AEW Double or Nothing 2020

AEW Double or Nothing 2020

Jacksonville, FL - May 2020

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the AEW World Champion was Jon Moxley, Nyla Rose was the AEW Women's Champion, and the AEW World Tag Team Champions were Adam Page and Kenny Omega.

It is a bit wild to watch a show from AEW's "pandemic era," a stretch when I was not a weekly viewer and was certainly not ordering the PPVs (or even finding streaming options online), but do recall how weird it was to watch any wrestling show being taped in what was essentially a TV studio with other wrestlers and personalities, socially distanced from each other, serving as the "audience."

Anyway, things kick off with a 9-man Casino Ladder Match Gauntlet. Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazarian of So Cal Uncensored are the first two entrants and seem to have identical strategies to start things off, grabbing at ladders before either one had an advantage of any kind. Kip Sabian came in next after 2 minutes. At #4 was Darby Allin like a wildman, flying around and showing off some of the offense that would make him one of AEW's biggest stars over the course of the next 5 years. At #5 was Orange Cassidy, whose entrance alone eats up over a minute. I can see why Cassidy was so polarizing back in the day and anyone that says he's still the same gimmick now should go back and watch how thick he laid on the "slacker" vibe back then. Joey Janela, Colt Cabana, and Luchasaurus followed. Luchasaurus does some cool power moves and, like Darby Allin, Janela shows tremendous energy as he flies around the ring, but overall, this is all sorta "cookie cutter" with each new entrant getting their spotlight and no real "through line" or story to the match. Spots for spots sakes, rinse and repeat. The final entrant - a mystery participant - ends up being Brian Cage, who looks like a freak and gets a lot of time to shine. Cage had wrestled in TNA so I wonder if having an actual live crowd would've made his appearance feel like a bigger deal. Regardless, everyone eventually teams up to bury Cage under ladders and some massive poker chips that were part of the set. The match goes on for another 10 minutes or so with everyone attempting to the climb the ladder. The craziest spot of the match is how it ends as Cage manages to crawl out from under all the wreckage placed on top of him and eventually press slams a Darby Allin (who is laying on a ladder) out of the ring and into another ladder on the floor. Its wild and dangerous and exactly the kind of spot that Darby Allin built his reputation on. This was fine for what it was, but it almost felt like it ran too long and was too silly at times. Felt very "indie" in a not-great way. (2/5)

MJF vs. Jungle Boy was next. This match started out really strong with MJF and Jungle Boy doing a bit of "mirror work" and showing off their athleticism and agility. MJF's character work was also really strong as he was an unlikable prick throughout. That being said, the match lost me a bit as it went on, needlessly going 15+ minutes and weighed down by way too many false finishes and over-dramatic kickouts (some of which looked a bit too cooperative). Dave Meltzer gave this over 4-stars in the Observer and I can see why this match, in 2020, would have been considered a "near-classic" and a star-making match for both guys...but the best parts of this match were the more old school elements and not the "spotfest" elements and, by the end, as the long-term selling got thrown away and the match became more about "throwing bombs," it lost that gritty, "fight" feel that I enjoy more. I'm not against "fireworks show" matches - I'm as big an Ospreay fan as anyone - but, if you're going to go that route, it has to be as incredible as possible from beginning to end. This felt like two different matches mashed together. Above-average for sure, but not truly great. (3/5)

The next match was held to crown the first TNT Champion, with Cody Rhodes taking on Lance Archer. There were some excellent parts of this, but there was also some real low points. I loved the big press slam to the outside and Archer's dominance really came across well. What was less good was Mike Tyson on the outside, caught yawning at one point, the distracting "fans" in the front row, and the involvement of Arn Anderson towards the end, which looked like it was happening in slo-mo. I'm not sure why this match needed to go a full 20 minutes, especially after the previous match did. A bit overbooked, a bit slow, but not terrible. (2.5/5)

Kris Statlander vs. Penelope Ford was next. Statlander has definitely come a long way since back then when she was 100% all-in on the alien gimmick. Wrestling-wise, this was fine - not super remarkable, but action-packed for its sub-10 minute runtime. This was supposed to be Statlander vs. Britt Baker. At this time, the AEW Women's Division was not considered all that great and you can see why when you watch this. There is a noticeable lack of polish and fluidity in the match, some blatant telegraphing of moves, and neither performer had developed their characters yet. (2/5)

More of an angle than a match, Shawn Spears came down the aisle and tried to steal a W over Dustin Rhodes via countout. Very hokey "old school 'rassling" stuff here as Spears called out Rhodes, Rhodes' music hit, and Spears revealed that it was all a trick before demanding that the referee count Rhodes out. This led to Rhodes' music playing again and him showing up to beat down on the heel. Spears was not dressed for a match and eventually got stripped down to his underwear (which were comedically adorned with a picture of Tully Blanchard's face on the crotch). I'm not sure if this was better or worse than what I wanted to see/expected. On one hand, Dustin Rhodes, at his best, is capable of putting on very good matches. On the other hand, Spears has never been a guy I've seen much in so I'm not sure how much I wanted to see him and Dustin go 10+. (2/5)

The AEW Women's Champion, Nyla Rose, took on Hikaru Shida in the next match. This was fought under No DQ/No Countout rules, which gave them ample leeway to explore the ringside area, use weapons, and break furniture. This is a pretty highly-acclaimed match on Cagematch, but I didn't find it to be all that great and, at times, a bit meandering. Maybe having this in front of a live crowd would've helped, but we'll never know. Shida is good as a David and Rose is good as a Goliath, but I wouldn't call this "must see." (3/5)

The AEW World Champion, Jon Moxley, defended his title against Brodie Lee in the next match. Decent enough match, but certainly would've benefitted from a crowd. Moxley is too sloppy a worker to look great in a match where nothing can be hidden with wide shots and you're essentially fighting in a TV studio, while Brodie Lee's character was arguably "too big" to be captured in the same setting. This match needed some "aura" to work and that aura not being present detracted from it. That being said, there were some pretty nifty hardcore spots in this match, including Moxley hitting his DDT finisher onto Brodie through the entrance ramp (major Tazz/Bam Bam vibes). (2.5/5)

Main event time - The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Ortiz, and Santana) vs. The Elite (Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, "Hangman" Page, and "Broken" Matt Hardy. This isn't as much a "match" as a "spectacle" (as JR puts it). The best word to describe this might be "madcap." It is silly. It is wild. It is maybe overly and cloyingly "fun" and, in a sense, in love with itself. It is the opposite of a serious match, but it isn't 100% comedy because the men involved are performing high-risk moves and, at least at the very start, lots of actual wrestling moves. This is not going to be for everyone, but it is also important to remember the context of this match. During the pandemic, wrestling companies were forced to deal with having to create new environments to hold matches and a gigantic empty stadium was as good a locale as any. They also had to develop new ways to capture these matches and this is where this match absolutely works. With no crowd around, AEW (and the WWE as well) were able to get extra creative and experimental and this match is full of very funny, quasi-psychedelic imagery and moments unlike anything that you would typically get from this era of pro-wrestling. Highlights included the Matt Hardy Metamorphose in the pool, the entirety of the Jack Hager/Hangman Page bar segment (including Hager staring down Page's horse), Sammy Guevara getting chased down by horse and then by a golf cart, and one of the Young Bucks - I forget which one - flying off the stands to put Guevara through a table on the field. While I don't think this lives up to the acid trip vibe of the Wyatt/Cena match from that year's WrestleMania or even the ridiculousness trashiness of the AJ Styles/Undertaker cinematic match, this was still mostly entertaining. In fact, the weakest, most uninteresting part of the entire thing may have been the actual "wrestling" that occurred in the initial 5-10 minutes, which, while certainly not bad, felt perfunctory. (3.5/5)

With a 2.56-out-of-5 Kwang Score, Double or Nothing 2020 is one of the weaker AEW PPVs/PLEs that I've watched, though, to be fair, not only did the lack of a live crowd hurt the overall presentation and "heat," but several matches were altered due to injury. I'll also admit to coming into this show very "cold" and uninformed about the major storylines. That being said, AEW built its name around excellent pro-wrestling matches and this show doesn't feature a single one. The opener drags. MJF/Jungle Boy might be the best actual bout of the night but also suffers from veering too far into no-selling and needless false finishes in its second half. The AEW World Championship match would've likely worked better in front of a live crowd, but the finish never felt like it was really in question. The main event was the most entertaining part of the event, but it didn't hit the same highs as other cinematic matches from this time period (namely the ones that were part of WrestleMania XXXVI).

FINAL RATING: High Risk Maneuver

TNA Hardcore Justice: The Last Stand

TNA Hardcore Justice: The Last Stand

Orlando, FL - August 2010

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the TNA World Heavyweight Champion was Rob Van Dam, Doug Williams was the X-Division Champion, the TNA World Tag Team Champions were the Motor City Machine Guns, the Knockouts Champion was Madison Rayne, the Television Champion was AJ Styles, and the Women's Knockout Tag Team Champions were Hamada and Taylor Wilde.

In the same spirit as WWE's One Night Stand PPVs, in 2010, TNA put together its first Hardcore Justice show, aimed directly at ECW's eternally loyal fanbase and featuring a whole bunch of ECW alumni. Of course, because many of the trademarks and copyrights were owned by the WWE, they couldn't advertise or promote it as an ECW reunion, but it was obvious to anyone with even a passing knowledge of the show what "Philadelphia-based promotion" this show was meant to celebrate. 

The event kicked off with a welcome from Tazz, who had been working as a commentator for TNA for quite some time. Unfortunately, Joey Styles was not on commentary for this and, instead, Mike Tenay filled his usual role. 

The opening contest saw The Full-Bloodied Italians - Tony Luke (they couldn't say "Mamaluke"), Little Guido, and Tracy Smothers, with Big Sal Graziano in tow - against the make-shift team of Kid Kash, Simon Diamond, and Johnny Swinger. Kash was a babyface for most of his run in ECW and, if I'm not mistaken, TNA too, so I'm not sure why he was paired with the heels but I would also say, in TNA's defense, ECW was never very strict about who was getting paired with who or whether a match had a traditional heel/face dynamic. Diamond is in the worst shape of anybody aside from Big Sal. I'm a Smothers fan so just seeing him on the show earns a point with me. This was a fun opener for what it was and I liked seeing Kash hit one of his signature splashes. The "Extreme Dance-Off" was a nice throwback to the kind of nonsense the FBI did back in the day. All in all, not a bad way to start the show but not up to the level of the FBI's better matches and moments in the original ECW. (2/5)

Throughout the evening, the in-ring action is broken up by two recurring video segments - a "Where Are They Now?" thing and a "Fans Remember" thing. In the first "Where Are They Now?" segment, we see original ECW owner Todd Gordon, The Blue Meanie, and Pitbull #2. Then we hear from AJ Styles and Angelina Love, who talk about their memories of ECW. Not super interesting, but I like that it makes this show feel different.

Backstage, Al Snow is talking to Head about how dangerous it is for them to be going out in front of the fans knowing that the fans are going to get them into trouble if they chant "those 3 letters." Stevie Richards talks him down. Hollywood Nova (Simon Dean) shows up with an imposter Blue Meanie. According to a Facebook (Twitter?) post from Blue Meanie after the show, he was unable to make it due to a prior engagement/planned vacation.

Back to the ring we go for CW Anderson vs. 2 Cold Scorpio. This was a much, much better match than I think anyone in the audience or watching at home expected. Scorpio's offense looked incredible, while CW Anderson did his usual good work. Anderson was a highlight of ECW towards the end and deserved to have a better career post-ECW as he could almost always be counted on to provide a good midcard match. His offense wasn't flashy, his look wasn't super imposing, but he was solid and a great foil for more flashy, high-energy wrestlers (as he shows here against Scorpio). A CW Anderson/Rey Mysterio Jr. match, for example, would've probably been awesome in the mid-2000s. Scorpio's finishing move is absolutely ridiculous here. Good match. (3/5)

Madison Rayne, Matt Morgan, and Ken Anderson talk about watching "the Philadelphia-based promotion" during another video segment. 

Backstage, RVD is with Fonzie. RVD talks about how excited he is to face Jerry Lynn and how he has been training specifically for Lynn...and then says that its no surprise Lynn over-trained and injured himself. Its kinda bizarre that RVD spent the first few minutes of this hyping up a match that wouldn't be happening, especially after the commentators had already revealed Lynn's injury and his replacement. RVD announces that he was given a choice of who he wanted to face and that he chose Sabu. Fonzie says he's going to manage both of them and call it "right down the middle."

PJ Polaco is already in the ring for the next contest - a match against Stevie Richards, who is flanked by Hollywood Nova and The Blue Tilly (fake Meanie). When Polaco is announced, the crowd chants "Justin Credible" just in case anybody doesn't realize who he is. I was a little disappointed that Richards wore his "Stevie Richards Rx" tights and not the jean shorts that were his trademark in ECW. Richards and PJ put on a decent match, but its also a reminder of why neither guy ever made it to the "upper echelon" of talent despite sound fundamentals. Watching Richards, one wonders how a guy that had a star-making run in ECW and then a solid run in WWE with the Right to Censor and then another run in TNA as Dr. Stevie could do so much without developing a bunch of real signature moves. If the first match worked because it was designed to be a fun throwback to FBI and Diamond's ECW work and the second match worked because 2 Cold Scorpio could still bust out great offense, this match failed because neither Polaco or Richards did enough to give this the "nostalgia factor" that this whole show was built around. This felt like a match they could've had anywhere at anytime when they were both on the indie scene and I wouldn't be surprised if they did. (1.5/5)

After the match, The Sandman shows up to cane Polaco. They can't call him The Sandman, but he really needs no introduction. We then get a video featuring "The Queen of Extreme," Francine.

Back in the ring, it's time for an old-school ECW Three-Way Dance - a match was popularized by ECW if not invented by them - featuring Brother Runt (Spike Dudley), Al Snow, and Rhyno. A decent enough match with a few nice moments - specifically Rhyno practically goring Runt out of his shoes, Spike hitting his double stomp, Rhino and Al Snow dumping Runt onto the barricade when he attempted a double Acid Drop - but it was also a bit loose and I didn't like the Guerrero-inspired phantom chair shot spot. I don't have the best memory for who or where certain spots were done - so maybe Snow was doing a callback to a classic ECW match or moment - but Eddie made it a signature in the WWE, making it seem out of place here. Not bad at all, but just kinda there. (2.5/5)

After a testimonial from Chris Sabin, who drops kayfabe for a minute when he talks about his childhood and calling himself "Josh Van Dam" (why would a guy named Chris call himself Josh?), its time for the next match - Axl Rotten and Kahoneys (Ballz Mahoney) coming out to issue an open challenge. Predictably,  their opponents end up being Team 3D (back with Joel Gertner for one night only). When "Kahoneys" arrives, the crowd chants "Ballz," but without the ECW music, the entrance is noticeably lackluster. When Team 3D comes out, Gertner does a "classic" introduction, which is fun and disgusting (as expected) and involves a lewd comment about Lady Gaga. Brother Ray grabs the mic and says that nobody wants to see them wrestle so, instead, they should have a Philadelphia Street Fight. That sounded good to me, but they then proceed to have a very boring, typical ECW punch-and-kick brawl all around the arena. At one point, Bubba and Kahoneys have a Star Wars-inspired lightsaber fight because, well, Bubba is a Star Wars mark. Its all heatless and feels like they're just checking things off a list. There was a level of "danger" to the original ECW's wild brawls, even if they were just as one-dimensional. When Ballz swung a chair, it looked like it could wreck your brain. Same for Rotten. Same for the Dudleys. But these guys aren't swinging for the fences anymore and while that is 100% reasonable and better for everyone's long-term health, it does make for an underwhelming match compared to the more violent matches they had in the past, even when you add a flaming table. After the match ends, New Jack and Mustafa Saed show up! The Gangstas are in the house! Of course, without their signature theme song ("Natural Born Killas" by Dre and Cube) or even the generic theme that I - and many others - are familiar with from the WWE-redubbed ECW shows that were/are on the Network/Peacock, there's something missing. After some more weak brawling (I'm guessing The Gangstas weren't given the green light to actually wrestle a "real" match because of how limited they were as actual workers), everyone hugs it out. I'll add an extra half-point to the rating of this whole thing because its always fun to see New Jack and I like that this was booked and presented in a way that was true to the original ECW...but that doesn't make up for a generally bad, underwhelming match. (2/5)

A match billed as the final battle between the longtime rivals followed - Raven vs. Tommy Dreamer. Beulah McGillicutty (Tommy's real-life wife) was shown at ringside beside Dixie Carter. Dreamer and Raven knew they'd have to bust out as many hardcore spots and weapons as possible to make this feel like the epic they were promoting it to be and, to their credit, they did so. Mick Foley was the special guest referee but was clearly going through the motions and, at one point, busted out Mr. Socko and the Mandible Claw, which was not at all part of his ECW persona and felt out of place and cheap here. Dreamer bled a gusher after getting leg-sweeped into a chair, but the bladejob was incredibly obvious. Raven also got some "color" when Dreamer did the same move to him. Dreamer used a Dead End sign to beat down his nemesis in another callback to their original feud. Two members of the bWo - Nova and the fat Blue replacement guy - came out to break up a barbwire crossface that Dreamer had applied. Not exactly sure why Stevie didn't come down too. This allowed Raven to take advantage. Once Raven handcuffed Dreamer, Beulah came out to try to make the save but had to witness Raven bash him with a chair. She hit him with a low blow, though, which allowed her man to deliver a DDT (with his hands cuffed behind his back). I thought this would be the finish, but in a final nod to their history, Raven ended up hitting a DDT of his own onto a chair that won him the match (as was almost always the case whenever these two fought). This was certainly dramatic and bloody and I guess, in a sense, it did feel like an old school ECW match...but both guys looked their age and Foley's involvement might have actually detracted from the match at times. (2.5/5)

Before the next match, we get a video package of various ECW alumni talking about Paul Heyman. Simon Diamond refers to him as "the Internet Messiah," which is not the best phrasing but his point is clear: Heyman was the first booker of a major promotion to cater to a hardcore wrestling fan (not "hardcore" as in bloody, violent weapons-filled matches, but hardcore in the sense that the fans were "smart" and knowledgeable about the business and had tastes that went beyond just what the WWE and WCW were producing in the mid-90s). 

Main event time - Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu. RVD came into this match as the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, but the title was not on the line. As noted earlier, Jerry Lynn was supposed to be Van Dam's opponent but sustained an injury before the show. This makes me wonder who Sabu's opponent would've been as one has to believe he would've been on the show somewhere. Anyway...this was the exact spotfest one would expect and while the "downtime" between those big spots slowed things down considerably, most of the big moves were spectacular. Sabu's tornado DDT onto a chair was brilliant, for example. While Van Dam's Van Assassin was less so, he did hit an awesome jumping kick near the front apron at one point and his other signature moves all looked impactful and sharp. It was neither guy's "career match," but it had the same chaotic feel as their work in ECW (which was almost always lacking in psychology and more about who could perform a crazier stunt). (3/5)

Maybe die-hard ECW fans seeking a trip down memory lane would enjoy this show - that is clearly who it is designed for - but I am not that and, to be honest, found myself bored during multiple matches. "Bored" was not an adjective one could usually use to describe an ECW show, but it would be accurate here. There was also some notable absences that could've and probably would've made this a much, much better show. Keep in mind, by the final years of ECW, Steve Corino, Tajiri, Super Crazy, the team of Doring and Amish Roadkill, and Lance Storm were all often putting on the best matches out of anyone. Though he wasn't an "ECW Original," it would've been fun to have Sid show up. Where was the Sinister Minister and Mikey Whipwreck, let alone Shane Douglas and Terry Funk? ECW was also known for being the place where future stars got their break and it would've been kinda cool to maybe see a team like the Young Bucks get a spotlight here, as out-of-place as they may have seemed. With a Kwang Rating of 2.29-out-of-5, enjoyment of this show relies 100% on one's interest in watching a whole bunch of guys who were considerably past-their-prime try to relive their glory years a good 10+ years after the fact. If that doesn't sound like a good way to spend 3 hours, steer way clear. 

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE WrestleMania XLI

WWE WrestleMania XLI

Las Vegas, NV - April 2025

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship was Cody Rhodes, GUNTHER was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Bron Breaker was the Intercontinental Champion, the US Champion was LA Knight, the Women's World Champion (on RAW) was IYO SKY, the Women's WWE Champion (on SmackDown) was Tiffany Stratton, the World Tag Team Champions were The New Day, the WWE Tag Team Champions were The Street Profits, the Women's Intercontinental Champion was Lyra Valkyria, the Women's United States Champion was Chelsea Green, and the Women's Tag Team Champions were Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. 

WrestleMania XXXXI began with footage of various wrestlers arriving at the show, including CM Punk (who will have Paul Heyman in his corner in the main event of Night 1), before we got our usual Triple H-narrated video package promoting the show - and WWE itself. 

As has also become a familiar routine, Triple H started the show in the ring, welcoming the fans to the show. 

In a shocking move, instead of the show beginning with the traditional rendition of "America The Beautiful," Jey Uso made his way to the ring to a massive ovation, with thousands and thousands "Yeeting" to his music, for his match against reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion, GUNTHER. Uso came through the crowd, which is part of his gimmick, but also meant the entrance took minutes on end, the bell not ringing till minute 19 of the show. Despite GUNTHER's dominance, Uso came in as the favorite. From the start, GUNTHER and Jey paced themselves, GUNTHER getting some offense in, Jey striking back, GUNTHER retreating and so on until Jey ended up chopped across the chest while sitting atop the turnbuckles, sending him to the floor. GUNTHER took control, but Uso surprised him with a spear for 2. GUNTHER went for a powerbomb but Uso back body dropped him instead and then went for a splash, but got caught in the corner again and superplexed back to the mat. GUNTHER hit a dropkick and a powerbomb for 2. GUNTHER went for another but countered it into a head scissors, then hit another spear, and a splash for 2. GUNTHER went to the outside and looked like he was going to head home, but Uso unwisely went for a dive and got clocked in the head with the championship. GUNTHER hit a splash for 2 and then locked in a rear naked choke. Uso managed to get to the ropes with his feet, breaking the hold. GUNTHER laid in a series of knees in the corner and then a whole bunch of chops that sent Jey to the mat. A strike exchange led to another GUNTHER choke attempt, but Jey switched on him and hit a belly-to-back suplex. Jey looked to be going for another spear but got dropkicked. GUNTHER went for a powerbomb, but Jey countered it with a powerbomb of his own! Superkick! Another superkick! Spear! Uso Splash from the top rope and a second and a third! Jey applied a rear naked and GUNTHER tapped! This was a perfectly fine match, though I'll continue to be a "bearish" on Jey Uso as World Champion. As even Triple H said this week, Jey is not the best in-ring talent and, even against a world-class opponent like GUNTHER on the biggest show of the year, this match and moment was still just in that "B range," in no way bad, but far from legendary or epic or special. (3/5)

The World Tag Team Championships were on the line next as The War Raiders defended the belts against The New Day. I was shocked to learn that the Raiders have held the titles since December because they've been non-existent on the major shows this year. The New Day's gear was clearly inspired by the Giant Gonzalez, who made his lone Mania appearance at the last Mania to occur in Las Vegas (WrestleMania IX). The Raiders got some shine early with Erik (Raymond Rowe) slamming Ivar off the apron and onto both New Day members. They followed with a cool double-team move (Raymond hoisting Woods into the air with a gut wrench and then Ivar coming off the top rope with an elbow) for 2, but New Day fought back, cutting the ring in half and targeting Erik. Kofi hit a back-splash onto Erik, who was prone on the apron, a nifty move I hadn't seen him bust out before. Woods did a weird Flair-inspired strut apropos of nothing. Kofi went for an Air Hardy-like move but Erik caught him and slammed him into Woods. Ivar came in on the semi-hot tag (the crowd was not super into this match) and hit some cool moves, including a fun one in the corner and a Muta-inspired back handspring elbow to both New Day members. Ivar went to the top but got pulled down by Woods, who followed it up with a Codebreaker. Kofi went from a move off the top but dropped down into an Erik forearm. Moments later, Ivar hit a great spinning heel kick and then a moonsault! Impressive stuff, but Woods came off the top rope to break up the pin attempt. Woods and Erik met in the middle of the ring, trading blows. Erik landed an awesome knee to the face but couldn't capitalize. The Raiders went for their finish, but Kofi tripped up on Ivar on the ropes and the New Day hit a double-team move. As Woods went for the pin, Kofi held Ivar's foot under the ropes, allowing them to steal their 12th WWE Tag Team Championship. Not surprised by that finish at all. Ivar had a great night and these two teams showed that they deserved their spot on the card with this match. This exceeded my expectations. (3/5)

Naomi vs. Jade Cargill was up next. Cargill took control early, showing off her strength with a press slam from the corner. Naomi was clearly "leading" this one, taking the big bumps, pacing and spacing things. Naomi hit a great facebuster onto the floor and a vicious head scissors back in the ring. Cargill telegraphed a bunch of spots, but I'll give her credit, she ate some very hard-hitting offense. Cargill cut off Naomi's control with an awesome tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and then, catching Naomi off the top rope, a Jackhammer! Cargill with a jumping front kick, but Cargill walked into a back elbow and Naomi went for another splash - only for Cargill to counter it into a fallaway slam! Jade went up to the ropes but Naomi caught her and delivered a bulldog off the top rope and then a split-legged moonsault for 2. Naomi hit a superkick and then another one even more vicious than the first. Cargill caught the 3rd one and went for her finish but Naomi countered it into a victory roll for 2. Naomi applied a submission and the pins and counters continued, leading to a ridiculous Electric Chair-into-a-Powerbomb move by Cargill and then her finishing move for the W. Like the previous match, I expected one thing - a relatively sloppy, short squash match - but got something significantly better. It wasn't always pretty, but Naomi was on her game tonight and they delivered a match featuring sequences that were far more complex and intricate than anything Cargill had done before. Another above-average match. (3/5)

Jacob Fatu challenged LA Knight for the United States Championship in the next match. Knight came out swinging, bringing the fight to the Samoan Werewolf, hitting a neckbreaker early and going for his finish, but Fatu blocked it and then hit the pop-up Samoan Drop to a respectable pop from the crowd. Knight went for a back suplex but Fatu reversed it into a crossbody for 2. Fatu hit a front suplex that sent Knight belly-first onto the top rope. Knight hit a series of low dropkicks, including one to the outside, but got caught in a powerslam coming back into the ring off the ropes for 2. Fatu went for a senton but Knight got his knees up. Fatu went for another pop-up but Knight hit him with some shots to the head and turned it almost into a crucifix driver. Knight hit some body shots and some boots in the corner and then a running knee to a loud pop. Knight sent Fatu into the post a few times, hit a clothesline, and then went flying off the top with a big elbow for 2. Fatu came back, hit a superkick to the gut, and then went to the top himself. Knight prevented him from whatever he was going for and attempted a back superplex. Fatu elbowed him away but Knight came back and hit a german suplex off the top rope for 2.5! Huge move there. Knight went for a BFT but Fatu escaped, hit a superkick, and then a trio of running hip attacks in the corner. Fatu went back to the top and hit a swanton but only got 2.9! Dueling chants erupted. Fatu went for his finish, but Knight caught him with the BFT as he was coming down for another great near fall. Wow. The crowd went wild for that and loud Fatu chants started up. Knight went back to the top, but Fatu grabbed him by the throat. Knight stood on the top but Fatu superkicked his foot and Knight dropped down onto the top turnbuckle. Fatu rallied, hitting a pair of huge moonsaults to get the W to a huge ovation. Fatu getting a babyface reaction wasn't a surprise as he has been super impressive since joining the company, but LA Knight had his fair share of fans too and put on a great performance in his own right. A very strong match with no fat to trim and two terrific performances, even if the finish was never really in question. (3.5/5)

El Grande Americano (Chad Gable under a luchadore mask) got a big entrance for his match, which was supposed to be against Rey Mysterio but ended up being against Rey Fenix (Mysterio was injured the previous night on SmackDown). Vikingo was shown in the crowd and Cole noted that the WWE purchased AAA. They then showed Dana White in the crowd, who got booed. Some crazy spots in this, including Gable hitting a moonsault-and-a-half for 2. Smartly-worked match with a somewhat surprising finish as Americano got the dirty win after putting a metal plate into his mask and hitting a headbutt when Fenix came off the ropes and then a diving headbutt. Fun match. (3/5)

Shawn Michaels came out to announce the attendance.

Charlotte Flair challenged Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women's Championship next. The crowd was definitely behind Stratton for this match, one of the more hyped and controversial bouts on the card. There was some sloppiness here and there, but Flair threw everything she could into this match and Stratton met her at every turn, keeping up with a hellacious pace of big spots and sequences. Not everything looked pretty, but I didn't catch any outright sandbagging or liberties; this match was Flair very firmly putting Stratton over as a tough, worthy World Champion. I'm sure some fans will nitpick moments here and there to try to make it out like Flair was unprofessional or "making it all about herself," but Flair is an undeniable heat magnet, star, and "big match" performer and this match had that feel because of her. Another good-to-great match, though not an all-timer, partially because while Flair oozes confidence and an undeniable air of superiority, Stratton is still in the early stages of her career and has yet made a full babyface connection with the crowd. In some ways, the support for Stratton has more to do with the fans' dislike for her opponents (Flair and, before her, Nia Jax), who are among the most unpopular among "smart" fans. Even Stratton's Barbie-inspired entrance, while visually interesting and grandiose, feels better suited for a heel rather than a fighting champion. (3.5/5)

Main event (of Night 1) time - CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins. Rollins came out first, dressed in all white. Reigns then made his way to the ring, which was not what I expected. CM Punk was given the grandest entrance, with a pre-match video package and then the band Living Colour on hand to play his entrance theme. The first third of the match - which went over or close to 30 minutes - wasn't too special, but it did set the stage for later developments as Punk needled Reigns by asking for guidance from "The Wiseman" Paul Heyman early on and we got some straight-up brawling between Rollins and Punk in the crowd to play off of their intense rivalry. Things picked up in the middle, though, once Reigns launched himself over the barricade with a flying crossbody/clothesline that took out both men. From there, this was a straight-up feast of signature maneuvers, finishers, false finishes, stolen finishers, crazy combos, and, eventually, furniture damage. It was as "main event" as a match could get, but because everything was so well-executed, it didn't feel overly choreographed or like "spamming" to me, something that can sometimes be the case when guys throw out every single thing they can think of into a match just to show they can (and, yes, that is a criticism of some of the over-the-top, "spotfest" AEW matches that don't pack any emotional weight but are overloaded with "movez"). I've always been one to criticize Seth Rollins, but this was a "career match" for him even before we got the shocking finish - which saw Paul Heyman turn on both his longtime friend and his Tribal Chief. Rollins countering a spear by Reigns into a pedigree was uncanny, the kind of spot that could and would look terrible 90% of the time but was executed beautifully here when it mattered most. Multiple times a Rollins splash hit at the exact right moment to break up a pin attempt or submission. I didn't even mind Rollins' usually-too-dramatic facial expressions in this match, maybe because, in this context, there was so much history and emotion that it finally made sense contextually. The best match of the night and even a potential Match of the Year-caliber match for the company. (4/5)

The next night, after a welcome promo from Stephanie McMahon, the other (Raw) Women's World Championship was on the line as IYO SKY defended against Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. Like the previous night, the actual wrestling didn't start until close to the 20-minute mark and there was a whole bunch of gratuitous advertising and shilling going on before we got there. For whatever reason - overexposure, racism, whatever - Belair was treated like the heel by the crowd, Ripley had her fair share of supporters, and IYO also had many vocal supporters. Right from the bell, these three worked a fast pace, building the match between sequences that highlighted each of their strengths - namely IYO's agility, Belair's athleticism, and Ripley's power. Some of the spots were a touch "cutesy" and overly-choreographed, but, at WrestleMania, I appreciate the effort to give the audience something special. Belair doesn't always look comfortable when the crowd boos her, but she did a good job playing to the crowd here and having fun with the hostility. Highlights included Ripley sending IYO into Belair with a Razor's Edge, IYO's signature springboard moonsault to the floor, Belair getting kicked out of the sky when attempting a leapfrog by Ripley, and Bianca's 450 splash. The crowd chanted "This Is Awesome" at one point and it was absolutely deserved. In one of the best sequences of the entire weekend, Rhea managed to get IYO up for a Riptide in the corner from the top, but SKY countered it, attempted a moonsault, but landed on Ripley's feet only for Belair to catch her in the KOD only for Ripley to break-up the pin. Rehearsed or not, it was a brilliant sequence, perfectly executed. From there, Ripley and Belair went at it and the crowd ate it up, proving there is still plenty left on the table that the company can go back to with those two. IYO got back into the match and ate a wicked Alabama Slam-ish move into the post. Belair went for the KOD, Ripley escaped, a strike exchange ensued, Ripley went for the Riptide but got whipped and then hit with a KOD - only for IYO to hit a moonsault onto both to steal the W. Tremendous, tremendous match and maybe even a top 20-25 WrestleMania match ever. Insanely good spotfest. (4/5)

A "Sin City Street Fight" between Damien Priest and Drew McIntyre followed. The story here was, well, a bit thin, especially compared to where they were on the card last year. McIntyre's entrance included a set piece that was a nod to a new Doom game and an outfit that gave him trouble when he tried to climb into the ring through the ropes. Whoops. Priest was brought to the ring to the sound of Kerry King of Slayer's guitar, which was cool. These two came to "steal the show" and while they didn't quite do that - the opener was just too good - they came very close and put on a hellacious, physical, violent match with some impressive high spots. McIntyre was tremendous here, his facial expressions top-notch. Highlights included Priest hitting a Razor's Edge on McIntyre through a table, McIntyre nailing a Claymore after a chair was tossed into his face, and the finishing sequence, which saw McIntyre shove Priest off the top rope when he was attempting an Old School, sending him through two tables on the outside, and then hitting him with a Claymore into a chair that was positioned in the corner. A very, very good match that earned another deserved "This Is Awesome" chant from the crowd (as Cole noted on commentary). About as good a Street Fight as one would expect on a Mania show where time is somewhat limited (hey, they need as many minutes as they can to sell things) and the likelihood of anything too gory is very low to keep things "PG." (3.5/5)

