AEW WrestleDream 2023 10/2/2023
NOTE - I'll try to get some gifs of the last few matches. These 4 hour AEW shows are just very time consuming.
ROH Tag Titles - Handicap Match - MJF (c) vs The Righteous
MJF pokes Dutch's eye off the handshake. He slingshots Vincent into the ring and MJF is thrown into a lariat then stomped. MJF takes a ripcord lariat and a flatliner. MJF tries to slam Dutch and Dutch falls on him. Dutch hits a black hole slam.
Vincent goes for a chair shot and MJF grabs him in the nuts. Vincent misses a top rope senton. MJF slams Vincent then bangs Dutch's head of the buckles. MJF hits corner punches on Vincent then slams Dutch. Vincent is then sent into Dutch's crotch then MJF hits the kangaroo kick on both opponents. MJF ddt's Dutch over the middle rope and wins it.
This was a total joke. The Righteous got buried hard here and never seemed to have any chance of winning this against the great MJF. Horrible.
ROH World Title/NJPW Strong Openweight Title - Eddie Kingston (c) vs Katsuyori Shibata
Eddie hits chops then Shibata hits kicks to the body. Shibata goes an ankle lock then figure fours him. Shibata puts him in the bow and arrow then Eddie backdrops him. Eddie hits machine gun chops then Shibata hits a forearm flurry in the corner. Shibata dropkicks Eddie in the corner.
They trade facekicks for lariats. Eddie hits an exploder and Shibata sto's him. Shibata hits a kick flurry to the chest then does a cobra twist and octopus. Eddie hits urakens and Shibata running kicks him. Eddie urakens him then northern lights bombs him for 2. Eddie urakens him and powerbombs him for the win.
Eddie got what he could out of Shibata and Shibata tried, but he has clear limits on what he can do and it brings down matches because of it. It's really hard to review Shibata matches because everything he does comes with an asterisk and it's clear he works about 60% of the match that he wants to work. It was one of the more watchable Shibata matches, but I'd still rather watch most other people over him.
TBS Title - Kris Statlander (c) vs Julia Hart
Kris hits corner spears then Hart superkicks her. Kris shoulders her over twice. Hart is popped up and victory rolls her, then is suplexed. Hart pulls her out. Kris walks up the steps with her on her shoulders. Brody tries to get involved and Kris is thrown into the rails. Hart bangs Kris' head off the mat and knees her in the body.
Hart tries to step up on her back and senton her but botches it. Hart puts her in a cobra twist then Kris powerslams her. Kris running knees her then blue thunders her for 2. Kris nails Hart then does a spinning ki krusher for 2. Kris deadlift german suplexes her then Hart spider belly to belly suplexes her off the buckles.
Kris basically no sells it then Hart moonsaults her off the top. Hart does a grounded octopus to her and Kris lifts her. Kris hits a tombstone and then does a single leg package tombtstone to win.
It wasn't awful. Hart showed some signs of competency here but still had a noticeable botch. I didn't think it was great but judging by the lower women's standards, it was better than the usual offerings.
#1 Contenders to the AEW Tag Titles - The Gunns vs The Young Bucks vs The Lucha Brothers vs Orange Cassidy and Hook
Nick and Rey lariat each other then high kick each other at the same time and both go down. Rey and OC trade shots and Rey superkicks him. Rey goes out and is sent into the rails. Colten dropkicks OC and the gunn's try to pin each other but it's not allowed. The Bucks are whipped into each other, do a dosey-do then hit stereo superkicks. Oc takes a flipping neckbreaker over the knee.
Colten is thrown over the top and kicked from the apron. Hook punch combos Matt. They then trade northern lights suplexes. Hook and a Buck then hit northern lights suplexes at the same time. Hook exploders Matt then Hook and OC suplex the Gunns at the same time. OC topes the Bucks outside. Penta hits a step up enzugiri on Austin.
Hook is stomped on by the Gunn's in the corner. Penta top rope crossbodies The Gunns then slingblades both. Penta rolls Austin and hits a ddt off of it onto Colten. Penta backcrackers Austin the superkicks him. Penta hits a made in Japan on Colten for 2. OC tornado ddt's a Buckthen Nick does the slingshot facebuster into the apron moonsault. Penta tope con hilos multiple people.
OC orange punches Austin. Hook has a red rum on Austin and Austin tags to Nick, who top rope 450's Austin. We get a wild multi-person gori special drop + package piledriver + top rope double stomp. The Bucks hit superkicks. A Buck slips on a rope move and falls then Penta takes a BTE trigger and loses. The Bucks win.
We've seen this one a million times and it was as expected - a fast paced, in and out spotfest with people moving from spot to spot. The Bucks really looked like midcard talent here and them winning as expected got no reaction. I do think something is up with The Bucks though as they are not doing a lot of their usual flying moves anymore.
