In this WrestleTalk News, a major star potentially set for a WrestleMania return, the real reason
for Alexa Bliss’ absence from TV, Oli’s review of Dynamite and more.
Hey, did you know the opening match of WrestleMania 38 Night 2 was a Raw Tag Team Championship
Triple Threat with RK-Bro defending their belts against The Street Profits and Alpha
Academy?
Me neither, that entire show was a blur to me.
But hey the champs in that match aren’t anywhere to be seen right now - with Riddle
have an extended hiatus after reportedly attending rehab, and Orton having been off our screens
with a back injury.
Things have been relatively quiet ever since, which has naturally grown concern regarding
Orton’s health and chances of a return in the near future.
However, these fears were slightly alleviated when Orton was pictured recently looking in
rather incredible shape, potentially suggesting good news was approaching.
And now, more good news may be afoot as PWInsider Elite is reporting that Orton is scheduled
to be in Los Angeles over WrestleMania weekend, however, what exactly he is going to be doing
over the weekend is currently unclear.
Interestingly this seems to tie in with PWInsider’s report on Orton last week which stated that
there were “rumblings” within WWE regarding Orton, so potentially this is all linked.
Regardless of whether this spells an Orton return or not we at WrestleTalk would like
to continue to offer our well wishes to the ‘viper’ in his ongoing recovery.
Now to some serious news regarding the status of WWE Raw star Alexa Bliss.
Following her loss to Bianca Belair at January 28th’s Royal Rumble, it was reported that
Bliss would be taking an extended hiatus from the WWE, however, this was later denied by
Bliss.
Yet we have still not seen her back on WWE TV since.
Well, unfortunately it seems the reason is much more serious than anyone could have imagined.
Bliss would reveal that a spot on her face would lead to her thankfully getting treatment
for a form of skin cancer, explaining: “There was a spot on my face yes- that had
gotten worse.
So went to get biopsy.
Was basal cell carcinoma.
During my procedure doc also found other squamous cells.
Was a quick and easy procedure.
Glad I always get my skin checked” Which is some great news that it’s been
sorted so soon.
But that may not actually be the reason Alexa’s been off our screens, as it was revealed that
Alexa is now the second wrestler to be unveiled as a competitor on The Masked Singer behind
Chris Jericho.
She was an axolotl.
Nice.
Yeah let’s keep talking about FTR and the will-they-won’t-they dance with their AEW
future.
According to a recent interview with Fightful, Dax Harwood revealed that his podcast has
led to heat backstage in AEW, which he expected some of with the CM Punk situation, but was
aware that if it ever got too negative, he’d “scale it back”.
Interestingly, Dax also revealed that Punk has been reading Steve Kiern’s book and
that it’s made Punk “miss wrestling”.
EVEN MORE INTERESTINGLY, Punk himself would comment on the book and a moment in it where
Kiern and Koko B. Ware got into a backstage fight.
Posting a comment on a Pro Wrestling Podcast Instagram post, Punk said:
“Great story about Gator and Koko fighting in the locker room and then lawler drags em
in the office the next day and they squash it.
Fascinating.”
CM Punk return confirmed.
Obviously.
I’m sure Oli’s very happy.
Do you think Punk can actually squash his beef with The Elite and he’ll return before
long?
Let us know in the comments!
Now over to Oli for Dynamite.
Now it’s time for my review of AEW Dynamite… in about 5 minutes!
Since the dream match of Kenny Omega vs Vikingo was announced, wrestling Twitter discourse
has been dominated by: WHERE’S THE STORY?
I see both sides.
Omega vs Vikingo is an in-ring dream match that doesn’t actually need a story.
Just a video package about the context, and them then breaking the laws of wrestling physics
is enough.
But also, one of the major issues with AEW over the last six months has been a distinct
lack of soap opera drama.
Whether this was always the plan, or Tony Khan channeled his Twitter troll rage to LEVEL
UP creative THIS WEEK IN KANSAS CITY, the result was one of the most satisfyingly structured
episode-long narratives ever in Dynamite’s history.
The show began with a cold open on Hangman Page outside with an ambulance.
Matt and Nick Jackson had been brutally attacked before the show started.
Hangman was being a good friend and rode with them to the hospital, while Don Callis that
carny piece of poo convinced Kenny Omega to stay to wrestle his main event against Vikingo.
This provided an episode-long whodunnit hook, which was paid off with an even larger whodunnit
hook.
I love whodunnits.
Unless the reveal is Erick Rowan’s evil twin.
Who am I kidding?
I loved that too!
But this is AEW Dynamite, you know what that means - the actual show beginning with Orange
Cassidy’s entrance music.
He was Sting’s birthday present, as they both tagged with Darby Allin against Kip Sabian,
The Butcher and the Blade in a match set up on AEW’s first ever, but actually second
ever, house show last Saturday.
It’s like everything aggressively has a story now.
