Sitting across from WWE’s NXT, one would think AEW might blink. WWE is the monster of the realm, the king of the castle. So, what’s that make AEW? How about the disgruntled prince? However we slice it, Wednesday nights are now the home of the Wednesday Night Wars, and it’s a wonderful time for those of us that lived through the Monday Night Wars and for those that missed them. To borrow (paraphrase?) from good ole JR, “This is going to be one helluva slobberknocker!”
Onto the highs we go…
- A time capsule. The entire show felt like a time capsule back to the 1990s, most particularly WCW’s Monday Nitro and WWE’s Monday Night Raw. The simple opening of fireworks, a camera pan of the fan-filled arena, then to the announcers was the stuff of by gone days we loved and have missed. Thank you for that.
- JR, Tony Schiavone, and Excalibur having to shout to be heard. Seriously, when was the last time we had to strain to hear the announcers say anything? It was beyond awesome to hear the fans being so loud and excited for the show.
- Chris Jericho. Jericho has long been a great heel. Whether it’s blubbering in frustration or showing a sadistic side, he nails it every time. The funny thing is, while he’s just as good at playing a face, his heels are where fans love him. Gotta go with what works, right? His attack on Cody Rhodes following the first match was perfectly done to set up their feud for those that haven’t seen their pay-per-views or interviews.
- Heel kick to the family jewels. Like the rest of the show, this was a throwback to the ‘90s since we don’t see it very often anymore (Seriously, what ever happened to the low blow?). After nearly running over referee Earl Hebner, Pac kicked behind him and caught Adam Page where it counts. Out of all the moves in this match, that was the most devastating. Its history goes back quite a ways and has led to many lost championships and matches in general. Glad to see it’s back.
- Riho and Nyla Rose for AEW’s women’s championship. A classic David vs Goliath match, this was a slow burn where Rose physically dominated the smaller Riho through most of it. Had Rose not become frustrated or arrogant, she could’ve won easily, but instead, Riho won a hard fought match to become AEW’s first ever women’s champion.
- Santana and Ortiz. Though they may no longer be LAX, it’s great to see Santana and Ortiz back in action and as heels alongside Chris Jericho yet. Santana and Ortiz, labeled “The Boricuas” by the commentators at AEW’s All Out pay-per-view, have landed on Jericho’s good side and stand with him as the promotion’s apparent heel stable. It’s going to be so awesome to see how far they go in AEW.
- Jon Moxley’s return. Having superstars return was apparently a staple for both shows, and AEW didn’t disappoint with Jon Moxley returning and removing Kenny Omega from the main event. While the pair’s fighting made its way backstage, where Moxley put Omega through a glass table, one can’t help but wonder if disqualification is a thing in AEW or is it following the old ECW rulebook? Just asking since the six-man tag match continued as a handicap match, but we really didn’t care, did we?
- The ending. Seriously, the ending of something usually isn’t supposed to be a highlight given the insinuated meaning, but AEW brought the house down. With the top superstars in the ring including Cody and Dustin Rhodes, Jake Hager making an appearance, and even the up and coming Sammy Guevara. The battle lines were drawn between the heels and baby faces, with Jericho and company looking like the NWO and the Rhodes and Young Bucks like the Four Horsemen. Pretty cool when Jericho fits the “Hollywood” Hogan role perfectly and Cody Rhodes is perfect for a Ric Flair type. However this plays out, it’s going to be fun to watch.
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Final Thoughts
This wasn’t a groundbreaking episode or anything that’ll rock the world.
What it was, was a throwback to arguable the greatest era in professional wrestling and offered a legitimate option other than the WWE.
As they showed, the AEW is a good mix of young and old talent, but more importantly, all of their talent is hungry and ready to make their promotion one of, if not the, best in the world. Add to that they’re willing to listen to the fans (something the McMahons promised but have yet to deliver) and it’s a winning combination.
Serving humble pie to the McMahons, table one.