Bron Breakker defended his Intercontinental Championship against Dominik Mysterio, Pentagon Jr., and Finn Balor (his Judgment Day stablemate). The IC fourway wasn’t all hits - Dom and Bron are still young and not yet at their peak - but the big sequences were well-executed even if there were a few moments where things looked a little less than polished (Bron’s weak charge into the post, for maybe the most glaring example). Overall, though, this was a good showcase for everyone involved, including Finn, who is likely to never have another major singles run but was invaluable in a match like this with so many moving parts. The ending sequence was fantastic and it will be interesting to see where Dom goes from here. Even more than on Night 1, the crowd was super into the title change, enough that Dom got babyface cheers. (3/5)

This was followed by Randy Orton’s open challenge, which was answered by Joe Hendry, the TNA World Champion. This was arguably more “segment” than “match,” but whatever you want to call it, it was fun stuff and was a legit shocker to see Hendry on the show (and for him to receive such a huge reaction). While Hendry appeared at the Rumble - as have other TNA talents -  you don’t expect to see them at a Mania and I could see the argument that this spot could've and should've gone to somebody on the roster that needed the exposure. Anyone upset about Hendry looking like a bit of a fool is being a stick in the mud. This wasn’t a Miz Open Challenge or an Austin Theory Invitational. This was Orton and his finisher is an established game-ender and Hendry got to have a memorable moment, easily the biggest of his career. (3/5)

Logan Paul vs. AJ Styles was next. AJ is still unreal good and showed it here, his timing and execution and pacing on-point throughout. Paul took over after an initial AJ flurry and, I’ll give him credit, his offense looked good and impactful and “showboaty” the way it should. The mere “spectacle” of a Logan Paul match is no longer enough as simply seeing him compete becomes increasingly normal; in this match, Paul needed to once again show he could actually tell a story and he did. Of course, against AJ, you’ve got the benefit of a GOAT-tier talent, but this was no carry job. In fact, this may have been Paul’s best beginning-to-end match yet. Paul’s facial expressions and showmanship have always been a strength, but AJ also brought out an intensity, demanding him to do more than ever in terms of back-and-forth momentum shifts and building up to the false finishes. Paul’s Styles Clash didn’t look too great, so I’m okay with AJ essentially no-selling it. I was less enthused by the involvement of Kross and Paul’s buddy Jeff and then, in what wasn’t the first awkward camera angle of the match, a finish that wasn’t captured particularly well. A weak finish to an otherwise very good match for the majority of its runtime. This didn't need the overbooked ending. (3/5)

From here, we got the Women's Tag Team Championship match - Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez defending against Lyra Valkyria and her mystery partner (replacing Bayley) - Becky Lynch! Lynch got a huge ovation, returning to action after a lengthy hiatus. The match itself was the worst of the weekend up till this point, with Rodriguez looking particularly sloppy and off her with her timing (though, to be fair, her "big boots" looked even more punishing because of it). Becky also looked a touch rusty, though not terribly so. Oddly enough, like Flair the previous night, Becky is coming back to a very different division than the one she once dominated. While her Man persona is still incredibly over, I'm not sure she could've hung with Rhea, Bianca, and IYO and, even in this match, Lyra may have been the most impressive in terms of agility and energy. Liv, meanwhile, was fine but came off as somewhat "muted" compared to how captivating her character and work was before Mania season, when she was clearly the focal point of every match she was in. This was about Lynch's return and it was an effective way to pop the crowd and, for the WWE, hopefully bring interest to Raw. (2.5/5)

Steve Austin showed up to announce the night's attendance and almost accidentally run over a fan in the front row with his 4-wheeler. His promo was much funner than what Michaels did the night before. No surprise there. 

And so we came to Night 2's main event - John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes for Rhodes' WWE Universal Championship (or whatever they call it nowadays). Cena had a "no-frills" entrance, which was cool and went well with his new heel gimmick. Rhodes, meanwhile, came out with a bunch of motocross stunt riders. The match started slow...and stayed that way, with Cena, at one point, purposefully doing his signature 5 Knuckle Shuffle in "slo-mo" to draw heat. It was an interesting choice to work the match in such a fashion, to keep the "moves" to a minimum, to work at a glacial pace, to give Cody so few hope spots. It made for a terribly boring and underwhelming match in which I caught myself, multiple times, wondering when they were going to get to the "second gear." And then came Travis Scott, hip-hop superstar, to push this further into "Not For Me" territory. Scott is not an imposing figure in the slightest but, for whatever reason, stood toe-to-toe with the WWE Universal Champion, which was insulting. He ate a Cross Rhodes, but it looked terrible. Cody had the chance to win the match by hitting Cena with the title but didn't because he's a "good guy" (even though we've seen Rhodes do all sorts of hardcore and violent spots in the past to hold onto his title). It made him look like a geek and allowed for Cena to eventually get the W. This wasn't the single worst Mania main event ever, but it was probably in the top 5. Other WrestleManias have ended with an unwanted heel victory - WrestleMania 2000 or even the first Cody(/Roman match at XXXIX - but usually that unwanted, disappointing ending came after a good match. This was a bad match with a worse finish, its only redeeming quality being the undeniable interest from the crowd and the "big match feel." (1.5/5)

Earning an impressive 3.11-out-of-5 Kwang Score as a whole, WrestleMania XLI was an overall good show featuring a handful of really strong matches - the main event of Night 1, the IYO/Belair/Ripley 3-way, the hard-hitting McIntyre/Priest match, and two matches that exceeded expectations in Fatu/Knight and Cargill/Naomi. Unfortunately, the last impression, the poorly-planned, poorly-booked Cena/Rhodes match, will likely be the longest-lasting and what this show will be most remembered for. 

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand

TNA Victory Road 2010

TNA Victory Road 2010

Orlando, FL - July 2010

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the TNA World Heavyweight Champion was Rob Van Dam, the Global Champion was "Big" Rob Terry, the X-Division Champion was Doug Williams, the World Tag Team Championships were vacant, the Knockouts Tag Team Champions were The Beautiful People, and Madison Rayne was also the Knockouts Champion.

Brian Kendrick challenged Doug Williams in an Ultimate X match for the X-Division Championship in the opening contest. The story here was that Kendrick was focused on winning the championship via submission with a cobra clutch and that Doug Williams was scared of heights. One half of this set-up was delivered upon as Kendrick continuously worked to choke out Williams. Williams, meanwhile, didn't seem afraid of heights except for the few times he remembered he was. At just 10 minutes, this match seemed like it was only getting started when it ended and felt like a real waste of time to even set-up the Ultimate X structure. There was one good spot - Kendrick getting shoved off one of the climbing poles and landing neck-first on the top rope - but the rest of this was rather dull. They focused a ton on the story, but by doing so, they wasted any opportunity they had to do something innovative or fresh with the Ultimate X stipulation. I'm also not sure why TNA kept these two working together for weeks on end when their chemistry wasn't all that great. Disappointing. (1.5/5)

Next, Brother Ray vs. Jesse Neal vs. Brother D-Von. This is a continuation of the storyline feud between Bubba and Team 3-D's protege, Neal. When the match starts, Ray sneak attacks Jesse Neal as he's making his entrance and when it is time for D-Von to come in, a camera shows that he is locked in his lockerroom, shouting for help. Of course, the camera man doesn't help him because...In the ring, Ray is in full control until the ECW Alumni show up in the stands - Tommy Dreamer, Rhyno, Stevie Richards, and Raven - which allows Neal to hit a spear onto Ray for 2. D-Von makes his entrance and there is a tease of a reunion with Ray, which is weird because one would assume that D-Von figured Ray was the one who locked him in his dressing room, but they end up coming to blows. This leads to Neal hitting another spear, this time onto an unsuspecting D-Von, and Bubba ends up getting the W. At under 6 minutes, this wasn't long enough to ever be boring. They added every bell-and-whistle they could, from the "Where's D-Von?" intro to the arrival of the alumni to a super stiff chairshot from Bubba (that is somehow not captured by the camera) to the final "Whose side is he on?" tease, and it effectively kept the crowd engaged. (2/5)

The TNA Knockouts Championship was on the line next as Madison Rayne defended her title against Angelina Love in a battle between two former best friends/stablemates (as Love was once the leader of the Beautiful People). Angelina Love is putting her career on the line in this match as ending careers has become part of Rayne's gimmick. Both women perform very suggestive entrances. The wrestling was not good, which could be expected, but the booking was even worse as a mystery woman shows up on a motorcycle (why?) wearing a motorcycle helmet, attacks Angelina Love and the referee (causing a DQ), and then the title changes hand inexplicably and Madison Rayne has a tantrum for about 30 seconds before leaving on the motorcycle with the woman who just cost her her TNA Knockouts Championship. Why would the title change hands on a DQ? Why would Madison Rayne not be super pissed at the mystery woman? How does a victory like this help Angelina Love whatsoever? (0.5/5)

Another sub-10 minute match follows as AJ Styles and Kazarian team up to take on a mystery tag team of Rob Terry and Samoa Joe. The story coming into this match was that Ric Flair was starting a new stable - Fourtune - and that Styles and Kazarian wanted to be a part of it but had to earn their spot. Joe is very over with the crowd. Styles and Kazarian do some fun stuff as a team, playing up their disdain for each other in the early part of the match before finally coming together as the match goes on and they realize that they have to get along to survive. Desmond Wolfe shows up and attacks Joe on the outside to prove his value to Flair. This leads to the heels having the numbers advantage and allows them to steal a victory. This felt like a TV-worthy match and a not a PPV one, but it was easily the best match on the show by this point (even if that is faint praise). (2.5/5)

A cage match followed as Hernandez took on Matt Morgan in a grudge match. I've generally been positive on this feud and storyline and have enjoyed Matt Morgan's heel work...but this was just badly produced and one has to wonder who was the agent behind this mess. The work itself isn't awful - though it is uninspired and Hernandez' "dies" early on, showing minimal spirit in his selling - but the psychology is counterproductive. I don't even hate the two times Hernandez goes for the Border Toss and can't get Morgan up. At one point, Morgan clearly has the match won but chooses not to take the victory out of arrogance. It buries Hernandez as having essentially lost the match in 4 minutes while also making Morgan out to be an idiot. Then, later on, Hernandez has the match won but decides to do a splash from the top of the cage for a pop, a move that also makes him look dumb. The crowd is flat and not into this match either. Pretty bad stuff. (1.5/5)

Ric Flair didn't come out of retirement to compete in the next match - he'd already done that on an Australian tour against Hulk Hogan and had wrestled in multiple tag team matches on TV by this point during his TNA run - but this was his first major PPV singles match since WrestleMania XXIV. His opponent was Jay Lethal, who Flair had been feuding with for several months by this point because Lethal had the audacity to imitate him. I wasn't expecting much out of Flair, but he was better than decent here, taking some big bumps early on and generally keeping up with his much younger, much more agile opponent. There are some fun moments in this match too as Lethal hits a Muta-inspired handspring back elbow and does the classic Flair turnbuckle spot. We also get to see Flair's ass, another throwback comedy spot. The part I liked least was the finish, which saw Flair submit to his own trademark hold. With all the references to classic Flair matches, I would've preferred for them to have gone with an inside cradle like the one Savage used to beat him at WrestleMania VIII (if I recall correctly) or a Stinger Splash or even a Sweet Chin Music superkick. Not nearly as bad a match as one might've expected considering Flair's age. (3/5)

The TNA Tag Team Championships - which were vacated due to issues with “The Band,” specifically Scott Hall running into legal issues and Walkman also having heat with TNA that led to him being fired as well - were up for grabs in the next match as the Motor City Machine Guns took on Beer Money. The wrestling was good. Both teams have great double-team moves in their arsenal. There were defined stakes and commentary played up both teams’ credentials. Still, something was just a little flat for me. The crowd didn’t seem to be fully invested and I found the initial false finish - with the father-son duo of Earl and Brian Hebner counting conflicting falls - was predictable as soon as Earl showed up. It was an unnecessary “twist” in a match that probably would’ve delivered a bigger “feel-good ending” if they’d just gone with a straight-up clean finish. Not terrible or anything, but not as good as I’m guessing the teams were hoping it’d be. I was surprised to see that Meltzer gave this 4 stars. (2.5/5)

Kurt Angle vs. D'Angelo Dinero was next. This was part of Angle's quest to "earn" his spot as the number one contender. Dinero was given a huge spotlight at the February PPV (Against All Odds?) and won a TNA World Heavyweight Championship shot, but he lost title match at Lockdown to AJ Styles and then didn't seem to do much of consequence. 5 months later, he and Angle get enough time to put on a decent match but decent is about as good as it gets. There's nothing memorable that really happens and it doesn't have the star-making vibe that Angle/Jay Lethal had a few years earlier or even the Angle/Matt Morgan match that was arguably Morgan's career match. This was solid, but nothing more than that. (2.5/5)

Main event time - Rob Van Dam putting the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Abyss, Jeff Hardy, and Mr. Anderson. What's been weird about Van Dam's title run - at least based on watching just the PPVs from this time - is how little "meat" there is to his storylines. Its an interesting tact, much closer to what he did in his ECW years than when he was in the WWE and every storyline has to have some element of personal animosity. This is Rob Van Dam as the cool, laid-back champion who is willing to defend the title against anybody who challenges him...but that means you don't get much in terms of emotion to invest in. That lack of emotion is why this match is fine in terms of in-ring action, but didn't really grab me. The portion of the match that seemed to get the biggest reaction was the interplay between Anderson and Jeff Hardy, which is no surprise considering that their characters have been intertwined for months by this point and there was history to play off of. The rest of the match wasn't as intriguing or suspenseful, though, to their credit, there are some good false finishes in the final minutes. Ho-hum stuff and another reason why putting the World Title on Van Dam so quickly upon his arrival - and taking it off of AJ Styles, who was a better, more versatile worker even back then - was such a poor decision. (2/5)

With a Kwang Rating of just 2-out-of-5, Victory Road 2010 is the lowest-rated TNA PPV I've reviewed since...the last Victory Road in 2009. On paper, that show had some intriguing matches on its card - Styles vs. Nash, Foley vs. Angle, Joe vs. Sting - but didn't deliver. This show is similar, loaded with a number of big name talents that weren't around a year prior (Anderson, Hardy, RVD) and featuring more than a few matches that had potential to be good (Hernandez/Morgan, Angle/Dinero, Beer Money/MCMG) but didn't pan out. Lethal/Flair is the only matches that exceeds expectations only because expectations for a Ric Flair match in 2010 were understandably low. Overall, a weak show with nothing worth checking out.

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

TNA Slammiversary VIII

TNA Slammiversary VIII

Orlando, FL - June 2010

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the TNA World Heavyweight Champion was Rob Van Dam, the TNA X-Division Champion was Doug Williams, "The Band" (made up, at this point, by Eric Young, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash) were the recognized Tag Team Champions, the Knockouts Champion was Madison Rayne, the Global Champion was "Big" Rob Terry, and the Knockout Women's Champions were The Beautiful People (Lacey Von Erich and Velvet Skye, but also Madison Rayne?).

Kurt Angle vs. Kazarian is our opening contest. Cue my usual "TNA tried really hard to make Kazarian a star and it never really clicked" line. This was part of Angle's really cool storyline where he announced that, rather than just being automatically ranked as the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship based on his reputation and record, he wanted to prove he was still the best wrestler in the world by systematically working his way through the Top 10. Kazarian was ranked at 10, so we get this match. This is also around the time when it could be argued that Angle was, in fact, at the peak of his abilities. Kazarian was a heel at this point, having aligned himself with AJ Styles, but aside from gloating here and there and using the ropes for leverage towards the end, its not like he's a different performer than he was as a face. There is some very good wrestling on display as, even if Kazarian is a bit too bland for me to ever really get into, he is unquestionably one of the smoothest workers of his generation. I think one issue is that there is really never a question as to who will win this match, even when there are really good near falls and well-timed 2-counts. Its the epitome of "good wrestling-for-good wrestling's sake" because that was essentially Angle's whole gimmick at this point. (2.5/5)

Brian Kendrick challenged Doug Williams for the TNA X-Division Championship next. I'm not sure what it is, but there is just something "off" about this match and pairing. I think the issue might be Kendrick, a guy the audience wanted to cheer for but who didn't have the likeable underdog babyface gimmick that would've made that happen. Instead, Kendrick leaned into the "bizarre" nature of his character and so there's a disconnect as to how sympathetic he is. Williams, meanwhile, is good but not at the same level as the Regals and Finlays that he is comparable to (at least not based on what I've seen so far). They pack a ton into this 10-minute and I liked Williams busting out an "X-Divisiony" move to get the W. (2.5/5)

The TNA Knockouts Championship was on the line next as Madison Rayne defended against Roxxi. Rayne cuts a pre-match promo sans the rest of the Beautiful People and baits Roxxi into putting her career on the line. Rayne clubs her with the microphone before the bell and Roxxi bleeds a ton. Today, seeing blood in a women's match is more commonplace, especially in AEW, but back then, it wasn't so common and definitely stood out. Roxxi was the better worker but there was never really any doubt as to who would win. Inoffensive, but not long enough - I think the pre-match promo runs longer than the actual match - to really leave much of an impression beyond Roxxi blading. (2/5)

A video package airs to hype the next match - a Master vs. Student battle between Bubba Dudley and Jesse Neal. Once again we get a pre-match promo with Bubba apologizing to Neal and attempting to "squash the beef" with both Shannon Moore and D-Von also in the ring initially. However, as they make their exit post-reconciliation, Bubba attacks Neal and throws him into the ring to start the match. D-Von and Moore are prevented from stopping the attack and Dudley controls the majority of it. Again, the pre-match promo feels like it runs longer than the match. I'll give some credit to Bubba too; he's moving with clear motivation and purpose and I'm guessing its because he knew this storyline would sink or swim based on his effort and ability to draw heat (and I've always preferred Bubba in a heel role). Tommy Dreamer shows up in the crowd to a massive ovation in a genuinely cool surprise for the ECW faithful. 15 years later, its may be hard to understand why another "ECW Reunion" would get such a big response, but in 2010, the "failures" of the WWE's ECW relaunch was fresh in people's minds and ECW alumni showing up in TNA made people wonder if Paul Heyman may have been returning too (in a creative role). Dreamer's distraction costs Bubba the match. (2.5/5) 

Matt Morgan vs. Hernandez followed. And for the third time, we get a pre-match promo, this time with Matt Morgan claiming to be injured and handing the referee a note from his physician in order to "duck" this match. Hernandez stops him as he's returning to the locker room and the match happens (which is bizarre logic). Morgan basically dominates most of the match that ensues and, I must admit, I found his whole heel act to be quite good. He was really easy to hate here. The match gets thrown out, which was done to protect both guys. The action was okay for what it was. (2/5)

Abyss vs. Desmond Wolfe in a Monster's Ball Match was next. Finally, Abyss is back to doing the thing that he's really good at: garbage wrestling matches. Wolfe takes some nasty-looking bumps in this, including a head-into-a-chair corner spot that is particularly cringe-inducing when you consider Wolfe's history of concussions. This match doesn't have a great reputation, but I enjoyed it quite a bit for what it was and showed that Wolfe did have the range and character to work in every context, including ultra-violent hardcore matches built around weapon shots and goofy valet drama. I loved Abyss getting powerbombed from the corner onto a bed of barbwire. Not everyone's cup of tea, but worth checking out if you're a fan of either guy. (3/5)

Next up - AJ Styles vs. Jay Lethal. This is another match that got some "heat" from fans at the time because Styles had been dropped down the card after being the World Champion just a few months prior, seemingly because Hogan and Bischoff had lost confidence in his ability to "draw" and wanted established main eventers like Van Dam, Hardy, and Sting, to be at the top of the card instead. And so Styles and Lethal ended up feuding over Lethal disrespecting Ric Flair and Styles wanting to prove that he was still worthy of being the Nature Boy's protege. It's a thin story, but you knew the in-ring would be good so it makes sense they'd book it. As one might expect, this match is full of great sequences, smooth wrestling, and well-executed high flying moves, but I wouldn't call it "must watch." Lethal gets put over strong here by hanging with the former champ and eventually getting the victory, but it was hard for me to get into that emotional aspect of the match when all I - and at least a vocal portion of the Impact Zone crowd - could think about was why Styles was being treated like just another midcarder after being the best worker in the company not named Kurt Angle for at least two years by this point. (3/5)

Beer Money took on the newly formed Enigmatic Assholes - Jeff Hardy and Ken Anderson - in a match that was really all about the experience of Beer Money vs. the uneasy alliance of new main event-caliber singles guys in Hardy and Anderson. Beer Money were really good here and Anderson was also impressive, taking some great bumps to the floor and, by the end, busting himself open hardway from something or other. Jeff Hardy was also in good form, hitting an awesome somersault dive to the floor off of Anderson's back. I can understand the argument that Beer Money should've gotten the W because of their experience level, but this was worked well enough to not be anything close to a burial and more about the craftiness of Hardy and Anderson. A really solid tag team match. (3/5)

Main event time - Rob Van Dam vs. Sting for Van Dam's TNA World Heavyweight Championship. This is a weird one on paper and an underwhelming one on-screen. Van Dam is not the most reverent guy based on his interviews over the years, laid back to the point of seeming unaffected at times, and I think that lack of real vision hurt this match considerably. Van Dam and Sting don't show a lack of effort, but I'm not sure how hard they searched for chemistry or fresh ideas either, having a pedestrian brawl in the Impact Zone crowd to start and then sauntering back to the ring for some listless action before going into a shoddy ref bump spot that also exposed Earl Hebner as being a shadow of his former self too. This led to
Jeff Jarrett showing up and attacking Sting, which, at the very least, made logical sense (I was half-expecting Jarrett to inexplicably cost Van Dam the title despite Sting being the one who put him on the shelf a month prior). A disappointment because, while its hard to envision what a good RVD/Sting even could be, this match showed what an uninventive one would be. (2/5)

Slammiversary VIII's decent-enough 2.5-out-of-5 Kwang Score is higher than one might expect when they look at the card on paper, but Desmond Wolfe does everything he can to make his match with Abyss as good as it is, Lethal and Styles have a strong bout, and the pairing of Anderson and Hardy works too. Still, matches like Kendrick/Williams and Angle/Kazarian are a bit underwhelming and the main event is an outright clunker.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

AEW Dynasty 2025

AEW Dynasty 2025

Philadelphia, PA - April 2025

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the AEW World Champion was Jon Moxley, the AEW Womens' World Champion was Toni Storm, the TBS Champion was Mercedes Mone, the TNT Champion was Daniel Garcia, the AEW International Champion was Kenny Omega, the AEW Continental Champion was Okada, the AEW Tag Team Champions were The Hurt Syndicate, and the Death Riders were the AEW Trios Champions (specifically Claudio Castignoli, PAC, and Wheeler Yuta).

Kevin Knight made his AEW PPV debut against Will Ospreay in the opening contest, a first round match from this year's Owen Hart Invitational. Knight was a last-minute replacement for Jay White due to injury. It is so rare to see Ospreay perform a "sloppy" move, but there was an awkward couple of moments here. Of course, that can almost be expected in a match like this, which was loaded with insane maneuvers and fought at a breakneck speed. Knight's dropkicks were excellent and there was at least one counter - to an Ospreay Styles Clash attempt - that got a "What the fuck?" pop out of me. This was a hot opener and a crowd-pleaser, but certainly a "lesser" match than what Ospreay and White would've delivered in terms of gravitas and importance. (3/5)

The Hurt Syndicate - Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley - defended their AEW World Tag Team Championships against Big Bill and Bryan Keith of the Learning Tree. Noticeably absent from the match was Chris Jericho (which had me wondering if it was due to tension with MVP). Big Bill was very over with the Philly crowd, but its not like the Hurt Syndicate were getting booed out of the building. This was a decent bout and had more heat and crowd engagement than the Hurt Syndicate haters would ever admit. MJF interfered to help give the Syndicate a win, an interesting wrinkle in the story of him potentially joining the faction but not having the acceptance of Lashley. Nothing super special, but at least average. (2.5/5)

Mercedes Mone vs. Julia Hart was next in another Owen Hart Invitational match. Mone botched a move early on that drew huge boos, but I loved the way she turned the moment into another reason to gloat and grind, dancing around in such a way as to draw even more attention to her cockiness. There were some telegraphed spots that stood out and some near-misses where one or both competitors could've been badly hurt, but they worked through them and some the "big moments" in this match - like Mone's double-knees off the apron or the finishing sequence - got huge reactions. It was an imperfect match, but Julia Hart, under 25 and relatively "green" compared to the better workers in AEW let alone the WWE, didn't crumble under the spotlight and Mone showed what she brings to the table in terms of keeping the crowd's focus on the action through impressive, attention-grabbing spots. (2.5/5)

The AEW Trios Championships were on the line as PAC, Claudio Castignoli, and Wheeler Yuta defended against Adam "Cope" Copeland and FTR. The story coming into this show was that there had been some dissension between FTR and they weaved that into the in-ring action. The crowd seemed a little bit burnt out at the start, but things picked up once we got the flurry of signature moves and near falls that the match desperately needed towards the back end. This was not Cope's best performance in AEW, but "hiding him" in tag matches is a wise decision at this point as he was noticeably slower than everyone else involved in this contest. The post-match was a little "cutesy" with Cash feigning that he wasn't going to join Dax in his beatdown of Copeland before "revealing" his true colors, but the level of violence and execution of the piledriver on the chair (as well as the two 1-man Conchairtos) was excellent. I also loved the post-match heeling of FTR here, really going the extra mile to draw heat from the crowd when turning on Cope could've actually gotten cheered based on the general "anti-ex-WWE guys" mood that can sometimes rear its head onto AEW shows. (3/5)

Toni Storm defended the AEW Women's Championship in the next bout against relative newcomer Megan Bayne. Bayne was accompanied to the ring by Penelope Ford. "Timeless" Toni's pre-match video was a somewhat odd tribute to Rocky, but like seemingly everything she's done with this gimmick, it worked (I also dug Luther's "Mickey" get-up). Bayne tried to use her power early but Toni hit her with a crossbody to slow her momentum. Bayne caught her with a suplex and then dropped her with a stalled powerslam and then an impressive reverse slam ala Scott Hall followed by a big boot to the floor. Bayne hit an insane dive, but caught Luther instead of the champ, who then planted her with a DDT on the floor. Ford distracted Storm, allowing Bayne to rock her with a nasty big boot. Bayne then hit a beautiful butterfly suplex as Excalibur did a great job on commentary explaining how much Bayne has improved since her early days. To be honest, prior to this match, I hadn't caught much of Bayne's work but she was very, very impressive in this match, especially for a 26 year-old. Bayne hit a series of short-arm clotheslines but failed to capitalize. Toni hit some slaps but then it was Bayne again in control with a trio of absolutely great belly-to-belly suplexes. Bayne went for a weak pinfall just to slap Storm in the face and, for the third time in the match, Ford got involved. Luther carried her away to a huge pop, evening the odds. Storm hit a series of forearms and then a Lou Thesz Press. Storm hit another tornado DDT and then applied an STF, but Bayne powered her way to the ropes. Bayne countered a Storm Zero attempt and ended up hitting a back suplex that lifted Storm from the apron back into the ring - a move one would normally see out of a powerhouse like Castignoli. Back to the top rope they went, where Storm then hit a nasty back suplex of her own, flipping Bayne all the way around to the point that she nearly landed directly on the top of her head. It was a scary, scary drop in a match that had already been full of nasty drops. An earned strike exchange sequence followed - something I'm not usually a fan of but made sense here because of how heated things were. Bayne missed a splash and Storm landed another German suplex and then attempted a hip attack but got German suplexed directly on the back of her head! Bayne then hit a brilliant Falcon Arrow for a great nearfall. Storm went for a roll-up and got 2 and then, after some standing switch counters, another German suplex and a hip attack! Bayne no-sold it but Storm hit a headbutt and then an even more nasty trio of hip attacks! Storm Zero, but Bayne kicked out at 1! Holy shit! Bayne hit a back body drop, a lariat, and then a flying clothesline followed by a sit-out powerbomb, but didn't go for the cover. Bayne went for her cover, but Storm countered it into an inside cradle to somehow sneak out the victory! Wow. Another Match of the Year contender for Storm and another "Best Women's Match in AEW History"-caliber match to my eyes. (4.5/5)

Kyle Fletcher vs. Mark Briscoe had the unenviable task of having to follow an instant classic but worked very hard to keep the show's momentum and generally succeeded. Fletcher and Briscoe have great chemistry and did not hold anything back. Fletcher hit a nasty suplex that sent Briscoe's head into a chair early on, a move that could've worked as a finish but was just "table-setting" here. Whereas the previous match featured a real progression of a story from beginning to end, this was more of a tit-for-tat war where it was hard for either guy to get a clear, lengthy advantage despite all the bombs being thrown, including an absolutely wicked brainbuster on the apron. I'm not sure why this match would have a higher rating over on Cagematch than the Storm/Bayne bout, but I'm guessing it has something to do with a word that rhymes with nexism. (3/5)

Chris Jericho defended his Ring Of Honor World Championship against Bandido in the next match. They were behind the eight ball before the match even began as Jericho is not well-liked among the "smart" fans these days, this feud feels like it exists on a separate island than anything else on AEW's flagship shows, Jericho's title is wholly irrelevant at this point (with him making the title all about "sports-entertainment" and not pro-wrestling a punchline to a joke that was finished being told months and months ago), and Bandido is not considered even close to a "top guy." Once the bell rang, Jericho and Bandido worked hard and they tried to throw in every possible hook they could to get the crowd engaged. Much of it worked. Bandido hit some impressive maneuvers that showed off his mix of speed and strength. Jericho didn't look terrible either and was able to keep up with Bandido's pace. Having Bandido's family at ringside did allow for Jericho to get good heat and did help Bandido garner support from the crowd. But then...it became the focal point of the match...and the match went on for close to 20 minutes (the longest on the show by that point)...and Jericho's bat strike looked super weak...and then we got a silly "Dusty Finish" that was meant to be a feel-good moment but made Bandido look a bit like an undeserving goober when this could've/should've been a big triumphant moment for him. This wasn't a trainwreck and those calling it that are being overly critical of Jericho, but the booking and layout of this match did not do it favors and this probably would've been much better received if they had shaved off 2-3 minutes of in-ring action and went with a more definitive victory for Bandido. (2/5)

Daniel Garcia vs. Adam Cole followed for Garcia's TNT Championship. This was the third match in a row - on a very long show - that felt like it could've been on an episode of Dynamite or Collision and not necessarily a PPV as it has mostly played out on Collision for a much smaller audience. The crowd wasn't asleep for this, but they were working extra hard to keep a crowd engaged with big spots and "finisher spamming" on a night where the crowd had already had their mind blown by any number of flashier, more impressive athletes. Cole and Garcia are also in the unfortunate position of not having "the look" of some of their peers, an element of that matters in a cosmetic business where being undersized or thin must be overcome through personality or innovative offense. While Cole and Garcia both have charisma and, at times, have seemed like they could breakout as top-of-the-card talents, Cole hit several career speedbumps due to injury over the past few years and Garcia is still putting it all together, a promising future star but not one that has accelerated the way, say, Kyle Fletcher has. This was a good match, but not a memorable one. (2.5/5)

Kenny Omega defended the AEW International Championship against "Speedball" Mike Bailey and Ricochet in the next contest. This match went over 30 minutes and though I didn't love some of the "cooperation" that was occurred - especially early on when all three fell prey to the nasty habit of rolling their opponent over during a pinfall, essentially helping them kickout quickly and get back to their feet so they could get to the next spot - this was a spectacular fireworks show featuring some incredible sequences and some very innovative offense out of everyone. There was also great character work from Ricochet, who, over the past few months, has definitely come across as a much bigger star than he ever was in WWE. I loved Bailey's multiple double-knee variations, some of which were absurd in their execution and impact. Talks of this being among the best triple threats in history may be going a bit too far when this sort of match has become increasingly commonplace, but this was certainly well above average and one of the better matches on the show. (3.5/5) 

Main event time - Jon Moxley vs. Swerve Strickland for Mox's AEW World Championship. This followed a much more traditional structure as they were some babyface shine in the beginning, followed by an extended heel beatdown that led to Strickland being bloodied, before he got in some hope spots. Moxley's use of a variety of submissions is selfish jui-jitsu fetishism to me, a style that pops him but clashed with the high-energy offense of Strickland, who was excellent here, giving the match life with his facial expressions and offense as Mox continued to grind him down with chokes and leglocks. I can understand Mox wanting to work a slower pace than the go-go-go style on display elsewhere on the card, but at this point on a 4+ hour show (not including Zero Hour), the crowd wanted some big drama and it took arguably too long to get to it. Things picked up quite a bit in the second half, once Swerve began to rally, hit his kicks-to-the-face, and Shafir ate a neckbreaker from Mox. At this point, Mox also grabbed a ladder, which didn't make a ton of contextual tense (okay, none at all), but did lead to Swerve stomping Moxley off the ladder and through the ringside table. It wasn't perfectly executed, but it still made for a great visual and got a huge reaction. Into the ring they crawled to exchange forearms, another Moxley "go-to" that he's maybe overused a bit too much in his attempt to pay constant homage to the Japanese wrestling he adores. I liked the ref bump that came when Mox threw a chair and Swerve ducked. This led to Hangman coming out, looking unsure of who he might hit with the front-flip clothesline, but then getting attacked by the Death Riders. Page fought them off and nailed Mox with his reverse piledriver, which led to HOOK, Joe, and Shibata running out to even the odds in a total clusterfuck. Swerve tossed the chair to Mox, hit a stomp from the top rope, and pinned him to win the title to a huge ovation...is how the should've ended. But, instead, Swerve hit the stomp, the lights went out, and then the lights came back on the Bucks hit him with their finish to help Mox retain in one of the more poorly-received PPV finishes in AEW history. From a storyline perspective and - in terms of execution - this was an effective gut punch that raises serious questions about where this storyline is going...but the issue is, Mox's title defenses have been mostly "mid" as the kids say, his work has been outright sloppy at times (note in this match how many times Mox re-positioned himself or telegraphed the next big move in blatant ways) and Swerve Strickland is very over and among the best wrestlers on the planet right now, the kind of talent that you can build a main event around with minimal effort (something AEW has not successfully done with Mox during this run). AEW is a company that's "best foot forward" is its wrestling and Mox is looking more and more like a relic. The match itself wasn't terrible (thanks to Swerve) and the big finishing angle was well-produced and legitimately surprising...but it'd be near-impossible to want to revisit this or recommend it. (2.5/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.9-out-of-5, Dynasty 2025 featured two excellent matches, a few matches that were good-not-great, but, unfortunately, some underwhelming matches in the middle of the card and a main event that left a sour taste in most viewers' mouths. 

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand