Guns Down? (Or Up!) | AEWeekly #219

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 the Match of the Week and 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] 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.

Kyle Fletcher vs. Komander

"An Athletic Showcase..."

by Abel.

Kyle Fletcher vs. Komander was much more than just a title defense of the International Championship for Fletcher. This match was the catalyst to set up for a massive fight against Bandido at Redemption, and for Komander, it was to once again prove that he belongs in AEW as one of the best, most jaw-dropping wrestlers in the world. It was a week that didn't blow me away in terms of match quality, but Fletcher vs Komander still would still have been a Match of the Week contender even in a week chock-full of awesome matches. This was a great showcase for Komander and a fantastic way for Kyle Fletcher to start his reign as International Champion.

(Re that upcoming match: AEW continues to excel in transitioning from one segment to the next without hard cuts or commercials, and they used that to great effect setting up Fletcher's next match with a masked luchador. After Bandido and Brody King won their match, they seamlessly transitioned to Fletcher and Don Callis backstage, where all of the drama was about to start. Everyone knows that a heel hates being interrupted, and even if it was an accident, Fletcher did not take too kindly to Bandido taking up his TV time. I think moments like this are super realistic. Have you ever been out at your local dive bar? Most fights start like this. Just dudes being assholes.)

Fletcher really does thrive in these sorts of matches. And what I mean by that is: against the smaller, more agile wrestler, he is a fantastic base, and is athletic enough to throw himself around – making it seem all too natural and painful. On the flipside – as we see at the end of the match – this also has the benefit that he is strong enough to catch these high-flyers with ease, catching Komander from the top rope to finish him with the Brainbuster. Fletcher is so versatile in the ring, which is why he consistently ends up in my Match of the Week.

Funny side bit: Fletcher hugging then covering Don Callis’ ears from the crowd chant of “F*** Don Callis." Taz, acting as his usual quick-witted self, says, “It's okay, Don. Some of us like coffee, others like hugs from Kyle Fletcher.” So glad to have Taz back as a commentator.

Komander, for his part, is an excellent luchador and wrestler. He is underrated and should be on television on a weekly basis. I don't know if perhaps his lack of English is holding him back on national television, but he should be on television, winning titles in AEW much more often. The only man I can think of that is even in the same league as Komander, as far as being able to walk the tightrope, is Mistico, and even then, Komander soars like no other human being on earth.

For example, that Fletcher Cielito Lindo counter, which Komander then countered, was phenomenal. He used the ropes to readjust to take Fletcher out. Then the Super Destroyer that followed was one of the more impactful variations of that move I have ever seen. Out of this world! If this was a preview of the match at Redemption, then consider me sold. The match did its job and got me excited for Fletcher vs Bandido for the International Title.

The post-match theatrics were just as entertaining as the ones at the start. Konosuke Takeshita came out to confront Fletcher, while Kazuchicka Okada came to Rainmaker Takeshita and to make his presence felt to Fletcher. Fletcher vs. Okada will be the next big rivalry and perhaps see one of them leave the Don Callis Family.

With Bandido and Brody King standing tall in the ring, could this be what we see Sunday at Redemption?

The Dogs and the Bang Bang Gang

"If you've adopted dogs with our names recently, please put them down..."

by Lauren.

Jay White returning to action is giving fans two things they've been waiting for. First, the inevitable continuation of the rivalry between him and David Finlay that started in New Japan. Second, the Bang Bang Gang at full strength and silliness.

AEW is now the home to three of the former leaders of the Bullet Club: Kenny Omega, Jay White, and David Finlay, who all sit in a direct line of betrayals and takeovers. Bullet Club has always been a home for scheming and drama, and after being placed on pause due to absences and injuries, this next chapter of the manliest soap opera can continue.

The friendship between Jay and Finlay has been revisited  through video packages, acting as an introduction and a refresher: the two were fast friends as young men, but then power changed things and now they are mortal enemies. Finlay took advantage of one of Jay's lowest moments, his banishment from NJPW, adding even more injury to injury by clubbing Jay in the back of the head with a shillelagh before declaring himself the new leader of Bullet Club. Jay has been lying in wait to pay his former friend back, and returned the favor at Forbidden Door.

Since then, this blood feud has been a little bit silly, in the best of ways. Bullet Club, as previously mentioned, is historically all about the drama, and now these two over-the-top men and their friends are literally and figuratively low-blowing each other at every opportunity. The BBG, particularly Juice Robinson, have decided to run with the dog metaphor and bring up neutering every week.

The metaphor has been escalating every week. The BBG have, to date, declared themselves veterinarians who are fully licensed to neuter dogs, (they are not) and then partnered with an animal shelter in order to adopt out two dogs, whom they renamed Clark and Finlay. This charitable act was somewhat undercut by Juice Robinson declaring that they were going to “euthanise you, scrutinize you, circumcise you, and then we're gonna stick your noses in a pile of your own feces!” (Author's note: that is not an effective way of potty-training a dog.)

In response, on this week's Collision, the Dogs had a retort of their own: a public service announcement repudiating the “Gang violence, and banging, neither of which have a place in AEW,” that the BBG have perpetrated.  In solemn tones, they denounced various aspects of the BBG, finally requesting “Guns down.”

The BBG responded, naturally, refuting the claims, though in much rowdier tones. “Misogynists? We love massages!” declared Austin and Colten Gunn. Jay finished the segment while brandishing the stolen shillelagh.

The war is so far very silly, especially with the supporting cast of characters. But the depth of history between Jay and Finlay suggests that the silliness is a veneer, a holding pattern until everyone is in place and the real battle can begin. This coming Dynamite, Jay will face Clark Connors one-on-one, and we'll see how the sliding scale of whimsy versus murder begins to shift.

Bang Bang Gang

"MISOGYNIST?! We LOVE massages!"

by Larissa.

The Dogs have finally broken free of the Cage and Cope vortex and are embroiled in a much more fun feud with the Bang Bang Gang. In their interminable “5 second pose” phase, the Dogs were unfunny and overexposed. But now that Jay White and a reinvigorated Bang Bang Gang have run afoul of the Dogs, they’re producing some of the most enjoyable minutes on the show. Suddenly, it’s exciting to see both stables on TV, when previously their appearance meant it was time for a bathroom break. There’s an alchemy to booking wrestlers together. When it’s done well, wrestlers make each other better, drawing out each others’ best qualities while covering for each others’ weaknesses. The Bang Bang Gang and the Dogs are a match made in heaven. The two stables released a series of promos that are laugh-out-loud funny.

First, we got the Bang Bang Gang in an uncharacteristically serious mode, announcing that two actual dogs in a Virginia animal shelter have been named after Clark Connors and David Finlay. Then, two dueling promos on Collision: First, the Dogs in the style of a public service announcement. This was fantastic. I loved Finlay interrupting Connors’ crotch chop with a disapproving shake of the head. But the moment of the week came as part of the BBG’s rebuttal. The Gang begins addressing the charges levied against them by the Dogs: Ace Austin thinks we shouldn’t care about his bad haircut (and it is pretty bad) when he has “sweet, thick thighs.” The Gunns object to being called misogynists, but in a perfect moment, it’s revealed that they think this means they don’t like massages. Who doesn’t love a himbo? Or two himbos? Or four himbos and one smart New Zealander? The BBG and the Dogs are defining themselves against each other, to the benefit of both groups. This was the biggest laugh AEW has gotten in our household in a while. I’m looking forward to seeing how this feud escalates.

Kevin Knight

"The Night of Knight"

by Abel.

Kevin Knight has been one of the more important central figures in AEW over the past year, and this last week was no exception. Even with Kenny Omega’s AEW World Championship win and celebration, the focus seemed squarely on Knight and his struggle to be his authentic self, along with the persona he has conjured up to fit within the scum and villainy of the Don Callis Family. You can tell how much Tony Khan sees in Knight, as he continues to give him not only television time, but also continued pushes toward the AEW World Championship. It is a matter of when, not if, Knight wins the title. It is only a matter of time. Knight was prominently presented on both shows this last week, and with a match and juicy segments, it is hard to argue that he was not AEW MVP of the Week.

Knight started his night (lol) by interrupting Omega’s champion presentation. This, I think, was a tactical move that worked for Knight and TK. It shifted the attention from Omega to the rising star, and it got him his title shot. More importantly, it also started the narrative around Knight not being completely lost to the dark side. It was a long segment – as Will Ospreay also played a big part in it – but worth it, as it put Knight over.

Honestly though, I think the most important moment of the week for Knight was his back-and-forth between himself and Speedball Mike Bailey. These 2-3 minutes gave us even more hesitation and truly gave us a moment to believe that Knight perhaps lost his way and is not all the way gone as a heel. Speedball knows the real Knight is in there somewhere, and he is there for him whenever he decides to shed this persona. I think we are headed for a reunion between the two before it's all said and done. I'm not saying this or next year, but Knight returning to tag with Speedball will be the endgame to returning as a face.

Kevin Knight's match against AR Fox was obviously great, which kept him in mind as AEW moves forward to Redemption, where he will officially go after that "two belt" status he's spoken so much about. But first he has to defend his TNT title against a revenge-minded Darby Allin. This past week and the next couple are going to be incredibly important for the continued growth of Kevin Knight in AEW. It will prove that he isn't just a fantastic athlete, but also a great storyteller. He has already grown so much in that aspect since his debut in AEW, but the job is not done quite yet.

Whether this is all a facade for Knight to further his career is yet to be determined, but given how the seed has been planted, I don't know if Kevin is long for the Don Callis family. What I do know is that this week, Knight grabbed the spotlight, even when the spotlight was supposed to be on the World Champion, and he excelled.