Latest news with #MJF
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WWE, AEW power rankings: Whirlwind weekend of wrestling chaos gives us a brand new No. 1
It was the biggest weekend in pro wrestling since WrestleMania (and arguably a better one too), but what did it mean for our Uncrowned power rankings? From new champions and No. 1 contenders to one of the most unexpected Money In The Bank cash-ins in years, there was plenty to upset the hierarchy in both major promotions. Here's where our rankings stand after more than 12 hours of PLE-quality wrestling across a frantic weekend. Advertisement MEN'S POWER RANKINGS 10. LA Knight (Prev: NR) Is the long-standing fan favorite finally primed for the world title scene? LA Knight might not have triumphed in the gauntlet match on 'WWE Raw' to determine Gunther's next contender, but his inclusion in the match in the first place was interpreted as a big sign as to WWE's future intentions for 'The Megastar.' If you need a babyface contender to take on a heel champion like Gunther (or maybe even Seth Rollins) before long, surely he has to be the go-to choice? 9. MJF (Prev: NR) Is it a coincidence that 'AEW Dynamite' has been on a roll at the same time that MJF is hitting his stride again? No doubt wrestling's most arrogant man would be quick to take the credit in either case, and given the quality of his work with Jay Briscoe and Místico, can you really blame him? Having emerged victorious in the Men's Casino Gauntlet match at All In, AEW's most charismatic heel suddenly finds himself at the front of the queue for a world title shot. There's no doubt about it: MJF is back, baby. Advertisement 8. Gunther (Prev: 7) Being chosen as the man to retire Goldberg was a serious honor for WWE's world heavyweight champion. But will it be his last successful title defense on this particular run? With a blockbuster match against CM Punk on the horizon — and the threat of a Seth Rollins cash-in hovering over him — you have to question whether 'The Ring General' is due to take a rare "L" come SummerSlam. Whatever happens, though, don't expect Gunther to be down for long; already there are reports WWE wants him to be the man to retire John Cena in December. 7. Bron Breakker (Prev: NR) What a year it's been for wrestling's most intimidating nepo baby who seems to get stronger every week in terms of his presentation. If it's true that Rollins really is sidelined with injury, then will it be Breakker who gets another big push to fill that particular void? Judging by the massive events on this week's 'Raw,' it certainly feels that way, as the former Intercontinental champ looks set for action against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam. Given that Breakker is destined to be a top guy for many years to come, there's a decent chance he wins such an encounter. Advertisement 6. Roman Reigns (Prev: NR) Another year, another return for 'The Tribal Chief,' who came riding to the rescue at the end of this week's 'Raw,' just in time for SummerSlam. The prospect of a Reigns vs. Breakker feud has been on our wishlist ever since Breakker hit "The OTC" with a massive spear on this year's 'Raw after Mania' — and now that looks like it's happening, either as a singles match or a tag with Jey Uso and Bronson Reed. Let's hope it delivers the kind of electricity that the Reigns vs. Sikoa feud failed to generate. Roman Reigns made his presence felt in a hurry on Monday's "WWE Raw." (WWE via Getty Images) 5. John Cena (Prev: 3) Has John Cena been taking all those tired 'you can't see me' jokes too seriously? After all, the WWE's Universal Champion has been completely invisible from the televised shows since his team's defeat at Night of Champions. The only place I've seen him this month was in the crowds at Wimbledon. Given his absence, you'd better hope WWE has something big planned for his upcoming appearance with Cody Rhodes on this week's 'SmackDown.' Either that, or this heel run could soon run out of steam entirely. Advertisement 4. Seth Rollins (Prev: 6) Depending on your view on that ending to his SNME match with LA Knight, 'The Visionary' is either facing months on the couch with another unfortunate injury or is on the verge of executing one of the most devilish briefcase cash-ins of the past decade. Is the knee injury genuine? Leaving aside the wisdom of these fake injury angles (I detest them, personally), the answer to that question could decide whether Rollins rockets to the top of this list by the end of the summer or drops out of it entirely. 3. CM Punk (Prev: 2) Of the various would-be world title contenders who entered the gauntlet on Monday's latest 'Raw," only one was standing tall at the end of it all: CM Punk. Having consistently proven himself — and stayed out of trouble — since returning to WWE just over 18 months ago, you get a sense that Punk has earned this particular title shot in more ways than one. Unlike his rendezvous with John Cena — for which Punk deserves massive credit for re-energizing the whole Cena heel run — the result of this one won't be a foregone conclusion. Advertisement 2. Hangman Adam Page (Prev: 5) The right man triumphed in Texas, as 'Hangman' Adam Page took back the AEW World Championship following a suitably blood-splattered deathmatch against the ever-controversial Jon Moxley. In truth, a Hangman victory always seemed like by far the more likely option, but that didn't stop us watching the All In finale with a sense of nervousness, just in case Tony Khan did the unthinkable. In any event, the fact that the odds were so strongly in his favor is a tribute to the work of Hangman, who has spent the past few months reminding everyone why he deserves to be the man to carry Khan's company into the next phase of its existence. 1. Cody Rhodes (Prev: 1) Halfway through the summer and it's the babyfaces who are back on top when it comes to the power rankings (at least on the men's side anyway), with Cody Rhodes in the ultimate podium place. Having won King of the Ring in Saudi Arabia, "The American Nightmare" now receives his big rematch with John Cena at SummerSlam, where the overwhelming expectation is that Rhodes will get the chance to reverse the injustice of WrestleMania 41. Advertisement It might not have the same emotional hook as the whole 'finishing the story' angle but it certainly makes 'The American Nightmare' look like the most powerful man in wrestling right now. Cody Rhodes celebrates his win during WWE Night Of Champions. (WWE via Getty Images) WOMEN'S POWER RANKINGS 10. Athena (Prev: NR) Did you hear the huge hometown pop when Athena made her entrance at this past weekend's Women's Casino Gauntlet Match at All In? Impressive as it was, that ear-busting roar was topped within 20 minutes, when the former Ring of Honor champ scored the big pinfall, making her the No. 1 contender for AEW's Women's World Championship. The former WWE talent clearly has Tony Khan's backing and deserves all the plaudits for her recent work. Advertisement 9. Becky Lynch (Prev: NR) WWE's veteran Irish star has been on one hell of a run since her big return at WrestleMania, embarking on one of the feuds of the year with Lyra Valkyria and delivering an absolutely stellar triple-threat to kick off Evolution. While few will be expecting Lynch to walk away from her SummerSlam match (the completion of her trilogy with Valkyria) holding the Intercontinental title, you can't deny she's done a stellar job at raising the profile of that particular prize. 8. Lyra Valkyria (Prev: NR) Lynch's protege turned fierce rival has been on an absolute tear this year, delivering the standout match at Backlash as well as that aforementioned curtain-raiser as Evolution. If you want a barometer to just how quickly the WWE audiences are growing to respect Valkyria, listen to how those trademark 'woos' are getting louder when she enters the arena. Come SummerSlam in New Jersey, you'll probably hear them from Central Park. Lyra Valkyria tore down the house with Becky Lynch and Bayley during WWE Evolution. (WWE via Getty Images) 7. Iyo Sky (Prev: 1) While Iyo Sky's title reign might have come to an end (at least for now), no one can say that the 'Genius of the Sky' didn't leave a massive mark during her time at the top — as evidenced by that absolute sensational match with Rhea Ripley to cap off Evolution. While her booking hasn't always done her justice, Sky has consistently proven her worth as a generational in-ring performer and one of the brightest lights in the entire women's wrestling landscape. Advertisement 6. Tiffany Stratton (Prev: 5) It was a largely ceremonial victory for Tiffany Stratton at Evolution, who was surely never in any danger of dropping her women's championship to part-timer Trish Stratus. The former NXT champ is now approaching the nine-month mark in her title reign, having chalked up two seriously impressive defenses: one against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania and one against Nia Jax in a street fight on 'SmackDown.' Whether or not she retains when she faces Jade Cargill at SummerSlam, you suspect Stratton's time in the spotlight is only beginning. 5. Stephanie Vaquer (Prev: NR) It's a fitting tribute to Stephanie Vaquer's stratospheric rise that she already feels like an established name on 'Raw' and a genuine threat to its top talents. In fact, it's only been three months since the Chilean superstar got her big promotion from NXT, during which time she's gone on to team with Rhea Ripley, participate in MITB, and win the 20-women battle royal at Evolution. Now she heads to Clash in Paris for a much-deserved shot at the title of her choosing. Whatever happens in France, she has to be a shoo-in for 2025 Rookie of the Year. Advertisement 4. Jade Cargill (Prev: 6) Being crowned Queen in the Ring was just the latest in a long line of accomplishments for Jade Cargill, who went from her legendary record-breaking run in AEW to making one of the most anticipated WWE debuts in years. With Naomi's MITB briefcase now out of the picture (more on that later...) does Cargill now head to SummerSlam as the favorite to leave with the women's championship? Based on how she's been booked so far, that would look like the most likely outcome. Jade Cargill makes her entrance after winning at WWE Night of Champions. (WWE via Getty Images) 3. Toni Storm (Prev: 8) Just in case you hadn't gotten the message by now, All In provided yet