After two months, my vacation has officially come to an end.
I found ways to keep myself busy, whether it was by helping my daughter navigate the start of her Kindergarten year or by house shopping with my wife. Things are going very well on this side of the fence, and I hope all of you have enjoyed the last couple months, as well.
I have continued watching all of the usual wrestling suspects, both on television and pay-per-view, and I figured it would behoove me to speak about some of the big events and stories that took place during my hiatus.
To make it easier, I’ll list them in chronological order. If you don’t see something listed, it’s simply because I didn’t want the column to become incredibly long, not because I didn’t care about the story. Let’s not waste any more time, shall we?
The NXT Women’s Division Gets Super Deep: While I wouldn’t say the women’s division in NXT was the best in the business, it has been in contention for having the deepest division for a long time now. If you watch any episode of the NXT television program, you’re likely to see two and sometimes three (!!!) matches involving women.
With a roster already full of competitors, the brand branched out for a global takeover to take things to an entirely different level. It started with Giulia, who was one of the biggest names of Japan’s Stardom promotion for the last several years before signing with WWE. Almost immediately, she was followed by Stephanie Vaquer, who seemingly used a star-making appearance at AEW’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view to sign with WWE. Before the dust had even settled on their arrivals, WWE also signed one of Australia’s most successful women, Delta.
All three women made their NXT debuts in rapid succession, and now, things are getting very interesting. Giulia and Vaquer seem to have Roxanne Perez and her NXT Women’s Title in their sights, while the newly named Zaria has targeted the brand new NXT Women’s North American Champion, Fallon Henley, and the rest of Fallon’s Fatal Influence stablemates, Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx.
This is a great time if you’re a fan of NXT and women’s wrestling. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that Giulia and Vaquer will be headed to the main roster sooner than later, probably as soon as the company feels comfortable with their English, so enjoy them on Tuesdays while you can.
Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned Jordynne Grace, who continues to make appearances for NXT. The latest reports say that her contract with TNA expires in January, and many fans are already figuring that she’ll be under official WWE contract soon thereafter. Wild times.
The Blackpool Combat Club Betrays Bryan Danielson: I’ve seen a lot of people commenting about the shocking heel turn by the Blackpool Combat Club, and it seems like most of those comments were the same, and involved the use of a plastic bag to suffocate Bryan Danielson.
I thought the entire thing was stupid, but perhaps not for the same reason as others did.
The “attempted murder” aspect is one thing, but come on… a plastic bag? I’ve seen more than enough movies and television shows that have featured someone being suffocated by a plastic bag, and the same thought pops into my head every single time.
Tear the bag open, you fucking fuck.
Don’t give me the “they’re fighting for their lives so they aren’t thinking straight” line, either. They ARE fighting for their lives, and that’s exactly why they should be doing whatever they can to end the threat. When your life is on the line, you’re going to do the wildest and craziest things you can. You’ll run faster, jump higher, find extra strength, and so on. It looks ridiculous in movies to watch someone slowly waste away and eventually die with a plastic bag over their heads, and it looked equally ridiculous to see Danielson being choked out.
Other than that, the turn was the “cinema” needed to make WrestleDream as big as possible, and I really enjoyed it.
Swerve Strickland & “Hangman” Adam Page Push The Limits Again: I’ve said this before, but I’m not a fan of the “deathmatch” style of professional wrestling. I understand that a lot of people love it, but I’m just not one of them. I’ve seen a bunch of it, especially the stuff from Japan, and I can’t find myself enjoying it.
When Swerve and Hangman square off against each other, they give off those “deathmatch” vibes without truly crossing over into the actual territory. Their match at Full Gear 2023 was one of the most brutal, violent mainstream wrestling matches you’ll ever see, especially in the modern era.
How would they top it at All Out?
With another brutal, violent encounter that pushed the limits of what a lot of people feel is “acceptable” in pro wrestling.
I sat there, completely speechless, as I watched Page stab a hypodermic needle into Swerve’s mouth. Again, it just wasn’t something I prefer to see in wrestling. I will say this, however… it fit in with the story that was being told. Swerve broke into Hangman’s home. Hangman set fire to Swerve’s childhood home. That goes beyond a mere wrestling feud. Of course they’re going to try and end each other’s careers, if not lives, when they get their hands on one another.
I know a lot of people feel that AEW is a “blood and guts” promotion, and AEW leans into that by using that name for an annual match, but I don’t necessarily feel that way. Do they have bloody matches? Yes. A lot of what stands out with the AEW product is largely because of what WWE doesn’t do, though. If you see an AEW match that features someone bleeding, you take an immediate notice because WWE has stayed away from using blood for such a long time.
Tony Khan has said that he books his shows for the “sickos” because that’s who he is and that’s who he cares about. He knows the diehard AEW fans want to see the violence, and he gives it to them. That’s fine. I’m just not super thrilled about things like hypodermic needles being involved in my wrestling.
Jey Uso Is A Singles Champion: You can make the argument that it took way too long to happen, but Jey Uso was finally able to capitalize on his immense success and win a singles title in WWE.
I do feel like he was overdue in that area, as I made the argument that he could’ve and perhaps should’ve defeated Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2023 to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Either way, I was excited to see him win the Intercontinental Title, and the WWE Universe was ecstatic for him. He has been grinding for so long, and he deserves this success.
Of course, that makes it even funnier that his title reign lasted 28 days and was nothing more than a vehicle to further the Bloodline vs Bloodline story. I have no doubt that he’ll be a singles champion again, and probably sooner than later, but it’s a shame that his first reign will end up being such a forgettable one.
CM Punk & Drew McIntyre Go To Hell: Two entries ago, I discussed WWE’s lack of violence in their product through the years, and how it has helped make AEW stand out in that area.
Paul Levesque has shown he doesn’t have a problem with more violence in WWE matches when necessary. The feud with CM Punk and Drew McIntyre was one of those necessary times, especially with the feud coming to an end with a Hell In A Cell match.
This was definitely a throwback to Cell matches of old, with a ton of blood and a lot more overall violence than we’ve been used to seeing from WWE matches. I still don’t need to see blood in every other match on a show, but as long as things are tempered to things like this, I’m good.
Monday Night Raw Temporarily Loses An Hour: For years, anyone that watched Monday Night Raw on a weekly basis complained and complained about the show’s three-hour runtime being a daunting task to sit through. Fans missed the two-hour shows and wished the company would go back to them.
When WWE announced that the pre-Netflix months would feature two-hour episodes of Raw, everyone rejoiced.
Myself included.
Then… the two-hour shows began.
So far, it hasn’t failed… when the main event rolls around, I always find myself saying “ALREADY?!?” and being shocked that the show is coming to an end so quickly.
That doesn’t mean Paul Levesque is the greatest booker in the history of the sport and is presenting the greatest episodes of wrestling television that we’ve ever seen, week in and week out. I think he’s doing a good job, but he isn’t THAT good.
No, the issue is that Vince McMahon couldn’t book a three-hour show to save his life, and was only getting worse as the years went on. Sitting through three hours of Vince’s decisions and sense of humor was as big a chore as you could ever ask of a wrestling fan.
With Vince thankfully out of the way, WWE has room to deliver an easier product to digest, and that’s what they’ve done. Changing to two hours for the time being only makes things better. If Raw is to change back to three hours on Netflix, so be it. For now, though, I’ll take the wins as they come.
The End (?) Of Bryan Danielson’s Career: I’ve been torn on this subject for a long time.
On multiple occasions, I’ve said that I feel Danielson is the greatest professional wrestler of all-time. As the years have gone on, he has also become my favorite wrestler of all-time. Nobody has gotten me as emotionally invested in their career.
With that said, I want him to walk away, and to do so permanently. After dropping the AEW World Title to Jon Moxley at WrestleDream, the storyline indicates that Danielson’s “full-time” career is over. There has been talk and rumors that he will return from time-to-time to wrestle, but I don’t want that.
Danielson has suffered so many serious injuries, and they’re only going to continue adding up now that he essentially has free rein over what he does in AEW. He’ll celebrate his 44th birthday in 2025, but his body carries a ton of mileage on it. Like many of you, I’m worried about his future outside of the ring. The combination of brain and neck injuries are as serious as it gets. He has a seven-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son, and I want him to be able to be there for them as they continue to grow up. As a father myself, that type of thing is far more important to me than being able to watch him wrestle a couple times a year for the next few years.
It will be sad if we have seen the last of Bryan Danielson as a pro wrestler, but ultimately, it’s for the best.
Zack Sabre Jr. Reaches The Top Of The New Japan Pro Wrestling Mountain: ZSJ has been one of the most consistently great in-ring performers in all of wrestling over the last several years, and it’s great to see him being rewarded for that excellence by becoming the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
As I was looking things up for this column, I found a stat that I found interesting. The current IWGP World Heavyweight Title is a little less than four years old, and in that time, ZSJ became the fourth non-Japanese wrestler to become champion. If you go to New Japan’s previous top title, the IWGP Heavyweight Title, you would have to go back 16 years to find four non-Japanese wrestlers to hold the title. It shows off the shift in focus for the company and how they’re booking their product, for better or for worse.
Chris Jericho Continues To Own Incriminating Photos Of Tony Khan: There is no other explanation for why Jericho is still a major focus in AEW as the year 2024 comes quickly to an end. He continues getting regular television time, regular matches, and is now a two-time Ring Of Honor World Champion. Yes, that doesn’t mean anywhere near what it used to mean, but it still puts Jericho in a group with Adam Cole, Jay Lethal, Rush, Austin Aries, Claudio Castagnoli, and Jay Briscoe as the only men in history to hold the RoH World Title more than once.
Why?
There are (almost literally)Â a million people on the AEW roster that could use the time and the focus that the company places on Jericho. I could understand if the company wanted to use Jericho’s mind and charisma… as a manager, producer, writer, etc. He simply isn’t doing great work as a wrestler anymore. Time waits for nobody. Not only is he not setting the world on fire with his own work, but anyone that is involved with him on-screen, either as a stablemate or an opponent, goes down the drain, too. It’s almost impressive to fail in getting anyone or anything over time and time again like that.
Again… why?
It’s not necessary. Stop it, TK.
The Motor City Machine Guns Waste No Time In WWE: Fans of Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley have been waiting to see them in WWE for nearly two decades. They finally made it, and they have already made a ton of waves in a short amount of time.
They had an impressive debut in a Three-Way Tag, which carried them to a #1 Contender’s Match for the WWE Tag Team Titles the following week. After another impressive match there, they would go on to win the titles in an impromptu bout right away. Three matches in the span of one calendar week, and just like that, the Guns are holding WWE championships. That’s one way to build “new” stars.
Sabin and Shelley have a ton of fresh matches and feuds ahead of them, making this an even more exciting time for everyone involved.
It’s good to get caught up, and hopefully, I can get back to “normal” starting with next week’s column. For now, though, it’s time to get to my Weekly Power Rankings before finishing things off like I always do… with the list of songs I was listening to as I put this very column together.
Weekly Power Rankings
Cody Rhodes vs Gunther: It was a match where neither man should be taking a loss, in a setting where it was designed that one of them would be taking a loss. Those situations are often difficult to navigate, but I think WWE did a good job here. I love the show of sportsmanship from Gunther after his loss, too. It fits with his character, as a heel who is more concerned with the love and respect for the sport than doing dastardly things that other heels would do.
The Young Bucks vs Private Party: Lots of in-ring chemistry between the two teams here. Say whatever you want about the Bucks, but it is a really big deal when a team dethrones them for the AEW Tag Team Titles. First, it was Lucha Brothers, then Swerve In Our Glory, and now, Private Party… when a team wins the titles from the Bucks, it is treated as a major event, and crowds react as such.
Komander vs Kyle Fletcher: Both men are consistently exciting, win or lose, and they continue to showcase their skills on a regular basis for AEW. Fletcher’s ceiling is incredibly high, with many feeling he could be a future World Champion if he remains a singles wrestler. If you aren’t doing so already, he is someone you need to keep an eye on moving forward.
LA Knight vs Carmelo Hayes vs Andrade: It’s a crying shame that they only got about nine minutes to work with. They were really cooking, and then the match just came to an end. I’m also surprised that the champ retained. I assumed the match was made with the specific goal to get the title off of Knight without having him take a pin. It will be very interesting to see where he goes from here.
Swerve Strickland vs Shelton Benjamin: Shelton is one of the most underrated wrestlers of the last 20 years, even with all of his tag and singles success. Now that he’s in AEW, does he finally get a chance to be a legit main event player? He is more than capable of filling that role, especially with someone like MVP to handle promos and cover his weakest spots as a performer. Of course, what happened after this match might make Shelton’s rise to the top a bit more difficult…
Bobby Lashley: Lashley’s arrival in AEW seems like a really big deal. I won’t be one of those people who call it a “game changer,” though, as literally dozens of AEW signings have unfairly been given that title through the years. He does become an immediate dangerous threat to everyone on the roster, though. I’m hyped.
Axiom & Nathan Frazer vs Cedric Alexander & Je’Von Evans: It feels like Axiom and Frazer have been the NXT Tag Team Champions since 1998, and it also feels like their split has been teased since 1999. They just keep on winning, having exciting matches all along the way. I would’ve loved to see a title change here, even if just to see Cedric Alexander win a title again, but it was not to be.
Sheamus vs Ludwig Kaiser: When you see these two in the ring together, you know it’s going to be very physical, and that’s exactly what this was. Sometimes, that’s all you need.
Komander vs Lio Rush: A very big week for Komander, making his second appearance in these rankings. He’s always fun to watch, even if his overall tenure in AEW sees him running in circles month after month.
Seth Rollins vs Bronson Reed: Yeah, Big Bronson could’ve used the win here, but it seems clear that their feud isn’t over yet. There’s still time for Reed to come out victorious. Rollins is in a spot where he won’t be hurt by taking a loss. We’ll see, I guess.
Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods vs War Raiders vs Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee: A fun Triple Threat with a shot at the WWE World Tag Team Titles on the line. Now that they aren’t doing Viking cosplays, I’m looking forward to seeing what Erik and Ivar can do while they’re healthy. Honestly, WWE should pull the trigger on giving them the titles and seeing how they can handle being atop Raw’s tag division.
Adam Cole vs Buddy Matthews: It’s good to see Cole back in action. This was his first match in nearly 14 months, and he looked good in his return. The sooner we can all forget about the entire “Devil” storyline and the twists and turns it took due to Cole’s injury, the better. Let’s get Cole ready for a main event run.
Mariah May vs Anna Jay: Good stuff here. It might be the best AEW match for both women, which isn’t exactly something I was expecting going in.
Zaria: She doesn’t carry the same status as Giulia or Stephanie Vaquer coming to NXT, but she had an impressive debut match for the brand and looks like someone who has a bright future on Tuesday nights. While we’re on the subject of women who look to have a bright future on Tuesday nights…
Jordynne Grace: She made yet another return to NXT, but this time, without the TNA Knockouts Title, which she lost to Masha Slamovich at Bound For Glory a week ago. With her TNA contract set to expire at the start of 2025, it’s easy to assume that she’s WWE-bound on a permanent basis soon.
This Week’s Playlist: “T-Pain (Remix)” by Pete, Bas & T-Pain… “War Wounds” by That Mexican OT, Lil Keke & Maxo Kream… “Play This At My Funeral” by Xzibit… “STILL IN THE PAINT” by Denzel Curry, LAZER DIM 700 & Bktherula… “I’m With The Band” by The Black Keys & Beck… “Empty From The Start” by Saltwound… “Yes Yes Y’All” by Will Smith & Camp Lo… “Ask Yourself A Question” by Kurupt & Dr. Dre… “Keepin’ It Gangsta” by Fabolous… “Trade It All” by Fabolous & Jagged Edge… “Can’t Deny It” by Fabolous & Nate Dogg… “Badfish” by Sublime… “Slow Ride” by Sublime… “Deadly Combination” by Big L & 2Pac… “Speak Of The Devil” by Vincent Mason… “Murdergram Deux” by LL Cool J & Eminem… “Got Me Waiting” by Heavy D & The Boyz… “Feel Me Flow” by Naughty By Nature… “You Know How We Do It” by Ice Cube… “More Human Than Human” by White Zombie… “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus… “Superman” by Goldfinger… “Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit… “I Alone” by Live… “Friday I’m In Love” by The Cure… “When I Come Around” by Green Day… “Faithfully” by Journey… “So Many Tears” by 2Pac… “Holler If Ya Hear Me” by 2Pac… “I Get Around” by 2Pac & Digital Underground
