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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, Emiliana [@emilianartb.bsky.social] with the Moment of the Week, Peter [@peteredge7.bsky.social] giving us the MVP 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.
Los Titanes del Aire vs. LFI
"The Lords of the Skyes reached for the Stars…"
by Abel.
One of the many great things about All Elite Wrestling is that you will get a buffet of wrestling every week – hell, every episode. Different styles, ranging from traditional American, comedy, and Japanese strong style, and for this week's match of the week, lucha libre, are integral to the foundation of AEW. Los Titanes del Aire (Komander and Hologram) against La Faccion Ingobernable (Dralistico and The Beast Mortos) was not only a showcase of four of the most dynamic and entertaining wrestlers in AEW but also showed that Luchadores have carved their permanent place in the company sans the Lucha Brothers.
The main event of a two-night experimental-format Collision – which side not, Collision has been the destination for lucha libre to American audiences outside of Mexico – pitted four of the best luchadores the world has to offer, who had been feuding since Hologram's return in mid-February. This is not the final match between the four, as RUSH still has something to say to Hologram and Komander.
To no one's surprise, the match itself was incredible, as all four men defied gravity and gave everyone in Omaha – who had already been there for four hours – a great going-away present. The crowd was into the match and did not sound like they had already just sat through 10+ matches. The Omaha crowd was invested in the match, and one of the biggest pops of the night, even after four hours, was the second-rope Poisonrana delivered to Dralistico from Komander – just a horrifically beautiful move.
Tony Schiavone's excitement and childlike wonder for what he sees in the ring comes across well to the viewers, making us all believe that the four men must be aliens.
Speaking of Komander, he showed up on Sunday night. The camera crew perfectly shot his rope walk, a significant moment in the match demonstrating Komander's abilities and the growth of AEW television production. This was an inventive way to showcase Komander's skills and give us an insight into the development of AEW's television production.
Another talent that showed up and showed out was The Beast Mortos. Mortos has the perfect balance of athleticism and strength. Not only can he fly around with the best of them, but he can also throw other wrestlers around and be a great base. Mortos has been an unsung hero who has been a superb signing and is arguably the backbone of the entire lucha division in AEW. Not only is he a great in-ring talent, but some of that talent is starting to spill out of the ring, as his and Harley's… sorry, Harleygram's Beauty and the Beast is becoming the focal point of the rivalry between the Titanes and LFI. This storyline being interjected in the middle of this feud has been fantastic, and it gives the fans an extra reason to be invested in the luchadores.
On a macro level, this match shows how much the storytelling has improved in AEW. Not that it was ever bad, per se: however, Rampage sometimes felt like a mishmash of wrestlers and matches that didn't directly feel like a part of Dynamite or Collision. With that one-hour block gone, everyone is involved in a program and doing something, which is why Los Titanes del Aire and LFI have been able to tell a more concise story and be featured on television more frequently. With this love story blossoming between Mortos and Harleygram, we are in store for some more fantastic matches as the story develops!
Toni Storm
“The bigger they are, the harder they….”
by Sachin.
This was the week we finally got to hear from Megan Bayne (even if it was in a video package). She spoke like the dominant force she has been presented as. She considers herself to be skies above the rest of the women in the division and wants the World Championship.
I can't say I'm a big fan of Mother Bayne (get it, like Mother Wayne?) …I think her ring output has been pretty good but I've seen no reason as to why she was slotted over Statlander, Willow or even Queen Aminata for that matter. Additionally I feel overwhelmed with the presence of dominant heels all over the show – Mercedez, Hurt People, Deathriders, Okada.
Just to be clear, I think there's great value in having a dominant wrestler run through the division until they are stopped by the one true hero of the people. But I also think that you can have too much of a good thing.
In case of Bayne, it seems likely that she is being built as a monster to insert a new character in the women's division that hasn't been there since Jade Cargill and also so that Toni Storm can take her down at Dynasty and continue this incredible hot run she has been on lately.
Since beating Mariah May, everytime Toni Storm appears she changes the mood of the room. She is probably the biggest babyface in the entire company right now and a lot of it is credit to the fact that she Gets It. She understands entertainment. The common theme in her promos isn't sexual innuendos and vulgar insults but rather humorous, witty comments that have been put there with a good bit of thought and deliberation for the purposes of entertainment and which happen to employ sexual imagery.
