Women's Week | AEWeekly #189

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, Emiliana [@emilianartb.bsky.social] giving us the MVP of the Week, and Sergei [@sergeialderman.bsky.social] talking Best Interview and with a few words on Moment as well as editing and organizing it all.

 A page of links to prior installments may be found here: #AEWeekly

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Editor's Note: You may notice that the title of this episode is "Women's Week" but there's nothing about Women in two of the sections. But that's okay because our MVP is Wheeler Yuta:

Kidding. To clarify, I mean that title not as "the week when we at AEWeekly only talk about the Women's division" but the week when, if you had to pick a theme for the week it would be the massive upheaval (for the better!) in the AEW Women's division. Which I go into detail about below in the Moment section:

Jamie Hayter's Challenge

"Three Little Words..."

by Sergei.

One thing that AEW fans have been calling for from the beginning has been greater equity and a bigger role for the performers of the Women's division: especially more main events, more focus on their stories, and more than one Women's match per show. This week both Dynamite and Collision had a women's match as main event, the new world champ gave double middle fingers to Jon Moxley in the final segment Wednesday night, and Tony Khan announced the inception of a Women's Tag division.

But for me, the moment of the week was after the Collision main event, when Jamie Hayter said three little words that AEW fans have longed for a woman in AEW to say: (NO, NOT THOSE THREE!) But rather a challenge to the Madness Triangle to AEW's annual double-ring Wargames knockoff "Blood and Guts"!

It's often said, because it's true: the AEW women always deliver in hardcore-style matches. So it's about time that they get a crack at AEW's signature ultra-violent match.

(@TK: Next maybe a Women's round robin tournament each summer?)

Daddy Magic & Paragon vs The Death Riders

"Et tu, Garcia?..."

by Abel.

All Elite Wrestling has a great way of kicking off shows with matches that get the crowd emotionally invested and set the tone for the rest of the show. Matches that not only give us a taste for what we have in store, but also build upon a central story point that will drive the rest of the show. For this week, not only did "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard and Paragon vs The Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Daniel Garcia, and Claudio Castagnoli) do that, but it was also my Match of the Week. While not the most technically or spot-heavy match, the story behind this made it the week's most interesting match. 

The obvious central focus was the friction between Menard and Garcia. The tension has been building since Garcia's heel-turn and his betrayal of the rest of the AEW roster, and especially of Menard. This was the second chapter between the former mentor and mentee. The total disrespect Garcia is showing to Menard, not even having the decency to look Menard in the eye, is incredibly uncomfortable, even for those of us watching from home. The best part of this, however, is that since joining the Death Riders, Garcia has given the faction and this story new legs. 

They very briefly traded blows in this match; however, when they finally do match up in an official capacity, that match will be a glorious bloodbath. Perhaps it would have been even better for the build to this if the two former friends hadn't been able to touch at all. Those first punches in their inevitable one-on-one would have made the entire crowd blow an absolute gasket. However, for the angle they have taken on this, it still works to build to a no-holds-barred match between the two eventually. 

Garcia appears to not be taking it very personally, while Menard can only take it to heart. Garcia's attitude towards his former mentor is all business. That is what ultimately is driving Menard insane. 

For the other characters in this story, the Death Riders do what the Riders do best: Fuck shit up. Castagnoli is the perfect enforcer and general for Moxley. In the ring, he continues to do the hard work, making everyone in the rink look even better than they are. Moxley is still one of the best in the world. What else can be said that we haven't already said? He is just so good at what he does, and now, with this second life in the Death Riders' story, it will be interesting to see where he takes it creatively. 

Roddy Strong, even at his age, continues to be one of the best technical wrestlers in the world. His conditioning is still one of the very best in pro wrestling, and everything he lands looks like it hurts – which is a compliment. Not to be outdone, Kyle O'Reilly is also still valuable, and the perfect complementary piece to what Strong can do. A key story beat to all of this, involving O’Reilly and Strong, is Adam Cole's unhappiness with Garcia's decision. That is why the Paragon is even there. They want to back up their friend, even if he is not there. 

In a perfect world, Cole comes back and recovers from his injury, starts a great program with Garcia, and regains the momentum he had when he first debuted in AEW. For now, we will work with what we have, which is still fantastic!

