Tonight’s Friday Night Smackdown comes live from the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama where over 10,000 fans have already purchased their tickets to attend the show.
It has been a while but for the first time in several months, there are no matches announced yet for the broadcast. The men’s Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes will be in the house tonight to take the next step in choosing the title he’s going after at WrestleMania and the current Undisputed WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns will also be appearing.
United States champion Logan Paul returns after he defeated Kevin Owens via DQ last weekend while the women’s Royal Rumble winner Bayley will select her opponent for WrestleMania.
In the final Royal Rumble vlog with CM Punk, the former WWE and AEW champion described the WWE locker room as “remarkable” and is sad that he has to temporarily be out of this amazing situation.
“I truly do believe it sucks, it really f*cking sucks. But is it the end of the world? No,” Punk said talking about his triceps tear. “I’ll deal with it, come back bigger, better, maybe not faster, but strong.”
Asked about the WWE locker room and the support he got, Punk had nothing but good things to say about the men and women in the back.
“I’m very careful about saying where you work is your family because it ain’t your family. Where you work is your job,” Punk said. “But it’s been a great support system. You know, I just…the certain looks from certain people I get and I start crying again.”
Punk singled out Cody Rhodes, saying he’s just a great dude. In the backstage video, Punk hugs Cody before he goes out and tells him to go finish his story.
“This locker room is everything it’s supposed to be. It’s everything this business was sold to me as being and it’s remarkable,” Punk continued. “And that’s why I’m so sad. I’m not sad I hurt my arm, I’m sad I’m temporarily out of this amazing situation.”
MMA fights are very popular among bettors across the globe. Very interestingly, you don’t need to be an MMA fan to be an MMA betting enthusiast, particularly because betting on mixed martial arts events has proven to be lucrative and at the same time challenging pastime for many casual sports gamblers.
It is quite common for casino customers – that holds true for all customers, including land-based casino customers and users of the best Payz casinos – to bet on MMA fights, without even having much experience or knowledge over the specifics of the sport, the dynamics of the bouts or the statistics of fighters. That’s probably because MMA fights are very appealing as spectacle events and as betting markets.
Betting on MMA may be exciting, fascinating and thrilling, but can be very risky at the same time. So, punters need to be extra careful and extra cautious, especially when they are not so experienced or when they are not following any systematic strategy that will place some boundaries and limits as to how, when and what they bet on.
Let’s see how bettors can protect themselves, by tracing and avoiding common betting mistakes in MMA.
Don’t just bet on the favorite, do your reading before you place any wager
Favorite betting has emerged as one relatively effective conservative strategy in sports betting and it appears to be quite successful in yielding long-term profits, especially in sports where there are seldom upsets and turnarounds.
That is, favorite betting makes sense in sports where the win rate of favorites is considerably high, justifying in this way the relative “security” that low odds give in terms of risk and of course the ‘conservative’ potential for profits at the same time. But MMA is not such a sport, where the favorite has a really high win rate.
Favorites indeed get to win a lot, but upsets are very common and very frequent in fight nights. So, systematically betting on the favorite doesn’t seem to make much sense. Instead of backing the favorite in any bout, you should do some reading before placing a bet, especially on the underdog’s dynamics, stats, current form and above all, motivation. These may make all the difference in the world and signal a possible upset, which if you manage to predict in advance may bring you ahead of the house, even if this is the top best online casino in the world.
Don’t go after big parlays
Parlays are a good way to optimize profits and stack up many chances of winning in sports betting, but they are more suitable for other sports and not so much for MMA fights. Parlay betting requires too many different variables to be considered effectively and strategically and it is quite difficult to do so in a bout where everything is so fluid and there are continuous changes from minute to minute.
Don’t get carried away by statistics, trends, and patterns in MMA fight outcomes
Fighters’ should be consulted before placing bets in any MMA fight, and of course, it is always interesting -and sometimes useful- to explore possible patterns and trends in athletes’ performances on certain bouts’ results. But MMA is one of those sports, where such things don’t really have a big predictive value. It’s more about what is going on at the moment of the fight, the hype within the arena and the motivation of fighters and less what has happened up to the event.
Having in mind these three common mistakes that many casual bettors make in MMA wagering may keep you on the safe side of betting. If you manage to recognize these mistakes and avoid them, then you can reduce the risks associated with them and you can be more secure about your betting choices.
The @WrestleVotes X account reported today that WrestleMania 40 will have an earlier start time this year for both nights.
WWE premium live events start at 8PM ET usually with a one hour Kickoff show prior. This time, WrestleMania 40 will start at 7PM ET and typically, the WrestleMania Kickoff shows are two hours long, which would put a start time of 5PM ET.
Despite being spread over two nights, each WrestleMania show still tops four hours, sending the PLE into Midnight territory.
On Saturday there will also be NXT Stand & Deliver which, with an earlier Mania start time, will make things pretty hectic on that day for WWE fans attending both events.
Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez is now streaming on Hulu with all eight episodes available for binge watching.
