The Buy-In: "Legit" Leyla Hirsch def. Kris StatlanderThis feud has been flying under the radar in recent months and hasn't been consistently featured on AEW TV, but some of their recent mic work in vignette form has been pretty good. I'm glad they were able to have this match on the pay-per-view pre-show because they deserved it. This was very well wrestled and received an ample amount of time. Hirsch winning here was a must if they're going to keep pushing her as a heel. The Buy-In: Don Callis Addressed the AudienceTony Schiavone was in the ring to interview Callis (who came out to Kenny Omega's entrance music and everyone in the audience thought it was him before erupting in boos when Callis came out instead), but Schiavone did nothing but stand there. At any rate, Callis went off on the crowd and called Adam Cole a "transitional champion" if he were to win in the main event. I'd definitely turn Omega babyface when he returns soon but split him away from Callis. This planted the seeds for that inevitable Elite vs. Cole and reDRagon feud as well. The Buy-In: Hook def. QT MarshallI couldn't care less about Marshall, but unlike Statlander vs. Hirsch, this program has at least been progressing every week on Rampage for the last month or so. Marshall is a heat magnet, so if the idea is to continue to capitalize off Hook being a massive fan favorite, then this was the way to go. This was easily Hook's most competitive match yet, but the outcome was never in doubt. This was what it needed to be and the crowd ate up everything Hook did. The Buy-In: House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews) def. Death Triangle (Pac and Penta Oscuro) and Erick RedbeardIt was reported recently that all of Death Triangle was originally slated to face House of Black on this show in a six-man tag team match, but apparently Rey Fenix isn't cleared to compete yet and thus Redbeard took his place. That would indicate this was merely a one-off for Redbeard as it should have been because I haven't seen an "all elite" graphic for him online unless I missed something. I wasn't too thrilled with Redbeard being the mystery partner for Death Triangle, but he more than held his own and was there to take the losing fall. This was an extremely exciting affair and probably the best Buy-In match AEW has ever done. With the win, House of Black keeps rolling. Eddie Kingston def. Chris JerichoProps to these two for taking a feud I had minimal interest in a few months ago (largely due to how some of the stuff Jericho was doing at that point) and getting me invested with some of their promos on Dynamite. They had a hell of a hard-hitting affair and opened the show on a nice note. The story coming into the event was that Kingston couldn't win when it matters most, and despite Jericho's best efforts, Kingston was able to pull it off. Hopefully this means he can actually start winning the bigger matches more regularly. I also liked that Jericho didn't stay true to his world by shaking Kingston's hand afterward, meaning he'll be a heel going forward. AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus) def. The Young Bucks and reDRagon in a Three-Way Tag Team MatchIf you despise Young Bucks' matches, then this wasn't for you because it featured that sort of style with so much happening at all times and the rules not being enforced. Personally, I like the chaotic stuff when done right and this was an example of that to me. Some of the action was difficult to follow, but the story they told was logical with Young Bucks and reDRagon attempting to stay on the same page until they inevitably couldn't. Jurassic Express have been afterthoughts as champions, so this was a nice win for them. Young Bucks and reDRagon can continue their storyline without the tag titles involved. Wardlow def. Keith Lee, Powerhouse Hobbs, FTW Champion Ricky Starks, Orange Cassidy and Christian Cage in a Face of the Revolution Ladder Match to Earn an AEW TNT Championship OpportunityLike most Ladder matches, this was the wild spot-fest I was expecting it to be. It gets tougher and tougher for every Ladder match to be innovative, but there were some awesome spots in this one, especially from Orange Cassidy shockingly enough. Wardlow felt like the biggest star of the bunch, but Lee stood out as well. I could have done without that stupid spot toward the end where Wardlow, Lee and Hobbs gathered by the stage, and the powerbomb from Wardlow to Starks on top of the ladder looked rough, but the rest of this was a blast. Wardlow winning got a big reaction and his babyface turn is nearly complete, but could MJF find a way to have him hand over his title shot or the title itself if he captures it? Tony Schiavone Introduced Shane "Swerve" StricklandSchiavone had the botch of the night when he was waving around the contract before introducing Swerve and it clearly had Swerve's name on it, so that somewhat spoiled the surprise. Thankfully, it's been rumored for weeks that Swerve was AEW bound, so it was at least expected. It's interesting that he'll be going back to the Shane Strickland name after wrestling as Swerve the Realest other places recently. He cut a cool promo and he can be a top talent if utilized properly. That's obviously the key because Jay Lethal debuted in similar fashion at Full Gear and has done nothing since. Hell, we barely see the guy, so I hope for Swerve's sake that won't be the case. AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill def. Tay ContiI realize the build to this bout