Last week on DYNAMITE, fans were part of that very special moment above when Brandi Rhodes surprised both Cody Rhodes and the wrestling world with a gender reveal right there on TNT! We all found out together that the matriarch and patriarch of The Nightmare Family would soon be having a baby girl! It was an absolute joyous moment on a night that was otherwise filled with very hard times for a great many members of the AEW roster.
Jon Moxley was decimated by Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers before discovering he would compete in, as Omega put it, “an exploding barbed wire deathmatch” at REVOLUTION 2021! Sting was left out on his back by Team Taz after trying to take on Cage and Starks by himself! The Young Bucks and Brandon Cutler were beat up by The Inner Circle! Hangman Page narrowly escaped a beating of his own thanks to The Dark Order! And a knee injury to Serena Deeb may have cost her the Women's Eliminator Tournament bout!
There were a few bright spots, like Riho having a triumphant return to AEW after eleven months away, Page out-carnying Matt Hardy, and The Young Bucks retaining their World Tag Team Titles, but for a great many of the fan favorites, last week was a rough Wednesday night.
Live to fight another die could not be more appropriate though as this week, many aim to bounce back on an all-new AEW DYNAMITE! All Elite Wrestling takes to television screens at 8pm EST/7pm CST on TNT to continue an epic week of wrestling action, or if you are in our international audience, check it out on AEWPlus.com! From the Women's World Title Eliminator Special to AEW DARK to DYNAMITE to Sunday night on Bleacher Report, it is a loaded week of Elite action for fans worldwide as we head toward REVOLUTION 2021 (Order Now) on pay-per-view!
A COLLOSAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
Wednesday morning AEW shocked the world with the announcement that Paul Wight, a legendary multi-time champion and one of the best big men to ever compete, had signed a long-term deal with All Elite Wrestling to work in a multi-purpose role. Wight's signing adds another universally regarded talent to the roster, one who brings with him worldwide experience and recognition. In addition to the announcement of his signing and making an in-ring return, it was also revealed that Paul Wight will serve as commentator on AEW's newest YouTube show, AEW DARK: ELEVATION!
Tune into DYNAMITE on Wednesday night for further details on both Paul's arrival in AEW as well as more information on DARK: ELEVATION which will air on YouTube Monday nights at 7pm EST!
FACE OF THE REVOLUTION LADDER MATCH QUALIFIER...
“The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer (w/ Jake “The Snake” Roberts) vs. (#4) Rey Fenix
It was announced by Cody Rhodes last week on DYNAMITE that, as part of REVOLUTION 2021 on March 7th, there will a Ladder Match with a future TNT Title match hanging in the balance. The former two-time champion has already been entered into the field, as have Scorpio Sky and Penta El Zero Miedo, and this Wednesday night the competition to claim the remaining spots begins!
AEW has put together a wild way to kick it all off as two erstwhile partners, as well as rivals, go toe-to-toe in their very first AEW bout as foes! Rey Fenix and Lance Archer are quite familiar with one another as allies through a pair of six-man tag team bouts, and as foes given Fenix's past association with Eddie Kingston, but they have never fought one another within the confines of All Elite Wrestling. In fact, their lone meeting outside of the Casino Battle Royal at ALL OUT 2020 was way back in November of 2018 when the man who would become “The MurderHawk Monster” defeated Fenix one-on-one.
Fast forward 840 days and the two combatants lock horns once again but with a great deal more seasoning, and a TNT Title opportunity looming overhead. It's a championship Archer had a shot to claim as his own at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2020, but he fell to Cody in the finals of that tournament. Fenix has never had a chance to compete for that title, but a ladder match is something with which he is intimately familiar,having competed in at least five during his career, including the death-defying Escalera de la Muerte at ALL OUT 2019.
But before that ladder even comes into play, one of these men has to emerge victorious, and both have pretty strong game as singles competitors. Archer has fourteen wins and only three losses on his record books in those ranks, that TNT Title fight as well as a World Title one with Moxley, and the recent Eddie Kingston battle on January 27th, and while most think of The Lucha Brothers as a team, Rey Fenix has an impressive 12-4 record under his singles belt, including a recent World Title defeat at Kenny Omega's hands.
