Surprisingly, Worlds Collide is going to air at 4 PM Eastern/1 PM Pacific, meaning it should be over before All Out starts up in the 7/4 o’clock hour with the main show beginning at 8/5. The dedicated fan can easily enjoy an entire afternoon and evening of live wrestling that day if they’ve got the stomach for it.
I’ve already got a ticket to watch All Out on the big screen at my local movie theatre, so whether I watch Worlds Collide live or later that night will entirely depend on how early I can be bothered to get out of bed.
Unfortunately, the upcoming title unifications will spell an end to perhaps the most beautiful championship belts WWE has ever produced, the United Kingdom titles, with the UK cost of arms on them. Go ahead, replace them with the European Titles if you must; unless you change the design, you’re not surpassing the beauty of these belts.
Kurt Angle shares an unfortunate update on Jason Jordan’s experience of daily living.
“You can’t feel one arm, and you can’t use one arm. That’s what Jason was having trouble with. His disc slid and blocked the nerves to his arm. You know what’s crazy he has problems to this day. His motor skills, his hands are on and off all the time. He just can never get right. I’m not sure why that’s occurring with him because with me, at least, I got relief at times. With him, he’s never gotten relief. He has been really struggling with it for years.”
Former WWE wrestler No Way Jose has been accused of no-showing an indie event and using the money given to him by promoter Greame Keam to travel to Orlando for AEW Dark tapings. Watch the video. Keam tells the whole story from his point of view.
Probably just to avoid a court date. Still not a good look for him, lying to the promoter all day and leaving the fans in the lurch who paid money to see him. Fuck him.
A lot of All Out matches are getting put together on Dynamite tonight. We’ve got Chris Jericho vs. Bryan Danielson, Toni Storm vs. Britt Baker vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida for the interim women’s championship (with Thunder Rosa announcing that she cannot currently defend due to injury), Jay Lethal & the Motor City Machine Guns vs. FTR & Wardlow, and Shane Strickland & Keith Lee vs. the Acclaimed for the tag titles.
If you’re waiting until the main event to turn into Dynamite this week, you’re missing some important things.
Jay Lethal and Dax Harwood had a great match, which ended with a Lethal victory, and then it was announced who Lethal’s partners in the trios match at All Out will be against Wardlow and FTR: The Motor City Machine Guns.
Thunder Rosa announced that due to injury, she’s unable to defend the AEW Women’s Championship, and that the winner of the fatal four-way match at All Out between Toni Storm, Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., Jamie Hayter, and Hikaru Shida will be crowned Interim Women’s Champion.
By the way, the CM Punk/Jon Moxley match for the Undisputed World Championship is taking place immediately following the women’s match that just ended-- don’t tune in 9:30 thinking you’re going to catch the whole thing!
Well, that was surprising. Moxley dominated right out of the gate and absolutely squashed Punk like a bug in less than 5 minutes to become the first two-time AEW world champion.
Trios match to close the show, and given the way the World Championship match was booked, it makes sense. I thought not closing with the World Championship match was strange, but it telegraphed (kinda) what was coming.
Sheeit, AEW is having massive injury issues. I assume Punk got squashed so he can take a few more months, or possibly years, to mend. Thunder Rosa joins Kris Statlander, Darius Martin, Santana, and Leyla Hirsch on the IL. Kenny Omega isn’t 100% either.
I am psyched to see Motor City Machine Guns work the next PPV. Impact is too tepid a place for them. Their theme song is so underwhelming. Whoa oh, whoa oh, we are the night. Yeah! Check it out! Huah!
Looks like it’s gonna be United Empire vs. the Elite for the trios championship at All Out.
Overall this was a pretty good episode and did a lot of buildup, but now they’ve got a week and a half to find a main event opponent for Mox and I’m really not sure who that’s gonna be.
Alright, spitballing some possible main event opponents for Mox at All Out;
Hangman Page. He’s the one Punk beat for the title and he deserves a shot at the new unified champ.
Claudio Castagnoli. As ROH champion he ought to be in contention, but he and Mox are stablemates so it’d be hard to set up a feud between them so quickly.
Kazuchika Okada. As G1 winner he should also be in contention, but I believe he’s currently on paternity leave, and I don’t know what the current guidelines for travel from Japan to the US are but it’d probably be hard to set up on short notice.
Josh Alexander. There’s precedent for the Impact world champion challenging for the belt, as that’s what Christian did at All Out last year.
John Cena. It’s a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong shot, but it almost feels like Mox did that “my time is NOW” promo for a reason.
Darby Allin. He’s been deserving a title shot for awhile now, and he and Mox could absolutely tear the house down.
Sting. Also a long shot, but it feels like he’s got one last title run in him before he retires for good.
Pentagon Jr. Mox is the king of the death match, and Penta is the king of Cero Miedo. It’s a match made in Hell.
Bryan Alvarez & co. Are fairly certain the All Out main event will still be Moxley/Punk. They are usually on the money, one of the sites that actually gathers the news instead of just regurgitating it or simply making it up.
Another busy day yesterday, but here is this week’s report.
Ryan Nemeth stole Dasha’s sunglasses (again).
Taz and Ex frequently address sticking to the script, ostensibly mocking VKM’s mic-romanaging.
Taz reluctantly name drops RVD.
Taz suggests that any time there’s a chop, he and Ex should chop each other.
Taz didn’t know Florida had NFTs.
Taz thought the audience chanting “You can’t flip” was directed towards Ex, not Nick Comoroto.
Taz dislikes the “wre-stle-ing” chant.
Taz wonder where butlers get their schooling, community colleges maybe?
Bear Country is now The Iron Savages, so Taz can’t ruminate about baby bears any more.
Rosario Grillo and Dean Alexander vs. The Workhorsemen
Taz: You see JD Drake, big burly man, strong, tough, you know, as he looks, you see him in a bar, pounding burgers down and some beers, hit you in the face with a bottle, beat you up. That’s basically JD Drake’s Saturday night.
Ex: Whoa! Big time clothesline by Drake, just ran over Grillo!
Taz: As a kid, I’d have a little shrimp scampi, a little wine when I beat somebody up, when I was younger. You know what I mean?
Ex: I know Taz, you’re a man of refined sensibilities.
Kilynn King vs. Mafiosa
Valentina prolongs a boot plant in King’s face while screaming.
Taz: So many people scream bro, everybody screams. I don’t know why people scream in wrestling. I just had to get that out there. Screaming outward. I don’t know why.
Ex: No, it’s all right Taz. You know what? You were always calm, cool and collected inside.
Taz: But I didn’t scream during my matches, bro!
Ex: I know!
Taz: I did not scream at people! I was focused and I friggin’ wanted to destroy everyone!
Ex: You scream at me when we’re on commentary, and when we’re off commentary in fact. But, you didn’t during your matches.
Taz: You curse me out! Curse me out in production office, and then meetings! You yell at me and throw pencils at me!
Ex: Taz, I give you a tightly scripted script the night before we do Dark.
Taz: This is true.
Ex: You know what? I’m lucky if you read it one in a hundred times, and we’re on a hundred and fifty-eight episodes.
Taz: Reading’s not my strength, but kicking the knee in the stomach is Kilynn KIng’s strength!