.png)
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 and 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.
Omega & Ospreay vs. Fletcher & Takeshita
"Where The Best Wrestle… "
by Abel.
Once in a blue moon, a wrestling match crosses past the battle lines of wrestling tribalism and into the mainstream. By now, most everyone has seen the viral Reddit post about a lapsed wrestling fan who caught the start of Grand Slam after watching the NBA All-Star game. To sum it up, he caught the opening match of Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher and felt he had been transported back to when he was a kid watching wrestling. The user, crcccc_, said he might start watching AEW every week.
The ability to sell someone on your promotion and have them coming back for more, despite them coming in cold based on sheer chance, is exactly what you want from a wrestling match. And this was the PERFECT match to show someone who is either a lapsed wrestling fan or perhaps had soured on AEW recently. It meshed everything that is hitting with the company right now, which is the reason Omega / Ospreay vs Takeshita / Fletcher is Match of the Week, in my opinion. Not only that, but also a strong contender for TV Match of the Year.
The argument can be made that an opening match to a wrestling card is just as important as your main event. Ospreay / Omega vs Takeshita / Fletcher proved that point. The match was hectic, chaotic, and perfectly orchestrated to heat up the receptive Brisbane crowd (regardless of the ring size.) All four competitors worked well together, showcasing their athleticism and strength. Takeshita, being the brute and force for the majority of a match, will never not be jaw-dropping.
Ospreay covering Omega, while Omega seemed to be gassed, was a great piece of storytelling. It lets all of us know that Ospreay has come a long way from his screwdriver-stabbing days, genuinely making him AEW's leading babyface. Those worried that Fletcher would be cheered by his compatriots need not worry. Ospreay is beloved, no matter who or where he is wrestling.
Not everything was perfect in the match, however. There was a botch in the middle of the match when Omega couldn't quite get the full rotation on the Poisonrana. They happen. Luckily, that is why having an effective broadcasting team pays off. Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone, and even Don Callis can help explain that it wasn't a botch but a tremendous defensive move by Takeshita to counter Omega. Terrific improvisation by the announce team.
Let's talk about that finish. The reactions to that finish online have been fantastic. Mixing two of the most "over" finishers in professional wrestling was a stroke of genius. That finish, described as a One Winged Angel with a top-rope Hidden Blade, was fun, creative, and — most importantly — fresh. If not for Toni Storm winning her fourth AEW Women's title or the crowd's rendition of an acapella Metalingus, it could have been the AEW Moment of the Week, too! That just goes to show how stacked Grand Slam was.
This match showcased four of the very best AEW has to offer. Omega has been on an absolute tear since he returned at the start of the year. Takeshita and Fletcher are the company's present — and future — and Ospreay, who we mentioned before as the true babyface of the company, is on a trajectory to Pluto that will cement his legacy as one of the best of all time.
The fallout from this match has created an excellent build for their next Pay Per View, Revolution, which takes place in a little over two weeks. We are getting Omega vs. Takeshita for the International Championship and Fletcher vs. Ospreay III in a cage. When we look back at AEW's year in review in 2025, this match might be one of its best and most important.
Swerve Strickland
“Instead of trying to burn my world to the ground, your career is the one going up in flames, Boy...”
by Sachin.
Not too long ago Swerve Strickland confronted Hangman Page, with this exact quote mentioned above, after his All In 2024 match and chided him for being a “petulant little child”.
I am not going to analyse that particular Interview as it did not occur this week. However I believe it to be relevant as the crux of what Swerve said then was that Hangman's obsession with him has resulted into his inability to keep his focus on to his current opponents and thus the repeated failures whereas he (S werve) realised at a certain point that he doesn't need to focus on Hangman anymore and just try to be best version of himself. This contrasting set of philosophies led to very different results for these eternal rivals.
Now let's turn our attention to the promo this week:
Swerve is standing with Prince Nana and Renee Paquette. He seems calm, cool and casual by both his appearance and demeanour.
As he starts to respond to the first question he is interrupted by Prince Nana.
NANA:
Ricochet you crossed the line. Three decades Prince Nana has been in the wrestling business, wrestling up and down this whole world but some of my proudest moments happened as a manager. To see Ricochet walking around trying to tarnish my legacy—
Swerve interrupts.
SWERVE:
Look, Ricochet, we are far from done. I'm a big believer in an eye for an eye and I'm coming for you….
Get's cut off by Nana again.
NANA:
This is what I’m talking about. Why do you have to make it so personal? Focus on Moxley and the belt.
SWERVE:
I CAN'T! I can't let it go. I tried. You, of all the people know that I tried. Look what happened the last time I let Hangman walk away, He came back and I lost everything.
Right now Ricochet has the robe. What comes next? I have to end this. I will end this.
Nana walks away defeated.
For months we saw Hangman struggle and fail to keep his rage against Swerve in control. He lost big matches, he lost friends, he lost the support of the crowd, he even had to move to a different house. All because of one man. But the turns have definitely tabled and this time it is Swerve Strickland who is unable to let go of The Hangman.
Swerve lost the Championship, he lost to Hangman, he has lost both big feuds he has been in up until now and he has started to argue and bicker with his friend over an issue where the choice seems obvious. Success(Belt) or Vengeance(Robe)?
You told me that now I must make a decision. A choice between hate and success, A choice between vengeance and peace. But for me it's not much of a choice at all, is it? For me they are one and the same.
The objective of this promo wasn't to sell a match or insult and infuriate the opponent but rather it was to show change in a character. The objective was to communicate to the audience that the old Swerve Strickland is gone. No longer is he the same reckless, dangerous maniac that wanted nothing but the top spot of the company and is willing to do anything to get it. This man now thinks of the consequences of his actions. He knows what happens if you don't finish what you begin.
This interview marked a significant development in Swerve's character. His motivations are not the same, his methods can't be the same, he is more self-conscious than ever before and his relationship with Nana may not be the same anymore. Change is the only way forward for him. Ricochet has the Robe but that's all he has, Swerve can still walk away from this — but in his mind Ricochet is sitting on a chair, whiskey in hand, laughing, as behind him Swerve's house burns. He slipped up once and he is still paying for it.
It seems that Hangman's efforts did yield some return. However it's an opportunistic coward (Ricochet) that's there to collect it.
Traditional booking practice suggests that Swerve should get his win back against Ricochet in their next match and I am certainly not against that but I would be greatly intrigued to see what would be Swerve's next move if he loses again. Either Swerve moves on or he becomes the man he hates and embraces it.
In a just world the company will be built around these two (Swerve/Hangman) and not a bunch of old dudes carrying out bad storylines that they couldn't in WWE. But we take what we can get and I am just happy to be on the ride. I don't need to see the world title, I know who my Champion is.
I told you for months and months and months that there was nothing that I wanted more out of this life than to burn your world to the ground.
Adam Copeland (and the Aussie Crowd)
"...Can’t Lose"
by Emiliana.
One of the most mind boggling things about being a professional wrestling fan is the complete and utter disconnect one feels from the people who do not occupy the same space at the same time as you. I’m talking, of course, about the differences in the live audience and those watching at home – who then pick up their phones and complain to their hearts’ delights about what the wrestling show could have done better. I myself do this every week, and it is generally not something I do with pleasure, but it does act as release of my frustrations, which is not a bad thing.
Let me make myself clear – I am an annoying person who loves to complain. But where my complaining ends and never-ending joy begins is when I am standing in line, waiting, anticipating for the doors to open and I can sit down in my seat with the wrestling ring twenty feet away from me, taking in the buzz of excitement from the other people in the building. My greatest joy is when I get to see my favorite wrestlers put on a great show and outstanding matches in front of a hot crowd. Issues with feuds, builds, and stories aside… nothing compares to the feeling of watching that level of performance in front of your very eyeballs as you become one with an entire group of people you’ve never met, in and out of the ring.
With all of that said, here’s the Moment of the Week.
Adam Copeland has not been very dear to my heart of late. What with him being partnered up with FTR for seemingly no reason at the beginning of 2025, then losing them to the tag division (also with seemingly no explanation), and then being partnered up with Switchblade Jay White (with the VAGUEST of explanations), big Cope hasn’t exactly been on my good side. Add in the fact that the four-way main event at Worlds End just felt like a convoluted tool used to skyrocket Adam Copeland into the main event scene upon his return, and he just feels very pushed upon us.
All of that resentment went out the window for about a minute and a half, when the excited Aussie crowd serenaded Copeland with a beautiful rendition of Metalingus that brought a tear (or maybe two) to my eyes. I was seeing the opposite of clearly (literally) but it was a heart wrenching moment of clarity about needing to find the beauty in everything, and not just the moments that these shows themselves cultivate. Sometimes, like the Death Riders, you have to hijack the broadcast and do things your own way. Resoundingly beautiful moments like that one cannot be artificially manufactured. What makes it beautiful are the human beings that are a part of it and that made it possible.
It has not been easy going in the world lately, but good things do happen. There may be a tyrant king ruling AEW right now, but the forces of good will prevail.
How’s the quote go again?
Clear eyes, full hearts....
Mariah May × Timeless Toni Storm
"I’ll send you a love letter, straight from my heart..."
by Lauren.
Timeless Toni Storm’s victory in front of a nearly-hometown crowd (Gold Coast is just south of Brisbane, where Grand Slam was held) is not only a triumph for Toni herself, but for storytelling in women’s wrestling. The current act of the story of Mariah May and Toni Storm concluded with a brilliant match that brought both technical ability and mind games into play.
Toni’s control over the match began with her entrance. Cutting into Mariah’s as she got to the ring, Toni’s butler Luther appeared on the stairs in the crowd, dressed as a vintage movie theater usher, directing the audience to silence their boos of Mariah in anticipation of Toni’s entrance. To the viewer’s surprise, Toni’s original rocker theme began to play, only to cut to black and return with her Timeless theme.
Since becoming Timeless, Toni’s gear has been black and white, emphasizing the Old Hollywood aspect of her presentation. But at Grand Slam, she wore blue velvet. This was likely a tribute to director David Lynch, who passed on January 16. It should also be noted that Blue Velvet was inspired by 1930s and 40s noir cinema, like the Timeless character. Additionally, Toni’s usual gauzy entrance robe was white instead of black, showing her “rebirth” after the tragedy of her loss.
Over the past few months, each match by Mariah and Toni in-ring has been telling a story. Mariah, in the style of heels everywhere, began using Toni’s Storm Zero to finish enemies. And Rocker Toni, rookie that she was, went back to basics, winning every match with a small package pin. In the final third of the Grand Slam match, the two traded Maydays and Storm Zeroes back and forth, each taking the other to the very edge of a three-count but never quite enough. Notably, Mariah’s composure breaking down at the end of the match was heralded by returning to her own Mayday finisher and repeatedly hitting it on Toni.
Bryan Danielson has been on the record as stating the small package is the most devastating small move. Its use relies on timing and putting oneself into a seemingly vulnerable position to take the opponent by surprise. And for the last several months, Toni has been vulnerable, and she has been biding her time. With patience and precision, she took out Mariah and regained her championship, her pride, and her sense of self.
For now, this chapter has closed. Toni will have no shortage of challengers for the belt, but what of the woman she loved and now hates beyond all else? Mariah, the self-proclaimed woman from hell, seems the type to hold a grudge. It seems inevitable that one day, she’ll be back, and in the words of Dennis Hopper’s Frank from Blue Velvet, send a love letter. And when that happens, she will once again try to send her former love – her former victim – straight to hell.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman
"Prodigal Son"
by Emiliana.
