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2 days ago
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Roundtable: What should WWE do with Seth Rollins' injury? And did AEW win the weekend?
Are you tired of us yet? No? Good. A wrestling weekend like we just experienced, requires — no, DEMANDS — an emergency gathering of the Uncrowned Horsemen to discuss everything that transpired from the good (there was A LOT) to the bad (Seth Rollins' reported knee injury). Advertisement Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger are here once again to examine how the pro wrestling landscape has changed in the wake of AEW All In/WWE Saturday Night's Main Event/WWE Evolution — with a little Great American Bash sprinkled in — and offer up their thoughts on arguably the most important non-WrestleMania weekend of the year. 1. What was your favorite match of the weekend and which match had the most significant impact on its promotion moving forward? Riggs: I'm about to give the most non-definitive answer possible, which shows just how much happened this past weekend. Thankfully, there was much more good than bad. First I want to shout out the AEW Women's Casino Gauntlet match, because of how much it exceeded expectations. Yet as someone who loves the lengths AEW will go to when the pressure is on to deliver a masterpiece — more often than not, they do so, like with the world title match between Jon Moxley and Hangman Adam Page. And that's also my answer for part two of this question, because of how absolutely momentous that match — and its result — felt. Just as Hangman has done by being the company's main character, Page vs. Moxley embodied the spirit of everything wrestling fans love about AEW and sent everyone home happy. That being said, it needs to be argued that LA Knight vs. Seth Rollins wound up as the most impactful match of the weekend, if only because of Rollins' knee injury. As Mr. Money In the Bank, Rollins felt like a guarantee to be up next for another world title run and he's been the centerpiece of "WWE Raw" since WrestleMania 41. Now Triple H presumably has to do a massive deck shuffling. But that's more speculation than what we saw to close AEW All In, so I'll stick with Page vs. Moxley as my answer. Advertisement Dansby: Tough question — two matches fit the bill perfectly. But if I have to pick, I'll go with Hangman vs. Moxley, even though Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley was the more entertaining match from bell to bell. Hangman feels like the guy for AEW right now, and ending Moxley's Death Rider streak only reinforces that. The Texas Deathmatch stipulation is tailor-made for both guys, and they leaned all the way in on Saturday — brutality, chaos, interference, all of it. It wasn't just a bloodbath for shock value — it set the tone for AEW's next few months. We now know Hangman has MJF in his sights, but the looming presence of the Hurt Syndicate throws a wrench in that. Meanwhile, Moxley's story feels far from over. He still has unfinished business with Bryan Danielson and Darby Allin, both of which could blow up into their own feuds. Advertisement Jackman: In a very competitive field I'm going with the triple threat match that opened WWE Evolution. Remember this time last week when the overall sentiment on social media toward Evolution wasn't exactly optimistic? Don't get me wrong: I think most people wanted the event to succeed, but there was a lot of consternation about the low ticket sales and whether WWE had made a mistake by booking three separate events in one weekend. The second this match started, though, all of that went out of the window. All three women — Bayley, Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria — absolutely smashed it, and the crowd was on fire instantly. From that moment on, you just knew the naysayers were going to end up eating their words. As for the most significant, I say Moxley vs. Hangman. I've set out my thoughts on the Death Riders a couple of times recently, but, in short, I genuinely think this one was existential for AEW. To stick with Moxley as champion would have sent a bold signal (to put it mildly) about the future of AEW. Thankfully, Tony Khan decided to take the right decision, rather than burn all that goodwill he's been building up lately. Sulla-Heffinger: I'm going with two AEW contests here. For my favorite match, I have to go with Mercedes Moné vs. 