The reality show takes a look at the personal lives of the husband-and-wife team of Bianca Belair and Montez Ford as they juggle personal time and being on the road for WWE.
The show looks back at Bianca Belair and Montez Ford’s wild Road to WrestleMania, as Montez continued his ascent and Bianca fought to stay on top. With the support of their tight-knit group of friends, family and fellow WWE Superstars, the dynamic duo somehow always manage to pull off the impossible.
Dynamite this week drew 818,000 viewers, down 19,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.26 rating in the 18-49 demo, down 0.01 from the last show and ranked #4 in the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
2K has wiped Brock Lesnar from its SuperCard game and will likely not feature on future games by the video game publisher.
Originally reported by PWInsider.com, Lesnar’s removal was not a surprise after the former multi-time WWE champion was implicated in the Janel Grant lawsuit.
While never mentioned directly by his name, the lawsuit alleged that Grant was offered to Brock Lesnar, referred to as former UFC champion and WWE Superstar, for sex while McMahon was in negotiations with him for a contract renewal.
“As in other instances, McMahon described his fantasy of seeing Ms. Grant engaged in unmerciful sexual acts with WWE Superstar during which he would ‘rip’ her open,” the lawsuit continues, adding that McMahon told Grant that he wanted to have this WWE Superstar under a new contract even though he indicated an interest in a “return to other professional endeavors.”
In July 2021, McMahon allegedly directed Grant to create personalized sexual content for this particular WWE Superstar and after sharing this content, McMahon told Grant that “he likes what he sees.”
The Beast Incarnate was also removed from any upcoming WWE creative and his Royal Rumble appearance was scrapped after the lawsuit came out.
AEW commentator Jim Ross revealed in a post on social media that he underwent cancer surgery on his right hip yesterday morning.
“All went well. Thanks for all your love & support,” Ross wrote.
The WWE Hall of Famer had some battles with cancer over the past few years after he was diagnosed with skin cancer in October 2021.
Ross, whose contract with AEW expires on February 14, is looking to get his deal extended so he could call Sting’s retirement match at Revolution next month.
News for Vince McMahon have gone from bad to worse as the Wall Street Journal has revealed that the former WWE chief has been under a federal investigation for sex trafficking allegations.
The story says that federal agents executed a search warrant for Vince’s phone and subpoenaed him for various documents regarding allegations of rape, sex trafficking, sexual assault, commercial sex transaction, harassment or discrimination against current and and former WWE employees.
Federal prosecutors in New York have talked with different women over the past few months, all of whom accused McMahon of some type of sexual misconduct. The WSJ story says that women named in the grand jury subpoena include a “WWE contractor whom McMahon allegedly sent unsolicited nude photos and sexually harassed; a former WWE wrestler who said McMahon coerced her into giving him oral sex; former WWE referee Rita Chatterton, who publicly accused McMahon of raping her; a spa manager who said McMahon assaulted her at a Southern California resort; and a former WWE employee who alleged the head of talent relations at the company at the time, John Laurinaitis, demoted her after she broke off an affair with him.”
McMahon has denied all allegations against him but resigned from Executive Chairman of TKO Group Holdings last week.
For the first time since the Janel Grant lawsuit hit the news, an attorney representing John Laurinaitis has spoken to the media, denying the accusations and actually saying that his client is a victim as well.
Speaking to VICE News, attorney Edward Brennan said, “Mr. Laurinaitis denies the allegations in the misguided complaint and will be vigorously defending these charges in Court, not the media. Like the Plaintiff, Mr. Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out.”
Asked to clarify what he means when he labeled Laurinaitis a victim, Brennan added, “Read the allegations. Read the Federal Statute. Power, control, employment supervisory capacity, dictatorial sexual demands with repercussions if not met. Count how many times in the complaint Vince exerts control over both of them.”
Wardlow suffered a knee injury last night on Dynamite after delivering a powerbomb to Komander, a regular move that he’s done thousands of times before.
The former TNT champion wrote on X after the show was over that a normal man’s knee would have been ruined.
“I’m no normal man. I’m still coming for the heavyweight title. And there’s nothing and no one that can stop me,” Wardlow wrote, adding, “Knee is just fine.”
But it might not be all good news for Wardlow as there is belief that he might have suffered a torn meniscus. He is awaiting further tests to be done this week to confirm the extent of the injury.
The past few months have been abuzz with speculation over where WWE’s Raw would call home next after the show’s long USA Network deal expired. The conversation was finally put to rest when WWE’s parent company TKO Group and Netflix announced a multi-billion deal that could last ten years. Here is a look at what this news means to pro wrestling and how some in the industry have responded.
A Multi-Billion-Dollar Deal
Netflix and TKO Group signed a multi-billion-dollar deal early this year that gives the streaming platform exclusive rights to Raw for the next 10 years. The deal will see Netflix add the weekly wrestling show to its growing catalog of live content and is expected to become active in January 2025. With the option to opt-out after five years or add another 10 years, it is also expected to cost Netflix over $5 billion.
The lucrative deal is coming at a time when entertainment industries are branching out into new and unexplored markets. While announcing it, Netflix intimated that its subscriber base had grown by 13.1 million. Similar moves have been witnessed in the igaming industry where stakeholders are looking to branch out to Asia, Africa, Latin America, and other untapped markets. Currently, bettors and players can access a wide range of Asian sites all reviewed on thebettingsites.com/th even as the industry plans to expand their operations in these areas.
The Wrestling World Reacts
The deal does, however, affect the pro wrestling world too – not just Netflix. After the announcement, several notable figures moved online to comment. Former WCW executive Eric Bischoff called the news “a monster deal” during an interview on Strictly Business. He also had a conversation with host Jon Alba about how there have been many conversations and speculations about Raw’s next home.
According to Bischoff, he and Alba initially thought the TKO Group would go with Amazon as it is a major streaming platform in its own right and provides ancillary benefits. However, the former exec agreed that Netflix was a major player in the streaming industry too, admitting that he did not see the deal coming. He said, “It makes a ton of sense for a lot of reasons, and I’m there for it, man. What a great day.”
Triple H, the man understood to be behind the deal, felt the same way, tweeting he was “Thrilled to bring WWE Raw to Netflix, coming January 2025” and that the deal would “break new ground, and take @WWE to new heights.” Cody Rhodes called the deal “Outstanding.”
Wrapping Up: What This Could Mean for Pro Wrestling
The TKO Group-Netflix deal will see the streaming giant gain the right to stream Raw and other WWE shows and specials outside the country. This will open up the franchise to the over 260 million subscribers Netflix boasts. And while the full impact of the deal remains to be seen, the responses from the pro wrestling world all seem to be positive and hopeful.
Shawn Michaels had to face the wrestling media today ahead of NXT’s Vengeance Day premium live event where several of the questions were regarding the Vince McMahon allegations and the recent lawsuit.
Michaels admitted that it is an incredibly sad situation and it sucks but they take it very seriously and everyone in NXT is aware of the situation and understands it.
He noted that it’s important that everyone coming through those WWE Performance Center doors tell them the truth and can ask for help.
“I take all of the youth that come through here incredibly seriously because this is a tough line of work, regardless of what’s going on,” Michaels said. “Leaving home and coming here and pursuing your dreams is a big thing that we take incredibly seriously and we understand that young men and women that come through our doors are impressionable.”
Michaels added that coming off the Rumble weekend and going into this weekend with Vengeance Day, the talent are excited about the future and while it’s a tough situation with what happened, from a talent standpoint, everyone is ready to go forward.
Asked if there are any policies in place to prevent sexual harassment and anything like that, Michaels said that those policies have been updated in 2022 and they will be looking to improving them.
“We have numerous people on our medical team for outreach to go to outside of the Performance Center. We do understand that I can look at a talent and my head writer and my coaches, as they do, we can tell them to tell us the truth or express to us what’s going on,” HBK continued. “But as you know, they may not feel comfortable doing that, so we also provide help outside of here as well and have people that we can work with to get them in a complete objective environment that isn’t associated with the WWE or NXT in that respect.”
Michaels was also asked about the past allegations by Brutus Beefcake where he said that Shawn and Marty Jannetty used to drug women and take advantage of them afterward. Michaels completely denied the accusations and said that never happened and anything that he did in the past was always consensual.
Before signing off the 44-minute media call, Michaels said that this was the toughest one he’s ever done but understood that the media had a job to do and had to ask the questions. Michaels added that he was not trained for this and hoped his answers were sufficient.
This week’s episode of NXT drew 648,000 viewers, up 6,000 viewers from the prior week. The show did a 0.18 rating in 18-49, down 0.01 from the previous week and placed #9 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria discussed the removal of Vince McMahon as Chairman of TKO Group during the Next on Netflix press event at its Tudum Theater in Hollywood.
“He’s gone. So he’s not there. He’s gone,” Bajaria said of McMahon when she was asked about the recent allegations against him.
Mentioning the 10-year, $5 billion deal Netflix signed with WWE, Brandon Riegg, Vice President, Unscripted and Documentary Series at Netflix, said that this will provide Netflix with 52 weeks of live programming and hopefully a way to expand both the Netflix and WWE audience.
“The truth is we don’t know how much bigger it can get. I think we’re all really bullish on it, but we know that has an incredibly consistent audience for the last several decades,” Riegg continued. “And so that’s really first and foremost where we’re starting at and then we’ll see where we go from there.”
Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcast is reporting that AEW will present a double header on Wednesday, March 20 with back-to-back live Dynamite and Rampage on TBS and TNT.
Rampage has been bumped from its usual Friday night time slot because of the NCAA March Madness programming on TNT and instead of airing at an earlier slot, it was decided to have a three-hour block on Wednesday night.
The March 20 episodes will be taking place in Toronto, Canada inside the Coca-Cola Coliseum. Tickets are available now at Ticketmaster.ca starting from CA $87.50.
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Tony Khan will be making a big announcement next Wednesday on Dynamite, an announcement which many believe is related to the arrival of Mercedes Mone.
The company still has the March 13 date not booked for Dynamite and it’s rumored that this will be the announcement of the show from the TD Garden in Boston. Boston is obviously the hometown of the former Raw, Smackdown, and IWGP Women’s champion, who has signed with AEW and is ready to make her debut for the promotion.
The announcement was referred to multiple times on the broadcast last night and her arrival will be kind of a big deal for the company.
AEW is also on the verge of landing Kazuchika Okada, representing a big win for Tony Khan and AEW in landing two of the current hottest free agents in professional wrestling.
Wow this arena’s dark. Wild Thing kicking us off. Some of the CMLL dudes were in the crowd. Hechicero’s facing Danielson Saturday and they tried to make it seem a big deal.
Jeff Hardy vs Jon Moxley
Backstory: NONE
Chants of ‘Moxley’ as he took Jeff to the corner, firing rights until elevated over and out. Hardy launched himself off the apron at the former champ then choked him with his shirt.
‘Relaxed’ rules apparently. Already.
Moxley knocked Jeff off the apron with a boot then launched a tope which Hardy just crumbled underneath, unable to cushion Mox at all. As Schiavone lived up to his gimmick by saying Mox wasn’t known for his topes. Moxley crotched and lariated Hardy off the barricade then flung him back in.
And began working the arm, stomping the fingers, release suplex, two count. Into a heel hook combined with a head scissors, then aiming Danielson-like kicks to the chest. Jeff countered a piledriver via back body.
(Tony Khan has a ‘big announcement’ next Weds – that’ll feel flat if it isn’t Mercedes or Okada. Though personally I prefer wrestlers debuting as surprises. If it’s simply to explain the rankings… yeesh.)
But was whipped hard to the buckle and just crumpled to the floor when it looked like Mox was trying to follow via lariat. Forcing Moxley to slow things down and work him over in the ropes. Hardy tried to fight back on the outside but was quickly flung into the barricade, But reversed a second as Mox landed in the front row and had words with Hechicero (was that supposed to happen the first time and Jeff forgot?).
Hardy flung a chair at Mox (bad wrestling companies have lax rules because they can’t be bothered to keep their stories straight) then tried to fly at him off the steps but took an anti-air.
Ads. This does not need to go through an ad break.
Back to Moxley sticking a pen in Jeff’s ear. No lie. Hardy again tried to fight back, ducked a Mox lariat, Manhattan drop, yambags legdrop, elbow drop, two. An angry Mox up into H&A elbows, piledriver, Jeff out at two. Before blocking another on the apron, hitting a twist of fate, twisting senton which was dangerously close to Mox’s head, pendulum dropkick in the corner, back to the top but caught up there.
Back rake, superplex, both up slowly, throwing rights, Mox countered a Twist of Fate into a cutter, Jeff blocked a Death Rider via Russian legsweep and got two. Jeff hit a stunner then another Twist of Fate before going upstairs. But missed a Swanton and was quickly choked out.
Not every opener should go fifteen.
Mox offered a handshake and Jeff gave him an ‘FU’ gesture then left. Mox jawed with Hechicero and the Mexicans jumped the barricade. Four on one yet Mox threw the first punch. The BCC ‘aren’t here’.
What on earth is this company doing? They don’t have enough tv time for half their roster yet are using it on more identity-less Luchadors only here for the week who only the hardest of hardcore fans have any knowledge of. Some lower card wrestlers eventually ran them off.
Winner: Jon Moxley
Hangman Page vs Toa Liona (Dealer’s Choice)
Backstory: Swerve chose Page’s opponent
Back to Hangman’s music which got a nice pop though it seemed he took some boos as he hit the ramp. They replayed his promo from Collision teasing Rob Van Dam as Swerve’s opponent. Excalibur talked about a special guest and ‘an odor’ backstage (weed).
Dasha’s on ring announcing btw.
Page ducked a right and fired away until being shoved clear. Rinse and repeat. Page avoided a corner charge but was again shoved away. Liona this time hit the lariat. Page tried a sunset flip, avoided being crushed, basement lariat, Liona right back up to knock Page down.
The rankings are now back ‘very soon’.
Page fired chops, was caught by Liona but countered through into a cradle for two then bridged Liona over and out. Page nailed his springboard lariat and a second, Liona wobbled but didn’t drop and flung Page outside by the hair. Then hurled himself off the apron via cross body.
The announcers made a bunch of in-jokes. And it wasn’t during ads. As Liona continued working over Page. The former champ tried to fight back but was pounced outside, just about dragging himself over.
Ads.
Liona threw very weak headbutts with Page hanging in the tree of woe then launched a diving one to knock Page down. But missed an apron senton and crashed to the ringside, Page vaulting over, Liona just ignored it and sent him back in. Page came back via tope, to the top, high diving cross body back inside. For two.
Page rolling forearm, a second, deadeye coming – Liona too heavy, flattening out and crushing Page. Thrust kick, two for Liona.
