Browsing: evaluation

Kyle Fletcher

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HOUSEKEEPING

• Tony Khan officially announced the addition of AEW Womenâ€s Tag Team Titles. He didnâ€t specify when inaugural champions will be crowned, but he did have Renee Paquette show off the new belts.

INTRO

All Out is in the rear view mirror and WrestleDream is on the horizon. First, though, Dynamite will celebrate its sixth anniversary next week. Letâ€s break down where things stand ahead of that milestone.

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A Rough Night for the Family

Latest Developments

Kyle Fletcher came up short in a fantastic match with “Hangman” Page, Josh Alexander & Hechicero failed to win the AEW Tag Team Titles, and tension continued to brew Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada as the latter retained his Unified Title in a not-so-great night for the Don Callis Family.

Analysis

The DCF’s night began midway through the PPV with Kazuchika Okada defending his Unified Title against Konosuke Takeshita and Mascara Dorada in a sensational three-way match. Dorada, wrestling his third match in three days, was the stand out in this one, hitting a plethora of incredible lucha spots throughout. He simply refused to get lost amidst the larger story of Okada and Takeshita each trying to prove their superiority. I didnâ€t love that Okada and Takeshita shared a ring before they had a one-on-one match, but this match did a good job threading the needle and building up interest in the eventual encounter.

Hechicero and Josh Alexander were among four teams in the four way ladder match in the semi-main event. Iâ€ve always believed ladder matches should only be used in specific situations, none of which this match met, but thereâ€s no doubt this match was great.

One of the scarier spots of the match came when “Speedball” Mike Bailey executed his moonsault double knee drop onto Hechicero who was stretched across a ladder. Iâ€m not sure what got the worst of it, Speedballâ€s shins or Hechiceroâ€s neck. In the end, Bandido took out the DCF members with a top rope moonsault with a ladder in his hands before ascending another ladder to retrieve the belts for his team.

The show closed with Kyle Fletcher challenging “Hangman” Page for the AEW Menâ€s World Title. If there were any doubters who believed Fletcher didnâ€t belong in the main event, he absolutely proved them wrong. The match was 38 minutes but never dragged. Champion and challenger beat the hell out of each other. Fletcher targeted Hangmanâ€s taped up neck which Fletcher injured in a show closing attack last Wednesday. He hit a brainbuster through the timekeeper’s table and then another in the ring, but Hangman kicked out.

Thatâ€s when he started to get frustrated and make mistakes. It eventually caught up with him as Hangman reversed an attempt at the top rope brainbuster into a top rope Dead Eye which he followed up with a Buckshot lariat for the win.

The main event was easily the match of the night. Fletcher established himself as a player who is ready for the main event physically but perhaps has emotional growing to do. This loss should be motivation for Fletcher to really focus on his TNT Title and eventually work his way back to a title match. As for Hangman, itâ€s hard to know if thereâ€s more battles with the Don Callis Family ahead or if a new challenger will emerge.

Grade: B+

Tic Tack Done

Latest Developments

Mark Briscoe finally got even with MJF, defeating him in the first even Tacks ‘n’ Tacks match.

Analysis

Mark Briscoe started of the match by emptying the contents of four buckets full of tacks into the center of the ring. MJF dodged being dropped into them a couple times before scoop slamming Briscoe into them. He then hit an Alabama Slam on Briscoe into the tacks. MJF also brilliantly got heat by putting the tables back under the ring. It was a simple thing but so effective. Briscoe took over and repeatedly dropped into the tacks. He put him through a table on the floor. The finish came after Briscoe hit two Froggy Bows, one through a table, and then the Jay Driller.

Briscoe had to win this match after all the heinous things MJF said about his family, specifically his late brother. It does seem like Briscoe is sliding back into his feud with the DCF and effort to get a TNT title match against Kyle Fletcher.

This loss capped off a bad weekend for MJF who lost a great match to Mistico the night prior at the CMLL Anniversario show. Iâ€m not sure whatâ€s next for him but he does still hold that Casino Gauntlet contract.

Grade: B+

Well That Was Unexpected

Latest Developments

Kris Statlander shocked the world, pinning Toni Storm with a seatbelt to capture the AEW Womenâ€s World title.

Analysis

When Toni Storm set up the four-way match for AEW Womenâ€s World Title it seemed like a foregone conclusion that she would retain her championship. That made Kris Statlanderâ€s upset all the more surprising. The match itself was fine, although it quite clicked into a higher gear. At the end, Toni was left alone in the ring with Stat. The two squared off with Stat getting the advantage and hooking on the seatbelt pinning combination for the unexpected victory.

