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Csonka’s AEW: Revolution 2020 Review

February 29, 2020 | Posted by Larry Csonka
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Csonka’s AEW: Revolution 2020 Review  

Csonka’s AEW Revolution 2020 Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Dark Order defeated SCU @ 10:00 via pin [***¼]
– Jake Hager defeated Dustin Rhodes @ 14:50 via submission [**½]
– Darby Allin defeated Sammy Guevara @ 5:00 via pin [***½]
AEW Tag Team Title Match: Champions Hangman Page & Kenny Omega defeated The Young Bucks @ 30:20 via pin [****¾]
AEW Women’s Title Match>: Champion Nyla Rose defeated Kris Statlander @ 12:55 via pin []
– MJF defeated Cody @ 24:30 via pin [***¼]
– Pac defeated Orange Cassidy @ 13:00 via submission [***½]
AEW World Title Match: Jon Moxley defeated Le Champion Chris Jericho @ 24:25 via pin [****]


– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– They run the countdown special on BR Live, my review of that is at this link.

– Those live say they all have LED bracelets that light up with the entrances. AEW had stated that the entrance and staging would have an interactive element to it.

– Taz & Excalibur are on commentary for the Buy-In.

– Tony interviews SCU, Daniels is fired up and talks about Dark Order selling a bill of false goods and SCU will end that tonight. Sky & Kaz want Daniels to stay backstage for the match tonight. Hmmm…

Dark Order vs. SCU: The minions are at ringside. SCU rush the ring and we’re under way as they all brawl to the floor. Kaz works over Grayson in the ring, runs wild and Sky tags in as double teams follow as Grayson gets Germaned. Sky dumps Uno and follows with chops on Grayson. They work quick tags and double teams on Grayson, and the Kaz springboard leg drop follows for 2. Uno tags in and dumps Sky. Kaz battles back and clears the ring until he’s cutoff and posted on the floor. The minions jump him and back in, Uno follows with a suplex for 2. Grayson tags in and double teams follow on Kaz for 2. Uno back in and maintains control in the corner. Grayson follows with the PK for 2. He delivers chops and that gets 2. He grounds Kaz, Kaz fights to his feet but is quickly cut off. Grayson picks up near falls. Uno follows with chops and Kaz starts to fight out of the corner and makes the tag. Sky runs wild, dropkick to Grayson and the sunset flip gets 2 on Uno. The basement dropkick connects and Uno powders. Kaz back in and the DDT follows for 2. Grayson battles back, hits the double PELE and Uno tags in. Dark Order hits the scorpion and that gets 2. The double team powerbomb follows that for 2. They look for fatality, Sky counters out and Kaz comes back with lariats. SCU-later is stopped by Uno, he slams Kaz to the steps and Sky fights off them minions until Uno cuts him off with the clothesline and Grayson pins Sky. Dark Order defeated SCU @ 10:00 via pin [***¼] This was a good opening match, with a good post match angle to continue the exalted one angle.

– Dark Order attacks post match until Colt Cabana makes the save. He brawls with Grayson until they all cut him off. Dark Order mauls him until a robbed figure arrives, it’s Daniels but he attacks Dark Order. They all run wild on Dark Order and clear the ring.

– Jurassic Express is interviewed backstage and are excited for the PPV. They will be watching Cody’s match to make sure it stays fair.

– JR & Tony join commentary.

– We get the singing of the national anthem.

Jake Hager vs. Dustin Rhodes: Hager makes out with his wife during his entrance as she’s at ringside. No MMA gear for Hager, he’s wearing tights. They go right at it as Rhodes unloads with strikes until Hager hits a backdrop suplex. He follows with body shots until Rhodes dumps him and they battle on the floor and into the crowd. Rhodes starts attacking the arm off Hager, slamming it off railings and back to ringside, and starts posting his arm and shoulder. Hager counters back into a slam on the apron, a clothesline as the crowd chants, “Jericho’s bitch” at Hager. Back in and Hager follows with knee strikes, and grounds Rhodes as he attacks the previously broken arm. Rhodes fires back, but Hager cuts him off with a back elbow. Rhodes fires back, hits a clothesline and dumps Hager. To the floor and Hager slams him to the barricades and apron. He chats with his wife and that allows Rhodes to attack. She tried to slap Rhodes and Rhodes kisses her. Back in and Rhodes runs wild with uppercuts, the bulldog and the snap slam for 2. Rhodes follows with body shots until Hager chop blocks him. The Vader bomb is countered, and Rhodes cradles him for 2. Hager cuts him off with the slam, Vader bomb and that gets 2. Hager follows with corner clotheslines, the doctor bomb and covers for 2. Hager charges and Rhodes dumps him to the floor and he hit the steps on the way down. He follows him out, rolls him back in and Rhodes delivers strikes. Shattered dreams is countered but Rhodes hits code red for 2. Rhodes follows with an arm bar but Hager counters into an ankle lock. Rhodes fights and escapes. They tease a ref bump, low blow by Hager and he looks for a head and arm choke, gets it and Rhodes fades and the ref stops it. Jake Hager defeated Dustin Rhodes @ 14:50 via submission [**½] I wouldn’t have opened with this, the crowd loved Rhodes but this didn’t exactly deliver a hot start to things. It was pretty good, but lacked overall intensity considering the arm breaking angle, and I think it went too long for its importance to the card. PAC/Orange or Sammy/Darby would have been much better choices to open.

– They hype BLOOD & GUTS/WarGames coming on March 25th.

Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara: Allin immediately attacks, John Woooooooooooing Sammy into the barricades. He misses a charge, Sammy attacks with kicks and slams him to the barricades. They trade, Allin drapes him onto the barricades and follows with a suicide head butt that almost went horribly wrong. Sammy hits him with the skateboard, sets up a table and the match still hasn’t officially started. Sammy lays him on the table, heads up top and follows with a 630 TROUGH THE TABLE.

Back in and Sammy picks up a near fall off the running knee strike as we’re finally and officially underway. Sammy follows with strikes, until Allin counters into the Gory special and follows with the arm bar. Sammy makes the ropes and powders. Back in and stuns Allin’s injured throat off the ropes and follows with the double foot stomp to the apron. Back in and Sammy covers for 2. He teases using the skateboard but Allin counters into a destroyer for 2. Sammy cuts off the coffin drop, follows him up top and hits the avalanche Spanish fly for 2. Sammy exposes the buckle and Allin send him into it. The stunner and coffin drop finishes it. Darby Allin defeated Sammy Guevara @ 5:00 via pin [***½] While the “official match time” looks short, the overall package was really good as they busted their asses, Darby overcame and got his revenge as both men got to shine. They really should have opened with this.

Tag Team Champions Hangman Page & Kenny Omega vs. The Young Bucks: A mixed reaction for the Bucks, but the fans love Hangman & Kenny. Nick and Kenny begin, locking up and working into counters until Nick follows with the springboard arm drag and grounds Kenny. They end in a standoff, shake hands and Hangman tags in. Matt joins him and they scramble on the ground and end in a standoff. Hangman refuses the handshake, spits at Matt and matt attacks with ground and pound. Kenny separates them, Nick tries to help and tags in. Hangman slaps Nick and Nick follows with kicks, Matt in and double teams follow. They dump Kenny and are embracing the heel heat. Double teams follow, they dump Kenny again and run wild on Hangman. Hangman counters back and targets the previously injured back of Matt and grounds him. Kenny tags in and follows with a backbreaker for 2. Hangman back in, dumps Nick and then dumps Matt. He whips him to the barricades, teases a powerbomb until Kenny stops him. Back in and they double team Matt with chops. Hangman continues to target the back pummel him with strikes until Matt hits desperation northern lights suplexes. Nick tags in, runs wild and follows with a RANA, knee strikes and the x-factor and moonsault to the floor. Back in and the sharpshooter follows on Hangman. Kenny makes the save and tags in. Matt cuts off the dive, RANA by Kenny and he follows with a tope that is cut off with an enziguri, back in and Nick covers for 2. Matt tags in and Kenny fights them off, dumps Nick and Matt spits at Hangman. Nick cuts off the tag and Matt piledrives Kenny for 2. Nick back in and grounds Kenny. Kenny fires back, hits a powerbomb and tags in Hangman. He runs wild with strikes, kicks and clotheslines. The fall away slam connects and he clears the ring. Boot to Nick, they trade and he dumps the Bucks. The top rope moonsault to the floor follows. Back in and he kills Nick with a lariat. He makes Nick tag in Matt, Matt joins him and the crowd is into Hangman killing him as they trade. Hangman follow with a big boot, Kenny in and double teams follow as Kenny hits the doctor bomb for 2. Hangman tags back in and Matt fires back, Nick follows with an enziguri and tags in. He follows with a flurry, superkicks and slingshot destroyer for 2. Hangman slowly fires back, but Matt attacks and Nick follows with Cheeky nados.I-95 follows and that gets 2. They dump Kenny and the Bucks look for superkicks until Hangman fights them off, takes out Matt’s knee and locks on the chicken wing Marty Scurll style. Nick flies in and the 450 follows for 2. They look for more bang for your buck, Hangman counters and Kenny joins in for the you can’t escape combo as Hangman follows with the blockbuster superplex for 2. V trigger by Kenny, Nick counters the German and Kenny follows with V triggers, snapdragons and the tiger driver 98 follows for a great near fall. Kenny hits V trigger in the corner and takes Nick up top on his shoulders until Nick hits a poison super RANA and Mat follows with northern lights suplexes on Hangman on the ramp. He tells Nick to get his ass up and the INDIE TAKER on the ramp connects! Kenny is left alone and eats superkicks, he’s down and the crowd hates the Bucks here. The double kamigoye follows for 1! Kenny is alive and eats another for 2. Matt lays the boots to the injured shoulder, rips off the KT tape and Nick isn’t happy with this. Matt doubts himself and the Meltzer driver is stopped by Hangman. He powerbombs Nick through a table at ringside. The buckshot trigger follows and ONLY gets 2! V trigger by Kenny and the one winged angel is countered by Matt, he follows with a superkick and Hangman and he hits one winged angle for 2! Hangman follows with buckshot lariats on both and picks up the win. Champions Hangman Page & Kenny Omega defeated The Young Bucks @ 30:20 via pin [****¾] This was fucking phenomenal, as they played off of and expanded on the story going into the match with great emotion, the work was top notch, the near falls amazing and the Bucks leaning into the heel role out of desperation to win the championships and anger with Hangman being so over was absolutely the right call here. This was very much shades of the Bucks vs. Golden Lovers match, which was an overall amazing piece of business. Playing Kenny as the potential weak link following the iron match injury was also extremely smart. For me, this is hands down the best tag team match of 2020.

– Post match, Hangman wants no part of the Elite reunion and seemingly teased attacking Kenny until they hugged. The tease was excellent.

Women’s Champion Nyla Rose vs. Kris Statlander: This is a really rough spot for these two women having to follow that tag match. They lockup and Rose shoves her away. Lockup again, they work to the ropes and break until they trade shoulder tackles. Rose follows with kicks, they trade again and Rose takes her down. They have a dodgy exchange, Statlander cuts her off and the standing moonsault follows for 2. Rose knocks her to the ramp, Statlander fights back and then misses a suicide dive to the ramp and crashes and burns. Rose follows with the suicide spear back into the ring for 2. Statlander fights off the beast bomb, but Rose follows with strikes and covers for 2. Rose suplexes her to the buckles, and then dumps her. Back in and Statlander slowly fires back, hits a superkick and Rose is down. They trade, enziguri by Statlander and Rose is down and rolls to the floor. Statlander follows with a suicide dive, another and rolls Rose back in and heads up top. The missile dropkick follows and that gets 2. Rose cuts her off, follows with chops and a clothesline. Rose chokes her out and drapes her over the ropes. Rose heads up top but Statlander counters out and Rose drops down and Statlander cradles her into a superkick, boops her and the DDT gets 2. Rose cuts her off with a knee strike, an STF and Statlander fights, Rose looks for a running splash and eats knees. Rose counters back into the beast bomb for 2. They work up top and Statlander slips a bit but somehow hits a superplex for 2. Statlander argues with the ref, boot by Rose and they work backup top. Rose counters as they struggle and hits rough looking beast bomb for the win. Champion Nyla Rose defeated Kris Statlander @ 12:55 via pin [*½] As I feared, the crowd was exhausted following the tag match and the work itself was rough and completely lacked intensity or a sense of urgency. There was also no drama in a possible title change. The card layout was extremely questionable here and hurt the match. They tried, they worked hard, but unfortunately didn’t work well together. Plus it was too long as Kris was sick all week; they weren’t put in a position to succeed and it showed. A –minute, hard-hitting match would have been way more appropriate here.

