Turning AEW Off and Back On | AEWeekly #212

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 and the week's 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.

Konosuke Takeshita vs Daniel Garcia

"Takeshita Starts His Title Reign with a Bang…"

by Abel.

Konosuke Takeshita has officially started his “solo” run (I had some hesitation, as it looks like the International Champion might have already aligned himself with the Conglomeration) with a bang, as he begins his second title defense against Daniel Garcia on Collision. While this was as much a highlight match to show off the new and improved Takeshita, it was almost as much a vehicle for Daniel Garcia to not only remind us how good he is, but how well the Death Riders experiment has worked out so far.

​Because of the mat wrestling showcase both men put on, and the story told within the ropes, Daniel Garcia versus Konosuke Takeshita for the AEW International Championship is our Match of the Week.

​From the get-go, this match was set up to be the best of the week. Takeshita’s entrance was fantastic. Brian Cage and Jake Doyle look like rabid dogs chasing after Takeshita, wanting to take off his head. It put an extra emphasis on the new rivalry between Don Callis' family and the AEW International Champion. Garcia, sans Moxley, has the best Death Rider walkout variation. So between the two walk-ins, my excitement went through the roof, and I was not disappointed.

​Most of Takeshita's matches highlight his strength and speed. I mean, why not? It's easy to structure a match around Takeshita’s ability to lift a house or jump out of the arena. However, this was a little different. We’ve all known Garcia to be one of the best technical wrestlers in the world. The Japanese powerhouse isn't necessarily known for his technical prowess; however, this match was structured around Garcia’s strengths, and it really put Takeshita outside of what WE are used to seeing him in.

​However, it wasn't something the NJPW Television Champion isn't used to, or even good at. It showed us (or for some, reminded us) how good Takeshita can be on the mat. Against Garcia, Takeshita proved he could roll around on the mat with one of the best technical wrestlers in the world. This was a reemergence match for Daniel Garcia. He has been neck-deep in the Death Rider storyline, acting as muscle more than a leading man. Garcia’s title match against Takeshita proved that the Death Rider experiment has worked and has reinvigorated his career, if he decides to go solo again.

​Something Garcia did really well against the stronger, faster Takeshita was to slow down the match and concentrate on his knee. Konosuke selling the damage Garcia had inflicted on his knee was something I kept attaching myself to, adding a layer of gruff to Garcia proving he belongs with the Death Riders. His time has paid off, making him pay closer attention to little details in the match. Garcia held his own against one of the best in the world right now, and you can honestly say that Takeshita also held his own – against one of the best technical wrestlers in the world.

​One little detail that occurred during the match that I thought was great, was switching between Marina and Moxley in commentary. It was a stroke of genius. When it was Shafir’s turn to go on commentary, she gave some advice to Garcia on how to tap out Takeshita, that only she could give. "Toes to butthole"! These opportunities to speak more will only give her more confidence and make her more likable to the crowd. I believed this to be a great experiment. A detail from commentary that was brought up by Moxley that caught my attention was Moxley criticizing Takeshita for his cover, or lack thereof, after his Blue Thunder Bomb. That is a great way to explain why that beautiful move isn't a finisher.

​However, if Takeshita has a poor cover after the Blue Thunder Bomb, then Garcia has to be told to stop cranking so far back on his Dragon Slayer – it backfires every time. That was the turning point of the match, where Takeshita took advantage of Garcia's mistake, hit him with the Raging Fire, and got the 1,2,3.

​It was complete faction warfare after Takeshita won, as the DCF tried to get their dirty little hands on our conquering hero. This skirmish was mental. Death Rider worked alongside the Conglomeration, and the DCF received a helping hand from Shane Taylor Productions. There was even a Lee Moriarty vs Nigel McGuinness angle that gave us a little tease for their upcoming ROH match for the Pure title.

​Takeshita and Garcia are two of the best in the world, and they proved it last Wednesday. Takeshita is getting his singles push right now, and I hope Garcia gets another one sooner rather than later. He proved he is ready to do it again.

Konosuke Takeshita and the Conglomeration

"THE CONGLOMERATION, LET'S GO..."

by Lauren.

This week, the Conglomeration acquired one new member, possibly more. Konosuke Takeshita, current International Champion and formerly of the Don Callis Family, was presented with his own backpack by Orange Cassidy. Speedball Mike Bailey joined the Conglomeration in rescuing Takeshita from his erstwhile allies. And Lio Rush was also there.

The Conglomeration seems on the surface to be a group of babyfaces with excellent vibes. They're the definition of silly little guys (gender neutral; Willow Nightengale is a member and Harley Cameron also hangs around) and their sitcom-style entrance video reinforces the appearance of folks who just want to have fun. Underneath the lighthearted exterior, though, are a group of deeply hurt people who found each other. Every single person in the Conglomeration has suffered loss. Mark Briscoe is the most obvious example, with his loss of his brother Jay. Orange Cassidy was left alone after the dissolution of the Best Friends. Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly were left without a leader when Adam Cole was forced to retire. Tomohiro Ishii's faction CHAOS dissolved. Willow Nightingale was betrayed by Kris Statlander. Even if Speedball and Lio don't join, they also fit the profile: Speedball was publicly attacked and abandoned by his former tag partner Kevin Knight, and Lio Rush was betrayed by his former Cru tag partner Action Andretti. Takeshita, abandoned by not only the DCF but specifically by his wrestlehusband Kyle Fletcher, is in the right place. Not only a found family, but one that acts as the polar opposite of the DCF.

It seems inevitable that the DCF and Conglomeration would find themselves at odds again and again. The presence of Trent Beretta and Rocky Romero alone means that they would have beef with Orange in particular, but it goes beyond that. The Don Callis Family is one man's vision of control; the Conglomeration is a leaderless group of equals. The DCF prioritizes large men; the Conglomeration not only has women, but is made up of people who don't fit the 6’2”, 230 lbs. leading man stereotype. The allies of the DCF tend to have been bought by Don Callis; the Conglomeration just wants to see the good guys win.

The DCF turned Takeshita into a killer, but it should be remembered that he got his start in (and is still on the roster of) DDT, a more comedic wrestling promotion that also produced Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi. Under the Conglomeration, perhaps Takeshita can rediscover his inner silly little guy while doing some murder on the side. The Conglomeration, after all, are not just a bunch of weirdos. Mark Briscoe is a death match king. Roddy, Kyle, and even Orange are technical geniuses. Even Willow, though she is currently recovering from a shoulder injury, has her share of hardcore matches and championships to her name. The vibes are great, yes, but they also serve as a misdirection. It's easy to underestimate the good-natured folks who just like having fun. With Takeshita on their side, they can reach new heights of both brutality and whimsy.

Outright war with the DCF has been on the horizon for a while. Takeshita allying with the Conglomeration brings it one step closer.

Hikaru Shida

"..."

by Larissa.

Frankly, going into Dynamite this week I was feeling pretty cranky about (in my opinion) the egregious imbalance between how the men’s and women’s divisions are booked. My mood only got worse as the event went on and on, with the women getting only one dinky squash match during the first two and a half hours of the show. The main event of the night was a women’s match – a Philly street fight between Hikaru Shida and Kris Statlander – but it didn’t even start until about 11 PM, by which time plenty of folks had already left the arena. That said, the match was a knock-down, drag-out banger, with Stat and Shida both putting on an absolute clinic in brutality. There were chair bumps, table bumps, and one hideous lightbulb bump that busted Stat’s back open like an overripe tomato. But for my money, the nastiest spot of the night was when Shida rode her trusty bicycle down the ramp and over Stat’s extended arm, as the Cosmic Killer lay flat out on the ground.

I think what made that spot so gruesome was that I could imagine how it felt – also, I’ve never seen a spot like that before. So, while there were plenty of contenders for moment of the week (Kevin Knight turning on Speedball and breaking one million hearts was a close runner-up), I have to hand it to Stat and Shida for putting on a match that was both thrilling and punishing to watch. I’m excited to see where their storyline goes: Will it develop into a long-term rivalry, or be abandoned by the division’s inconsistent booking?

RUSH

"When You Mess WIth The Bull.."

by Abel.

This is a week of transition in AEW. After Maxwell Jacob Friedman defeated Darby Allin for the title at Double or Nothing, MJF’s title defenses are the complete opposite of Allin's. Meaning, he's not going to defend it on a weekly basis, and he's not going to defend it against anyone he can claim hasn't earned it. So that means that the challengers for the AEW World Championship are now going to be few and far between, and those who call their shot are going to be some heavy hitters. RUSH has been working towards this moment for weeks. He has had more squash matches than Butternut.

​His presentation for the last couple of months has been that of a future world champion and the next big deal. RUSH has been collecting winning chips over the last few weeks, and he finally cashed them in this week, challenging MJF for the AEW World Championship. Because RUSH is finally in this position – a position many would argue he has been sorely missed from – and is getting a shot at the biggest prize in the sport today, RUSH is the Pro Wrestling Musings MVP of the Week.

​So while RUSH didn't get a bunch of television time this week, for me, the culmination of the squash matches, build-up video packets, and the post-match catchphrase promos adds up to a full package. For a while, I couldn't see where it was all going. I didn't know if Tony Khan was just going to keep RUSH in this purgatory forever, but the Mexican wrestler is finally getting his long-deserved title shot. This week’s match for RUSH was quite literally a showcase.  The Superstation Showcase 4-way was not only a great way to pay homage to WCW of old, but it was also a great way to showcase a performer about to become No. 1 contender.