Young Schmucks | AEWeekly #182

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, Sachin [@sachin0mac.bsky.social] talking Best Interview, Lauren [@sithwitch.bsky.social] exploring a key Story Beat, ??? with the Moment of the Week, and Emiliana [@emilianartb.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.

Brodido vs The Young Bucks

"“Of course they're the best. The chemistry… the cohesiveness, Schiavone!"

by Abel.

The AEW tag team title tournament has finally reached its finale, and to the surprise of many of us, the Young Bucks are not in it. Instead, it's the newest, hottest tag team in professional wrestling. Brodido on their way to face FTR for the right to fight the Hurt Syndicate. But, before they face off against Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood, let's talk about how fantastic the match between Brodido and the Young Bucks was at the last AEW Dynamite. 

Going into the match, it was heavily teased that we would get episode IV of FTR vs the Young Bucks to see who would go to Forbidden Door to face off against Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin. With the YBs winning last week, that is where most of our heads went. However, two of the most unlikely tag team partners in AEW have had something to say about it, as they are currently significantly over with the AEW fan base. It could be the juxtaposition of having a gigantic, strong punk rocker with a small, high-flying Mexican outlaw. Whatever it is, it's working. 

The continued gimmick of the Young Bucks being mocked and disrespected at every moment is hilarious, and while it might get old eventually, it's not right now. This angle adds so much to the elements of the match. It adds to the reason why the Bucks lost. They are not fully all-in to their matches and are too worried about their perception. This is a great way to rebuild the Bucks, which is why the Justin Roberts "verbatim" card-read messes with them so much. So, while the gimmick is funny, it has its purpose. 

The match between the four was entertaining and hard-hitting. It's such an incredible sight to see Brody King use Bandido almost like a weapon as he throws him around, and Bandido soars across the arena. A good example of this is when Brody slingshot off Bandido, who springboarded what seemed like 50 feet in the air. I know Gravity is Bandido's brother, but it's the Mexican Outlaw who defies the first and second laws of motion. 

Brody King is on the run of a lifetime. He wasn't one to be outshone, as he showed off his athleticism when he sprang himself off the top rope to cannonball his 300 self onto the Bucks. The dichotomy of the match, depending on who is in the ring, shows how well the Young Bucks can control and lay out a match. It slows down when the giant, King, is in the ring. Once Bandido is back in, the pace between the Bucks and Bandido accelerates exponentially. It goes to show how versatile Matt and Nick are. The Young Bucks truly are the greatest tag team in the world. 

Brodido has really found something in their finishing move. The orbital force Bandido creates off the feet of Brody is something we have never seen before. It must feel like a car is falling on you. After missing it once, it felt like it was Nick and Matt's match to win. Brodido hit their spinning splash one more time to get the win. 

This match, in a microcosm, is what makes AEW so special. High-flying, hard-hitting, and unique. It will be interesting to see how Brodido will match up against FTR after having a spectacular match against the Young Bucks. 

The Young Bucks

"...and say our names with the respect and dignity we deserve so we don't look like jobbers!"

by Lauren.

The Young Bucks have not been having a great time. Every appearance since their loss to Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland at All In 2025 has shown them on an increasingly downward spiral thanks to their loss of power and the ability to abuse the company credit card.

At this week's Dynamite, the Bucks attempted to reclaim some dignity and insisted that Charlie Ramone, backstage worker extraordinaire, pass along their very specifically written introduction to be read during their entrance against Brodido. Justin Roberts made sure to read the letter, down to its punctuation. As he did so, the Bucks were forced to crawl underneath a stuck screen, were taken off-guard by two pathetic little fireworks instead of a grand pyro display, were introduced in their chyron as their former Generation Me names “Max and Jeremy,” and had their music replaced halfway through with something that sounded more at home in an ice cream truck. And to add injury to insult, they lost their match.

Matt and Nick Jackson's out of kayfabe willingness to degrade themselves offers the audience a lovely bit of catharsis, especially to anyone who has ever had a bad boss. From Excalibur gleefully noting that nobody can be fined for not using their “full, God-given names” any more, to the graphics department's sabotage of their introductions whenever possible to the merch department's printing the new, “graphic design is my passion"-esque Young Bucks t-shirts upside down and selling it at a discount, the out-of-ring everyday people are the ones who have been celebrating the Bucks’ loss of EVP status the most. And for that reason, the Bucks must continue to suffer.

Most likely, the Bucks will eventually become faces again. But first, and I'm sure those Christian AF guys would agree, they must repent, and they have a lot to repent for. In order to make an eventual face turn (and possible reuniting of the Elite?) believable, they have to make it feel earned. Their current humiliation is clearly the first step on that path. The current question is: Will they take a step back and learn before or after Don Callis sweeps them under his wing?

