We’re a few days away from yet another AEW pay-per-view. Coming to us from the Addition Financial Arena on the campus of the University Of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida… folks, Revolution is upon us.
On paper, this card is more stacked than All You Can Eat Pancakes at IHOP.
From time-to-time, I like to make predictions for pay-per-views, but I also like to take things one step further. Not only do I make predictions on what I think will take place, but I also like to talk about what would happen if I were in charge of the company. It’s easy to just say so-and-so will win and leave it at that, but I like to put myself out there and talk about what should happen. Sometimes my picks for what WILL happen and what SHOULD happen are the same, and other times, they’re wildly different. That’s just the way it is. It provides wider lanes for conversation and discussion, though.
There’s no reason to keep the jibba jabba going, so let’s get to making some predictions, shall we?
Sting, Darby Allin & Sammy Guevara vs Andrade El Idolo, Matt Hardy & Isiah Kassidy – Tornado Trios Tag
I’ve said this time and time again… one thing that AEW really excels at is bigger tag matches. Either six-person, eight-person, and so on. They pack so much action into one match, and they usually end with everyone looking good, win or lose. Take all of that into account, then add the fact that this is a Tornado Tag Match… everyone can legally be in the match at the same time, which also means anybody can be pinned or submitted at any point… and that means this one could be impossible to keep track of.
There are two lines of thinking you could have going into this match. On one hand, you could say that Hardy, Andrade, and the rest of their group have been taking too many losses, so they’re due for a big win here. However, on the other hand, you could say that Hardy is simply jogging in place until his brother inevitably shows up in AEW. It’s difficult to argue with the latter opinion. I think a loss for the heel squad, and specifically Hardy being responsible for the loss, further sets things in motion for a split in the group, allowing for Matt to be a face with his brother whenever Jeff shows up. If my math is correct, Jeff’s no-compete clause expires four days after Revolution, so it could be happening very soon. Honestly, that’s for the best, because this entire Hardy Family stable isn’t really working out. It’s time to move on.
What Will Happen: Sting, Darby Allin & Sammy Guevara Win
What Should Happen: Sting, Darby Allin & Sammy Guevara Win
Jade Cargill vs Tay Conti – TBS Title Match
Look, I like Tay Conti. I really do. There’s just not a lot to like about her chances here.
If you’re approaching things from a strictly kayfabe perspective, she doesn’t necessarily belong in a title picture right now. She is 0-3 in title matches during her time in AEW, and her biggest singles win (against Nyla Rose) came nearly a full calendar year ago. Don’t get me wrong… she is currently on a roll. She hasn’t been on the losing side of a match since the December 10th, 2021 episode of Rampage, and hasn’t lost a singles match since losing to Britt Baker at Full Gear on November 13th, 2021. If this type of thing matters to you, most of these wins are coming on Dark, Dark: Elevation, Dark: Man X, A Scanner Dark:ly, and Elvira: Mistress Of The: Dark, but the fact is that she’s still winning.
No offense to Ameera, Heather Monroe, and Miranda Gordy, though, but they’re not Jade Cargill by a longshot. Jade continues to be one of the biggest and most marketable stars AEW has. If her in-ring work can continue to improve (Revolution comes three days after the one-year anniversary of her debut match), she could become a true blue megastar. This is going to sound strange for multiple reasons, but she’s almost someone who could benefit from a jump to WWE in the future. That’s a different discussion for a different day, though.
Sorry, Tay. It looks like you’re about to go 0-4 in title matches.
What Will Happen: Jade Cargill Wins
What Should Happen: Jade Cargill Wins
Eddie Kingston vs Chris Jericho
If you look at the recent battle of words these two had, one thing should really stick out… Jericho’s comments about how Kingston just can’t seem to win the “big one” in AEW. Whether you like Eddie or not, there’s some truth in that. There’s a lot of truth in that, actually.