another reminder: Never doubt Toni Storm. While many figured the starlet's days as AEW women's champion were numbered the second we found out she'd be facing Mercedes Moné in Texas, some of us kept the faith and correctly tipped Storm for the victory. Getting the backing from Tony Khan to express her creative side has to be one of the best things to ever happen to Storm, even if we do cringe a bit at her press conference performances. Advertisement 2. Rhea Ripley (Prev: 4) She might not have left with the big prize on Sunday, but there's no doubt: Rhea Ripley was one of the very biggest winners from this weekend's Evolution. As with the Netflix debut on 'Raw,' WWE wisely chose to put 'The Eradicator' front and center when it came to promoting the all-women event and were rewarded with another barnstormer of a match between Ripley and Iyo Sky. Title or not, can anyone beat Ripley when it comes to the massive crowd reactions she receives when her theme song hits? Perhaps WWE needs to bring back that decibel-meter and put it to the test. 1. Naomi (Prev: 2) As much as we've raved about Naomi's performances this year, did we really expect her to leave Evolution as the Women's World Champion? God knows that I certainly didn't. Though as the woman herself explained on 'Raw' this week, wasn't that exactly the point — to catch us off-guard? While we were all speculating as to whether she'd cash in during Jade vs. Tiffy at SummerSlam, we were blindsided when she came for Iyo Sky's world championship instead. Perhaps we should have paid closer attention to her warnings. Advertisement Whether you saw it coming or not, there's no question that the former TNA champ has earned her place at the top of the WWE hierarchy since embarking on her big return back at the 2024 Royal Rumble. Having finally gotten to the top of the mountain, you can be sure Naomi will fight tooth and nail to retain her perch.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Adam Cole breaks silence on AEW All In TNT Championship vacation
The post Adam Cole breaks silence on AEW All In TNT Championship vacation appeared first on ClutchPoints. When news broke before AEW All In Texas that Adam Cole would not only not be wrestling on the promotion's biggest Pay-Per-View of the year but would be outright vacating the TNT Championship, it left fans downright perplexed. Advertisement Sure, Cole has suffered injuries in the past, from concussions to a broken ankle during his program with MJF, but he just wrestled a complete match on Collision mere days before All In. What happened? While that isn't known just yet, Cole took to the ring before the four-way match for the TNT Championship match and laid out his past, present, and potentially future in All Elite Wrestling, which isn't as guaranteed as some might hope. 'It's really hard to put this into words, but I wanted to come out here and talk to you all. Very sorry that I let everybody down. I can't wrestle tonight.I have some health issues going on at the moment that not only will not allow me to defend this championship tonight, but I am going to be gone for a while. And I don't even want to think about talking about retiring because I am not in the right headspace, but I wanted to have this opportunity to come out and talk to you all. If this is indeed goodbye, because you are the best damn wrestling fans in the world. Thank you. Thank you. Since I was nine years old, I've always dreamed of being a professional wrestler,' Cole said. 'It's all I've ever, ever wanted to do. And all of you made that dream come true for me. You've supported me across multiple promotions all over the world. You have no idea how much that means to me. With my, with my highest moments and recently my lowest moments, all of you have been so supportive every step of the way. D**n it. Advertisement 'I will love you forever. Thank you so much. I don't want to take up any more of your time because we have the best damn wrestling pay-per-view you've ever seen happening right now. We're going to have a new, a new TNT champion tonight. Once again, you will continue to watch AEW do pay-per-view like nobody else in the world does. And from me, honestly, from everybody at AEW, thank you for making AEW what it is. Thank you for making AEW so special. And thank you all so damn much for changing my life. I love you always.' Did Cole losing not on his belt but potentially his career put a horrible damper on All In? Yes, while watching Dustin Rhodes finally become a singles champion in the promotion was sweet, it coming at Cole's expense isn't a tradeoff even 'The Natural' would have accepted. Needless to say, one question Tony Khan will have to answer tonight during the All In media scrum is borderline guaranteed, as fans want to know what's next for the 'Panama Playboy.' Related: 'Hangman' Adam Page earns surprising endorsement before AEW All In
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AEW All In 2025: 10 biggest takeaways, including Hangman Adam Page (finally) rescuing AEW
