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Welcome to the #AEWeekly review discussion where PWM contributors reflect on the highlights of the last week in AEW. The eligibility week always includes the most recent episode of Dynamite and Collision, plus any social-media exclusives up until publication.
This week’s contributors are Abel [@loza3.bsky.social] covering Match of the Week, Sachin [@sachin0mac.bsky.social] talking Best Interview, Lauren [@sithwitch.bsky.social] exploring a key Story Beat as well as MVP for this week, Emiliana [@emilianartb.bsky.social] with the Moment of the Week, and Sergei [@sergeialderman.bsky.social] editing and organizing it all.
A page of links to prior installments may be found here: #AEWeekly
We'd love for this and any and all of our content to be the beginning of a conversation with our readers. To interact with any and all of our contributors please accept our invitation to join the Pro Wrestling Musings Community Discord. Then follow this link to the #AEWeekly Discord Thread.
Megan Bayne vs Thunder Rosa
"When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die..."
by Abel.
The AEW Women's division has been on an absolute tear lately. Between the generational character work from Toni Storm, the in-ring masterclasses Mercedes Mone is putting on, and the multi-faceted Harley Cameron on television every week, the women of AEW are giving us some of the best work the company has seen in its short history. So it is fantastic to see that Tony Khan and the rest of the promotion's creative aren't slowing down with the division and are continuing right where they left off at Revolution. And the AEW women are taking every second they are given on television and making it memorably their own.
My choice for Match of the Week was no exception. The match's story started about an hour before the women even entered the ring. Thunder Rosa's backstage interview was interrupted when Megan Bayne attacked her, injuring Rosa's ribs—a great story angle to help protect the former World Champion from looking weakened by a loss. From there, the story continued to be interwoven throughout the episode, giving it gravity and importance. It became Collision's most crucial story angle, overshadowing the International Championship qualifiers, which is remarkable, considering the tournament was mentioned at every conceivable moment during the show.
Once they faced off in the ring, it was clear Thunder Rosa was hurt, which signaled where this would end up. Even Rosa, a former AEW Women's World Champion and a certified badass in her own right, had the most challenging time putting a figurative dent into the tank that is Bayne while wounded herself. Rosa was able to get some of her offense in (side note: Thunder Rosa has the best drop kick this side of Kazuchika Okada) but in the end, Bayne was too much for Thunder Rosa, and after eating two Fate-5's — one of which was on the entrance ramp — Bayne secured her win and continued her conquest of the AEW Women's division.
After the match, Bayne laid waste to what seemed to be the entire locker room. Rosa tasted an Argentine Backbreaker, and World Champ Storm came out for some revenge for Bayne's sneak attack on Dynamite but ended up eating a Fate-5 of her own for her troubles. Kris Statlander came out just in time to protect the former and current World champions before Bayne could continue her rampage. Just like in the famous Knightfall Batman comic book storyline, Bayne has come and terrorized Gotham City (or in this case, the women's locker room) and no one seems to have the answers to stopping her. Will Toni Storm be our Batman? Could it be someone else who saves the division from Bayne's wrath? That is yet to be determined. However, building Bayne up like this absolute monster is something the Women's divisions haven't seen before now, and it is incredibly refreshing to see this sort of story. Between Statlander, Bayne, Willow Nightingale, and Nyla Rose, this might be the (literally) strongest women's division ever assembled in professional wrestling.
The introduction of Megan Bayne to the women's division has been a Goddess-send. Bayne has been booked like an unstoppable force yet to meet her immovable object. With almost no words spoken, she has told us enough to understand her end goal — holding AEW gold. She is another mega-talent added to an already stacked women's locker room. Now that Mariah May's turn is over, it's time for Bayne to take her rightful place as the next challenger— and then perhaps champion — of the AEW Women's World title.
No-one/Everyone
“Rising boats lift all tides...”
by Sachin.
AEW Revolution saw the end of a lot of rivalries such as: Toni/Mariah, Ospreay/Fletcher, Omega/Takeshita (for now), Swerve/ Ricochet and lastly Christian's "money in the bank"-style contract. The only feud that didn't end, but should've ended (preferably in a 10 minute match during the middle of the show) was Mox vs COPE.
I once again find myself at a loss to find words for the weird booking trait AEW exhibits which is that sometimes matches/feuds are set as if the people making these shows aren't even watching it. For example – Ospreay and Fletcher pretending their match on Dynamite never happened, FTR and COPE suddenly being bestest of buddies and then suddenly disappearing, Jay White claiming he HAS to rely on FTR despite The Gunns being present on the show and of course the latest but the most egregious one – COPE getting another title shot because he didn't lose??? HE IS THE ONLY GUY TO HAVE LOST A DEATHRIDERS MATCH IN A CLEAN MANNER AS THERE ARE NO RULES IN A TRIPLE THREAT MATCH AND YOU CAN LOSE WITHOUT BEING PINNED.
Additionally why didn't Hangman Adam Page get a title shot when he wasn't pinned, or why did Orange Cassidy get added to the four-way when he was pinned.
Anyway (takes a sip of water) … I say all this simply because It was something that did play a role in deciding the winner of this section as my enjoyment of these shows is directly correlated to my enthusiasm for analysing and writing but now that there aren't many hot feuds with great segments spread throughout the show it's very obvious how bad the Deathriders stuff actually is. A World Title programme should carry the company, not be carried by it. The last few weeks have been a case of rising boats lifting a tide somehow.
As I said on last weeks #AEWeekly the absence of common logic and reason is the main feature of the Deathriders saga
We must now get past the Deathriders stuff so that I can finally talk about the awardee of this week – No-one / Everyone. Why? It's simple – as I mentioned in the beginning, Revolution was the end destination for a lot of the feuds that kept me and many entertained. But now, new feuds have to be created and it will take time for them to pick up some steam. Up and down the card new developments were made for fresh feuds, which is great as fresh talent and new feuds create great intrigue … but at the same time, the presence of The Familiar on these shows also helps, and we got some of that too, with sensible follow ups for Hangman/MJF and Christian and Nick Wayne. But even then, by and large every character is just starting out a new chapter – Ospreay is hurt and when he comes back he plans to enter the Owen Cup to aim toward All In, Jay White teased potential feuds with Ospreay, Swerve and COPE, Toni was once again very entertaining but, again, in the starting gear. Storm got attacked by Bayne, while Statlander and Willow got attacked by… also Bayne? Swerve's feud with Mox will need some building up. He did cut a good promo but he had to pretend that "the Rated-R Superstar" (give me a fucking break) is a lethal threat to him (to the guy that won a Deathmatch against The Hangman!) which is stupid and took me out of it… and Kenny looked very beautiful but he didn't talk about anything of substance. And once again the only exceptions were COPE and Mox who did cut objectively good promos to promote and give some semblance of reason to promote their match but to put it frankly I don't give a damn.
So… That's all I have for this week. Nothing was Bad but given that all good things take time, I really couldn't find myself interested in any of the promos therefore I declare everyone (and no one) a winner. And if any of my lenders are reading this: I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY.
[Ed. note: I declare thumb war]
MJF
"Max, how come you're not hurting people?"
by Lauren.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman's loss to Hangman Adam Page at Revolution was hardly a surprise to fans. Hangman, the perennial fan favorite and “main character” of AEW, is currently on a journey through his long dark night of the soul that has still never seen him lose the love of the crowd. MJF, on the other hand, has hastened to reassure us all that he absolutely does not care about the crowd's love – which was naturally why he screamed “Why you and not me?!” in front of a crowd of thousands just before that loss.
The brief glimpse the audience was given of MJF post-match – an attempted interview that instead saw MJF staring into a mirror in his locker room before punching the glass in anger – was entirely fitting of the vulnerability and self-hatred that MJF had shown both in the match and on other occasions. But naturally, when it came time for him to address the audience, angry and tripling down on the spray tan, he assured us all that he was not upset, actually.
His tirade against both Hangman and the crowd was interrupted by the appearance of MVP, much to the audience's confusion and delight. The two proceeded to have an intriguing conversation, rehashing their behind-the-scenes relationship, namely that of an eighteen-year-old MJF volunteering to chauffeur MVP in exchange for advice. MVP talked up the young MJF's abilities, knowledge, and potential.
But the segment wasn't just praise for MJF. MVP acknowledged that MJF has been in a slump, even offering his services. He pointed out that his business card is a golden ticket to change, and sure enough everyone MVP has offered his card to has had a drastic change in direction. But MJF's ego will not currently allow him to accept help.
More than just the issue of his pride, there is perhaps the issue of trust. MJF has turned on every team he's been on save one. And that last infamous team-up ended in MJF being the one betrayed. It is understandable that he would be feeling some reluctance to trust someone's motives again.
But MJF is also practical and ambitious. Later in the show, he and Hangman Adam Page ran into each other again. Not only did MJF state that he would rise to the top again, but he dug into Hangman's own insecurities. Because MJF knows insecurity. Even while boasting about his inevitable future victories, it should be noted that his phrasing (“again and again and again") also indicates that he will lose that title over and over. Naturally, one might think, because forever champions, with very rare exceptions, can be boring. But in the reality of this world, MJF knows on some level that there will always be someone better than him lurking around the corner.
This is why he is so eager to involve himself with veterans. Like MVP said, he's someone serious about his craft who thirsts for knowledge. But he’s also obsessed with proving himself to be better than them. This is just one more reason why Hangman galls him so: Hangman actually ended a man's career. There is no more definitive victory than that.
MJF is left with his dreams, his nightmares, and with the promises of a respected veteran – one of the best talkers currently in the business – echoing in his ears. He has the golden ticket, but his pride may not allow him to use it. One thing is certain: MJF will do what he thinks is the most advantageous thing, always.
Hangman & Swerve
"Eggs, Meet Basket"
by Emiliana.