Page avoided a corner charge, hit a big running elbow strike, big lariat, Liona not budging. Page slid under a cross body and belted him with a big lariat, finally taking him down. Trying deadeye once more, hitting, Liona popped up and hit a headbutt (they have got to stop having lower card guys ignore and kick out of finishes and big moves. It’s yet another booking crutch).
Liona hit a rolling elbow; Page out at two. Liona this time hit the apron senton, Page crumbling to the floor, crowd very quiet when Hangman’s not on offense though they’re generally hot and certainly behind the Cowboy.
Page avoided a moonsault off the apron, Liona crashing to the mats, looked like it sucked. Page quickly up top for an ourihara, Buckshot ducked back inside, Page cradled his way to a win out of a Samoan Drop.
Liona flew at Page who ole’d him outside. Liona grabbed a chair and threw it in, Page used it to ward him off then took a seat mid-ring as the pair glared.
Happy to be wrong on this. If Liona’s a big part of the show during February and becomes a feature. Fine. Otherwise, what on earth is with this relentless protection of 9/10 of the roster?
Pretty good match, built to a nice finish, which was never in doubt and felt flat because Page should be mowing through guys with the Buckshot every single week.
We’re also about forty minutes in now and it’s kinda ‘Well if you like wrestling, here’s two hours of it’. There are no hooks, no promos, no feuds, nothing to feel especially excited about.
Winner: Hangman Page
The rankings are coming back at the end of tonight’s show. So that announcement is something else…
*****
They cut to the Bucks arriving in a hummer limo. They’ve changed the Vince-style moustaches to goatees. Good on them.
A stagehand appeared with the format but called them ‘Nick and Matt’. Nick explained what was on their birth certificates, including middle names this time, and said ‘don’t let it happen again’ before doling out a ‘$500 fine!’ in a way too comical to be taken seriously. Was entertaining though.
A calmer Matt took the stagehand aside to apologize for his brother being a ‘hothead’ but casually insisted the fine had to be paid ‘end of day’. Offering a fistbump with a shit-eating grin on his face – ‘let’s have a great show!’.
Entertainingly douchey.
Wardlow vs Komander
Backstory: NONE
Poor Komander. On the flipside, they are at least trying to make Wardlow seem a legit title contender by having him appear and win on tv every week.
Dasha got mixed-up a couple times introducing the UK and Wardlow. The whole crew came out. Cole joined on comms, reveling in how Wardlow was going to crush Komander. A weak ‘Wardlow’ chant played. Which’ll happen when the audience don’t know the guy he’s facing. Even if he is a heel.
Komander kept trying to take him down but was ignored and/or flung around with ease. Komander hit a couple low dropkicks, briefly staggering the big man until being caught into a nice pop-up jackhammer. It seems we are totally ignoring the whole ‘Devil’ angle now since the announcers aren’t bringing it up at all.
The beating continued, Wardlow choked Komander in the ropes with his boot, mockingly counting along with the ref on his fingers. Crowd very quiet here until a monstrous F10. Komander scrambled outside as Wardlow posed and watched himself on the big screen.
Then sought a powerbomb outside. Komander rana’d his way free – Wardlow sent to the steps and taking a weak dropkick from the apron. Until leaping up to join the Mexican on the apron. Komander kicked the rope into his crotch then headed upstairs. Rope-walk dropkick, Wardlow down, phoenix splash which looked like it nailed Wardlow in the head/throat. Looked really nasty.
The big man was still able to catch him out of another rope-walk into a powerslam. About to finish Komander off, the UK told him to do more damage and he hit his draping knee strike then a sloppy Powerbomb.
‘Thanks Adam, my best to your girlfriend,’ said Schiavone as Cole left.
They threw Komander in and Strong did his stupid name yelling and was preparing to beat him down when Orange Cassidy, Rocky Romero and Trent interrupted. Wardlow left to protect Cole at ringside. Leaving the UK jobbers to bail in the face of a fair fight.
Winner: Wardlow
After nearly fifty minutes of elongated squashes, we went to a sit-down between the tag champs and #1 contenders. ‘No physicality’, yada yada.
Starks started. Putting over Sting’s AEW journey. Emphasizing it started with him as they showed clips of that match. Sting quickly interjected that he beat Starks in that match. Darby took over to say it was ‘a load of shit (bleeped)’ that Ricky respected Sting.
Then took the level up about nine notches too many considering this isn’t even really a feud.
He doesn’t think Starks respects anybody. Then yelled that Sting ‘isnt a stepping stone’ and nor is his career. We abruptly cut to Starks yelling back (this is very poorly edited, like that Omega sit-down last year) ‘You’re the one that attached yourself to Sting!’ and vowed that next week two things would happen.
They’d retain their belts and he’d get back the ‘vendetta’ he had against Sting. He’ll make sure Sting doesn’t make it to his last match. As for Darby ‘there’s no space in my body for respect for you’.
Bill mocked them for always bragging and talking each other up. Making the salient point that they were overlooking the champs heading into Sting’s last match. Then saying that Sting and Darby ‘represent everyone else here and we’re going to take our frustrations out on you two’ (which is probably a shoot, the champs have been an afterthought).
