By Will Pruett, ProWrestling.net Co-Senior Staffer (@itswilltime)
There were no ten thoughts last week, so let me open by saying that AEW’s dual tribute shows last week were exceptionally well done. AEW should be proud. Rebel is absolutely amazing, and what a gift it was to see her perform again. “The Butcher” Andy Williams will be missed.
– The best match on this show was Lena Kross vs. Jamie Hayter. What seemed like a warm-up for their street fight at All Out actually turned into Hayter’s best match since Double or Nothing 2025. This is the version of Jamie people saw in 2023 and gravitated towards. For Kross, this was the kind of singles match she has not been allowed to have in AEW since teaming up with Megan Bayne. What a fun and delightful match from these two women!
– Kazuchika Okada provided my other favorite moment on this show, completely blowing off the challenge from Tommaso Ciampa, calling him a bitch, grinning like a huge happy dumb dumb, then getting beat up. I don’t love that AEW has decided this version of Okada is different enough from The Rainmaker we know and love to call out the difference here, but this full segment made me giggle with joy. What more could one ask from the world’s greatest comedy wrestler, Kazuchika Okada?
– This week I spent a bit of time watching every match of the “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland feud (spoiler: violence), so the idea of these two men on opposite sides of a Trios Championship match (without 6 other teams involved) excites me. Will Swerve and Hangman be able to resist their desire for intense violence with each other? Or will The New Level, Bandido, and Brody King find themselves dragged into a deeply personal conflict? I’m here for the latter! Let’s do more Hangman/Swerve things!
– Mercedes Moné being unable to compete at All Out is depressing, but AEW did have the custom-made Willow Nightingale vs. Thekla program hanging out that makes this all okay. Thekla and Willow’s video package was great! I’m surprised to see Willow back in the ring this soon after All In, but it works. This is a great idea for a pay-per-view match with Moné unable to wrestle.
– Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley continued their path towards the AEW Men’s World Championship match at All Out with a six-man tag on this show. This edition of their drama was mostly in the ring, and it was not as poignant as their work in the last couple of weeks. This would have been a great opportunity for a Renee Paquette sit-down interview or some other sort of device to build intensity just eleven days out from All Out.
– Ospreay saving Francesco Akira from the post-match chair stomp killing through a lightning-fast series of Hidden Blades was an excellent way to send this show off the air. Breaking this move out as an instant knockout in these moments is a great idea that I had not seen Ospreay execute before. Ospreay looked every part of the main event badass running around the ring hitting this move on anyone that moves.
– Wasn’t Will Ospreay supposed to be finding AEW friends to be in his version of United Empire? Did he give up on that? Is he still fielding applications?
– The opening eight-man tag on this show with Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, Darby Allin, and Steven Borden taking on Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler, Kyle Fletcher, and Kevin Knight was really fun. The personality mix between these eight wrestlers and two managers made the match work well. Steven Borden was well protected again in this one – not being asked to do too much and allowed to shine with seven more established stars in the ring. Darby Allin and Christian Cage still remembering to hate each other also brought a smile to my face.
– Speaking of all of these neat tag teams, where did The Motor City Machine Guns disappear to after their debut match on the September 2 edition of AEW Collision? Why aren’t they a focus on AEW TV at this moment? Fans were excited to see them debut for AEW months ago, but much of that goodwill is being lost due to inaction.
– Nick Wayne losing because his necklace means too much to him was ridiculous. Chris Jericho wrestling in a 14-minute match on television in 2026 was also ridiculous. There was a lot to dislike in that one, although Wayne’s character work is regularly improving. I continue to think Wayne would be well served with a reign as ROH World Champion and an opportunity to grow as a main event wrestler away from AEW’s main shows (and away from Chris Jericho).
We did it! We are back on that thought train for this week!
Will Pruett writes about wrestling and popular culture at prowrestling.net. To see his video content, subscribe to his YouTube channel. To contact Will, check him out on Bluesky @itswilltime, leave a comment, or email him at itswilltime@gmail.com.
Be the first to comment