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Elite Heat is the All Elite Wrestling podcast for fans who want more than just a recap.
Every week, Tim and Dug — two AEW fans who've been All Elite since day one — react to AEW Dynamite and Collision, break down the latest storylines, analyze the characters driving the product, and give you their unfiltered take on everything happening in All Elite Wrestling.
From weekly show reactions to PPV breakdowns, roster moves to long-term booking analysis, Elite Heat covers the full spectrum of AEW. No fluff, no filler...just two passionate pro wrestling fans who care deeply about the product and aren't afraid to say exactly what they think.
New episodes drop every week. Subscribe and join the conversation.
What saves this segment for me is Mox because I don't think I would give even half of a rat's ass if it wasn't for Mr. Moxyagi, which is what I'm calling him now. Moxyagi or Moxieagi? Which do you prefer?
Yeah. That is so good. Yep, I like it. I think Moxia flows a little better, but either one works for me.
Okay. Live from Boston. It was Dynamite tonight, which surprised me because they said something on this show that broke my brain a little bit. And it's that Redemption is a week from Sunday.
Okay. Yeah that's yup.
I went, really? Yeah. Okay.
Yeah, that's great. Well, yeah. Remember we were talking about last week when it was like, how long? And we're like, my gosh, like two weeks. That's it.
Yeah, but it in my head the the twenty-sixth was still like at least two weeks away. that that that broke my brain a little bit. But anyway, so let's talk about what went down tonight. An interesting show as it relates to Redemption, in my opinion. so let's begin with the heat check and talk about what we liked and what we thought was only okay and what we didn't like from tonight.
All Yeah, there you go. Okay. I liked the very first promo with the Death Riders training Ospreay. And I liked it because when Mox came in and was like, When you get your shot, you need to take it no matter who it is. And I like it because now. I now have doubt in my mind that Ospreay is going to win at All In. Because now I have doubt because I don't know if Ospreay is going to be able to pull the trigger on Kenny Omega. And I think that could lead to a schism into Death Spray. So I really, really, really liked that. And I could be reading way too much into it, but that's I liked that. I also liked the big schmoz that we had with. Cage and Cope and everyone with the the the Bang Bang gang and Jay White and the Dogs and the Death Riders. And I really like Christian Cage and Jay White still having beef. I think that is going to be really pivotal in this moving forward. But I like it because these groups should be fighting. I I like that. I really do. Even though it does what you and I really don't understand, which is kind of cloud the issue of who who Who who are the Death Riders and what what what are they doing? Because depending on the minute of the show, you don't know are they face, are they heel? Are they nothing? What are they? What are what are they? What are they, Tim?
That that is one of several thoughts I have about everything that happened in that match.
I also like the Andrade Renee bit. It was short, moved the conflict forward, defined it a little bit better, and hinted at maybe Andrade has a friend in Will Ospreay. I kind like that. The the demand challenging the conglomeration. The thing I really liked about that, this is more like B-level. I should yeah, this is B-level. I'll move on past that. I just liked Orange Cassidy saying Well, you know, Renee, now's about the time when someone should come challenge for look, here we that was the best part about that. And as far as things that I really liked, I like the Kenny, Renee, and Darby bit because I think that continues to give that tension between the love triangle that is Kenny and Death Spray, and with Darby going look.
Yeah. Yeah. That was good. Yeah.
Kevin Knight's not going to change. You can't change people. And I think Mox came in and told him, he's like, he's right. You can't change people. So I I continue to like that. And those were the, those were my big hits that I really, really liked.
All right. here's the stuff I liked. I'll go more in depth when we Dug, you ignorant slut. no, here's the stuff that I liked and and we'll go more in depth when we run this whole show down. the Death Riders video, actually a lot of it's the same as as your list. Death Riders video I liked Cage and Cope versus the Death Riders. I have a lot of thoughts about everything that happened there, but overall I would say I liked it.
Here's where here's where Tim tells me how wrong I am.
Andrade's promo, I enjoyed. Doyle and Andrade were great. Kenny's title celebration I liked. That's a it's a big segment. There's a lot that happens there, but overall I liked it. the Jack Perry promo I thought was fine. I liked it fine. I think really Luchasaurus holding the boom mic is what boosted that up for me. Fletcher and Komander were incredible.
Yes. That was pretty good. Yes.
Renee backstage with Kenny was a good little segment. Darby and Brian Cage were great. look, Don cut a promo. That's always good. and I put the women's trios match in my liked, but it was close to hitting the midline for me. We'll talk more about that when we get to it.
Uh-huh. That's fair.
What was mid for you?
I didn't put it in my likes, so I guess maybe the trios with the with the women. But it it's borderline for me because I think it did a good job of making because Hyan and Maya needed to look good and they did, but I am getting a little tired of having Divine Dominion kind of look kind of weak because when they were dominating, it was during the break and we didn't get to see it.
Mm-hmm.
And they spent so long building up this team as the most dominant women's tag team ever. And then Willow Nightingale is a superhero just taking them out left and right and in the middle. And I and I think it makes them look weak. So that just that that disappointed me. let's see. I said I had a couple other B levels. the the thing that I I thought was this is close. The
Yep. Yep. I I would agree. Yeah.
Andrade moving closer to Mark Davis. I think it's it's it's good, but it's not quite like an A-level story, it's not quite up there. But I found it interesting because no one came out with Doyle from the Don Callis family. No one. Like I was could I was starting to wonder is Don Callis in the building?
Mm-hmm.
Because at that point you hadn't seen Don or anyone else from the Don Callis family. And then you saw Mark Davis. Mark Davis finally came out. So I'm like, all right, well, those two are there. So I I just thought that was weird. The Don Call the Don Callis family was just kind of
Yeah. Yeah. That's fair. Yeah, that's fair. Yeah.
The conglomeration thing, I thought that was that was okay. I mean, I like that they're finally doing something with the trios title. I like seeing Lethal Twist on TV. And I think that's an interesting combo with Lethal Twist and the demand. So maybe we'll get some trios titles. And I thought it was interesting that all of the story happened after the match between Fletcher and Komander, which is fine, but that made it. a little less for me that they that all the story took place afterwards, although it did build it did show Komander as being amazing because he took on Kyle Fletcher and looked great. But that that that was just kind of not didn't make that that heat check for me, didn't quite make it super hot for me. But it was it was fine. It's a B level and it's pretty good.
Yeah, my mid stuff, again, pretty similar. So let's start with what you ended on there. You'll note I said Fletcher versus Komander was great. Okay. The match was great. The stuff that happened around the match is all on my midline. and and I think a lot of it is is probably gonna be similar to what you were saying, but the stuff that happened around it is mid for me. Match was great. The other things around it, yeah. We'll talk more about it.
Yeah, it was. Yep. Okay. Mm-hmm. Yep.
I agree with you, the conglomeration stuff was on my midline. I actually think I'm a bit lower on it than you are, to be completely honest with you. and that's really everything, 'cause like I said, all that stuff with Fletcher and Komander and everything, that all that stuff around it, that was all on my midline. I have it in individual lines, but I'm just gonna group it together now. what did you not like?
before I get to not like I will go back to a mid thing that I forgot. I love the Darby Brian Cage match, but and this is a big butt, I think it's a mistake to not give why why did Brian Cage have to be the one to eat that pin from Darby Allen? There's so many people on the Don Callis family. I think Brian Cage is such a monster that you are really, really, really stretching my
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.
limits of suspending my belief that Darby's gonna whip him like that so quick. And I get what we're doing with Darby. I trust me, I I do understand that, but I feel like feeding Brian Cage to him isn't doing Brian any favors. Even though he looked great during the match, the fact that he still didn't get a he needs to get a quality win at some point if we're gonna continue to take the Don Callis family seriously if they're not holding a title.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, no, I I agree with you on that. I think Brian Cage is a really fascinating case study of AEW because he's a guy that every time he's involved in something, it feels kind of important. And he comes out and he puts on really good matches, but he loses a lot. And he never is around a title that matters. He had the FTW title, which let's be real was a prop, right? Like it was it was a prop.
