Jon Moxley, Hikaru Shida, Santana and Ortiz Lead AEW Weekly Rankings for Nov. 29
Nov 29, 2019
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 04: Jon Moxley attends the All Elite Wrestling panel during 2019 New York Comic Con at Jacob Javits Center on October 04, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for WarnerMedia Company)
Jon Moxley, Hikaru Shida and the team of Santana and Ortiz owned the No. 1 spots in the men's singles, women's singles and tag team rankings released by AEW on Friday:
Moxley ascended to the top position in the men's singles division by virtue of last week's win over Darby Allin in the main event of Dynamite. Moxley now owns a 3-0-1 record in singles matches, and he is presumably the next in line for a shot at Chris Jericho's AEW World Championship.
That plays well off the ending of this week's Dynamite, which saw Moxley stare down Jericho after Le Champion beat Scorpio Sky to retain the AEW World title.
Pac holds the second spot despite losing to No. 3 Kenny Omega on Dynamite. They are followed by Cody in the fourth spot and MJF at No. 5, the latter of whom is making his debut on the list after beating "Hangman" Adam Page to win the AEW diamond ring this week.
On the women's side, Hikaru Shida is still first thanks to her singles win over Britt Baker last week. Shida did lose a tag team match this week, however; she and Kris Statlander fell to Emi Sakura and Bea Priestley.
That helped Sakura earn the No. 2 spot in the rankings despite losing to AEW Women's champion Riho at Full Gear, but Sakura is still the next in line for a title shot. Baker, Nyla Rose and Priestley rounded out the top five.
Perhaps no division in AEW is more closely contested than the tag team ranks. For the first time, Santana and Ortiz hold the No. 1 spot by virtue of their 3-1 tag team record.
Although they lost to Private Party on AEW Dynamite last week, Santana and Ortiz beat Jungle Boy and Marko Stunt on this week's AEW Dark taping, which may have them in position to challenge SCU for the AEW Tag Team Championships soon.
There is very little separation between the Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 teams. The Young Bucks and Best Friends are both 4-3 in tag team competition, while The Lucha Brothers and Private Party are 4-4.
On next week's episode of AEW Dynamite, The Young Bucks will team with Dustin Rhodes against , Santana and Ortiz, which could have a major impact on the next set of tag team rankings.
Tune into TNT on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET to catch all the action of All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite.
Listen toRing Rust Radiofor all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below(warning: some languageNSFW).
AEW Up Close and Personal: What It's Like to Attend Dynamite Show
Nov 29, 2019
Millions of fans watch pro wrestling from the comfort of their homes every week, but when WWE rolls through their town, thousands of people buy tickets to see their favorite performers in person.
For many years, WWE was the only U.S.-based promotion that could fill big arenas such as Madison Square Garden in New York and the United Center in Chicago.
However, that all changed when Cody Rhodes took a challenge from Dave Meltzer to fill a 10,000-seat arena without the WWE roster.
The American Nightmare recruited some of the best non-WWE talents from around the world to compete at All In on September 1, 2018. Tickets were sold out in minutes, and for the first time in quite a while, fans were excited about pro wrestling again.
The success of this event led to Rhodes, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks teaming up with Tony Khan to form All Elite Wrestling.
The first four events, Double or Nothing, Fyter Fest, Fight For the Fallen and All Out, aired prior to the October 2 launch of the company's weekly show, AEW Dynamite.
What some casual fans may not realize is every promotion's shows feel different when you are in the crowd. Let's take a look at what it's like to attend an AEW event.
What Works
The Fans Are Mostly Adults
AEW was designed to appeal to everyone, but it focuses a lot on catering to people who don't like WWE. The company wants everyone from lapsed viewers who loved watching NWA and WCW back in the day to disgruntled WWE supporters to hardcore fans who miss ECW to tune in every week.
The content is more mature than what is presented by WWE. There is more blood, more cursing and dangerous spots that would cause most people to gasp in horror and excitement at the same time.
