...en su casa esta noche... | AEWeekly #175

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, Sachin [@sachin0mac.bsky.social] talking Best Interview, Lauren [@sithwitch.bsky.social] exploring a key Story Beat, Emiliana [@emilianartb.bsky.social] with the Moment of the Week, and Sergei [@sergeialderman.bsky.social] 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.

Mistico vs MJF

"Que soy yo quien te espera. Que soy yo quien te llora. Que soy yo quien te anhela. Los minutos y horas."

by Abel.

AEW Grand Slam: Mexico was a once-in-a-lifetime wrestling event, one that united and galvanized almost everyone in the wrestling community. It was a beautiful sight to see a wrestling company work with a Mexican Lucha promotion instead of buying them out. To showcase and bring to life one of the cathedrals of professional wrestling, Arena Mexico, and not to colonize it. Respecting and appreciating the culture, not appropriating it. The atmosphere was crisp, and the crowd was ripe for taking in what they were about to witness. 

MJF vs Mistico was everything you wanted out of an event like this. You have your unruly, Ugly American versus the beloved Mexican hero. Both of these men have had better matches, and to be honest with you, as in-ring quality goes, Bandito vs Mascara Dorada was the best match of the week. But for what this match meant to Mistico, Mexico, and Lucha Libre fans, MJF vs Mistico was by far the match of the week.

The second "Me Muero" hit — Mistico's original entrance song — all of Arena Mexico got on their feet and sang as if it was their last song on Earth. They were instantly transported back to 2007, a time before Mistico left, and they were reminded of a better time. For Mistico, this was his full-circle moment, proving to the American crowd that he wasn't just Sin Cara; he was one of the most beloved and cherished Luchadores enmascarados in the world. He symbolically did this by ripping off a Sin Cara mask before ripping it off and revealing a tri-color Grand Slam-inspired lucha mask. 

Mexicans and fans of Lucha Libre didn't need to be reminded who Mistico was, nor did they need a "redemption" tour. The flowers were from those whose only impression of Mistico was his disappointing run on WWE. This was a love letter from Tony Khan to Mistico and an opportunity to reclaim his legacy in the United States. For that alone, this match and moment were one for the year. 

In the ring, the two styles couldn't be more opposed to one another. Mistico is one of the best high flyers in the world and can jump out of any arena. MJF, on the other hand, likes to slow things down and methodically dissect his opponents. They both paired well and had good chemistry, especially considering they had never faced off against each other before. The crowd was in on every bump, spin, and punch, which gave us one of the best crowds of the year. 

The evil foreigner gimmick is played out, and in today's political climate, it can be insensitive and tone-deaf. HOWEVER. With that being said, the reason it played so well at the Grand Slam is that the foreigner, for once, was American and not the "other." Mistico and Mexico were portrayed as the heroes, defending their home from the evil colonizer and intruder. MJF, honestly, is the only person in 2025 who could pull this off without looking — especially—like a jerk, which worked because, according to reports, MJF upset a Mexican fan so much that they followed him to his hotel room and tried to confront him. Wrestling is so back! 

This might be an appetizer for All In, as it has been rumored that these two men might face off again at the wrestling event of the year. The aftermath suggests that this rivalry is far from over. MJF doesn't care about winning or losing. He just wanted to hurt people. The ending protected both Mistico and MJF in setting up a potential rematch in Arlington. 2025 has been the year of Lucha Libre on American national television, and Grand Slam: Mexico was the highlight of the year thus far. 

"WE ARE SO BACK”

by Sachin.

It can be pretty tiring to just exist sometimes. If you were a hang-fan a year or two ago and someone were to come to you and tell you things were gonna get this good you probably were not going to believe them. But once in a while good things happen to good people. I don’t understand a lick of Spanish, but nevertheless I was smiling ear to ear while listening to the Hangman here because I was just happy for him and how far he has come from being a cynical, hate-filled monster that he was trying to become (and to some extent succeeded.)

Lo siento por mi español, porque no es el mejor, pero es un poco mejor que muchos Gringos.

(I'm sorry about my Spanish, because it's not the best, but it's a little better than many Gringos).

Ah what a thrill bi or polylingual folks must get when they start by saying that their (insert name of language) is not the best and then proceed to speak that language fluently. 