Swerve Strickland vs Adam Page
Nigel mentioned Nana stealing Swerve's heat with his dancing and I think it's true. I will not be surprised if Nana is split from him or told to stop dancing soon because he becomes the focus when he dances. Swerve gets on the mic and asks, "who's house?" before the match.
Swerve shoulders Page over then Page facekicks him. They trade corner chops and Page stomps him in the corner. Swerve backrolls him then headscissors him from the mat. Swerve neckbreakers him and goes for another but Page stops it. Page boots him in the chest then fallaway slams him. Page springboard lariats him while he's on the apron. Swerve avoids his plancha then Swerve is popped up into a powerbomb on the apron and rails.
Page top rope moonsaults him on the outside then pop-up ligerbombs him. Page topes him then top rope lariats him. They grab each other by the wrist and hit forearms. Swerve spinning enzugiri's him then is german suplexed on his head. Swerve no sells it and rolls into a flatliner then a suplex. Swerve backbreakers him then double stomps him as he hangs from the top. Swerve kicks him in the back of the head for 2.
Page is bulled into the buckles on the apron then Page hits deadeye on the steps on him. They trade slaps and Page bites his hand. Swerve drop toe holds him on a buckshot lariat attempt then cranks his arm back. The docs check on Page's arm then Swerve double stomps Page off the top to the apron.
Swerve hits a 450 on his arm from the top for 2. Swerve armbars him. Page lariats him. Swerve hits a rebound german then Page hits a buckshot lariat. Nana puts Swerve's leg on the ropes during a pinfall attempt and the ref kicks him out. Nan won't leave and Swerve nails Page with Nana's crown when Page goes for a buckshot lariat. Swerve does his flying back kick then does it again. Swerve then hits a half-nelson driver and wins it.
It was long and slower. They worked the arm for a while but it didn't really lead to anything and they did too much as usual. They also had a messy finishing stretch here with Nana interfering and not leaving ringside once told to. I think this was supposed to be Swerve's big win, but I don't really think he has it in or inside of the ring to be a star, just an upper midcard guy.
Ricky Starks vs Wheeler Yuta
The card placement on this one is weird and I don't get why Big Bill isn't out here for this. Ricky grabs a wristlock then Yuta wristlocks him. Ricky piefaces him then Yuta slaps and forearms him. Ricky hits punches Yuta back elbows him and they trade slaps and shots again. Ricky pounds on him, slams him and stomps him.
Ricky hits forearms thne walks the top rope with his arm, hitting him coming down. Ricky backdrops him for 2. Ricky overhead belly to belly suplexes him. Ricky comes off the 2nd rope and takes an atomic drop. Yuta forearms him in the corner then elbows him off the top. Yuta does a slam for 2.
Big Bill comes down. Ricky hits a tornado ddt for 2. Yuta gets powerbombed and somehow, Ricky drives his own neck into the mat during it. Ricky slaps him with his elbow pad then rains down elbows on him. Ricky lariats Yuta and tries to springboard, but is pushed back into Bill.
Yuta plancha's outside and is caught by Bill. Bill is sent into the post then Yuta does a slingshot into an armdrag, then downward elbow flurries him. Starks spears him. Starks hits a roshambo and wins it.
This didn't do anything for Starks. Yuta's a lower midcard guy and Starks basically going even with him on a PPV did little to make him more valuable. The crowd didn't care and this wasn't anything special.
Zack Sabre Jr. vs Bryan Danielson
They go for some body parts and Bryan suplexes him. They stare down. Zack goes for an armbar, then Bryan puts him in an indian deathlock. They lock legs and end up both doing a headstand. They then they stand off again. Zack surfboards him then Bryan surfboards him.
They trade euros and Zack kind of like punches him hard in the ribs. Zack works the arm then bends his finger back. Zack hits a euro and Bryan backflips off the ropes over him. Bryan then gets a single leg crab out of it. Bryan dragon screws him. Zack hangs in tree of woe and Bryan hits kicks on him. Bryan hits downward elbows as he sits up top then Zack cranks his arm over his shoulder.
Bryan top rope double underhook suplexes him and goes for a lebell lock. Bryan hits kicks to the body and buzzsaw kicks him. Bryan hits stomps on him and they try bridge pins on each other. Bryan flying kicks him in the corner then Zack trips him and goes for a bridge. Bryan reverses it into cattle mutilation then rolls into downward elbows. Zack then rolls and Bryan leglocks him. Zack turns it into a figure four. Bryan spits on him and they slap each other. They boot each other in the leglock. Zack euros his arm and takes leg kicks.
They back elbow each other and Zack backslides him. Zack kicks him in the arm and tilt-a-whirl bombs him. Zack double reverse armbars him. Zack stomps the arm then takes high kicks. Bryan hits some stomps then Zack armbars him. Bryan hits a regalplex then flying knees him for 2. Bryan hits another flying knee and finally wins it.