Callis has been bragging about collecting the largest stable ever and living his supervillain dreams, and he has been circling the Bucks since their All In loss. Previous attempts at working with Callis, back when Kenny was under his control, did not pan out. But the Bucks are desperate now. They have traditionally hidden behind bigger and stronger men, like Kenny, Hangman, and Okada. They are currently on the outs with Kenny and Hangman, and Okada is glad to be flattered by Don Callis at every opportunity. Jack Perry, the fourth of their new Elite, has been gone for months. The Bucks are alone among people they have belittled and ostracized.

One day, they might confront the destruction they've left in their wake. Until then, the humiliations will continue as morale improves.

Speedball Mike Bailey

"Speebo"

by Emiliana.

As we head out of the first residency and into choppier waters, I can’t help but feel like AEW has given it their all at providing us with such great wrestling and entertaining stories that it was almost a given that something, anything, would try to ruin it. So of course, it was only natural that a rumor would come out to try and dispel the idea that all was well in AEW backstage. And yet, despite it, AEW rocked this past week, with a little help from one of the unfortunate parties of said rumor.

Speedball Mike Bailey is freaking awesome. It may seem odd to some that I say that, given how they’ve been booked recently in the past two months against the Hurt Syndicate with their partner Kevin Knight, but it’s true. The talent they have in the ring is no joke, and it is only a matter of time before he and his partner have tag gold around their waists — just not against the Hurt Syndicate, it seems. But outside of the tag division, Speedball is still a badass, as was proven against both Jon Moxley in Cleveland and against LFI in Roanoke. 

The match against Mox felt, at least in the wake of the rumor, like the ace of the company (and yes, I finally have to admit that Mox is the ace) walked into Tony Khan’s office (kayfabe) and demanded a match against Speedball specifically after hearing a rumor that some old guy didn’t like him (me, headcanoning) and decided he wanted to prove that Speedball was amazing and “fuck that guy” who said that specifically. And honestly, I can’t think of a better way to work in rumors and drama. It’s worth noting here that Mox looked awesome, more invigorated here than he was even the week before, and it’s clear that the burden of the world title being lifted off his shoulders has allowed him to blossom again (or maybe it’s just my bias now that Hangman is world champ, who knows). Anyway, I thought the mix of Speedball and Mox’s styles worked well, with Speedball’s kicks and palmstrikes feeling really stiff in this match, the consequence of them visible all over Mox’s flaming red chest. Mox used Speedball’s double jointed nature to good effect by going for Speedball’s fingers, which was really gruesome (not to me, but it was to some!). Again, always fun to see Mox having a good time, and beating the shit out of Speedball was clearly a good time for him. Speedball is such a great underdog babyface, though, and the crowd was wholly behind them. It almost seemed like he had this one in the bag, especially after the assist from one ghost Darby Allin, but ultimately the high flyer would be grounded by a bulldog choke.

I should also add that Kevin Knight’s little staredown with Mox mid-match caught me by surprise on second re-watch (I often get distracted) and had me absolutely pumped for the prospect of another singles match for Mox. I remember someone asking why Mox would be going up against a low level midcarder after the Speedball match was announced last week, and I got so frustrated by the comment because Mox just lost twice clean, once to lose the world title and once to the world champ, so it is simply the “back of the line” for him now. And guess what? The back of the line is kinda freakin’ awesome, because this is where the best wrestle!

Anyway, another fun thing that happened that I guess got posted to socials during Dynamite was Speedball and MVP’s response to the rumor. They find each other backstage and they both say “fuck you” to each other, and then MVP demands two delightfully shy-looking burly men in Shelton and Bobert to say “fuck you” to Speedball as well, and they do so with hesitation, looking down at their shoes like little boys being forced to apologize. I don’t exactly know that this dispelled my dislike of MVP specifically (maybe Shelton and Bobert endeared themselves a little), but I appreciate Speedball for doing it, and I suppose it’s nice that everyone involved were obviously cordial enough to do a little silly moment for the cameras.

But back to more wrestling. Speedball wrestled another match on Saturday, this time in tag action with his tag partner Kevin Knight and the AEW men’s world champion, Hangman Adam Page. I won’t bore anyone with my love for Hangman, but this match rocked and everyone in it looked amazing. The story of the match felt like it centered around RUSH getting shots in at Hangman for seemingly no reason (but hey, he’s the champ), and Hangman constantly having to deal with the repercussions of RUSH doing this while Speedball or Kevin were the ones tagged in and he wasn’t allowed into the ropes. This match had big house-show vibes, and the pacing set by the luchadores and particularly Speedball made this match so fun. Love to see Speedball and Kevin Knight having some programming with the champ. That makes me happy.

So yeah, I think Speedball is my “MVP”, which feels like a fever dream to say like that. But they were very good on television this week, and honestly every week. It feels like we have righted the terrible booking of JetSpeed and I cannot wait to see what we have in store for them.

I feel like choosing MVP is going to be harder and harder, with each passing day into the reigns of our babyface champions. I said this once a while back, but it really feels like a “raise all ships” situation. Everything feels so fun (barring a couple things, but my heart is still open). It will be hard, but that’s honestly the best part about all this – I don’t think we can ever go wrong.