Yes. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Technically they all are, but that one was really a prop.
Yeah, that's a props prop. That was
Yeah, yeah. And since then it's really been nothing. And at some point you either gotta do something with him and like you said, give him quality l quality wins and put him in legit programs and legit title pictures, or he's just gonna be the gigantic good looking dude who makes guys look good and then loses. And at some point we're just gonna know, here comes Brian Cage, he's gonna lose. And I don't love that for him.
Yeah. Yeah. No, and and again, he doesn't have to be even be chasing a title, but he should be getting quality wins. He should be the guy they bring in to beat people like Darby. Fine, don't let him win clean, but have him win you know, he needs some kind of quality win. He just does.
Well I Yeah. Yeah, I yeah. I agree. The reason I say he should be chasing a title is because first of all, there's a ton of And second, I I don't understand why everybody in the Don Callis family isn't challenging le left and right.
They remember when Don hinted at that and then it went nowhere. And I was like, we were both really excited. We're like, finally. And now nothing on that. I don't either. But it's
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just don't understand it. I mean especially in a world where they've established that all you gotta do is call your shot and you get it. You know.
Ex 100%. But as far as things I didn't like, I think you know the Jericho Ciampa thing, I look, I we both thought it was done, and I thought it was smart to have it done. But this is my only but. If this gets Ciampa over and back on track, because I think
Yeah. Yep. Yep.
They did Ciampa a huge disservice by having him win a title his first night and then lose it in his first defense, and he's done really nothing ever since. If this gets him back on track, and it it yeah, like I said, if it if it does, and I I'm kind of nostalgic for the painmaker, so I was kind of happy to see that. But here here's what I'm afraid of.
It could. It could. Mm-hmm.
And I hope it doesn't go this way. I hope then we don't have to keep going through Jericho iterations to find one that can beat Ciampa. And I'm dead serious about that. Like if this is what it comes to, if your Painmaker can't beat him, pack it up, stop this feud and be done with it. Because Painmaker should, if anyone's gonna beat Ciampa, it should be the painmaker.
Uh-huh. Yep. Yep. I agree.
Well but that I didn't like it mostly because I thought it was over and I I but whatever. You know, they get a match at Redemption, okay. Put on the buy-in and I'll be happy.
Mm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. yeah, I didn't like that. for a lot of the same things you're saying. Didn't like it. And the brawling birds segment was on my do not like list.
It it didn't even make my list because I didn't hate it. I didn't even think it was mi I was just like, okay, great, you you solidified the fact that there's they're a tag team now. Okay. Okay. Let's do it.
yeah, we'll talk about it. All right. So let's get into this. Let's talk about this stuff a bit more. so like I said, we were live from Boston tonight, which would factor in slightly when we got to the main event. But before that, like we said, we opened with the Death Riders video. my first thoughts on this were number one was Ospreay headbutting the camera at first. I was like, what is he doing? What is or like really, really practicing CPR. I'm not sure which.
I know, I didn't know what was happening. Yeah.
I I'll I'll be honest with you, what saves this segment for me is Mox because I don't think I would give even half of a rat's ass if it wasn't for Mr. Moxyagi, which is what I'm calling him now. Moxyagi or Moxieagi? Which do you prefer?
yeah. That is so good. Yep, I like it. I think Moxia flows a little better, but either one works for me. Mm-hmm.
Okay. Well, either way, you see what I'm going there. What what I'm doing there. I very much enjoy this role that he has stepped into with Ospreay. I I think it's really entertaining. I think it's really interesting. I think it's the most compelling he has been in a long time. And I think it's a fascinating role for a guy like John Moxley, who don't forget, is a champion in this company. It's easy to forget it because he you're not seeing that belt very much.
Yes. Absolutely. Yep. Mm-hmm.
to be stepping into that role, I think, is is fascinating.
Yeah, I've like I said, that was the biggest part for me. And that is what him having that role and him doing what he's doing for for Ospreay, that has put the seed of doubt in my mind that I thought it was a given that Ospreay's gonna win at All In. And now I don't, I'm not a hundred percent sure anymore. And that's what wrestling should do for me. That's the story it should tell. It should make me guess. that either one of those could be possible and make sense. And now they put that doubt in me. And it's because of the way Moxley is just in inhabiting that character finally. And I think he's finally found his footing with this Death Rider Moxley role. And it's the one I I wish we could have got him sooner. I'm just glad we're getting this now.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I I agree. I agree. at the time him saying that stuff about, you know, no matter who it is, didn't register with me the way that it has with you, because I was just like, I get it, 'cause he's saying, you know, Omega's your boy and you're gonna have to do it. And I thought it was even a little bit of a reference back to the multiple attempted murders of Bryan Danielson. But
Mm-hmm. May I mean it probably wasn't not that, you know.
Yeah. But later in the show it would actually make a little bit more sense. So right now, file that one away. We'll come back to it. From there it was Cage and Cope versus the Death Riders, but it wasn't the Death Riders that it should have been. It was Yuta and Garcia, which I think we all knew going into this, they are not winning.
No, no they're not.
And that's my problem with it. Now, like I said, overall, I actually I liked the match. I thought it was fine. I liked a lot of what happened here. But my problem with it was why have we been doing, we talked about this last week, why have we been doing all these tag matches with Mox and Ospreay for them not to be in this spot? Like you've had them beat Jabroni after Jabroni. Why are they not in this spot? That didn't make any sense to me.
For for once, I think the logic is that and and I think sometimes AEW doesn't apply this logic. They have got those two so wrapped up in the world title that to now have them take on Cage and Cope and now get them entwined in the tag team titles, I think that's too much for just those two. And so I do applaud them for not putting them in. That being said,
Yeah.
Yuta and Garcia. Give me Garcia and anybody. Give me Garcia and Pac. You know, give me Garcia and Claudio. I think Garcia and Claudio would have been a much better combo because at least then you're like, okay, they're not gonna win, but man, this is gonna be, they're gonna get it really close. But with him and Yuta, it's just we don't buy it.
Yeah. Yep. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I I agree. Here's my thing going back to putting Mox and Ospreay in the spot. I agree with you that it would have made a crowded picture even more crowded. And and we'll talk more about this as the night goes on about crowded pictures. But I think what you could have done here is you could have done a dusty finish, right? You could have had they're just, you know, they're going back and forth. You they've got us on the edge of the couch going, my God, they're, you know. Mox and Ospreay are gonna win and then the dogs crash it and then you know, bang bang gang comes out, whatever. You know, a lot of the same stuff that happened could still happen. It just happens before the match ends, and that gets you out of Mox and Ospreay being immediately in the tag title picture. You can just have it be of you owe us, you know, like we're gonna, we're gonna do this again, sort of a thing.
Yep. Yes.
And I understand that there's still, you know, it that would get paid off way down the road. And that's fine, but I think you could have done it that way. And it would it at least would have been, it would have been a more entertaining match. Number one. Not that this was bad, but then also, like you said, the the inclusion of Yuta. Like I'm gonna be honest, at this point, if I see Garcia as well, I'm like, well, you're losing. Because it was those two guys from the group, I'm going, this is not.
Yeah. Yep.
This is paying service to something bigger. I would prefer we just do a promo and get to it. You know what I mean? Like, and and again, it was nothing against the match. Nobody was bad in this. The match was good. But when you put a match in front of me and I'm sitting here going, I know how this ends. And I don't think it's gonna further storyline very much. That's where I start to scratch my head and go, I'm not sure why we're doing this one.
