In this WrestleTalk News, an AEW talent apologizes to the locker room, more on CM Punk and Oli’s
review of AEW Dynamite.
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Following the numerous reports of backstage unrest in AEW towards the end of 2022, most
glaringly Brawl Out and the Sammy Guevara and Andrade situation, news of backstage tension
became an expected occurrence for Tony Khan’s company.
However, in 2023, the AEW waters have been far less troubled it seems, not only that
but it now seems that one of the company’s more controversial talent’s are looking
to turn over a new leaf.
The talent in question is former AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa, who prior to her injury
layoff six months ago, was known to have some significant beef with a few of her fellow
colleagues on the women’s roster, most notably her often on-screen rival Britt Baker as well
as current AEW Women’s Champ Jamie Hayter.
The issues with Rosa seemed to stem from her stiff working style, which was infamously
called out on-screen by Baker when she brought out a sandbag in a backstage interview, something
that was even referenced by Rosa via a ‘sandbagging’ T-Shirt.
However, now that the dust has settled a bit and Rosa reportedly closing in on a return
to the ring, will these issues still remain?
Well according to Fightful Select, prior to last week’s episode of Dynamite a backstage
meeting was called for the women’s talent roster, in which Rosa, who was at the show
in El Paso providing Spanish commentary, looked to repair the damage done prior to her injury.
Fightful’s sources claim that Rosa addressed many of the things that seemed to cause a
rift between herself and the locker room, including the ‘sandbagging’ working style
and the legitimacy of her injury.
Thankfully, the meeting was thought to be productive and seen as a success in its intentions,
hopefully paving the way for a smooth return for Rosa fairly soon.
And that’s just a bit of nice news isn’t it?
It’s nice to see that in AEW, there’s no bridges that can’t be mended, even if
people have a falling out, there’s always hope.
So let’s talk about CM Punk.
This week has seen a sudden upturn in CM Punk AEW return rumors, with Punk reportedly being
available for a return in a matter of months following his recovery from a triceps tear.
As well as this we’ve also seen Punk add fuel to the fire via social media where he
has cryptically posted about forgiveness.
And perhaps, similarly to Rosa it’s in fact forgiveness that Punk must seek if he wishes
to return to the company.
So maybe, just maybe if Punk did that he could pave a way back?
However, with Punk and The Elite still no closer to mending fences, according to Dave
Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, this may not be likely.
But that’s not gonna stop AEW (maybe) teasing it damnit!
Yes, during last night’s Dynamite, we saw an MJF promo that yet again, turned a few
heads but thankfully shouldn’t have anyone calling the police this time.
During MJF’s promo battle with Bryan Danielson, Max repeatedly referred to Danielson as ‘The
Best in the World’, something that while probably true, is not a moniker that he is
known for, instead being closely tied to Punk.
And this did not go unnoticed by fans at home who took to Twitter in response.
While it could be nothing but MJF being a tease, it’s important to remember the original
plan prior to Punk’s injury, that being a program between the two men for the title.
So, perhaps this is a seed being planted?
Let us know in the comments what you think.
Now over to Oli for the Dynamite review.
It’s Thursday, you know what that means…
my review of AEW Dynamite in about 5 minutes.
After last week’s shocking, deflating title change, where the Ass Boys won the tag team
titles, The Acclaimed needed to come out hot here, spitting bars of fire, seriously winning
a match, and then passionately declaring to win their tag team titles back at Revolution.
Instead, they made fun of a guy who’s dad just died, wrestled a comedy match, and invoked
an automatic rematch clause, not for a straight blood feud title match, but to add a fourth
team to a triple threat at the pay-per-view.
While the match was fun, now wasn’t the time for The Acclaimed to be wrestling an
8 man comedy match with Daddy Ass and Orange Cassidy, against the TNA faction they’ve
already moved past - of Jay Lethal, Satnum Singh, an excellent as always Sonjay Dutt,
and Jeff Jarrett, son of the aforementioned passed dad Jerry Jarrett, who got an in memoriam
graphic to open the show.
The crowd’s mildness was a telling symptom of a bad follow-up booking.
Nowhere near as loud as they usually are for Acclaimed segments, they were either a bit
awkward with Caster’s rap roast of Jeff, or because the Gunn’s win last week has
cooled this division off.
Austen and Colten came out during the match, but it was hard to tell if it was genuine
or go-away heat.
Later on, it was announced The Gunns would have their first title defence in AEW’s
annually confusing battle royal qualifier system.
Revolution will have a three way of The Gunns vs the winner of a traditional tag team battle
royal to take place next week vs the winner of the Casino Tag Team Battle Royal the week
after that.
Oddly, rather than vow to fight through either of those Battle Royals like vengeful babyfaces,
they said they’d be invoking their automatic rematch clause for Revolution instead, now
making it a four way.
I think this is a very suboptimal follow-up to the the Gunns winning.
Jon Moxley and Claudio Castignoli had an intense tornado tag against Rush and Preston Vance,
which was really a match between Moxley and Vance over who could bleed the most.
