A big part of my fandom began with a magazine called Powerslam.  Who used to do half-year awards.  At least that’s what my memory told me.  Reality, upon checking some old issues, told me I’m a moron.

Nonetheless, we’ll make the most of the inspiration, all of these being as of the June 30 cut-off:

Best Wrestler

Nominees: Bryan Danielson, Will Ospreay

It’d be nice to have at least three nominees.   But these two showed in their Dynasty clash that they’re just better than everybody else.

On pay-per-view, which is where the best wrestlers generally do wrestle best, they preceded a MOTY contender at Dynasty by having the top two clashes at Revolution.  Then did the same at Forbidden Door.

A slight knock is the Brit hasn’t been here all year, but there’s no point trying to build drama where there is none, dude’s the best wrestler in the world, shown not only in the above but in clashes against Swerve, Kyle Fletcher, Rey Fenix, and during wildly entertaining gauntlet ahead of Forbidden Door.

Winner: Will Ospreay

Best Women’s Wrestler

Nominees: Toni Storm, Willow Nightingale, Mercedes Mone

Yep, ideally the ladies wouldn’t need separate sections.  But on average, they face less talented wrestlers in shorter matches than their male counterparts.

The good news is this appears to be changing.

The ‘wide load that holds the gold’s gimmick has often come at the expense of her ring work.  And if it hasn’t, weak opponents have.  Though her part in two of the four best women’s matches this year means she has to be a contender.

The other nominees achieved something she hasn’t when they met at Double or Nothing: competed for match of the night honors.  After notably providing Willow’s strongest outing since her clash with Athena last summer, Mone helped Skye Blue to her best AEW match in ages (ever?) before rounding out the top four vs Stephanie Vaquer.

So though her character’s been mostly miss, her matches have been on hit.  And, unlike Storm, have all felt like serious enterprises.  Even if she has only been here three months.

Winner: Mercedes Mone

Worst Wrestler

Nominees: Satnam Singh

Generally this category wouldn’t even exist.

Thankfully, the good folks at Warner/Turner learned nothing from the last time they tried to teach a basketball player to wrestle.  Since after several years as a rope-runner Singh was still unable to have a passable match with Bryan Danielson.

Winner: Satnam Singh

Best Match

Nominees: Bryan Danielson vs Will Ospreay (Dynasty), Young Bucks vs FTR (Dynasty), Will Ospreay vs Konosuke Takeshita (Revolution), Bryan Danielson vs Eddie Kingston (Revolution), Kazuchika Okada vs PAC (Dynasty), Will Ospreay vs Kyle Fletcher (Dynamite), Will Ospreay vs Swerve Strickland (Forbidden Door), The Elite vs PAC & FTR (Collision), Casino Gauntlet #2 (Dynamite)

Dynasty possessed three clashes which might’ve stolen the show on any pay-per-view.  And the Bucks/FTR deserve credit for such a showing in such difficult circumstances.  But those circumstances were created by the best wrestling match this year: Will Ospreay vs Bryan Danielson.

That is… until a late contender crept through the Forbidden Door on the very last night of eligibility.

If you were scoring like an Olympic judge, Danielson/Ospreay would get the nod; Danielson’s just a better wrestler than Strickland.  But pro wrestling isn’t just about crispness and execution.

There are intangibles.  And while the Dynasty clash played to a hell of an atmosphere, it was one of appreciation: ‘We’re not worthy!’  There weren’t real stakes and the majority of fans knew Ospreay was going to win.  Which was not the case for a world title clash between the two wrestlers genuinely dividing the fanbase over who should front the company.

Ultimately, this comes down to taste, either are worthy.  The Forbidden Door clash could be benefitting from recency bias.  But was my favorite so far this year.

Winner: Will Ospreay vs Swerve Strickland

Best Women’s Match

Nominees: Willow Nightingale vs Mercedes Mone (Double or Nothing), Toni Storm vs Mina Shirakawa (Forbidden Door), Mercedes Mone vs Stephanie Vaquer (Forbidden Door), Toni Storm vs Thunder Rosa (Dynasty)

Forbidden Door 2024 was the best night in history to be an AEW female.  Never before were there two such quality women’s matches on the same show.  Working against those scraps is the winner being pretty obvious.  As was the case with Storm/Rosa.  And indeed, every Storm defense to date.

