21/02/2024 – Bok Center, Tulsa, OK
Commentary – Tony Schiavone, Taz, Excalibur
Tag Team Match
Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli vs FTR
Last week after being confronted by FTR, Moxley and Castagnoli laid out FTR and choked them both out. This match was a chance for FTR to save a bit of face after getting pummeled.
This match was a slugfest with both teams chopping and laying it in all over the ring and the outside. FTR used an old school tactic I haven’t seen in a long time where they had Moxley in a standing stretch with Dax using Cash Wheeler’s hand to gain advantage behind the refs back.
Claudio Castagnoli’s strength is unbelievable as he reversed a double suplex, he had both members of FTR on each arm and back suplexed them both.
Claudio had Dax in the “Big Swing” and spun around with Moxley drop kicking Dax who kicked out at the last second.
The time limit for this match was winding down with announcements from Justin Robert’s signalling the end was near with Moxley having Dax in the rear naked choke that had him unconscious last week.
Just as it looked like Cash Wheeler was going to break the hold Castagnoli dived on him and locked in a chokehold of his own with both members of the Blackpool Combat Club in duel submissions on FTR.
Both teams ended up going the time limit with the fans wanting it to continue, both teams weren’t satisfied with the outcome and brawled until security broke these two teams up.
Winner – Time Limit Draw
Renee is backstage with Orange Cassidy and a medical trainer, Renee goes through all the events of the last few weeks and asks how is he feeling and if he can even complete tonight, the trainer says he is barely cleared to wrestle, Cassidy says, it doesnt matter I’m still cleared and good to go.
After the commercial break FTR are backstage, they say they should settle it with Moxley and Castagnoli at Revolution with Moxley and Castagnoli talking trash with security holding both teams back.
Non Title Match
Orange Cassidy vs Mike Bennett (with Matt Taven)
Orange Cassidy seems to be on every show wrestling, there was even a package of him appearing on other promotions over the last couple of weeks.
Last week he beat Matt Taven in a Texas Death Match now this week he is against his tag partner Mike Bennett.
Cassidy’s opponent at Revolution, Roderick Strong interfered by distracting The referee, allowing Bennett to hit a devastating Piledriver.
Bennett showboated a bit too much by grabbing the commentators headset and talking trash about Cassidy, with his eyes not on the game, Cassidy dived through the second ropes and caught him with a forearm.
Bennett went for multiple piledrivers but went to the well too many times with Cassidy reversing it into his Beach Break finisher for the win.
Winner – Orange Cassidy
After the bell, Matt Taven jumped Cassidy but it was the unlikely save from Jake Hager that scared off The Undisputed Kingdom from more punishment on Cassidy.
Speaking of Hager, where has he been? He has to be the worst used ex WWE star I can think of with them absolutely clueless on what to do with him.
Renee is backstage with Angelo Parker as he is ready for his big date tonight with Ruby Soho who comes in the scene. A White car arrives with Soho asking if that’s their ride for their date, Parker says no and directs her to his car. The Car door opens and it’s “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair.
Back from the ad break, Daniel Garcia is in the ring with a mic, he panders to the crowd and thanks them for sticking with him. He believes he could have beat Adam Copeland. The match is official for Revolution with Christian Cage vs Daniel Garcia.
I’ve heard that Adam Copeland is injured hence why he isn’t the one receiving a title shot.
Christian Cage comes out with Nick and Shayna Wayne and Killshot. He says he doesn’t want to face Garcia at Revolution as he doesn’t believe he is ready.
Christian brings up Garcia’s childhood which seems to be a sore spot with Garcia looking surprised with Christians knowledge, he brings up the name Jackie Garcia and says out loud the address of this person. He asks to confirm Jackie was married to David Garcia.
Christian says he understands that David is Daniel Garcia’s father and that he is dead. He said that in fact he wasn’t so great and was a piece of crap and a loser.
He said unlike Daniels dad, he doesn’t want to hurt him and in fact wants to help him reach his full potential and at Revolution he wants to be his father.
Garcia is mad from the comments and wants Christian to come down to the ring, Nick Wayne goes down instead and gets beaten by Garcia.
Christian sends Killswitch down to the ring but never makes it inside as Matt Menard comes from nowhere a delivers a hard chair shot to the back of Killswitch with Christian and The Patriarchy retreated.
Backstage Renee is with Hangman Page, Rob Van Dam and Hook ahead of their six man tag tonight, Hangman was fired up and took some verbal attacks on RVD for not getting the job done against Swerve, RVD didn’t take anything Hangman said seriously, his facials were telling us that he was cool and wasn’t taking onboard Hangman’s negativity.
Non Title Match
“Timeless” Toni Storm (with Mariah May and Luther) vs Sydni Winnel
Not sure what is the point of having your Women’s Champion involved in an enhancement match, what is there to enhance? She is the champion.
Toni Storm used Dionna Purrazzo’s submission to win the match to send a message to Purrazzo.
