What's new, connoisseurs of counterfeit clashes?!
Back at it again! Another week of wrestling! I was a bit thrown off this week, honestly, found it hard to watch much of anything, but something that's just the way the cookie crumbles. I managed to find something exciting to review, a rematch of something I reviewed last year, and it's almost as good as the first bout!
So, let's stop wasting time, yeah? Let's get into this!
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| Via GirlsWithGuns.org AJW |
Weekly Roundup
Here's what I watched for the week;
AEW Revolution 2026
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AEW |
FTR vs. The Young Bucks - 🟢⭐
The fifth match in the series of the Bucks and FTR, this one was meant to prove who is the greatest tag team of the current generation. It looked from the opening moments that the Bucks would get the victory, having most of their extended family join them down to the ring, with Nick Jackson even bleeding buckets throughout. To my total surprise, until I remembered one of the main reasons FTR has held these titles as long as they have, they retained! I'm pleased we got FTR winning, but the return of Cope and Cage means we'll be getting that match sooner than later. I suppose I'm looking forward to that one. Brilliant match between these two teams, possibly the best of their series. FTR continue to prove that they are the greatest team on God's green.
Toni Storm vs. Marina Shafir - 🟡
I was actually looking forward to this match, man! I really enjoy Toni's work and am a big fan of Marina, even if I know she's not always the best! She always puts in a solid effort and is better than people give her credit. I expected some more violence and hatred between these two, but it was a pretty standard opening bit from Marina, wearing Toni down and antagonizing the crowd. That never does anything for me, honestly. Toni was able to get back at her and pick up the victory, celebrating on the ramp in a similar fashion to how her Hollywood Ending match ended at last years Revolution. This year, however, Ronda Rousey showed up! I am not going to pretend like I am happy about this for one second. Ronda is not, I repeat, not a good get for AEW. I don't care how much she likes wrestling or how much Jon Moxley wants her with the Death Riders, she's a terrible person and I'm really upset that we may get a "Ronda Rousey is All Elite" graphic soon.
Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita - 🟢
Ok, one nitpick before we get into the match. They harped on the "no time limit" being a big deal here, but commentary points out the 20 minute limit only exists for TV matches, and that Continental matches are fought with a 60 minute time limit on PPV. You mean to tell me these guys were possibly gonna go over an hour? C'mon, gimme a break. They were already selling like death after 20 minutes and, given that this only went 23, it didn't feel like this thing could have gone forever. Small gripe, but I feel its necessary. A fantastic match between both men, it goes exactly how you'd expect it to. Hard hitting, fast paced, intense and rough in all the best ways. Really, really fun match.
Babes Of Wrath vs. Divine Dominion - DUD
Landing at exactly 5 minutes, this match constituted a squash or a DUD match to me. Bayne and Kross were able to pick up a pretty quick and definitive victory in this match, with the damage dealt to Willow from her match with Kross on the Zero Hour playing a factor in this match. Smart move to give Kross and Bayne the titles, in my opinion, as I feel there are more possibilities for babyface teams to be on the chase, trying to dethrone the big bads.
Swerve Strickland vs. Brody King - 🟢
Speaking of big bads! Who is the biggest bad in all of AEW! This match was the true test, pitting "the most dangerous man in AEW" Swerve against "number one in violence" in Brody. Hard hitting, mean, and violent despite having no bloodshed, these two were really on a mission to prove a point with this match. I'm happy getting to see Brody get more of a strong singles push over the last year, with Swerve being a great opponent for him. He's able to match Brody's strength great, while also being able to move around the big man with ease as well.
Thekla vs. Kris Statlander - Best Two Out Of Three Falls Match - 🟢
Arguably Statlander's signature match, she looks to try and retake her gold from Thekla in a two out of three falls match. This was a lot of fun, even if I felt like it was slotted into the card way, way too early. I'd have preferred the World Titles run back-to-back, semi main and main type thing, but again, small nitpick, nothing against this match. It went like most matches of these types going, with Thekla picking up the first fall through cheeky cheating, but Kris got the second fall and evened things up. The Sisters of Sin made their way to the ring near the end, giving Thekla an advantage and helping her to pick up the win against Stat. A fun match with the right person winning. I want Thekla to have a good, lengthy reign with the title, she's a breath of fresh air in a womens division that has been needing a shake up for a while.
The Don Callis Family vs. JetSpeed & Mistico - 🟢
This was... certainly a match that took place. I really don't know how to feel about this one. My feelings really stem from my opinion on the Trios Titles, which can be best summed up as "indifferent to generally displeased." Why did we have the Don Callis Boys win these titles, only to lose them on their first defence? Why JetSpeed and... Mistico? Mistico?! I mean, maybe this was just a clunky vehicle to get to the "Mistico is All Elite" graphic, making him another name to have a dual CMLL and AEW contract, but really? This was the best way we could get there? It was a perfectly fine match, great even! But... I dunno, I'm just upset about the state of the trios titles lately. JetSpeed AND Mistico deserve better.
Andrade El Idolo vs. Bandido - 🟢
A blisteringly fast paced and fun match that would not have felt out of place if it took place inside a CMLL ring. Andrade has been on an incredible run lately and Bandido has been great as well, as per usual. I really loved this match, I was continually blown away by some of the stuff these two pulled off against one another. 'Dido's deadlift 21 Plex and Andrade cracking off the boot-elbow better than I've ever seen it before in this match had me hooting AND hollering. Fantastic work from both men.
Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong vs. The Dogs - Tornado Six Man Tag Team Match - 🟢
Genuinely surprised this match was slotted into the card as late as it was, this was a typically fun trios match. You've seen this match before and it did nothing to shock or change up the formula. Having everyone in play at once was a fun shake up of the formula, but all it did was keep the action at a consistent pace throughout. Fun, but nothing crazy, honestly.
MJF vs. Adam Page - Texas Death Match - 🟡
Man, I really struggled with this match. Maybe it's because I chose to watch this show live, meaning I was up until past midnight for this one, when I'm usually crashing around 9:30 or 10, cause I'm old. Maybe it's because this match was 466 minutes long. Maybe it's the insistence on spot, sell, plunder dig, spot, sell, plunder dig, over and over that got tiring after the first 5 times. Maybe I'm just really sick of MJF. Maybe I was just really sour on the stipulation of Hangman never challenging for the World Title, even if I know they'll find a way to go back on that little cherry on top. I dunno, man, I really didn't like this match. It certainly wasn't the violence or Hangman's involvement, but I just can't nail down what it was I exactly disliked. I think it's just the sum of its parts that turned me off of this match, honestly.
Here’s what we’re reviewing for the Watchlist;
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Akira Hokuto vs. Shinobu Kandori - The Vicious Rematch
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| Set and ready to go to war again. AJW |
Bell to Bell
In searching for a show this week, I came across this fun looking AJW card with two exciting matches to round the card off. Initially, I was planning on reviewing the semi-main tag, but it was just so insane and chaotic (still great) I struggled to figure out how I'd write about it in an effective way. Usually, when I watch a match I'm thinking about reviewing, I narrate or dictate review paragraphs in my head as the match goes on, trying to think about what I'd say or react to at certain points of the match. If the review seems to flow in my head, I find it usually flows when I write about it later, but that match had so many moving parts, it was hard for me to keep track of everything.
This match, however, was paced brilliantly AND was a rematch to, what is quite possibly one of the single greatest matches of all time, and one I reviewed a few weeks back. So how could I not? ...alright, AND it featured Akira Hokuto, who I've been far from quiet about singing the praises of over the course of writing this blog. She's amazing! Plain and simple! One of the greatest to ever do it and easily in the top 5 of my all-time favourite wrestlers. Go argue with a wall.
We don't get the same amount of backstory for this match as their last encounter, but I think the simple concept of "this is a rematch from a match where they nearly killed each other" is backstory enough. There's still a level of hatred below the surface for these two, and it's shown right from the opening bell.
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| Holding nothing back. AJW |
Calling back to the end of their previous match, Hokuto charges right in and boots Kandori, with both women ducking and trading wild rights and lefts, until a pair of right hands catch their target and drop both of them flat out on the canvas. They're still too fresh for these shots to do enough damage to end things, but the message is pretty clear and simple; "fuck you, we aren't done yet. Not by a long shot." I think the thing about this opening salvo is not just that it calls back to the finish of their first match, but not long after Hokuto gets to her feet and tries to snap the leg of Kandori, you can see her pissing blood from the mouth. Kandori's shot evidently caught her flush and busted her open wide. Something about that hardway blood, brother, just does something for me, y'know?
Kandori gets to the ropes to break the submission attempt, with Hokuto going straight for a gutwrench powerbomb as soon as they're both vertical. Kandori slips out, so Hokuto just boots her in the gut! Hokuto is able to get her up and drops her on her head with the gutwrench powerbomb. Not opting to go for the cover after only one, she goes for it a second time and holds her down after this one, but Kandori survives. Going back to the leg, she ties her up and bends her backwards, trying both a submission as well as a pin all in one, but Kandori shifts and starts to pummel Hokuto with right hands before getting to the bottom rope.
Back vertical again, a hip toss takes down Hokuto, with Kandori puller her back to her feet and shoving her to the ropes, paintbrushing her with a heavy handed slap to the face. This is a common theme throughout the match, Kandori and Hokuto hitting each other and then leaving room for a comeback, as if to challenge the other woman to do something or incense them into blowing up with rage. Its a clever tactic and I like how they keep at it throughout the match. Like is it a challenge for them to hit back harder? Or is it the one trying to get the other to suddenly blow up and turn red with rage, losing focus and costing themselves any chance at an advantage? Let's see how it works out through this match.
Hokuto fires up off the ropes, grabbing Kandori by the throat and getting in her face, with Kandori shoving her off but challenging her nonetheless. Hokuto responds with a slap, and a strike exchange nearly starts in the middle, but Kandori catches a slap and nearly gets Hokuto in an armbar, but she either escapes, or Kandori lets it go instantly. Regardless, the message was clear, "watch yourself. This ends whenever I say it ends."
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| Something to make you think. AJW |
Hokuto charges at Kandori and grabs her by the throat again, backing her into the corner as they jockey for an advantage. Kandori gets on top, but gets shoved off by the referee, both women resetting in the middle. Kandori shouts something at Hokuto, which incenses her enough to drive a boot into the gut of Kandor and pull her in for a snap piledriver! Woah! She pins, but Kandori gets out, only for Hokuto to snap on a kneebar again. Kandori fights her way up to her feet, striking down onto Hokuto to loosen her grip and look for a hold of her own. Hokuto gets to the bottom rope, however, getting back to her feet and challenging Kandori again.
Hokuto tries a spinning heel kick after backing Kandori into the corner, but Kandori ducks and leaves Hokuto to land in an empty corner. Gaining an advantage, she delivers short, solid punches to the gut of Hokuto as she leans on the ropes, finally dropping her to her knees with a heavy shot. Folding her for a pin, Hokuto is forced to kick out to survive, but she's on her knees as Kandori continues the assault. Even after driving boots and a headbutt into the head of Hokuto, she refuses to lay down, bellowing back at Kandori, challenging her for more. A headbutt does knock Hokuto down to the canvas for a pin, but she's out and seated again quickly.
Taking her time, Kandori rebounds off the ropes for another boot to Hokuto's dome, but she fires up to her feet and snatches the right arm of Kandori to hold her in place, laying into her with rapid fire, wild and heavy right hands to the gut. Just laying them into Kandori. She double underhooks and looks to set up for a Tiger Driver, but when she lifts up Kandori, she rolls backwards, keeping the arms hooked. Whether this was intentional or not, she holds her down for a modified full nelson hold, trying to force a submission.
Feeling her grip slip, Hokuto eventually lets Kandori go, but keeps the pressure on with a well timed and precise spinning heel kick, catching Kandori flush in the face. Pulling Kandori back to her feet, another spinning heel kick lands, but Kandori escapes the pin. Wasting no time, Hokuto kneels behind a seated Kandori and gets her in a rear naked-esque crossface, squeezing on the cheekbones and chin of Kandori, who is able to squirm around and get to the ropes.
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| A well placed shot. AJW |
A back suplex from Hokuto is blocked as Kandori manages to fire off a wicked headbutt, dropping Hokuto where she stands. A lap of the ring later, and Kandori antagonizes Hokuto with quick, almost playful kicks to the face. Again, is this a challenge, or is this a demand? "That the best you got?" or "fucking try me." Tossing Hokuto into the corner now, Kandori again paintbrushes Hokuto, who marches right out of the corner and meets Kandori in the middle with wicked, heinous strikes of her own. A suplex in the middle keeps Kandori down for two, with Hokuto ascending to the top rope before flying with a big 'ol missile dropkick, catching Kandori flush in the chest. "You know what?" Hokuto must have thought to herself, "that move is so great, I'll do it twice!" and by God, did she, flying off the top with a second missile dropkick.
Kandori is folded over and nearly held down for two, but she escapes the pin and escapes the ring, rolling to the floor. This ends up costing her, as Hokuto lands a Northern Lights Bomb on the thin floor padding! The referee spends some time with her on the floor, with Hokuto recovering in the ring and waiting for her adversary to climb back inside. When Kandori gets onto the apron and starts to cross the threshold, Hokuto fires off the ropes and lands a spinning heel kick, dropping her where she stands. Kandori isn't down for very long, however, as she stands up off the strike, and she stands up mad. Charging, she snatches Hokuto with a rear naked choke, catching her completely unaware. Thinking on her feet, Hokuto sits out of the choke, delivering a jawbreaker on Kandori.
⚡Move of the Match⚡
Back to the top rope, Hokuto takes too long setting up for whatever she was going for, with Kandori charging in a landing a quick punch and heavy handed slaps on Hokuto, stunning her up high. Meeting her up top, she quickly double underhooks her and pulls her off the top with a massive Tiger Driver. Good fucking god.
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| Tiger Driven straight to hell. AJW |
Hokuto uses the ropes to pull herself up, with Kandori cracking her in the head with nasty kicks over and over, trying to keep her down. Winding up for a headbutt, Kandori gets caught with a lightning quick punch to the face, with Hokuto rebounding off the ropes and crashing into Kandori with a vicious lariat. Eating kicks from Hokuto, Kandor begins to roll to the floor to escape for air, with Hokuto not granting her any time at all. Ascending to the top, a flipping senton crushes Kandori on the outside, with both women suffering pretty heavily on the landing.
Hokuto is back inside first, with Kandori able to get in at her own speed, only to get whipped into the ropes and counter Hokuto with a solid ass punch to the face. Yikes. A headbutt staggers Hokuto again as Kandori does what she's been doing best this entire match, stalking Hokuto. Moving in to strike, Hokuto garbs a hiplock and switches to her back, taking Kandori up and over with a big German suplex and a bridge! Kandori survives the pin, with Hokuto pulling her vertical for a huge backdrop driver! Another pin, but Kandori gets out at two.
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| Spine shattering. AJW |
Sailing from the top rope, Hokuto flies with a crossbody, but Kandori not only catches her, but rolls through and counters, nearly sitting out with an armbar, but Hokuto gets to the ropes to break. Dangerously close. Again, Kandori pulls Hokuto to her feet by her hair, but Hokuto is in the perfect position to shoot in and snatch Kandori by the waist again, taking her up and over with another big backdrop driver! Solid kicks to the face keep Kandori down as Hokuto goes back for the top, but Kandori is quick to get back to her feet, ripping Hokuto down from up high.
A kneebar has Hokuto flailing in the middle of the ring, crawling for the ropes until she reaches them, breaking the hold. Back to basics, Hokuto is on her feet and cracks Kandori with a solid ass right hand to the jaw, staggering her on her feet. Shot after shot land on Kandori, dropping her against the ropes, until she gets her feet under her and fights back, sending Hokuto reeling from a single shot. Back to the middle again, they trade shots, as the camera cuts to show members of the AJW roster and Hokuto's camp. I can't identify their faces, but their are all looking either somber or crying while shouting, watching Hokuto get beaten down hard.
Kandori is on her feet as Hokuto fights to get vertical, but each shot from Kandori drops her flat out. Despite that, Hokuto refuses to stay down as members of her camp are held back from interfering. Standing up one final time, Kandori cracks her with an uppercut before pulling her to centre and folding her up for the final three count.
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| Count your chicklets. AJW |
Match Time: 21:15
Overview & Final Rating
🟢⭐ - A highly recommended rematch
This match may not have been as incredible and beautiful as their first match together, but it was still incredible, hard hitting, and an incredible spectacle to witness. There were plenty of fantastic callbacks to their first match that stitched this one into the narrative beautifully and really gave it the weight a sequel to something as stellar as that match deserves. I loved how vicious both women were, how Kandori kept goading Hokuto into more and more, and how Hokuto refused to give in the entire time, even when she was all but totally beaten at the very end. Fantastic work from both women, another stellar match and brilliant main event.
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There we have it, wrestling fans! More great wrestling in the book!
Don't have a lot else to say... go find some great wrestling to watch! Go on! Get! Enjoy the graps!
Until next week. Be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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