AEW All In 2025 from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, is officially in the books — and the promotion's biggest show of the year pulled out all of the stops. A new World Champion was crowned in Hangman Adam Page, both MJF and Athena carved paths toward the top of the promotion, and Kenny Omega against Kazuchika Okada gave us exactly what we needed. Advertisement As AEW continues to build on its strong momentum from the first half of the year, here's 10 key takeaways from a wild night in Arlington. 1. This isn't a story about redemption Hangman Adam Page and Jon Moxley was always going to be a war. Their Texas Deathmatch was violent, and it took mere minutes for Moxley and Page to cut into each other — literally. Forks, barbwire, glass, chairs, tables, everything was game as both men sported crimson masks. The end followed the roadmap many anticipated, with run-ins from the Death Riders and the Young Bucks. A Will Ospreay save wasn't enough. Darby Allin and Bryan Danielson returning wasn't enough either. Advertisement It was never going to be about the "Avengers" saving AEW. And to Hangman's point, it wasn't about redemption either. It was about growth, transformation and the further development of AEW's biggest rivals between Page and Swerve Strickland. Through blood, sweat and war against each other, they've developed a certain respect for one another. For now, Page is the champion and the face of the company yet again. Strickland will come for the title yet again. Same for Ospreay and Allin. But those chapters are for another day. Right now, it's all about Hangman Adam Page — and a chance for him to soak in a well-earned moment. 2. Toni Storm remains "Timeless" It's rare to find a talent who can blend the intensity of a main-event level championship match with the humor that a character like 'Timeless' Toni Storm can evoke. Mercedes Moné played a perfect dance partner as the all-too-serious contender who's all about business and who grew infuriated as the champion paraded around the ring. Advertisement As the match continued to build, Storm and Moné drifted further from the comedic bits that opened the action and hit their stride with a hard-hitting, technical and a back-and-forth showdown that was about as evenly matched as possible. It was a match that would've been worthy of the main event and lived up to every expectation fans had for the two top women's wrestlers in AEW. The question now is where Storm and Moné go from here. A new champion likely would have opened the door for a rematch, maybe a trilogy down the road. Does AEW go right back to the well here or do we see Storm move on to the next challenger in the way she has against the likes of Mina Shirakawa and Megan Bayne? Or perhaps the person to match Storm and dethrone the champ is Athena, which would open up an entire world of opportunities. (More on that in a moment.) 3. Okada vs. Omega served its purpose Kenny Omega's tilt with Kazuchika Okada felt like it had unrealistic expectations coming into it, and it never quite reached the level that transcended the sport like many of these two's prior matches. That's not to discredit Saturday's latest whatsoever, though. It perfectly encapsulated the story that was relevant to this version of Omega and Okada. Advertisement The duo continued to play on real injuries that kept Omega on the shelf for over a year. Omega thrives in a place where he can make every move feel like it's the end, whether it was a DDT, a front dropkick into the turnbuckle, or a shot to his midsection, and he went all in to sell those moments. They played with the pace, as Omega sold the injuries, starting slow, building fast and then slowing their movements down to let things breathe. Omega and Okada were the perfect conductors as the audience lived and died on their every move as they sprinted to the finish. They never quite reached the next gear though, and the outside interference from Don Callis muddied the waters of what could have been. 4. What are founding fathers without power? The Young Bucks Earlier this week, the Young Bucks told me they're both leaner, moving younger and have no plans to get left behind. That couldn't ring more true after they put on another absolute classic with huge implications against Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay. Advertisement The Bucks and Ospreay/Swerve put together a Match of the Year candidate that had everything — drama, near-falls, dirty tactics, emotions. Similar to the Death Riders run on top, there's no question it's time for the Bucks to navigate an EVP-less version of themselves on-screen again. The post-All In AEW offers an opportunity to reset the Bucks potentially as the top faces of the promotion, which currently feels heavily skewed with heel tag-teams. That's more of a long view, though, considering they both took out Page toward the end of the main event. While it'll be refreshing to get the Bucks with a different character element eventually, it is a shame we won't see how AEW would have navigated a year without Strickland or Ospreay in the title picture. That likely would have been a travesty as both showed yet again why they're consistently right at the top of the card. 5. Athena has arrived With a dominant Ring of Honor run under her belt, Athena's path to the AEW roster — and specifically the AEW Women's World Championship picture — has been a bit of an unknown. Her match against Mercedes Moné in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament felt like a turning point. But in the weeks that followed, the only known was that she'd defend the ROH Women's Championship at Supercard of Honor the night before. Advertisement She was a last-minute addition to the Women's Casino Gauntlet Battle Royal and the overwhelming favorite as soon as she hit the ring. The roar that followed the referee's hand hitting the count of three was deafening, and for the first time, it feels like we have clarity on where Athena goes from here. 6. MJF has a path back to the top The Casino Gauntlet Battle Royal concept continues to be an absolute home run for AEW, structuring these multi-person matches in a way that doesn't feel overboard, all while weaving in elements of different stories together without things feeling completely out of control. Advertisement Konosuke Takeshita felt like a star who does the most with whatever screen time he's had between his ROH Supercard of Honor match Friday night against Bandido and his participation in Saturday's Men's Battle Royal. Pairing the Gates of Agony with Ricochet continues to pay off. It was a fun false finish to bring them down and set the win for their group leader, only for the Gunns to make the save for Juice Robinson. The trios division could use some substance and these teams are just that. What really stood out throughout the match was the emphasis on MJF vs. Mark Briscoe, starting and ending with the fierce rivals. The opening sequence perfectly encapsulated what MJF is right now, with attempt after attempt to win the match early signaling he wants to move up as fast as he can. The finish, with Briscoe hitting his brother's Jay Driller only for MJF to toss him out of the ring and steal the victory, opened the door for that rivalry to continue to have legs. MJF really thrives in a way that feels very reminiscent of Rick Rude, with his own special twist. He's refreshed as a member of the Hurt Syndicate, and it'll be fascinating to see how his dynamic plays out with an AEW World Championship title shot in his control. Advertisement 7. AEW plays to the home crowd … again At the very first All In, Saraya captured the AEW Women's Championship in a Fatal 4-Way against Hikaru Shida, Toni Storm and Britt Baker, in a match that felt very much like it was playing to the home crowd without necessarily a clear long-term direction. She went on to hold the belt for 44 days, defending it just once before Shida earned it back. When it was announced that Adam Cole was relinquishing the TNT championship earlier in the evening, it was a gut punch to see someone who'd worked so hard suffer another setback (potentially ending his career). When the replacement match was announced though, what followed was a realization that maybe history would repeat itself. Credit to Dustin Rhodes for continuing to press forward and putting himself in a position to win on AEW's biggest stage, and AEW CEO Tony Khan's logic of giving Rhodes another shot at a title he's come so close to before makes sense. But it was a shocking conclusion to a match that seemed gift-wrapped for Kyle Fletcher to win — only for Rhodes to capture the TNT Championship. I can't wrap my head around the long-term play of Rhodes holding the title, either. Perhaps it opens the door for Fletcher to dispatch him quickly before going on a dominant run as the clear future of the men's division. Or Sammy Guevara turns heel again, as was teased shortly after the bell signaled the end of the match. For right now, this one was a head-scratcher. Other thoughts: 8. Outrunners vs. FTR had all the makings of an All In main-card match, and they put on an excellent bridge between Zero Hour and the main card. FTR is at their best as despicable heels, with underhanded tactics to find ways to win. The Outrunners remain one of the most over and entertaining acts in AEW. Also, their Newports cosplay was top-tier. Advertisement 9. Big Justice and Big Boom AJ were a really fun part of the Zero Hour show. They've totally bought in on being an entertaining part of the show without necessarily needing the entire spotlight. 10. The Hurt Syndicate keeps running through everyone. At some point, there has to be some resistance to make this interesting. Is that through Edge and Christian? Perhaps, as the wheels finally appear to be in motion for the tag team that totally reeks of awesomeness to reunite.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
AEW's historically long All In delivers absolutely perfect feel-good ending
AEW In will go down as one of the longest pro wrestling shows ever at just around eight hours if you include the two-hour pre-show. The time, however, will just be a number after it also delivered one of the picture-perfect main events in pro wrestling history to bring so many stories, characters and moments full circle to end Jon Moxley's 273-day reign of terror — the one that began a hard reboot of the company. 'Hangman' Adam Page's redemption arc concluded in a Bloodline-style main event just filled with real blood in a Texas Death match. It ended a show that saw Adam Cole potentially staring at retirement, Dustin Rhodes finally winning AEW gold, the return of Adam Copeland to help Christian Cage, one of the best women's matches of the year and a peek into the future with MJF and Athena both earning future world championship opportunities. Here are five takeaways from All In, which clearly ran long to counterprogram WWE's counterprograming of NXT's Great American Bash and Saturday Night's Main Event, in front of 25,671 fans at Globe Life Field on Saturday.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AEW All In, 10 biggest takeaways: Hangman Adam Page has rescued AEW