Sting said he admired something about Starks in the early days but respect has to be earned. As for Bill, he’s faced many big men before. And they were ‘killers’. He’s not sure Bill is.
Another abrupt cut to Darby saying he respects Starks but he blames others too often when he should be blaming himself. Starks threw a drink and begged Darby to hit him. Sting calmed things down and said he’s always hated talk. ‘He (Darby) will hit you… in Phoenix. Oh, and I will too’.
Should’ve mentioned this earlier but it didn’t help that this took place in what looked like a high school gym with a scoreboard visible in the background. Was there nowhere else?
This was awful. AEW are so poor at these. They edit them down to choppy, cliché packed (yelling, ‘respect’), rushed clips which don’t have time to breathe and allow the tension to develop. Surely one of the three matches so far could’ve donated another few minutes for this to feel smoother?
And what about Sting? What does this last shot mean to him as he enters his last month ever in the ring? When was the last time he held tag gold? What would it mean to do so with his protégé?
To boil it down – What’s the reason for the match? Why should we be invested in watching? Neither question was answered.
Kyle Fletcher vs Chris Jericho
Backstory: Jericho’s sort-of been feuding on and off with the Callis Family, if there’s anything more, they didn’t explain it or remind us
Obviously whatever Jericho did or didn’t do isn’t on the level of Vince McMahon. But given that backdrop it still feels uncomfortable watching someone who may have used his power to make a young woman’s life more difficult. Though it did not seem the crowd here agreed as they sang his entrance.
Fletcher has new music or at least music I haven’t heard before. Wardlow and Callis were out too.
Right to a fight, they brawled to the corner, Jericho got a boot up but ran out into a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Fletcher shots from the mount, Jericho elevated him outside, springboard dropkick, not a hint of a boo for the Ocho.
As he followed Fletcher outside but decided to chase Callis instead. Allowing Fletcher to strike from behind. Back in, the Aussie fired rights in the corner. Seems he’s bulked up a little. He fired a running elbow strike, snapmare, kick to the spine, two.
But was caught up top, Jericho seeking a rana and nailing it after ten punches. Hobbs hit the apron and Callis tripped Jericho; Fletcher took back over.
Ads.
A half and half left Jericho in the corner for a running kick to the face, brainbuster, two. Excalibur sounded constipated as Jericho kicked out. Schiavone put over Fletcher’s performance and it’s hard to disagree. He’s been the best thing on the show so far.
Jericho slipped behind out of a scoop slam, pair of shoulder blocks, axe handle from the top, sloppy bulldog, Hobbs nailed Jericho mid-lionsault (looked very staged as Jericho waited to be struck) as Callis again took Aubrey.
Fletcher said it was over and sought a piledriver but was swept into the Walls, dead center. Fletcher crawled for the ropes and nailed a thrust kick as he returned to his feet for two. A ‘wear your socks’ chant started at Callis’ expense as Jericho hit a codebreaker. Fletcher out at two after a delayed pin.
Fighting from their knees to their feet, Fletcher sent Jericho to the apron but took a right. Though recovered to nail a kick to the head leaving Jericho open for an avalanche brainbuster which went badly wrong as Fletcher lost his footing. Crowd even quieter now.
Fletcher nailed a leg lariat against the ropes, tried a sunset flip, Jericho hooked the legs to counter for two, Fletcher nailed a superkick, Jericho hit back with a boot, tried a Judas Effect, Fletcher ducked, it looked like Callis was supposed to grab the boot but missed, Fletcher hit a roundhouse which left Jericho outside.
But he caught Fletcher via Judas Effect mid-tope, flung Hobbs to the steps then headed upstairs, diving back elbow which they called a Judas Effect. For the win.
Slip aside, Fletcher was great here. It’s time he and Takeshita become permanent fixtures and guys on the rise on Wednesdays.
Takeshita hit the ramp to eye Jericho before they wrestle next week. We then raced away.
Winner: Chris Jericho
To a Deonna/Toni Storm package. Purazzo explained each of her tattoos as representing a different part of her career. She and Toni got the same tattoo of a duck ‘on a whim’ in the UK (they showed photos of the pair from a few years back). But now it symbolizes the journeys of two girls as they travelled the globe to become some of the best in the world.
To her, it symbolizes the journey from who she was to who she is. But she wonders what the tattoo means to Toni.
AEW are much better at this type of package. They should stick to these and avoid the sitdowns which are never better than average. This women’s build is the best in ages.
*****
‘By order of the Bang Bang Gang! Gunns Up!’
This damn entrance. Love it. Very cool they way they film the trio too. And it’s working: big pop for BCG. The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn came out to join them, sharing the entrance.
Bowens said the ‘Bang Bang Scissor Gang has arrived!’ and scissored with Billy. White said he enjoyed scissoring but they have a thing too – ‘Gunns Up for my New Orleans Gold members’.
