AEW Road Rager 7/7/2021 Quick Takes

Cody Rhodes vs. QT Marshall- South Beach Strap Match

AEW is back on the road so starting the night with Cody is a smart play. He definitely got a reaction when he came out. QT did what he does, and that is to make Cody look like a million bucks. I’m not usually a fan of the “strap match” stipulation but this was passable. Cody was able to stay one step ahead of Marshall which kept the match from falling into the usual tropes. Cody gets the win after three Cross Rhodes which finally puts a definitive end to this program. During the match, the lights flickered for a moment. Commentary did a good job of blaming this on inclement weather. I thought it was a production error. It would turn out to be something far more sinister…

Omega and Hangman Face Off

The AEW champ is in the ring with Don Callis and boldly claims that there is no one left to beat. This brought out The Dark Order and Evil Uno continues to hype up a potential meeting between Omega and Adam Page. After Omega hits Uno with a low blow, Michael Nakazawa and The Good Brothers attack the rest of The Dark Order. Adam Page is out to make the save and there is a fantastic moment between Page and the champ. When this match happens, it will be a big deal.

The Inner Circle vs. The Pinnacle

The thing about this feud is that the whole program seems to be booked in reverse. By breaking up the feud into several mini-feuds, the whole thing gets extended. While we see an endgame scenario between the leaders, these smaller scale programs seem to keep going and going. The match itself was fine. I love the pairings with these teams. I can’t wait to see Proud and Powerful against FTR in a championship match at some point. Wardlow continues to impress me and he has potential to be a player. The Pinnacle gets the win after FTR connects with the Big-Rig. After the match, Konnan tries to run off The Pinnacle but gets chop-blocked by Tully Blanchard.

MJF and Chris Jericho Standoff

This was very entertaining. There was a scary moment where a “fan” tried to jump into the ring but both men were able to take that moment and quickly pivot into the segment. MJF and Jericho both took some serious shots at each other and there were some genuinely funny lines. Jericho accepted a challenge in which he must defeat four opponents of MJF’s choosing in consecutive matches. I’m not sure if this is a gauntlet match situation for matches over the course of a few weeks but either way, it should be fun.

Andrade El Idolo vs. Matt Sydal

We finally get the in-ring debut of Andrade El Idolo. Matt Sydal is a great opponent for this kind of debut. Sydal has been able to switch between his usual highflying and a more ground based style that paired well with El Idolo. From an in-ring standpoint, Andrade has always been good but never groundbreaking. That being said, he looked like an absolute star. He seems to have a main-event presentation that almost seems to hide his shortcomings. Andrade wins a hammerlock flatliner. This was a nice nod to his former finisher while still showing that he is evolving his offense.

Fade to Black

Arn Anderson is in the ring for some reason talking about how great it is to be in front of crowds again. The lights go out again and this time, the former Aleister Black is in the ring and destroys the Enforcer with a roundhouse kick! Excalibur mentions that this man used to be his friend, Tommy End but there is something darker. Tommy End seems to be going by a new name of Malakai Black. Cody Rhodes tries to make a save but Black gives him a roundhouse for his trouble. This was great. It sets up Black as a major player and he is a definite improvement from QT Marshall.

Main Event- AEW Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo and Eddie Kingston

This whole match seemed like a middle-finger to a certain wrestling radio program. Both teams embraced the street fight stipulation. We had tables. We had thumbtacks. We had…a lot of interference. The Good Brothers and the Elite Hunter all made appearances here. In a lot of ways, this felt like a PWG Greatest Hits collection. It all felt a little rushed though and I’m not sure if that’s because something went a little long or not. The champs do retain though, after a thumbtack assisted superkick. The match was fine. I just have no idea where the Young Bucks go from here.

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