 "Hangman" Adam Page def. Orange CassidyBoth of these guys fell short in the AEW World Championship four-way main event, so it was logical for them to face off against each other here in an attempt to rebuild momentum. Page winning was absolutely the right call. I don't know where Cassidy goes from here and I can't say I care. This was a good opener that received an ample amount of time. Page attacked Cassidy and Christopher Daniels afterward, so we'll see what consequences he's suffer. Please don't tell me he's being written off the show again. The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin) def. The AcclaimedHurt Syndicate seemed to be scouting The Acclaimed at one point, but obviously no longer. MVP had a hilarious line on commentary when he said, "We don't want them" in regards to The Acclaimed, which is what Max Caster said about not wanting Benjamin in AEW a while ago. The Acclaimed scored some offense, but this felt like a glorified squash for Hurt Syndicatem which is exactly what it should have been. The teases for an Acclaimed split continue. Julia Hart def. Jamie HayterThis marked Hart's first match since losing the AEW TBS Championship to Willow Nightingale at last April's Dynasty pay-per-view. For as disappointed as I've been with how Hayter's been used since returning at All In, I am glad this program is keeping her busy for now and that Hart has direction as well. Neither woman should be losing at this point, but at least Hayter was protected in defeat. This was solid stuff. I'm all for more midcard stories with the women that don't revolve around titles. AEW TBS Champion and NJPW Strong Women's Champion Mercedes Mone Recapped Her 2024 and Addressed RevPro Undisputed British Women's Champion Mina ShirakawaA lot of Mone's mic work in 2024 left a lot to be desired, but it appears she's finding her groove again, both in the ring and in her promos, so that's encouraging. This was a fairly basic segment, but it did hype her upcoming match with Shirakawa at Sunday's Wrestle Dynasty event where both her NJPW Strong Women's Championship and Shirakawa's RevPro Undisputed British Women's Championship will be on the line. However, there was no indication who will be next to challenge her in AEW. Jay White def. Roderick Strong and Swerve Strickland in a Three-Way Match to Earn the No. 1 Spot in Next Week's AEW World Championship No. 1 Contender's Casino Gauntlet MatchThe beloved Casino Gauntlet concept is coming back next week to determine Jon Moxley's challenger in two weeks on the Maximum Carnage episode. You'd think this would've been better considering the star power involved, but in the time they were allotted, it was enjoyable. Ricochet attacking Strickland at ringside gave Strickland an out for losing, and Ricochet continuing to attack and bloody up Strickland afterward was excellent. Jeff Jarrett Announced His Intentions to Win the AEW World ChampionshipJarrett heavily teased retiring coming into this show and, predictably, it ended up being a swerve, but I didn't think he'd set his sights on the AEW World Championship. Jarrett is still very popular and I'm sure he'll contend for the title at some point between now and the end of the year, but under no circumstance do I want to see him actually win it. This storyline feels like a waste of valuable of television time that can be devoted to other people who could actually use it. Powerhouse Hobbs def. Jon Cruz and Rob Killjoy in a 2-on-1 Handicap MatchOne of AEW's biggest weaknesses if failing to follow up with certain talent after they lose a feud. They tend to disappear from programming completely, so I'm glad that wasn't the case with Hobbs. Granted, this wasn't anything important, but it gave him a quick rebound win and he was able to showcase his dominance. I don't know where he goes from here, but he needs to continue being featured and not fall by the wayside like so many others. Rated FTR def. The Death Riders (AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and AEW World Trios Champions Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli)Yes, Cope is Adam Copeland's new ring name. I understand what he's trying to go for, but it just sounds stupid. I'm sure we'll all get used to it, though. Nonetheless, this was an entertaining main event. Cope knows how to fire up a crowd and they kept things interesting throughout. Unsurprisingly, Yuta ate the pinfall loss for his team. Rated FTR may as well win the AEW World Trios Championship because it's not like those belts are defended often, anyway. Overall ShowAEW hyped this show up as the beginning of a "new era" with Dynamite and Collision now being simulcasted on Max. We've heard Tony Khan use the "new era" lingo before and it's never really rung true, but time will tell. Personally, I dig the new theme song and they're putting forth an effort to make the next few weeks feel must-see. This was a mixed bag of a show but a quality one on the whole.
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