Call me crazy but there are times that I hate how the AEW matches are.
The best matches of the company happened because CM Punk and Bryan Danielson fought against their theatrics.
And I am not a hater. The pillars – the dudes MJF enumerated during a recent promo – could rival the 2003 WWE rookie class if given the chance. Sure, they do not have the size of John Cena, Batista, and Randy Orton but MJF, Darby Allin, Jungle Boy, and Sami Guevara have the skills to become what they are set to be.
I don’t like the Danielson versus Jackson match as much as others but I do think the Danielson versus Kenny Omega match ruled.
In the match that had Danielson, Jungle Boy, and Luchasaurus fight Omega, The Young Bucks, and Adam Cole, they created an atmosphere of so-so chaos. I get the unruliness of the situation but I could have sworn it looked as if Jackson threw Danielson to break up the pin attempt and when he got BTE-triggered by the Super Elite, he just rolled off in the wrong direction. Danielson is moving away from a fallen comrade to signal a loss... although if the team had no Christian Cage... then why are they competing in a three-versus-four brawl?
In the Casino Royale ladder match, I could have sworn that I saw Lance Archer just looking and then walking aimlessly as Jon Moxley and Hangman Page duked it out inside the ring. I also don’t get why Archer would move the ladder since it was in a perfect position because aside from missing the climb, it gave Page enough runway to execute his Buckshot Lariat. Also, it feels as if Matt Hardy was competing in the wrong version of the ladder match because the only reason why a man would take out another with such violence outside the ring is that it will give his tag team partner a better opportunity to climb the ladder.
People hate NXT 2.0 because the featured players are not ready for primetime but the end justifies the means.
Again, I liken the current WWE version to a rebuilding NBA team. After the collapse of resources, a team could either strengthen the team through signings like most NBA teams or through the draft and their developmental like what the Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors did a couple of years back. Seattle strengthen the squad with the acquisition of Kevin Durant but would then improve further when as OKC, they selected a slew of up and comers like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Serge Ibaka, and Reggie Jackson. For Toronto, because the team is in Canada and most players are allergic to their cold temperature and exchange rates, created a strong G-League squad. Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Terence Davis, Norman Powell, Delon Wright, and recent adds Chris Boucher, Malachi Flynn, and Freddie Gillespie got their gears checked with the Raptors 905 squad.
All am I saying is that AEW is currently the odds-on favorite to thwart the competition at the moment. With that said, AEW also needs to level up its gameplay. On paper, they are tougher but upon execution, they are hit or miss. I know WWE is at the moment is mostly a one-man squad. I just don’t get why the WWE acquisitions are still carrying the AEW main draws.
The most memorable matches are the ones with the old WWE hands. It’s hard for Miro, Malakai Black, Andrade, Adam Cole, and possibly Windham Rotonda and Buddy Matthews if they move to AEW to get stuck in the midcard. By that time, the ridiculous NXT 2.0 boys could have evolved into main event threats and this put WWE back to fighting form.