BETRAYAL | AEWeekly #211

Welcome to the #AEWeekly review discussion where PWM contributors reflect on the highlights of the last week in AEW. The eligibility week always includes the most recent episode of Dynamite and Collision, plus any social-media exclusives up until publication.

This week’s contributors are Abel [@loza3.bsky.social] covering Match of the Week and the week's MVP, Lauren [@sithwitch.bsky.social] exploring a key Story Beat, Larissa [@actual-swamp-hag.bsky.social] expanding on the Moment of the Week, and Sergei [@sergeialderman.bsky.social] talking about the Best Interview, as well as editing and organizing it all.

 A page of links to prior installments may be found here: #AEWeekly

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Konosuke Takeshita vs Kazuchika Okada

"AND NEW..."

by Abel.

Double or Nothing was truly a masterful showcase of some of the best wrestling in the world, and the highlight of the night, as far as matches go, was the International Championship match between Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada. In a PPV that was one of the best we will see this year, the two Japanese superstars showed up and showed out, putting on what will end up being one of the year's best wrestling matches. The crowd was hot after the Cope/Christian vs FTR match, and when this was announced as the follow-up match, everyone in that building and at home knew that Takeshita and Okada could, and would, deliver.

And boy did it ever. This could have easily main-evented on any other card, but because of what Darby Allin vs MJF meant, it was better to be at the start of the card instead.

From the very start, both men showed why they are two of the very best at what they do. If you've been reading my reviews (first of all, thank you!), you know that I'm big on chemistry between the performers in the ring. Takeshita and Okada are in sync and dance so well in the ring with each other. Move for move, step for step, the two former IWGP Champions know how to get the best out of each other, including selling each other's movesets. Example, Okada’s Rainmaker to Takeshita on the apron. Another example: the Blue Thunder Bomb, as a counter to Okada’s Rainmaker.

That atmosphere and energy from the New York crowd were palpable. At every turn, the crowd met the moment, bringing life and adding a layer of excitement to the big-time match. The flow of the match was a pendulum; momentum swung from one corner to the next, giving us a nice, steady pace that prolonged the match.

There were major “little brother vs big brother " vibes in this match; it was even mentioned from the commentary, about the “Young Boy” culture in Japan and how this resentment starts from that tradition. You could feel that coming through the screen, as all the punches and bumps landed like they were thrown with the utmost strength. Speaking of strength, if there is a variation of the German Suplex, Takeshita knows it. The amount of strength it takes to pick someone up from their arms through their legs is insane. Okada is not a small man, and throwing him around is cinematic. It's something that should not be overlooked.

Takeshita is so athletic. I talk about that every time he’s part of the match of the week. Takeshita should not be able to move like that, for as big as he is, but his topes are always so majestic as he floats through the sky like he is weightless and not 240 lbs.

Before the end of the match, the reversed Rainmaker from Takeshita set New York ablaze. The crowd cheered that move as if the Knicks won the NBA Championship. That set up Takeshita to knee Okada to smithereens and to hit him with one of the prettiest Raging Fires the planet earth has ever seen for the win, and to become a 2× International Champion. Okada doesn't lose very often, so dropping a belt to Takeshita is all you need to know about what the Rainmaker thinks of the Alpha.

Takeshita has been sitting on the sidelines, per se, but now, after a huge win, he is next up, as he should have been a while ago, and his impending feud with former DCF member Kyle Fletcher will be one of the feuds of the year.

The post-match angle was one-of-a-kind. Kyle Fletcher’s return, unbeknownst to us, was the official end to Takeshita’s time in the Don Callis Family. Fletcher lives in this “tweener” space that, even though he does some of the most heinous shit as a wrestler, the crowd loves him, and he can get away with whatever he wants to. Fletcher is set to climb to the top of the card alongside, I'm sure, his "best pal" Takeshita.

Can't wait!

Mick Foley

"Greatness does not come in one package..."

by Sergei.

We've been doing this AEWeekly thing for a while now, and I never really imagined that I'd write the name "Mick Foley" at the top of a Promo of the Week section, and be writing about a new great Foley promo. As Mick said on Sunday, let me drink it in for a second.

Okay, so what makes this a great promo? For someone in Mick Foley's position, anytime he has the mic, he's not there to get himself over, he's there to put others over and put the story over, and nobody is better than Mick at painting a picture with his words of what pro-wrestling characters are all about. Foley's job Sunday night was to get over the characters and story of Darby Allin and MJF – and thereby maybe convince a few more to buy that PPV – and he (rightly) made it all about confidence and insecurity. Mick starts out by pointing out that Max is in the position of fighting to not lose, which is always a disadvantage. This brings out MJF, incensed at the truth being told.

Max says some pretty boilerplate heel schtick, and Mick responds with some gags intended to get under Friedman's skin, leading up to "your wavy hair is waving goodbye." MJF responds with a nut shot, which one might misunderstand as Max getting one over on Mick, but that's his insecurity coming out. Going for the low blow instead of a rejoinder is basically an admission that Friedman doesn't think he can hang with Foley on the mic.

