AEW Revolution Review - March 5, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Zero Hour: Mark Briscoe and The Lucha Brothers def. Ari Daivari and The Varsity Athletes

Daivari and Varsity Athletes making a pay-per-view card is comical (even if it's the pre-show), but to the credit of all six wrestlers, this was a blast and the crowd ate up everything they did. I don't know what Pac's status is and when he'll be back, but I'm totally fine with Briscoe and Lucha Brothers teaming up in the meantime. This was the perfect pre-show match to set the tone for the rest of the night. I really like that AEW didn't overload the pre-show with multiple matches like they usually do.

Ricky Starks def. Chris Jericho

This feud has largely lost my interest lately, but I'm happy they were able to close it out on a high note. That's assuming it's actually over, but I have no idea what more can be done now that Starks has beaten Jericho clean twice. Similar to Jericho's Revolution opener against Eddie Kingston last year, this proved that Jericho can still have fun matches when he's in there with the right opponents and the shenanigans are kept to a minimum. Sammy Guevara walking down to ringside when Jericho Appreciation Society was supposed to be banned was weird, but I enjoyed this, otherwise.

"Jungle Boy" Jack Perry def. Christian Cage in a Final Burial Match

This was changed from a No Holds Barred match to a Final Burial match on Friday's Rampage. Buried Alive matches aren't typically the most exciting, but this was solid stuff with strong storytelling. Perry was finally able to put Cage away after hesitating so many times in the past. The rest of the match was intense without going overboard (unlike the Texas Death match). We'll see if Perry can capitalize off his victory and continue climbing the singles ranks. As for Cage, it's a bummer he'll probably be off television again for a bit to sell being "buried" here.

House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews) def. The Elite (IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks) to Win the AEW World Trios Championship

This was the biggest six-man tag team match AEW could possibly due at the moment, and yet the build was lousy. Nonetheless, they was the fast-paced, chaotic outing you'd expect from them. The crowd was into everything they did, but I'm starting to care less and less about The Elite due to the formula of their matches almost always being the same, in addition to no interesting stories being told with them. House of Black winning the belts was the right call as they've been ice cold for many months and needed this victory in order to avoid entering "damaged goods" territory.

AEW Women's World Champion Jamie Hayter def. Ruby Soho and Saraya in a Three-Way Match

This storyline has largely underwhelmed with the heel turns for Saraya and Storm not being fleshed out at all, but they delivered when it mattered most in this match. Saraya had her strongest showing since returning to the ring and Hayter and Soho were excellent as always. This had a really good flow and they ensured there was never a dull moment. Hayter retaining was the right call, and although the execution was lame, Soho's post-match heel turn wasn't completely shocking. It doesn't get me any more invested in this angle, but I assume the eventual endgame will be the first women's Blood and Guts match.

"Hangman" Adam Page def. Jon Moxley in a Texas Death Match

I'll miss Page's old entrance theme, but I don't mind him getting new music if the idea to give him more of an edge. It would have been ridiculous for him to lose after that. As for the match, it was what it was. I can't say it was my cup of tea personally, but there is absolutely an audience for this stuff and I'm sure a majority of the AEW fan base loved it. I probably would have too if AEW didn't do the hardcore crap so often. The excessive amount of blood means nothing at this point. The best thing I can say about this is that Page won as he should have.

Wardlow def. ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe to Win the AEW TNT Championship (ROH World Championship Was Not Defended)

These two were put in a tough spot coming off that Texas Death match. In any other spot, this might have gone over better, but I'm not surprised the crowd was quiet when they had just seen everything imaginable. This was a well-worked match, but because there wasn't anything out of the ordinary about it, it fell flat. The finish felt abrupt, but Wardlow regaining the gold was logical given the story they've told. Now let's hope they get it right with him during this second reign of his.

AEW World Tag Team Champions The Gunns def. AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy & Danhausen, Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett, and The Acclaimed in a Four-Way Tag Team Match

This was probably the match I had the least interest in coming into this event because of how random these teams were. Acclaimed and Gunns have been feuding for two months, but the other two teams being added was unnecessary. On the bright side, it made the match more entertaining and Acclaimed didn't have to eat the loss. FTR returning afterward was a pleasant surprise given some of the remarks Dax Harwood has made on his podcast lately. For the record, this doesn't mean they've re-signed yet, just that Tony Khan intends to use them until their contracts expire next month.

AEW World Champion MJF def. Bryan Danielson in a 60-Minute Iron Man Match

I had high hopes for this match and they ultimately exceeded them. This was a fantastic piece of business all around with both guys giving it an exceptional effort, but it was extra important for MJF to prove yet again he's as skilled in the ring as he is on the mic (for some reason, there are some fans that still doubt what he can do). Iron Man matches can be tough because of how long they are if they're 60 minutes, but I was never bored during this and there were plenty of awesome spots and storytelling moments to keep viewers engaged. The final stretch in particular was tremendous once they went into overtime and there were a few different points where I was questioning the outcome. This has to be the best Iron Man match I've ever seen and one of AEW's best bouts period. What a remarkable main event.

Overall Show

I haven't been overly impressed by Dynamite's inconsistent quality so far this year, so AEW needed to hit a home run with Revolution and they were certainly successful. There really wasn't a bad match on the entire card. The Texas Death match wasn't for me, but a majority of the AEW audience is into that stuff, so there's that. Everything else was good to great and the show didn't drag as much as other AEW pay-per-views do due to the shorter card. I know this was headlined by an Iron Man match, but I hope they take that approach more often in the future. Two thumbs-up for this event. Let's hope they can follow up on it accordingly.

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