Power versus speed, technique versus strength, high-flying versus brawling; this meeting has all the makings of a classic battle of styles, and it will no doubt be the fans who win out here regardless of which man gets their hand raised in victory. May the best man win...
UNITED STATES BRACKET...
WOMEN'S WORLD TITLE ELIMINATOR TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINAL MATCH...
(#2) Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D vs. “The Native Beast” Nyla Rose
As witnessed Monday night in the YouTube special embedded above, former AEW Women's World Champion Nyla Rose, as well as Dr. Britt Baker, won their first round matches in the Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament. Rose faced stiff competition with a very game Tay Conti standing across the ring, a rematch of Conti's very first AEW singles bout, and one that very well could have gone in Tay's favor.
At one point Tay had Rose rolled up for what should have been a three count, but referee Aubrey Edwards was distracted dealing with an exposed turnbuckle and thus late to the count. Still, she gave “The Native Beast” everything she had, surviving a Gorilla Press and Death Valley Driver on the stage, but ultimately Tay fell in just under nine minutes to Rose's devastating Beast Bomb.
In the other first round fight, there was a rather unfortunate situation as Anna Jay was forced to step down from her scheduled match with Britt Baker due to a training injury that could sideline The Dark Order member for up to a year (Watch Here).
To paraphrase an old saying, one person's loss is another's gain, and thus Madi Wrenkowski received the biggest opportunity of her fledgling career. Last October, Madi celebrated her one year anniversary as a pro wrestler after training under Thunder Rosa, and experienced her first AEW competition last December against Leyla Hirsch. Then, out of nowhere, she found herself in the mix for a title opportunity via this tournament.
Unfortunately for Madi, Britt Baker did not even give her a chance to get out of the gate, attacking Madi before “Miss Reality” could even get into the ring, and using Rebel at every opportunity to take advantage of the rookie. Madi fought as best she could against not only the greatly more experienced Baker, but also against the numbers game, but it was just not her night to pull out the upset. In fact, it would turn into a humiliating experience for Madi as Baker and Rebel chose to send a message to Thunder Rosa using her pupil's face as the tableau.
Now, Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, in this first ever one-on-one meeting between two of the pillars of the women's division, Baker better not bank on using a numbers advantage or jump starting the bout on the ramp, because neither will go well for her when fighting “The Native Beast”! These two women may have met in Four Way bouts in the past, and even been partners on one occasion in the tag match where Baker sustained her knee injury last May, but this is their first time going head-to-head, and it is certainly the biggest challenge Britt has faced in a career lined with impressive opponents.
The winner of this fight then moves on to battle the the winner of the Thunder Rosa/Riho bout going down Sunday on Bleacher Report (Click Here), and there are great deal of intertwining threads there among these four athletes! Who will take that next step in the tournament and move closer towards a REVOLUTION 2021 date with Hikaru Shida?
ONE-ON-ONE...
(#1) Jon Moxley vs. “The Hollywood Hunk” Ryan Nemeth
One week ago, AEW World Champion Kenny Omega told the world that former champion Jon Moxley would get his rematch live on pay-per-view at REVOLUTION 2021 come March 7th. The shocking part came when, in that video embedded above, Omega also declared it would be an Exploding Barbwire Deathmatch. Now this is something many have endeavored to accomplish on U.S. soil but none had ever managed to make happen, but AEW will finally make this nightmare a reality in less than two weeks time.
In choosing this stipulation though, one has to wonder if Omega looked deep into the history of Mox and noticed stipulations such as BARBED WIRE BOARDS AND PITS OF GLASS, or FANS BRING THE WEAPONS, or NO ROPES BARBED WIRE in that resume? Has Kenny already forgotten their Unsanctioned Lights Out Match from FULL GEAR 2019 and the lengths Jon went to that night? If so, March 7th is going to be a rude awakening for the champ...