'Timeless' Toni Storm. When you look at the body of work they have put together since coming to AEW, it's hard to argue anything other than these two being the best female wrestlers in the world. Considering this was probably the most important women's match in the history of AEW, the stakes and anticipation for it were remarkably high — and naturally, Storm and Moné knocked it out of the park, as it took an avalanche Storm Zeroes to finally end Moné's unbeaten singles streak. A lot of times the term 'dream match' is either thrown around or used far too late in careers, but that isn't the case with what we saw Saturday. Advertisement As far as the most significant impact, Rollins' injury not included, Hangman Adam Page defeating Jon Moxley has to be the most impactful moving forward. Unlike the feel-good AEW title win from Bryan Danielson last year, I would imagine Page's run post-All In lasts significantly longer and there were two high-profile returns and a major Swerve (see what I did there) that make it hard to not get overly excited about the future of the top of the card at AEW. Seth Rollins' reported knee injury could have major implications across all of WWE. (Photo by Heather McLaughlin/WWE via Getty Images) (WWE via Getty Images) 2. What is the best way for WWE to navigate the Seth Rollins injury/MITB briefcase? Sulla-Heffinger: If Rollins is out for an extended period of time, it's absolutely brutal in the sense that he has been the centerpiece of 'Raw' for the entirety of 2025. That said, if we're going to try and look at the positives, it opens the door for CM Punk, Jey Uso, LA Knight, Bron Breakker or Sami Zayn to cycle in and out of the main-event picture — after his win on 'Raw,' Punk gets the first crack at Gunther— until Rollins returns. It's unclear if Roman Reigns' return was a 'break glass in case of emergency' move or planned, but there are multiple, extremely compelling angles immediately with his return. Depending on the recovery timetable, you could have Knight and Breakker battle for the MITB briefcase — and then Rollins has a built-in title shot when he returns — or just have Rollins refuse to give it up and then when he does return for an immediate cash-in, the moment will be bigger than perhaps any before. As for the 'Seth Riders,' WWE could give the fans what they want and have Karrion Kross take over the group and get his big push finally, which would be an interesting twist, especially involving Paul Heyman. Advertisement Jackman: Well, first you need to answer the million-dollar question: Is he really injured at all? For readers who haven't followed this one, there's been some convincing sounding reporting coming out of Post Wrestling that this whole thing is actually a set up to pull off a massive shock cash-in at SummerSlam, presumably at the expense of CM Punk. I'm on the record as saying how distasteful I find these 'fake injury' angles, so I hope that's not the case. When you look at the genuine outpouring of sympathy we've seen from the WWE and AEW fanbases towards Kevin Owens and Adam Cole respectively in recent months, I can't see why anyone would think it's a good idea to use a serious injury for storytelling purposes. It's the same response I had to Triple H pretending that the R Truth 'fake firing' was some stroke of creative genius. Does he not realize that if he makes these things fair game, then you'll have internet sleuths second-guessing every reported injury or release from now until eternity? If I hear that Kevin Owens is undergoing life-changing neck surgery, I don't want even a little part of me thinking 'Wait, is this all a work?' If the injury is genuine, then obviously I hope Seth will be back on his feet soon. Though assuming it requires a rewriting of the MITB storyline, then I'd suggest just passing the briefcase on to Bron Breakker. Surely that's the sort of thing that Paul Heyman could arrange (in kayfabe terms) having used his years of experience to call an audible? Advertisement Riggs: No matter the direction taken, it has to involve LA Knight heavily. Realistically, he should probably be given the briefcase for beating Rollins, despite that not being a stipulation. You can't just get rid of that element, though. At the same time, it would be fair to Rollins to wait and see what a timetable might look like for his return. And in that case, if it's not overly long, this could be an ultra-happy accident for a big surprise. Regardless, suppose Knight doesn't receive something big and possibly related to the briefcase. In that case, he should kayfabe be livid about it, taking an aggressive anti-hero approach until he gets what he wants. Dansby: WWE should treat the MITB briefcase like the wild card it is. If Seth is out for a while, the briefcase becomes more valuable than ever. Whoever holds it—especially if it's a heel—can tease cash-ins constantly to keep the world title picture interesting. The key is not rushing. The worst thing they can do is give it immediately to a returning Roman Reigns. Let the briefcase holder be someone who could simmer and build some momentum. It's been a while since the contract has truly felt dangerous. Jade Cargill stood tall at WWE Evolution and was among Uncrowned's breakout performers for the weekend. (Photo by Chansey Augustine/WWE via Getty Images) (WWE via Getty Images) 3. Who was the breakout performer of the weekend? Dansby: That honor goes to Jade Cargill. Her No Holds Barred match with Naomi was not just her best match to date—it was a legit show-stealer. She's always had the look, the presence, the confidence. But now? She's adding in-ring legitimacy to the package. Advertisement Winning Queen of the Ring punched her ticket to SummerSlam, and with Naomi cashing in the MITB briefcase and walking out as Women's World Champion, there's some real tension building. Their chemistry was undeniable, and now they've got a story that could headline a major PLE. Jackman: We haven't included the event in our round-ups so far, but I'd like to give a shout out to Yoshiki Inamura for his performance against Oba Femi at The Great American Bash. I was in two minds whether that match was going to be a total flop, but my goodness did they bring the goods. If you didn't catch it due to WWE's choice to book the event alongside All In, I'd highly recommend that you go back and watch it. Sulla-Heffinger: As odd as it is to have a champion in this spot, I firmly believe it has to be Sol Ruca. As Riggs wrote in his SmackDown recap last Friday, the Fatal 4-way match she was involved in felt like a showcase to specifically introduce her on the main roster. For anyone who has been watching NXT, none of this was really a surprise, but for anyone who was unsure of what's on the horizon for the women's division, this weekend showed that the future is very bright — OK, enough Sol puns, I swear. Ruca retained her NXT Women's North American Championship the following day and even though she took the pin at Evolution on Sunday night, she showed she's closer to the main roster than we think. Also, the Sol Snatcher is already in the conversation for the best finishers in WWE today. Riggs: It has to be Lash Legend. Her performance in the WWE Evolution Battle Royal was as star-making as it gets. She felt like a force, almost akin to Keith Lee's first Royal Rumble appearance years back. Possibly even to a higher degree than that, though. WWE booked her so well that I bought a ticket, thinking she might actually win it. That match was the perfect catalyst for a mega push because man, did she earn it. ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 12: Goldberg retires from wrestling during Saturday Night's Main Event at State Farm Arena on July 12, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images) (WWE via Getty Images) 4. Do you feel any differently about the pro wrestling landscape for the rest of 2025 after this weekend? Jackman: Whatever your thoughts on WWE's aggressive 'double booking' strategy, I have to say it was a real treat to have so much wrestling over the weekend. Sure, it might not work to do it every month (or even every six months), but the back-to-back events made the whole thing feel similar to a WrestleMania weekend. Advertisement In terms of the bigger question, I'd just echo what I said earlier about AEW. I wrote a column on Friday about how a Hangman victory would be the perfect starting point to a new era for the company and I really hope that's the direction they take. The imagery of Hangman retrieving that belt from the briefcase perfectly captured that sense of AEW being re-born after the long shadow of the Death Riders. Dansby: Not really, but some pieces have definitely shifted. AEW is having a strong summer, especially at the top of the card. Their men's and women's main events feel intentional and meaningful. The big question now: can they elevate the midcard and tag/trios divisions to that same level? That's where long-term momentum is either made or lost. On the WWE side, the creative highs are still being carried by special events. Evolution was arguably their best PLE in recent memory, but the company is still heavily leaning on part-timers, legacy names, and viral moments. The main roster feels like it's stuck balancing corporate obligations with fan engagement. Not an easy line to walk. Riggs: Yes. Each company is going in a clear, different direction. Whether you think that is good or bad is up to you. WWE is entirely playing into the entertainment, more playful demographic, with the reinvitations of celebrity matches like Jelly Roll's upcoming in-ring debut. Meanwhile, AEW just had their wrestlers stab each other with forks and rub glass in their faces. For WWE, they need to recover the incredibly bumpy first half of the year they've had from a story perspective in most angles, while AEW simply needs to carry the incredible momentum they've accrued. All the pieces are in place for each to keep going the way they are. Advertisement Sulla-Heffinger: Like Riggs, my biggest takeaway from the weekend is just how different AEW and WWE truly are. I teased this in our preview Horsemen column when we talked about how 'success' is defined for each company and I think this weekend hammered home that point in particular. With a stacked card, AEW put on an absolutely incredible stadium show that somehow managed to at least exceed — if not completely obliterate — all of the expectations going in. The momentum Tony Khan's company has is undeniable. On the other side, WWE took over Atlanta and ran three shows, including an Evolution PLE that should not be overlooked in the slightest, and managed to involve both celebrities (Jelly Roll) and legends, particularly Trish Stratus and Goldberg. As much as we want this to be a recreation of the 'Monday Night Wars,' the reality right now is this: AEW is the better pure wrestling promotion and WWE is the better sports entertainment promotion. There's plenty of room for both to thrive in this space and EVERYONE from the talent, to the media, to the fans are better off for it. ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 13: Naomi speaks at the Press Conference Desk during WWE Evolution at State Farm Arena on July 13, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images) (WWE via Getty Images) 5. Give your one-word review of each show from the weekend and a short explanation why. Riggs: AEW All-In: Momentous. The 2025 iteration truly felt like the company's version of WrestleMania, and a WrestleMania of old — an actual culmination point of everything that happened since the last titular event. I don't want to say "reset point," but rather something like the "end of season" or "next book in the series" type of event. Advertisement WWE Evolution: Epic. The second event of its name just felt special, and almost like a continuation of that evolution label. Every performer channeled it beautifully. WWE Saturday Night's Main Event: Pass. I'm not saying anything new by calling SNME a glorified house show, but that's just what they are. Occasionally, a banger of a match unfolds in the short time given. That's about it, though. As overall events, they're almost totally missable. Sulla-Heffinger: AEW All In Texas: Defining – AEW's first true stadium show in the U.S. marks a significant real-life milestone and acts as a turning point for the creative future of the company. More than any other stateside AEW show, All In Texas felt like a WrestleMania. WWE Saturday Night's Main Event: Forced – Again, not necessarily bad because there were some decent matches on the card, but even if Rollins didn't get hurt, this felt like it took a little bit away from a weekend that Evolution should have dominated in the WWE landscape. Great moment and a fitting end for Goldberg, though. Advertisement WWE Evolution: Worthy – Sunday proved that this should be a tentpole event on the WWE PLE calendar every year. Dansby: Great American Bash: Meh. This felt more like a placeholder than a peak NXT event. They've got to figure out how to make the TNA involvement actually mean something and start building up the next wave of top stars. Right now, it feels like they're in a holding pattern. All In: Electric. AEW is giving its core fans exactly what they want—and doing it well. But the challenge now is to turn that momentum into growth. Can they bring in new fans without losing their base? We're about to find out. Evolution: Eye-opening. The women delivered. Period. The talent is there, the performances were top-tier, and the response was overwhelming. If WWE doesn't make this a yearly event, it'll feel like a huge missed opportunity. This was proof that the women can consistently headline, draw, and steal the show. Advertisement Jackman: AEW All-In: Coherent. Unlike previous AEW events, this actually felt like more than the sum of its respective parts, with multiple storylines gelling perfectly throughout the evening. The whole feel was much more professional and narrative-driven than the Wembley events, which always felt more like a big carnival show than a self-contained PLE. WWE Evolution: Justified. I made the risky play of expressing some skepticism about the merits of an all-women event and I'm pleased to see that they knocked it out of the park. WWE Saturday Night's Main Event: Mixed. As usual, the whole thing felt more like a procession of 'SmackDown' main events rather than a proper PLE (in fairness, I should note that WWE doesn't actually call SNME a PLE, but they do kind of imply it...). The Goldberg stuff was excellent though. I'm not embarrassed to say that I welled up a bit when Doug Dellinger knocked on the door that one final time.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
AEW All In Texas 2025 Ended A Bad PPV With A Great Main Event
