quote:

The show opened with Cody starring in a video package. This was a chance for him to show off his acting chops as he sat in front of a bank of monitors as if he were Batman in the Batcave.

Cody handicapped the remaining competitors in the TNT tournament. His delivery was very good.

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Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone previewed the rest of the show.

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A Sammy Guevara video package played. Sammy cut a strong promo. He said Darby beat him at Revolution but he's going to beat him tonight.

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A Darby Allin video package played. This was shot in the black and white style that has been used in most of his promo packages. Allin vowed to win.

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TNT Championship Tournament match: Darby Allin defeated Sammy Guevara

This was a very good match. Not as good as their Revolution bout, but this was hampered by two commercial breaks and an empty arena.

Guevara attacked Allin as he made his entrance. Guevara beat Allin all around ringside. He pulled a ladder from under the ring and set up a ladder bridge from the apron to the barricade, then placed Allin on the ladder.

Guevara hit a splash off the top rope through the ladder. The ladder didn't appear to be gimmicked and it didn't break. The ringside doctor checked on both men as they went to the first commercial break.

After the break, the opening bell rang. Guevara went to work on Allin in the ring with strikes. He teased a superplex but Allin blocked. Allin took off Guevara's left boot and began stomping and headbutting the ankle.

Guevara hit a springboard cutter for a two count. Allin barred Guevara's knee and used a heel hook. Guevara hit a boot to the face for a near fall. Allin was bleeding from the nose.

Allin rolled to the floor before the second commercial break of the match.

Back from break, Allin went for a suicide dive but hit the barricade instead. That's a spectacular spot but it's profoundly stupid.

Guevara barely connected on a 630 splash. Allin grabbed the rope and forced a break on the ensuing pin attempt.

The finish saw Allin hit a backpack stunner. Guevara tried a burning hammer GTS but Allin blocked. Allin then rolled through into the Last Supper and pinned Guevara.

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Broken Matt Hardy cut a promo. This seemed to set up Hardy vs. Guevara at the Hardy compound, with Hardy working his way through the Inner Circle until he gets to Jericho. Nothing was officially announced, though.

Hardy said that Jericho never responded to his challenge. He said maybe if Jericho doesn't want to come to the Hardy cimpound, maybe Sammy Guevara should come face him instead.

Hardy said maybe Jericho didn't respond to him because Broken Matt is too intense. He said maybe Jericho needs to hear from Matt's mortal vessel.

Matt Hardy then appeared without the Broken gimmick and addressed Jericho. He said he's known Jericho for 20 years. He said he's got the back of his friends The Elite and he won't let Jericho use AEW as a platform.

Hardy vowed to kick Guevara's rear end and kick the rear end of the whole Inner Circle.

This was a good promo, particularly once he dropped the Broken character.

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Kenny Omega defeated Alan Angels

Jericho was tremendous on commentary in this match. Omega gave Angels a ton of offense. Too much, really.

Angels hit a leg kick. Angels had an answer for everything Omega tried early on. Angels hit a senton. Angels used the ring skirt to trip Omega. Angels got a two count off a springboard move.

Omega missed a V-Trigger but managed to connect with a snap dragon suplex. Omega hit a V-Trigger but Angels kicked out.

Omega connected with another V-Trigger for the pin.

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A Scorpio Sky video package played.

Sky said he wanted to be a wrestler for as long as he could remember. He said he suffered a serious back injury in 2008 or 2009 that threatened his career.

He said he doesn't believe in miracles but one day he woke up and his back didn't hurt. He got back into wrestling but always had bad luck as far as getting a big break.

Sky said everything changed in 2017 when SCU formed.

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They played the Road To video where Dustin Rhodes vowed to retire if he lost tonight while leaving Cody a voicemail.

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A Being The Elite commercial played, hyping episode 200.

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Orange Cassidy defeated Jimmy Havoc

I like both of these guys but this went way too long.

Havoc attacked Cassidy before the bell and dominated the match.

Havoc choked Cassidy with Cassidy's own jacket and t-shirt. Havoc crotched Cassidy on the barricade and suplexed him on the floor.

Havoc hit a DVD and used an armbar. Havoc bit Cassidy's hands.

Cassidy finally made a comeback. He hit a crossbody and a swing DDT. Havoc cut Cassidy off again. Cassidy came back with a splash.

The match broke down into chaos. Penelope Ford jumped on the apron. Chuck Taylor tried to pull her off. Instead, Ford did the splits on the apron. Kip Sabian flew in with a tope over the top rope to the floor, wiping out Taylor and Trent.

Back inside, Cassidy tripped Havoc and used a crucifix for the flash pin.

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Havoc immediately killed Cassidy wit a DDT after the match. Taylor and Trent jumped in to make the save. Some kind of multi-person match between Best Friends and Cassidy, Havoc, Sabian and maybe Ford seems imminent.

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MJF cut a promo from "his rat's house" in Cape Cod.

MJF said he suffered a hangnail while gambling at his last Dynamite appearance. He said it's become life-threatening and may require surgery. The camera pulled back to reveal MJF in a sling.

He vowed to return and win the AEW title.

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Wardlow defeated Lee Johnson

Just a quick squash here.

Johnson scored with one dropkick. Wardlow hit a series of suplexes and won with his F-10.

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A Brodie Lee video aired.

A Dark Order hopeful was shown. His girlfriend Samantha broke up with him by voicemail. He got injured in a college football game and turned to the Dark Order website.

The hopeful met with Lee who asked him how tall he was, how much he weighed and whether or not he played college football. The hopeful answered 6'2", 240, and yes he played football.

Lee offered him success.

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Brodie Lee defeated Justin Law

Lee won a squash with a discus lariat after hitting a variety of suplexes and throws.