Here are some of the bangers that she dropped this week :
“Mr. Schivone I was pleasantly surprised to see your name appear in the JFK files.”
“Where does she live? A Greek Restaurant.” (Referring to Bayne.)
“I'm not afraid of anyone named Bayne. I get my back broken every night.”
“If she's the Megasus then I'm the Storm-odo Dragon. Same tongue and the dry skin.”
“I'd like to know what she is the goddess of? Not speaking perhaps.”
“Thighs on both of these women, they have to have squished quite a few melons.”
“I will make your thighs shake and your body quake and I'll leave with this strap on.”
In addition to all mentioned above she had a marvelous time mixing Greek mythology with her own lingo on Collision as well.
Pro-wrestling doesn't have to be so hard. You zig when the world zags and suddenly you have everyone's attention. In a world where a lot of performers are opting for serious, shoot-style promos this woman has leaned harder and doubled down on being crazy and goofy. She is not trying to change the fate of AEW or talking incessantly about how hard she works and her family is rooting for her, (Fuck FTR) she is just saying fun shit that keeps the audience entertained and engaged. It's not that deep.
It's also important to note that between all the fun promos both these women have built a good feud between them. On one side you have a woman who takes herself very seriously and wants the audience to take her seriously as well and on the other you have a woman who maybe takes herself a little too seriously, but doesn't really care what the audience thinks.
It's an interesting dichotomy and one that makes for interesting interactions. Though it seems unlikely that AEW will put Bayne in a face-off promo battle with Toni Storm, I will be greatly entertained if such a segment were to ever occur. Nevertheless I'm happy with what we are getting to see from Toni now and will be locked and loaded to throw a world class tantrum if Bayne beats her!
The Beast Mortos and Harleygram
"Tale as old as time…"
by Lauren.
Romance storylines in wrestling have a long and occasionally sordid history. AEW has touched on these sparsely and again to mixed results: from the toxic romance highs of Timeless Toni Storm and Mariah May, to the largely forgotten lows of the Bunny and QT Marshall pairing.
It remains to be seen if whatever is going on with Harleygram and the Beast Mortos is a romance, per se, but it certainly has people talking. The two first met about two weeks ago as of this writing, when Harleygram accompanied Hologram and Will Hobbes at ringside, while Mortos accompanied Brian Cage and Dralistico. Harleygram stopped Mortos from attacking Hologram outside the ring, then distracted him with a little shimmy. It was a small moment, but one that turned out to be a fan favorite.
The two were briefly revisited again when Harleygram was shown watching Hologram teaming up with Top Flight versus The Infantry and Lee Moriarty. Their encounter was once again short, with the two trading silent stares into the eye holes of their masks, but a glimpse was all that was needed…
This week, on AEW Collision, Harley Cameron won a match and spent some time on commentary, watching her friends Los Titanes del Aire (Hologram and Komander) battle Dralistico and the Beast Mortos. Partway through the match, Harley left to call “a friend,” and in short order, Harleygram appeared at ringside, cheering Los Titanes del Aire on alongside Alex Abrahantes.
And, of course, catching Mortos’ attention once again. Near the end of the high-flying match, Harleygram once again served as a distraction, protecting Hologram from the Beast's wrath. Los Titanes del Aire won shortly after.
Is this the beginning of a star-crossed romance, a literal Beauty and the Beast story? Or is Harleygram merely acting as a honeypot, distracting attractive animalistic luchadores for her own entertainment and personal gain? Who is Harleygram? (In all seriousness, Harleygram and Harley Cameron were revealed as one and the same on the November 20, 2024 episode of Rampage. But it's fun to pretend.)
Personally, I hope that we get the former. In my opinion, anything from a Montague-and-Capulet-esque feud between rival luchador factions, to mistaken-identity hijinks could be a blast. But the in-ring abilities of both wrestlers should, in any situation, be kept at the forefront. Harley Cameron has the potential to be a fantastic storyteller, as was seen in the relatively short buildup to Harley vs. Mercedes Moné at Grand Slam. The Beast Mortos has yet to truly be involved in a story beyond Matt Taven and the Undisputed Kingdom's courting of Frank Mortos, Attorney-at-Grawr with promises of lunch meats.
