AEW Dynamite 300(!!!) emanated from Ontario, CA, on Wednesday. Texas Death is official for All In.
Hangman Page challenges Moxley to Texas DeathMatch
Hangman Page is at the center of the wrestling universe right now. He is as over as he ever has been, and through all of the character turmoil and evolution he’s gone through since his last run as AEW Champion, he feels in this moment, like the most complete version of himself and one of the most complete wrestlers on the entire planet.
This promo was not his strongest of the build, but that’s just because he’s knocked everything out of the park. He didn’t take time to rehash anything of old, and instead laid down the gauntlet. He knows the Death Riders will be involved. He welcomes it.
Moxley’s run as champ has been a roller coaster, but in this moment, the months of foundation setting feel worth it. The audience despises their mere presence, teetering on the edge of complete disdain and not in a good way for the company, but towing that line has given this main event the stakes it needs.
It truly feels like Hangman is fighting for the soul of AEW on behalf of the fans. He represents the core audience’s vision for the promotion and has been that standard bearer since its inception. He was in the first-ever world title match after all, making this a six-year culmination.
Moxley v Hangman: Texas Death is fitting for a stadium main event. Big time Graps.
Mercedes wins again ahead of date with Timeless Toni, but at what cost?
Mercedes defended the TBS title against Mina Shirakawa in an excellent opening match, building upon their Tokyo Dome encounter earlier in the year.
I’ve thought that Toni Storm is going to defeat Mercedes at All In. They have a chance to give Toni one of the biggest wins in company history, and the most interesting fallout storyline is Mercedes slowly losing her titles and seeing how she responds. Does she do some self-reflection and make a more heroic turn? Or does her fall from grace bring out an evil side we’ve never seen?
Mercedes won this match, but it took her A LOT to do so. Mina was in precise control, specifically toward the end of the game, hitting most of her big moves and finishers on Mercedes, to no avail.
Mercedes only escaped with a win after a roll-up, reminiscent of Toni Storm in the past year, but it felt more like Mercedes escaped than won. Her belt collecting is taking a toll on her physically. While she is more decorated than ever, her focus is not solely on the champion, while the champion’s focus is strictly on her.
I believe her envy of Toni beating her will drive her to madness, creating a scenario in which this match between the two women at All In is just the start of their story, certainly not the end.
Timeless and the CEO are destined to do this for a long time.
Swerve and Ospreay get their match, can they get along?
Swerve and Will Ospreay never got an answer last week from the EVP Young Bucks. They dropped a huge challenge. The Bucks would have to put their EVP status on the line against Swerve and Ospreay at All In.
The Bucks never responded. Why would they do that? What was the incentive?
Will Ospreay give them an incentive? All right.
Now the stakes are clear.
Swerve and Ospreay win? Young Bucks are out of power.
Young Bucks win? Swerve and Ospreay can’t challenge for the world title FOR A YEAR.
Yeah. This got real.
It’s always been evident that the Bucks would win this match. As great as singles stars Ospreay and Swerve are, they can barely get along, and they are facing the greatest tag team of all time (your mileage may vary).
There are levels to this in tag team wrestling, and the babyfaces have only continued to provide the Bucks with more and more motivation to get the job done. They will get the best version of the Young Bucks at All In. Be careful what you wish for.
The fallout of this match now has immense stakes, specifically for the babyface characters. Their potential loss could send them spiraling in different directions, and I believe it’s leading to a year-long blood feud between the two. Swerve has been incredibly trusting, which is unlike him.
If he gets spurned by Ospreay and they lose this match (even worse, Ospreay gets pinned), I think that pushes Swerve back to the edge. Add in the potential of a Hangman Page title reign that Swerve can’t do anything about, and Bro might lose it.
In the meantime, it’s an opportunity to continue building the Ospreay babyface lore.
When the two of them face off next year with a World Title shot on the line, it will feel like one of the biggest matches in company history. Book it.
Quick hits
- JetSpeed has the potential to be one of the best tag teams in the world.
- MJF and the Hurt Syndicate remain a perfect grouping, and the promo with Mark Briscoe next week will be enthralling and potentially heartbreaking. I’m very interested to see where they take that.
- Last, but certainly not least. Welcome back, Kota Ibushi. He and Okada put on an absolute CLINIC in the main event of Dynamite 300. A dream match that would’ve felt impossible anywhere in the world, let alone on AEWTV when the company began in 2019. Okada proved he still has elite ability and Kota showed an evolution, understanding his physical limitations better and getting more substance than he has had in years past. Really, really good main event.
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One Response
Layered story telling. Kick ass characters. A plethora of wrestling styles to watch. AEW is on top of the world. Looking forward to ALL IN and the next 300 Dynamite episodes.