Since the end of MJF’s run as AEW Men’s World champion fizzled to simmering embers, it has been difficult to find him in the upper echelon of best promos of the year, and his matches have come fewer and farther between. A lot of this could be related to the time he took off after losing the title, as well as his time in Hollywood — but there’s one other guy in AEW who has spent relatively the same time away in the span of the last year and managed to bring about the end of one of the greatest wrestling feuds in AEW’s history — while Maxwell crashed and burned one.
On the latest Tunnel Talk, Lea brought up the interesting point that Hangman and Maxwell’s vulnerabilities fit well together – they are complementary. And it couldn’t be more true in so many aspects of their careers, from the beginning of AEW to now. Hangman threw Maxwell over the top rope at the inaugural AEW pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, in May of 2019, to earn his shot against Chris Jericho to try to become the first AEW World Champion. Later that same night, at the world title’s unveiling with Bret Hart and Hangman, MJF interrupted the segment. Months later, they fought each other for the Dynamite Diamond Ring, and Maxwell won. Hangman became world champion before MJF, but MJF was champion for a much longer time. In fact, many had been convinced that Maxwell would have been the one to beat Hangman for the world championship, before a certain man came along.
Both men, as characters, have had their shares of ups and downs. As characters on a TV show, it could be argued that they compete for minutes, just as they so often compete for fans’ attention. When Hangman was in the main event struggling for due time, Maxwell was in the upper-midcard flourishing. When Maxwell was in the main event struggling outright to find a good story, Hangman was in the upper-midcard flourishing despite his lack of time. So often, these men have been at odds, an interesting dance of back and forth, push and pull, despite so rarely being on screen together.
Only now, they are in the same boat and their paths have converged. The only way out is through. Both can pull the best out of one another: Maxwell has the airtime, and Hangman has the character nuance. Whether Maxwell believes it or not, we are rooting for him to make the most of this.
And boy, did he ever.
Despite all the wasted time on the Last Outlaw in January, one good thing did come of it — Jeff pointed out that Maxwell is afraid of being a one-hit wonder. With that in mind, Hangman had a very concise retort for all of Maxwell’s low hanging BS.
It’s been five years, is that the best you’ve got?
A challenge, yes, but also a reminder — a reminder of how far they’ve come and how little Max has changed, but one look at Hangman and we can see the depth of his journey.
At this point, MJF looks Hangman in the eyes and gives an astute psychoanalysis of Hangman’s character, dressing Hangman down to his bare essentials — he is a pathetic man, looking for an apology that will not be given. Max declares, as well, that Hangman is a failure because he has yet to achieve his goal of becoming world champion after having lost it three years ago, despite multiple opportunities. And after this, Maxwell barks his frustration that despite everything, the fans continue to love Hangman. This is where we see Maxwell at his angriest.
After he stalks off, Renee tries to ask Hangman for a response, but he stops her. The camera holds on his face, and his eyes are gleaming but his jaw is set.
It’s only too perfect that this dressing down causes Hangman to come out after MJF’s match. It’s only too perfect that Max calls Hangman a gutless coward, pushing his buttons once more as he gets pulled away. The whine in his voice becomes more substantial as he pits the crowd against himself, calling Hangman a loser just like them. This is his weakness, of course, we all knew it, but his vulnerabilities over the past few weeks are exacerbated by the comparative love the crowd feels for Hangman even with all his wrongs. It is like pouring gasoline on a fire – something Hangman knows about – and it is eating Maxwell alive.
Where Hangman is making his return to the light, Maxwell is on a return to his highest form. I think a lot about what Swerve said to Ricochet in the sit-down interview, about how AEW has this way of making or breaking someone, laying all their flaws bare. There is no greater long-term example of this than Maxwell Jacob Friedman. But hopefully — with a little guidance from Hangman Adam Page —MJF can find his way back home.
Comentários