When Eddie first came to AEW, he lost to Cody Rhodes in a match for Cody’s TNT Title. He was unsuccessful in winning the Casino Battle Royale at All Out less than two months later, and he followed that up by failing to take the AEW World Title from Jon Moxley three weeks later. Six weeks later, he failed to take the World Title from Moxley again. At New Year’s Smash to kick off 2021, he lost to Pac. At Double Or Nothing in May 2021, he and Moxley lost to The Young Bucks in a Tag Team Title match, and then he teamed with Penta El Zero Miedo five weeks later and lost to the Bucks in another Tag Team Title match. Two months later, he lost to Miro at All Out, failing to capture Miro’s TNT Title. Right before Halloween last year, he would lose to Bryan Danielson on an episode of Rampage, and then followed that up by losing to CM Punk at Full Gear two weeks later.
That is almost every “big” match during his time with AEW, and they were all losses. If you’re looking for his biggest singles wins with the company, you’d have to look at two wins over Lance Archer, but that’s it. He remains one of the most over performers on the roster, though, which continues to get him placed in these big matches. It’s probably time for AEW to shit or get off the pot, as the saying goes, when it comes to Eddie Kingston. That “can’t win the big one” stigma is something that can, and has, followed wrestlers around and changed the way people view them. Jericho is a “made man” in wrestling. He can lose to anybody, anywhere, at any time, and it won’t hurt him that much. Look no further than Mimosa Mayhem for proof of that.
I’ve seen some predictions that Jericho will win, allowing him to return to a singles title picture. He dropped the AEW World Title to Jon Moxley on February 29th, 2020… over two full years ago… and hasn’t even had a singles title shot of any kind since. Would it shock me if Jericho came out victorious here? No. Not at all. Would it disappoint me if Jericho came out victorious here? Yes. Yes.. at… all? Like I said, though, Jericho is bulletproof. A loss here isn’t going to prevent him from challenging for the World Title or the TNT Title in the future. This needs to be Eddie’s time.
What Will Happen: Eddie Kingston Wins
What Should Happen: Eddie Kingston Wins
Jon Moxley vs Bryan Danielson
While they were both in WWE, we saw these two face off in singles matches on television or pay-per-view four times. We saw them face each other in some sort of tag match on television or pay-per-view a whopping 19 times. Throw in a seven-man Ladder Match where they were both competitors, and you have a combination that we’ve seen a lot over the last decade-plus.
We’ve seen a lot of Dean Ambrose vs Daniel Bryan.
Jon Moxley vs Bryan Danielson, on the other hand, is something we haven’t seen since September 16th, 2010. On that night, Danielson defeated Moxley at Dragon Gate USA’s Way Of The Ronin show. That was a very different Jon Moxley, though, and it was a very different Bryan Danielson. We’re in uncharted waters here.
Danielson is asking everyone to give him violence that can even come close to the level of violence he can dish out. He wants to team with Moxley, but Mox said he can’t team up with anyone he hasn’t bled with before. Oh, this one is going to be a doozy. A brutal, physical doozy.
Part of the prediction process for this match is deciding whether or not you think Moxley and Danielson will get together on a “Two-Man Power Trip” type of team to dominate AEW. Some folks don’t think they will, but it seems like the prevailing thought process is that this match will be the thing that causes Moxley to realize everything Danielson has been saying is true. I just don’t see how we can avoid putting them together, even for a brief period of time. Think of the matches, the promos, and the television that can be made by putting them together. There’s so much fun that can be had, even without the addition of a stable including the likes of Lee Moriarty, Daniel Garcia, and younger wrestlers of that nature.
So what happens here?
My initial thought is that Moxley should win here. He just returned, and is the “hotter” act at the moment.
Then my thoughts switch to Danielson picking up the win. He needs a big win more than Moxley does, and his character is fighting for a lot more than just a regular singles win. Danielson really wants this team with Moxley to happen, so it makes a lot of sense that he’d be willing to do whatever it takes for that to come to fruition.
Then I have to think about what makes the pairing more likely. If Moxley loses, can you see him shrugging his shoulders and agreeing to form a duo with Danielson? On the flip side… if Moxley wins, can you picture Danielson still clinging to the idea of a pairing instead of just wanting revenge?
That’s the beauty of this story right now. If you answered “no” to both of those questions, I’d get it, but if you answered “yes” to both of those questions, I’d get it, and if you answered “yes” to one and “no” to the other… I’d get it. There’s a lot to like about a match where just about anything can happen, and it would all make sense.
