In this WrestleTalk News, Mercedes Moné isn’t debuting in AEW, except she is, an update
on Kenny Omega’s injury status following his match with Will Ospreay, Oli’s review
of Dynamite and more.
Last night’s AEW Dynamite saw TK kick off the new year with a fresh coat of paint for
his flagship show, sporting a new set, updated presentation and a host of headline grabbing
action (which Oli will dive into in his review).
Of the attention grabbing events was the long-awaited reveal of one of AEW’s most talked about
mysteries, that being the identity of Saraya’s tag-partner for next week’s match with The
Killer and The Pillar (yes that’s officially their name now) Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker.
So, it’s Mercedes Mone right?
I mean, that’s what we have all assumed since the match was announced.
Well… no.
In fact to everyone’s surprise, Saraya would reveal in an interview with Renee Paquette
that it would actually be Toni Storm in her corner for next week’s show from Inglewood,
California.
This plot-twist was incredibly unexpected given the fact that not only had Saraya’s
opponent Britt Baker dropped some not so subtle hints to Mercedes’ impending debut, calling
herself “the boss” in a backstage promo, which was of course Mercedes’ moniker in
WWE, but prior to Dynamite airing DAZN’s Steven Muelhausen outright confirmed that
Mercedes was AEW bound, tweeting: "Mercedes Varnado will be Saraya's partner next week
in #AEWDynamite in LA against Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter."
The reveal, that Muelhausen said he couldn’t report on until the former Sasha Banks’
WWE contract had officially expired on January 1st, seems to suggest that perhaps AEW are
trying to pull a sneaky swerve, naming Storm to provide a red-herring for fans to further
the surprise of Mercedes’ debut.
Not to mention that Hikaru Shida’s reaction to not being chosen by Saraya could hint at
something going on there - maybe a cheeky little Shida heel turn to take Storm out of
the match to make room for Moné to come on in?
As for Mercedes, following her NJPW debut she alluded that she had grander plans than
just appearing in Japan, saying her appearance at WrestleKingdom 17 was just the start of
her “world domination tour” at the event’s press conference afterwards.
But who knows?
Maybe it will in fact be Storm afterall.
Nah, surely, it’s got to be Mercedes right?
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Speaking of Wrestle Kingdom, what about that NJPW US Title match eh?
Wow.
Check out Oli, Luke and Laurie reacting to that match in full on the WrestleTalk Podcast
channel.
While the quality of the long-awaited Will Ospreay vs Kenny Omega match was never in
doubt, there has been a fair share of uncertainty regarding the latter’s health following
the contest.
Following a nasty cheeky Nandos kick from Ospreay during the contest Omega’s eye was
in pretty bad shape, appearing completely swollen shut by the time Omega made it to
the post-show presser afterwards.
The state of Omega’s eye led to concern from fans on his status in the immediate future,
with Omega and The Young Bucks set to resume their Trios Title series with Death Triangle
at next week’s Dynamite.
However, it looks like we can all rest easy as Uncle Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer
Newsletter has tweeted a positive update on Omega’s injury.
Meltzer stated there was “no orbital break or anything serious, at least as far as everyone
thought late last night."
Phew.
Now… rematch anyone?
Forbidden Door 2?
Yes?
Glad we’re all in agreement.
Sticking with The Elite and there has been an update on Omega’s fellow AEW EVP’s
Nick and Matt Jackson’s contract status with the company.
Following AEW’s inception in 2019, it was initially reported by the Wrestling Observer
that The Bucks and Cody Rhodes had signed five-year deals with AEW.
However, after Cody’s departure last year, following his contract expiring this was proven
false, leaving many to question whether The Elite’s deals were also coming up soon.
Well, a new report from Fightful Select has revealed at the very least that The Bucks
and AEW are in negotiations over new contracts, however the report still couldn’t specify
when their existing deals expire.
Our only clue to the length of The Bucks’ current deal came way back on the October
7th edition of BTE where the contracts were described as four year deals by Kenny Omega.
Despite the lack of specifics, according to Fightful, the proposed contracts would see
Matt and Nick remain in AEW for “quite some time” which is great news for The Bucks,
not so great for CM Punk’s hopes of a 2023 return.
Now hot tag to Oli.
It’s the first Thursday of the year, you know what that means…
all new sexy neon AEW Dynamite … in about 5 minutes.
Following a brand new opening credits video, with everyone getting promo shots in da club,
AEW’s 2023 began with Chris Jericho vs Ricky Starks to an incredibly hot Seattle crowd.
The last month has felt like each Dynamite crowd is trying to be louder than the last.
They elevated everything on a show which was pretty damn fine already.
Starks and Jericho had an awesome back and forth match, with a very well booked finish.
Jericho had Ricky in the Walls, which the crowd popped for like it was the height of
the Attitude Era, but Starks was holding on.
Daddy Magic knocked him out with a baseball bat to the heat, but Starks’ arm stayed
up for the 3 count, Rock-style.
Ricky fought out and hit a spear to win.
A great match, and a welcome follow up to Starks’ loss to MJF at Winter is Coming.
After the last year of AEW booking, I was just scared Ricky would get lost in the shuffle
again.
This win gives me hope.
And I’m excited for the opposite reason for Jericho.
He just had one of the best in-ring years of his career.
Where to go now, but down hard into the gutter.
His namebar read ‘First match since losing to Action Andrettti’, and now he lost to
Starks too.