Working for the Forbidden Door efforts is freshness of matchups and, in the case of Storm/Shirakawa, a storyline backdrop.  Mone/Vaquer was probably technically better; the battle for Mariah May played to a more engaged audience.  Both were very good.

But not as good as Mercedes’ first AEW action.  Where, again, the finish seemed predictable.  But not totally cut and dry in the manner of the other three here.  The match really played into the story of the feud.

And importantly, before a heated crowd who wanted Willow to win.  And ended with the babyface facing a path to redemption, a visual pinfall for her and tainted win for the new champ ensuring that ‘this… ain’t…ovah.’

Winner: Willow Nightingale vs Mercedes Mone

Best Babyface

Nominees: Will Ospreay, Swerve Strickland, Willow Nightingale, Mark Briscoe

A groundswell of support for the current AEW champ began last Fall.  Around the time the WrestleDream preview noted that, ‘Despicable as his actions are, Swerve’s hard to boo because he’s cool.’

So that no matter how many people he tried to hang, or infants he tried to intimidate, the fans cheered anyway.

But this is a 2024 award.  A period during which Strickland’s actions have become gradually less heelish.  But his popularity’s dipped from its peak too.  The booking hasn’t helped.  Some, like myself, thought him still too heelish to be a top face; many didn’t like him losing his edge.

Meanwhile, as Strickland was trying to find level ground, a certain Mr. Ospreay arrived.  Bringing with him a bundle of good vibes and energy.  The only thing ‘killer’ about Will being his matches.  Which even played into his title loss to Swerve.  A match notably seen by many as one between the company’s two biggest babyfaces.

And there are parallels with Will and Willow Nightingale.  Both have an ‘everyman’ affability, a connection with the crowd, they speak to fans without resorting to corny catchphrases.

Though while Ospreay’s benefitted from the promotional machine, Nightingale’s ridden out rough waters.  More like sinkholes really.  During which she simply disappeared from our screens.  Yet maintained her popularity.

As has Mark Briscoe.  It’s almost impossible not to smile when he’s talking.  Whether detailing a relatably hard day’s work or calling an opponent ‘soft’ like ‘Peppa Pig.’  He and Nightingale are the very definition of a ‘babyface.’

So it’d be easy to get cute here.  But this is another in the bag for the Brit.

Winner: Will Ospreay

Best Heel

Nominees: Kazuchika Okada, Christian Cage, Young Bucks, Adam Page, Jack Perry, Roderick Strong

For reasons too deep to discuss here, there are very few true bad guys in AEW.

Toni Storm and Mercedes Mone have both been excellent heels at times.  Problem is this was either unintentional or sandwiched between a comedy line and going boob to boob with another female.  For most of the year, if a gun was put to your head re:

• 1) Guessing whether each was a face or heel
• 2) Admitting you didn’t know

2) would be the only guarantee your brain cells wouldn’t redecorate a nearby wall.  The same has been true of Samoa Joe.  Jack Perry’s neither been back long nor featured prominently enough.  A solid month of heel MJF might’ve seen him win by default.  The two sweetest words in the English language.

Which is why, despite missing a large chunk of the year, Christian Cage makes the cut.  He’s undoubtedly dropped off from his peak last summer.  Luchasaurus rebelling has become yet another case of AEW waiting too long.  And the whole act reeks of cheap heat.  But perhaps that’s the only thing left to an AEW heel in 2024?  And Cage is absolutely trying to be booed.  There’s no attempt to be cute or to entertain.

Something which cannot be said of the next nominees.

Because Kazuchika Okada is a riot.  His use of the word ‘bitch’ so ridiculously over the top as to be hilariously funny.  His turning the Rainmaker pose into a bird-flip one of the most entertaining moments of the year.  But it’s all comedy.  The fans are ‘in on it.’

As is the case with the Bucks. Though they can at least point to their participation in two of the best angles all year.  Roderick Strong’s cries for PB&J and fondness for first names means he too can’t be taken seriously.

Bringing us to Hangman.  Who too has missed a chunk of time.  But was brilliantly, maniacally solemn in his quest to stop Strickland becoming champion before leaving.  He isn’t playing for laughs and was involved in a main event feud.  And for the first six months of 2024, that’s enough.

More on Page later.

Winner: Hangman Page

Best Character

Nominees: Toni Storm, Matthew Jackson, Stokely Hathaway

Briefly considered Mark Briscoe.  But he’s not really a ‘character.’  He’s Mark Briscoe.  In fact there aren’t many characters in AEW.  Wrestlers are for the most part portrayed as real people rather than gimmicks.  Probably a good thing.

As highlighted by the Young Bucks.  Who as heels might as well carry a sign saying ‘We’re playing bad guys.’  Even if Matt’s take on disingenuous corporate stooges has been enjoyable.

Hathaway walks the line nicely.  Managers have a little more leeway since we don’t need to take them seriously.  Stokely’s more than willing to play the buffoon without winking at the audience and killing any heat.  And feels like an individual – he makes references to music he likes (always outdated, lest a heel seem cool) and doesn’t talk like he went through Promo 101.

But when it comes to characters, this award was almost literally created for Miss Storm.  Is she a heel?  Is she a face?  Is she good for the division?  For the title?  For her ‘babyface’ opponents?  All debatable.

What’s inarguable is the level of commitment, thought and creativity which has gone into everything she’s done for about the past eight months.  From her descent into crazy starlet to plethora of sexually charged self-given nicknames.

Not to mention the acting chops.  Which make it easy to forget the lass is a Kiwi (yes Americans, English and ‘Aussie’ accents are different! 😉).

Winner: Toni Storm

Best Tag Team

Nominees: N/A

Tag wrestling’s dead in AEW.  May it someday be brought back to life; half of the best moments in the company’s short history were duos clashes.  There’s a whole Saturday show wasting away with nothing to set it apart…

Winner: N/A

Best Faction

Nominees: The Elite, The Patriarchy

Similarly, it’s distinctly difficult to even choose nominees here.  There are so many groups that none are given the focus to stand out.

A Kyle Fletcher/Will Ospreay/Don Callis situation starts and is only come back to months later.  We are never shown evolving or devolving relationships.  Which is basically the point of stables.  Making subsequent angles feel cheap.

Anyway, of the many, the Elite get the most screentime.  They’re generally entertaining.  Even if it’s not maximizing their value and they’re in a badly planned, nonsensical storyline.

Yay?

Winner: The Elite

Worst Faction

Nominees: Undisputed Kingdom, BCC, Acclaimed & Billy Gunn, Jeff Jarrett et al., The Learning Tree

Bullet Club Gold and the Callis Fam are misused rather than bad.  Though I seemingly like both more than some.  BCC have good matches, but what exactly is the point of them?

Jarrett and co.’s insinuation at the top of the card against Team AEW sparked the weakest main event this year.  Between Jarrett’s past and Sonjay Dutt’s dirt-worst overacting, they drag down everything with which they’re involved.

But haven’t been on tv much this year.  Probably the saving grace of The Acclaimed too.  Despite Billy Gunn becoming a living, breathing hold my beer.

And if we’re talking wasted tv time, there are only two real contenders.  And they bookend the half-year.

In January, the Undisputed Kingdom had two purposes.  Setup a heated Adam Cole/MJF feud.  And rehab Wardlow.  In hindsight, it feels more like Tony Khan crafted a months-long show-dominating storyline for the sole purpose of reintroducing his favorite ROH act.

While more recently, we’ve been exposed to another rehab project, The Learning Tree.

And the literal taking up of ‘TV Time,’ the boldest example in company history of the Stamford-isation of the product.   Add in a pile of extreme angles and the wall has well and truly been covered in shit.  And nothing’s stuck.

However, it still didn’t take up six months of show time while heavily damaging the company’s top act just to give Roddy Strong a boost.

Winner: Undisputed Kingdom

Best Moment

Nominees: Sting’s final match, Stokely Hathaway’s punishment, Okada’s Rainfinger

Yes, the word ‘moment’ allows almost anything to be included.  Anything that doesn’t quite fit elsewhere.

Sendoffs don’t come much better than the Stinger’s: title on the line, battling the odds, overcoming.  As a hot crowd went wild for the match-winning submission. And he got to share the moment with his sons.  Then cut a very humble speech showing exactly why he was deserving of such a sendoff.

Good, wholesome fun.

Stokely Hathaway’s complaint of ‘outside of my own actions, what did I do to deserve this?’ needs some love.  Hilariously funny satire.  Heels not being self-aware is always a good time.

Last, is Okada flipping the bird funny?  Or cheap?  A heel brilliantly working a crowd?  Or resorting to basic tricks since they refuse to boo him?  Again, eye of the beholder stuff.  But its debut against PAC was brilliantly timed and executed.