– Cody gets a live performance of his theme by Downstaint, I wasn’t a fan,

MJF vs. Cody: MJF has a sweet new robe. The Wardlow is at ringside along with Arn and Brandi. Cody has new neck tattoo. Cody charges but MJF powders right away. Back in and they work into counters as MJF powders again. MJF runs into the crowd and Cody waits in him in the ring. MJF back in and right back out. back in and Cody works him over with strikes, an uppercut and the Cody cutter for 2. MJF rolls to the ramp and Cody follows him out heads to the back. he runs down the ramp and Cactus clotheslines MJF into the ring and covers for 2. The sunset flip follows for 2. MJF eye pokes him and stops on his broken toe. Cody counters into a spinning Alabama slam, but pulls MJF up and delivers strikes. Wardlow pulls MJF to the floor to save him, Brandi tosses a bee in his face and Wardlow chases until Cody cuts him off wit a suicide dive and lays the boots to him. He favors his injured foot, rolls MJF back in and MJF cuts him off as Wardlow posts Cody. Back in and MJF post Cody. He follows with a hammerlock powerbomb and that gets 2. He whips Cody to the buckles and covers for 2. MJF continues to focus on the arm, grounding things until Cody fights to his feet, fires back but MJF goes back to the arm, locks on salt of the earth (an arm bar) and transitions to a rings of Saturn but Cody bites the ropes for the break. MJF then rips off Cody’s boot, and stomps on the injured foot. He bites the broken toe and follows with strikes. They work up top and Cody slips out and stuns MJF off the buckles. backup top and the inverted superplex connects and the disaster kick follows as MJF hits the barricades. Wardlow distracts Cody and Arn backs him off with a chair. MJF is busted open and Cody works him over with strikes and slams him to the steps. Back in and Cody unloads with strikes, a snap slam and that gets 2. Cody poses like Orton, and the draping DDT is countered as MJF hits the heat seeker for 2. Brandi dives at Wardlow, he catches her and Cody begs him to stop, charges and accidentally takes out Arn with a bicycle kick. MJF low blows Cody and cradles him for 2. They work into the Tiger Mask/Dynamite Kid suplex spot over the ropes and to the floor. Back in and they trade strikes center ring. Cody takes over and delivers the flip flop and nope, MJF drops to the mat. Back up and MJF counters into double cross for 2. MJF removes Cody’s weight belt. The ref takes it and Cody low blows MJF and follows with Din’s fire for 2. Cody gets the belt and starts whipping MJF, tosses it to the crowd and MJF begs off in the corner. Cody tells him they were friends, MJF crawls to him and cries and hugs Cody. He spits in Cody’s face, cross Rhodes and another follows but MJF uses the dynamite diamond ring and pins Cody following a right.. MJF defeated Cody @ 24:30 via pin [***¼] This was a good but somewhat overbooked match one in the series (for my likening) that played off the feud well. I think that MJF did some really great heel work at times, the finish worked as he stole it, but this was far from the breakthrough singles match I was hoping he’d have. It was missing something and it wasn’t as heated as I expected it to be in terms of work and crowd reaction. Obviously, the right man won and this will continue, as it should.

Pac vs. Orange Cassidy: Trent & Chuck are at ringside. They face off center ring to holy shit chants. Pac stops the and in the pockets and Cassidy takes him down. Hands in the pockets, he follows with vicious kicks and Pac trades with him until he takes him down. Pac is pissed now and Cassidy work into no hands counters, the dropkick and arm drags and a cradle for 2. Pac finally cuts him off with a backbreaker, stomps and dumps Cassidy. He follows and whips Cassidy to the barricades. Pac posts him and back in, Pac hits a slam, heads up top and the missile dropkick follows. Pac delivers kicks, picks him up and follows with a flurry of kicks. The powerbomb follows for 2. Pac takes him up top and follows with the avalanche brainbuster for 2 as he pulls Cassidy up. Pac heads up top and the black arrow is countered as Cassidy rolls to the floor. Back in and the same happens again. Pac rolls him back in, stops Cassidy from rolling out and he smiles and follows with the suicide dive, the high cross follows and Cassidy then hits the DDT for 2. Pac cuts him off with a lariat. Cassidy slowly fires back and Pac drops him with one shot. Cassidy fires up and hands in the pockets follow and the superman punch connects. Stundog follows, Cassidy up top and Pac cuts him off. He follows him up and Cassidy countess into a DDT of the top and then heads back up and deep impact follows until Pac rolls to the floor. Trent rolls him back in and the sir raid crash by Cassidy gets 2. Lucha bros attack Best Friends and they brawl to the back as Pac locks in the brutalizer for the win. Pac defeated Orange Cassidy @ 13:00 via submission [***½] This was wildly entertaining, completely different than anything else on the show, we saw a new side of Cassidy (Pac as well), the right man won and they also set up Lucha Bros vs. Best Friends.