Two defeats does not make a streak, but I think there’s a lot of mileage in mental
breakdown Chris Jericho.
The JAS got their heat back in the post-match, beating both Starks, with Hager powerbombing
him through a table off the apron, and Andretti who returned to make the save.
Hangman Page and Jon Moxley were in the ring next, with all the pent-up sexual frustration
of a young Christian couple a week from their wedding night.
Because next week Hangman Page will be medically cleared and they can finally f***, I mean
fight, where Page promised to, and I quote, “knock Jon Moxley’s dick in the dirt.”
Maybe they are going to have sex?
Hangman said he wasn’t actually angry at Mox about the concussion, he was mad that
Mox made fun of him on his return for it.
I kind of preferred the previous motivation.
That said, I can’t wait for their rematch, and Moxley said the f word when he thought
his mic wasn’t working properly.
I can’t believe I’m going to say this.
I take back all my AEW criticism of Jeff Jarrett.
Not all my Jeff Jarrett criticism in general, but my criticism since his AEW debut several
months ago.
I think I mistook go-away heat for actual heat.
He’s actually playing his carny ex-TNA guy role perfectly.
And he and Jay Lethal have provided a surprisingly fun challenge for The Acclaimed, which has
been better than it had any right to be.
Their title match here was super heated again, with Daddy Ass, Sonjay and Satnum Signh all
getting ejected from ringside.
But Sonjay stuck around just long enough to push Bowens’ foot off the ropes, meaning
Jarrett and Lethal are your new tag team champions.
It was quickly reversed when the second referee Aubrey Edwards pointed out the cheating, and
then the Acclaimed ended up retaining, but in that moment, I couldn’t believe what
I was feeling.
I was kind of excited for a brief Jeff Jarrett tag title run.
They’ll have another match at Battle of the Belts this Friday, this time under a No
Holds Barred stipulation.
I don’t know why either.
—ADBREAK— Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker had a sitdown
interview, where they asked why Saraya is delaying her tag partner announcement?
Surely she doesn’t need to look outside AEW.
She’s got great wrestlers right here.
Saraya answered this in her own sitdown later on, flanked by Toni Storm and Hikaru Shida.
She agreed yes, I am with the best wrestler in the world right now.
I choose you, Toni Storm - which visibly annoyed Shida.
So either AEW are either not using Mone Banks in this angle, or it’s a misdirect.
Whatever way it is, Saraya end up being a heel, as she’s coming across as very unlikeable.
Bryan Danielson got a monster reaction in his Seattle hometown, and made quick work
of Tony Nese.
Which gave us more time to make fun of MJF’s mum!
Max came out afterwards for a really fun promo battle with Danielson, joking that looking
like a GOAT doesn’t make you one.
In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if Bryan’s mother couldn’t find a human suitor.
Bryan replied that’s funny, because everyone in the back talks about all the human suitors
MJF’s mum has had.
Enough to fill this whole arena.
He even got people to chant they had had intercourse with Max’s mum.
Bryan, Max’s mum is on your side.
She hates MJF too.
Max got some more heat by saying he’s been recognised as the greatest by legends in the
industry, like Disco Inferno, Eric Bischoff and Jim Cornette, and then he challenged Bryan
to his if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it template: jump through these hoops to get
a shot at me.
But this time, Danielson flipped the power dynamic.
He said he’ll win a match every week until February 8th regardless of what Max wants.
His first next week is a mouthwatering fight against Takeshita.
And then his demand of MJF is their title fight will be a 1 hour ironman.
An incredibly exciting challenge, and one that makes great character sense.
Bryan is the perfect wrestler, and he wants to expose Max on his turf.
Swerve Strickland then beat AR Fox thanks to a foreign object in an awesome Lucha Underground
throwback.
They got over the story that they know each other inside out by reversing every flippy
move with an even flippier counter.
Swerve’s won in brutal fashion.
A Death Valley Driver on the ring apron, and then a Stomp to the throat.
The Gunn Club staged a fake remembrance service for FTR’s AEW careers, complete with fake-out
FTR entrance.
As annoying as the Gunn Club are, this was very well done.
Jade Cargill won the following tag match on her own when Red Velvet walked out on her.
Which everyone saw coming but Jade, as this on-off again relationship has been stuttering
on for weeks.
And then main event saw an awesome ten minute TNT title match, which Darby Allin won in
his hometown.
It was great before the bell even rang, with Samoa Joe choking Nick Wayne in the front
row, which started a hardcore brawl up the ramp and huge senton from Darby off the top
of a ladder.
Joe psychotically dominated the middle section, working over Allin’s buckled knee.
And then Darby made an excellent comeback, fighting out a sleeper, knocking Joe out on
an exposed turnbuckle, and Coffin Dropping for the win.
It was the right result, but it’s a shame it came at the expense of Joe, who’s been
on the best run since Great Balls of Fire.
Sting celebrated with his adopted nephew in the post-match in a wonderful, confetti filled
end to the show, and a very exciting start to AEW’s new year, with every championship
now held by a homegrown AEW star.
What did you think of Dynamite?
Let me know in the comments.
Apart from the neverending Cargill stuff, every segment and match on this show was great
to incredible.
The crowd made everyone feel like Attitude Era stars, and Darby’s babyface win was
the cherry on top for 2023’s babyface optimism.
It’s the best Dynamite of the year at 87%.
But it’s AEW, so of course there’s some backstage heat.
Watch on now to find out about AEW’s unhappiness with FTR…