AEW All In 2025 from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, is officially in the books — and the promotion's biggest show of the year pulled out all of the stops. A new World Champion was crowned in Hangman Adam Page, both MJF and Athena carved paths toward the top of the promotion, and Kenny Omega against Kazuchika Okada gave us exactly what we needed. Advertisement As AEW continues to build on its strong momentum from the first half of the year, here's 10 key takeaways from a wild night in Arlington. 1. This isn't a story about redemption Hangman Adam Page and Jon Moxley was always going to be a war. Their Texas Deathmatch was violent, and it took mere minutes for Moxley and Page to cut into each other — literally. Forks, barbwire, glass, chairs, tables, everything was game as both men sported crimson masks. The end followed the roadmap many anticipated, with run-ins from the Death Riders and the Young Bucks. A Will Ospreay save wasn't enough. Darby Allin and Bryan Danielson returning wasn't enough either. Advertisement It was never going to be about the "Avengers" saving AEW. And to Hangman's point, it wasn't about redemption either . It was about growth, transformation, and the further development of AEW's biggest rivals between Page and Swerve Strickland. Through blood, sweat and war against each other, they've developed a certain respect for one another. For now, Page is the champion and the face of the company yet again. Strickland will come for the title yet again. Same for Ospreay and Allin. But those chapters are for another day. Right now, it's all about Hangman Adam Page — and a chance for him to soak in a well-earned moment. 2. Toni Storm remains "Timeless" It's rare to find a talent who can blend the intensity of a main-event level championship match with the humor that a character like 'Timeless' Toni Storm can evoke. Mercedes Moné played a perfect dance partner as the all-too-serious contender who's all about business and who grew infuriated as the champion paraded around the ring. Advertisement As the match continued to build, Storm and Moné drifted further from the comedic bits that opened the action and hit their stride with a hard-hitting, technical, and a back-and-forth showdown that was about as evenly matched as possible. It was a match that would've been worthy of the main event and lived up to every expectation fans had for the two top women's wrestlers in AEW. The question now is where Storm and Moné go from here. A new champion likely would have opened the door for a rematch, maybe a trilogy down the road. Does AEW go right back to the well here or do we see Storm move on to the next challenger in the way she has against the likes of Mina Shirakawa and Megan Bayne? Or perhaps the person to match Storm and dethrone the champ is Athena, which would open up an entire world of opportunities. (More on that in a moment.) 3. Okada vs. Omega served its purpose Kenny Omega 's tilt with Kazuchika Okada felt like it had unrealistic expectations coming into it, and it never quite reached the level that transcended the sport like many of these two's prior matches. That's not to discredit Saturday's latest whatsoever, though. It perfectly encapsulated the story that was relevant to this version of Omega and Okada. Advertisement The duo continued to play on real injuries that kept Omega on the shelf for over a year. Omega thrives in a place where he can make every move feel like it's the end, whether it was a DDT, a front dropkick into the turnbuckle, or a shot to his midsection, and he went all in to sell those moments. They played with the pace, as Omega sold the injuries, starting slow, building fast, and then slowing their movements down to let things breathe. Omega and Okada were the perfect conductors as the audience lived and died on their every move as they sprinted to the finish. They never quite reached the next gear though, and the outside interference from Don Callis muddied the waters of what could have been. 4. What are founding fathers without power? The Young Bucks Earlier this week, the Young Bucks told me they're both leaner, moving younger, and have no plans to get left behind. That couldn't ring more true after they put on another absolute classic with huge implications against Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay. Advertisement The Bucks and Ospreay/Swerve put together a Match of the Year candidate that had everything — drama, near-falls, dirty tactics, emotions. Similar to the Death Riders run on top, there's no question it's time for the Bucks to navigate an EVP-less version of themselves on-screen again. The post-All In AEW