I hope thereâ€s a good plan in place for Statlander given the equity that Toni has built up in the title since winning it back in Australia in February. Obviously sheâ€s been doing this weird dance with the Death Riders for weeks now and she won with Wheeler Yutaâ€s signature move. The thing is it feels like the best opportunity for her to turn heel was during the match, as a way to win. It would feel anticlimactic to do it once sheâ€s already beaten the champion clean.

Tony Khanâ€s announcement regarding the Women’s Tag Team Titles being introduced complicates matters further because itâ€s always felt like Stat and Willow were destined to make a deep run in the inaugural tournament or even win it. That would mean she’d have to remain a face. Itâ€s hard to say where this goes but we probably wonâ€t be able to fully judge it until after the fact. (Statlander seemed to definitely side against the Death Riders by clotheslining Yuta and flipping off Mox.)

Grade: B-

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The Mox, The Mox, The Mox is on Fire!

Latest Developments

Jon Moxley defeated Darby Allin in a coffin match with the help of the returning Pac only to be set on fire in a body bag backstage.

Analysis

The match was as violent and bloody as expected. At one point Darby hit a suicide dive onto Mox into a standing coffin. In a callback to last month at Forbidden Door, Darby retrieved a fork and stabbed Mox in the ear and the head.

Speaking of callbacks Bryan Danielson produced a duffel bag in which he had hidden a plastic bag identical to the one the Death Riders used on him. He passed the bag to Darby who then attempted to suffocate Mox. Just when it looked like Darby had the match won, Pac made his return after a several month injury layoff. Sporting street clothes and a new short haircut, Pac kicked Darby in the face and then Razorâ€s Edged him over the top rope onto the lid of a coffin. He picked up Darbyâ€s lifeless body, placed in a body bag, and dumped it in the coffin which Mox kicked shut.

This win was something of a surprise given that it seemed like Darby winning and symbolically closing the lid on the Death Riders made the most sense. Moxâ€s victory extends the story. What also extended the story was what transpired later backstage. Mox and the Death Riders had carried the coffin with Darby in it away from the ring after the match.

Marina Shafir found a cameraman in the back and directed him to film. Mox stood over the coffin and said he loved Darby. He dismissed the other Death Riders and then knelt next to the coffin. Thatâ€s when Darby, having Houdini-d himself out of the body bag popped out of the coffin and blasted Mox with a pipe. He then put Mox in the body bag, sprayed a flammable liquid on him, and lit him on fire. Officials quickly rushed to put the flames out as Mox screamed in pain. Darby told them to let him burn as he was forcibly dragged away from the scene.

Ordinarily, this would be a too over-the-top scene but given the escalatory nature of the violence within this feud, something the commentators pointed out, it somehow made sense. That said, I shudder to imagine whatâ€s next. Maybe Tony Khan is going to bring back the human torch match after all.

[Note: Darby showed at Dynamite with his flamethrower and challenged Mox to an Quit match at WrestleDream.]

Grade: B

The Ecstasy and the Agony

Latest Developments

Adam Copeland & Christian Cage defeated FTR only for FTR to attack them and the debuting Beth Copeland after the match.

Analysis

This match featured the most Canadian video package accompanying Copeland and Christianâ€s entrance with the two running into hockey legends and TV stars backstage. As for the match it was wrestled like an old school tag match with the heels isolating one of the faces. Things broke down after Christian hit Dax with a spear and Copeland used the Killswitch on Cash. Copeland made the cover but Stokely.

That brought out the former Beth Phoenix now Beth Copeland. She speared Stokely and then carried him to the back on her shoulders. FTR got a series of near falls on Copeland first with shot with the ring bell and then consecutive Shatter Machines. The finish itself was a little wonky with Christian yanking Dax out the ring and Cash walking into a spear.

After the match Beth returned to congratulate her husband when Mother Wayne suddenly rolled Nick Wayne onto the stage in a wheelchair. That allowed FTR and Kip Sabian to attack Copeland and Christian from behind. Sabian handcuffed Copeland to the bottom rope while FTR hit a spiked piledriver on Christian. They turned their sights on Beth. When she realized the situation she simply kissed her husband and then started punching FTR. They quickly overwhelmed her and Copeland was forced to watch Beth take a spiked piledriver.

This all worked well in front of the Toronto crowd. The hometown legends got their win but the heels got a ton of heat back to extend the feud. The go-home promo saved a lackluster build and this match set up the next steps nicely so I expect better from the buildup this time around.

Grade: B

Random Questions

– Can we get Mercedes Moné a real opponent now? Yes, she had a good match with Riho but the entire set up felt totally out of nowhere. There was an interesting feud going between Mercedes and Alex Windsor and Riho got dropped into the middle of it. Letâ€s get back to that.

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