Before that, another individual is likely in store for a rough go on Wednesday night. Would you want to be the first man to step foot in the ring with Moxley after the events of last week? Could you fathom being the opponent on the receiving end of Jon's anger about that assault? That is what Ryan Nemeth has in store for him come the all-new DYNAMITE that hits Wednesday night! Nemeth may find it cute to share a photo relic from their shared days in Florida on his Twitter account (View Tweet), something to prove he and Moxley once occupied the same space at the same time, but this is not 2011 and Moxley is not the same man.
“The Hollywood Hunk”, as he calls himself, better use his AEW DARK fight on Tuesday with Aaron Solow to get prepared because on Wednesday he will need to be at the peak of his game just to survive the former AEW World Champion. The same goes for any individual who crosses Mox's path between now and March 7th...
REVOLUTION WARM-UP...
Team Taz (Brian Cage & “Absolute” Ricky Starks w/ Taz & Hook) vs. Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr & Griff Garrison)
After victorious outings on AEW DARK for Brian Cage and The Varsity Blonds this Tuesday, they all get right back into action, with Ricky Starks in the mix, for some tag team action! It's the first time these two units have squared off, but not the first meeting of individuals as Cage holds a win over Pillman last year while Starks notched his own over Garrison.
Still, there is a merit in the quote about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, and The Varsity Blonds have found a strength in their unity. They are a work in progress, a pair of young talents looking to breakout to that next level, and while their record of 6-8 may not scream success to many, numbers alone do not tell a complete story. Griff and Brian have danced with FTR twice, battle Butcher and Blade, went at it with The Inner Circle in the form of both Santana and Ortiz as well as Jericho and MJF; in short, they've been through it in those fourteen matches and grown as a team.
The Blonds experience together certainly outweighs the tag team history of Cage and Starks. Seeing as how the Team Taz pair have only danced together twice, with a .500 record to their name, on paper it looks like the former team has an edge. Again, the numbers don't paint a full picture, because they neglect the influence of a legendary figure like Taz or the presence of a young punk like Hook at ringside. They don't factor in the pressure of the upcoming REVOLUTION 2021 Street Fight with Sting and TNT Champion Darby Allin, and the necessity of making a statement at The Varsity Blonds expense going into that spotlight showdown.
In a case of who has more to lose versus more to gain, it is certainly Cage and Starks with the most at stake in this tag team battle. A loss so close to that pay-per-view fight would be hugely detrimental, so they must be on their game come Wednesday night, but there is one last factor that cannot be predicted or prepared for...
PAYBACK IS A....
After what Team Taz did to Sting last week on DYNAMITE when he confronted Taz and his ilk by himself, only to end up flat on his back from a Brian Cage power bomb, the legend is coming to Daily's Place with revenge on his mind. Sting cannot be predicted or game planned, he could pop up during that tag match, greet Team Taz in the parking lot, or drop them in the locker room when their guards are down. Each and every man representing the orange-and-black better keep their heads on a swivel all night long because Sting is everywhere and nowhere at once...
BIG MONEY CARNIES...
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Isiah Kassidy (w/ Matt Hardy)
Matt Hardy thought himself King Carny, although he'd never use that word to describe himself, and that he'd played Adam Page into the same kind of one-sided deal he bamboozled Private Party into many weeks ago. Hardy's ego and arrogance left him utterly blindsided when, after the pair defeated TH2 last Wednesday, Hangman unveiled the true contract that had been signed two weeks back rather than the con Big Money Matt tried to put over on Adam.
Turns out the charlatan got outplayed by Adam, and signed papers for a match at REVOLUTION 2021 between Page and Hardy with all of Big Money's 1st Quarter earnings of 2021 up for grabs! Hardy threw out a counter, challenging Page to put up his own 1st Quarter earnings in the match, and a handshake sealed the deal.