Yeah, and the the issue you're getting to and it makes more sense now is that they could now that now I see it that way, they could have done what you said and still had basically the same outcome at the end because all the storytelling, again, 90% of the storytelling took place after the match. And that and that's fine. I I understand that because like I said w at the beginning, these are the groups that should be fighting. It's an interesting mix because you have again, you have the death writers.
Yes. After. Yep. Yeah. Yes. Yes.
And I do believe Mox was out there too, right? Or was he not?
I think no, I don't think he came out. Claudio came out. I didn't even see him come out, just all of a sudden there he was.
Well, I think only Mox and Claudio were there. I don't think Pac was there and Marina wasn't there.
Yeah, you might be right on that. So yeah, maybe they did yeah, you're right. They did both come out. You're right, you're right. yeah, they teleported out there. you know, the whole bang bang gang got involved. The dogs were there, the bucks were watching from the stands. I don't have a I I'm with you of the Bucks should be doing what they're doing. I don't have a problem. I have a little bit of a problem with the dogs being in because I thought we'd move past that and move them to the bang bang gang.
Yes.
Bang, bang, gang coming out makes sense. Like I get it. It makes sense. That's nitpicky. I own that's nitpicky. So but but again, all of that that didn't have to happen after the bell. That all could have happened prior to the end of the match. And we've still done everything we need to do. You know, and it makes more sense then because again, we've had week after week after week of Moxley and Ospreay being the team.
Mm-hmm.
And now suddenly here's the two guys that they trot out from the Death Riders when they want the Death Riders involved, but they want to lose. So
Right. And the and the only thing it really does, because Mox was involved, it it saves Ospreay from having to be really fully associated with that the heel version of the Death Riders, which will flip coming up in just a little bit.
Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. So it's it's again, I I don't mind the segment. I put it on the liked list. I I just don't fully understand and I'm not sure I I agree with you the group should be fighting, but I feel like the Death Riders have enough going on. I'm not sure this is the time to to fold them into it, but I'm also not sure it isn't. So anyway.
Right. Right.
Moving on from that, Renee then talked with Andrade after a little video package for him. look, again, I I thought it was pretty good. I like the idea of him using MJF's ring. I think you mentioned it. The idea that maybe Ospreay is helping him behind the scenes is very interesting to me.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
I'm not sure where we're gonna go with it. I feel like it's all building to Andrade and MJF at some point, probably at All In.
Yeah, that could be. Yeah, that could very well be. Yeah.
Well, 'cause my my guess is so they've already they've already booked him into Redemption. Andrade is booked into Redemption. That happens tonight. And MJF was not on this show, which solidifies what we talked about last week of he you know, it's probably not the worst idea for him to take a couple weeks, heal that knee up, just take a couple weeks off. but he's gonna be part of All In. He's gotta be, I would think.
Yep. Yep. yeah, he he should be.
So this is probably the match and I'm I'm down with it. It'll be good.
Right. And I'm really happy with this because Andrade did what we said he should have done in the first place, which is if I have to take every title you have, Don Callis, then I will. And I'm like, Yes, that's what you should have said in the first place. And I understand that you were calling your shot for a specific belt. I get that. But as long as we've gotten there, I'm really happy with it. Like I said, I think this move
Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Conflict forward and it gives it hints at okay, Andrade has maybe he has more help than we realize. We already know he teamed up a little bit with with Darby in crew, but if Ospreay's on his side, okay, that's an interesting twist. So I'm more intrigued now. Like I said, I'm I am ready for Andrade to have his day, and I'm I'm very happy it's coming in one way, shape, or form. I don't care what belt he gets, I I think he's gonna get one. I think it's gonna be Mark Davis's belt.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes. I don't either. Yep.
And I think he if if he gets it, they should let him run that thing into the dirt and maybe never have him lose it. I would be one hundred percent happy with that.
I think so too. Mm-hmm. Yeah, that would be interesting. Yeah. Yeah, but I I'm with you. I like it. I like where we're going with it. then we would get the conglomeration with Renee, which I can't say I disliked it, which is why I put it on the mid. the the main reason I can't say I disliked it is kind of what you referenced. we're actually going to do some with the trios titles. Okay. And it makes sense that the demand would be involved in it, especially because I kind of forgot they exist until tonight.
Yeah. Yeah, it's been
I don't yeah, where where you and I differ is I don't like them bringing Jay Lethal's group into it. And the reason I don't like it is because I I'm gonna guess that it means we're either gonna get a match between them on Collision or it's gonna happen next Wednesday. But we let's be real, this is building to, I'm gonna guess, a match between the demand and the conglomeration at Redemption.
Yeah, probably.
I would prefer you just make the match. I you know, I it's it's it's an ongoing theme of we're gonna force people into this storyline that don't necessarily need to be there. There's a lot of that happening on this show.
Right. Let let me clarify, it's it's not that I'm excited that we they drug in another trios just to kind of have them there. I was more excited to see that the Lethal Twist got some quality time on Dynamite because again, I think outside the the two other guys whose names I never remember, but they're the twist. I think Blake Christian is one.
Mm-hmm.
I think they're really good and I think they need some quality time on TV. Now, this was just a a a fight in the back, but if this is gonna get them a little bit more exposure and get people used to seeing them on TV and used to seeing them as a threat and used to seeing them as a quality team, okay. I mean, I think it's part of a longer story to tell of them becoming a legitimate threat and you have to start somewhere. So that's where I'm okay with it. Am I okay with them just cramming an extra team into this when it really doesn't need it? Not necessarily, but be because it's a team that I think deserves some exposure, that's the part I enjoyed about it.
So I agree with you on all of that, but I'm putting an asterisk on it because I don't think it's going to build to them being a credible threat. I think they're going to job to the conglomeration and we're not going to see them again. They're going to go back to ROH or whatever it is, or they're going to job on Collision or whatever, whatever it is. I hope I'm wrong. I would love to be wrong, but AEW has settled into a pattern of this. and they've been doing it for months now of
yeah.
hey, here's this person that I forgot's on the roster. They lose, then we don't see him again. And I have to assume that that is what they are going to do again with this group. Well, but here's the thing. I'm gonna I look, I hope I'm wrong. I do, I hope I'm wrong. I but right now that's the pattern. And right now it just feels to me like you brought them in to set up a match that you didn't have to do. I'm not and and look.
Let me have my dream, okay? Stop stop shooting it down. I do too! Mm-hmm.
Is the match going to be entertaining when we get it probably next week? Yes. And and I'm with you. I have no problem with that. I I like Lethal's little group there. I just it it there's a lot of stuff that happens on Dynamite, and it's been happening a lot lately that I go. I I've said this this sentence a lot. In a vacuum, cool. It was super fun. But the problem is.
Absolutely. Absolutely. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.
You're taking up TV time with it and you're not really advancing stories, or or maybe you are advancing a story a little bit, but you could do it just as easily with a promo. Or you could do it just as and and then you could give some of that time, you know. So for example, you just do the promo, right? And the demand calls their shot. Great. Cause again, we've established you call your shot, you're gonna get it. Yeah, it's all you gotta do. You don't have to win, you just gotta call your shot. And then they could have had, I don't know.
That's all you gotta do. That's all you gotta do, man. Yep. huh.
Lethal Twist versus The Rascalz and maybe start building a trios division.
yeah. Okay, now you're talking crazy. But no, you're not you're not wrong. But and I mean, I can see what's going to happen either next week or on Collision between now and then. We're going to get conglomeration versus lethal twist, and the demand is going to beat down the conglomeration at the end of that match when Lethal Twist loses. Therefore, setting up the
I know. I know. There I go again. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And that and and that's fine, because again, I don't mind I'm glad you're doing something with the trios titles. But I think you could have just cut the promo and we could have done it from there. And you could do a quick, you know, you could have the demand jump backstage next week, accomplish the same thing, but now you've shrunk the time down and you can create more TV time for these underutilized talents.