was rushed, but I didn't have an issue with it because it was meant to be an open challenge. Then again, it wouldn't hurt to give Cargill her first extended feud as AEW TBS Champion considering she's been running through everyone with ease up to this point. Both women gave it a good effort and Cargill is still improving, but this was a fairly standard match that didn't need to be on a pay-per-view that wound up ending around midnight on the east coast, which isn't ideal for a Sunday night show. The crowd didn't buy into most of the nearfalls, so the predictability didn't help. CM Punk def. MJF in a Dog Collar MatchI didn't think this match would happen in the middle of the show, but it was likely for the best in retrospect because it was slower paced and the crowd may not have been into it as much later on. They weren't the hottest for this to begin with, but my guess is that's because it was structured so differently than everything else on the show and that's what I loved most about it. The storytelling in this feud, especially lately, has been exceptional and this bout had that in spades. Wardlow essentially handing the diamond ring over to Punk was an excellent moment and the fallout on Dynamite is going to be must-see. I've been saying for months it should be MJF vs. Adam Page at Double or Nothing, but considering MJF lost here and may be busy with Wardlow with the time being, Page vs. Punk might be the way to go instead. AEW Women's World Champion Britt Baker def. Thunder RosaYes, this was a stacked card with very little filler, but it was still disappointing to see this positioned right after the Dog Collar match. They never stood a chance because the crowd was clearly exhausted. It's a shame too because the feud has been built up for over a year, but I'm actually glad they didn't go with the title change here because it didn't feel like the right time. I don't know if two weeks will make much of a difference (they're virtually guaranteed to have a rematch in Rosa's hometown at St. Patrick's Day Slam), but it's better than pulling the trigger on this show where it wouldn't have meant as much. They had a quality match, but there was way too much outside interference from Rebel and Jamie Hayter. Jon Moxley def. Bryan DanielsonThis was one of my most anticipated matches of the night and they delivered. The lack of energy from the crowd was a bit of a bummer, but again, I can't say I blame them because the show was simply too damn long. Moxley and Danielson promised blood coming into this contest and we sure got plenty of it. They didn't hold back and it was the brutal brawl I was hoping for, though the finish seemed to come out of nowhere and took the crowd by surprise. Speaking of surprises, William Regal coming out afterward to break them up was absolutely fantastic. Of course, I'm a huge Regal fan, so I lost my shit when he popped up. In all seriousness, he is going to be such a stellar asset to this company, both on screen and behind the scenes. Darby Allin, Sting and AEW TNT Champion Sammy Guevara def. The A.H.F.O. (Matt Hardy, Andrade El Idolo and Isiah Kassidy) in a Tornado Tag Team MatchSimilar to Cargill vs. Conti, this could have easily been saved for an episode of Dynamite or Rampage, probably in the main event. This show was already too long (though I know to expect four- to five-hour shows at this point), but to their credit, they had fun with this and produced an enjoyable outing with everyone getting some time to shine. Highlights included the Spanish Fly Guevara performed to Kassidy through a table on the stage and Sting jumping off a balcony through multiple tables onto Andrade. Sting is insane for that, but it was quite the moment. The finish looked bad with Hardy accidentally moving when Allin went for the Coffin Drop, so that sucked. All in all, this kept the crowd engaged after the appearance from Regal. Fingers crossed Matt will be dumped from The A.H.F.O. will soon, possibly even Wednesday with Jeff Hardy's debut being imminent. AEW World Champion "Hangman" Adam Page def. Adam ColePage and Cole had a tough task of headlining a four-hour (or five-hour if you count The Buy-In) show with a crowd that was clearly spent. However, the action was exciting enough that they were able to keep everyone's attention and have an above-average main event. Some of those nearfalls from Cole were completely ridiculous and I wish we didn't get reDRagon or The Dark Order at ringside, but they successfully closed out the night on a high note. Cole can now focus on the dissension within The Elite while Page moves to Punk as noted earlier. Overall ShowI said it several times throughout this review, but AEW needs to either move their pay-per-views back to Saturdays permanently or start them an hour earlier. Having these shows go until almost midnight on the east coast is simply not ideal and, above all else, it hurts the performers. That was my only nitpick, though, as this was another terrific show from AEW. There were no bad matches on the entire card (only one or two I could've done without) and no egregious booking decisions, either. The appearances from Regal and Swerve were notable and the in-ring action was outstanding. No championships needed to change hnds to make this a must-see show. These past three AEW pay-per-views are the best they've ever done. Can they make it four for four with Double or Nothing? With what the lineup is expected to look like, it's certainly possible.
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