In the end, I can’t ignore the point that was made about how Moxley has never defeated Danielson. Obviously, they’re referring to singles competition, but that’s true… in singles matches, Moxley/Ambrose has never beaten Danielson/Bryan. Not even at house shows. There have been a couple No Contests, but that’s it. I think we can get a lot of mileage out of Moxley finally getting the win here, but in a bloody, violent match that leads him to agree to pairing up with his fallen foe. Keep them together for 20 years, 20 months, 20 weeks, or 20 days… it really doesn’t matter. Just get them together, and watch the magic happen.
If it were up to me, I’d say Moxley runs with the “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” line of thinking. He knows Danielson is up to something, so he’s going to keep him close to try and figure it out. We can work on that in the future.
What Will Happen: Jon Moxley Wins
What Should Happen: Jon Moxley Wins, Moxielson/Danieley run wild and pick up multiple titles
Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. vs Thunder Rosa – AEW Women’s Title Match
There’s a few different reasons why, but I’ve been seeing a ton of fans “turning” on the champion in recent weeks. Even as a heel, she was super over in every city AEW performed in, and fans loved her character and her deserved rise to the top. Now, just a short time later, I’m seeing her get called “boring” a lot, and people are saying that she hasn’t done much of anything since winning the title nine months ago.
I think she’s just as entertaining as she ever was. The only thing is that there are a lot more women in AEW to care about now, so ol’ Doc Smiley doesn’t seem like she’s heads and shoulders above everyone else in the division anymore. That’s a very good problem for AEW to have.
Thunder Rosa has built up a lot of momentum heading into this match. She hasn’t lost a singles match in 2022, and has racked up a lot of impressive performances along the way. These two had one of the best matches of 2021 in their Unsanctioned “Lights Out” match in March. That was, of course, the match when Thunder Rosa won but Britt Baker came out of it looking like a major star. That match came five weeks after another one between these two, when Baker picked up the win, making this the third match in their “trilogy.”
The problem that AEW has here, as well as with their other women’s title, is the lack of challengers that people can put any stock in. Jade Cargill has been so dominant, and sometimes it seems like Britt Baker has beaten everyone on the roster multiple times over. If the champion retains here, what happens next? Are we going to circle back to Hikaru Shida as the next challenger? Mercedes Martinez could work, but she has already been positioned beneath Thunder Rosa on the proverbial totem pole in AEW. Serena Deeb also makes sense, but it puts another Heel vs Heel match in our laps. Besides, I think the goal is for Deeb to go after Jade Cargill at some point. Her “Rookie Challenge” matches seem like they could be setting up the chance for Deeb to go after the hot rookie champion.
I think it makes a lot more sense to have a new champion crowned here. It can give a bit of a refresh for Britt Baker, putting her on the hunt again. Thunder Rosa can have new matches with a different set of opponents, or at least ones with a new twist.
What Will Happen: Thunder Rosa Wins (New Champion)
What Should Happen: Thunder Rosa Wins (New Champion)
CM Punk vs MJF – Dog Collar Match
CM Punk delivered a really good promo to set this match up in the first place. Then, a week later, MJF delivered what many are calling an all-time great promo to further sell the match. Now, people are confused as all hell. I’ve seen people say that MJF’s promo was the beginning of what could be a double turn in this feud. There are people who feel it was all a ploy from MJF to have Punk let his guard down a bit. Then there’s the people who simply felt it was a great promo, but that it doesn’t change anything in the feud.
What should be obvious is that we’re getting a bloody match here. Dog Collar Matches don’t happen very often, especially these days, but when they do, you’re probably getting blood from everyone involved. The match between “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine at Starrcade 1983 was referenced by Punk in his promo, and that one was particularly wild. Not only did they both get bloody, but Piper had his left eardrum broken during the match, causing him to lose over 50% of his hearing in that ear permanently, as well as damaging his equilibrium on top of that. There was a fear that he wouldn’t be able to wrestle again, and would join the WWF as a Manager before eventually being able to return to the ring.
Will we see that level of brutality between Punk and MJF? Probably not. It’s still a match that can guarantee they won’t be the same moving forward, though.
