Dynamite
Getting this out of the way first: the Hangman/Tony switcheroo plan was a work of genius to get revenge on Samoa Joe and kudos to the production team for making it slightly difficult to spot where the seams join together as it were (although if you listened real closely during the half after Kevin Ku and the other guys in costume got beat up you could Hangman say the lines into the mic but Tony’s voice come out over the speakers…
We FINALLY get confirmation of BLOOD AND GUTS for BOTH men and women - and it looks like they will be the only matches on the 12th November’s Dynamite (or at least that’s how they SHOULD book it.)
Garcia and Yuta being the cocky shits of the Death Riders and teaming together knowing the wars they committed on each other in their IWTV past is just delightful.
Hook repping D12 - love it but feel slightly old. His promos are getting better too - managing to tie up the loose end of why he refused to help Joe back at Anarchy.
The Bucks looking warily at the Stay-Puft Marshmellow man was a fun callback given what came later…
FTR winning the no 1 contenders match is getting us closer to the Cope and Christian title run clearly… the sooner we get there and retire COPE at least the better.
DON OF FINLAND. XD
The Family Summit was one of my favourite segments this year - the oath, Takeshita showing up despite ‘travel issues’ (Okada fucking around I suspect…) and the tension ever so rising for the inevitable Takeshita turn!
Okada’s shit-eating grin after he flipped Takeshita off was delightful.
Mox’s psychological fear of tapping out since All In has been a fun story beat - the only thing missing is Yuta being punished for tapping out earlier - but the coup is coming I suspect…
OC’s way of saying Blood and Guts caused a good chuckle.
Collision
The Acclaimed ‘reunion’ continues but at least it’s used to further a better angle with the Okada/Takeshita tension so I’ll let it slide this time…
Don bringing up Jordan/Pippen’s rivalry not realising that he’s dealing with it much worse is a great lack of self-awareness… besides if you haven’t watched The Last Dance documentary series - go and do so after reading this!
Very impressed by Olympia - can see her taking the belt back to Mexico in a rematch.
Blood and Guts being in Greensboro is such an excellent choice if you know your history - expecting some damn good southern style WAR.
If you watch ONE MATCH in AEW this week - Bandido vs Mascara Dorada match 2 is that pick. An EXCELLENT main event for the Dia De Muertes Collision (technically for us in the UK it was the Day of The dead so…)