Winner: Sting’s final match

Worst Moment

Nominees: Almost any Jericho segment (let’s go with instructing how to ladle out dumplings), Billy Gunn vs Jay White, Tony Khan’s beatdown

It’s become a mistake to give AEW the benefit of the doubt (read: they made me wrong).  When the owner was piledriven, one might assume they’d begun to plan this back when they decided to bring Okada in as a heel last December.  Such that they’d have everything sorted to the last detail.

As will be detailed later, it was not.

Meanwhile, the Ocho’s had a bad 2024.  Bland in his previous role; insufferable in his current one.  As he robotically overenunciates generic advice.  But has allowed younger wrestlers to get some shine: Hook, Private Party, Bryan Keith.  We can debate his motives; facts are facts.

And while Steve Borden had to be talked into winning his last match, when the time comes, Billy Gunn most certainly will not.  He’ll probably pin his sons 1:2 with his dong while his hands are viced behind his back.

Since twenty-five years after WWE gave up on him as a main eventer, he saw nothing wrong with utterly annihilating Jay White.  A guy half of his sixty years.  Certainly AEW brass don’t escape blame.  But try to imagine Sting or Tanahashi being presented with this idea and saying, ‘Yep, that makes sense.’

The Khan angle likely played a part in the declining ratings.  Definitely a strong case.  But Gunn’s drubbing of White was nonsensical from the very start.  And a symptom of the same disease: no-one seemingly tells the AEW owner what he needs to hear.

Winner: Billy Gunn vs Jay White

Best Newcomer

Nominees: Will Ospreay, Mariah May

Mariah’s in-ring debut did come in 2024.  So we’ll stretch creative license.  And since we’ve already talked an awful lot about the Essex boy.  And a fair bit about the Rainmaker, let’s get into Miss May.

She’s already better in the ring than most of AEW’s women, clearly learned a lot from her excursion (and from Mina Shirakawa) about facials, reactions and playing to the crowd.

And held her own in backstage segments (though hadn’t had a ton of live mic time prior to the cut-off).  Essentially, she’s way ahead of her experience level.

And her transition from inexperienced Stardom wrestler to national tv for the #2 promotion in the world was a far bigger step than for Will.  Who at least had some Tokyo Domes and previous AEW appearances to fall back on.

Which is the argument for her and against Ospreay.  Though she was not brought in to deliver at a main event level.  Ospreay was.  And did.  Beyond the expectations of most.

Winner: Will Ospreay

Most Overutilized

Nominees: Billy Gunn, Chris Jericho, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, Jeff Jarrett

In calling himself the ‘Socrates of Wrestling,’ Chris Jericho is either the most or least self-aware person on the planet.  Since the Greek irritated folks to the point many just wanted him to go away.

Gunn isn’t used all that often but this only seems to make him thirstier when he is.

Strong’s omnipresence has cooled recently.  His matches are easily better than the above pair and he’s a victim of a push over which he has no say.  Same goes for Kyle.  Unlike at least one of the guys above and one to come:

Given all the fuss over his recent promo, people may not like this.  But I’ll never stop believing Jeff Jarrett is detrimental to the AEW brand.

WCW died with him as one of its most pushed acts; the only decent ppv number TNA ever did was drawn by Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle.  You never want people tuning into your product mistaking it for TNA, being reminded of a dying WCW or thinking it’s a place where people who ‘couldn’t make it’ in WWE go.

And he’s been mixing it up with main eventers.  In the year 2024.  Adding to a growing cache of older (ex-WWE) wrestlers as AEW’s younger audience dwindles.

Of the five, only Jericho has ever attracted fans.  The question is whether he still does.  And whether he’s worth the flat atmospheres and horrible tv viewers are exposed to every week.

Winner: Chris Jericho

Most Underutilized

Nominees: Half the roster, Jay White, Konosuke Takeshita, Anthony Bowens, Kyle Fletcher, Kazuchika Okada, Lucha Bros, Ethan Page (oops), Thunder Rosa, Deonna Purrazzo, Athena, Willow Nightingale, Ricky Starks

In a company that can consistently find room for the overutilized guys listed above, it’s hard to understand why guys who can wrestle and talk, who have charisma, or who are younger, or all of those things, can’t get tv time.

