As in life, so in pro-wrestling…the card is subject to change. Our esteemed colleague Nick Tylwalk will be away for tonight’s show, but I, the Lucid Luchador, will be covering the action. As to what happened to Nick, apparently he was beaten down by a bunch of hooded ruffians. I cannot say who, exactly, but the name of this nefarious group rhymes with Mark Sober. In any case, my recap will be a little more condensed than what I do for UWN Primetime Live (cheap plug)! For now, let’s get to the action because….
We are live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL.
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and good ol’ “JR” Jim Ross have the call. Big night with Team Taz ramping up the smack talk to Darby Allin and Cody Rhodes, plus a big contract signing with current AEW Champ John Moxley and Kenny Omega for December 2nd, billed as “Winter is Coming.” Somewhere, Kit Harrington is rolling his eyes at this. But let’s get to the first match.
Top Flight vs. The Young Bucks
Darius and Dante Martin of Top Flight had a nice video package going over their work in the indies to getting to AEW. The bell rings, and both teams are evenly matched in high flying moves for this bout, with a very cocksure attitude displayed by Top Flight. But the Young Bucks show the…err young-er bucks they’ve been around the block before and slow down the tempo (as much as they can), and show their veteran know-how. Highlights had Matt and Nick Jackson go to a combo foot stomp, then a monkey flip by Matt to a lung blower on Top Flight. But Top Flight have moves too, with a tope suicida to the Young Bucks to the floor, followed by a tope con hiro with some serious hang time. End had the Bucks go for Bang for your Buck, but Top Flight managed to roll up Matt, but a kick out by Matt only garnered a two count. Young Bucks finally put away the upstart duo with the BTE Trigger, and that’s all she wrote.
Your Winner via Pinfall: the Young Bucks
End of the match had The Hybrid 2 enter from the lost realm of AEW Dark to beat down on Top Flight before the Bucks chased them away, and Matt and Nick raise both the Martin brothers’ hands in a nice show of respect.
We then turn to the Inner Circle who had shots of their vacation and part one had hilarity ensuing, from Sammy Guevara not getting blackjack, MJF wanting Santana to blow on his dice (which is an absolute no-no), to Jericho and MJF bellying up to the bar and outdo each other’s drink order, before settling on (ugh!) Everclear (and I don’t mean the band). Next is a limo ride with…Konnan?! Once out of the limo that billows with some dubious smoke (heh), they see a dragon (guy in Dragon outfit: “Leave me alone”. Me: “I feel ya, buddy. I truly do.”) Finally the vignette ends in a bar with the Inner Circle hanging with who I assume looked like a very puffy Vince Neil from Mötley Crüe (who is starting to look more and more like Sam Kinison, but I digress). Part Two will be later and I haveta say…The Rat Pack, this ain’t, and Frank and Dean are rolling in their graves like a pair of dice, and it ended up snake eyes.
They throw it to a plug for the History of a Revolution commercial, which I can’t do justice writing about it, so check it out here.
We now get Jon Moxley delivering a promo as he only can about tonight’s contract signing, using his dad as a focal point. I can’t do it justice, so again, I’ll let the man speak for himself here
And yes folks, you heard correct! Renee and Moxley will be expecting a little Moxley soon, so Mazel Tov to the happy couple, as they say in Mexico! But now let’s go to the next match on the card.
Kip Sabian vs. Orange Cassidy
Miro joins commentary during the match to cheer on Kip, since he is the Best Man, after all. Hard to believe all this happened over a Video game console got smashed up, but hey, here we are. Start of the match had Sabian go to slap Cassidy, but he misses and a “hard slap” by Cassidy is delivered for the receipt. His is mostly a typical Cassidy match, which should be no surprise to anyone familiar with the King of Sloth Style. Sabian is more aggressive and tries to put away Cassidy, but. Cassidy in corner. Cassidy Hulks up…errr, Sloths up, and goes for a Diving DDT, but Cassidy’s feet almost didn’t swing feet all the way (maybe this can be a Diving DDT ’20. Can I get a ruling on that Powell? Oliver?) Anyway, end had Sabian get too cocky, and Cassidy rolls up Sabian in a Mousetrap (which is like a modified La Magistral for the pin.