Maxwell Jacob Friedman

"...not the words of one who kneels..."

by Sergei.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman is a winner, that's part of how he defines himself. That's not to say that he can't lose or that he doesn't sometimes. But he avoids situations where he might lose, and if really needs to fight someone on his own level, he has backup plans, such that even if an enemy does gets a win, they most likely couldn't do it on their first try, so he can at least say they're 50/50.

That pattern has played out half a dozen times, with some of the biggest stars in the industry: Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Will Ospreay… and now, Mark Briscoe? This most recent name seems out of place. I mean it's not like everybody who got a second one-on-one shot at MJF after losing to him beat him on the second try – names like Daniel Garcia and Adam Cole fell to him twice running.

After going to such lengths to hold onto his backup plan because he was so sure Hangman couldn't beat him twice in a row, but failing, and then even losing to someone he would see as not on his level like Mark, Max is at a low-point such as he's never seen before in his career. Talking about and contextualizing the disappointment of a tough loss is its own little subgenre of promo – Kyle O'Reilly and Daniel Garcia are basically experts at it. While MJF has never really needed to cut them. But on Wednesday AEW played a video of him doing an excellent job in that unfamiliar situation.

The interview had been taped right after his defeat at the PPV the previous Saturday, so he's still covered in tacks, and the humiliation and blood are fresh. And the first thing he talks about is how angry he is. A guy like Max, you might expect him to make excuses, but he keeps the blame firmly on his own head. He paints a clear picture of just how far he's fallen since his return after losing the World Championship, claiming that "he's not MJF, he's just playing MJF" which is VERY intriguing and potentially meta. He talks forthrightly about his broken heart at the hands of Adam Cole, and about his failures, disappointments, and self-doubt since then. But then he sets up one of the craziest bits of prop business I've seen from anybody not named "Darby" when he claims that the tacks stuck to his body are not just tacks, they are (symbolically) his doubts.

He then claims that he won't return until he's ready to not just "play MJF," not just be the MJF of old even, but to be the most dangerous version of MJF ever. He then plucks a tack from his shoulder and considers it between his finger and thumb, saying "doubt?" …Now we get to the really crazy bit. He recites a bit of verse that viewers can probably tell from the even meter and rhyme are song lyrics, even if some maybe don't recognize one of the biggest ever international hits because it was "before their time."

There were times, I'm sure you knew

I bit off more than I could chew

But through it all when there was doubt

I ate it up and I spit it out

And, yes, at the words "I ate it up" our Maxwell takes the tack he'd been gravely considering, pops it into his mouth, chews a moment, and spits it out – all to symbolically act out the words.

And now I'm going to go on an extended tangent about the 1969 Frank Sinatra megahit "My Way". I hope some of it is relevant, but it's all goddamn fascinating, so my apologies. It begins in 1968, with the French hit "Comme d'habitude" meaning "As Usual," a contemplative song about falling into a rut in a relationship and falling out of love. The success of the song led to something of a race to capitalize with an English language version for the Anglophone world. David Bowie was asked to write something, but his take was considered too weird and rejected. A few years later, he reworked that into the song "Life on Mars?"

Meanwhile, 50s crooner Paul Anka had also heard the song while vacationing in the French Riviera and immediately heard the potential in it. After negotiations with the original songwriters he had the idea for an English lyric for the melody that would be perfect, not for himself, but for the fading biggest star of the swing era, Frank Sinatra. Those lyrics were, in my considered opinion, utter self-involved Boomer bullshit. But despite (or because) of this, the song became a massive hit, and the signature song of Sinatra's late career. In fairness, Anka knew what he was doing, having consciously written the song from the point of view of a fake tough guy, just like wannabe mobster Sinatra.

Max Friedman has been associated with pre-rock pop music from the beginning, from singing "You Are My Sunshine" for Rosie O'Donnell when he was 5 years old to his acclaimed duet of "Me and My Shadow" with Chris Jericho in 2020. But his use of these lyrics here (especially the bit with the tack) feels less like Sinatra and more like Sid Vicious: filled with ironic acknowledgement of the self-parodistic self congratulation of those words.

All in all, it was a compelling and thought-provoking performance, already more like the MJF of old than the (self-acknowledged) self parody who'd been drifting around the AEW scene for the past few months. I don't know how long he'll be gone, but I already can't wait to see what he has in store for us when he comes back from the drawing board (and from filming another movie.)

Wheeler Yuta

"You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid"

by Emiliana.

This may be controversial, but I think Wheeler Yuta is an underrated wrestler in AEW. He’s had bangers with the best of the best in the roster - Daniel Garcia, Hangman Page, Jon Moxley. Honestly, I can’t remember if he wrestled Bryan Danielson but maybe he did. I’m too lazy to check Cagematch right now. Right now, he’s in a bit of a slump in the wrestling department, if only because he’s relegated to being the pin-taker of the Death Riders, but overall I know his ceiling can be high.

When Danny was being courted like a southern belle, nobody paid attention to him. He left the Best Friends because he was losing, and he decided that he wanted to win. On BTE, which could be kayfabe/canon or not, Stat and Trent kind of had it out for him. Well, I won’t defend Trent at all. He just couldn’t stand him. But Kris at least could say that she was just being what all older sisters are - bullies. (Right? ….Right?) But in all seriousness, she and the rest of Best Friends spent time training and going over tapes and teaching Yuta about submissions and pins, etc. It’s not like they hated him; they wanted to do right by him even if none of them could figure out how.

Yuta choosing to leave was interesting. Yuta choosing the BCC was interesting. Yuta choosing Mox over Bryan was interesting.

And after more than two years of being gone from the Best Friends, Yuta wanting Kris with them was interesting. It’s almost baffling how much Kool-Aid he’d have to drink to think he at any point was doing well recruiting someone that he left behind, and believing that he was teaching her anything she didn’t already really know.

She said it at the press scrum - the seat belt pin is Chuck Taylor’s.

And it all goes back to that, right? That night that Yuta used the seatbelt pin after leaving Best Friends, winning a match - did he win a title? I can’t remember. But it was important, because he left Best Friends and then used a pin that his mother taught him. How could we forget the moment on commentary, when the man of few words, Orange Cassidy, softly said - “Chuck taught him that pin”?

Yuta has been through ups and downs in his career, but one thing that’s shined lately is how well he does his job. He’s a heel, and everyone hates him - just ask any person in the arenas. Or just wait for the “Fuck You, Yuta” chants. It was only natural that when Kris finally made her choice against the Death Riders, that Yuta would be the one to take the brunt. When I saw him fall to the floor in shock, I was transported back to All Out 2024, when Mox and company came down to the ring seemingly to stand in solidarity with Danielson after his loss, only to turn on him. The look on Bryan’s face that night and the look on Yuta’s face on Dynamite this past week were damn near identical. The shock, the horror. Only this time, you truly felt that he deserved it.

Because what does this little prick think he is? That’s his big sister. He didn’t teach her shit. And he most certainly wasn’t going to convince her to join a cult.

On Collision, Yuta and Marina faced off against Rachel Ellering and Grillo (I don’t know his last name). After the match, he got some live mic time in the middle of the ring, which frankly made me quite happy. I think it speaks volumes that he’s been able to do this twice in as many months, because it shows a level of trust there by the booker that very few people seem to have. If you ask me right now what he said, I probably couldn’t tell you - and that’s not his fault, I just have a bad brain - but what I can tell you is that his delivery is better than it was even a year ago, he seems more confident, and he really, really drinks the Death Rider Kool-Aid. Every chance he’s gotten, he has doubled down on the Death Riders. I don’t know why, exactly, but I hope to find it out one day. I would love to delve deeper into his psyche and study him like a bug and shake him in a jar. He’s so deranged that he’s forgotten that the seatbelt pin was never his in the first place, and I want to know why he’s so obsessed with it, and continues to be obsessed with it.

I’m waiting for the pieces to fall into place. I know OC is back with the Conglomeration, and Stat just flipped off the Death Riders, but I feel like we’re going to reach something for Wheeler Yuta, eventually. I mean, do you see the way Mox holds him to his breast like a small child that he teaches about the evils of the world and how to combat them while simultaneously sticking him in situations like a lamb to the slaughter? Please, I’m chomping at the bit. Or champing. I don’t know. But I’m feral about it! He’s such an underrated part of every week that I feel is working really well while progressing slowly but surely into a really good hand, just like a Claudio. He deserves more praise, and I’m here to give it to him, even if nobody else will.