Hot rivalry at Redemption.
That probably deserve some TV time, like The Rascalz, like Lethal Twist, like those two dudes that they debuted and have not been on TV since that you really like, whose names I don't remember. You know, I know. You know, but you you know what I mean? Like, I'm not sure they're maximizing their TV minutes right now when they do this stuff.
So sad about that. So sad about that. Yep. That's fair. That is one hundred percent fair because if they cut some of that, they could have given the Kenny Omega bit a little more time in the middle that it didn't get.
Yes. Yeah. Well, I think, yeah. before we we get to that thought. then it was Jake Doyle and Andrade, which again, like I said before, they were really, really good. however, I made a note in this match and then I forgot to put it in my don't like list. I need to add one more thing to that from the heat check. Taz was bad tonight, man. He was bad. And and in this match, he went so over the top.
Yes. He was not good.
on Andrade's entrance with the whole, that's not his ring, blah, blah, blah. It was it that was when I went, All right, I don't need to hear you again tonight. I he was bad.
Yeah, no, it was that was the the guy I referenced well I think it was last week where I was like, Yay, he wasn't the heel Taz that is too much. He was a good Taz last time, and this time he was back to being Heel Taz or whatever that is. And yeah, he was annoying and wasn't a fan.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I yeah. It was him trying to work heel, which it's weird that he seems to not know how to work heel anymore. I don't know I I was thinking about it after that, like during one of the commercial breaks. And I was like, I don't know that we need a heel announcer on commentary. Like we don't necessarily have to do that anymore. Just let call the match, you know.
Right. No. No. Yeah. Like and what here's what's weird. Don Callis is probably the best heel commentator they have. And the reason he's good is because he acknowledges talent. He doesn't deny that the guys he doesn't like are good wrestlers. He doesn't like, they're garbage. No. That is how a good
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
heel announcer goes. And that's he's the best one they've got. So it's really interesting that the guy that isn't on there very often is so good at doing what Taz should be better at at this point.
Yeah, I agree. but anyway, overall, great match, I thought. I really enjoyed Andrade doing MJF's Kiss the Ring and you know, on his entrance. I thought that was really good. I thought they made Doyle look really strong in the loss. I mean, I thought he looked really, really good. And so overall, I thought this was excellent.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I really liked it. Like I said, at the time I thought it was super interesting. No Don Callis, no one else from the family. And then it was only Mark only Mark Davis that came out at the end. And so I was like, this this is so weird when they don't like Andrade very much. It was just it was just super weird.
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yep. It is I I didn't think about it at the time, but when you said it, yeah, that is weird. I agree. I I don't I don't I don't know why they did that.
And then to have him Right. And then that maybe I don't know. Maybe Don was late. I don't I don't know. But he was there later, which is fine and great. But it was just interesting to me. I'm like, okay, did did people just not make the show? Is there a re you know, cause anything could have happened and and you and I both know that. That it doesn't have to be a storyline thing, it just could have happened. So it but with the Don Callis family, it's always about we're together, we're together, we're together, and then it's like, no, we're not, not right now.
I don't know. Yeah. Mm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, yeah, you're right. It's very interesting. Yeah. Yep. then we got the Kenny Omega title celebration. Now, is this the bit that you were talking about they could have given more time to? Okay. That's what I thought, but I just want to make sure because yeah, I I wrote down a little long. A little long. Overall, I liked it though. I thought that they did a good job of advancing story.
Just weird. I was kidding because it was super long. Yes. Yes. Yep.
I thought Kevin Knight was actually pretty good here. And I've been hard on him on the mic. I thought he was pretty good. I I did notice I'm gonna nitpick this and I'm not sure what it was. Did you was the sound weird on the entrances for you? Like when when Kenny came out and when the Bucks came out, it sounded like somebody was doing this.
Yeah. Mm-hmm. In maybe I'd have to I if if it was happening I wasn't paying that close of attention.
Like it it was it was weird and it and it I don't know. Anyway, that that aside, I I again I thought it was pretty good. I thought it did what it needed to do. But it was a little long.
Okay. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it was long. I liked that Ospreay came out and gave Kenny his flowers. And that is like that whole bit, once again, it reinforced my earlier thought that I'm not sure Ospreay is taking this title off Kenny. And it just it reinforced that for me because the Death Riders came out and they helped hold off the Don Callis family, like I said earlier.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
First they were playing heels. Now they're not. And it was just weird. But now, so you've got the three of them in the ring together. And the Death Riders made the save. So again, this is to me, this is the storyline that is having the most resonance for me. And it it's I'm really enjoying this because, you know, this thruple weirdness that they've got going on is getting more and more intriguing because I don't think it's as black and white.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
as I thought it was last week, and I like that.
Yeah, so what I what I thought was very interesting about the Death Rider involvement in this segment was, and and this I think does tie back to the whole line of no matter who it is across from you from the beginning of the show. I think so fr when you put it in context of All In, I think that what's gonna happen is You know, Ospreay's gonna have to beat him with the Tiger Driver '91, which, you know, the whole thing was he wasn't gonna do it again, even though now he's done it because the Death Riders have taught him you do what you gotta do, right? I really truly think that we're gonna get a shot of Mox looking at him and giving him the nod like Mr. Miyagi did in the Karate Kid. I'm not kidding. I really think we're gonna get something like that.
Mm-hmm. I don't disagree.
so it's it's gonna cement that Ospreay is not the same guy that he was. But here's the rest of the seed that they planted. Mox looks directly at the belt. Maybe I guess this was later. I guess it was on the backstage, but he looks directly at the belt when he interacts with Kenny.
Okay. yeah.
I'm just saying, clearly Mox has the eyes for the belt again, and I think it's gonna build to Moxley and Ospreay down the road.
That's entirely possible. That's entirely possible. In my head, I have it going almost exactly the same way. Except for Mox gives him the nod, and Ospreay either refuses to pull the trigger or hesitates long enough for Kenny to do something and then come out with the win. Either either one goes. Either one works for me. But
Mm-hmm. I I just I have a really hard time. Yeah. Whoops. Yeah. I have a really hard time envisioning a world where they don't put the strap on him in London, on Ospreay in London. I I just
I I understand that. And that's and actually that is what is giving me even more fuel to say that maybe it doesn't happen because it seems so because tonight they did so many things that in a way make sense because it's easy, you know, it's simple. It's like, yes, okay, we know these Death Riders aren't gonna be the world tag team champs. It's simple and you know, sometimes simple is the best. But just because it makes all the sense in the world, they've done enough tonight. Plant seeds of doubt in my head. That I think it's entirely possible he doesn't get that belt at All In in England when it should be that moment. And AEW normally gives us those moments, this would be a time that they could not do that and surprise everybody.
Yeah, I I'd be pretty shocked. I mean, I'd be shocked. No no doubt about that. I just think that I mean, if you do that, then you have to at some point get the belt on Moxley and Ospreay's gotta take it off him. But I but but to me, the story here, the long term story is Moxley and Ospreay. It's not him and Omega. It's not Ospreay and Omega, and I don't think it's Mox and Omega. So
no. Probably. Maybe. No, but I think I think both of what both stories we're telling do the same thing. Get Ospreay and Moxley on opposite ends of the stick. It's just that in my scenario, neither one of them has the belt and Ospreay does in yours. That's that's the biggest difference. So either one either one works for
But then why would they but why would they fight if it's not for the belt?
Because Ospreay let Moxley down. He didn't go all the way. He didn't follow through with the training. He didn't complete put the period at the end of the sentence. Mox is gonna be like, You were this close. This close.
I think it's gotta be for the bell.