Winner – Toni Storm
Dionna Purrazzo came out for her match with Storm walking passed her, this had a great effect here with half the screen Black and White and Purrazzo in full color.
Singles Match
Dionna Purrazzo vs Madison Rayne
It was good to see Madison Rayne on the show, a veteran of the industry, most known for her TNA run with the Beautiful People. Unfortunately she is getting used in the enhancement talent role.
There was a scary moment in the match where there was some miscommunication with Purrazzo looking like she was going for a Flatliner but it ended up with Madison landing on her head and neck with the ref checking to see if she was seriously hurt, thankfully she was ok to finish the match.
Purrazzo predictably used Toni Storm’s submission to tap Madison Rayne out sending a message right back at Storm.
Winner – Dionna Purrazzo
After the match, Storm came running down to the ring with a shoe to belt Purrazzo, Mariah May distracted her with Storm grabbing Purrazzo in an ankle lock. Storm went against the ropes and began to lather her lips in red lipstick with Purrazzo looking stunned.
Darby Allin is backstage in dim red lighting, he shows an old picture of Sting in the Wolfpac makeup with his two sons dressed up like him.
Allin says fame doesn’t mean anything and pointed to the picture as the only thing that matters in life, family.
Sting comes into the shot, he says all the years in the wrestling business no one has ever messed with his family until The Bucks attacked his sons a few weeks back.
Sting said he has had a hard week, visibly emotional as he told us that his father had passed away this week. He said that time catches up with us and that at Revolution it’s going to catch up with The Bucks as they are going to have the fight of thier life on thier hands.
This was a good segment, it wasn’t rushed like every other backstage segment, the lighting was good and it was really well done, if AEW could add more stuff like this, it would improve the overall show greatly.
Tony Schiavone introduces Wardlow, he comes out looking in a foul mood and tells Tony did get out of the ring before he knocks his old ass again.
Wardlow is pissed that two years ago the rocket that was strapped to his back was reversed, he feels he has been screwed over. He says he is the only true home grown talent in AEW and you would think that he would have been World Champion by now but has never even received an opportunity, he said that the people in the back need to fired and put in jail for what they have done.
Wardlow had a great line where he said people in the past have made claim to being the best in the world, taking a shot at CM Punk without mentioning his name by saying he beat his ass like no one has and his body is still falling apart from me.
He brought up MJF, he said he squashed him like a bug, brought up Samoa Joe in that he choked him out when they faced each other too. Wardlow said he was starving and should be eating like a king, he said he is what a World Champion looks like.
He warned anyone that gets in his way that it won’t be wrestling, it will be war.
Wardlow just cut the promo of his career, some of the best promos come from a place of reality and this is definitely the case with this one.
His look is impressive and judging by this semi shoot, his promo skills are just as good.
AEW has definitely dropped the ball with this guy and now hopefully for Wardlow he can now get to where he should be and that’s one of the top guys in AEW.
The Bang Bang Scissor Gang are backstage from a clip taken after Collision, Jay White suggests next week on Collision it be himself, Colten Gunn and his dad Billy Gunn tag in a trios match as the Collision cowboys.
Backstage Renee is with Don Callis, Powerhouse Hobbs and Konosuke Takeshita. Callis says he is personally flying to the UK to pick up Will Ospreay ahead of his match with Takeshita at The Revolution PPV, Callis also says they haven’t forgot about Sami Guevara and calls him a “cuck”
Callis in this interview once again mentioned that Will Ospreay was in the Don Callis Family, this has never been explained on AEW programming and I find it odd that two guys that are supposedly in the faction are against each other at the PPV.
Six Man Tag Team Match
Rob Van Dam, Hook and Hangman Page vs Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland, Brian Cage (with Prince Nana)
Bit of an odd pairing having Swerve Strickland tag with Samoa Joe ahead of their match at Revolution.
The crowd came alive when Hangman Page was tagged in who went nose to nose with Swerve Strickland, no love was lost between these two as they slugged it out to the crowds delight.
RVD cleaned house in this match, hitting all his key moves and landing a five star frog splash that was broken up by Samoa Joe.
RVD hasn’t missed a step and is still very beloved by the fans.
This match was packed with action with all men hitting their big moves until it was down to the three men who are against each other at Revolution, Hangman Page, Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland.
The action spilled to the outside until Hangman Page powerbombed Swerve Strickland through the announce table.
Back in the ring Samoa Joe from behind locked in his rear naked choke on RVD who faded with the ref calling it.
Winner – Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland and Brian Cage.
Kevs Thoughts – There was been some good stuff on this show with the highlights being the promo from Wardlow, who knocked it out of the park and the backstage segment with Sting and Darby Allin was also very good. Christian Cage once again delivered a great heel promo ahead of match with Daniel Garcia.
I feel the Toni Storm and Dionna Purrazzo feud hasn’t really kicked into gear, the last two week’s of creative have been very lazy in delivering anything compelling between these two.
Solid main event match tonight but I still feel they need to elevate this triple threat match for Revolution a bit more before the show.
Also, what happened to Ric Flair?