Caster said they were the six men who’d dominated the trios scene for years. But that someone was missing. He yelled at Bowens to get CardBlade a la ‘D-Von get the tables’. Colten said they fired him weeks ago and Bowens tossed it outside. People booed that. Colten yelled at Austin to ‘Get the Juiceboard’ instead and the crowd cheered and chanted ‘Whoop whoop, Juiceboard’.
Austin started to say ‘If you’re not down…’ but was cut off by his dad. Austinsaid it was ‘my thing’. Billy countered that it was his thing ‘when you were still… well, let’s not go there’.
Then asked the crowd if he should show Austin how to do it. There were definitely some ‘no(s)’. Billy did the ‘two words’ thing, the crowd yelled ‘suck it’ but Billy said this was a new era and said ‘Gunns Up’ instead. They all raised their ‘guns’ and prepared to scissor/bang. And did.
As much as I hate this defining down Jay White, it was pretty fun. Though unless it’s building to a very quick turn, it’s hard to figure out what it all was for.
Deonna Purazzo vs Taya Valkyrie
Backstory: Taya challenged Deonna last week
Toni Storm came out to join on comms. The announcers were already cracking up as she pranced down the ramp. May and Luther in tow.
Still don’t understand Deonna looking arrogant and beckoning the camera to go away during her entrance when she’s otherwise very likeable. Storm was shocked by what had happened to Schiavone since she last saw ‘him’. ‘You look like a half-sucked mango’.
Taya had a skirt straight out of Marie Antoinette’s wardrobe so struggled to hop to the apron.
Lockup, break, back to it, Taya using the hair to push Deonna back to the corner and aiming a slap as the fans chanted for Deonna. Who took Taya down via armdrag out of the corner, several armwringers torquing away in early preparation for Venus de Milo. Storm said she was going to tell Taya ‘Chin up and tits out but it I guess she already got the memo’.
Deonna took Taya down by the arm, Taya got the ropes then swept the legs, working the knee, the pair wrestling on the mat. ‘We all know Excalibur is Sean Mooney anyway,’ said Storm and Tony lost it. Then told Taz it was pronounced ‘su-plais’. As Deonna sent Taya outside via headscissors.
But missed a sliding dropkick. Then was a moron and distracted by Johny TV and sent to the steps.
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Purazzo hit a running forearm to Taya (as Storm said that neither was ‘Wendy Richter’), took her down via Russian legsweep, floating over looking for the Venus, Taya countered via cradle, Deonna kicked out and nailed a pump kick. Nice sequence.
Storm praised New Orleans because ‘someone gave me a lovely pair of beads when I got here and they were not for my neck’. Cannot believe she just said that on national tv.
Taya hit a blue thunder for two, tried a stomp but had her leg hooked into a kneebar mid-ring. Valkyrie hit a sliding lariat for two after escaping. A ‘Johny’s jacket’ chant showed the crowd’s level of interest. Purazzo hit a sliding dropkick which landed her right in front of Storm who did her ‘why I oughta’ motion, Taya tried to attack from behind and was sent into Storm.
Back inside, Deonna hit another pump kick as Storm was yelling that someone had ‘pissed in her seat’. Distracting from the finish as Taya submitted. You absolutely cannot say Storm isn’t entertaining; you absolutely cannot say she doesn’t distract from everything else.
They showed Storm who had gone silent and was staring straight ahead after witnessing the tap. Deonna glared at her then made the ‘belt’ motion.
Winner: Deonna Purazzo
Renee with Darby Allin. She asked about his ‘admiration for the Young Bucks’. Darby acted as if he had anything but, as the Bucks just happened to be nearby and asked him to answer. They said it was a great question and she deserved a raise. They still have headsets on btw.
Matt said it was ‘vibetown’ backstage today and they loved Darby because he fitted AEW – an ‘original’ who fit the ‘change the world’ slogan and was young. But asked why he was letting a 60+ guy suck money from his pocket. ‘Save some for the rest of us am I right?’
And that he has a great ‘gimmick’ idea for Darby once Sting retires. They could be a trio since the Bucks ‘went through a goth phase’ in high school. Nick got serious and accused Allin of being ‘unprofessional’ and ignoring their texts.
‘You got a problem with us or what?’
Darby said ‘No offence’ but there was only one thing on his mind – the tag titles. And left. The Bucks said they’d have to get his attention another way. Then Matt gave Renee and fist bump – ‘great show’ and etc. She half-heartedly gave one back.
This was excellent. The Bucks’ characters are better defined – Matt’s the smarmy, disingenuous boss and Nick’s the serious hard ass – and this began the tease nicely for Sting’s last match, subtly making it clear Darby has no time for them while they mocked and talked down to him.
*****
Samoa Joe came out to join on comms. It should be a bigger deal all show that the world champ will show up later. The announcers should not let us forget it. This is either going very long or there’s an angle coming after.
Swerve Strickland vs Rob Van Dam (Dealer’s Choice)
Backstory: Hangman chose Swerve’s opponent
A loud ‘Swerve’s house!’ greeted Strickland. As above, we should not be allowed to forget he’s coming. If they want him to feel like a big deal that is. Little details.
Nana’s not here due to injury.
