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Gravity Forgot | AEWeekly #229
Greyson: As a Day One member of AEW – quite literally, as he was there at the press conference for the first Double or Nothing – Benjamin Satterley better known as PAC acted with strength, resolve, and discipline to not just achieve excellence in the ring, but intentionality towards create a thriving and durable pro-wrestling ecosystem, especially in his native United Kingdom, even sacrificing his WWE career to do so. Just the evening before his tragic passing he put on a remarkable display of athleticism in his match against Andrade El Ídolo. As we have seen from the outpouring of love from the AEW locker room, as tough and stoic as he may appear, he was also a man who cared deeply for others. He set an example for so many, myself included, as even though I was not yet an AEW fan when it initially took place, I belatedly partook in the fitness challenge inspired by his storyline with Hangman, the Full Gear Challenge. I still have the Full Gear Challenge logo on my wall, next to where I used to have a whiteboard that I’d write my goals on, and it will continue to be an inspiration when I am able to restart training. The Full Gear PPV was named from this story – just one example of his lasting impact. As we endure this unusually difficult time for our movement, in every action we take and every discussion that arises in the coming days, we should all strive to reflect his caring spirit, wisdom, and toughness, keeping his same unwavering commitment to the goal of strengthening AEW and independent wrestling at the forefront. PAC would have demanded no less.
Sergei: By all accounts, PAC deserves every accolade coming his way, and was in many ways one of the MVPs behind the scenes every week, just as Andy Williams had been – inspiration and encouragement to everyone around him. But to refocus on the onscreen side that we as the fans see, my MVP for the week is Hangman Adam Page who proved once again that his passionate storytelling brilliance is at the core of the AEW mythos, even now that he is no longer in the Men's World title mix.
Lauren: We're going to miss you, Pac... Minor shoutout to Britt Baker, though: for helping direct the crowd's energy back towards the wrestlers while we were all still preoccupied with Steve Borden's condition. Her hairpull on Persephone’s debuting challenger got the crowd’s energy and volume back up.
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, Lauren [@sithwitch.bsky.social] exploring an Intriguing Story Beat, and Sergei [@sergeialderman.bsky.social] talking about the Best Interview, as well as editing and organizing it all. In addition, we are joined by Greyson for Quick Takes on the above categories plus on Impactful Moment, Best Move, Best Call & Most Valuable.
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.
Sergei: This was a PPV week, and there were many awesome moves on display in Chicago on Saturday night. And yet for impact, my mind continues to go back to something from the late-night Wednesday hour of Collision. Specifically, Queen Aminata head-butting Skye Blue’s soul through the back of her chest. The set up where, after taking a slap from her opponent, she turns back with a glare like “oh, you're asking for this!” is what really makes it….
Lauren: Hangman doing the Backshot Lariat off of Swerve was both a reminder of how well they work together (even when NOT together!) and how both will take any advantage in order to get the win over the other.
"What are you doing?..."
by Sergei.
It's not very often that you're going to see me give the nod for Best Interview to a multi-person promo battle. They can be necessary – they can even be effective. But my platonic ideal of a wrestling interview is one performer with one microphone in the middle of the ring holding a crowd of people in the palm of their hand. But the in-ring faceoff on Dynamite between HungBroDido and Swerve Level was on – well – another level: it furthered a great emotional story, showed great humor and timing, and each of the six men filled their role well.
It started with Adam Page genuinely congratulating the Trios champs and earnestly welcoming the New Level to AEW. “But!” Hangman isn't so sure that they realize who they've gotten involved with. (Prompting New Level’s patented “WHO?” chants...)
Then he turns to his long-term love-hate, Swerve Strickland and asks… “What are you doing?” So... Page decides to go into trios, and suddenly loner Swerve has two friends? Rather than Swerve replying immediately, Austin Creed butts in, talking up New Level and the trios belts… but then he decides to defend Strickland – and the smirk on Swerve's face and the incredulousness even on the face of his closest ally Nana when Creed claims “this is a changed man!” is absolutely hilarious.
Then Kofi gives Brody the easy lay up: “Ever since we've been here, Swerve has been nothing but cool!” … “It's been three weeks!”