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Marko Stunt taunted Lee from the audience. Lee stared him down. This looks to be a match sometime soon.

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Best Friends vs. Jimmy Havoc and Kip Sabian was set up via a backstage promo with Best Friends. No official announcement was made for when this will take place.

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Brodie Lee vs. Marko Stunt was announced for next week. A double main event of both TNT tournament semifinals was also announced for next week.

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Another episode of The Bubbly Bunch aired.

Sammy lamented that they had been down lately. Jericho said that they should do Flim Flam dances to cheer themselves up. Sammy wasn't in until Jericho promised hand sanitizer to the winner. Flim Flam was a Tik Tok spoof, in case you needed this spelled out.

Guevara won the dance contest.

I enjoyed this much more than the first episode of The Bubbly Bunch.

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A hype video played for the main event with strong promos from both Rhodes and Sabian.

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TNT Championship Tournament match: Dustin Rhodes (w/Brandi Rhodes) defeated Kip Sabian (w/Penelope Ford)

This really could have used a few more minutes.

Rhodes took the early part of the match. He worked on the left arm of Sabian. Sabian backed Rhodes into the corner. From there, Ford grabbed the ankle of Rhodes which allowed Sabian to take over.

Sabian hit a penalty kick for a near fall before a commercial break.

Sabian worked on the left leg. Rhodes did a nice job of selling like he was having a tough time walking and running. Rhodes used a quick crucifix for a two count.

Sabian hit a knee to the chest and used a lariat for a near fall. They traded cradles for near falls.

Rhodes made his comeback and hit a bunch of signature spots, including his powerslam.

Sabian cut Rhodes off and hit a DDT for a near fall. Sabian hit a series of punches from mount. Sabian took the referee.

With the ref distracted, Ford jumped in the ring. Brandi jumped in and hit her with a spear.

The finish saw Rhodes make it to his feet and hit a code red for the pin on Sabian.

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Rhodes celebrated in the ring after the match.

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As the show was going off the air, Schiavone said that Tony Khan just told him in his ear that Kip Sabian & Jimmy Havoc vs. Best Friends in a no DQ match was signed for next week.

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I thought this show was paced pretty well but it lacked some sizzle outside of the opening match.

I would have given the main event more time and cut the Havoc/Cassidy match some.

Empty arena wrestling continues to be a tough watch but there's great effort from the crew here.

NAG posted:

Waffleopolis posted:

So about Double or Nothing. Are they contractually obligated to perform a $50 pay-per-view on May 23? This feels like this is the reason it's still going on. If they can change this, the best option would be to do it for free on Youtube ala Fyter Fest/Fight For The Fallen as a sign of good will. If they need to do an actual price, at least chop it to $9.99, maybe with some proceeds going to help medical facilities. I feel like keeping the way it is would damage both parties and it seems insane to me that they aren't changing it.

smarxist posted:

they'd probably have to pay some kind of hefty penalty to completely cancel the show, so from a "the company needs to survive" position, it's probably better to cobble together the best show you can under the restrictions, but it's obviously not a great proposition for everyone else. it's just a lovely situation all around

Wiltsghost posted:

Got recommended the Wardlow vs Cody steel cage match tonight because I hadn't seen Wardlow wrestle before tonight. That was loving sick. That moonsault at the end. Hard to believe that was only 2 months ago.

ChrisBTY posted:

No matter how well you use the Big Show you're not going to get great matches out of it so I give WWE a pass on this one. Big Show was no Wardlow.

I Before E posted:

Darby/Lance in the finals is a great chance to give Darby a long competitive match where he looks like a hero but Lance still wins, like the Darby vs Sammy and Jericho match where he almost beat the two of them alone. There's nothing but upside to giving him openings for future matches with Cody and Lance.

Lamuella posted:

Blast from the past: this is the last televised singles match between Dustin Rhodes and Lance Archer. Under different names of course https://youtu.be/QNvuiKyZhf8

WSAENOTSOCK posted:

Kenny's run has sucked. The Bucks' run has sucked. Hangman did suck and is now awesome.

Wrestling was really bad when all the top talent were so protective of their spots that they would sabotage everybody they could for the crime of getting over, but I think we overcorrected and have gone too far in the other direction.

Every match is competitive now. Imagine if Goldberg or Brock (in his first run, not his second) had a ten minute, competitive match every time out.

The rest of the Elite could take a few cues from Cody in terms of knowing that you being in management doesn't mean you can't be a main-eventer.

Hefty Leftist posted:

i can't believe a jobber kicked out of the one winged angel and then pinned kenny with a pedigree

WSAENOTSOCK posted:

But if that's their goal, they should've done the opposite. Putting over Privater Party didn't mean poo poo to me, because I'd never seen a Bucks match since they were Generation Me, and I literally can't remember 98% of the things I saw on TNA television after Russo came back.

If they were all booked like main-eventers, it'd actually mean something when they tried to make somebody.

Not everybody follows New Japan and the indies. AEW often assumes everybody does, to its own detriment. One need only look at SCU to see a perfect example of this.

Yes, the Bucks and Kenny were in possibly the best match of the year, and that's obviously a point in their favor. I wouldn't even dream of arguing that point.

And there's no need to parrot Dave's points at me like they were mine. I also don't think it was a problem that a jobber kicked out of a V-Trigger.

There's a vast chasm between this, and what actually happened, and I'd prefer things to be somewhere more in the middle of those two things.

I gotta' tell ya', folks, it's borderline frightening how much people need to defend everything AEW does. I loving love the company and the show. In a big bad way. I look forward to Tuesdays and Wednesdays so much it's kind of gross. I'm allowed to not like a thing about a thing I love.

MathMathCalculation posted:

So if Lance Archer is a Murderhawk, does that mean he's the next evolutionary step of Luchasaurus?

NienNunb posted: