The One We Forgot to Give a Title | AEWeekly #129

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, but is more flexible in terms of Collision and Rampage, to account for busy folks not always being 100% caught up, so can include this week OR last week’s episode.

This week’s contributors are Tim [@TimmayMan]  covering match of the week, Gareth [@Garuf] covering interview and exploring a key story beat, Peter [@PeterEdge7] with the moment of the week, Sam P. [@BigBadaBruce] with Throwback of the week, and Joe [@GoodVsBadGuys] giving us the MVP of the week.

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

Darby Allin vs. Hangman Adam Page

"Good stories are show, don’t tell"

by Tim.

For a wrestling company that is over five years old it's amazing that Darby Allin and Hangman Page have never faced-off before. It was one of the few remaining matchups between two AEW originals.  It makes sense though, AEW has a very clear understanding of who the faces are and who the heels are.  In previous years there’s not much drama with two babyfaces having a wrasslin’ match.  Now though, drama abounds as one man returns from injury to get involved in title hunts, while the other descends into madness over his past trauma.

The match starts on a big note as Darby hits a coffin drop off the entrance tunnel onto Page.  It may be reading too much into things but is jumping off the face tunnel a bit of symbolism as Page struggles with his face/heel alignment?  If that wasn’t evident enough, the look on Page’s face as he brutalizes Darby’s back on the apron tells the whole story.  He pauses, dark thoughts clearly consuming him, before he tosses Darby into the ring steps via a fall away slam.  He then addresses the crowd, not to taunt, but to soak up their reactions.  After Darby beats a 10 count on the outside, Hangman grows more frustrated.  Adam Page may be the best “face actor” on all of AEW.  The slightest change in expression and you immediately know what he’s conveying (while also providing subtle subtext).  Darby gets some momentum going with an extra violent suicide dive to Hangman.  Page puts the brakes on this momentum when he reverses a Coffin Drop by enveloping Darby like a venus flytrap.  Darby then counters this by rolling back into a pin.  Darby attempts his own Buckshot Lariat only to catch a lariat from Hangman in return.  The closing moments are back and forth of a matchup that could go either way.  Hangman looks like he has the edge over an exhausted and beaten Darby but then there’s a beautiful end sequence where Hangman’s momentum is used against him by Darby.  A wild swing from Page that Darby ducks, who then delivers a super crisp arm drag (the man knows his judo well) and then Darby gets Hangman into a pin for the win.  Darby’s inventiveness and quickness wins over Hangman’s power and aggression.  

Darby Allin and Adam Page are wrestlers.  Their character arcs and emotional beats come out in their wrestling.  Sure promos are good to add layers and connect with an audience (they also help sell tickets) but the best wrestlers can work a match and give you a sense of what their emotional state is.  Darby picks up the win and is on his way to title contention.  Hangman screwed things up (again) and will have to rethink his approach.  Ultimately for Hangman everything comes back to Swerve, and now he’s no closer to getting that rematch than he was at the start of the night.  Who knows what his next step is going to be, although the end goal is never in doubt.

Bryan Danielson

"The Presence of Bryan Danielson..."

by Gareth.

Before cutting his latest promo on Dynamite, many people were speaking online about how Bryan Danielson shouldn’t need to convince anyone to watch him wrestle in 2024. That one of the greatest of all time, if not the greatest, didn’t need to build a match because the simple idea of him wrestling is the draw.

Now whilst I understand that sentiment, it is ridiculous in practice. Because of course Danielson needs to sell the match. To sell tickets, PPVs and more importantly, in my opinion, build the story of the match.

Especially for a match where the audience loves both sides. Pure athletic and technical ability is not enough to carry a main event of a major event such as All In. A match like this needs a story and stories need goals, conflict, stakes and choices. Goals for the characters to work towards.

Conflict to provide obstacles. Stakes so that the audience can invest. Choices which reflect the characters.

I think this sentiment came from two areas. Firstly being people who simply prioritise the in-ring action. But secondly, and more importantly, from people who were genuinely worried that Swerve Strickland vs. Danielson would be overshadowed by an alternative potential main event of Swerve Strickland vs. ‘Hangman’ Adam Page. A match with a lot more narrative weight to it.

So, when Bryan came out on Dynamite to speak, in my opinion, there was a lot of pressure on him. But anyone who knows Danielson will understand that this is exactly where he thrives.

Opening with typical babyface stuff, shouting out the local area with a personal touch, Bryan didn’t waste much time speaking about “presence and promises”. Speaking about how his promise to his family that this would be his final year as a full-time wrestler has allowed him to be present and enjoy every moment of it.

He also spoke about how he promised he would win the AEW World Championship and how this would be his last ever chance, immediately introducing his goal for this match. To be the world champion. Speaking of which, Swerve Strickland then interrupted Danielson’s promo.

Swerve speaks about how much respect and admiration he has for Danielson, and thanks him for inspiring him. But then fires a few shots such as “you said you’d come to AEW to kick everybody’s head in. I guess you couldn’t handle it when they started kicking back”. He then starts pointing out the differences between them. How Danielson lost to Ospreay, but Swerve won. How Danielson was pinned in a defeat to The Elite, but Swerve led Team AEW to victory over them.

Swerve even pokes at Danielson’s goal in saying “maybe your body just can’t handle the pressures of being a champion.” Now it is important to say that Strickland isn’t saying this maliciously. But these are the first signs of a real conflict between the two.

But as Swerve goes to leave Danielson announces that he has one final promise. That if he loses to Strickland, then he will never wrestle again. It’s important to note here that although Bryan has said this is his last year as a full-time wrestler, that would not be his retirement overall. This final promise from Danielson is a choice that his character makes to raise the stakes even higher.

So yes, Danielson did need to sell this match and he’s done it with the ultimate stakes. His career. He wants you to feel that when you watch that match at Wembley, you could be watching Bryan Danielson wrestle for the final time. And as the countdown to finality grows ever closer, Bryan wants you to be present with him. Aka buy a ticket or buy the PPV

‘Hangman’ Adam Page

"Losses matter too..."

by Gareth.

When Hangman returned to AEW from his “suspension” a lot of fans expected him to be in the main event of All In, challenging for the world title against his nemesis Swerve Strickland. However, much to the frustration of his character, this has not transpired.

Now however you feel about that one thing is clear. This makes for a very compelling story. A character has a goal and a very clear vision. To defeat Swerve to redeem the slight on his child and to take his world title. The same title that has defined Page’s character since day one of AEW. It has been his singular goal since his promo at AEW’s launch on January 1st, 2019, and it has dictated his character arc ever since.

So, when Hanger lost to Darby Allin this past week on Dynamite it threw another spanner in the works. Yet another setback after losing to Bryan Danielson in the final of The Owen.

Setbacks are great in storytelling because it provides the character the opportunity to reassess and approach things differently in the future. At the moment Hangman is lashing out due to his anger. He’s angry at Swerve, for everything he did, and angry at the fans for choosing Swerve.

It is actually very similar to what MJF is going through at the moment. The difference being that MJF thrives under hatred whilst Hangman has always struggled with it. When he defeated Kenny Omega after more than a year of being ostracized from The Elite, it was because he had let go of the hate and was now doing it for himself. To prove to himself that he was good enough.

That doesn’t mean Hangman has to go through the same arc again. Perhaps this time he needs to learn how to process and manage that anger and hate similar to how MJF does. But much like after losing to Kenny Omega the first time in 2020 Adam Page does need to go on a journey.

So, I understand the concerns of many people that Hangman has suffered two big losses. However, Page is at his best when he is telling stories. That is what makes him great, that is what made the Swerve-Hangman feud great. Because Swerve had eaten plenty of losses leading up to that and then the story they told together is what took Strickland to the next level.

If Hangman is a character that goes back to AEW’s inception, then so is the booking practice which justifies this loss. “Wins and losses matter”. AEW somewhat forgot this in 2023 and that is partially why it didn’t hit the same for many people. Wins do matter, but losses matter too.

The crowd reaction to the Will Ospreay and MJF segment 

"USA, USA, USA”

by Peter.

It's 8pm on Wednesday, you know what that means.

It's time for MJF to open up Dynamite.

Before I end up being suspended from watching AEW for a week for being critical of Maxwell Jacob Freidman, I need to vent and it's all because of a chant from the AEW audience that shows that the feel that MJF has for his character isn't what it used to be.

After winning the AEW International Title from Will Ospreay on Dynamite 250 and renaming the belt The American Title, it's obvious where MJF has been going since that night. 

It's not the first time Maxwell has incorporated the political landscape of the USA into his character canon. Remember 2020 and the satire of the election season in his campaign to get a shot at the AEW World Title. But on that occasion with a more and less empty arena and an opponent in Jon Moxley whose everyman status was a perfect counterpart to the MJF character on the road to All Out, the build to AEW's fifth ever PPV worked.

But this past Wednesday, the attempt at nuance from MJF like 4 years has completely missed its mark judging by the USA chant that met Will Ospreay's rebuttal.

The nuance that I'm talking about is MJF's attempt to be patriotic against the Brit Will Ospreay but also showing how disingenuous he is in the process. Problem is as Will Ospreay talked about how MJF was not worthy of holding the International Title, USA chants echoed around the arena. It threw Will, that was obvious and it was the indication that the nuance that MJF is bringing to his current variant is translating to the audience and in all honesty, we should have seen it coming.

History has shown that AEW fans can see nuance in rivalries in the company but when it comes the patriotism, the American fans are colour blind to any nuance in front of them when the red, white and blue is staring at them. 

History tells us that Patriotic American heels don't work. Remember 2013 and Jack Swagger with Dutch Mantel and his Real American gimmick. Add the anti-British language and callbacks to the Revolutionary War, a subject so prevalent that it was call backed in Alex Morgan's goal celebration against England in the Women's World Cup semi's in 2019 and also the Olympics which see American patriotism at its highest when the country isn't at war and all nuance from Max went away the moment he opened his mouth.

While the schtick works in Mexico when MJF wrestled in CMLL this weekend where the pro-American, anti-Mexico trope still works in Mexican arenas 30 years after Eddie Guerrero and Art Barr wound up Mexicans throughout 1994 and MJF will be a mega heel in York Hall when he wrestles Michael Oku on the upcoming Rev Pro (the line for how long that match lasts is 42.5 minutes if you're wondering) and MJF will be the least popular person to appear at Wembley since Giorgio Chiellini this August Bank Holiday weekend but for the next couple of weeks in the bread and butter of Dynamite, Will Ospreay will need pick his words very carefully when he cuts promos in front of American fans. He has to argue against MJF while also continuing to appeal to Americans and the “American Dream” which is a task which is easier said than done judging by the "USA, USA, USA" chants to Will's rebuttal to MJF this past Wednesday.

Big Victories for Darby Allin

"I’m already half dead..."

by Sam P.

This week saw a first ever match as two of AEW’s biggest homegrown stories in Darby Allin and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page faced off in the main event. As my esteemed colleagues will tell you, Darby defeated Page in possibly his biggest singles victory to date, up there with his two victories as AEW TNT Champion, and his run as AEW Tag Team Champion alongside the icon Sting. But what other big moments did he achieve on free television?

On the second episode of AEW Dynamite on the 9th October 20219, Darby featured in a #1 contendership match against a hardcore specialist from England, Jimmy Havoc. As the first major opportunity for Darby, he attempted a quick victory with a roll-up and corner dropkick, but Havoc retaliated with a Falcon Arrow to the outside, leaving Allin in agony. Havoc focused his attack on Allin’s fingers, following up with a huge Death Valley Dryer into the corner. Havoc went for the victory with his patented Acid Rainmaker, but Darby’s quick thinking by biting Havoc’s fingers allowed him to hit the Coffin Drop for the victory, and a chance at the AEW World Title.

The next twelve months had Darby gradually building up his experience and knowledge, culminating in defeating Cody Rhodes at November’s Full Gear to become TNT Champion. On the 67th episode of AEW Dynamite, celebrating Night Two of New Year’s Smash on the 13th January 2021, Darby defended that title in the main event against Brian Cage, accompanied by Ricky Starks and Hook. At the time, Cage entered with a 13-1 2020 record having already battled Moxley for the AEW World Title and was in possession of the FTW Title, so he was deemed Allin’s most dangerous challenger yet. Allin went with speed and explosiveness to offset Cage, hitting him with a dropkick and suicide dive combo, but he was caught and Cage hit him with a delayed Suplex on the floor and a Press Slam from the ring to the timekeeper’s table, causing Allin to bleed. Cage continued to manhandle the champion, tossing and throwing him around the ring, but only getting one counts, to Starks’ shock. Cage escalated with a Triple PowerBomb and a fourth Powerbomb out of the ring onto the escalated ramp, prompting JR to cry out for the match to be stopped. 

However, Allin refused to die, and Dropkicked Cage off the apron onto the steel steps, and then hit a massive Coffin Drop onto Cage on top of the steps, leaving Cage in agony. Darby desperately bit at Cage, tied his legs with his belt, foot stomps and even a Code Red for a close two count. As Starks tried to interfere, Allin’s new mentor Sting appeared to attack him, distracting Cage, and Allin with a huge Crucifix Pin off the second rope to earn the three count and a successful title retention. 

Later that year at Fyter Fest Night One on the 14th July, Allin took on his old enemy, Ethan Page, in a Coffin Match. The early stages had Scorpio Sky interfering to help Page, but Sting quickly appeared to remove Sky and allow Page versus Allin one-on-one. Allin’s anger had him throwing himself against Page, only to be sent against the guardrail, leading to a desperate Allin to use the turnbuckle to fish hook a bloodied Page. However, All-Ego hit an Ego’s Edge from the top rope onto the steel steps, but Allin dug his nails into Page’s eyes, before hitting a Double Stomp with the skateboard off the top rope onto Page’s back and into the coffin. To cement his victory, Darby hit the Coffin Drop through the Coffin and onto a downed Page, finally vanquishing his old foe.

For the first AEW Dynamite of 2023, on the 4th January, Darby returned to the TNT Division, challenging the then-dominant Samoa Joe for the title. Joe had been Ring of Honor Television Champion for 260+ days and AEW TNT Champion for 40+ days, defeating Wardlow, Minoru Suzuki, Jay Lethal, Brian Cage, Juice Robinson, Mark Briscoe, Dalton Castle, Keith Lee and PowerHouse Hobbs along the way. But no odds are too insurmountable for Darby to take on, and he proved that by attacking Joe before the match with his skateboard and a ladder, trying to even the odds. However, a weakened knee left Darby susceptible to Joe’s attacks, who tried to choke Allin out, only for Darby to fight through and send Joe into an exposed turnbuckle, then deliver two Coffin Drops in a row to win the TNT Title, in a beautiful moment where the AEW original was able to celebrate in front of his hometown crowd. One day, Darby may become the AEW World Champion, but it will take a lot to defeat this heart-warming moment.

Darby Allin

"Darby Does It Again, and Again..."

by Joe.

The MVP this week is Darby Allin, picking up main event wins on Dynamite 🧨 against Hangman Adam Page & Collision💥 against Undisputed Kingdom & Mortos. There aren’t many talents that don’t feel out of place on either show, and Darby Allin has proven to have that rare & valuable quality of fitting in with every flavor of AEW. Whether it’s the brighter lights and bigger angles of the (more) story & character-focused Dynamite, or the darker & grittier in-ring focused Collision, Darby can main event either show, and that’s just what he did, helping to generate matches that would’ve been top tier in-ring offerings on SummerSlam.

If tomorrow Tony Khan & Freddie Prinze Jr. announced that Rampage was being rebranded as an AEW version of Lucha Underground - digging deeper into a fantasy & film realm, Darby would fit in as a main player there, too.

Last week I highlighted that Darby Allin is so valuable because of his commitment to AEW. This week I’m highlighting that Darby Allin is so valuable because of his versatility. Let’s just hope AEW doesn’t overuse his versatility to the point of harming his durability, because Darby is a wrestler I’d love to introduce my kids to when they’re old enough to watch.