I d I'm not saying it couldn't be. I'm just saying they've got enough doubt in me right now that I can see that being a feasible thing.
Mm-hmm. Okay. All right.
Go ahead and be wrong this way, Dug. That's okay. Yeah. I'm not saying I'm right. I'm just saying they did a really good job of making my mind go, huh. This is a completely possible road to go down that I hadn't thought of until they started planting seeds tonight. And I it is entirely possible I'm on the wrong road and you are one hundred percent right. That's one hundred percent possible.
Okay. Yeah. Just sit there in your wrongness and be wrong, but That's fair. Okay. Okay. Okay. That's fair. I mean But My only like what's hanging me up on on your booking there is just to me personally, it being the like you you've you've done you've come this far of them bringing specifically Moxley bringing Ospreay into the Death Riders and then that one thing being enough for him to be like, Well, now I'm gonna kick your ass is a little I have a little bit of trouble buying it. I d personally, I have a little bit of trouble buying it that you've put all this work into them and that one thing is enough for you to now flip. Now, then again, it's wrestling. And I'm probably putting too much logic into professional wrestling. I have been guilty of that before. I don't know. just go back through the last five episodes. You'll find at least one in each of them. But
Mm-hmm. What? Name five times that you've done that. That's true.
I don't know. I don't know. I'd have to I'd have to I'd have to see how they do it and I'd have to let let that marinate a little bit more. I might come around to it. I just ultimately to me I really think I just have a really hard time seeing them not crowning Ospreay at All In. Personally.
I and again, I get it, but that belief in my head also like I said, in the in the weirdest way is fueling my doubt, is that yeah, it makes all the sense in the world for them to do that, which makes me think maybe it's not going to happen. And I can and I can, you know, and like I said, we w we are going to agree to disagree, but I I think it's entirely possible that Moxley could be like, Why did I waste my time on you? What did I you know?
Mm-hmm. Yeah. I get that. Yeah, I I could see it.
Y you worked so hard for what? 'Cause you didn't want to hurt Kenny?
Yeah. I could I could see it. I just but but that's the thing, is that's gotta be the promo. Like he's gotta be direct and in Ospreay's face about it. He can't do his cryptic thing that he does. Like it's gotta be he's gotta lay it out clearly. Cause remember, they still never have addressed the multiple attempted murders of Bryan Danielson and Orange Cassidy, which never made any sense. So you can't go back to that. And that's
Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
That's part of I think my my hesitation with that particular scenario is I fear that it would then go back to that version of them and now I don't want you on my TV again. You know.
I think though, I think what they could very easily do is have Moxley go, you know, why did I put all this work into you? And you couldn't what? Because of Kenny? We broke your neck and then we brought you into the family. Because why? Because we believed in you, because I believed in you.
I really think because the other thing too that I that I think I think part of putting the belt on Ospreay is I do think that that's part of what's going to ultimately lead. To them getting that stipulation off of Hangman. I really do. I think Ospreay, because he's just this kind of guy and because he and Hangman are buds, I think Ospreay is going to be the key to getting that off of him because Ospreay is going to say, I don't care. I don't care that you said you're a man of your war or whatever. I don't care. We're going to fight for this title. You know, I'm not saying hangman beats him, but I think that that's how they're going to do it.
Mm-hmm. Right. Yeah. That's It's but yeah, that's possible too. Like yeah. Yeah.
So we'll see. And again, I guess that doesn't have to happen at All In. It can happen down the road. But I think I just I I also think that part of it is because I mean, all of them, but especially Tony is such a wrestling nerd, like they saw the backlash that WWE got when they did not switch the title from Roman to Cody the at was that Mania 40 or whichever one it was, the first time they fought. Like they saw that backlash to that.
Exactly, yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes. The the the caveat I'll put on that is they it's not MJF with the belt now. It's Kenny. And I and I think that changes the narrative quite a bit. And even Jim Ross earlier this week said he'd like to see Kenny have a nice long run. Which which also does make me think and and here's my problem is that if Kenny doesn't have a long run now, I don't know if he gets the belt again.
I think that that lives in their head. True. True. I would too. I don't think he does. And and that's that's part of what's playing in my head here too, is there has been so much talk of into the road for Kenny. It really makes me wonder if like the diverticulitis stuff made him go, you know what? I I'm gonna do it for a year and then I'm done. Or whatever it is. Like, like I'm I'm genuinely wondering that. I don't know. I don't know. But well, we're gonna find out in
So Mm-hmm. Maybe.
What can he say? Fifty ish days? Something like that. So anyway, let's move on.
Yep. Yep.
so let's move on because we've right and properly beat that dead horse. okay.
No, let's keep splitting hairs because also No, I'm kidding.
I mean, also what came out of that that we didn't talk about is they did make the match between Omega and Kevin Knight for Redemption. And they also started planting the seeds of Kevin Knight coming back to the babyface side of things, which I'm not sure how I feel about that, to be honest with you.
Yes, yes they did. Yes. I I find it interesting. I like that they're trying to do that. I do not see it happening. I don't think it should happen. But I like the fact that now for me, now there's two people I have doubts about, or I should have doubts about, or maybe one I shouldn't, and I do anyway, but I now have doubts about how the path is going to go forward. I don't see Kevin Knight I I see Kevin proving Moxley's point by not flipping.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I yeah, I think. Or Darby's point. Wait, I don't know. There were Yeah, but it made me Yeah, it made me stop and think 'cause there were a lot of people involved in this. And again, a lot of people are involved in it. Theme of the night.
no, it was Darby. I said Moxley. I I was wrong. Darby is the one who said yeah. Right. And I think at some point Mox Moxley tonight did say Darby's right. I th I don't know, there was a lot of conversations tonight.
I think he did, yeah. I don't know. It there's a lot. Yeah, there's a lot going on. This one was short though. Jack Perry, you know, basically saying chapter two and I'm gonna give somebody a shot at Collision. Like I said, probably the best part of that was Luchasaurus holding the boom mic, but that was pretty fun. I like that they're keeping him, keeping Jack intense, but then also working in some of the comedy stuff.
So weird. Yeah, yep, I like that a lot. I like that a lot, yeah. That's really good.
I think it's they found a really good balance with him. Then out of nowhere, Brodido versus already in the ring.
Yeah. I mean, do you remember Aaron Solo and Nick Comoroto when they were in the night was it what'd they call that? When it was
And Uh-huh. The well there was the factory. Yeah. Yeah.
The factory, that's what it was. The factory. And at the time I remember thinking, man, I think Nick Comoroto has he's got something there. He's got a cool look. He's a big dude. But then I saw him tonight and I went, Okay. Yep, you're a big dude. You're a big dude.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep. I mean, there there it's again, it's two guys that you forget are on the roster that get inserted here solely to lose to Brodido. And my issue with this is I don't know why we did it. You know.
The only you know, i you're you're one hundred percent right, because the only reason that match took place is so that after the match, after the break, when Rodito goes to the back, that's when again, that's where the storytelling happened. And it was when they run into Fletcher and Don Callis. You're w again, you're not wrong. Why then why are we not giving people
Mm-hmm.
You know, give Lethal Twist a match where they could like you said, Lee, they could take on The Rascalz. Give them that. You know? That makes more sense.
Yes. You could have put that there. You could have had Bro yeah, you could have had Brodido wrestle any of the other tag teams that aren't doing anything right now. Right. You could have had them wrestle any combination of the Don Callis family that's not doing anything. You could have I mean, I guess private party, both of them are hurt, but you could have had wrestle, you know, a combination of the bang bang gang.
Yeah. Something.
You could have had wrestle the dogs. You could have had wrestle the two of The Rascalz. You could have brought those guys that whose names I don't remember that you're a fan of, and you know, like, and that's just off the top of my head. So you had a lot of options here to put Brodido in the ring with a legitimate team and give me a an entertaining match and still tell the story that you were trying to tell.
