buy-in from both a participation and empathy point and instead they got them when they were still coming down from the tag title epic and also wanting to save something for the final two matches. It was a good match and they tried. MJF still has some things that he can do differently from everybody else in the ring and that play into his character a little better. Blood was great. MJF looked like a psychopath with the blood and ridiculous bronze tan contrasting the whites of his eyes bulging later on. Nice sowing the seeds of an Arn turn too with the kick and finally the distraction. That ending was subtle. Good shit but not the classic I was hoping for. A theoretically really good set-up for War Games, but they almost need a babyface authority figure like JJ Dillon was in WCW. Otherwise there is no reason MJF would ever agree to that shit. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with to get them there. Still would've preferred for Cody to throw it out there and not just debut in some add with a song that sounded so much like Pac's theme I had to play them simultaneously and still wasn't sure for a bit.

Women's match was dogshit. This division is an anchor on an otherwise stellar promotion and it needs an injection of real talent in the here and now. You cannot have Nyla, Statlander, and Baker learning how to pro wrestle while being the stars of the division in a company largely built on werkrate. They all have a lot of potential but they're so far away from being competent in the ring that it just comes off as insulting almost. Bring in as many of the good Japanese women and Tessa Blanchard as soon as fucking possible, please. 

Other than the rope-botched tope, Darby/Sammy was the perfect preview match to give us a taste of what is to come, get both guys over as huge future stars, without either giving everything away and killing the crowd in the second match of the night. That 630 was absurd and looked phenomenal. 100% should've opened the show.

Dustin looked really slow and old but that's probably because he was concussed early on by that lariat on the outside. Hager was fine but after seeing that, he should pretty much just stick to being a bodyguard. Not good. Not bad but not good.

Pre-show was a thing that I'll forget by the time I wake up tomorrow. They needed to tease something for the Exalted One. CD fulfilling the prophecy from all those years ago with the robe was cheeky cute and a fine enough semi-swerve that they've built up. Cabana I can do without. He's not offensive but I don't care for his stale act. I doubt it was just a Chicago pop thing either sadly.

Overall, I think the tag match is the best match I've seen since Okada/Omega IV and the best match in AEW history by a bit and I thought Cody/Dustin was a 5 star boy. If there's something that beats it this year I'll be both pretty stoked and shocked. Omega is on fire, taking part in three MOTYCs in as many weeks (Lucha Bros tag, Pac iron man, and this). Match order was off but I totally understand wanting the title match to go on last when you don't have something hazardous like Omega/Moxley on the card but nothing other than built-in (and definitely well earned) pops like the OC match were going to get the crowd close to the highs of the tag. I had very high expectations for MJF/Cody that weren't met and the main event was probably in the 3.5 star range. Tough to call it an all-time great show or anything when that's the case but the tag title match is must see.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

9 minutes ago, Godfrey said:

Tag title match ruled. Loved it. And I thought the women’s title match did great getting an exhausted crowd on board.

Great night. MJF was orange right?

As Alexander Hammerstone would call it, Hogan '91.

Edited March 1, 2020 by Nice Guy Eddie

[Jiji]

Forgot to mention: how great was the half-assed Scurll allusion? It would be really neat if Marty could somehow still be the Exalted One (not that I think that's what this means, that kind of callback spot is Omega 101 in big, emotional matches like this).

[Johnny Sorrow]

I bought the show, and it was fun. But holy shit, the commentary was fucking awful. JR was terrible and brought Excalibur and Tony down with him. I loved it because I enjoy bad commentary, but sheesh. Maybe someone needs to be screaming into ears.

[Craig H]

Count me in for loving that tag match and thinking it was the MOTN. It's probably my MOTY at this point. Incredible storytelling, having to dig deep into taking pages out of the MCMGs, Marty, Golden Lovers, and more. Page is the shit and probably my favorite thing in wrestling right now. He's on absolute fire.

Fucking loved the whole show. Main event was slightly plodding, but it was a slugfest and I'm happy that Moxley is the champ.

Darby is such a star that it's ridiculous. The Coffin Drop is probably the best and most over finisher in US wrestling. Every single person hit their feet for it.

Cody vs MJF was indeed southern as hell, but I did expect more of a bloodbath. Good storytelling in this one too.

Nyla vs Kris was good and delivered, but you could tell Kris was looking out of it a bit. I think these two have a better match in them.

OC!!! Dude came alive. LOVED Excalibur saying he's "as tenacious as a fire ant." Pac's reactions had me dying. 

And i thought the opener was fine, but it went too long. Not really feeling Hager's light as a feather submission, which is just a shitty pro wrestling version of a standing head and arm triangle. 

This ppv had probably the best build to it than anything I've seen since, shit, i don't know. I was talking to a friend and we thought maybe WM17, but there has to be something else in all this time that had as good of a build top to bottom that also delivered top to bottom.

Can't wait for Wednesday.