Of course Matt Hardy had a little something extra up his sleeve, and Isiah Kassidy (disguised as Jacksonville Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville) attached Page from behind! Hardy even threw up $3,700 to Jack Evans and Angelico, still at ringside following their loss, to join in on the assault! It was only the arrival of The Dark Order that brought a halt to the beating, and a nick of time response from Matt that saved him from eating a Buckshot Lariat for these troubles.
In those moment Page saw that The Dark Order truly had his back no matter the situation and regardless of his choice to not join them. Later on, Isiah Kassidy found out that he would also have to pay for the sins of Matt Hardy and would meet Hangman Page in a one-on-one contest this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE!
This will mark Isiah's first singles fight since his September 30th battle with Chris Jericho, and just his second since the inception of All Elite Wrestling, but to be frank, is it really a one-on-one fight when Matt Hardy will no doubt be lurking around ringside waiting for a chance to strike? Perhaps The Dark Order can serve to balance out the equation...
FRIENDSHIP...
Brandon Cutler vs. Jake Hager
In searching the internet, the following quote popped up and it could not be more perfect to the relationship between Brandon Cutler and The Young Bucks, especially looking at the situation that unfolded last week.
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out”
The quote is attributed to an American journalist named Walter Winchell who died in 1972, and it absolutely fits what happened when Brandon Cutler hit the ring in an attempt to help Matt and Nick while The Inner Circle assaulted them. Frame it in the light of what Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers were doing at that moment, or rather failed to do, and the quote truly encapsulates just what The Young Bucks mean to Cutler. They've had their rough moments since AEW came into existence, and Hangman Page certainly played a part in making Brandon question if Matt and Nick were truly in his corner, but at the most important times, the three friends have been there for each other.
That is why this Wednesday night, stemming from Cutler's involvement in the video embedded above, Brandon will return to action on DYNAMITE for the first time since a November 6, 2019 loss to Shawn Spears! Thirty-four matches later, and having won nine of this last ten, Cutler gets his third-ever bout on AEW's flagship program and it is against the man looking to put a big hurt on any foe, Jake Hager!
This fight will be a nice change of pace for Hager since, as of late, he's had to focus on fighting his own Inner Circle brethren more than other foes so it will no doubt be a pleasure for Jake to have a foe he feels he can just beat mercilessly. The thing with Jake, since he often hangs back in silence with only an occasional shout of “CHAMPIONSHIPS” breaking the stone face, is that it's easy to forget just how deadly he can be when that bell rings. Brutal strikes, wicked throws, and vicious submissions; that is what Cutler must hope to avoid when he makes his DYNAMITE return.
Hopefully, if anything goes awry, Matt and Nick Jackson are there for Brandon just as he was there for them, and those summertime warnings of Adam Page that feel as if they were uttered years ago do not prove prophetic.
THE HAPPY COUPLE...
After having their wedding party ruined by Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor, one can certainly imagine how Kip Sabian, Penelope Ford, and Miro are feeling. Kip had a chance to take out some of that frustration on Fuego Del Sol during Tuesday's edition of AEW DARK, but that was likely just scratching the surface of what the groom has bubbling inside him.
Fans certainly know the kind of rage Miro has bottled up inside him and the destruction he can unleash, and Penelope, well to be left with cake on your face, humiliated at your own wedding, that creates the kind of venom that no one will want to be on the receiving end.
So it falls on the legendary Tony Schiavone to tackle this powder keg come Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, when he sits down with the newlyweds and “The Best Man” Miro for an interview!
REVOLUTION 2021 (Order Now) is under two weeks away and the tensions across the board in AEW are boiling over! Witness the madness this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, all-new on TNT at 8pm EST/7pm CST, or over at AEWPlus.com for our International audience! Be sure to catch all the action on the official YouTube channel (Watch Now) in what has been a loaded week for AEW between the Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament Specials, a massive edition of AEW DARK, and of course, the Pre- and Post-Game shows on Wednesday nights! As if that wasn't enough, AEW and Bleacher Report are joining forces Sunday night at 7pm EST to present more action in the Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament!!!