Then Page sets Swerve up for a retort by saying that he'll show New Level who he is in time… leading Swerve to protest that Hangman has some nerve to talk. First he mentions Page’s history as a trios slut. But then he goes on to the deeper issue: how Hangman showed his monstrous side at the All Out two years before. Swerve then gets to paraphrase the classic villain trope:
This leads to a heated staredown and the other 4 hilariously needing to awkwardly move on… King being like “okay, regardless of whatever that's about, we're gonna have six of the best in the ring on Saturday.” Then he passes it off to Bandido to cap it off with a passionate declaration of intent to regain the titles for his team – normal wrestler stuff, standing in perfect contrast with whatever’s meanwhile going on with those two… Overall, it was just a really fun spoken segment, but at the same time an amazing new continuation of probably one of the greatest feuds ever.
Greyson: The Call of the Week comes from our entire All Out commentary team, for their handling of Steven Borden’s injury. Immediately after the incident, Tony Schiavone, Taz, and Excalibur quickly stepped in to serve as the ideal outward expression of the care and concern everyone in AEW showed for Borden as he was attended to by medical staff off-camera, and the genuineness of their words showed the priority that AEW places on athlete safety and wellbeing as a key part of its culture. Beyond handling the incident itself with the utmost professionalism, they even went the extra mile to keep us updated through the show, helping quell some of the anxieties that many of us felt that night. Thankfully the updates so far have been positive, and we hope and pray for Borden to make a complete recovery.
Sergei: One of the absolute delights over the last couple of weeks has been Juice Robinson’s transformation into a parody of an NFL coach. As a heel commentator, it can sometimes be very useful to the plot to pretend at having a terrible memory… Ie, blatantly lie. It can also be just hilarious, like Taz “forgetting” all about the existence of Bill Alfonso:
I never saw a guy with a whistle at ringside before!
Lauren: These were great, too, but… honorable mention to Excalibur wondering if Brody King was barking in an effort to diffuse a tense situation. I mean … What? ... I know I compare wrestlers to dogs and cats a lot, but if next week Brody sits on Hangman in an effort to keep him out of trouble, I'm going to assume that Excalibur knows that Brody is a secret were-sheepdog.
"...Little bit of crime..."
by Lauren.
The men's trios match at All Out was, predictably, great. Given all the names involved, it also had some of the best character development of the night. At the center of the story are Swerve Strickland and “Hangman” Adam Page, who are gasoline and fire every time they're in proximity of each other. Bandido and Brody King both have their own grievances against Swerve, but are also dedicated to helping their new friend Hangman stay in control of himself. And the New Level – Austin Creed and Kofi – are newcomers who only recently learned about their totally cool new buddy's past and have never seen the depths Swerve can go to in order to get what he wants.
From the very beginning, Swerve couldn't help but broadcast his intentions. He and the New Day are all known cosplayers, and they used the WB brand synergy to full effect by dressing up as speedster superhero the Flash – sort of. Instead of wearing the iconic red, Swerve wore yellow – the color of Reverse Flash, a man driven mad by the knowledge that he must become the rival of the hero he admired most. For a man trying to prove to his new friends that he is totally fine and cool, you only had to look a little under the surface to see how “not fine” Swerve is about Hangman. The Good, the Bad, and El Guapo dressed in their usual outfits with no dramatic foreshadowing.
The match began cordially enough, with Bandido and Kofi even having a little fun. But as it went on, the mood changed. Both Brodido and the New Level did their best to keep Swerve and Hangman away from each other. But because Swerve is Swerve and Hangman is Hangman, things got out of hand and both men required their teams to separate and talk them down. (Brody yelling the sanity back into Hangman's eyes was a particularly striking image.)
The calm, naturally, did not last. Swerve continually tortured Bandido while making direct eye contact with Hangman, a totally normal and chill thing to do. (On commentary, Excalibur theorized that Brody's ringside barking at Swerve during this was an attempt to defuse the situation – an absolutely bonkers take that I have been thinking about for days.) Between this bullying and his own history with Swerve, Brody began losing his patience and decided to let Hangman have a little violence – as a treat!
The match was less outright bloody than most matches that involve Hangman and Swerve, with Hangman's bloodly lip the only drop spilled in the match. It was also less vicious, with no syringes or barbed wire anywhere. It was still the New Level's first taste of what Hangman and Swerve are like in the ring together. Austin Creed found himself in the crossfire more than once, including taking a Buckshot Lariat meant for Swerve at one point.
New Level and Swerve won, with Hangman basically putting Swerve in the right place to pin Bandido. But will the New Level have any questions for Swerve going forward? Will Hangman stick with Brodido, or do what he's done so many times and isolate himself in self-destruction? … The next few weeks are looking juicy.
Greyson: After AEW Redemption, when Will Ospreay left Death Riders, I wondered who he would be without them and how he would act as Men’s World Champion. Would he be able to lead, and how would he lead? Turns out Jon Moxley (of all people) and I both wanted to see the same thing – and this past week Will Ospreay proved that he can deliver, starting with his promo on Dynamite and all the way through the end of All Out. He is someone who has shown the discernment to make the most of a variety of perspectives: navigating the balance of developing into a strong, relentless fighter, using some of the ideas he learned from Moxley and The Death Riders, while still wholeheartedly embracing the AEW movement’s values. Even though he thanked Moxley and views him as a major factor in why he succeeded in winning the title, Ospreay is unafraid to boldly and unapologetically reject the parts of Moxley’s ideas that are contrary to his values and those of our movement. And he has done so in dramatic fashion, first tearing the bag that started the Death Riders’ brutality and now burning its symbol. He has rebuilt a stable in United Empire – a key defense mechanism other babyface champions have sadly failed to achieve. At All Out, in the most explicit way possible, he showed his commitment to standing against the negative aspects of Moxley’s ideology via the grand spectacle of his Assassin's Creed-inspired entrance. Instead of his typical Death Rider beatdown post match, Moxley instead showed the Champion respect by handing Ospreay his championship (the same title belt he had once hidden away from sight in a briefcase) and shaking his hand, perhaps yet another signal of a shift within Moxley away from the most repressive aspects of his ideas. And for Ospreay, earning and accepting Moxley’s show of respect at the end of that hard-fought retention, even after his strong repudiation of Moxley’s ideology, is a major testament to Ospreay’s ability to lead even those he disagrees with. Ospreay’s reign early on has been filled with an unusual amount of tragedy, but now more than ever, I trust he is a man who is prepared with precisely the right tools and the right heart to meet the moment.
Sergei: As I've mentioned in both Match and Interview elsewhere this week, Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland have had one of the greatest feuds ever… but I might've thought they had gotten all the juice there was to get out of it. Before this past week, I'd have said the most logical next step for the two would be “grudging respect” allies or “I'm scared of him, and moreso of who I become around him, so I just don't fw him anymore.” But I see the vision now, and I can't wait to see what’s next!
Greyson: At All Out, The Young Bucks climbed the ladder to become four-time AEW World Tag Team Champions. Besides this historical milestone for the Bucks, there was tremendous symbolism to every aspect of the moment they got the win. It was in the arena of the first All In, which was the first major victory on the Bucks’ path to create a viable alternative in the pro-wrestling space. Then you have the inclusion of FTR, – which at first I was not too enthused about, but now understand as an important aspect of avenging themselves on their long-time rivals – and the then-current champions Cope & Cage, two legendary standard-bearers who the Bucks looked up to as examples, and against whom they had previously failed to show that they had an edge (pun intended) on. To top it off, they used the BTE Trigger on Cage – symbolizing and calling back to the humble YouTube series that started it all. And that BTE trigger was delivered on top of a ladder – reminiscent of one of my favorite AEW moments of all time, when I was in the building at The Forum in LA to see The Elite win the trios titles in a ladder match. (Ironically enough, against a team including PAC.) The Young Bucks’ mission to Change The World, as much as it has been fulfilled, also continues as strong as ever today.
Lauren: Mox's little smile and laugh just before Will Ospreay's hidden blade… A moment of acceptance and acknowledgement for a teacher who realizes his student has indeed surpassed him.
Sergei: It's tough to focus on the fun side of things with everything going on, but fundamentally, that's what wrestling is about – the point is to have fun. And at All Out, the most fun moment was almost certainly birthday girl Willow Ciampa giving the double middle fingers to Kaz Okada to his hilarious chagrin. The glance to her Mom for permission first was PERFECT.
"Though it may haunt us and break our hearts, death cannot tear us apart"
by Abel.
It's been a couple of weeks since I've been able to do the match of the week – I've been so busy at work; this is about the time I could use a clone to help me out – and coming back this week is one of the hardest match reviews I’ve had to do since I started this over a year ago. While the All Out card was packed with fantastic matches, the news from the weekend makes one choice feel right: Andrade “El Ídolo” vs. “The Bastard” Pac as Match of the Week.
I hate that I have to write a review of this match under these circumstances. This is another major loss in the AEW locker room, and the second in a month. His family, friends, and loved ones are all mourning, and there really isn't an easy way to do this. So I will try to honor Pac the best way I can – by looking at his last match with a smile and remembering the immense talent and person Pac was in the ring. His last match was a microcosm of his legacy: an all-time worker, a tremendous seller, and an amazing athlete. At the same time, he wasn't afraid to put someone over and make them look like a $1 million man.
Here's to the Bastard.
Rewatching the match with hindsight in mind, Pac’s entrance is riveting. His piercing look into the abyss, as if he knew something we didn't, made this entrance even more haunting. Andrade LOOKS the part of a superstar, and after jumping between companies while trying to find what he wanted, he's finally found a groove, along with a spot at the top of the card. Both men carry themselves like giants, even though neither reaches 6 feet.
The crowd was split down the middle with battling chants of, “He's our Bastard. How you know?” Pac – ever the professional – knew exactly what to do to get the crowd to hate him. He took Andrade’s handshake and used it against him, kicking him in the gut. From there, the Englishman took over and turned Andrade into ground beef outside the ring, highlighted by Pac sending Andrade what seemed like 20 feet in the air through the barricade.
Pac was one of the best wrestlers in the world because he could wrestle in a bunch of different variations. His versatility shone during this National title match. While not the tallest man in the world, Pac’s physique still made him one of the most imposing wrestlers in the locker room. Pac served as the big muscle in this match, while Andrade was the high-flying babyface. That 450 Splash (from the rope and not the corner buckle) was one of the night's most athletic moments.
However, Pac spent as much time airborne as Andrade, but we didn't notice because of how good a ring psychologist he is. The way he looked at Aubrey for what he considered a slow count, and then the Bastard wagging his finger at the crowd when stopping Andrade from taking off his pants, is an absolute masterclass in heel wrestling. Marina was such an essential part of this match and the Death Riders. I can only imagine what she is feeling today. Her continued interference made her a key part of the match and Pac’s forever valet.
Andrade’s double moonsault splash adds a bit of silliness. If his opponents had really scouted the Mexican superstar, they would know this was coming. But that's why I love wrestling: if you wanna see some cool shit, you have to suspend disbelief for 20 minutes. Andrade’s pants and photoshoot spots are the same every time, but I love his gimmick.
I'll remember the end of the match for a long time, as both men proved they are two of the best in the world and earned the honor of opening a stacked card. The Brutalizer being Pac’s ultimate downfall was great booking, keeping both men strong. As Excalibur said, if they had wrestled 100 times, both men would have split 50/50. That kind of match is what made Pac so special.
Andrade will continue his journey to a World Title shot, with, I'm sure, a heavy heart, knowing he was The Bastard’s last match. Both men put on a hell of a match, and it will go down as one of the best of each other’s careers. They wrestle each other with such care that their dance is mesmerizing. Unfortunately, we will never see that again. But what we can do is remember Pac for the great athlete that he was, and his final match is a fitting tribute to that.
Sergei: I am a singles match guy – it's what I'm into. I question the existence of a trios division... But this week was a trios week for me, both in interview and match. HungBroDido vs Swerve Level did an amazing job of balancing being a fun party match and also furthering one of the greatest feuds of all time…
Lauren: While other matches were flashier or more emotional, Divine Dominion vs. the Brawling Birds stood out for me. First: it was the first blood of the night. Second: It's the best match either team have had. Third: It's possibly my new favorite women's tag match. All four women looked like badasses.
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