I think Punk comes out of this as the winner. The story is right there for him to do so. This is “his” match. You could say that he needs the win, especially after losing to MJF last month. MJF’s promo, no matter where it ultimately takes us, was to lay one thing out nice and neat in front of us… he doesn’t want to be a quitter, because that’s what he feels Punk did back in 2014… quit on the business, quit on his fans, quit on his friends. Well, that’s the beauty of a Dog Collar Match… he can lose the match by pinfall. A strong performance, where he doesn’t back down to any of the gruesome nature of the match, can go a long way for MJF here. He can gain Punk’s respect in kayfabe, and he can also change the way a lot of fans look at him. That doesn’t even have to extend to any sort of face turn, either. He can still be a complete douchenozzle that you want to see receive his comeuppance but get your respect in a tough environment like this one.
Let’s have some fun, though.
I’d have MJF pick up the win. Not only that, but I would have him do so cleanly. No Wardlow, no Shawn Spears, no nothing. Punk will be fine with a loss. This is the time to elevate MJF to a different level, though. He has always had the mic skills and the character work to be a top guy, but his in-ring skills and everything else have been impressing as of late. His only AEW World Title shot came at All Out 2020, but it’s pretty clear that this MJF is miles ahead of the MJF that lost to Jon Moxley on that night 18 months ago. A win here easily puts MJF in line for another World Title shot. It’s time.
What Will Happen: CM Punk Wins
What Should Happen: MJF Wins
Keith Lee vs Wardlow vs Powerhouse Hobbs vs Ricky Starks vs Orange Cassidy vs ??? – Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match
The downside to me posting weekly columns on Wednesday afternoons comes in instances like this, where I don’t even know all of the entrants in this match as of the time this column goes live to the world. We don’t know who the final entrant in the match is going to be. Hell, we don’t know who is competing for the right to be the final entrant in the match. Will it be someone already on the roster, or will it be someone that joins Keith Lee in the match as an AEW newcomer?
I’ve seen so many predictions for that final spot. Cody Rhodes, Windham Rotunda, Brian Cage, Hook, Malakai Black, Christian Cage, Jake Hager, Sw3rve The Realest, Claudio Castagnoli, Kenny Omega, Lance Archer, Miro, Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page, Shane McMahon, Trent Barretta, Dustin Rhodes… the list goes on and on of people I’ve seen named as who the final entrant could/should/will be. While it wouldn’t shock me if we got a new signing, it should really just be Keith Lee here. There’s no need to have multiple newcomers here, guaranteeing that at least one of them will be facing a loss so early in their time with the company.
I’ve tried to look at things from a different perspective, but I just can’t get away from the idea of Keith Lee winning this. He built up a lot of buzz by joining AEW, and an impressive debut only made that buzz stronger.
I am absolutely NOT saying Keith Lee was hired simply because AEW and Tony Khan were receiving accusations of not being diverse enough, but I AM saying that a push for Lee can go a long way to shut a lot of people up. Yes, I know this match is for a TNT Title shot, not a World Title shot, but Lee can win this and easily make his way to the World Title picture sooner than later if the wave of momentum continues to get surfed. Wardlow is on a path to superstardom already, as AEW fans are waiting to give him the “Batista finally turns on Triple H” treatment for when he finally stands up to MJF. Starks and Hobbs almost cancel each other out in this match. They’ll look strong for a while as they team up, but that won’t last. Shit, have a returning Brian Cage come out and knock them both off a ladder or something to remove them from the match. Whatever happens, Keith Lee needs to be the victor here.
What Will Happen: Keith Lee Wins
What Should Happen: Keith Lee Wins
Jurassic Express vs reDRagon vs ??? – Three-Way Tag Match for the AEW Tag Team Titles
Oh, hey, another match where I have to make a prediction without knowing all of the competitors involved. Hooray! We’re getting a Casino Tag Royale on Dynamite to determine the final team in this match. As always, there is speculation all over the map. The Young Bucks are going to win! No, Santana and Ortiz are going to win! Nope, it’s going to be FTR! No, it’ll be a surprise team making their debut!