It had the usual Zack issues with holds being put on then dropped for no real reason. They did a lot of good reversals here and escapes out of various holds. I would have liked the finish to have ended in a submission since that is what they were known of. It was okay but not a classic.
Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita, Sammy Guevara & Will Ospreay) (w/Don Callis)
Will and Kenny trade a throw for an armdrag then Kenny ducks a buzzsaw kick. Sammy headlocks Kenny then hits a corkscrew dropkick on him. Omega hits punches on Sammy then Jericho chops Sammy. Jericho backdrops Will as Sammy goes to commentary to talk trash for a second.
Will takes a double suplex and Kenny is knee'd by KT on the apron. All 6 men get in at once and fight. Kenny's team then does triple stereo topes. Will doees a handscpring corkscrew kick on Kenny then Will and KT stomp Kenny in the corner. KT eye rakes Kenny then flying lariats him. KT camel clutches him then KT and Kota stare down.
Kenny finlay rolls Will then 2nd rope moonsaults him, but Will gets his knees up. Will chops him then abdominal stretches him. Will then has his partners help him pull. Omega hiptosses Will then back body drops him. Kenny goes for the tag and Sammy pulls down his partner's arms. KT hits a blue thunder on Kenny for 2.
Sammy does a nice swanton on Kenny for 2. Kenny bangs his opponents heads off the mat and Jericho is tagged in. Jericho hits shoulder blcoks then top rope double axe handles Sammy. Jericho and his partners then cheat on an abdominal stretch. Jericho eye pokes Sammy and Sammy takes a double shoulder. Kenny then poses with Jericho. Kota standing moonsaults Sammy then Kenny does an over the back legdrop on Sammy.
Kenny and Ibushi then do near stereo 2nd rope moonsaults to the outside and Jericho asai moonsaults Sammy inside. Kenny picks up Sammy for a powerbomb but throws him into a Kota german. Jericho takes a deadlift german from KT then KT release germans Kenny on his neck. KT does a chaos theory german on Kota on his head. Will and KT miss a double team then Jericho springboard dropkicks KT off the apron. Kenny tope con hilos Will and KT outside.
Sammy hits a standing spanish fly on Jericho for 2 then top rope ssp's Kenny on the outside. Kenny and Will trade forearms. Will hits Kawada kicks then is dragon suplexed on his head. Sammy goes for a top rope blind cutter on Kenny but misses. Will powerbombs Kota then KT pumping knee's Kenny. Sammy codebreakers Jericho but only gets 1.
Jericho fires up and chops all of his opponents then is 3v1'd. Kota fires up and slaps Will down. He drops Sammy. Him and KT trade forearms then KT hits a big lariat. Kota hits a big lariat on him. Will takes a combo with a kick and a pumping knee then Sammy top rope crossbodies Kota and Kenny. KT lariats Kenny then other people get shots in. Will hurricanrana's Kenny over the top to the floor then does his corkscrew moonsault to the outside on Kenny.
Sammy rolls up Jericho for 2 then Jericho nails Will with a judas effect. Jericho hits corner punches on Sammy then 2nd rope hurricanrana's him. Will holds the ref which delays the count. Sammy superkicks Jericho and Jericho blocks his GTH. Jericho puts a crab on him then Don hits Jericho with his own bat. Sammy then pins Jericho to win it.
It was a good tag. You could see how limited Kenny's team was as they weren't doing crazy stuff here. The interference with Don at the end worked and they did what they could to push the various rivalries in play.
AEW Tag Titles - FTR (c) vs Aussie Open
Kyle and Dax start us off. Dax side headlocks Kyle then Kyle shoulders him over. Dax rolls out of a wristlock then shoulders Kyle over. Kyle knocks Dax off the apron then rolls in and is chopped by Cash. Cash atomic drops him and back body drops him. Kyle is tripped into an elbow from Dax.
Dax and Mark trade chops. Mark slams and sentons him. Dax's head is banged off the buckles then he chops Kyle. Dax legdrops him. FTR double chops Mark. FTR hits corner punches but then is rammed back to back. Their backs are then rammed again outside. Mark slams and sentons Cash. Cash fights his way out of the corner then catapults Kyle to the floor.
Cash is lifted into a sitout powerbomb for 2. Cash avoids a senton and a double team. Dax is knocked off the apron then Cash backdrops Kyle off the top. Kyle running knees Cash then brainbusters him for 2. Cash euros Mark then back body drops Kyle. Dax gets the tag in and hits punches on both opponents. Dax corner lariats Kyle then lariats him. Dax lariats Kyle again then tries some on Mark. Mark facekicks and Dax lariats him over. Dax back body drops Mark and hits 3 germans on Kyle.
Dax misses a top rope headbutt then takes the aussie arrow for 2. Dax rolls up Kyle then slingshot powerbombs him for 2. Cash takes a superkick doomsday device. Mark takes a powerplex then Kyle crossbodies Dax from the top and lands on Cash and Mark. They trade forearms on their knees then FTR are put back to back and lariated. Cash rolls up Mark then Kyle lariats Dax over the top. Aussie Open hit a shatter machine on Dax. Dax then takes a coriolis for 2.
Dax is kicked by both opponents at the same time. Mark takes a spike piledriver on the apron then Kyle topes both FTR members outside. Kyle is pushed off the top into a shatter machine. FTR wins.
I thought it was a good wrestling match. The finish was cool and the two teams matched up well. I think Mark got his wrist hurt legit here.
AEW TNT Title - 2/3 Falls - Christian Cage (c) vs Darby Allin
1st Fall - Cage backs him up in the corner and rubs his face around. Darby then clean breaks him on the other corner. Cage spits at him then Darby grabs the wrist. Cage tries to kip up from a wristlock but Darby side headlocks him.
Cage hits chops and footchokes him. Cage blocks a sunset flip and Darby rolls him up by putting his shirt over his head. Darby wins the first fall.
2nd Fall - Cage hits punches in the corner and Darby does a flip bump into the buckles. Cage stomps on him then neck cranks him. Cage snaps Darby's neck back on the ropes then misses a to prope headbutt. Darby code red's him for 2. Darby bottom rope twisting crossbodies him then Cage throws him out.
Darby is thrown into the rails. Cage starts staring at Nick Wayne's mom. Momo throws water at him and Darby topes him. Darby then coffin drops him off the top to the outside. Darby goes for another coffin drop and Cage gets his knees up. Cage then knocks him off the apron and Darby bangs his head off the announcer's table.
The steps get moved. Cage eye pokes Darby then slams him off the apron, after Cage had trouble lifting him. Cage then suplexes Darby onto the steps part of the steps. Cage then slams Darby off the apron onto the steps part of the steps again. Darby is then counted out which gives Cage the 2nd fall.
3rd Fall - The docs check on Darby. Darby is on a stretcher and Cage takes off the padding in the ring, exposing the wood. Cage frogsplashes Darby from the top while he's on the stretcher. Cage hits a killswitch on Darby on the exposed wooden mat for 2. Cage goes into the 2nd buckle off a missed charge then Cage sharpshooters Darby. Darby goes for the eyes and reverse ddt's him on the wood. Darby hits a top rope coffin drop for 2.
Cage sunset bombs Darby on the wood. Cage spears the ref on accident. Cage grabs the title belt and Nick Wayne comes in to take the title away. Cage chases Nick then Cage runs into Darby and Nick in the ring. Nick nails Darby with the title in a bizarre turn. Cage then pins Darby to win.
They did too much here with Darby taking moves on steps, a stretcher and exposed wood yet still being able to wrestle. Nick turning on Christian was bizarre and felt like a Russo style swerve, especially with all of the stuff going on with Christian and Nick Wayne's mom. I also didn't like the general match set-up. Darby should have been mad at Christian for all of the things he did and shouldn't have been trying to do amateur wrestling with him. He should have been trying to kill him.
Christian holds up Darby so Nick can beat up on him more. Sting fights off Nick Wayne and Christian. Luchasaurus then turns this into a 3v1 on Sting. Christian goes for a conchairto. The lights go out and video plays. We see someone driving in a car. Edge's music then his and he comes out.
Edge stairs down Christian and asks for the chair. Edge chairs Nick then spears Luchasaurus on the chair. Christian runs for it and they say, "Adam Copeland has arrived".
I've never been a big Edge fan. I got the idea of it - he was a good looking guy at one point who could move, and decent enough in the ring and on the mic. But I was never a big fan. I think he maybe wore out some of his welcome in his last WWE run and I'm not sure what's available for him in AEW minus some stuff with Christian. I was really surprised they didn't put him with Christian though since most people would expect them as a team. I know I'm personally not interested in any Edge match. I also don't think he's that good for AEW right now, as he's yet another ex-WWE guy and they need to be making new stars, not rehashing old ones. I don't blame them for it though and if nothing else, he can hopefully put some people over.
Overall thoughts: It was a long show. There was around 2 hours and 40 minutes of in-ring action alone here. I didn't really like anything about the main. The Omega trios match was good and the FTR tag was good. I hated the MJF match and didn't really think Swerve had the coming out party he needed here. Bryan vs Zack wasn't an all-time classic, but they had a good wrestling match. I'm not particularly excited about Edge in AEW, but they kind of had to do it and maybe they can get some use out of him. I would say it was a mostly good show minus the main and the opener.
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