August! Where did you go?! You weren't a banner year for wrestling, but that wasn't your fault, was it? Can only watch so much wrestling when you don't feel like doing much at all, eh? For as much as I talk about August being a dry month for quality wrestling, doing a list like this really helps me see that each month has plenty of matches worth hunting down or, at the very least, remembering. But which ones from August stood out from the rest? Well, dear reader, you'll just need to read on to find out!
Gates Of Agony vs. Brodido - AEW Collision - 07/31/2025
Man, sometimes those "thrown together," "mish-mash" tag teams really work, eh? The clash of styles blending into an almost seamless pairing, partners making up for each others short comings, it's great stuff. I was kinda iffy on the "Brodido" pairing for a bit, but this match changed my tune, to say nothing of my opinion on the Gates of Agony. King and 'Dido have shared locker rooms in PWG in the past and seem to be pretty friendly with each other already, so it shouldn't be too surprising that they'd get along as ring mates. GoA have been getting the spotlight with Ricochet lately and have been given room to really spread their wings and show they are more than just another tag team. King and 'Dido complimented each other in crowd-shocking double teams and the GoA stepped up their game in this match and really put their working boots on. Both teams set out to show out and by God did they. I also love Brodido's finish of a monkey flip splash, that's just fun shit man.
Dustin Rhodes vs. Kyle Fletcher - Chicago Street Fight - AEW Collision - 07/31/2025
Initially, I was pretty upset that Fletcher didn't end up winning the TNT Championship at All In: Texas like I thought he would-hell, I'm pretty sure just about everyone thought that too. But if this is what we get out of Dustin Rhodes winning a singles title at the last minute, let him win the AEW Title at a moments notice because he had one of the best street fights AEW's had in a while. Visceral, violent, brutal and hard to watch at times, the crafty old veteran was more than up to the task of dealing with the far more athletic and harder hitting Fletcher. The visual of Fletcher digging a damn screwdriver into the knee of Rhodes had me squirming in my chair in the best way possible, I loved it. One of my favourite matches this year.
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Kerry von Erich - Best 2 Out Of 3 Falls - AJPW Grand Champion Carnival II 1984 - Day 5 - 05/22/1984
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 060
AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe - TNA Unbreakable 2005 - 09/11/2005
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 060
Alan Angels vs. Starboy Charlie - West Coast Pro/DPW/Prestige Untouchable - 07/20/2024
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 060
The Young Bucks vs. Brodido - AEW Dynamite - 08/06/2025
The real test of Brodido's tag team cohesion was this match, two blood bothers who have spent the better part of the last 10 years as one of the most innovative and successful tag teams on the planet. You can't ask for better dance partners than the Bucks, and Brodido proved they were ready to tango. The Bucks' gimmich of "ex-evp's" has been a lot of fun, and thankfully it hasn't taken anything away from their ring work. If anything, they've stepped their game up to prove they're the same Bucks we've always seen. Their brotherly cohesion pushed King and 'Dido to the limit more than once, but the sheer size and strength of King mixed with the speed and precision of 'Dido proved to be just too much for the Bucks. I'm so glad they put the Bucks away in this match, giving the brothers something else to whine about and giving Brodido the opportunity to vie for tag gold.
Kyle Fletcher vs. Tomohiro Ishii - AEW Collision - 08/09/2025
For as hard as Kyle Fletcher hits, sometimes you find yourself up against as stone that just won't budge. Or, in this case, a Stone Pitbull that won't budge. As a seemingly summer-time only member of the AEW roster, Ishii makes his few matches with the company worthwhile. His hard hitting match with Hangman from last year stands out and this match is cut from the same cloth. Challenging for Fletch's newly won TNT Title, Ishii meets Fletcher's baseball-bat equivalent strikes with stiff shots of his own, even catching the champ off guard with bursts of explosive speed that Fletcher is known for. It's not often someone this good is pushed to the limit this early in a title run, but Ishii isn't someone most title contenders run up against. Maybe it's my bias for Fletcher, or maybe Ishii is someone I continually second guess, but this match was one I had almost no expectations for that ended up blowing me away. This gives me even higher hopes for Fletcher's TNT Title run.
Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart - WWF WrestleMania VIII - 04/05/1992
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 061
La Faccion Ingobernable vs. The Opps - AEW Dynamite - 08/13/2025
I have some less than positive opinions on The Opps as a trio, but I think a lot of that simply comes down to the booking and overall presentation of AEW's Trios titles. I'm fairly indifferent on LFI as a trio, excluding Mortos, Mortos rips, so to say I was pretty "eh"about this match is pretty accurate. Right out the gate, LFI brought speed and power to the match, trying to dismantle Shibata, but that's a challenge not many are able to overcome. Joe and Hobbs were more than capable of handling LFI once they got tagged in, their high flying antics and quick feet proving to be a moot point when you're slammed into the ring or choked within an inch of your life. Good stuff, happy that the Trios titles are being featured at least once or twice between PPV's. Let's maybe get some more trios on the roster so these belts feel like something people are fighting for.
JetSpeed vs. Death Riders - AEW Collision - 08/16/2025
There was a part of me that was pretty upset that the Death Riders, Moxley specifically, still have such a prominent presence on AEW TV. You'd think Hangman's winning of the AEW Men's World Championship would have been he final nail in the coffin, but as the weeks press on, I'm kinda alright with them still hanging around. Their looming presence can't be shaken that easily. Plus, it gives us matches like this one! Kevin Knight and Speedball are a fantastic pair of dudes, them being another example of a "thrown together" tag team that just works. These two aren't a pair of halves making a whole, one covering for another weaknesses, these guys are on equal footing and moving at the same pace. This pairing of the Riders, Mox and Yuta, make for great opposition in this match. Mox is violent and unforgiving, and as much as Yuta hs sat beneath their learning tree, he still feels like their junior, adding a quickness and agility that nobody else in the Death Riders can quite match up to. He tends to fill the role of the punching bag, which he does quite well, but Moxley is very game to mix it up with JetSpeed and give them an honest chance. If the Death Riders are going to keep having matches like these on free TV, make sure they're booked for every town for the foreseeable.
Kenta Kobashi vs. Vader - AJPW New Year Giant Series 1999 - Day 11 - 01/15/1999
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 062
FTR vs. Brodido - AEW Dynamite - 08/20/2025
One of very few companies that still adheres to time limits for their matches, FTR and Brodido make the most of the 30 minutes they are given. I can't say much more about FTR other than the simple fact that they are the very best tag team of the modern era, for my money. I adore FTR and will never, ever tire of them. Consider me a fan of these dudes for life. Brodido had been making the absolute most of this impromptu tag tournament leading up to Forbidden Door and they found themselves up against their most challenging opponent yet, to say nothing of the champs they are ultimately hoping to square off against. Dax and Cash are in peak form here, dismantling Brodido in a pace that feels well and truly planned out. Their heelish antics are on full display and they have the full support of the crowd put on Brodido with everything they do. They're ready and reacting to everything King and 'Dido do in this match, wanting them to really give FTR what they deserve; a good 'ol ass kicking. Brody bleeds for the industry as it becomes clear that these two teams are going to need to dig deeper than they thought to win this one as the clock draws nearer and nearer to the 30 minute mark. It would make sense for the action to slow as time drew on, but the hits only got harder and the risks only got bigger. I'd have been content if this went for 30 minutes more, and I hope they roll this back soon and we get a proper rematch. Excellent, excellent match.
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Nigel McGuinness - AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 - 08/24/25
Feature in Weekly Watchlist 063
The Hurt Syndicate vs. FTR vs. Brodido - AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 - 08/24/25
The reign of Lashley and Benjamin has been an iffy one at best for me. They've been a dominant tag team for a while and booked very, very strong, but their reign hasn't exactly been memorable to me. I can't say as though I remember a lot of their matches. But this one will be one I remember for a while. Lash and Benj threw their weight around while throwing around the weight of FTR and 'Dido, but ran up against a wall once King got in the ring, the crowd (and me) super excited once Lash and King stood face to face. It's pretty impressive to see four dudes moving together to put together an exciting tag match, but it's a whole other story when you have six. There's moments of teamwork that you wouldn't expect to see, and plenty of "holy shit!" moments to boot. The champs get removed from the equation when the Gates of Agony interfere and haul them up the ramp, leaving FTR and Brodido alone to duke it out for the last couple of minutes. King gets crowned by a Dax chair shot but not even that is enough to keep him down. There's a bit of a botch at the finish, but it was more a matter of timing and positioning. Brodido were clearly meant to win this match and man, I'm so happy they did. What a ride, what a month, Brodido rips.
Darby Allin, Golden Lovers, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Will Ospreay vs. Death Riders, Gabe Kidd & The Young Bucks - Lights Out Steel Cage Match - AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 - 08/24/25
Y'know, I wish I had the words to describe the pure insanity of this match, but when you've got 10 men in a cage and everyone is doing something diffrent to try and kill their opponent, it's really hard to hone in on anything in particular that blew me away. Darby was of course a highlight, his complete disregard for his own health and wellbeing was the highlight of this match. The Bucks fit into this multi-man fuck-fest well, their attempts to get violent with a bag of thumbtacks that turned out to just be gummy bears was fantastic. Ospreay wrestling their entire match with no neck was nail biting, Omega and Ibushi were great, Tanahashi was in the match as well. Ok, but for real, why was Tanahashi in this match? You guy's couldn't find an opponent for this guy? Did he just really want to wrestling in a cage? He did almost nothing in this match except get the final fall. I wasn't expecting him and his complete lack of a functioning lower body to do much of anything, I'm just curious why he was the pick. Gabe Kidd and the Death Riders were violent and vicious, as was to be expected, with all three of them trying to actually kill Darby at several times in the match, which had me both hooting and hollering. All around fun match, I wouldn't call this the best cage match AEW has ever done or one of their best no-rules type matches ever, but it was a bunch of fun that I enjoyed.
I can't help but feel like September is gonna be one of my thinnest months for wrestling. Y'know, with getting married and all. But I'll keep up with my weekly AEW shows, for as long as I'm able to at least, and I know I'll find some quality wrestling to remember for the month. I always do.
So until then, stay safe, be well, love each other.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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