The easiest bet is that The Young Bucks will be the third and final team in the match at Revolution. First and foremost, the Bucks have wrestled on every single AEW pay-per-view in company history, and they aren’t exactly job squad guys now, so keeping that streak alive makes sense. Also, their status within the company automatically makes them the “favorites” to win, presenting a major hurdle for the other two teams to overcome. If the final team in the match happens to be the Bucks, don’t be surprised if they come out as the winners at Revolution. Jurassic Express haven’t exactly set the world on fire in their title reign, and I say that as a fan of the duo. Something to watch out for in this scenario, though, is the established drama and the still-building drama between the Bucks and reDRagon. That could be the thing that cancels the teams out and allows Jurassic Express to retain.
I think the final team should be Santana and Ortiz. They’ve been on fire in the current storyline of the Inner Circle falling apart. Santana has delivered wonderfully on the mic, and both men have been great in the ring. They’re the most underutilized tag team in AEW history. They’ve been there from day one, and they’ve only received one Tag Team Title shot the entire time? If you’re AEW, you have to capitalize on things. Strike while the iron is hot, as the saying goes. This is a team that hasn’t lost a tag team match since Fight For The Fallen… seven months ago. Put them in the match, give them the chance to showcase themselves, and you have the potential for something really good.
What Will Happen: The Young Bucks Win (New Champions)
What Should Happen: Santana & Ortiz Win (New Champions)
“Hangman” Adam Page vs Adam Cole – AEW World Title Match
Adam-on-Adam violence! One thing we know for sure is that Adam Cole is going to win championships wherever he goes. Is he going to do it here at Revolution?
Revolution will mark the 113th day of Adam Page’s AEW World Title reign. Since winning the title, he has had two epic defenses against Bryan Danielson, and a brutal Texas Death Match against Lance Archer. He has found a way to survive the challenges, and here we are, looking at his next defense. I’ve seen people say that this is “just” a singles match, so it wouldn’t make sense for Page to drop the title if he was able to win those other matches. I look at it the other way. Because Page has bled buckets and gone through so much in his time as champion, it makes perfect sense for someone to be able to step in and dethrone him.
There’s so much going on with Adam Cole right now. Is he more loyal to The Young Bucks or reDRagon? What kind of power couple will he and Britt Baker be if they both walk out of Revolution as champions? Where does “Switchblade” Jay White fit in to what all is going on? What about Kenny Omega? Why is Jadakiss as hard as it gets?
I think a title change makes a ton of sense here. You can have a lot of layered, intriguing television with Cole as the World Champion right now. That isn’t a knock on the current champion whatsoever. His story is great, and he has had a helluva run thus far. There’s just more happening with Adam Cole. However, a title change can make sense and not still not happen. Obviously.
In the end, I had to look at the battle of the stories. Is the current story with Adam Cole strong enough to topple the story of Adam Page’s last couple years? AEW, Page, and everyone involved put so much into the story being told, and that’s what makes me lean in the direction of the champion retaining. I fully expect another banger of a match here, possibly reaching the 30+ minute mark, but I’m going to say Page’s title reign continues, and Cole’s downward spiral continues, which will force him to make some moves sooner than he wanted to.
Something to watch for if we do see a title change here is the response to Adam Cole on the internet. He remains wildly popular with live crowds, even when he’s a heel, but it seems like a lot of fans online have turned on him in recent months. Some of them feel Cole has let his physique get to poor levels. Others feel AEW has made Cole out to look like a second or even third-tier player. To go from a loss to Orange Cassidy, albeit “unofficially” in a Lights Out Match, to winning the World Title in the span of six weeks is not going to be received well by a lot of people. Does it matter to me? No. Like I said, it’s just something to watch out for if the trigger does get pulled on a title change in this match.
What Will Happen: “Hangman” Adam Page Wins
What Should Happen: Adam Cole Wins (New Champion)
As always, the floor is now yours. Let me see what your predictions for Revolution are. You can give me the “What Will Happen” version, the “What Should Happen” version, or a mix of both. Drop me a line in the comments section below, or on Twitter (@HustleTheSavage), and let me know what’s on your mind. Enjoy the show this weekend!