Yeah. Yes. Mm-hmm. Yep. Mm-hmm.
Hell, you could have had him wrestle ProtOkada.
Absolutely you could have.
You know, and it would have done I that actually would have made more sense to me for the story that they told because them just celebrating and bumping into Kyle Fletcher and now we've now we're gonna fight is it's kinda weak. Kinda weak.
Yep. Yep. I mean and it it was also it talk about a a telegraphed moment. It's like that's not foreshadowing. That is spoiler. Like that's not that's not subtle. It's like, well, you know what's gonna happen.
Yeah. Yes. Yep. Yep. And so all this would flow together, right? So then so we we touched on that backstage with Fletcher that gets interrupted, quote unquote, by Bandito. that flows into Fletcher versus Komander, which was an absolute banger of a match. Like I said, I I have nothing bad to say about this match. In fact, I think it's probably only a match of the night.
I think that's my match of the night as well.
Yeah, it was really, really good. I'm glad I I had read, I think today that Komander got the visa issues cleared up. So I'm glad that he'll be around for a while now, hopefully, because that was great.
Yeah. They I mean, I even wrote down, Holy Cats, they made it look like there was gonna be a title change at one point. Like they really had me biting on it hard. I was like I was like, holy my god. I was like, man.
They did. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it was really good. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah. And then but but in the post match stuff, we get weird again. Cause like I said, all the stuff around this match is weird and and well, just weird. Because at that point, we've had no real legitimate beef between Brodido and
Yep. Yep.
Fletcher in them. So why did they come out?
Mm-hmm.
You know what I mean? Like logically, why does bro because you didn't get into it backstage. So why did they come out?
Right. Here's here here's where I think they drop the ball on this one personally. I thought, okay, so you have the so you have the mini conflict where they're just like, woo-hoo, here's our here's our fly, whatever. And you have the Don Callis family being Don Callis family and being offended. We get that. You know, that's what they should. But then you have Fletcher trying to rip the mask off Komander. Who then makes the most sense to come out and try and stop that?
Hit me. The other masked guy, maybe? Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Thank you. Not Takeshita. I get Takeshita doesn't like Kyle Fletcher. However, it makes so much more sense to have Bandito come out and do something. But they had Takeshita do it. And it's like, why are you doing that? And then Okada comes out. It's like, okay, we haven't seen Okada in a while. That's cool. Let that happen. Then you get them both again, Fletcher and Okada, grabbing the belt, which they plant the seeds for. that that is going to be a thing, 'cause it's totally going to be a thing. And then you have Brodido come out, which that's the only thing that kind of saved that whole storytelling for me. It's like, okay, fine, that you should have led with that in my humble opinion.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I I agree because by the time they come out, it's almost too late. It's like, why are you here? So
Yeah. Yep. And and the only reason they're there is to set up the angle for later.
Right, exactly. But you know, logically, you're right. They should have been the first ones out. So I didn't love how they set this all up. Now look, I'm not opposed to the match by any stretch of the imagination. It's gonna be good. I am too, but the setup to it is pretty pretty weak. And again, sing along if you know the words. Look at how many people they have now shoved into the international title scene. It went from
No. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
Being something that was kind of secondary to the Takeshita Okada beef, Fletcher would be part of that thruple too. To now you've got like five dudes involved in it. And so again, we're just shoving people into this story. And I I don't know. Like, do we need to show Tony Khan a calendar? And and go like, you have all these days.
Well. Yeah.
to to do to spread this out.
To be a little bit fair, I think the only reason Bandito is involved is to feed the fire of Okada and Fletcher. That is the sole purpose for that happening. And
Mm-hmm. I I agree. I agree. I agree and I think he's gonna drop to the he's gonna drop out of the picture after Redemption. Yeah.
Right. And so I'm not as upset by that. I'm a I'm a little like I said, I'm a little more bothered by the the backhanded way they snuck into it because I thought it made so much more sense to just have it be a direct, you know, we ran into you, I'm mad at you, you can't take the mask off one of my guys. No, screw you. That made so much more sense. I under then have Okada come out and then pick up the bell, and then he doesn't have to touch anybody.
Yeah.
He can just pick the belt up and then they're they can have their stare down and we still get the same effect. So that's
Mm-hmm. You know what you could what you could have even done there? You could have had a match Brodido versus ProtOkada at Redemption. And you can have them Yeah. Yeah, I did too. And you and you can have them, you know, at the end of that match, ProtOkada goes over and you can still do the thing where they both go for the belt and you start laying the groundwork. Because I think keyword think we're headed to either
That's what I thought. I thought we were gonna get that.
Okada and Fletcher at All In for the international title or it's gonna be a a a three way with Takeshita in there as well.
Right. That's entirely possible, yeah.
But again, but that's why I'm like, let me show you a calendar. Okay.
I also thought I thought for a hot minute Fletcher was gonna challenge both Bandito and Brody for the title. I really did.
I thought so too. I yeah, I thought we were gonna get I really at for a second there, I thought we were gonna get a multi person match at Redemption where I at at one point I thought we might get five people in this. I did. I really thought that it was gonna be Fletcher. Yeah, I I was like, I think it's gonna be Fletcher, Okada, Takeshita, and then the Brodido guys. I was like, I there might be five people fighting for this belt at Redemption.
Only only loves those. No, they're gonna wait for the seven man match for the bell at All In. Mm-hmm.
Yes, exactly. But, you know, but and and again, I think that this is symptomatic of a problem we talked about, I think it was last week, of by parking Redemption here in between, you know, Double or Nothing and I know Forbidden Door was there, but again, Forbidden Door is its own thing in my mind. Parking it between Double or Nothing and All In. You've got to put this card together, especially because it's the first pay-per-view and you're in Montreal, which they haven't really done before. But it's it's it's so overshadowed by All In that it just it's it it feels a lot to me like you know, they they fixed it this year, but when they would keep All Out on Labor Day weekend, and so they had literally like one week to put it together between All In and All Out, and it was like it's just there.
yeah. Mm-hmm. Too much.
You know, like it was just there.
Yeah. It should be a bigger deal and it's kinda like, okay.
Yeah, like I I get you're giving yourself a month on each of these basically on each of these three shows, but Redemption is getting very overshadowed by All In. And I don't think there's anything wrong with just saying, look, we're gonna we'll do Forbidden Door, because again, that's its own entity. And then we're not gonna run a pay-per-view between that and All In and just let the build be to All In.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep. Right. Or at the very least, make sure Redemption is definitely laying much solid more solid groundwork for All In. And you can have some of those other you know, you could then it that is where you can start laying the seed in for some of those other B level storylines that need little more room to breathe, 'cause you don't need to have all your A level storylines on Redemption because you've got All In coming out. So whatever.
But that's just me. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yep. Yeah, I think they've got options there. I'll tell you one thing that may very well happen is Forbidden Door may go away. We'll see what happens with New Japan and everything. I on one hand, I'd be a little bit sad. On the other hand, it might be the best thing for to open up the calendar a little bit. Don't shoehorn a new pay-per-view in there, Tony.
Yeah. Yep, that's possible. I mean, unless you're gonna give it to us for free, then don't do it.
You gotta. He's gonna. And it's gonna be 19 hours long. so then we got Renee and Kenny, and this is where Mox looked at the belt as I look at my notes. he looks pointedly at the belt. So again, there's some seed planting going on here. I don't mind that because again, I think it's a longer term thing. So I don't mind that you've got multiple people in the orbit on this because you can see, again, you can kind of see how it lays itself out, right? Like setting aside everything you and I talked about.