However, his willingness to go along with that little bit of silliness endeared him to fans. Silliness in wrestling is like a spice – it can be used sparingly to enhance story and character, or it can be the focus of a dish (or wrestler, or match.) Tastes will vary, but some things have wide appeal. And the desire to see a woman who may or may not be a hard light projection romance a man who may also be part beast is certainly something that has my appetite whetted.
Ricochet
"I Lie, I Cheat, I Steal"
by Emiliana.
If it feels like sometimes “moment” is a constant toss-up between whatever Hangman’s doing, whatever Toni’s doing, whatever Swerve’s doing, whatever Harley’s doing, or whatever Ricochet’s doing, you would be correct. The past two weeks after the stellar pay-per-view haven’t felt completely enticing to me. I think it’s because the narratives have been kind of jerked around, either by injuries and blizzards, or because it’s really hard to build up a match when at the same time some other guy wants a rematch because he didn’t get pinned. But, regardless of all of that, one thing that has not changed is my absolute delight with party matches, and none are so delightful as the ones where my loser son gets the W he does NOT deserve.
Orange Cassidy, Speedball Mike Bailey, Mark Davis, and Ricochet put on an absolute banger of a party match. And while I’m not very good at describing matches in the technical sense, nor do I enjoy it, I can say that the comedic antics of both the wrestlers in the match and the commentary team were on point last Wednesday. They had me in hysterics.
From Ricochet pointing at Orange Cassidy and Speedball to fight each other and bouncing out of the ring, to Orange’s lazy kicks to Speedball’s shins, to Mark Davis’s serious demeanor as the straight man, I just enjoyed the match so much. But my favorite part, the bit that sent me off the deep end, was Ricochet attempting a pin over the top of Speedball Mike Bailey as the referee counted to three. Bryce Remsburg, my dear, beloved Bryce, ended up calling it a double pin and allowing Ricochet to advance to the final against Kenny Omega. Ricochet, in all his dastardly loser heel glory, has won himself a match with one of the best to ever do it. And also Speedball’s feet will be there.
Let this be a lesson of aspiration to Max Caster, the worst wrestler alive: losers CAN thrive in this business!
Jon Moxley
"I'm a sick guy"
by Peter.
First off, don't worry: this won't be a regular thing. We will be back to our regular schedule of either Hangman Page or Toni Storm being my MVP soon but on this particular week – under the circumstances presented to not just Jon Moxley but the rest of the AEW roster and what Jon Moxley did during the Street Fight between him and Cope – there wasn't a more deserving winner of MVP than the current AEW Men's World Champion.
When news filtered through about the blizzard that was hitting the state of Nebraska on Wednesday, the info from people on social media was lowering expectations. As the day went on, match renders popping up on AEW's socials was more confirmation that people had arrived at the building than it was reminding us of what was to come.
I was very tempted to give this award to the entirety of the roster that made it to the Liberty First Union Credit Arena (did I get those words in the right order?) in Omaha but Sergei might yell at me for being an agnostic this week.
So there had to be one particular person that I would give MVP to and learning in the last few days about the literal road to Omaha on Wednesday, and in particular the fact that Mox drove 10 hours to Omaha from his home in Cincinnati to wrestle this violent and crazy street fight, and how in the process he took a bump on Spike, Cope's weapon of choice, and ended up with the spiky object stuck in his back.
Opinions on Jon Moxley and The Death Riders haven't been mixed: it's not been popular. People are counting the days til Mox will drop the belt. People are praying that Swerve Strickland will take the AEW Title off Jon at Dynasty but you can't say that Jon Moxley doesn't care. We might disagree with Mox-ism, but the idea that he's phoning it in is a bad take.
Driving for 10 hours to prove that he is in fact a sick guy is MVP behaviour. The fact that the 9:15-9:30 EST quarter hour saw the line go up drastically after the Spike incident happened at 9:15 shows that it garnered interest. For an incident that apparently turned people off, a hell of a lot of folks called their mates to tell them to change the channel to TBS after Spike got involved.
Spike getting embedded in Jon Moxley was gross, it was painful to look at… but it was also captivating, even more so when you realize the trek to get there. It makes Jon Moxley a deserving winner of MVP for this past week.
(The Death Riders still stink though.)