Fox banned a controversial WWE group!
Are the Young Bucks starting an anti-CM Punk storyline?
And my review of AEW Dynamite.
I’m Oli Davis, and this is the WrestleTalk News.
The early days of the pandemic forced WWE to be, what’s the best way of saying this…
creatively bold.
With no fans in attendance, and the Thunderdome still months away, they booked things like
Stone Cold Steve Austin kicking Byron Saxton square in the balls.
The Street Profits and Viking Raiders being attacked by a sea monster in a dumpster.
And Rey Mysterio getting his eye gouged out one month, to be hurled to his death off the
top of a building the next.
Don’t worry, though, there was a smaller roof underneath the roof he was thrown off
to catch him.
But it was the August 3rd, 2020 episode of Raw where Vince McMahon appeared to have totally
lost his mind.
It’s easily one of the most crazy episodes of wrestling TV ever - because it debuted
two bold new ideas: Shane McMahon’s Raw Underground, a quasi Fight Club style basement
complete with sexy, sexy dancers.
And also…
Retribution.
The faction of masked and hooded characters invaded WWE programming, with crimes that
ranged from throwing a molotov cocktail at an electricity generator to tipping over boxes
backstage.
Meanwhile, the real world had plenty of its own unrest, with protests and riots breaking
out across the Western world.
One of the real world factions in that civil unrest was Antifa.
At the time, many drew comparisons between Retribution and Antifa… and it turns out,
with good reason.
Former Retribution member Mason Madden, formerly known as ma.çé, formerly known as MACE,
formerly known as Dio Maddin has previously spoken about Retribution’s creative beginnings,
where somebody in WWE saw Antifa and thought “look at all those little nerds.
Wouldn't they be great villains for our TV show?”
Now in a new interview with WrestlingNewsCo, Madden has revealed that after the group debuted
on the Fox-aired SmackDown, Fox put a stop to that real world tie-in:
“When Fox, because it was on SmackDown, found out that there was an ANTIFA angle on
SmackDown, on their Fox program, they said, 'Hey, stop!'
So, confusion happened.”
The group quickly became a more cartoon villain group featuring go-faster stripes and supervillain
masks during the ThunderDome era of WWE - with character names that included Slapjack and
T-Bar.
But WWE isn’t the only promotion that uses real life to fuel pro wrestling storylines.
Let me introduce you to, the Young Bucks.
After returning at the end of the 10th January AEW Dynamite episode, setting themselves up
as Sting’s final opponents for Revolution in March, they had a sitdown interview with
Renee Paquette on this week’s show to establish their new heel personas.
They appear to be playing the roles of the creators gone mad - obsessing over the early
days of AEW, which they founded, and how it used to be a force for good.
But that’s changed recently.
“We were changing the world, somewhere along the way… we did lose our way.
It was like the culture shifted, and the toxicity creeped into the locker rooms, the perception
of the company was just different…I think it’s because we started to lean on yesterdays’
self-serving, superficial, cancerous superstars.”
While that could just be some wrestling promo speak, a lot of the language choice is very
connected to their former colleague and reported Brawl In opponent CM Punk.
Seth Rollins infamously called Punk a “cancer” before his return to WWE, and Punk himself
once promised to “change the culture” on his WWE Backstage debut.
The Bucks made it clear they were not talking about Sting, their opponent for the pay-per-view.
The Bucks then promised to take out any similar people after Sting, potentially using their
opponents as storyline proxies for their frustrations with Punk.
CM Punk to AEW confirmed.
And now a word from this video’s sponsor.
Now it’s time for my review of
AEW Dynamite… in about 5 minutes.
After a promo package hyping up Samoa Joe vs Hook to open the show - consider this guy
hooked…
... I wish I had his hair.
Maybe I could transplant more hair on my head - the action kicked off first with Christian
vs Dustin Rhodes for the TNT title.
They had a really good back-and-forth match.
Rhodes got almost as much offence in as he did against Swerve Strickland at Worlds End,
even after his ankle was shattered with a cinder block.
Which is to say, a surprising amount of offence.
But it worked great here against Christian’s heel shenanigans, mostly comprised of Nick
Wayne interference.
Dustin got a near fall so close off a CrossRhodes, I nearly had to call 2.999 for the VAR police.
Is that how sports works?
Rhodes managed to kick out of a Spear and a Killswitch combo, but Christian hit a second
Killswitch to win.
Renee spoke to Swerve Strickland backstage, who cut an awesome promo putting over Hangman
- saying Page would have a chance at wrestling God.
JBL to AEW confirmed - But Swerve’s beaten him twice already, and he has no desire to
do it again.
You’re not convincing anyone, Swerve.
Just kiss already.
Jericho then interviewed Jericho, who was angry with the Callis Family for Powerhouse
Hobbs costing him and Sammy Guevera the tag team titles.
Enter Matt Sydal to challenge Jericho with the overly keen energy of a musical theatre
kid who can’t really act, but can sing amazingly so they keep him around.
‘This isn’t you Jericho.
I know you better than that.
I know you better.’
The Best Friends beat Penta and Kommander in a fun match, with Trent continuing to show
his more aggressive side.
This segment was more about the angle afterwards, though, as the Undisputed Kingdom’s Roderick
Strong finally went face to face with the International Champion he’s promised to
defeat.
Orange Cassidy, in his aloof way, said he’ll defend it right now - giving Strong a big
advantage.
Cassidy has just wrestled a match.
Roddy is completely fresh.
Instead of accepting, though, Strong said he’ll wait until the Revolution pay-per-view
on the 3rd March - 45 days away - to make Cassidy mentally suffer.
This motivation did not work at all for me.
Firstly, do you even know what an Orange Cassidy is?
His whole gimmick is not caring.
But perhaps there’s a story to tell there where Strong does slowly get in his head.
Second though, and more importantly, the Undisputed Kingdom told me they’re going to change
AEW.
Right now, that’s happening at an almost imperceptible pace.
In lieu of Adam Cole being an active wrestler, I would’ve had Strong win the International
title by now to get over their threat.
And Strong’s reason for stalling and not taking the advantage here being ‘mindgames’
is generic wrestling.
He could’ve instead said it’s to make more money on the bigger show - clearly separating
his faction’s motivation from the more babyface winning titles goals.
Renee spoke to Hangman Page backstage, who said he does not think about Swerve - when
he so obviously does.
Mark Briscoe led an incredibly touching tribute to his brother Jay, who tragically passed
a year ago.
His niece was in the car accident that killed Jay, and doctors said she wouldn’t walk
again.
But Mark welcomed her, who walked out by herself.
AEW are very good at sincerely honouring stories like this.
Then we got the brilliant Young Bucks interview, where they established their new heel characters.
And making not-to-subtle allusions to CM Punk in the process.
In a later short film promo, Sting and Darby Allin announced they wanted to win the tag
team championships - so expect them to beat Ricky Starks and Big Bill, to have those belts
on the link for the Bucks match.
Speaking of titles that need rehabbing - the Ring of Honor Six Man belts changed hands
next, when the Gang Bang Gang beat… checks notes to see who champions were…
Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony.
This was a really fun, frankly weird match - as it had Jay White working babyface.
He even got a hot tag run.
He’s really good at it, and it’s connecting with the crowd.
I just never thought I’d see White be a good guy.
In a nice story beat, Anthony Bowens stopped Prince Nana interfering, letting White hit
the Blade Runner to win.
I’m interested to see how this will further Bullet Club Gold’s frenemy relationship
with The Acclaimed, and how it’ll debut a new set of 12 man titles.
Adam Cole hyped up Wardlow backstage in the Undisputed waiting game.
It’s time for the compulsory quarter past the second hour women’s match!
Deonna Purrazzo and Toni Storm maximised their limited minutes, with Deonna tapping out Anna
Jay in her awesome Venus de Milo finisher, and Toni joking on commentary.
Top Flight and Private Party had a decent tag, initially based on mutual respect of
either side having a partner out with injury for ages, for it to turn sour when Mark Kwen
hooked the rope to get the heel pin.
It’s a good bit of substance for the undercard.
And the main event saved the best for last - one of my favourite matches of the year
already - Samoa Joe defending his AEW World title against Hook.
Feeling bigtime from the start with the entrances and ring introductions, Joe’s first title
defence captured the best of Joe from TNA for me - which is the best Joe has ever been
- a violent, swaggering monster.
He hit a sick urangi on Hook on the corner of the announcer’s table, then strutted
around the ring as everyone chanted Joe.
Hook then put both middle fingers up at him, so Joe powerbombed him on the ring apron.
Joe never looked in trouble.
Hook always looked in trouble.
Yet somehow they both looked absolutely awesome in every single moment of this match.
Joe’s snap powerslam, kickout at 2.
Joe’s Death Valley Driver, kickout at 2.
Joe’s Muscle Buster finisher, kickout at 1!
Hook had a comeback so good and well timed, it might propel him back to where he should’ve
been a year with adequate follow-up.
AEW really could have lightning in a bottle with him.
Joe eventually made him pass out in the Coquina Clutch.
Hook kept standing up afterwards, though, showing his heart.
So Joe would keep hitting Muscle Busters.
This brought down Hangman Page for the save, and revealed Swerve lurking in the crowd - and
the reality of title defences seemed to start dawning on Joe’s trembling face.
The crowd continued to chant Swerve’s House as Strickland and Hangman stared at each other,
after pretending this whole episode they want nothing to do with each other.
When all they want to really do is make sweet love.
I mean fight!
Calm down, Oli.
Those Tumblr shipping are behind you.
This was a fantastic episode.
This week’s Dynamite is 92%.
There was a crisis at this week’s Raw!
Find out Triple H’s secret masterplan by clicking the WrestleTalk News on the left.