Thank God. Okay. Yes. Uh-huh.
a little bit ago, you can see how, okay, so Omega beats Kevin Knight at Redemption. So then it's him and Ospreay at All In. Let's just, let's just do chalk, if you will, you know, if Ospreay wins, then at some point, you know, I really think at some point it builds to him and Moxley for the belt because Mox has eyes on the belt. So you can see how this kind of lays itself out and how they can book the next
Okay. Yep.
Four ish months, give or take, you know, of the world title. So that I have no problem with. It's just all this other stuff where they're shoehorning all these people in. That's where I'm like, I would rather you just let it breathe. You know, like if the story, so let's go back to the international title. If the story really is the breakup of ProtOkada, then let that breathe. Let that be the story and let that breathe, you know.
Right. Yes. Yeah.
Find something else for Bandito to do. I'm told he's the ROH world champion. Does he defend that belt? I don't
we don't watch ROH, but I'm gonna say yes he does. Just assuming.
Probably. But I wouldn't I would not be I would not be mad putting Bandito defending the ROH world title on Redemption. I'd be down with that. I think they should. So anyway. Anywho, then the Brawling Birds with Renee, which was absolutely pointless. Just absolutely pointless. I it makes it honestly makes me sad seeing those two now.
I think they should, one hundred percent. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's get him in the ring and let him fight. Come on. Mm-hmm.
It just makes me sad. The pro Yeah, the promo was meh. The it's just okay, whatever. I don't want to spend a lot of time on it because like I said, it depresses me. then we got the Jericho Ciampa thing.
Speaking of depressing.
So I'm with you. The painmaker thing, I went, like seeing him the way they did it, the way he turned and everything. That was cool. And I went like, okay, that's kind of fun. But I'm with you. If he can't beat Ciampa as the painmaker, for the love of God, let it die. And I'm gonna read to you what I wrote down when the promo started. Ready? no, we're not finished with this. Damn it. That's what I wrote. And that's how I feel.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Please go. Okay. Yep. Mm-hmm.
Like,
Yeah.
I don't need more of this. And and to your point also with the painmaker thing, it it it goes back to something that we talked about when Jericho first came back of boy, it feels to me like you're playing the greatest hits, my guy. And for a dude who has made a career out of reinventing himself over and over and over again, that is odd to me. And it again puts fuel on the retirement fire to me.
Yes it does. Yes it does. Mm-hmm. I I will say I do think it's a if there if you have to extend this, which I don't think you do, Tony, but you're doing it, I think having Painmaker against Psycho Killer makes sense. That okay. That again, but please, please, for the love of God, let this be the end of it. Please.
Yeah. Don't w the do not put them on the All In card together. Do not do it. We don't need a third of this. We don't need a third match. Now
No No No, we don't. Unless they're getting married.
yeah, no that I'd be down for.
Then that makes sense.
The only way legitimately that you can extend it is if they do, you know, a casino gauntlet match or something and you put them both in that, but there's other people and that's not the the focus, you know, it's not just them in a match, you know what mean? Then I might be okay with it.
Yeah. But Yeah, but that's not gonna happen. Jericho's not gonna be in a gauntlet match like that.
No, I don't think so either. I'm just telling you, if you're hell bent, Tony, on doing a third one of these, that's the only way to do it without completely pissing us off.
So Hey look, it's Darby and Brian Cage.
Yep, it sure is, which was really, really good. Strong contender for match of the night for me. I s yeah. I still give it to Fletcher and Komander, but they were really good. That spot where where Brian Cage launched him at the ring post, bro.
He was. Yep. I really liked it. Yep.
Like the way they shot it live, I was like, you know, like that looked nasty, but I was like, but I think I see how he did it. And then they showed it on the replay from a different angle. And I was like, nope, Darby smacked his head on the ring post.
Yeah, there was a little timing issue there and I think he got clonked pretty good.
Yeah, he went ahead and just smacked his head on the ring post. All right. So they were great.
But aga but again it points out the the issue we've talked about is you have these really good wrestlers that cannot get it done when the and they should. So just I don't know. I don't know what to do about that. I
Yeah. Yeah. I think that once you get past All In, I really truly think the best thing AEW could do is sit down and really talk about how they're booking all these shows and really talk about what they're doing because I didn't mind it being legitimate star versus jobber on rampage when that was a thing. And and I don't mind it being legitimate star versus jobber on Collision.
Right. Yep.
'Cause those aren't you those aren't your A shows. Dynamite is your A show. We have seen way too many instances of here's legitimate people versus already in the ring.
Okay. Mm-hmm. Absolutely it is. Yeah. Shouldn't happen.
It shouldn't happen. So they they gotta take a hard look at how they're doing things once they get past All In and really think about how are we booking it and and who are we booking and why are we booking them that way. I really think and and and again, I don't want to sit here and sound like I'm just crapping on AEW. I think these shows are good. It's by far, in my mind, the best promotion out there right now. Like I I would still rather watch a bad
No.
quote unquote bad Collision than pretty much anything else.
And again, the only reason we are being critical is because we do care so much about this product and we really, really, really, really, really like it. And the the biggest issue AEW has right now is they have too many good people. And in it, and I do understand, Tony, don't get me wrong. I understand not everybody can have 15 minutes of TV time when you have two plus hours on Dynamite and then an hour on Collision. I I do get it.
Mm-hmm. They do. Mm-hmm.
Then then really divide up your roster. Then really have it be you need a Collision team. Cause basically until last week, that's where Divine Dominion was living. So decide who's your Collision team, decide who's your Dynamite team. And then I think it would be a different story if they had ROH with a real TV deal. And then you could have a little bit more of these people and and getting eyeballs on them. But the way it stands right now, not enough guys are are doing enough.
Yep.
And it's frustrating 'cause we know how good they are and we know they're there.
Yeah. Yeah, I I agree. And and you know, I I thought when it looked for a minute like they were gonna kind of split the roster between Dynamite and Collision, you know, when it was like here's Punk's people and then here's everybody else. I actually was on board with that. I thought it made a lot of sense because it is hard to get all these people on TV and it is hard to book them into meaningful storylines and all that stuff. I get that. I do. But, you know, I mean, look, look, there are so many people that
Yeah.
Went back to WWE only to be left in catering all over again, you know. I get it. It's not exclusive to AEW, but I do find it interesting when you look at a guy like Brian Cage and you go, This guy, I'm not saying make him your world champ. You don't have to do that. But this is a guy who's got a lot of tools, who's a good hand, who's good, who who
Não.
has performed consistently basically from the start of the company. He's been there, I believe, from day one. Why? I think yeah, I think so. Yeah, I think I think it was at the I think it was at Double or Nothing, if I recall correctly. That very first one. But I just keep looking at this going, like I said, you you've you've booked some of these guys in a way where the credibility has taken a hit. And
Yep. He came in at one of the casino matches, I think. He was one of the wild cards or something. Could have been. Could very well have been.
I again, when you can put him in a match, like they did a great job with Jake Doyle, where he looked great in the loss tonight. If you can do more of that with it, and it's not that Cage looked bad. He looked good and he looked good losing to a former world champion, but it happens too often, you know.
Right. Yes, he did. Yeah. Again, like I said, you just see he needs some quality wins. And I don't need mean he needs to drag like Lance Archer used to do, which was hilarious when he would just drag a guy out with him and throw him down. But he needs a quality win. I'm not saying have him beat Darby, but have him pin Darby in a tag match or something. He needs some he needs some quality wins under his belt. And there's no reason why he shouldn't.
He does, yeah. Mm-hmm. If like if they're going to continue the Don Callis family beef with Takeshita, have him beat Takeshita. Have him win that match. They're not going to have a match, but they should and have him win it.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Anyway, moving on. speaking of the Don Callis family, Okada and Fletcher backstage is fine. It just kept sowing the seeds. It's fine. Don cut a promo on Kenny Omega. Don't always good. So, you know. then we got the trios match between the ladies at the end. like I said, the reason this was borderline mid for me is it has nothing to do with the match. I actually thought the match was pretty good.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I like the match.
