Double Take | AEWeekly #226

Before we get into anything else, Rest in Peace Andy Williams, aka the Butcher.

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, Larissa [@actual-swamp-hag.bsky.social] expanding on both Move & Moment of the Week, and Sergei [@sergeialderman.bsky.social] talking about the Best Call & Interview, as well as editing and organizing it all.

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

We'd love for this and any and all of our content to be the beginning of a conversation with our readers. To interact with any and all of our contributors please accept our invitation to join the Pro Wrestling Musings Community Discord. Then follow this link to the #AEWeekly Discord Thread.

“I’m on a New Level…”

by Abel.

The New Level has hit the ground running in All Elite Wrestling, not only being on television for a match vs the Rascalz just three days after their debut, but also looking like they've found their second wind. I think having The New Level appear in the first Dynamite after winning the titles at All In was imperative, not only for the AEW fans but for Kofi and Austin as well. There have been previous examples of former WWE guys coming in and not giving it their all in the ring. That is obviously not a problem for Kofi or Austin Creed, as they looked reinvigorated in an AEW ring. They've said in interviews that they still feel like they have something to prove, and that they are the best tag team in the world. If that is what they are trying to prove, then they came to the right promotion.

If The New Level say they feel reinvigorated, then they would have to prove it right out of the gate, as the Rascalz are three of the most impressive and innovative wrestlers in the world – especially in trios. I think the New Level proved their style fits the AEW format perfectly. I heard online somewhere that it looks like Kofi and Creed are now wrestling as though the weighted vests are off – and that is the best way to describe it.

The match was anything but a squash match, which I think would have been the easy booking decision for Tony Khan. As noted earlier, the New Level want to prove they are willing to put in the work weekly. They want to earn the respect of the fans and show that they aren't just here to cash a paycheck. Swerve is the muscle to Creed and Kofi’s athleticism. This isn't to say Strickland isn't athletic, because that would be absolutely false. But physically, there are things Swerve can do that his other two partners cannot, which is a great added element to the high-flying.

The Rascalz are also one of the more exciting teams in AEW, and they deserve their flowers for this match, too. Myron Reed’s spot of giving Creed a cutter while giving Swerve a hurricanrana might be the best of the year. Reed really has something and that it wouldn't be out of the question for him to earn some solo gold. I think it's only a matter of time before the Rascalz get some serious gold in AEW, and whether that will be tag or trios gold is yet to be determined.

However, we all knew that this wasn't going to be The Rascalz’ night, as this was a celebration for The New Level and Swerve to show out.

The Young Bucks vs New Level rivalry that was teased after the match was goosebump-inducing. Not long ago, this was something we could only talk about in terms of “what-ifs,” and now not only is it a possibility, but it's absolutely going to happen in the near future. A true dream match, one that could main event any PPV. If The New Level continues to wrestle like this, I can promise you it won't be the last time they will be part of the Match of the Week for Pro Wrestling Musings.

“Reed’s Deeds”

by Larissa.

At this point, a pattern has emerged with talent that moves from WWE to AEW. Even wrestlers who seemed boring in the WWE (don’t get mad but Andrew Ciampa and Andrade were both total snoozefests over there) have been able to find their niche and carve out interesting characters for themselves, while wrestlers who already seemed good have been able to take flight in AEW in a way that they couldn’t at their previous company. I don’t want to speculate on the differences in creative control and working conditions at the two companies, but in the past two years, I haven’t seen anyone come to AEW and get worse. There seems to be something about the company that encourages wrestlers to rise to their full potential. The match between the Rascalz and the New Day Level proved it. I’ve never seen Austin Creed and Kofi wrestle like that before; they were moving at what felt like twice the speed of their WWE days. Of course, the Rascalz are also WWE alumni; they were fine in NXT* and seemed like fun from the moment they arrived in AEW. But I’ve never seen anyone do what Myron Reed pulled off this week:

Instead of the Rascalz just getting fed to the New Level (feat. Swerve) Reed’s stunt became the most talked-about moment of the show. Swerve and Creed lined themselves up perfectly for the move in a miracle of excellent timing. Like, I already knew those guys were good, but they are really good! Especially impressive considering that all six of those men had been wrestling in London only three days before - and Myron Reed wrestled in Philadelphia the day before All In!

I love seeing wrestlers come to AEW and blossom the way we see with Reed and the rest of the Rascalz. The Rascalz couldn’t have arrived at a better time: They’re still early in their careers and have already made names for themselves. I used to think Desmond Xavier was the member who had the most singles potential, and I still think he’s the most charismatic, but right now I’d love to see Reed in a program with just about anybody!

*I have been informed that only Desmond Xavier was officially in NXT and that the other Rascalz were in TNA, but I think my point still stands.

Sergei: Myron Reed is the epitome of a human highlight reel. I agree with Abel and Larissa that his Tornado DDT-rana or whatever you'd want to call it is the Move of the Week. (Note that all three of us picked that before knowing that the others had!) The fact that he hit it on two wrestlers as prominent as Swerve and Creed (in his Dynamite debut, even!) makes it all the more impactful – Reed is a talent to watch!!

Abel: Also Myron Reed (as mentioned in Match write-up)

“Still Smiling…?”

by Sergei.

On Saturday night, Willow Nightingale had a short pretape responding to Mercedes and Thekla’s words behind her back on Wednesday. Considering that Mercedes has loudly proclaimed that she succeeded at Wembley at what she had set out to do – taking away Willow's smile – I think it's noteworthy that Nightingale did not literally smile at all. But it's worth remembering that “losing your smile” has a WHOLE other meaning in pro wrestling, and Willow focused here on that other “HBK” kind: saying that as similar as she and Mercedes may be in some ways, she's not going to take six months off to sulk because the result didn't go her way.

But that's not the reason this was my Interview of the Week – it's what she said next about WHY she keeps getting back up and fighting:

I fight for myself, yes. But I keep fighting because there are people that need me to mean it when I say it.

…It's me. I'm “people”.

Sergei: One of the most difficult and thankless tasks that the broadcast team takes on is being required for plot reasons to pretend something very predictable is actually very unpredictable. When you're in that unenviable position, having supporting evidence for your ludicrous claims helps a lot. NJPW announcer Walker Stewart impressed me with this in his guest-stint on Collision by supporting the unlikely claim that Komander had a good chance in his match against Nick Wayne based on a callback to the luchador’s shock win over Castagnoli back in the 2024 Continental Classic. A lot of times my Call of the Week is going to be something funny or pithy, but sometimes being knowledgeable – not just to show off, but in support of the storytelling – is exactly what makes a broadcaster stand out.

“Head to Head…”

by Larissa.

So, not one month after Ospreay won the Big Belt at Wembley Stadium, he’s defending it against Jon Moxley! Tough luck there, my guy. I bet he was hoping for a nice, relaxing defense against Rocky Romero or something for All Out, but unfortunately Tony Khan is one of the great Sickos of all time, and now the Aerial Assassin will be facing down the Ace of AEW in Chicago, which is a mere 250 miles (around the block by Midwestern reckoning) from Cincinnati. And to make the situation feel even more loaded, the match was announced moments after Moxley and the rest of the Death Riders defended Ospreay from the Dogs, including part-time Death Rider and full-time hobgoblin Gabe Kidd. After chasing off an irate Kidd, Moxley handed Ospreay back his championship, with the requisite longing glance at the belt. It’s clear that Moxley still holds Ospreay in high esteem. But Jon Moxley isn’t the type of person to let warm fuzzies get in the way of his ambitions.

And how does Ospreay feel about Moxley? He took the flag that Moxley offered him at All In, and still exhibits the brutality that the Death Riders instilled in him during his “internship” with them. He hinted at wanting to start his own branch of United Empire in AEW; perhaps he’s interested in becoming a Moxley-like figure himself. Jon Moxley is something of a cult leader in AEW; can Ospreay completely undo his programming, or has he been forever changed by his encounters with the Ace? Whatever is in store for Ospreay’s character, he’s not likely to give up his belt so soon after his historic win on his home soil. I’m one hundred percent certain that Ospreay is not going to drop the belt to Moxley, but I am also one hundred percent certain that some fuckery is going to go down in Chicago. It’s going to be messy, and I can’t wait.

Sergei: Completely agree that the Best Moment this week was the closing moments of Dynamite, specifically the reaction take of Moxley and Ospreay finding out, out of the blue, that they’d be facing off again, will or nil, after seemingly having put their issues behind them. (Count this as my Story Beat of the Week, also.) Whether you thought the moment was goofy or compelling, everybody was talking about it and memeing about it, which is a sign of a great moment. Agreed with the Bluesky poster below that this was the best of the memes:

Sergei: Something I've noticed looking back at the past year is certain performers often being involved with the chosen MVP of the week, but not being tapped themself. Specifically: Swerve, Friedman & Moxley. Let's start fixing that! The sudden reveal of Jon Moxley as Ospreay's next challenger immediately raised interest, anticipation, and stakes. To me, that's the definition of value!