I don’t think I need to beleaguer the point about how important and a huge moment this decision to speak Español on an American TV segment was. Wrestling isn’t the most progressive of an industry and people have been known to say or even do some pretty insensitive and tone-deaf stuff (‘you people’ promos by HHH or El Grande Americano for example) and get away with it due to the majority of wrestling audiences being white male Americans who have been inoculated to believe that everything on the show should cater to them and that other groups matter a little less. The dark clouds of US politics are visible even from here (India) and for the literal main character of the show to go out and perform for ‘them’ is nothing short of a political statement in itself, not just by the man himself — but the company, too.

Cuando yo era joven mi familia tenía una granja de tabaco, y cada verano como seis hombres vienen de Ruiz Nayarrit a trabajar. Efrén, Samuel, Edrien y como dos o tres Migueles. Y cada año trabajé con ellos y ellos me enseñaron sobre el pueblo mexicano. Eran muy trabajadores, eran honestos y cuidaban de sus familias.

(When I was young, my family had a tobacco farm, and every summer, about six men came from Ruiz, Nayarrit, to work. Efrén, Samuel, Edrien, and two or three Miguels. Every year I worked with them, and they taught me about the Mexican people. They were very hardworking, honest, and took care of their families.)

If this isn’t irrefutable proof that Hangman is in fact not a cowboy but rather an all too common farmboy, then I don’t know what is. As the old Terry Funk saying goes, “I can’t make them think wrestling is real but I can make them think I am real.” You believe in Hangman because “he is real'' and that’s a rare trait in pro-wrestling nowadays. You hear him and you believe him. You look into his eyes and what do you see? A genuinely decent human being, a much rarer trait in pro-wrestling. 

Gracias por recibirnos en su casa esta noche. Gracias por esta colaboración entre AEW y CMLL, por qué cuando trabajamos juntos podemos cambiar el mundo.

(Thank you for having us in your home tonight. Thank you for this collaboration between AEW and CMLL, because when we work together we can change the world.)

He said the thing. The line works poetically, not just in the context of the current state of affairs in the world, but also in terms of the kayfabe story of AEW. Mox-ullini has taken over AEW (kinda) and he has held the world title hostage, multiple babyfaces have failed including the Hangman himself, but now is the time. Now has to be the time and the Hangman knows it. God knows how long it has been since Hangman got a one-on-one shot at the title, and if previous trends are to be believed, then this match is going to involve a finish where more than two people are going to participate. Hangman needs help, and he might not get it from his friends, so I guess he’ll have to hope that his enemy hates Jon Paquette more than him. May God help our favorite Gringo. 

Kris Statlander

"And if you think I want any part of it, then you better get out of my face!"

by Lauren.

Kris Statlander has not had the best year, emotionally. The former Best Friend member has found herself friendless since leaving bad attitude and former manager Stokely Hathaway behind after All Out 2024, and her attempts to redeem herself and reconnect with her former friend and tag partner Willow Nightingale have not been going well.

Frustrated with having her good faith attempts rebuffed, she has been lashing out in recent weeks when asked about Willow, who is making new friends and having new feuds with the Conglomeration. For the past two weeks, sympathy has come from an unlikely source: former Best Friend turned Death Rider Wheeler Yuta.

Fans of Being the Elite can remember the mostly-good natured interactions between them before Yuta decided to cast in his lot with a more serious group. Their interactions mostly consisted of Kris choking out Yuta while Chuck Taylor offered advice on how not to lose matches (“Just kick out!”) but in a mostly sibling energy type of way.

Backstage at Grand Slam Mexico, Yuta approached her and advised her not to care what anybody else thinks about her. And at this Saturday's Collision, he returned as she was mid-rant to Lexi Nair and in no mood to deal with him. Instead of choking him out, she shoved him away and then ran headfirst into Yuta's current mentor/cult leader, Jon Moxley.

At first seeming like he was about to threaten Kris, he instead returned her dropped phone while offering her some advice: “Don't ever–ever–let anybody tell you who you are or what you're worth.” Kris looked terrified at first, but still nodded at his advice.

It's easy to see in this moment what makes Mox such a compelling figure to Yuta. He may be ruthless, but he's still invested in the growth of those he deems worthy. And to have such a terrifying figure see your worth has to mean a lot, especially when a person is already feeling unhappy with themselves.

Kris is strong and capable. But she's also at odds with herself. Nothing she's done has been enough to have Willow wholeheartedly welcome her back. She is currently title-less and factionless. She can continue to walk the slower path, of doing everything right and waiting on someone else's timetable, or she can be selfish and follow a heel's quest for power at the expense of others. She certainly has the connections for the latter, with Yuta in the Death Riders and Trent Beretta in the Don Callis Family.

In the meantime, she's on her own. She'll have to decide who she is and what she's worth, and whether some things are worth their cost.

“When we work together, we can change the world!” gifs lovingly crafted by Emiliana

Hangman Adam Page

"Latino Honorario"

by Emiliana.

In 2023, Hangman Adam Page did a 619 on AEW television the week before the 3rd annual Grand Slam. I remember saying it back then: “That’s my boy! He's an honorary Latino to me.” Cut to 2025, and my favorite wrestler, probably of all time (second only to the likes of Eddie Guerrero - a real Latino - and Sami Zayn - who is not by any means related to the masked El Generico, also honorary Latino), cuts a live mic promo in front of a raucous, Grand Slam Mexico crowd in what is arguably one of the most legendary arenas in the history of professional wrestling…all in Spanish. My native tongue, the language of my people.

I am the daughter of immigrant parents. They, not so similarly but similarly enough to the immigrants that Hangman spoke about in his promo, found prosperity by working in the United States. They moved us here when I was really small, and they worked hard for everything they had. They taught me that hard work and kindness and family and friendship were the only ways to make it in this world. There are a lot of people who work in the United States who, by their own choice or the will of the government, do not live here. But the fact remains that they work hard to give their families a good life, wherever they call home.

The story Hangman told struck a cord with me, suffice it to say. Through it, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace at being understood, of being seen. Latino culture isn’t homogenous, but there are certain things that unify us no matter what: our love of good food, our resilience, our language, our sport, and our dedication to family and hard, honest work. He touched on a lot of those, and in the end, I think he also reminded us that we are united in that — that if we work together, we can change the world (for the better).

That would tie in later when he came back to, coincidentally, save his worst enemy.

One thing Hangman made sure to emphasize was that AEW was a guest in the home of CMLL and the country of Mexico, and that he and the roster were all truly humbled and grateful for the opportunity to be received in the house of lucha libre. This, along with the anecdote about the men who came to work at his family’s tobacco farm, connected in what feels like a very relevant way to the times in which we currently live: While the American president and his backers (among them the most powerful family in American wrestling) make a mockery of international diplomacy, international relationships with countries like Mexico and Canada, and shun the hard working immigrants that make the U.S. so great in the first place — here we have the face of AEW, the second largest American pro wrestling company, reminding us that AEW is for everyone, and it respects the wrestlers and the companies that it works with; this company understands that if we work together, we can change the world.

Hangman didn’t say all of this, but he didn’t have to. He did say a lot of it, though, in the way only Hangman knows how: simply, and kindly, and efficiently, with the cutest Gringo accent I’ve ever heard. Apart from the joke about multiple Miguels and the banger line about what he would do to Mox come show’s end (“le voy a partir su madre!”), I think what I was most astounded by was how easily I understood every word. He really did great. The worst he did was mispronounce “enseñaron,” (the Spanish word for “taught” —  hilarious, given his past occupation) which is terribly hard to say for most Gringos and I don’t blame him at all. He knew what he was saying, so his cadence was good. It didn’t feel at all like he’d memorized it from a script.

“I’m going to beat the shit out of him!” / “I’m going to beat his ass!” (rough translation; yes, the word ‘mother’ is in there but I promise it won’t make sense to you if it’s translated literally. IDK who taught him this phrase, but I owe them a debt) gifs lovingly crafted by Emiliana

And most important of all, it felt like he meant every word. It’s what we love best about him, right? That he’s real and genuine and relatable. He’s just your average cowboy who works side by side with other hard working folks, no matter where they come from… or what they’ve done to each other. Eventually, he’ll have to accept help, one way or another, because that’s how we change the world.

I know I gush about him a lot, but I just think he’s neat. And this meant so much to me, as a Latin American. I have never felt more at peace with what’s happening on my favorite wrestling show than I did after that promo. And I think, given what’s going on around us constantly, a little good feeling is nice.

Gracias por todo, mi vaquero querido.