Meet the New Boss | AEWeekly #140

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, Rampage, and Collision, plus any social-media exclusives up until publication.

This week’s contributors are Tim [@TimmayMan]  covering match of the week, Sergei [@SergeiAlderman] covering interview, Saul [@SaulKiloh] exploring a key story beat, Greyson [@GreysonNation] with the moment of the week, and Peter [@PeterEdge7] giving us the MVP of the week.

Joe [@GoodVsBadGuys] had been covering the MVP for the last few months, and before that had covered Match of the Week for most of AEWeekly's existence. He is taking a hiatus, and we at the AEWeekly team thank him for all of his consistent hard work and great insights that helped to make this series what it is.

 A page of links to prior installments may be found here: #AEWeekly

Shelton Benjamin vs. Lio Rush

"An explosive debut..."

by Tim.

My perception of Shelton Benjamin’s career is not even close to reality, as I missed out on vast sections of it. Back in 2002 he (along with the rest of Team Angle) were one of my favorite wrestling acts. His incredible athleticism was combined with a great look and bolstered by his association with Kurt Angle and Charlie Haas. Yet due to unrelated elements, (a JBL title reign combined with the rise of TNA,) I moved away from WWE programming and didn’t follow anything after from Benjamin. I missed out on him holding singles gold, his alliance with Suzuki-gun in Japan, and his return to WWE as a member of the Hurt Business. So when Shelton made the move to AEW I was pretty excited. One of my favorite acts from 20 years ago would get a chance at another chapter in his career, this time in a promotion I actually follow. Twenty years is a long time in any athletic field— in pro-wrestling it might as well be an epoch.

Well, it turns out that Shelton Benjamin is built differently, because 20 years on this guy can still go at an incredible level. A couple of spots in his debut on Wednesday really exemplify this. One of these is a top-rope arm drag. Benjamin is so quick to jump up to meet Rush, and then the move is technically perfect— just perfect. The other spot has Benjamin on the outside where Rush attempts a suicide dive, only to be met with a rising knee from Benjamin. Rising doesn’t do the spot justice: elevating, ascending, another verb is needed to describe the physicality that we’re seeing. Benjamin jumps up to the apron and balances on one foot as he delivers the knee. It’s an impressive mix of timing, balance and precision. To add a third spot, his thrust kick puts many superkicks to shame as well.

Lio Rush deserves his flowers in this match as well, as he really shows off his skills. His role here is to make an already great Benjamin look even better, but Rush’s selling and plucky babyface attitude helps tremendously. Suplexes land just a little harder when they’re delivered to a worker who weighs a buck-sixty. It’s been hard to follow Lio Rush’s career in AEW as he’s been in and out over the last few years but I’m glad he’s more established now with Top Flight. Of course with his history he could easily jump ship to the Hurt Business but either way I’m appreciating his work more.

Once again I am thankful that there is more than one wrestling company in the US. It gives guys like Shelton Benjamin and Lio Rush the opportunity to write additional chapters in their careers. It’s clear where their ceilings were in WWE. With the talent that both men have it'd have been a shame if they didn’t get to explore new venues and fans.

Jon Moxley

"What Is the New Paradigm...?"

by Sergei.

At WrestleDream Jon Moxley defeated Bryan Danielson to become the new AEW World Heavyweight Champion and end the legendary Dragon's full-time career. After the match, a vicious (but reluctant?) betrayal by Wheeler Yuta led to a shockingly violent attack from Moxley's crew, who then stuffed their prize in a gym bag and booked it as if they were a band of thieves, while Danielson was carried out on a stretcher. The very next show, this new Moxley Era was kicked off with a cold open. I'm sure that nobody missed this one, but here it is again:

The premise here is that we are picking up exactly where Saturday's PPV left off— Moxley is delivering this diatribe to his gang while they flee the scene of the crime:

Let me tell you something: someone has to be responsible when things get out of control. So I will be responsible. People think they know what I'm all about? They think they know what motivates me? They don't know anything.

As PAC tosses The Bag into the backseat of a pickup truck, Moxley, Shafir, and Yuta hop up into the bed of the truck. Claudio drives off, while Moxley plays up the mystery once again. There was a time when I was a little concerned that Moxley's vagueness might have been hiding that he doesn't actually have a plan for where he's going with all this. But since his Interview of the Week last week from the Count Down YouTube hype-show, he's become a lot more forthright about what his game is, and here in the bed of the getaway truck he isn't shy about specifying what it is exactly that the people who "don't know what motivates" him don't know:

I have a dream of a land of opportunity. Where people come to AEW, and they can achieve anything they want, they can be the best versions of themselves they can be. Wrestling gave me everything I have in the world, I want that for other people. A hundred and fifty wrestlers on the roster with big, fat paychecks and their junk in their hands. What are they supposed to do? Where are they supposed to go? Huh?

And here we get the honey that attracts more converts than vinegar. Everything about those words—especially "the best versions of themselves they can be" —sounds like what Greyson might call the authentic core values of AEW. But the suspenseful soundtrack and the simultaneous cuts back to the aftermath of Moxley's actions back at the arena highlight the disconnect between his words and his actions.

I. Hate! …what AEW has become. Egos out of control, celebrating when there's no need to celebrate, dancing and partying when there's no need for dancing and partying… I can not stand it anymore.

And now the hypocrisy at the heart of Moxley's philosophy rears its head: "...dancing and partying when there's no need for dancing and partying..." What if the "best version" of a performer is a version that dances and parties? Moxley's vision doesn't account for that because he doesn't believe that COULD be anybody's best version of themselves— because it's not what he likes!

And this makes for some intrigue and shades of gray, because there are definitely fans who agree with Moxley's preferences. I see them in my timeline: "I wish Moxley would attack this segment that I don't like!" Spoiler: Moxley IS the villain of the piece and his vision will eventually fail— the endgame of this whole sprawling storyline will not actually be an AEW purged of silliness and fun.

(MXM FOREVER!)

I will burn down the forest to plant a new one. I'm not sentimental. I will do what has to be done; we will do what has to be done. We can see a better future and we will make it happen. If you want to come with us, you can come with us. If you don't, run while you can… stand down while you can. Get. Out. Of. The. WAY!!

Here we get one of the most important bits for the overarching plot: Moxley knows that his small army can't fight the whole roster at once. He isn't going to say "if you're not with us, you're against us"... at least: not yet. For now, he won't target those who "stand down," which we see play out later in the night with the Elite, and later in the week with Orange Cassidy.

What's the need to know for those in AEW? What's the need-to-know? What is the new paradigm? It's very simple: you work for me, now.

Here, Moxley gives the tl;dr for anybody who just doesn't get the whole philosophy stuff: the important thing is, he isn't going to go through channels or try to convince anyone that he's right. In Moxley's mind he KNOWS that he's right and so he will take direct action and seize the authority to put what he believes into practice. He claims that this is because he believes so strongly that his way is what's best for everyone, but we can't help but suspect it was about the power all along. We will see this play out on Saturday when he orders a ref to start an impromptu Trios title defense against the Dark Order shouting "you work for me!"

The segment closes with one of the most effective camera shots, in terms of storytelling.

This whole time, Shafir has been gazing into the distance with a glazed expression of hero-worship in her eyes, while Yuta has been looking straight at Moxley with an engaged expression: willing to listen but not yet fully convinced. When the mask of power-hunger slips and Mox tells everyone to Meet the New Boss, the camera cuts right to Yuta looking away with an equivocal expression, perhaps now questioning his choice to throw in with Moxley.

Moxley's New Paradigm arguably may be the first time that AEW has attempted an all-encompassing story, a story that we are meant to see as directly affecting every character. It's an ambitious storytelling swing, and it remains to be seen if they can stick the landing… it's early to even speculate— a story this broad in scope is likely meant to have a long runtime as well. But this segment, and Moxley's monologue at the heart of that segment, make for one hell of a kick-off.

Jon Moxley

"The King Is Dead..."

by Saul.

The short-lived peace AEW experienced under benevolent champion Danielson is finished. Tough love is the MO of Jon Moxley—emphasis on tough.

This new iteration of AEW’s most reliable wrestler is by far the most brutal (I’m sure many have seen the correlation between Mox getting more evil as he gets more bald, but that topic is too contentious for me to discuss in depth). The character he reminds me of is Luthen, from the Star Wars spin-off Andor… (ABSOLUTE banger by the way, highly recommend so be wary of slight spoilers ahead). 

…the morally dubious member of the resistance who is willing to do whatever it takes to defeat the Empire. This involves sacrificing 100 men without a thought, as well as intentionally making the Empire tighten their grasp and become more brutal, in order to spark the fire of the Rebellion even further. He literally says the line “I burn my decency for someone else’s future” in his iconic monologue, which succinctly sums up Moxley’s character motivation. It’s also a key reason why Moxley would never let Yuta escape his grasp, as he’s essentially the personification of Jon’s vision for the future of wrestling. Wheeler burned his old, foolish Best-Friends self down to evolve to join the BCC, before becoming complacent and becoming “the other one” in the faction.

Another interesting point of comparison for Moxley is Terence Fletcher, the exacting-to-the-point-of-abusive bandleader portrayed by JK Simmons in the jazz drama Whiplash, as we come to wonder if Mox’s methods can be justified even if he achieves his end. In the long running narrative of Dynamite, we saw fire in the eyes of many underutilized young talents, whose wrath towards the BCC lit them up with desire and purpose. A good show-long throughline helps to create a cohesive feeling in AEW programs, like we’re watching an episode of TV rather than a disparate collection of events and matches. Only time will tell if this storyline will genuinely bring young talent to the fore, and if Moxley’s wake up call will be answered.

I had a prepared ending for this. What was it? Oh yeah: long live the King.

Orange Cassidy

"Orange Cassidy avoids the Moxley Rip Current"

by Greyson.

Adam Page in the promo ahead of his championship win in 2021 said that though he and the Elite managed to Change the World, as they set out to do, “it feels like the world changed us.” Though it made sense in the context of his conflict with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, was a bit of a weird line because everything in AEW felt great then and he was on his way to his long-sought World Championship. Today these words are more salient than ever as we see a sizable number of differences in AEW that some may interpret as “the world” getting into AEW, leading now to a new version of the Blackpool Combat Club led by Jon Moxley declaring war on the current state of AEW. However, as I have mentioned previously, their agenda of exclusively centering seriousness and intense combat, labeling all else as “complacency,” actually goes against the core ideals of AEW as articulated by the Elite: not just about fighting, more about creating a new, different form of pro wrestling, centered on passion, soul, friendship, and a Live, Love, Superkick attitude. As such, the BCC pose a very serious threat to the core ideals of AEW and have rightly drawn the consternation of a wide coalition within the locker room. But how the AEW roster is to address this threat, while ensuring “the world” doesn’t get inside of them, is not as clear as you may think. Orange Cassidy has a very different idea from the many we have seen rising up against Moxley, which he says is informed by personal experience. 

One option, the most obvious one, is to fight back and win. I believe this can be a beneficial and positive approach in the right scenario and could be the perfect wave coming over AEW that many on the roster can ride to show their talent and athleticism. Teams like Top Flight, Private Party, and Dark Order have been able to show their abilities through this feud. It is both possible and a very positive thing to validate the legitimacy of an athlete’s style through a strong challenge. However, another way to view it is not as a wave but as a dangerous rip current, in which case it is a serious risk that you must get away from not by fighting directly against it, but by paddling away to its side, or else it will pull you into the ocean. Simply paddling back to shore against the current would be ineffective, waste your energy, and possibly lead to drowning. A third option, if it is not a dangerous rip current that requires a strategy to get back to shore but the conditions of that wave are just not favorable, is just to duck under it. Or, if you are safely at shore, simply don’t get back in. 

On Collision and Battle of the Belts on Saturday, Orange Cassidy seemingly decided this was a rip current and seems to be staying on shore. On Dynamite when Matthew & Nicholas Jackson and Jack Perry of the Elite just stood back as BCC ran roughshod over a sizable group of wrestlers, despite the Jackson’s being EVPs and hence leaders responsible for protecting AEW and having experience conquering the BCC in their feud in 2023 at "Blood & Guts," I interpreted this at first as a true to real life situation of the Elite standing by and watching as everyone else gets destroyed, but perhaps in reality it was a choice informed by experience, and our EVPs’ wisdom to not get back in the BCC waters. It is interesting that those who are most experienced in contending with the wrestlers involved in the BCC/Moxley Wave have been reluctant to paddle out into it. If this is in fact a wrestling rip-current, there may be a risk beyond mere defeat in the ring or injury, a far more insidious risk that can pull you away from who you set out to be, and pull the culture in a direction you don’t want it to go, no matter how hard you fight back against it. A somewhat analogous example on an individual level is the “Jericho Vortex” that consumes pro wrestlers and turns them into “sports entertainers.” Orange Cassidy articulated this risk on Collision after Daniel Garcia sought his help to lead the effort against Moxley specifically because Cassidy has beaten BCC members, including Jon Moxley to retain his International Championship at Full Gear in 2023. But instead of using his exceptional fighting ability in this war, Cassidy uses his experience to explain why he would not engage, stating that “every time I step in the ring with one of those guys, it changes me,” that he is “no leader,” and “not that guy.” 

Strangely, even after this statement, Cassidy came out during the brawl after Dark Order’s loss on Battle of the Belts, but hung back and in the end walked away without engaging. He may have been “testing” Moxley to see if he would chase him and attack him after he specifically declared neutrality. Perhaps Moxley only fights if he has a participant whom he believes his beatdowns can result in pulling them into his "Vortex." If this is the case, then there is no reason for Cassidy to engage because he’s not at risk, and could simply continue to do things the way he wants without issue. If he was in fact testing Moxley and the BCC, the viability and accuracy of this test is questionable at best, given how engrossed they were in fighting Dark Order, Top Flight, and Private Party, and how soon Cassidy retreated. Regardless of the validity of his methods, this moment, where he chose to walk away and avoid what he felt could be the Moxley Rip Current and safely exit by specifically not opposing it, is my choice for Moment of the Week, because it's so open to different interpretations and adds intrigue and questions to the overarching Moxley story.

As we have seen in the past, Orange can be very brutal when we least expect it, so perhaps his disavowal of intervention here, though couched in principle and experience, could actually be a move to conserve resources rather than a total retreat, and remain ready to get the win when it’s least expected. This is a concept he is the master of in the world of professional wrestling. Orange Cassidy oftentimes wins by being underestimated, and as of late he has returned to his earlier form of relying on tactics like rolling out of the ring, rather than his more brutal form as a workhorse fighting hard during his International Championship runs. Hence he may understand the threat and be choosing to avoid it for now as a pragmatic strategy.

One thing that has been very noticeable from the outset is how Moxley is constantly selling his matches as a challenge to overcome and show how strong and tough you are, almost like he’s selling one of those overpriced “alpha male” boot camps or programs advertised online. He is, oddly enough, selling his ideology to the people who would be his adversaries. He wants people to take his bait, to feel the need to prove themselves and hence engage with him. Orange Cassidy perhaps wanted to see what happens when one simply does not take said bait. Others had different ideas. Darby Allin was the first to somewhat fall to that sales pitch, though he in line with his character decided to not just concede his title shot as Moxley asked but rather take a match with Moxley to determine who should have it, which he ultimately lost. This set Darby back from his goal of becoming AEW World Champion and in the build to his match against Moxley, Allin spread Moxley‘s ideology in stating that there was a war coming in AEW and labeling him and Dark Order as complacent when challenging Evil Uno to a match. Dark Order again took the bait with a trios title challenge offered after they had already gone through a beatdown. Their loss, as with every loss of Moxley’s opponents, benefits his narrative of overwhelming, insurmountable power, and validates his ideology as the one true path to success in AEW. In fact, changing the behavior of the rest of the roster is his explicit goal. Simply put he wants them to act the way he acts and think the way he thinks. This is the effect of the Moxley Rip Current. Even those like Dark Order who have prepared for Moxley and have shown their ability to fight extremely hard are still not powerful enough, hence precluding the hope that comes from having a successful exemplar that adopts his hard-nosed style alone without the rest of his ideas. 

Moxley’s declarations of war have not necessarily lead to a retrenchment in AEW cultural values, but rather a tacit acceptance of Moxley’s views and even more dangerously, division within groups that would otherwise be allies. This is an indicator of an all-consuming rip current that could pull AEW totally astray. As I wrote about with Darby Allin, he echoed Moxley’s complacency narrative, getting in Uno’s face about Dark Order’s supposed complacency, while not agreeing with Moxley entirely.

Likewise after Dark Order engaged with him, Evil Uno had somewhat of a disagreement with the other members of Dark Order after agreeing with Moxley’s complacency narrative. This could be exactly what Moxley wants. Divide and conquer. Notably Uno did not walk away after being prompted to by Reynolds if he wanted to agree with Moxley and “turn his back” on AEW, because Uno’s motives here I believe are pure. Private Party also became more serious, dropping their “shots” gimmick, changing their entrance theme, and having a very serious video montage ahead of their match with The Young Bucks at WrestleDream. They are all becoming different people because of this feud. So in defending themselves, they are potentially becoming what they are fighting against: totally serious wrestlers who disavow fun and work-life balance as signs of unacceptable complacency. 

If everyone is doing the “Moxley thing,” then where is the demonstration of the vision of AEW they are fighting for? Where is the fun when Moxley blocks your flips? How is the Change-the-World ideal AEW was founded on expressed when everyone is being rolled over by an authoritarian, and a significant portion of the opponents of said are agreeing with that authoritarians' framing of the problem? For the fans to be able to continue to see the value of the kind of creative, free-flowing alternative form of wrestling that Moxley seeks to destroy is critical. There must be someone continuing to show a clear contrast to Moxley, or else they have already lost the very thing they were fighting for. When one is engrossed in this war they are not only agreeing to the framework of “complacency” and lack of seriousness being the primary problems, but are also exerting all of their energy on these battles. Why waste any time and energy on being creative when there is a war to fight to protect their livelihoods and future (as Reynolds explained on Saturday), and the only thing that works is being more serious? But this monumental effort may be all for naught, as fighting back against a rip current is always a losing battle. The only way to win and survive is to exit the current. 

My take right now is that both strategies, retreat, seek to continue your unique contribution to the culture in parallel to what’s going on with Moxley, and see if you get attacked, or put your all into fighting back, are potentially viable at the right time for the right athlete, and combining or alternating between them based on then-current conditions may be the dominant strategy for the future of AEW. At a minimum Cassidy’s withdrawal will serve as a natural experiment comparing the effects of engaging Moxley or not, or of limited intervention versus a sustained effort, depending on what happens next. Each individual athlete may have a different risk-benefit analysis in engaging Moxley and a different level of confidence in being able to come out of this and still maintain their values and identity. For example, the oft-maligned “Jericho Vortex” helped produce Daddy Magic Matt Menard and Daniel Garcia, who have been key factors in preserving the AEW culture since late last year. Hence Orange Cassidy working alongside the varied skill sets of the Conglomeration could wind up getting the best of all worlds. For Orange Cassidy specifically, this choice appears to be wise for now. In his matches he often gains power when he puts his hands in his pockets and as of now, his metaphorical hands are firmly placed in his pockets, a “whatever” his default response to the rage surrounding him, but he may be the only one left once Moxley and BCC has pulled everyone else into its rip current. 

Moxley’s focus on developing serious athletic discipline and avoiding complacency are valid ideas, and within an emerging sports culture like that of AEW they have very real benefits in showing its validity and bringing it to a larger stage, but also poses the risk of diluting or altering its unique value. Notably multiple prominent surfers like Kelly Slater also train in martial arts like jiu-jitsu. But the necessity of proper athleticism and toughness should never overtake a sport’s distinct culture. See the debates that went on when skateboarding and surfing were first added to the Olympics, and how many in these sports do not partake in competitions at all. Like any good surfer must do, the athletes of AEW must decide each time whether Moxley’s “opportunities” are the best wave for them to ride that will allow them to be stoked and show the world their skills, or rip currents that will simply pull them far out to sea, or perhaps just not the right wave for them to paddle out into at the moment. Right now, we don’t know if there is a dangerous rip current here or merely a highly challenging wave not for the faint of heart, but we do see many getting banged up and others who may be getting quickly pulled into a sea of anger and toward a loss of their culture, community, and identity. Like the conditions in the water, the viability of challenging Moxley or his cohorts may change from day to day. 

Surfing is a martial art.

- Kelly Slater

Moxley may in fact not be offering a rip current but a perfect wave, the best conditions AEW has ever seen, for the right athlete to do their best work, but for one who is unprepared or just not well-suited to this particular style, it could be disastrous. The surf break in Tahiti that produced incredible moments at this year’s Olympics and lead to the celebrated Gabriel Medina photo is also known as the “place of skulls” for its danger. Furthermore the men’s gold medal winner, Kauli Vaast, was the surfer most experienced with this specific wave as a local to the area. Right now, our most experienced athletes in facing the perilous challenges of Moxley and the BCC, Cassidy and The Elite, are sitting this one out. Maybe tomorrow Orange Cassidy will be the only one left and fresh and ready to take on the threat of Moxley, or to rebuild AEW from the damage Moxley caused in a manner in accord with its roots. The Elite may perhaps be avoiding direct involvement to maintain their neutrality in negotiating a resolution or using their power to impose one at a later date. Or maybe Orange Cassidy’s choice to walk away from the brawl and from this conflict for now will only serve to benefit Moxley’s divide and conquer strategy, and leave his corner of the authentic AEW culture in even further disarray. But for now, Orange Cassidy is out of the water and headed to do what he does best— whatever! And maybe the greatest surfers of AEW, Sting and Kenny Omega, will return to become the saviors to take on Moxley and BCC.

Shelton Benjamin

"Ain't no stopping him now…"

by Peter.

When news of MVP and Shelton Benjamin (plus rumors of a man whose BUSINESS is to HURT people) potentially joining AEW arose, the feeling amongst fans in my circle of friends was one of "what does this achieve?" Maybe it's jadedness with the number of people that AEW have signed, not just in-ring, and maybe Shelton's time in-between WWE stints not being that great, (aside from his association with Suzuki-gun in their invasion of NOAH,) but if the signing of Shelton Benjamin didn't set pulses racing for some, once he got into the ring and showed off what he could do he changed a lot of minds.

The majority of Shelton Benjamin's career has been spent in a promotion known as "the land of the giants". Even at 240 lbs and at a height of 6' 2", Shelton was either at the average standard for weight and height or facing up to heavier and taller people. But now, in his first match in his new place of work, Shelton got to be the giant, a contrast that helped him to impress with a performance that makes him this week's Most Valuable Player.

With an opponent of such a smaller stature in Lio Rush, Shelton put in a perfect performance: using his size superiority, throwing his weight around— becoming the "killer" he threatened to be in his days as a member of the Minnesota Stretching Crew. Last Wednesday felt like the first time he got to use the teachings of his Suzuki-gun leader Minoru as he just bullied Lio in his total controlll of the match.

Every great performance needs a perfect finish. Before the academic three-count after the T-Bone suplex came a superkick so ferocious that any recipient could be easily forgiven for missing a transatlantic flight less than 48 hours later. But I urge any reader to rewatch the superkick Shelton gives just for the footwork and the extra step Benjamin takes before taking Lio's head off. If ever a superkick had a backswing, it was this night.

Any doubts about Shelton and what he could achieve in AEW were flattened by a debut performance that not many have equaled in the 5-year history of Dynamite. It was a performance that has this writer counting the days til "Fright Night Dynamite" on the night before Halloween and the match between Shelton and Swerve Strickland. In a time where fans have asked for more advance advertisement of the matches on future shows, Shelton's performance against Lio Rush was the perfect advertisement for his future in AEW.