Raising the Stakes | AEWeekly #177

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 a key Story Beat, Sam Preston [@bigbadabruce.bsky.social‬] with the Moment of the Week, Sachin [@sachin0mac.bsky.social] giving us the MVP 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.

The Outrunners vs FTR 

"Yeah. You read that right..."

by Abel.

The Outrunners vs FTR was the match of the week. You read that right. Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd are in what might be the tag team match of the year, and might have changed the trajectory of their careers. The excitement and disbelief from the opening sentences don't come from a place of negativity. It comes from a sense of jubilation, as two wrestlers who are incredible with the crowd, thanks to their gimmick work, were able to put on a hell of a match with one of the best tag teams of all time, FTR. 

For the better part of two years, the Outrunners have been a popular novelty act. However, the keyword in that phrase is novelty. The match on the July 5th edition of Collision, the 100th episode of the show, proved that Truth and Turbo are more than just a cool throwback gimmick, and have actual in-ring chops. 

The Outrunners didn't wrestle themselves, and a lot of the credit goes to their opponents, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. What else can you say about FTR that hasn't already been said? AEW easily has the two best tag teams, not just of today, but of a generation: The Young Bucks and FTR. It's so amazing to see how four different men can lay out a match, with varying styles of wrestling, yet both produce some of the best tag team matches of all time.  

FTR could have a good match against a mop and bucket. That is how good they are. However, that is not to diminish the accomplishments of the Outrunners. On the contrary, what made it a great match is that Truth and Turbo did their part to make us believe, even if just for a second, that they could pull this off. This match had a simple angle: former friends who felt slighted and were the underdog wanted to prove a point, and put forward a Herculean effort in doing so. This was EASILY the Outrunners' best match of their careers. 

This match itself was a throwback to the Rock' n' Roll Express vs The Midnight Express: no dives, no 360s, just fists and blood, exactly how FTR wants it. The exact moment in the match where the Outrunners won everyone over was the leapfrog that broke up FTR holding on to each other, which turned into a roll-up pin to the Shatter Machine. It was a work of art and proves that the Outrunners can put in the work in the ring. Even their signature spot, their tandem elbow drop,  was filled with more soul than ever before. Truth Magnum getting his ass kicked – for what seemed an eternity… and selling every bit of that – is excellent pro wrestling. 

The heart that both Outrunners showed in this match is what careers are built on. Even if the Outrunners lost the battle, their war is far from over, and if anything, they might have won the war with the AEW audience. It's going to be important that both FTR and the Outrunners capitalize on the momentum of this match. For FTR, it's essential to keep the momentum going in the tag team division that, right now, is being put in a stranglehold by the Hurt Syndicate. They aren't losing the titles anytime soon. IF Dax and Cash continue to go on this rampage, then it will keep the division interesting. 

For the Outrunners, this can be the moment where they can delve into more in-depth angles and programs, where it's much more than just being goofy. They can continue to do so – a la Orange Cassidy – but when it's time to get going in the ring, they have now shown that they can do it. If done correctly, this can lead to an eventual tag-team title run — just another excellent tag team in a superb division.

Will Ospreay, Swerve Strickland, and the Young Bucks

"I sort of think he whispered, ‘Trust me.’"

by Lauren.

As AEW enters its last few days before All In 2025, the pieces have been set up for the Men's World Championship fight between Jon Moxley and Hangman Adam Page. Everything seems to be pointing toward a Hangman win, and one moment on Dynamite both solidified that for me and acted as way points for four characters in particular.

For the past few months, Will Ospreay has been convinced that Hangman is the one who will save AEW from Mox. He has mostly failed to get Swerve Strickland, formerly Hangman's greatest enemy, to come around to the idea. However, the two of them teaming against a common enemy, the Young Bucks, has solidified their friendship in the eyes of the audience.

The Bucks, who blame Swerve for Hangman rebuffing their attempts to court him back into the Elite, spent a few weeks screwing with with Swerve and Ospreay: rearranging the match orders to catch them unprepared, showing up ostentatiously mid-fight as a distraction, and generally being their horrible little gremlin selves. Swerve and Ospreay have managed to power through this, winning every match. Last week, annoyed by the Bucks’ power plays, Swerve challenged them for their EVP positions.

This week he clarified: he and Ospreay don't want the power of an EVP for themselves (with Ospreay himself agreeing emphatically that he wasn't suited for that) so much as they want the Bucks to not have it any more. Earlier in the evening, just to put the icing on that cake, Matthew Jackson admitted to abusing the company credit card in order to buy a custom limo full of shoes for his brother Nicholas. The abuse of power is on full display, and Swerve and Ospreay are sick of it.

Ospreay, seeing that the Bucks weren't biting, asked Swerve to trust him before throwing out a stipulation: if he and Swerve lose, they will not challenge for the men's World Title for a year. Swerve was furious, but agreed reluctantly for the greater good. We all know how much the World Title means to Swerve; hell, at last year's All In, he entered as the champion, only to lose it to Bryan Danielson. To agree to this stipulation shows that Swerve is acknowledging that it's not all about him. He's a part of something bigger. He has shown himself capable of self-reflection, of working with others as equals instead of a superior, and is showing the leader that he is now capable of being.

On Ospreay's part, the stipulation is more than something offered out of desperation. It is his final show of faith in Hangman. He is saying without saying that he feels secure in letting the AEW Men's World Championship sit for a year because he believes that Hangman will win it and defend it well. In asking for Swerve's trust, he is asking for Swerve to trust Hangman, as well.

And then there are the Bucks. Matthew and Nicholas’ limo-driven tour of their childhood stomping grounds shows how far they've come, both from the children they were and the people they were when AEW began. They flaunt wealth and power to make up for humble beginnings. And right now, they don't believe that Hangman can make it without the Elite. Hangman's first title run began with a nod from Matt, saying that they agreed with what Hangman was about to do to Kenny Omega, even as estranged as Hangman was from them at the time.

This time, the Bucks either lack faith in Hangman, or they are ignoring him altogether in favor of sticking it to their current targets of bullying. Whether Swerve and Ospreay win or lose, the Bucks’ time is coming. They have been making enemies for too long. And between Hangman and Kenny, they have too many former friends that they have betrayed and spurned. One way or another, All In will likely serve as a turning point for Matthew and Nicholas Jackson, EVPs. And fingers crossed, Swerve and Ospreay get to them before Hangman and Kenny do.

Will Ospreay Laying Down The Challenge

"I’ve got something you might be interested in..."

by Sam.

Two of the biggest stars over the last two years in AEW have been Will Ospreay and ‘Swerve’ Strickland, becoming main event players that the fans have invested into. Swerve is a proven AEW World Champion, Ospreay is earmarked as a guaranteed World Champion (and was even expected to challenge Moxley for the AEW World Title over ‘Hangman’ Page). Because of that, when they challenged the Young Bucks at All In – with the stipulation that if Matt and Nick Jackson lose, they forfeit being EVPs – everyone was certain that the Bucks would lose. And then in a single moment, not only the match, but the next 12 months were turned on its head, when Ospreay offered an ultimatum to lure the Bucks into agreeing to the stip: if the Young Bucks accept, and defeat Swerve and Will, neither of the two will challenge for the AEW World Title for one year.

Boom, the complexity of this match has now thickened, and what seemed a certain victory for Swerve and Ospreay (simply because it was the only outcome with interesting story implications) has become shrouded in a fog of uncertainty.  The instinct of most fans is to think, “Swerve and Ospreay are too big to not challenge for the AEW World Title”, and yet…”what if?” There were other ultimatums that could have been offered that would have been instantly obvious as unlikely, such as putting their careers on the line, or doing a Cody and never challenging for the AEW World Title ever again, both of which would have instantly been laughed at. Think of when the Young Bucks said they would never challenge for the Tag Team Titles again if they lost to FTR at AEW Full Gear 2020, and everyone instantly went “Well, they’re winning”. One year is enough of a threat to punish Swerve and Ospreay, but more than that, it becomes a ticking time bomb.

Alfred Hitchcock once said the difference between surprise and suspense if there was a bomb under a table is information. If people are talking around the table for 5 minutes, and then it blows up, you are surprised, but nothing has mattered up to then. But if the audience is told there is a bomb under the table, and it will explode in five minutes, and they see the people talking about innocuous things, the public becomes fascinated and frustrated because they feel the tension of these innocent people at risk. Now imagine if Swerve and Ospreay lost the match on 12^th July 2025, and you knew that no matter what they accomplished, neither of them could challenge for

the AEW World Title until Sunday 12^th July 2026 at the earliest. Do you know what PPV has occurred after July in 2024 and 2023? AEW All In London.

Let’s suggest that after AEW All In 2025, you have it that ‘Hangman’ Page is the new AEW World Champion, but both Swerve and Ospreay cannot challenge for the title. Not only does this open opportunities for other performers such as Kyle Fletcher, Jay White, MJF, Brody King, Takeshita, Josh Alexander, Claudio Castagnoli, ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey, Mark Briscoe, to challenge for the title, but you can tell fascinating stories about both Ospreay and Swerve during this time. Firstly, you can have the inevitable fall-out between the two friends, leading to a violent war, maybe even after an initial attempt from Ospreay to make it up to Swerve by having them challenge for the Tag Team Titles (imagine Ospreay and Swerve against Hurt Syndicate, FTR, Golden Lovers, etc). You could have it afterwards that Swerve or Ospreay try challenging for the new AEW Unified Championship, help make it feel like another huge title as they, Okada and Omega battle over it (imagine a Fatal Four Way between them)! And on top of that, if you have it that ‘Hangman’ or whoever defeats him are reminded  after every title defence that if they get to July 2026, they have one of the two biggest stars on the planet with twelve months of anger, frustration and determination, ready to challenge for the title once more. That is tension, that is anticipation, and that could lead to a one year build up for the biggest main event in Wembley history.

At Forbidden Door 2025, imagine Ospreay and Swerve both had on their entrances “322 Days until they can challenge for the AEW World Title”.

At All Out 2025, they have “295 Days until they can challenge for the AEW World Title”.

On 28^th December 2025, most likely Worlds End 2025, they had “196 Days until they can challenge for the AEW World Title”.

About 24^th May 2026, possibly AEW Double Or Nothing, their entrance chyrons are screaming “49 Days until they can challenge for the AEW World Title”.

And about 28^th June 2026, as Forbidden Door begins, the conversation on the Buy-In show is “We are 14 days away until Swerve or Ospreay can challenge for the AEW World Title, and because of that, Tony Khan has booked them tonight for the opportunity that whoever wins will enter Wembley as the #1 Contender”.

And then just imagine, the main event of AEW All In, as one of these two men, likely Will Ospreay, finally gets to raise that AEW World Title, an iconic possibility that will be immortalised in front of an unbelievable audience and burned into the retinas of every fan that witnesses it live.

All originating from that moment, where Ospreay threw down the challenge to the Young Bucks. Not just this Moment of the Week, but what could go on to become the AEW Moment of 2025.

MJF

"Sometimes you gotta hand it to ISIS.”

by Sachin

Even though at this point it has become normal online to hate on MJF for which there are plentiful and valid reasons for it (such as over-exposure, over-indulgence and repetitiveness). He is one of the most prominent heels in the company who effortlessly and easily draws good heat and isn’t ashamed to make himself look like a chicken-shit coward to prop up whichever babyface he is feuding with. 

I have been avoiding MJF segments since he bought and brought prostitutes on TV to traffic them to Hurt Syndicate to gain a spot, but given how much TV time he gets it’s hard not to catch a glimpse of him. Additionally he’s involved with a wrestler I like and a wrestler I’m curious to see (Mark Briscoes and MIstco) and therefore I have to kinda put up with him for now. 

This week MJF exhibited that despite all of his faults why he’s so valued by AEW. He has been put in a very tough spot that a lot of wrestlers wouldn't be comfortable in and would struggle with and that is him feuding with multiple people at once and making them all look good. That's what he does. He is very good at making the other guy look good. Need someone to take bumps on behalf of The Hurt Syndicate - Call MJF. Need someone to feud with the top guy of CMLL in order to draw the lucha fans for the All In show in Texas - Call MJF. Need a perennial midcard babyface to move up the card and boost his importance to the show - Call MJF. 

I'm not trying to portray MJF as this good old boy that is always ready and willing to sacrifice a part of himself and do the difficult work that others don’t want to. I think we can all agree he has flaws. Many of them. But he's doing something that should be admired right now. 

On Dynamite he made himself and his pickle look small to big up Mark Briscoe and add some kind of story that they can tell in the Casino Gauntlet match. On Collision he appeared (not live) to talk shit to Mistico and further antagonize him in order to continue their rivalry for the All In match and a likely one on one encounter. Also if you haven’t noticed in the background to all this he is continuously and subtly building himself up for a championship programme after All In. 

To clarify myself I'm not trying to say MJF is doing something others can’t do or don’t want to do but what he’s doing is very difficult and it requires a lot of skill and competence to pull something like this off and he's doing a great job right now. 

I hope that if you also had sold your MJF stocks a long time ago and weren’t paying attention then perhaps after reading this you might feel encouraged to just consider starting to rewatch him again.