This was so much fun, with Sabian, Cassidy and Sting in particular having some terrifically
goofy spots - with Sting doing a few of Orange’s trademark bits.
Sting got the win a few days after his 64th birthday, and Darby Allin then looked up at
the Double or Nothing sign hanging over the audience - a subtle and neat transition into
a recap of the Four Pillars segment from last week, keeping that storyline plate spinning.
MJF feuds consistently overdeliver, but I am a little concerned that the actual match
is teased to be two and a half months after the first angle.
The Gunns quickly beat Top Flight thanks to The Kingdom’s interference from Ring of
Honor, which was all really a setup for FTR to challenge for the tag team titles.
The Gunns wouldn’t accept Cash’s conditions that they’d never challenge for the championships
again, or they’d split up as a team if they lost, so Dax did the only thing he knows how
these days: tease FTR are leaving AEW.
The tag title match was made for if FTR lose, they’d have to leave AEW.
I expect them to stay, as I actually reckon they’ve re-signed with AEW and Dax is the
ultimate worky mcworkface - but there’s enough doubt to make the eventual match super
tense.
A good storyline that is going to create some super squeaky sphincter near falls.
Jade Cargill is serving Taya Valkyrie papers that she can’t use her finisher.
That’s what the TBS title has been missing, a legal element!
Hook squashed Stokely Hathaway despite the manager’s best efforts to get out of the
match.
I’d like Hook to do something serious now.
Adam Cole came down to cut his first in-ring promo since he announced his return back in
January - ahead of his in-ring wrestling return next week.
And just when he was deciding who his opponent should be, Daniel Garcia interrupted.
At first, I was a bit disinterested.
Garcia’s prolonged JAS involvement has really sapped his appeal.
But Garcia ran down his achievements, how he’s beaten Bryan Danielson, that he’s
main evented more AEW TV episodes than anyone else over the last year, that he’s the best
pro wrestler-before catching himself to say ‘sports entertainer’ in a fantastic glimpse
into his heart.
He needs to split from the JAS pronto, as he’s really outgrown their schtick.
This was a first class wrestling promo segment, totally selling me on wanting to see their
match.
Jon Moxley won a really good match against Stu Grayson, half the match built around Mox
dominating, the second half having an excellent Grayson comeback.
The Blackpool Combat Club also beat Stu up as he was being seen to by medics backstage,
really getting them over as bully heels.
Ricky Starks called out Juice Robinson for Rampage.
We got another QTV segment, but oddly without Powerhouse Hobbs in.
It’s a fun gimmick, but not the right one for the TNT Champion.
Much like Mox getting over Grayson in defeat, I thought Toni Storm made Sky Blue look great,
even though she beat her.
Riho and Willow Nightingale chased the Outcasts off from the post-match beatdown afterwards
- begging the question…
why not just be down their the whwole time.
And the main event was yet another one of Dynamite’s best matches in history, as Omega
took on El Hijo del Vikingo.
Which really did have all the story.
A much-needed video package put over the history of Omega and Vikingo’s series of near misses,
and Kenny was expertly selling that his head was partly on his injured friends in hospital.
But furthering the overbearing manager teased two weeks ago, it was Don Callis who convinced
him to stay.
That maybe this is a good thing.
That Kenny can finally focus on being a singles star again, the God of Pro Wrestling.
He was effectively saying, just me and you Kenny.
Just like the good old days before you had friends.
The match itself was phenomenal.
Not just a pay-per-view calibre match, but a match of the year pay-per-view calibre match.
Vikingo is as exciting to see wrestle - with his 630 sentons and dragonranas - as early
Rey Mysterio was in WCW.
When he flew, it felt like you were watching the physical limits of what wrestling can
do right now be pushed and redrawn.
And Kenny, the best wrestler in the world, was the perfect base foil to Vikingo’s flying,
brutally cutting him off with a pocket full of V Triggers.
They wrestled near 20 minutes, another sign that AEW has fixed its pacing issues, giving
segments and matches the full time they need, and Kenny won with a One-Winged Angel.
Tony Schiavone interviewed Kenny afterwards, where he was attacked by the Blackpool Combat
Club.
It was those guys who took out the Bucks!
But then a Hangman stolen ambulance was shown pulling up, for Page’s music to hit to a
huge pop.
He chased off the Combat Club, but then that carny piece of poo Don Callis pretended Hangman
had hit him, causing Kenny to help Don out, looking distrustingly at Page.
This was a great way to prolong the Hangman/Omega reunion, while also, possibly, building the
perfect enemy to unite them: Don Callis himself.
I think it was he who got the BCC to take out the Bucks, to make Kenny the best he could
be.
He wants the old Kenny back.
And with him scouting Takeshita, Callis could also add him to the Combat Club, yes please.
I love how interconnected the whole upper half of AEW’s roster just became.
This is the storyline meat that’s been missing.
This week’s Dynamite is 88%.
Now watch our WrestleTalk update video to tell you about what we’ve got in store for
you…