Joe said he hoped Schiavone ‘was on it’ re: the ratings being released later. Excalibur said Hangman ‘was not exactly subtle’ about Swerve’s opponent but we still don’t know for sure.
I have to think folks in WWE will have a smirk about Rob Van Dam main eventing an AEW show in 2024.
Joe put over how dangerous Van Dam was. Before the match started, Hangman interrupted from the big screen to say Liona was a good choice earlier but not good enough. And that Dealer’s Choice means he can pick the stip too so this is a hardcore match.
Crowd cheered; Swerve turned around into a chair flung at his face. Crowd chanted ‘RVD’. Van Dam followed Swerve outside and hit a spin kick against the barricade. Joe accused Swerve of having ‘fronts’ as RVD nailed another.
Then did his pose atop the steps. Before flinging Strickland into the front row camera-side. They need to stop doing that since it reveals there are no people there. Crowd chanted ‘we want tables’ cause yeah. Van Dam did his pose again then hit a vaulting leg drop from in-to-out onto the apron.
Crowd chanted ‘You still got it’. Was an impressive move tbf. Van Dam’s very over.
The beating continued, Swerve was posed atop the barricade then nailed with a twisting leg lariat from the apron.
Ads. Strickland hasn’t got a move in yet.
Back to Van Dam being flung into a chair propped in the corner. Count of two. Van Dam reversed a second whip though and nailed rolling thunder. Running chair-assisted dropkick in the corner for another near fall. Swerve countered a monkey flip into a powerbomb on the chair.
Van Dam out at two, the pair exchanging armwringers until RVD crotched Strickland on the top rope then headed upstairs, prepping another move when Brian Cage shoved him off. Hook – in a ‘D12’ baseball jersey – hit the scene with a chair and introduced it to Cage’s back.
The pair brawled outside as Swerve used the distraction to attempt a suplex. Van Dam countered into a tripping pin and nailed his step-over heel kick after blocking Swerve. He looks really good here.
Swerve rolled free of another rolling thunder into his flatliner for two. Then dragged Van Dam outside and setup a chair at ringside. A table was also setup somehow. As if by magic. Strickland hit a kick to the face, Van Dam landed in the chair and Swerve nailed a Stomp off the apron.
Then headed upstairs. Van Dam threw a chair which only brushed Strickland but he took a bump through the table outside. Joe loved that. He’s been anti-Swerve all match.
Van Dam sandwiched Swerve between chairs then headed up, Swerve avoided the Five Star, Swerve hit a chair-assisted house call. Van Dam kicked out then just popped right back up to try to cut Swerve off upstairs but was shoved down. Then kindly and patiently sat up straight to take a Stomp – always hate that – as Swerve won.
Nice match; not crazy about the booking. Strickland has been dominated two weeks in a row by older guys and barely scraped wins.
Hangman hit the scene, he and Swerve eyed one another. Page congratulated him but called him an ‘Evil Bastard’. Then said the pair were undefeated in 2024. So both would be top of the rankings when they come out. He vowed – as he did months ago – that he’ll never let Swerve become champ. He’s the next champ, not Strickland.
Swerve cackled and said he’d beaten Page twice. He has nothing to prove. Page can’t get over the fact he can’t beat him. Hangman countered that Swerve’s saying that to try to convince himself. Because both times it took the whole Mogul Embassy. ‘Man to man, when it counts, Swerve, you can’t lace my boots’.
That ticked Swerve off. He said he’d give Page what he wants. They’ll wrestle a third time but after that ‘we are done’ and he’s going for the championship. The smirk Samoa Joe let out here through the headset was just gold.
Nice and heated as usual. Slightly spoiled by ‘Tony Khan has just made this official’. For next week. Winner faces Joe at Revolution.
Sting & Darby Allin vs Ricky Starks & Big Bill (Tag Titles)
Tony Khan ‘Big Announcement’
Chris Jericho vs Konosuke Takeshita
Hangman Page vs Swerve Strickland (Winner faces Joe at Revolution for the title)
Thumbs Up/Down
Bucks were very entertaining and their new characters are becoming better defined by the week
Kyle Fletcher
Swerve vs RVD
Swerve/Page promo to end the show
*****
No suspense over finishes again
Tag buildup segment – heavy on cliches; light on reasons why they were wrestling, feuding or why we should care, there were no emotional attachments here
Nothing main event-worthy, RVD in that role in 2024 seems a little desperate, even if the match was good
Hook feuding with Brian Cage is not a way to continue his momentum
AEW Dynamite rolls into New Orleans tonight where unfortunately just like last week, the show has less than 2,000 tickets sold so far and a good walk up will be needed to avoid being the least-attended show so far.
Scheduled for tonight are Hangman Adam Page vs Toa Liona, Swerve Strickland takes on Hangman’s pick, Deonna Purrazzo battles Taya Valkyrie, Chris Jericho vs Kyle Fletcher, and Jon Moxley goes one-on-one with Jeff Hardy.
The AEW rankings will restart with tonight’s show so all win/loss records will now “mean” something more.