Weekly Power Rankings
- MJF’s Promo: An all-time classic. MJF’s feuds are usually about not much more than his character being an asshole. With this one promo, MJF’s current feud with CM Punk went ten levels above that with the story that was told. With the fire and passion of a top babyface, MJF talked about how Punk was once his hero and was part of the only thing keeping him alive, but then… Punk quit on everything and everybody. A lot of people are expecting the promo to be a ploy to let Punk let his guard down. It certainly could, but MJF has told the story of his bullying before, and the stories match up, outside of one mentioning Punk by name and one not. We’ll see. Either way, it was fantastic work, from the delivery to the tears that were shed, all the way to Punk coming to the ring and wanting MJF to confirm that the story was true. Good, good shit.
- Carmelo Hayes vs Pete Dunne: Another week that sees a really entertaining Carmelo Hayes match. He’s on an amazing roll. The inevitable match/feud he has with Bron Breakker may very well cause NXT 2.0 to crumble to the ground, giving us the need for NXT 3.0 when it’s said and done.
- Alpha Academy vs Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens: Remember when Heavy Machinery split up and everyone thought Otis was screwed? Not as screwed as Tucker, but screwed nonetheless? Remember when American Alpha split up and everyone thought Chad Gable was screwed? It looked iffy for both of them at first, but they’ve been so good together recently. Their character work, promos, and in-ring skills are being showcased regularly now, and they keep having matches with some of WWE’s best. Good for them. They’ve earned this.
- Bryan Danielson vs Daniel Garcia: You know… at some point, AEW is going to have to give Daniel Garcia some wins. He looks good in all of his matches, but his win/loss record doesn’t match up with that. Incredibly, he has never won a singles match on AEW television. He gets some wins on the YouTube shows, but when it comes to Dynamite and Rampage, his loss to Danielson brings his televised singles record to 0-7. You know what could fix that pretty quickly? The stable that Bryan Danielson has teased. I’m just saying.
- Bron Breakker & Tommaso Ciampa vs Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode: The entire match was good, but to me, the highlight was the Spear that Bron hit on Dolph. It was brutal. I would even go so far as to say it was one of the best Spears landed in pro wrestling history. It’s right up there with the aisleway Spear that Goldberg hit Chris Jericho with on Monday Nitro in September 1998 when it looked like Jericho got hit by a car and flew ten feet back all by himself. This Breakker kid… I tell you… we’re witnessing something special.
- Buddy Matthews: When WWE released Aleister Black and Buddy Murphy last June, you just knew their paths would cross again. Once Black joined AEW as Malakai Black, you just knew Buddy would follow at some point. It took a lot longer than we all expected, but it finally happened. Buddy looks like a million bucks, and AEW fans were thrilled to see him. I eagerly anticipate the next chapter(s) in the story between Black, Matthews, and also Brody King.
- Pat McAfee & Austin Theory: By now, you’ve all seen the rumor that we’re getting Pat McAfee vs Vince McMahon at WrestleMania this year. Logically, most people assumed it would be a feud involving those two, but that Vince McMahon wouldn’t be wrestling. He’s almost 77 years old, after all. The logical conclusion was that Austin Theory, who is already involved in a televised story with Vince, would be the one who wrestles McAfee. One way or another, Theory is already getting the “rub” by being involved with Vince on-screen, and it certainly appears that McAfee is about to get some of that, too.
- Edge: As of right now, we have no fucking idea why Edge turned heel on AJ Styles after AJ accepted Edge’s open challenge. At face value, the turn doesn’t make any sense. However, it looked good, and I know Edge will cut another great promo that will have it all make sense in the end. I’m just glad to see Edge as a heel again. His return to the ring was a great, great story, and he deserved every single face pop he’s received in the last two years, but let’s be real… he’s so much better as a heel. This is going to be fun.
- Damian Priest vs Finn Balor: Another fun match in a long string of them for Priest in his main roster run. It was a great 191-day reign as United States Champion for him, making it the longest United States Title reign since Dean Ambrose had a 351-day reign between May 2013 and May 2014. Hell, it was the 6th longest reign since that title came to the WWF in 2001. The heel turn after the match was something that WWE was clearly building to over the last several weeks, but the only problem I have with it is that it was overshadowed by Edge’s heel turn literally minutes later in the same episode of Raw. It puts added pressure on Priest to make the heel run work, because a lot of people will have already forgotten about it in a week because of how crazy Edge’s turn was.