Your Winner via Pinfall: Orange Cassidy
End had Miro run down from the commentators’ booth to clothesline Cassidy inside out before Best Friends run off Sabían and Miro. Victorious, best Friends sandwich hug Cassidy, because you gotta give the people what they want.
Next up is the contract signing. What could go wrong, eh? Tony Schiavone is there to proceed, and Omega enters with Roberts laying into the lengthy intro as only he can do it. Kenny comes out with two dancing girls that I hereby dub The Cleanerettes, and Kenny is looking like The Cleaner of old. Tony next introduces Moxley, but he does not come out. Schiavone get word from his earpiece to throw it back stage, where Moxley is knocked out and being attended by ref and ring personnel. Schiavone wants to postpone, but Omega ain’t buying this, and signs the contract. Omega says Winter is Coming, and somewhere George R. R. Martin is now hustling to get the last books out.
Back to the exciting conclusion of the Inner Circle in Vegas, and they are joined by Elvis (What? You couldn’t spring for The Honky Tonk Man?! Lame!) Each of the Inner circle as a whole lotta booze, but not even A Little Bit of the Bubbly (*ahem*). Anyway, fast forward to the next morning, where all of the Inner Circle is waking up and everyone is all out of sorts, from MJF having “Sammy was Here” and “Soft” scribbled on his face, to Sammy realizing he got married…to three women (Best line by Ortiz “I always wanted a Mormon friend.” If you’re in Utah like me, that’s funny on so many levels. Ha!!) Jericho and Elvis wander around and encounter…Swoggle in a diaper?! Hoo-kay.
We go back to commentary, and Jericho is at the desk, plugging for next week’s match with him and Jake Hagar vs. SCU.
Break from break with the Mad King Eddie Kingston joining commentary for…
“The Bastard” PAC vs. the Blade
Excalibur mentioned that the last time we saw Pac was eight months ago when he, Penta, and Fenix were part of Triangulo De La Muerte in Salt Lake City, UT. (Author’s Note: I was in attendance with friends, not realizing how much things would change that night. But that is a story for another time). In any case, PAC wastes no time showing how big a Bastard he’s become in his isolation, slamming the Blade to the barricade, before sending him back in and hitting a missile dropkick in the process. Throughout, the Butcher and the Bunny kept up the outside interference to keep PAC off his game plan, and the Blade firmly in control. End has PAC go up top, and hit the shooting star press onto a prone Blade, transitioning to The Brutalizer submission, leaving Blade no choice but to tap out.
Your Winner via Submission: “The Bastard” PAC
Afterwards, PAC gets the mic, death staring at Kingston, but Butcher just stomps him down. Now all of Kingston’s Family get in on the fun, with Eddie on the mic, offering PAC the smallest violin, because he’s going to put him thru the gauntlet. At that point, Rey Fenix enters to give PAC support, and gets stomped as well. Now Penta 0 M comes out with a steel chair, teases swinging at brother, but goes for the fences at Kingston/Butcher/Blade. And just like that, we reform Triángulo de la Muerte.
We go backstage and its pandemonium as Jade Cargill talks smack at Brandi Rhodes who seems to have an arm injury. Also, Nyla Rose and Vickie were running interference. Interesting. But let’s now go to…
NWA Women’s Title Match: Serena Deeb (C) vs. Thunder Rosa
This is the rubber match from their UWN Primetime Live match (which you can subscribe on Fite.tv for $7.99, and you can read the recap of said match here. Apologies for the cheap plugs), and kudos to commentary highlighting the major wins and bona fides of each of these women’s accolades. Stare down to start, and both go to chain wrestling, with Rosa getting the upper hand, with a senton splash by Rosa for a two count. Rosa still in control, when Deeb catches La Mera Mera with a Dragonscrew leg whip, and the tables have turned. Going to picture in picture commercial time, if you were paying attention, has Deeb go for a Gory Special from the top rope, not letting her foot off the offensive, but she just can’t put away La Mera Mera, until they go to actual commercial.
