What's up folks?
A shorter Matches of the Month post for September, which should be no surprise given how crazy this month has been. I'm currently drafting this the Tuesday before the post goes live as I'm on the tail end of an illness I'm fighting and just got back home after a last-minute-emergency-family-vacation. Not the fun kind of vacation, either. So bear with me if this month's synopsis' are a bit more lacking than usual. I'm doing my best here, guys.
Jon Moxley vs. Daniel Garcia - AEW Dynamite - 08/27/2025
Something of a proving ground match, Moxley faced off against Garcia in a match that was far more competitive and evenly matched than most of us probably anticipated. We should have seen the writing on the wall from this match alone, given how Moxley recruits members of the Death Riders in a sort of "trial by fire" (see Wheeler Yuta and the Blackpool Combat Club) but at the time, this was nothing more than a make-or-break match for Garcia. How will he fare against the most successful man in AEW? A lot better than most would have anticipated, I think that's fair to say. He took the beating just as well as he gave it, even leading to a Collision match after the fact. Its safe to say that Moxley picked a worthy wrestler when recruiting Garcia off the heels of this matchup.
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Darby Allin - Falls Count Anywhere Match - AEW Dynamite - 08/27/2025
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 064
Bandido vs. Hechicero - ROH Death Before Dishonor 2025 - 08/29/2025
An easy contender for match of the year, what Bandido and Hechicero did between these ropes is nothing short of magical. A slow pace to star that built to a massive crescendo, the hits kept hitting over and over and over again. The mask of Bandido was targeted early on by the callous and vicious sorcerer of the ring, with a gash opening up beneath it to give them champion a ticking clock of exhaustion to fight uphill against the entire time. I wish I could better describe to you just how incredible this match was, on a technical and storytelling level, but anything I write will fail to properly encapsulate what these men did between the ropes. I will be hard pressed to forget about this match any time soon.
Ric Blade vs. Quicksilver - I Got Your Girl Match - CZW May Madness - 05/22/1999
A glimmer of hope amidst the utter drudgery of early CZW, two of the very bets in the early roster square off in a, let's face it, a match with a rather disgusting stipulation, but manage to put on some exceptional wrestling despite it. It's as early 2000's indie as it comes, with exciting and innovative highspots sprinkled between exceptional selling and unique escapes that catch you by surprise each time. Sure, it's not hard to blow me away when Middknight or Lobo are stinking up the show with their insistence on outside brawling and nonsensical spots, but these two guys had a match that would not have felt out of place on an early 2000's Ring of Honor card. There's a reason this style of wrestling became the norm for American indies in the following years and not whatever else they put on the card week to week. It works and is over with the crowd. That's all you need.
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Aiden Rex - SPW Mayhem - 05/30/2025
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 065
The Young Bucks vs. Bang Bang Gang - AEW: September to Remember - 09/17/2025
A return to form for the Young Bucks, the money they won in recent weeks has given them not only their fancy ring introduction back, but their mojo while between the ropes again. They're firing on all cylinders when facing off against an equally exceptional team in Austin Gunn and Juice Robinson, with all four men testing the limits of each other in a match that had the live London crowd excited and on the edge of their seats. It's easy to discount the Bang Bang's as a comedy troop that aren't good for much else other than a cheap pop or reaction from the crowd, but let's not discount that all four men, with Jay White still sidelined mind you, are incredibly good at what they do. Austin was worked over well during the Young Bucks heat and Juice's hot tag was as hot as they come, with his work in the ring living up to the excitement he was able to generate. Honestly, it's great to see the Bucks in top form, but it's also really fun to see another equally great tag team get their chance to shine, and the Bang Bang Gang shone in this match.
Mark Briscoe vs. MJF - Tables 'N Tacks Match - AEW All Out 2025 - 09/20/2025
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 067
Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin - Coffin Match - AEW All Out 2025 - 09/20/2025
Featured in Weekly Watchlist 067
There it is! September is behind us! If everything goes as smoothly as I'm hoping it will, October will be a much better month. It's Halloween month! My favourite time of the year! Maybe I'll need to do some spooky reviews for the month to get into the Holiday spirit. That sounds like fun, eh?
Until next month, take it easy friends.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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