AEW All In 2025 AEW All In Texas came, almost overstayed its welcome, and went in the span of a six-hour pay-per-view showcase. This was an eight-hour show for those who watched beginning with Zero Hour. All In Texas was a slog of long matches that seemed designed to ensure the show remained on the air during WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, the event WWE aired to counterprogram All In. AEW actually moved to an earlier timeslot because of SNME, only for WWE to add NXT's Great American Bash head-to-head with All In. If AEW All In only kept the final three hours of the show, it would have been a lowkey masterpiece. Instead, a half-empty Globe Life Field sat through a series of slow-paced wrestling matches before getting to a masterful ending. One that just barely made it worthwhile. It wasn't even 4:00 pm PST by the time AEW started its triple main event. Before then, the entire show's momentum was carried by the Young Bucks vs. Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay. This was a much-needed pallet cleanser after a heartbreaking moment where Adam Cole tearfully relinquished his TNT Championship. After suffering an undisclosed injury, Cole poignantly admitted retirement was on the table. The announcement soured the mood for what was a bittersweet moment when Dustin Rhodes became AEW's second three-belt champion. Kazuchika Okada went on to join Rhodes and Mercedes Mone in that category later on that night. Mercedes Mone and Toni Storm effortlessly set a main-event tone during a heated matchup between two main eventers that could have gone either way. Storm vs. Mone was arguably the best match of the night. So much so, Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada—who went on to win the first AEW United Championship—struggled to follow it. Omega vs Okada has become a brand unto itself. The fervor is mostly online to a niche audience, and mostly because of Dave Meltzer's overpraise through his imaginary star-rating system. The latest installment of a 41-year-old Kenny Omega and a 37-year-old Kazuchika Okada was a decent pay-per-view match. Still, it gave the same vibes of AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, an overhyped WrestleMania 34 match between two aging legends that had no chance living up to its unreasonable expectations. AEW's main event was a true high-stakes world title match. Hangman Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley delivered a satisfying finish to a show that aggressively tested the patience of its paying customers. The final hour of AEW All In was its most important. The vast majority of matches at All In were disappointing and overlong. But when it counted—when it came to the matches people paid to see—AEW delivered. All's well that ends well. Hangman Adam Page's big win was a good end to a bad pay-per-view. For AEW, hopefully it creates the positive momentum the promotion needs after years of poor perception.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AEW All In Texas 2025: Start Time, Card, Price, Where To Watch AEW All In Live Online
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. AEW All In Texas 2025: Start Time, Card, Price, Where To Watch AEW All In Live Online It's a great weekend to be a sports fan. Not only do we have AEW All In: Texas and WWE Saturday Night's Main Event to look forward to, but we also have the FIFA Club World Cup and Wimbledon finals on Sunday, July 13. Plus, MLB's Home Run Derby and All-Star Game take place Monday, July 14 and Tuesday, July 15, respectively. But let's get back to All In, shall we? Emanating from the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, AEW's must-see event features a stacked card but is highlighted by three matches: 'Timeless' Toni Storm defending her AEW Women's World Championship against Mercedes Moné, Jon Maxley and 'Hangman' Adam Page colliding for the AEW World Championship in a Texas Death Match, and Kazuchika Okada taking on Kenny Omega in a title unification match. Advertisement How can you watch all the fun online? From start time to streaming info, here's how to stream AEW All In: Texas live online. What Time Does AEW: All In Start Today (July 12)? The event officially begins at 3:00 p.m. ET, with the All In Zero Hour pre-show starting at 1:00 p.m. ET. You can stream the pre-show on AEW's YouTube page. Where To Watch AEW: All In Texas 2025 Live Online: You can order AEW All In for $49.99 through your local cable provider or The event will also be available through Triller TV in international markets. Additional streaming options below. How To Watch AEW: All In 2025 On Amazon, YouTube, Or FuboTV: You can also purchase AEW All In 2025 on YouTube, Amazon, or fuboTV. AEW: All In Texas 2025 Card: AEW World Championship Texas Death Match: Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Adam Page AEW Women's World Championship Match: 'Timeless' Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Moné AEW Unified Championship Match: AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. AEW International Champion Kenny Omega AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: The Hurt Syndicate vs. JetSpeed vs. The Patriarchy AEW TNT Championship Match: Adam Cole vs. Kyle Fletcher Trios match for the AEW World Trios Championship: The Opps(Katsuyori Shibata, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Samoa Joe) vs. Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta) and Gabe Kidd Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay vs. The Young Bucks Men's Casino Gauntlet Match for a Future Shot at the AEW World Championship Women's Casino Gauntlet for a Future Shot at the AEW Women's World Championship Advertisement Enjoy the show!
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Adam Cole Not Cleared To Compete At AEW All In: Texas, New Champion To Be Crowned
We have some unfortunate news regarding Adam Cole this afternoon on AEW All In: Texas Zero Hour. During the Zero Hour broadcast, Renee Paquette announced that Tony Khan is unable to clear Adam Cole to compete this afternoon at AEW All In: Texas. Advertisement A four-way is announced between Kyle Fletcher, Daniel Garcia, Dustin Rhodes, and Sammy Guevara to crown a new TNT Champion. This doesn't appear to be an Interim Title match, so it appears that Cole's injury is rather serious and he's been stripped of the TNT Title. Tony Khan also went live on social media this afternoon to make the unfortunate announcement that Cole would not be medically cleared. You can watch Khan's statement in the embedded video below: The updated card for AEW All In: Texas is as follows: Texas Death Match for the AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Hangman Page AEW Women's World Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Mercedes Moné AEW Unified Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada (c) AEW TNT Championship: Kyle Flectcher vs. Daniel Garcia vs. Dustin Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Hurt Syndicate (c) vs. JetSpeed vs. The Patriarchy AEW World Trios Championship: The Opps (c) vs. The Death Riders Men's Casino Gauntlet: Featuring Mark Briscoe, MJF, Mistico, and more Women's Casino Gauntlet: Featuring Kris Statlander, Megan Bayne, and more The Young Bucks vs. Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland Stay tuned to WrestleZone for more on Adam Cole's status as it becomes available. WrestleZone will have live coverage of AEW All In: Texas later this afternoon. Advertisement READ MORE: Fans Concerned After Adam Cole Takes Scary Bump On AEW Dynamite What do you make of this news overall? Are you disappointed we basically won't be getting the advertised TNT Championship match this afternoon? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below. The post Adam Cole Not Cleared To Compete At AEW All In: Texas, New Champion To Be Crowned appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
AEW All In Texas 2025 Results, Winners And Grades On July 12
Jon Moxley vs. Adam Page in a Texas Death Match. AEW All In Texas advertised AEW's biggest show of the year with seven of AEW infinite titles on the line. Toni Storm puts her AEW Women's World Championship on the line against Mercedes Mone. AEW International champion Kenny Omega faces AEW Continental champion Kazuchika Okada for the Unified Championship. Hangman Adam Page faces Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship. All three matches have promised death. This week's go-home broadcast of AEW Dynamite garnered 637,000 viewers. AEW Dynamite Ratings And Viewership AEW All In Results On July 12, 2025 AEW All In Ticket Sales AEW All In Highlights, Winners And Grades The Opps Def. The Deathriders The venue looked very good on television, and AEW did a good job hiding all the empty seats in a 40,000-seat building that only sold 25,000 tickets. Fans popped when Powerhouse Hobbs tagged in, chanting 'Meat!' Wheeler Yuta was chopped into oblivion by all three members of The Opps early on in the match. Because of the big building, there were long stretches of silence in between big spots. There was an awesome spot where Powerhouse Hobbs was on Claudio Castagnoli's shoulders, ready to take a Doomsday Device. Hobbs caught Yuta in midair and countered with a powerslam. There was a 'This is awesome' chant developing, but Claudio stepped on it with a big swing against a barricade. Hobbs trapped Yuta in a spinning Muscle Buster for the win. Very good opener. After the match, the Deathriders laid out The Opps, including a Pillmanizer to Samoa Joe's neck. Perhaps Hook comes back to take Samoa Joe's spot? MJF Wins Casino Gauntlet Battle Royal Fans chanted 'bald' when Ricochet hit the ring. Ricochet and MJF formed a temporary alliance. Fans popped for Mistico, but literally nobody sang his song. Texas is close to Mexico, but it ain't Mexico. Mistico and Briscoe locked in double Fujiwara armbars before the move was broken up. MVP, who appeared on commentary, briefly left the announce desk to coach up MJF. A clean-shaven Rock Hard Juice Robinson got a huge pop in his return. He went right for Ricochet. The Gates of Agony