offers an opportunity to reset the Bucks potentially as the top faces of the promotion, which currently feels heavily skewed with heel tag-teams. That's more of a long view, though, considering they both took out Page toward the end of the main event. While it'll be refreshing to get the Bucks with a different character element eventually, it is a shame we won't see how AEW would have navigated a year without Strickland or Ospreay in the title picture. That likely would have been a travesty as both showed yet again why they're consistently right at the top of the card. 5. Athena has arrived With a dominant Ring of Honor run under her belt, Athena's path to the AEW roster — and specifically the AEW Women's World Championship picture — has been a bit of an unknown. Her match against Mercedes Moné in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament felt like a turning point. But in the weeks that followed, the only known was that she'd defend the ROH Women's Championship at Supercard of Honor the night before. Advertisement She was a last-minute addition to the Women's Casino Gauntlet Battle Royal and the overwhelming favorite as soon as she hit the ring. The roar that followed the referee's hand hitting the count of three was deafening, and for the first time, it feels like we have clarity on where Athena goes from here. 6. MJF has a path back to the top The Casino Gauntlet Battle Royal concept continues to be an absolute home run for AEW, structuring these multi-person matches in a way that doesn't feel overboard, all while weaving in elements of different stories together without things feeling completely out of control. Konosuke Takeshita felt like a star who does the most with whatever screen time he's had between his ROH Supercard of Honor match Friday night against Bandido and his participation in Saturday's Men's Battle Royal. Advertisement Pairing the Gates of Agony with Ricochet continues to pay off. It was a fun false finish to bring them down and set the win for their group leader, only for the Gunns to make the save for Juice Robinson. The trios division could use some substance and these teams are just that. What really stood out throughout the match was the emphasis on MJF vs. Mark Briscoe, starting and ending with the fierce rivals. The opening sequence perfectly encapsulated what MJF is right now, with attempt after attempt to win the match early signaling he wants to move up as fast as he can. The finish, with Briscoe hitting his brother's Jay Driller only for MJF to toss him out of the ring and steal the victory, opened the door for that rivalry to continue to have legs. MJF really thrives in a way that feels very reminiscent of Rick Rude, with his own special twist. He's refreshed as a member of the Hurt Syndicate, and it'll be fascinating to see how his dynamic plays out with an AEW World Championship title shot in his control. 7. AEW plays to the home crowd … again At the very first All In, Saraya captured the AEW Women's Championship in a Fatal 4-Way against Hikaru Shida, Toni Storm and Britt Baker, in a match that felt very much like it was playing to the home crowd without necessarily a clear long-term direction. She went on to hold the belt for 44 days, defending it just once before Shida earned it back. Advertisement When it was announced that Adam Cole was relinquishing the TNT championship earlier in the evening, it was a gut punch to see someone who'd worked so hard suffer another setback (potentially ending his career). When the replacement match was announced though, what followed was a realization that maybe history would repeat itself. Credit to Dustin Rhodes for continuing to press forward and putting himself in a position to win on AEW's biggest stage, and AEW CEO Tony Khan's logic of giving Rhodes another shot at a title he's come so close to before makes sense. But it was a shocking conclusion to a match that seemed gift-wrapped for Kyle Fletcher to win — only for Rhodes to capture the TNT Championship. I can't wrap my head around the long-term play of Rhodes holding the title, either. Perhaps it opens the door for Fletcher to dispatch him quickly before going on a dominant run as the clear future of the men's division. Or Sammy Guevara turns heel again, as was teased shortly after the bell signaled the end of the match. For right now, this one was a head-scratcher. Other thoughts: 8. Outrunners vs. FTR had all the makings of an All In main-card match, and they put on an excellent bridge between Zero Hour and the main card. FTR is at their best as despicable heels, with underhanded tactics to find ways to win. The Outrunners remain one of the most over and entertaining acts in AEW. Also, their Newports cosplay was top-tier. Advertisement 9. Big Justice and Big Boom AJ were a really fun part of the Zero Hour show. They've totally bought in on being an entertaining part of the show without necessarily needing the entire spotlight. 10. The Hurt Syndicate keeps running through everyone. At some point, there has to be some resistance to make this interesting. Is that through Edge and Christian? Perhaps, as the wheels finally appear to be in motion for the tag team that totally reeks of awesomeness to reunite.