In a move similar to the one that got me this position in the first place, I will be giving this week’s moment to a video package — specifically, the promotional ad for All In: Texas that appeared on this week’s Collision episode. Opening the narration for the All In ad was the former AEW men’s world champion Swerve Strickland, followed immediately by the AEW women’s world champion Timeless Toni Storm. In quick succession, these voices would continue the call: Kenny, Hangman, Copeland, Willow.
Lots of eyebrow raises with these choices, not because they don’t make sense, but because they do. Swerve and Toni were world champions at All In last year, and Kenny, Hangman, Cope and Willow are some of the most beloved wrestlers in AEW. But naturally, because I’m a woman of one brain cell and one brain cell only, my ears zero in on exactly two of those voices: Swerve and Hangman.
During Hangman’s bit, we see a shot of an AEW men’s world title with an Arlington plate, followed quickly by a flash of Hangman’s own intricate logo belt buckle. Another eyebrow raise, coincidentally at the same time that Hangman’s eye and raised brow flashed on screen. From the world title to Hangman Adam Page, huh?
A few more seconds go by as Copeland and Willow narrate over stellar footage from the past two All Ins. And then we come back to another shot of the AEW men’s world title, this time looking at the plate opposite the Arlington one that reads, “All In Texas.” And wouldn’t you know it, Hangman shows up in the next shot declaring, “Don’t just WATCH history.” Can you believe what happens next? That’s right — Swerve Strickland finishes the narrative by proclaiming, “BE history,” alongside a shot of him on what looks like a throne, or a very intricate chair.
Now, I’m trying to be normal here. So normal. Extremely normal. But am I wrong in believing this is a hint to what the main event will be on July 12th in Arlington, Texas? It isn’t much of a stretch; Swerve is already the number-one contender. in the absence of official AEW rankings there is an account on Bluesky that does a great job with their own version of ranking the AEW divisions, and as of this week, Hangman is decidedly in the number-two spot of Men's singles… (And if that’s not enough, he just beat the longest-reigning AEW men’s world champion on PPV last week.) It wouldn’t take much! I’ve already had someone comment to me that they believe the main event is leaning towards Okada and Omega, and yeah, sure, that was the first match foreshadowed for 2025's big show, back at World’s End. Heck, even on this same show we had Will Ospreay in all his limping, puppy glory cut a live promo where — by the end of it, at least — Ospreay called his shot and set his sights on the main event of All In, which I’m sure delighted the likes of David Meltzer about as much as the implications of this All In promo video delighted me.
But I don’t believe in text, I believe in subtext. Where the mouth will lie, the body can’t. Somebody, somewhere — probably in a deep dark hole at AEW Jacksonville HQ — is trying to tell us something, despite it all! Maybe it’s not the truth, but it is a possibility. We should listen, and we should make our desires known. Who knows? Maybe we can make it happen. And frankly after last year, it feels only fitting that Hangman and Swerve get a chance to burn the house down together.
Are Y’all In? Because I’m in!
Timeless Toni Storm
"This tramp is still the champ."
by Lauren
Timeless Toni Storm did not step into the ring this week. Instead, she made the entrance area her stage and performed a monologue. It was short, relatively speaking, and performed its task of both reminding us what she'd done to retain the AEW Women's World Championship, and opening the door to a new challenger.
But more than that, it was a crash course in her character reminding us all exactly who she is. Despite Toni being Australian, Timeless Toni speaks in a Mid-Atlantic accent – an accent which never truly existed and is associated with Old Hollywood. Her humor relies on The Thin Man-esque turns of phrase and heavy sexual innuendo. And here is where Toni the performer shines. Sexualized women are an old trope, and are typically done to pander to a male audience. Timeless Toni isn't here for them.
The real-world person who portrays Toni Storm came out as bisexual in 2021. I am also a bisexual woman, and have been vocally loving the toxic sapphic love/hate story between Toni and Mariah May. One of the things that I've noticed since the beginning is Toni's use of language in her promos. She speaks sexually, but almost never as a sexual object. She uses sexuality forcefully, but playfully. She's almost stereotypically masculine about her femininity. With this segment, I realized: she speaks about sex the way my queer friends and I do.
There is an irreverence in the way we speak about concepts like sex and gender, a sort of lightness that comes from the realization that everything is ultimately arbitrary. Queer wrestling fandom in particular is aware of the camp inherent in wrestling – a heightened, somewhat ridiculous but fun reality. There is a reason that wrestling and drag are so often compared.
Toni takes this irreverence and turns it into magic. Timeless Toni knows that it's all a performance: Hollywood, wrestling, sexuality, whatever. She’ll take it and play it to the hilt. She's having fun being unapologetically herself, even as she plays an outlandish character who self-evidently isn't really literally anybody. And she's doing it at a time when queer identities are under attack, and she is being cheered for it.
This performance of sexuality is just the tip of who Timeless Toni Storm is, but it is also the key to understanding her. It provided the motivation for her entire story with Mariah May, and seems likely to color future stories given her request that the women of AEW "get this orgy started." When Toni speaks, we all listen, and she's telling us all that she's still only getting started.