hit the ring and laid out Juice Robinson to help their new ally Ricochet. The Gunns made the save to even the odds. Max Caster walked over Anthony Bowens on his way to the ring, while doing his chant, but Bowens stopped Caster from getting into the ring. Caster took a knee from Roderick Strong for his troubles. MJF, who was picking his spots the entire match, vultured a pinfall from Marc Briscoe over Roderick Strong for the win. Dustin Rhodes Def. Daniel Garcia, Kyle Fletcher And Sammy Guevara Adam Cole, who had to forfeit the TNT Title due to injury, cut a very emotional promo where he teased retirement, but said he wasn't in the right head space to talk about that. After the promo, Cole was joined by his fellow Paragon members Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly. Cole was interrupted by Daniel Garcia, who gave him a hug. By the end of this night, no less than three AEW wrestlers will be carrying multiple belts. Being a belt collector used to be a gimmick, but with all the belt inflation in AEW, it's the bare minimum. Kyle Fletcher and Daniel Garcia slapped each other while trapped in sharpshooters from Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara. A hot mic picked up Garcia calling Fletcher a p—y. Daniel Garcia interrupted a Natural Kick to give a Natural Kick of his own. Guevara followed suit with a natural Natural Kick. The Protostar's nether regions were in worse shape than his terrible nickname. After a miscommunication between Guevara and Rhodes, Garcia trapped Sammy in a Boston Crab. Kyle Fletcher got his revenge by hitting high boots in the corner on his adversaries. He ate a cutter from Guevara for his troubles. Dustin Rhodes rolled up Daniel Garcia for the win. He now has three belts. Just like Mercedes, just like the winner of Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada. Hilarious. The Young Bucks Def. Will Ospreay And Swerve Strickland Will Ospreay had a very well-produced entrance inspired by Assassins Creed. Swerve Strickland was played out by JoJo Offerman, who performed 'Ain't Nobody' by Chaka Khan. The Young Bucks received their standard entrance with much more pyro. The Young Bucks disappeared for a moment before reentering with a Founding Fathers-themed entrance. Similar to Anarchy in the Arena at AEW Double or Nothing. It was so long, and was more boring than it was funny. Fans booed after the decidedly long entrance ended. After a slow start to this match, Will Ospreay willed Globe Life Field into the match by hulking up. He was cut off by a boot from Nick Jackson as the Young Bucks regained control. The announcers played up the telepathic connection between the Young Bucks compared to the inexperienced tag team of Ospreay and Swerve. Both teams got Globe Life Field all the way back in the match with a Superkick Party followed by stereo Destroyers and a stereo House Call/Hidden Blade by Swerve and Ospreay. The babyfaces hit a stereo Styles Clash for a nearfall. The pair then hit a Swerve Stomp/Stormbreaker combo, but Matt Jackson made the save. The Young Bucks hit the TK Driver to Swerve on the outside, leaving Ospreay dead to rights. After More Bang for your Buck, Ospreay kicked out at a long two. After a dramatic sequence, Swerve saved Ospreay from an EVP Trigger. 'I thought he was dead,' said Tony Schiavone. Ospreay accidentally stuck Strickland with a Hidden Blade and ate an EVP Trigger for a great nearfall. Ospreay also kicked out of a TK Driver. The Young Bucks peppered Ospreay with super kicks, but Swerve stood in front of him—much like Ospreay did for Swerve in a similar situation weeks ago. The Young Bucks annihilated Swerve with Superkicks, but Swerve and Ospreay countered the EVP Trigger with a Hidden Blade from Ospreay while Swerve clinched the Young Bucks. Swerve and Ospreay hit a House Call/Hidden Blade combo for the win. Athena Wins The Women's Casino Gauntlet Match Willow Nightingale got a huge pop, and the camera cut to a heelish Statlander, who seemed none-too-pleased to see her former friend. After a flurry of offense from Willow, Statlander and Bayne hit a double chokeslam on Bayne. Tay Melo hit the ring and the match violently halted to a stop. Melo and Bayne messed up a La Mistica spot. Harley Cameron came out of nowhere and shoved Penelope Ford off the top rope. Cameron and Anna Jay chased off Penelope Ford. Nightingale hit a Dr. Bomb, but Statlander broke it up. Sky Blue accompanied Julia Hart to the ring, and though Sky Blue wasn't in the match, she was in the ring for half the match as if she was. It got to the point where the referee had to scream 'Get out!' Athena got a Texas-sized ovation from her hometown crowd. Athena was followed by fellow texan Thunder Rosa. There was a chain of tilt-a-whirl's. Willow Nightingale had the best tilt-a-whirl and it wasn't even close. Athena won with an O-Face on Mina Shirakawa as another Texas product went over. The Hurt Syndicate Def. The Patriarchy And Jetspeed Westside Gunn played the Hurt Syndicate out to the ring, and MVP even rapped his verse. FTR appeared on commentary, where they accused Jetspeed of stealing their dives and flips. Shelton Benjamin dumped Mike Bailey onto the field and fans exploded into chants of 'We hurt people!' There was a great spot where Shelton teased powerbombing Speedball from the top rope only to take a hurricanrana from Kevin Knight. Nick Wayne hit a dangerous-looking cutter on Mike Bailey where he landed spine-first on the apron. Knight followed up with a dropkick on Nick Wayne, who flipped from Speedball's shoulders onto the other tag teams. Bobby Lashley shoved FTR, and their attempt to get involved in the match backfired as they distracted Christian, who walked into a Bobby Lashley Spear. After the match, Nick Wayne turned on Christian with an Unprettier. Just as Wayne got ready to hit a Conchairto, Edge made a surprise appearance to save Christian. 'Go Find yourself,' said Cope to Christian. Mercedes Mone's Undefeated Streak Ends Vs. Toni Storm Texas Rangers cheerleaders did a choreographed dance during Mercedes Mone's entrance. Mercedes wore the names of all the women she beat for gold on her robe. It reminded me of when The Undertaker had caskets for all his victims at WrestleMania 30. The night they ended The Streak. Toni Storm walked out in a mime outfit. Fans were mostly behind Toni, but there were dueling 'Let's go Toni/CEO' chants. Luther and Toni teamed up for a spot where Toni sat on Luther's shoulders as she tossed Mercedes off the apron. 'Luther' chants ensued. Luther saved Toni Storm as he caught her when she fell off the apron. Mercedes hit a Meteora on Luther and fans booed loudly. Fans continued booing Mercedes as as she hit the Three Amigos suplexes. Toni Storm came roaring back, but Mercedes bit her way out of a submission. Toni Storm bit Mercedes back while Storm had Mone in a tombstone position, and we'll just leave it a that. Storm ate a MoneMaker but kicked out. I believe she was the first woman to ever kick out of that move. A bloodied Storm hit three consecutive Storm Zeros on Mercedes, only for Mercedes to kick out. Toni Storm kissed Mercedes on the mouth and hit a Storm Zero from the middle rope for the win. Kazuchika Okada Def. Kenny Omega By the time both long entrances and introductions were over, it was 4:30 p.m. PST. Omega's entrance featured a live performance of his weaker entrance theme 'Take Flight.' Omega was accompanied by Kota Ibushi. Fans exploded the second the bell rang and chanted 'AEW!' As expected, Okada worked over Kenny Omega's gut area early and often to exploit his diverticulitis. Omega sold his stomach throughout the match. Don Callis, who was on commentary, said it was a physiologically impossibility for Kenny Omega to recover from diverticulitis. Callis got a lot of heat for attacking Omega while Omega was near the desk. After getting the upper hand, Kenny Omega went after Don Callis, who immediately scampered. Callis returned once the action returned back to the ring. This match had real AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vibes from WrestleMania 34. Okada continued to bludgeon Omega's midsection as the match's pace remained slow. Omega battled back, and after a One Winged Angel, Don Callis pulled referee Bryce Remsburg out. Okada countered a second One Winged Angel attempt into a Rainmaker for a nearfall. Kazuchika hit another Rainmaker for the win. Hangman Adam Page Def. Jon Moxley A whistling woman whistled a cowboy-type performance. This brought out Hangman Adam Page, with his old theme music. Hangman Adam Page won the Texas Death Match over Jon Moxley by chain strangulation. Huge pop. Hangman received help from Will Ospreay, Bryan Danielson, Darby Allin and Swerve Strickland. A helluva match. For more details about the Texas Death Match, click here.