- Johnny Knoxville: Say whatever you want about celebrity involvement in pro wrestling, but with Johnny Knoxville, at least you know you have someone who is willing to get his ass kicked for the sake of entertainment. On top of that, he is still loved by the public, over two decades after the Jackass television show first aired on MTV. Having a match between Knoxville and Sami Zayn at WrestleMania is perfectly harmless fun. No, the Intercontinental Title didn’t need to be involved at all, but there isn’t anything we can do about that now, is there?
- AEW Fans In The Western United States: For a long time, it seemed like AEW rotated between Jacksonville, Chicago, and a city or two in the Carolinas every week. Looks like more fans of the company will be getting their chance to see the product live. Not only is the company returning to Las Vegas for Double Or Nothing week in May, but it was announced that California will be getting its first two AEW shows in the aftermath of DON, as well. One, it’s always good to expand your live shows to different places. Two, it’s also a sign that things are easing up a bit when it comes to travel restrictions, protocols, and things like that.
- Big E & Kofi Kingston vs Los Lotharios: For the 78th consecutive week, these two teams faced off on Smackdown, and for the 78th consecutive week, these two teams had a good match. I look forward to writing about them in my Power Rankings again next week.
- Renee Paquette: She has always shined when it comes to interviewing people, so it was only natural for her to host a podcast where she does just that. No matter the guest, they always come across as if they’ve been family friends with her for years because of how good she is at her job. Her recent interview with Dax Harwood was great. Harwood revealed some very serious issues that he’s been battling with for large portions of his life, and Renee found the perfect mix of being a serious host and not being TOO serious. Stray too far in one direction, and it would come across as making light of what the man has been going through. Go too far in the other direction, and it can turn people off to listening as things get too dark and too serious for too long. She’s a pro. Kudos to Harwood, too, for coming forward with everything he said.
- WWE & A&E Continuing Their Relationship: The recent WWE Legends episodes of A&E Biography that aired last year were all very well done, even if they weren’t breaking new ground on subject matter. By now, wrestling fans tend to know the history of people like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and Bret “The Hitman” Hart. A&E also had a hit with WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures, where wrestlers search the country for long-lost pieces of memorabilia from their careers that would go nicely into the WWE archives for the world to see. WWE and A&E announced a multi-year extension to their relationship, delivering not only 35 new episodes of Biography and 24 new episodes of Most Wanted Treasures, but also new shows such as WWE Rivals, which will talk about the stories, both on-screen and off, behind the biggest matches in company history. Great news for fans.
- Orange Cassidy vs Anthony Bowens: If you’re looking for people flying under the radar, look no further than Anthony Bowens. He’s someone who has been on a hot streak recently, but it isn’t getting a lot of publicity for a couple reasons. One, a lot of his good performances are coming in losses, on the YouTube shows, or both. Two, when the average person thinks about The Acclaimed, the first thing that comes to mind is Max Caster and his pre-match raps. Forget about Max for a moment. He’s awful. Fucking awful. The only people that think he’s a good rapper don’t listen to rap to begin with. Bowens is the guy you should be paying attention to.
This Week’s Playlist: “Dancing Feet” by Kygo & DNCE… “Zatoichi” by Denzel Curry & slowthai… “Vacancy” by KXNG Crooked & Joell Ortiz… “Cheese and Dope” by Project Pat… “Don’t Save Her” by Project Pat & Crunchy Black… “If You Ain’t From My Hood” by Project Pat, DJ Paul & Juicy J… “Gorilla Pimp” by Project Pat & Namond Lumpkin… “Break Da Law 2001” by Project Pat & Three 6 Mafia… “Fuckin’ with the Best” by Project Pat & Hypnotize Camp Posse… “Fortune Favors The Bold” by Joy Oladokun & Tim Gent… “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding… “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke… “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King… “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher” by Jackie Wilson… “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye… “You’re All I Need To Get By” by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell… “I Wish It Would Rain” by The Temptations… “Get Ready” by The Temptations… “My Girl” by The Temptations… “Tell It Like It Is” by Aaron Neville… “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted” by Jimmy Ruffin… “Back In Black” by AC/DC… “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince… “Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor… “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins