December 1st, 2021
Duluth, Georgia
Commentary - Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and various guests
Jim Ross is out for a few weeks so we will have various guests filling in on commentary beginning with AEW World Champ Hangman Adam Page!!
1) Bryan Danielson vs. Alan Angels
God damn right. First things first, I’m a big Kenny Omega fan, but I was not a fan at all of his matches with Alan Angels. This, however? This fucking rocked. Danielson just knows how to work every match in a way that makes sense. The Omega/Angels matches were largely just movefests and I never bit on any of it. Here, Danielson works this at just the perfect pace that some of the near falls are actually SLIIIGHTLY believable. Barely, but enough to make me say oh shit that was cool that was almost the finish! So, yeah. The Dragon continues to reign supreme.
Match rating - ***
2) CM Punk vs. Lee Moriarty
This match was everything I expected and wanted. They really gave it time to develop and it actually turned into something unlike the QT Marshall match last week which shouldn't have went nearly as long as it did and it was FLAT. The only negative for me with this was MJF. We all get it by now, MJF can talk and is confident in doing so. No need to run it in the ground by flooding the audio of this match with cheap insults after we watched 20 minutes of it last week and would get more after the match. It was so not needed with Punk and Moriarty such a great technically sound contest with a thrilling final stretch. Just good TV wrasslin with the past vs. the future. Punk wins with the GTS after some awesome exchanges. Moriarty hit a Pepsi Twist for fucksake. This rocked.
Match rating - ***1/4
As mentioned prior, MJF talks a bunch AGAIN after the match as if we weren’t already sold on this match with Punk and needed more middle school level insults and stuff. MJF mentions Punk’s dog to top it all off and Punk runs up the ramp only to meet Wardlow who steps out from the entrance ramp. Wardlow & MJF slowly back away as Punk talks trash.
Backstage, Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter & Rebel are here. Britt says Riho has to face Jamie before she gets her title shot and JAMIE GETS SOME MIC TIME. NOT ALOT BUT YEA!!. Jamie/Riho is gonna rule.
Adam Cole is out next and gets a full entrance for his guest commentary spot. I can’t complain, the man is over as fuck. Orange Cassidy comes out and they get into. Orange does the schtick. The Young Bucks come out and he does it on them until Cole low blow hims. Bucks do the schtick too then actually super kick his head off and follow it up with a BTE trigger on the st—- nope CHUCKIE T AND WHEELER YUTA ARE HERE with chairs to break things up.
WARDLOW SQUASH. FOUR POWERBOMBS AND HE PINS AC ADAMS. Yea.
3) Sting & Darby Allin vs. Billy Gunn & Colten Gunn (w/ Austin Gunn)
More great stuff from these pairings here. Darby went absolutely ballistic and Sting looked good as usual as they work to his strengths. They even sell a near fall on Sting that felt like an actual false finish. So, yeah, this was a blast. Sting & Darby win.
Match rating - **3/4
Backstage, it’s announced that Jade Cargill will face Thunder Rosa’s student JANAI KAI on Rampage this Friday. Oh hell yeah.
Team Taz is on commentary. Lio Rush comes out to confront them about stealing Dante Martin from him. I’m truthfully tired of Team Taz and all things regarding so I didn’t pay this much attention. Dante & Lio deserve much better than being booked in an angle with a group that lacks almost all importance.
4) Ruby Soho vs. Kris Statlander - TBS Title Tournament Match
This match has been built pretty well with vignettes for a week or two. Things start slow, but they build to a hot finishing run and that’s enough to make me give it a hell yea. Soho wins with a flash pin which is annoying and repetitive, but they brought me to the edge of my seat in this final few minutes.. plus.. this was miles more enjoyable than some of the women’s matches that have made TV this year. It seems AEW is finally realizing who should be getting more TV time.
Match rating - ***
5) Cody Rhodes vs. Andrade El Idolo - Atlanta Street Fight
This is hands down just absolutely fucking bonkers. It’s not some amazing storytelling match, or even a great match in general. It’s just a fucking HOOT and a half. When the match begins with Arn Anderson busting his ass and falling off the entrance ramp, you know we are in for a hilarious time. Cody & Andrade fight into the crowd where Cody hits a moonsault. Cody has some weird skin peeling or something sticky on his back and Taz with the line of the night ..
“What the hell is that on his back?”
They continue to have the most nuts trash brawl in recent memory. Andrade’s tablet guy Jose runs in with a FUCKING TASER. Cody pulls out golden shovels and sledge hammers from under the ring. And that’s not even the best part.. Brandi Rhodes shows up and LIVHTS A GOD DAKN TABLE ON FIRE AND THEY DO A FLAMING TABLE SPOT ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. I love AEW. Cody is a nutcase. If him getting booed means we get him doing all this ignorant shit to get cheered then I’m all for it. Cody wins and I ain’t even mad cause this shit was such a blast.
Match rating - ***1/4
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