I just couldn't help but think, okay, so last week you have Divine Dominion and Mercedes beat down the Triangle of Madness. And tonight we didn't see Triangle of Madness at all.
No we did not. No we did know. I don't know.
So why did we do that? Why did we do that? Especially if this leads to Hyan and Maya world challenging divine dominion at Redemption.
Yep. Which I think clearly it's going to. And again, here's my here's and here's my fear. And I have nothing against Maya World in Hyan. My fear is they're gonna hotshot them into the title picture, and they're gonna hotshot the belts onto them when they've spent all this time building Divine Dominion up to be these monsters. But every time we see them on on Dynamite.
That's what I think too. So why'd we do it? Mm-hmm.
And again, I like I said last time, the the Megasus isn't looking like a Megasus to me. You're she's the one eating a lot of the the shots. She's eating a lot of the the the hard bumps and Lena Kross is the one that's coming in and and cleaning house. So I don't know. I don't I just think they if they're gonna be the killers that they you've pitched them as, let them be. You know, yeah, yep, my Hyan and Maya can look great in that match, but you've got to let your dominant tag team look like the dominant tag team. And if you're gonna do it during a break, don't do it when we can see it.
Right. Yeah, I agree on that. So I I think what's probably going to happen is I think we're going to get Hyan in Maya World against Divine Dominion at Redemption. and and I get it. You're trying to capitalize on the momentum you've built with Maya World. You should. You should do that.
Probably yep. Yeah, and you should. Yep.
I think that Divine Dominion's gonna retain because I think what they're doing with the brawling birds is starting to position them to challenge divine dominion at All In.
I hope so.
That's what I think. And I think it's gonna be a better I mean, again, if you're trying to get eyeballs on your biggest show, I think that's a more marquee matchup than having the brawling birds versus Hyan and Maya World, no offense to them.
Yep, know what one hundred percent is.
But yeah. So I think that's where we're headed with it. But I would personally I would prefer to see Divine Dominion versus Skye Blue and Julia Hart than them taking on Hyan and Maya World, even though they already had a match a couple pay-per-views ago and it was pretty good. Hyan in Maya World and Divine Dominion, I mean. So it's
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
It's just a little bit confusing to me because Triangle of Madness does not get involved at all here. And Thekla's got every reason in the world to get involved because the two women that are going to challenge her, the next two challengers for her title match, we're in this match. You know, for her title, we're in this match. And plus you add in the beatdown from last week, and they were nowhere, nowhere to be found. I don't get that.
Mm-hmm. They were only found in the intro where they recapped Beach Blast Ball or whatever it was.
Yeah. Yeah. I I don't get that. And and I don't understand the insertion of Hyan and my world into this when you already, you know, here it all was. Like you'd already laid the groundwork last week. So unless somebody got hurt and we don't know it and they and that caused a pivot, I don't get it. I just don't get it. And that's why it was really on the borderline for me.
Okay. I th I Again, I think what we're seeing is the fact that they have a pay-per-view three and a half weeks after their last pay-per-view and they didn't have any time. And so again, you've got these people thrown in to be the stopgap. And then later and and again, we're not gonna see the Sisters of Sin, unfortunately, because I do agree that the Brawling Birds are a better matchup in England. So
Uh-huh.
I I on the one hand I do kind of get it, but on the other hand it's like either slow down or speed up. I don't I don't know what which gear you're in and I'm getting a little bit of whiplash on some of these some of these storylines that are like, We're what? Huh? Who? Why? Okay.
Yeah. I mean, I I just thought that I thought for sure tonight that was going to be the match was Divine Dominion and Mercedes versus Triangle of Madness because it helps build on what you did on Beach Break. And you can set up the tag match for Redemption. You can start building some heat between Thekla and Mercedes. Willow can cut a promo or be on commentary or whatever to keep her on you know involved in it.
Mm-hmm.
I don't know. I don't know, man. Though a lot of stuff made me scratch my head tonight. I don't think it was a bad show. I I really don't. I mean, but again, like as it relates to a pay-per-view that is a week from this Sunday, you made some matches. They're gonna break next speed, put some more together like they always do. Fine.
No. Mm-hmm. Yep. I just I thought I thought it was interesting because last week I was so impressed with the pacing of this of the show and and and the structure of the show and I thought it all made sense and I thought it was so well done. And this one felt not exactly the opposite, but it felt way more loosey-goosey and the they've got the they've got the heavyweight title belt storyline kind of cooking on all cylinders, and I'm super happy with it.
I just Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes.
Everything else feels very hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait. So, you know, but and and oddly for me, one of the most exciting things was at the end when they said that Kenny and Death Spray are taking on the Don Callis family next week. And I was like, okay, now we're advan we're continuing to advance that story, and I like it.
Yep. Yeah, I I agree. Yeah. I I Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, that's that's interesting to me. Yeah. But I just think it I almost wish with Redemption they had just said, Hey, July twenty sixth, we're gonna do Redemption in Montreal. We're gonna tell you the world championship story. And then by the way, here's the matches that are gonna be on the card, and we're not even gonna bother with the storyline as to why it's gonna happen. We're just gonna tell you here's who it's gonna be, put in tag matches and multi person matches with each other. You know what I mean? And I almost just wish that they had done that coming out of Forbidden Door, because at this point, more often than not, I'm like, I'm gonna buy an AEW pay-per-view because I know the matches are gonna be really good and it's a match heavy show. That's what they do. So I almost wish that they had just done that and then just said everything else, storyline wise, is for All In.
Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yeah. Well, and like I said tonight, they they should have instead of trying to build storylines, mini storylines to culminate at Redemption, go ahead and plant all those seeds, but have some of that play out at Redemption. You could pay you could start to reveal some of that at Redemption. You don't have to do all of this in the next two dynamites. You you don't.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like it like I said, that's where I was like, I think we need to show him a calendar. Cause like I said, with when you look at the ProtOkada stuff, you could have had that play out at Redemption. You didn't have to have them both grab the belt tonight. You could have done that at Redemption. You know, you could have had the tag match between Brodido and ProtOkada, which look, you know, would I be sitting here going like, it's a little bit flimsy. Yeah, but you would have had more time to build it. You could have had them get in each other's faces more. Do a tag match. You can still do it at the end. Like, yes, you could have played a bunch of this out at Redemption and let into All In that way. And I don't know. I don't it all it makes me wonder what Redemption is going to look like. I mean, it really does. Of of how much of it is just gonna be like, here's here's a bunch of matches.
Yeah.
And you know, I I would imagine the tag titles, they'll set that up for All In. And maybe something happens in the world title match that plays into All In. But other than that, I feel like so much stuff that's gonna happen at Redemption is just gonna happen and we're gonna move on. Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Quite possibly, yeah. And okay, but it does make for some frustrating and confusing storyline telling in between now and then.
Yeah. It does. It really does. Anyway, we've gone super long. My butt hurts from sitting in this chair. So let's put a bow on this. you know, I I it's a confusing one. It's a good show, but it's a confusing show. And I again, I think it's just a scheduling problem with putting Redemption here. but it is what it is. So on that note, we will have a go-home show to talk about next week, shockingly.
Fancies, yeah. All right. Yeah. I would tend to agree. Yep.
So we'll see what happens next week as they go home for Redemption. And then we'll talk about Redemption next week as well. So if you haven't liked and subscribed and followed and all that good stuff, you should do that.
Yep. Hit the dooley doos and the thingy things and the bells and the whistles and all that.
I'm pretty sure that was all very technically correct. It was. All right. oop, I gotta go shove like six more people into a match right now. Okay.
One hundred percent. Right?