Due to this approach, AEW has attracted a more adult fanbase. When you are sitting in the crowd at Dynamite, most of the people around you can legally buy a beer whereas, at a WWE show, a large number of attendees are below the legal voting age.
I was in attendance for Wednesday's episode of Dynamite and could only see one kid in my entire section. He tried to get several chants going throughout the show and the people around him would attempt to help it catch on. It worked a few times, especially during Hikaru Shida's match.
With the crowd being more adults than kids, it gives the show a different vibe. It feels like the people in the arena know they are part of something special and want to take it all in.
It also means you end up hearing a lot more cursing than you would at a Raw or SmackDown show. This applies to both the conversations around you and the chants throughout the night.
The WWE Universe will occasionally chant "Holy s--t" when something wild happens but when a referee made a mistake during Dynamite, the crowd chanted "You f--ked up." This is exacerbated by the fact some of the Superstars can be heard swearing during their matches and in promos.
Of course, this is part of the experience. WWE crowds are more akin to a studio audience while AEW fans feel like they are part of the show, too. And the Superstars of All Elite Wrestling do a great job trying to incorporate the crowd without pandering too much.
Take Chris Jericho's promo at the top of Wednesday's episode. He not only reacted to the crowd but he also interacted with individual fans a few times, giving each of them a memory they will never forget.
At this point, being personally insulted by Jericho is something a fan wears like a badge of honor.
The Energy is Off the Charts
I also want to point out how @RefAubrey got one of the loudest pops of the night before the main event. Chicago loves her. #AEWDynamite#ImWithAEW
Sitting in the crowd and interacting with fans on the concourse, I couldn't help but notice how everyone was more excited than I expected.
This was just a normal episode of Dynamite but people were treating it like a pay-per-view. Just about every Superstar received a big reaction, but one of the loudest pops of the night might surprise some readers.
During one of the commercial breaks, the ring announcer introduced Aubrey Edwards as she made her way out to officiate the main event title match between Jericho and Scorpio Sky.
The crowd went wild for the young referee. She acknowledged the respect she was being shown without showboating or looking like she was trying to take attention away from the contest she was about to oversee.
Even Matt Knicks, the jobber who lost to Cody Rhodes, was getting love from the Chicago fans. Everyone was thrilled to be there and showed their enthusiasm from start to finish.
What Needs Work
Things Sound Different on Television
Anyone who has seen the same wrestling show on TV and in person will tell you the crowd sounds completely different in the arena.
WWE does a good job putting microphones in the building to catch all of the noise so it sounds like everyone is having a great time. This is an art AEW has yet to master.
After seeing Wednesday's show in person and watching it on television when I got home, I noticed several instances where it did not sound like the Superstars were getting the same reaction I know they received that night.
Shida had one of the most noticeable differences. She was over with the people of Illinois, but they sounded a lot less enthusiastic on TV.
Once AEW grows a bit more and increases its production value, issues like this should go away quickly.
Introducing New Superstars
AEW has a handful of former WWE Superstars such as Rhodes, Jericho, Jake Hager, Shawn Spears and Jon Moxley, but for every performer the casual fan might recognize, the company has four or five wrestlers most people know little to nothing about.
This is one of the growing pains that comes with being a new company and having a roster filled with indie stars who have barely been exposed to the national audience.
Establishing new talents is going to be what separates AEW from WWE, but the newer promotion has to be careful how it introduces Superstars moving forward.
When The Dark Order debuted at Double or Nothing in May, nobody knew what was going on, including the announcers. Jim Ross asked who they were but Excalibur and Alex Marvez could not provide an answer.
Instead of hearing the announcers talk about who Evil Uno and Stu Grayson were and why the tag team division should be scared, all we heard was three confused men try their best to talk about what was happening without knowing who was doing it.
The Dark Order has been a team for more than a decade on the indie scene but they have never been a fixture on television before. Ross and his fellow commentators should have been briefed before the event so they were able to give Uno and Grayson's debut the proper amount of attention.
Unfortunately, the same thing happened on Wednesday night. The Blade, formerly known as Braxton Sutter in Impact Wrestling, attacked Rhodes alongside his partner, The Butcher. They were accompanied by The Blade's wife, Allie, who now goes by the name of The Bunny.
Once again, Ross had no idea who was in the ring and even questioned whether we had seen them in AEW before. Excalibur knew their names but did not give us any other information about them. Even the fans in attendance were at a loss.
When a rookie debuts, it can be a surprise because nobody is supposed to know who they are. When two guys who have already been working for a few years come in, AEW should either hype them ahead of time so we can get to know them or make sure the announcers are equipped to talk about them.
For those of us who were in the arena, The Butcher and The Blade's debut was even more confusing. These weren't big stars poached from WWE so seeing them attack Rhodes did not create the moment management was probably hoping for.
Going to a live event can be expensive. You have to buy the ticket, pay for transportation and/or parking, and if you plan to buy food and drinks, you had better bring an extra $50 or more. I paid $8 for a bottle of Coke that wasn't even chilled properly.
Because it can be so costly, people are picky about what they choose to do on a night out. If you were wondering whether AEW, was worth it, the answer is yes.
Not only are you guaranteed to get some exciting action from a roster filled with knowledgeable veterans and innovative newcomers, but you are also going to feel like part of a community.
Being a follower of wrestling is different than other sports because the industry is often the subject of mockery from non-fans and athletes who don't understand what it takes to perform in the ring. We are the outcasts who don't quite fit in with fans of pro sports or general entertainment.
While a small number of people can be toxic, the majority of us are supportive people who want nothing more than to see a fun match. Being at an AEW show puts you right in the middle of one of the most dedicated groups of fans in the world.
WWE shows attract a lot of families and casual fans, which is great, but if you want to find people who are passionate and love professional wrestling just as much as you do, go to an AEW show and spark up a conversation with anyone in your immediate vicinity.
A Thanksgiving episode of Dynamite always seemed destined to be a hit for All Elite Wrestling . And by and large, it was, with Chris Jericho getting some mic time and a main event...
All Elite Wrestling returned to where it all began, the Sears Centre Arena outside Chicago, for its Thanksgiving Eve episode of Dynamite. After months of demanding one, AEW champion Chris Jericho would finally receive his long-awaited thank-you...
PAC, Jon Moxley, Cody Rhodes Top AEW Rankings for Week of Nov. 22
Nov 22, 2019
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 04: Jon Moxley attends the All Elite Wrestling panel during 2019 New York Comic Con at Jacob Javits Center on October 04, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for WarnerMedia Company)
In the latest round of rankings for All Elite Wrestling, PAC and The Lucha Brothers maintained the No. 1 spot in the men's singles and tag team division, respectively.
The biggest change in the standings came in the women's division with Hikaru Shida's win over Britt Baker on this week's episode of Dynamitemoving the Japanese star into the top spot. Baker fell to No. 2, followed by Emi Sakura, Nyla Rose and Allie in the top five.
PAC leads the men's division with a 4-1-1 record in singles matches. Jon Moxley, who is currently unbeaten in singles competition, moved ahead of Cody Rhodes for the second spot.
The tag team division featured a major shakeup with the Young Bucks moving up one spot to No. 2 overall and the Best Friends dropping from No. 4 to outside of the top five.
In the two weeks since Full Gear, AEW has done a good job of building up new title contenders in each of its three divisions.
PAC was able to avenge his loss to Hangman Page at the pay-per-view on last week's Dynamite. The English superstar will have a chance to strengthen his resume on the Nov. 27 television broadcast with a match against Kenny Omega scheduled to take place.
One big question that will also be answered after the next Dynamite is who the men's champion will be. Chris Jericho is scheduled to defend his title against Scorpio Sky.
In the tag team ranks, it was a singles match between Rey Fenix and Nick Jackson that had a major impact. Fenix's victory kept the Lucha Brothers in possession of the top spot, but Jackson's valiant effort helped the Young Bucks move up.
Baker has been the most active women's wrestler on the AEW roster with nine combined singles and tag matches. Dr. Britt owns a solid 6-3 overall record, but Shida has won her last three singles matches since being pinned by Riho at All Out.
Tune into TNT on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET to catch all the action of All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite.
Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch Help WWE NXT Beat AEW for 1st Time in Ratings
Nov 21, 2019
The ratings war between AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT waged on Wednesday night, and NXT came out on top for the first time in the eight-week battle.
According to Figure Four Online's Bryan Alvarez, Dynamite averaged 893,000 viewers during its two-hour show Wednesday, while NXT garnered 916,000 viewers.
After AEW scored a narrow ratings win over NXT two weeks ago by a viewership margin of 822,000 to 813,000, it bounced back last week to score a more decisive win with 957,000 viewers to NXT's 750,000.
Last week's AEW Dynamite was a big show since it featured fallout from the Full Gear pay-per-view, while this week's NXT was significant since it was the go-home episode prior to Saturday's NXT TakeOver: WarGames and Sunday's Survivor Series.
Survivor Series has led to a great deal of crossover between all three of WWE's brands, and that continued Wednesday after NXT founder Triple H sent an open invitation to all Raw and SmackDown Superstars to appear on the show.
Many took him up on the offer, including Team Raw men's elimination match captain Seth Rollins, who brawled with Tommaso Ciampa to close the show.
Also, Raw Women's champion Becky Lynch opened the show with a promo, only to be interrupted by Rhea Ripley. Lynch and Ripley then had a first-time-ever match, although it was interrupted by Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir.
Additionally, Ricochet faced Matt Riddle in a singles match, Raw Tag Team champions The Viking Raiders beat The Forgotten Sons in a tag match, and the Undisputed Era tandem of Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish took down The Revival.
In the main event, Adam Cole defeated Dominik Dijakovic in a ladder match to earn the WarGames advantage for Undisputed Era over Team Ciampa.
On AEW Dynamite, Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks competed in his first singles match in years against Fenix of The Lucha Brothers, Hikaru Shida beat Britt Baker, and Private Party handed Santana and Ortiz their first defeat.
The main event saw Jon Moxley beat Darby Allin in a hard-hitting affair that ended when Moxley hit Allin with a DDT off the second rope.
Next week, AEW will be headlined by an AEW World Championship match that pits Chris Jericho against Scorpio Sky after the match was made Wednesday. NXT will feature the fallout that comes from both TakeOver: WarGames and Survivor Series.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
AEW Dynamite vs. WWE NXT: Who Won the Nov. 20 Battle of the Wednesday Night War?
Nov 21, 2019
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 11: Jon Moxley enters the ring during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 29 at Nippon Budokan on August 11, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
It was a wild Wednesday night, as a score of WWE superstars, including Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins, answered Triple H's challenge to test their might against the best of NXT.
The result was an exciting and truly unpredictable show that saw wrestlers from both Raw and SmackDown make their way to Orlando, Florida for the final NXT prior to Survivor Series on Sunday.
All Elite Wrestling answered with one if its own strongest shows to date, delivering both incredible in-ring performances and some high-level, organic promos that led directly into next week's program. The show was bookended by two legitimately great matches, something that is almost becoming habit at this point.
Choosing between these two amazing shows wasn't easy. This is a fine time for professional wrestling artistically, and this is an era fans will talk about in awe 20 years from now.
I almost called this week a tie—but that would be an enormous cop-out. We want winners and we want losers. So, let's take a deeper dive into Wednesday's shows to see who emerges as the weekly champion.
Moment We'll Remember: A frazzled Chris Jericho in the middle of the ring with his crony Jake Hager being tricked by Scorpio "Bugs" Sky into putting his AEW championship on the line next week.
For the second week in a row, Jericho put over a rising star in a big way, allowing Sky to shine in the biggest moment of his professional career.
What Worked: AEW opened the show with a fantastic match between Nick Jackson and Rey Fenix. It was the former's first singles match in more than two years, though you'd have never guessed it from the flawless execution and remarkable pace.
The two men stuffed a lot into 12 minutes that just flew by, and it's worth noting just how enthusiastic the crowd was here. This could have easily been match of the night depending on what kind of match you prefer.
The two men are both among the best high-flyers in all of contemporary wrestling, which makes them two of the best flyers in the history of wrestling.
Darby Allin, in another star turn, made the most of his opportunity in the spotlight. Carried to the ring in a body bag with his opponent's name on it, he jammed his foot on the gas pedal from the opening second and never came off the throttle.
It's hard to get over a new star by having them consistently look amazing in losing effort after losing effort. Eventually, no matter how compelling the wrestler is, fans have been trained to tune out losers. But right now, this path is the right one for Darby.
He really does feel like a young wrestler who has almost turned the corner—and when he finds the open road out in front, the entire wrestling business is going to be hard-pressed to keep up.
Truth be told, everything worked here. Even the 12-man Battle Royal, a gimmick that would normally feel like either an endless slog or ephemeral nothingness, was a ton of fun to watch.
The announcers did a great job of not telegraphing MJF's surprise win at the end, a rare display of steely discipline in a genre not always known for subtlety.
Missed the Mark: I was looking hard for something not to like, if only to fill this slot in the column, but nothing really stood out. I was entertained for the entire two hours.
If I wanted to nitpick, and it does feel like I'm picking on them at this point, but the excellently produced Dark Order video package actually left me more confused than ever about what exactly that group is about. I feel like I understand who they are and what their motivations might be even less than I did going in.
And I didn't understand the gimmick at all going in.
Grade:A+
NXT
Where:Orlando, Florida
Main Event:Adam Cole vs. Dominik Dijakovic(Ladder match)
Match of the Night:Undisputed Era vs. The Revival
Moment We'll Remember: Becky Lynch, returning home to NXT for the first time since cementing her status as the biggest star in all of women's wrestling, is met with chants of "Shayna's gonna to kill you" and "Rhea's gonna kill you."
At one point, Lynch was the underdog NXT fans rallied behind. Now she's The Man, representing the establishment. It's an interesting dynamic.
What Worked: WWE brought out the big guns in the final push toward both NXT TakeOver: WarGames and Survivor Series on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Not only did Lynch return to a mixed response from the NXT faithful, but the show also closed with the crowd chanting "Seth's not cool" at WWE's current standard-bearer, Seth Rollins.
One of my main critiques of the Survivor Series build this year is that WWE has given fans very few reasons to choose between Raw and SmackDown. The brands are virtually indistinguishable, and it doesn't feel like either has a distinct fanbase with a clear rooting interest.
That's definitely not true of NXT. While the fans were polite enough and responded to the returning Superstars in a major way, they were most definitely "Team NXT."
It may be WWE's smallest show when it comes to ratings, but it drives fan loyalty and engagement in a way the main roster hasn't in a long time.
The best match of the night on either show was a tag team bout between Undisputed Era and a returning Revival. But the wrestler who stood out to me the most was Rhea Ripley, who shined every bit as bright as the megawatt Lynch. She's going to be a huge star in this industry.
Missed the Mark: The Viking Raiders had a forgettable match with Forgotten Sons. It was a return that few will remember in the wake of, well, everything else that happened on the evening.
It may be petty as complaints go, but this show almost tried to do too much. This match was an example. I'd have rather seen them cut it completely and give five more minutes to the main event, which felt like it was coming to a conclusion just when your standard ladder match is just getting started.
Grade:A
Overall: I feel I could just copy and paste pieces of this column every week, because both groups again somehow exceeded my expectations. At this point, picking a winner is just a matter of personal preference—I wouldn't even bother to argue if you disagree. The competition is that close.
I went with AEW. The two hours went by in what felt like 15 minutes, a sure sign of a perfectly executed week of wrestling television. It was a smoother ride than NXT's, which doesn't have a consistent rhythm.
In a battle this close, the little things count. To me, it was AEW's superior production that pushed it over the finish line here.
Despite his internet accolades, or perhaps because of them, NXT's Mauro Ranallo sometimes tries to do too much, drowning out his colleagues in the middle of their sometimes interesting points, lost in the moment. It's a stark contrast to the AEW show where the announce team led by Jim Ross always seems to find a way to let Tony Schiavone and Excalibur get their time to shine.
A week after a take-no-prisoners open challenge to the All Elite Wrestling locker room, Jon Moxley faced his first challenger in the form of Darby Allin...
7 Years After Debut, Which Former Shield Star Has Brightest Future?
Nov 18, 2019
Seven years removed from The Shield's unforgettable debut at Survivor Series 2012, it's incredible to see the level of success Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and the now-former Dean Ambrose have all achieved in WWE and beyond.
No one knew for certain when they arrived on the scene that they would go on to become big stars (both together and individually), but the trio got off to a strong start by shockingly attacking Ryback to help CM Punk retain his WWE Championship.
Following in the footsteps of those who made their premiere appearances at Survivor Series, such as The Rock and Kurt Angle, The Shield made a major impact in their first night on the main roster and never looked back.
From there, they managed to maintain that momentum and were booked better than any other NXT call-up that proceeded them.
It would have been easy for WWE to let The Shield lose steam following their hot debut, but to the company's credit, they ensured Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose stayed strong as a unit by keeping them undefeated in six-man tag team action for the next seven months.
The unstoppable unit also held the WWE Tag Team and United States Championships hostage for the latter half of 2013 and annihilated everyone who stepped up to challenge them. Additionally, their stellar string of matches with The Wyatt Family and Evolution are widely regarded as some of the best of 2014.
Although it can be argued that their stint as The Shield should have lasted longer than it did, there is no denying that each of them were ready for singles superstardom when they went their separate ways that summer.
Rollins was expected to be overlooked coming out of The Shield's split due to Reigns and Ambrose being bigger focal points at the time, but that didn't end up being the case whatsoever. In fact, he was initially more successful than either of them thanks to his time spent as Mr. Money in the Bank and WWE World Heavyweight champion.
The Architect was positioned as WWE's top heel for most of 2015 while Reigns struggled to adapt as the top babyface. The backlash he received from fans was a direct result of his Royal Rumble victory that year, though that didn't stop him from winning the world title multiple times and headlining four consecutive WrestleMania events.
The only one of the three who failed to fulfill his full potential in WWE was Ambrose. He enjoyed extended runs in the midcard and tag team divisions but was never able to break through that proverbial glass ceiling aside from a brief period in mid-2016.
Ambrose finally clinching the WWE Championship made for a special moment that the audience ate up, but the followup was lackluster. He was cooled off considerably within a matter of months and eventually dropped the strap to AJ Styles, never to regain it.
Ambrose was always immensely over with the WWE Universe, but he was never pushed consistently at the level he should have been. Once his heel turn flopped late last year, it was evident his days in the promotion were numbered, and in April, he officially exited WWE.
Since then, he's been doing terrific work in All Elite Wrestling under his original moniker of Jon Moxley, but it's far too early to determine how well he'll do there. He hasn't held as many major titles or wrestled in as many main events as Reigns and Rollins have, but considering he won't be as creatively stifled going forward, he may well have the brightest future of the bunch.
That isn't to say Reigns and Rollins are limited in terms of far they can go and how much they can achieve in WWE, but it will be more difficult for them to grow from where they are.
Despite that, WWE seems to be adamant about making Rollins and Reigns the undisputed faces of Raw and SmackDown respectively, regardless of the reactions they receive. Without any potential prospects on the horizon, expect them to continue battling the best the business has to offer and serving as the flag bearers of the company.
Out of the three, however, Moxley has the most to gain and will be especially fun to follow in the years to come. No matter where they wind up, The Shield has already proved themselves to be one of the all-time great factions for everything they've accomplished.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website,Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his officialFacebook pageto continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
AEW Full Gear PPV Buys, Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin at TLC, WWE Release Rumors
Nov 15, 2019
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Reported PPV Buy Rate for AEW Full Gear
Last weekend's AEW Full Gear pay-per-view is reportedly expected to perform similarly to All Out in terms of pay-per-view buys.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Raj Giri), Full Gear did around 100,000 buys or slightly fewer. All Out also did 100,000 buys in August, while Double or Nothing finished with 110,000 buys in May.
Full Gear was headlined by a pair of big-time matches in Chris Jericho against Cody for the AEW World Championship and Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega in an unsanctioned match.
Jericho beat Cody to retain the title when MJF threw in the towel, and MJF later hit Cody with a low blow to cement his heel turn.
Moxley and Omega engaged in one of the wildest hardcore brawls in recent memory, featuring barbed wire, glass and weapons galore. Moxley won the match when he hit Omega with a DDT onto the exposed wood under the ring canvas.
Other key matches on the card were The Young Bucks vs. Santana and Ortiz, "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Pac, AEW Women's champion Riho vs. Emi Sakura and AEW Tag Team champions SCU vs. The Lucha Brothers and Private Party.
Reigns vs. Corbin Dog Collar Match Reportedly Discussed for TLC
Roman Reigns is in the midst of a feud with King Baron Corbin, and it could reportedly lead to a unique match at WWE TLC next month.
According to Meltzer (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), WWE is considering doing Reigns vs. Corbin in a Dog Collar match. The Target Center in Minneapolis, which is hosting TLC, is currently advertising Reigns vs. Corbin in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match, although that is subject to change.
A Dog Collar match is a rarity in wrestling, but it would seemingly fit with the Reigns vs. Corbin feud. Last week on SmackDown, Corbin cut a promo in which he mocked Reigns' "Big Dog" nickname by putting a whimpering cartoon dog on the big screen and telling fans they would have to scrape Reigns' "excrement" from the ring after their match.
Corbin beat Reigns on SmackDown with help from Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, and at Survivor Series, Reigns and Corbin will be forced to co-exist on Team SmackDown in the five-on-five-on-five elimination match.
A Dog Collar match features two wrestlers attached to each other by a chain, which is linked to collars around each competitor's neck. It is similar to a bull-rope match in that neither Superstar can run from the other.
The most famous Dog Collar match in wrestling history was likely "Rowdy" Roddy Piper against Greg "The Hammer" Valentine at NWA Starrcade 1983. Piper won the match, which was brutal and hard-hitting in nature.
It is unclear how that type of stipulation could play in this era of wrestling, but since both Reigns and Corbin are physical performers, they could potentially make it work.
WWE's Philosophy on Releases Reportedly Changing
WWE is reportedly reconsidering its previously reported stance on granting releases to performers who request them.
According to Meltzer (h/t Middleton), WWE has been against granting releases to wrestlers in an effort to prevent them from signing with AEW or other companies, but they may now be open to it for performers who are either not expected to sign with AEW or not likely to make a significant impact if they do.
Earlier this week, Sin Cara requested his release from WWE. Luke Harper and Mike Kanellis are other talents who have publicly requested their release from WWE in recent months, but both are still with the company.
Sin Cara had been appearing on Raw in an enhancement role by losing to Andrade and Drew McIntyre, but he hasn't been a major part of WWE programming in quite some time.
If WWE does release Sin Cara, it is difficult to envision him making a big splash in AEW since there is some quality talent already on the roster that has struggled to get consistent television time on Dynamite thus far.
WWE is within its right to keep contracted talent until their deals are up, but if it decides to do so with Sin Cara, Meltzer noted he may be in the fold for three more years since he recently signed an extension with WWE.
Listen toRing Rust Radiofor all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below(warning: some languageNSFW).