When Darby runs down to make the save and Max flees to the top of the ramp, Mick takes the mic again, and the really good stuff begins – a passionate pep talk to Darby:

As I watched you succeed in my own way, I felt like it's myself succeeding. Because you were the weird kid – who was never picked for stardom. You were the shy kid – people mistook shyness for arrogance. And you taught the WORLD… that greatness does not come in one package. So tonight … WIN ONE FOR THE WEIRD ONES!

And here we come to the difficult position they put Foley in (and that he's often been in throughout his career) – he's amazing at selling us on a longshot, but… it remains a longshot that often doesn't come true. Darby Allin did not go on to win one for the weird ones Sunday night, which might make you ask "why did you show us if we couldn't have it?"

Now I'm not going to claim that it wasn't about winning – MJF wanted his Triple B back and desperately wanted to keep his hair, while Darby badly wanted to put Max through that humiliation. But a coward dies a thousand deaths, so even though he won, Max's deep insecurity remains, and even though he lost, Darby had never fooled himself that this title reign would last forever and (even though Max will claim that this proves it was all a fluke) nothing can take away the impact of the month that he just had.

Just like nothing can take away the co-sign he got from one of his heroes in Mick Foley.

Kyle Fletcher

"Et tu, Kyle?!?"

by Larissa.

The match that preceded this week’s Moment of the Week was an absolute masterclass. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada was everything I’d hoped it would be and more. It was perfect from electrifying start to glorious finish. I want to watch it again every day of my life. I wonder what it’s like to be as good at anything as those two gentlemen are at wrestling.

I also wonder what it’s like to be as nefarious, as dastardly, as gosh-darn despicable as Kyle Fletcher, who pulled one of the most heartbreaking fakeouts of all time on his former bff Takeshita. After Takeshita won the belt, he was accosted by Don Callis and several Family members, including Lance Archer*. Just as things were looking bleak for the Ace, we heard Hot Mulligan scream “Protostar!” I didn’t realize how much I had been missing Fletcher until he appeared onscreen, as sockless as ever. He’s not crucial to the Takeshita v. Okada feud but he does add seasoning to it, if you will.

Anyway, Kyle scares off the Don Callis menace, pulls Takeshita into a very genuine-looking hug, hands him the belt, and then knocks him on his ass with a lariat. As a beaming and extra-leathery Don Callis looks on, Fletcher drags Takeshita to his feet. Takeshita’s feeble, futile attempts to defend himself did the same thing to me emotionally as those nature documentaries where David Attenborough forces you to watch seagulls eating baby sea turtles as they flop towards the ocean. (Sorry for putting that image in your head.) The crowd howled in outrage, but they were powerless to enact mob justice upon Fletcher. It was a truly shocking moment that came immediately after one of the best matches of the year. All of Double or Nothing was incredible this year, but Kyle’s betrayal is what I’ll remember most vividly.

* related: Imagine running into Lance Archer on the street and not knowing he was a wrestler. You’d be terrified, wouldn’t you?

Betrayal

(Fletcher & Knight & Shida)

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..."

by Lauren.

Double or Nothing 2026 was a spectacular night, by every definition of the word. In some ways, I don't envy the other writers of AEWeekly for having to choose a favorite moment or match among so many contenders. I couldn't decide between three, so I'm going to write a little about all of them, especially since they all hinge on the same act: betrayal.

First chronologically was Kyle Fletcher. Since joining the Don Callis Family in 2023, he and Konosuke Takeshita have been close friends both behind the scenes and in front of the cameras, even teaming as their fandom ship name, Protoshita. In late 2025, Kazuchika Okada – seemingly in an effort to annoy his rival Takeshita – began calling himself and Kyle “Protokada” and implying that they were actually closer friends. Okada may have lost the International Championship battle to Takeshita, but he won the homewrecking war. Kyle, returning from injury, came out after the match to congratulate Takeshita, even hugging him in the middle of the ring. But as they turned to leave, Kyle attacked Takeshita, helping in the DCF's beatdown of Don Callis’ first son, and made a post on social media laughing at the devastated fan reaction.

The second happened in the four-way match for the Women's World Championship. Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida have been tagging together for a few months, mostly reluctantly on Kris’ part, but even so they worked together fairly well early in the match. The first crack showed when Shida tried to pin Kris, much to Kris’ annoyance. Kris returned the favor, and that could have been that. These things are inevitable in a multi-person match where it's everyone for themselves. But then Shida kicked Kris in the chest. It could have been an accident, but it was just one more in a line of similar accidents during their time as a team. And finally, when confronted, Shida dropped all pretense and slapped Kris, even sneaking up behind her later to hit Kris in the head with her shinai. The cumulative damage was possibly what cost Kris, leading to her being pinned in the ring. After the match, a visibly furious Kris challenged Shida to a street fight.

The last betrayal happened after the main event. Maxwell Jacob Friendman left the match as the new (and third time) Men's World Champion, and Darby Allin left on a stretcher. Before he could be wheeled out, MJF first stood posing on Darby like a big game hunter with his kill. Then a familiar, hopeful song started: that of TNT Champion Kevin Knight, who has been a reliable source of rescues for the past year, along with his former tag team partner, Speedball Mike Bailey. Kevin came out alone, chased MJF off – and then proceeded to jump off of the ringpost and onto Darby's body, kicking the stretcher over after. Even MJF was shocked for several seconds before giving a surprised, relieved laugh. Kevin, for his part, dragged his hands down his face and exhaled, a visible mix of shock and his own type of relief, that of someone who can stop hiding. Backstage, his only comment was to “get that camera out of my face.”

Betrayal is essentially the worst crime a wrestler can commit in kayfabe. It's not just because of the audience's empathy toward the victim; it is a betrayal to the audience. In cases like Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight, the audience has been reassured over and again that something is true: Kyle loves Takeshita and Kevin Knight will come to the rescue. Even in cases where the audience suspects, like Shida's turn toward Kris or Kevin Knight beginning to speak with, as the girlies from the Tunnel Talk podcast  put it, a “heel-flavored accent,” the timing or target can act as the rug pull.

Part of watching pro wrestling, at least for me, is noticing the foreshadowing. In some cases, this can lead to fantasy booking: surely when the inevitable split between the DCF and Takeshita, Kyle will take Takeshita's side. Or surely when Kevin Knight turns, Speedball will be his first target. Sometimes, it's even right: surely, when Shida turns, Kris is going to go on a rampage.

Kyle, Shida, and Kevin are all joining Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, Julia Hart, Sammy Guevara, Action Andretti, Mariah May, Adam Cole, Kris Statlander, Hangman Adam Page, and MJF at the very least as people who have turned on those who trusted them. Some of their betrayals have been forgiven or forgotten with time, and some of them (YUTA) may never be forgiven. Perhaps in the future, there will be atonement. Or maybe they'll double down and become worse.

Betrayals are nothing new in pro wrestling, and they will happen again. But knowing that didn't stop me cursing at Kyle, or yelling at Shida, or screaming in horror at Kevin. If everyone is doing their job, the best betrayals will hurt you as well. And if you're a particular kind of sicko like me, you'll savor that a story can make you feel so much.

Darby Allin

"It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday..."

by Abel.

MJF is the new AEW World Champion for the third time and can now return to his BS. After losing the title at the Double Or Nothing pay-per-view, Darby Allin's clock officially ticked to midnight, and his skateboard turned into a pumpkin. Allin's title run was truly generational – he threw caution to the wind and fought some of the best wrestlers in the company. For weeks, Darby put his body on the line in a manner that could have “shoot” put him out for a while. While it would have been easy to pick MJF as the MVP this week, we can't move on without remembering what Allin did for AEW over the past month.

The match against MJF could have been enough to make him the AEW MVP this week, but the run-up to DON was just as amazing as anything else Darby has accomplished. With matches against Sammy Guevara and Mike Bailey, and THEN MJF, all within a matter of nine days. Not only that, but all of his matches before that made it clear – at least to me – that even in a loss, Allin has to be recognized for his effort this past week to hand off the title back to MJF in a stronger place than it was before. Unlike MJF, who fights once a month, Darby fought on every show, every week, to give credence to and renew the term “fighting champion.”

Darby Allin is this week’s MVP, but more of a “posthumous” “in remembrance” MVP. His AEW World Championship reign was one-of-a-kind, and because of what Allin was able to accomplish in a matter of a month (give or take), it should be reflected on and commemorated. Darby’s championship run will be remembered fondly. Darby was the talk of the wrestling world, crossing over into popular culture, representing the company, and bringing new ideas to the product, which was crucial during this time of dissatisfaction with another company. Whether Darby was the reason these new viewers tuned in or was just in the right place at the right time, it worked out for both Allin and AEW.

Allin’s match against MJF was the perfect cherry on top of his reign. Darby was beaten straight up. No hijinks, no golden diamond ring, no shenanigans. I think that was the right move. TK and creative laid the groundwork for Allin to look and fight visibly exhausted, which gave us the excuse to have MJF win pretty handily. At the same time, however, it did not lose Allin a single ounce of credibility as a champion or momentum, which will make him a made man moving forward.

The obvious next chapter for Darby will be his feud with Kevin Knight. After what happened at the end of Double or Nothing, Allin and Darby are on a collision course – maybe for All In. Knight’s speech on Dynamite, in retrospect, was the harbinger for things to come if Allin did not win at the PPV. The build for Knight and Darby from Tony Khan has been simultaneous, and, not a coincidence, they now meet at this point. They have similar training backgrounds and were champions during one of AEW's hottest periods.

It will probably be a while before Allin is our MVP again. Or maybe, he's the MVP again next week. However, nobody would fault the former world champion for taking a little break to rest what is undoubtedly one sore daredevil. So, let's take a moment to reflect on how great Darby Allin’s championship reign was and how fun AEW was under this watch.