We come back and both women are hurting from the pain each has inflicted. Rosa tries to take over with a delayed drop kick and butterfly suplex, but only for a two count. Deeb then catches Rosa going outside the ropes to hit a DDT, but Rosa won’t have it, so Deeb changes up to a rope assisted neckbreaker. Outside the ring and Deeb hits a wicked spear to Rosa on the apron, and she pushes Rosa inside to cover, but it’s another two count. From out of nowhere, Rebel distracts referee Aubrey Edwards, and Dr. Britt Baker comes out to deliver a swinging neckbreaker to La Mera Mera. Deeb, unaware of what happened, hits a powerbomb on Rosa but only for a two count. Both women are just spent and both tries to put the other away but just can’t get the three count, until Deeb hits a straightjacket facebuster for the one, two, and three.
Your Winner, and Still NWA Women’s Champion: Serena Deeb
Rosa is still absorbing the loss, calm as a coma, and then makes a beeline and proceeds to beat down Rebel and Baker. Refs come to pull off Rosa, and the live crowd chants, “Let them go!”
We go to Dark Order members John “4” Silver and Anna Jay. Jay, who went from “Star of the Show” to “Queenslayer” challenges Hikaru Shida for the AEW women’s title. Should be interesting.
Your AEW Dynamite Main Event: TNT Champion Darby Allin and “The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes vs. Team Taz (Ricky Starks and Brian Cage)
Now Taz joins commentary to deliver the verbal smack down. Allin and Stark in the ring, and both start with chain wrestling before it turned to a brawl. Starks tags in Cage, and Darby bring in Cody, and pretty soon, it’s all about the Swolverine. This last a minute before The American Nightmare takes control, which frustrates Taz as he leaves the booth to oversee Team Taz and distract Cody in the process. Arn on the other side of the ring ain’t having none of that, and starts to bring a steel chair to even things up, but the ref promptly eject Arn from ringside. At that point, Starks and Cage isolate Cody to the point that he becomes your Nightmare in Peril. It looks bleak, but a hot tag to Allin, and then Darby just goes on a tear. Allin for a German Suplex to Ricky Starks gets thwarted by Cage, who German suplexes both men. At that point, all four men are in the ring and it’s bedlam on the canvas. Power bomb attempt by Cage onto Allin gets reversed to a sunset flip powerbomb for a two count. Starks sneaks up on Allin to hit CrossRhodes, but Cody is right there to show Starks how it’s really done. But Cage has other plans, delivering a discus clothesline to Allin, followed by an Olympic Slam (errr, Swolverine Slam, maybe?), and Cage then grabs Allin up top and hits an avalanche Drill Claw for the three count.
Your Winners: Team Taz (Brian Cage and Ricky Starks)
After match had Starks and Cage continuing the beat down, until Will Hobbs enters to make the save with a steel chair, and he picks up the FTW belt… and clocks Cody with it. Looks like Hobbs is Team Taz now, and final camera shot has Taz lays the verbal smackdown on Cody to never disrespect him, as we fade to black.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
I usually don’t like doing ratings, but I’ll keep with consistency for tonight. In my humble opinion, every one of the matches tonight was on point, whether introducing new talent like Top Flight, servicing storylines in PAC/Fenix/Penta taking on Eddie Kingston’s “family”, to Team Taz adding Hobbs to their ranks to further aggravate Rhodes and Allin. Oh, and the rubber match for the NWA Women’s title with Serena Deeb vs. Thunder Rosa is nothing short of a Match of the Year candidate. Yes, this show should be five stars, but I’m scoring it a 3.5. The big reason: The Inner Circle Vegas vignettes. On a scale of one to The Hangover, this was The Hangover 3 (the unfunny one. I dare you to prove me wrong). Thankfully, the wrestling held my interest.