Let’s deal with the women first.  Since the division is definitely on the upswing.  More women are ‘over’ and involved in prominent feuds than ever before.  Priority #1 should be ladies who can talk to build feuds and are good enough to carry some of the limited younger women to decent tv matches.

So why on earth is Athena locked away in Ring of Honor?  A single Collision promo last year blew most every other female out of the water.

Rosa generally gets a reaction superior to her push.  After struggling on her return, she had one of the best women’s matches this year with Toni Storm.  Deonna Purrazzo, as a heel, talks and carries herself like a star.  Even if her matches have been a little dull.

With Willow, the concern is they’ll forget her again for months now that they have other top feuds to push.

As for the men, tempting as it is to go full sarcastic prick and choose ‘half the roster,’ if we’re talking difference-making talent, there are only three choices.

Jay White was going to WWE till a hiring freeze killed it.  So Stamford were seemingly high on the Kiwi.  As were New Japan.  As was CM Punk.  As are many fans and journalists.

But Tony Khan just doesn’t seem to be.  Switchblade came in as a mid-carder and might consider himself lucky to be called that these days.  He’s thrown out there for the odd ‘big’ match based on his prior name value built in another promotion.  But otherwise is an afterthought.

Despite charisma and talking skills the match of anybody on the roster.

Losing a big backer in Punk, not long before he was supposedly less than pleased about his use vs MJF, probably hasn’t helped.  But then his booking beforehand wasn’t all that much better.  So it’s hard to tell.

Bringing us nicely to Konosuke Takeshita.

Who admitted his use in AEW has left him all-but depressed.   And no, he’s not a talker.  But what he is, is potentially the best wrestler in the world.  He has that rare quick-twitch athleticism your Ospreays and prime Omegas have/had.

Combined with size and a healthy dose of presence and charisma.  The only thing missing is the mic work.  A manager can’t stand in for size, charisma or ability.  But talking?

Most inexplicable of all, AEW used up valuable wins over Omega and Jericho only to leave him to rot.

Then there’s the Rainmaker.

Who pound-for-pound hasn’t been used as badly as the above pair.  But the could-be best of all time is now an air-DJ who backdrops the Bucks.

The only comparison which springs to mind is Harley Race in the WWF.  And ‘The King’ was a good deal older than Okada.  And joined a hot promotion who didn’t need him to draw crowds and money.  If we are ever getting that Okada/Omega rematch, this version of the Rainmaker does not make that feel special.

Think one of the best of all time shouldn’t be a mid-card comedy act?  Or that a generational wrestler with size and presence can’t be ignored?  Or that a slick-talking all-rounder is probably more worthy of tv time and TNT titles than Roderick Strong or Disco Daniel?

All are good cases.  Personally, go with the latter.

Winner: Jay White & Athena

Best Promo

Nominees: Jon Moxley as new IWGP champ (4/17 Dynamite), Kenny Omega’s return to Winnipeg (1/5 Dynamite), Willow Nightingale contract signing (5/15 Dynamite), Will Ospreay vs Swerve Strickland (6/12 Dynamite)

The best Kenny Omega AEW’s ever seen.  For one night only.  Suited, booted, a lil’ swagger and the best talking he’s done since becoming All Elite.  A star.  A serious wrestler instead of a shorts-clad dude.  And a real human being fans could connect with as he talked about illness, feeling scared and finally, his pure love for and commitment to returning to wrestling.

All of which built effectively to an Omega/Okada angle.

Hopefully the guy can get his health sorted.  Then, and only then, should he even think about returning to the ring.

Winner: Kenny Omega’s return to Winnipeg

Best Angle

Nominees: Bucks beatdown Sting, Elite beatdown Kenny Omega, Mercedes/Willow contract signing

The sight of the Bucks’ white suits covered in Sting and Darby’s blood was a killer way to go off the air.  They ruined the vet’s big moment, spoiled a title win and, in a nice touch, went on to rock said suits for several more matches.

In front of one of the bigger crowds in a while, it got tons of heat in a promotion struggling for heel reactions.  And built to a big pay-per-view main event.

Along with their Elite buddies, the Bucks then spoiled another big moment.  We got into Omega’s promo above.  It perfectly set the stage for his beatdown, the Elite taking a break from gags to be vicious heels even willing to take out their former best friend, mimicking the Austin/Bret sequence in Canada where Stone Cold relentlessly attacked the Hitman as he was being loaded into an ambulance.

All after Kazuchika Okada coldly told his former rival that ‘I’m the best bout machine now.’  Setting the stage nicely for a future fight.

Then there’s easily the best women’s angle of the half-year.  Like the Bucks/Sting, it propped up a feud badly in need of some oomph.  A floundering Mone finding her form as an arrogant already the face of TBS, you’re nothing without me contender.  Willow pointing out that last they met, she walked out a champ; Mone not at all.  Before blasting her through a table.  Setting the stage for one of the best women’s matches all year.

Possibly because the anticipation lingers, going with the beatdown in Winnipeg.

Winner: The Elite beatdown Kenny Omega

Worst Angle

Nominees: Eric, JeriHook, Toni Storm/Serena Deeb, Copeland’s bloodbath, Satnam Singh & Jeff Jarrett vs Team AEW, The Learning Tree, The Elite ‘takeover’, UK’s many attempts to recruit Kyle O’Reilly, The House of Black and Mark Briscoe trying to murder each other

The Undisputed Kingdom faction spilled over into 2024.  But the awful storyline which brought it together did not.  So it’s out.  And would have been the only real competition for the winner here.

As noted above, the Jericho stuff’s been bad.  It’s had a lot of tv time.  But has been kept away from the main event scene.  Ditto the awful mess that was Storm/Deeb.  And Strong/O’Reilly.  It not being a big deal that the House and Briscoe tried to kill each other was stupid.  But took place on Collision.

In short, most of these angles were the sort of thing that can be ignored if the big picture is good.

But the Elite’s takeover of AEW was not.  It dominated the show.  And… was (and is) a mess.

Beginning with a hotshot angle which saw the owner basically recovered by the next week, we then descended into incoherent nonsense which saw no fewer than six people be shown as ‘authority figures’ (Khan, Bucks, Kenny, Daniels, Cutler).

Continuing into an invasion without invaders.  And which begat another of the nominees above.  When the Elite set Jarrett and co. onto ‘Team AEW.’  Providing easily the worst Dynamite main event this year.  Among other things.

It’s sole defensible moment came in Winnipeg.  But thereafter, rather than building up a clash of the titans upon Kenny’s return, Kazuchika Okada was presented as a goofy mid-carder.  It’s unlikely fans who don’t watch New Japan will understand why he and a match with Omega are special.

All while doing the one thing AEW must never, ever do: come across as a less-than version of WWE.

Winner: The Elite ‘takeover’

Best Feud

Nominees: Hangman Page vs Swerve Strickland, Sting & Darby Allin vs Young Bucks, Will Ospreay vs Swerve Strickland

Sting and Darby vs the Bucks had its moments.  But the company could have done a better job before and during to make Steve Borden’s finale all it could be.  Swerve and Ospreay had high points too.  Short as it was.

Which is the problem with many AEW feuds.  They feel like a Challenger of the Month club: Wrestler A calls dibs on Wrestler B or a title for four weeks and no-one else is allowed to want them.  Until Wrestler A loses and moves on to wrestling Lee Moriarty for sixteen minutes.

Dating all the way back to Cody’s hit it and quit it feud with MJF.

Whereas, Page/Swerve spills back as far as last year but was given a remix as 3 became 4 and the Cowboy switched bad guy.  With elements of Hart/Austin in that Swerve was a heel fans cheered anyway.  And Page didn’t really change, the context did.

And those weren’t the only elements of my favorite feud of all time (in case you missed the many references throughout 😉).  Hangman maniacally, relentlessly stalking Strickland at every turn, much like Austin did Bret.  Desperate to stop him becoming world champion.

And Page is excellent at serious, believable promos which convey emotion.  So his descent into a twisted, maniacal wreck so obsessed with preventing Strickland becoming champ as to be willing to forfeit his own chances was totally believable, making for one of only two interesting world title matches all year.

It all felt (and feels) like a truly personal, heated grudge.

And the simple and best way to score a feud is – do fans want to see the match?  Breaking the rules slightly, judging by the response at Blood & Guts, they absolutely do.  And it was perfectly booked there, giving a taste but not enough to sate appetites.  Perhaps we’ll be fed at All Out?

Winner: Hangman Page vs Swerve Strickland

For any nostalgia fans: Aug ’98 – May ’99, real taste of the stars of the era: Goldberg, Austin, Flair, Rock, Nash, Foley, Hogan and… Al Snow!?

As ever, thanks for reading, feel free to drop your own perspectives in the comments.