Rush and Claudio appeared to tease an ROH World Championship feud, while Mox choked
Vance out with the chain for a great finish.
When Wardlow first started telling his life story to Jim Ross, I was getting cheesy America’s
Got Talent build up promo vibes.
By the time he finished, I WANTED TO SEE HIM BEAT SAMOA JOE TO A BLOODY PULP.
Wardlow eloquently explained the significance of his flowing locks.
He vowed after his father died from cancer to grow his hair long, as his connection to
his dad who lost his own through chemotherapy.
Joe knew that, and cut off Wardlow’s hair in an act of spite.
This was a terrific promo, and one that suddenly elevates Joe vs Wardlow from ‘I like big
guys being big’ to a far more emotional blood feud.
Mark Briscoe beat Josh Woods, complete with all of Mark’s charisma and a beautiful corkscrew
suplex off the ring apron outside.
Woods is a really good wrestler.
Penta and Rey Fenix took out Sterling’s boys on the outside.
Mark won with his own finisher this time, the excellent Froggy Bow.
Adam Cole is so incredibly likeable as a babyface, but it’s starting to feel like his return
announcement was rushed.
His interview with Renee made it sound like he won’t wrestle at Revolution, making it
two months since his comeback.
The best thing on the show actually happened ‘off air’ - as during the break, which
international viewers like me watch on the Fite feed, MJF dropped his chewing gum on
someone in the crowd, let a woman kiss him on the cheek, then swore at her boyfriend.
Posed for a selfie, then slapped the phone out of the fan’s hand.
Then threw a drink in someone’s face.
I don’t think these people were plants.
Because as I would find out in the main event, pro wrestlers pretending to be fans react
to spots like this.
MJF then got on the mic and said, we’re not on TV yet you dumb s-words, he doesn’t
give a f-word.
And for anyone who has kids who’s offended by his language, maybe if they weren’t in
Texas, maybe they would’ve been aborted like the should’ve been.
And you’re back in 3…2…1…
The proof of MJF’s excellence is in the decibel meter.
He took a middling crowd, compared to AEW’s usual standard, and whipped them into a hateful
frenzy, which lasted for a lot of the rest of the episode.
The actual segment was based around MJF trying to buy Christopher Daniels to bury Bryan Danielson
on air.
Daniels refused, and gave a fascinating insight into Max’s motivation.
MJF says he doesn’t care about fan adulation for having the best matches, he only cares
about being champion.
But, really, he craves that recognition and that acceptance.
Daniels slapped Max, so MJF got him in the Salt of the Earth until Danielson made the
save.
Jungle Boys beat Brian Cage in a typically fun David vs Goliath story.
But it was all really a set up for Christian making his return from injury with MACE!
[PICTURE OF WWE’S MACE] No, not that Mace, he had a can of mace.
Like pepper spray.
Christian took off his sling, revealed he’s healed up, and drove Jack Perry’s skull
into the ramp with a Killswitch.
I can’t wait for more really offensive Christian promos!
In further confirmation that Tony Khan’s booking philosophy has significantly changed,
he’s booked yet another rematch, this time just ten days after the first encounter - with
the Elite set to face AR Fox and Top Flight again on Rampage.
What was far more interesting, though, was a brief flicker during this segment of the
House of Black - setting up a mouthwatering trios feud, and, finally, Kenny Omega vs Ginger
Australian Kenny Omega!
Hangman Page beat Kip Sabian with the Deadeye, that’s not even his finisher, after Sabian,
Butcher and the Blade had attacked him backstage earlier in the show.
This was more to set up Mox challenging Hangman to a Texas Death Match at Revolution afterwards
in an awesome promo.
Before then, oddly, Mox will fight Evil Uno, who came out to remind everyone the Dark Order
do still exist, albeit in significantly reduced numbers.
I’m curious to see how this will play out, but I’m unfortunately over Hangman’s association
with the Dark Order.
Ricky Starks keeps demanding another match with Chris Jericho, which nobody cares about.
Hook has been suspended pending investigation after he hurt Stokley Hathaway’s arm last
week.
That’s a bit extreme, it’s not like anyone bit each other!
And the main event saw Toni Storm, Ruby Soho and Britt Baker fight in a battle to decide
Ruby’s allegiance, which paid off, with no allegiance being decided.
The match was decent, but I find Toni and Saraya a painfully one dimensional heel unit.
They pulled a ‘fan’ over the barricade, which would’ve been far more effective if
they just spray painted the ‘fan’ in her place.
And Saraya also spay painted Toni’s butt before her hip attack, like she had done a
toxic fart.
There were no stakes for this, which made it more unfufilling when Ruby got the win
and still didn’t choose a side, despite the whole main event building that pay off.
What did you think of Dynamite?
Let me know in the comments.
This was an uncharacteristically weak episode in 2023.
Sure, stuff happened, with Christian’s return, a great Wardlow promo and a few Revolution
matches being confirmed.
But it still oddly felt like nothing progressed.
It also lacked any killer matches, and the booking of the tag title follow-up was very
subpar.
This week’s Dynamite is 60%.
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