Le Champion Chris Jericho vs. Jon Moxley: Mox enters from the Chicago streets as a choir sings JUDAS for Jericho. Santana & Ortiz are at ringside. They brawl at the bell as Mox dumps Jericho. He follows him out and they work into the crowd as Jericho takes control. They trade and work higher up into the crowd as Mox follows with strikes until Jericho steals a camera and tosses a barricade onto Mox. Mox fires back, they work to the ramp and Mox knocks him to the floor, follows with a double sledge and bites his nose where Jericho is stitched up from Wednesday. Jericho posts him and starts attacking the injured eye, powerbombs Mox onto the timekeeper’s table and Mox is bleeding. Mox rolls back in and Jericho follows with strikes, a double axe handle and grounded strikes. Jericho rings the bell and proclaims himself the winner, and then lays the boots to Mox. He stuns him off the ropes but Mox fires up with chops until Jericho cuts that off. To the floor and Santana lays the boots to Mox as Jericho took the ref. Jericho follows him out, they trade and Mox gets shot to the steps. Back in and Jericho continues to control, and follows with a dropkick for 2. Jericho delivers chops and clotheslines. They work up top and Mox fights him off, delivers strikes and dumps Jericho. Mox flies in with a clothesline, follows with strikes as they trade. Clothesline by Mox, he lays the boots to Jericho in the corner but Jericho counters the dropkick until Mox counters into a heel hook but Jericho makes the ropes. Mox follows with the suicide dive. Back in and he stuns Jericho off the ropes and the knee trembler follows for 2. Jericho takes the ref, Mox takes out Santana, Ortiz hits him with the mad ball and the lionsault follows for 2. Jericho delivers the clothesline and Mox counters code breaker and he locks on the walls. Jericho fights, Mox pulls him back center ring and Hager arrives, Mox takes him out, code breaker by Jericho and that gets 2. Jericho locks on the walls, Mox fights and finally makes the ropes. Jericho argues with the ref, Mox counters into a Saito suplex and lariat Hager cheapo shots Mox and the ref saw it. She boots the Inner Circle to the back and with the distraction, Sammy lays out Mox with the belt and runs away. Jericho crawls over and covers for 2. Jericho follows with strikes, Mox fires up and they trade. Jericho rakes the good eye and slaps Mox around. he follows with strikes as Mox is blinded. The second rope knee drop follows and the Judas effect is countered, death rider by Mox and he removes the eye patch, HE’S HEALED! Death rider again and Jericho is done! Jon Moxley defeated Le Champion Chris Jericho @ 24:25 via pin [****] I loved this and thought it was a great main event. The match was entertaining and told a good story built around the eye that had a satisfying climax. Moxley wore the eye patch all week around fans on a cruise and even to work in Japan, and in the end was a smart babyface an outsmarted the heel Jericho to overcome and give us anew champion, leading to a satisfying end to the show.

– Post match, Mox celebrates and stands tall as our new champion. He grabs the mic and says he loves this shit. It’s been a hell of year for him and this moment belongs to the fans as they drive the company. One year ago they talked bout bringing pro wrestling back, and they did it. He thanks the fans who have been with him the whole time and thanks the AEW family. It’s beer O’clock. They try to play him off and he says he’ll face anyone, but it’s time to knock back some whiskey. He leaves through the crowd as the show ends.

 photo The411onWrestling-KHC15_1A_zps84kblpqb.jpg

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 94. On the show, Larry Csonka & Steve Cook hit a quick news roundup on Samoa Joe, NXT Japan and more, review NXT vs. Dynamite (2.26.20) and then preview AEW Revolution. The show is approximately 79-minutes long.

* Intro
* Quick News Roundup (Samoa Joe, Matt Hardy, NXT Japan, NJPW Cancellations, More): 2:05
* AEW Dynamite (2.26.20) Review: 27:05
* NXT (2.26.20) Review: 40:40
* The Head to Head Comparison: 54:10
* AEW Revolution Preview: 58:55

* iTunes
* Spotify
* Stitcher
* Google Play

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

8.0
The final score: review Very Good
The 411
AEW: Revolution 2020 was an overall really good and fun PPV, with an outstanding tag title match, a great main event and title change, the continuation of a few programs and a great atmosphere. Some young stars got to shine as well, but it was a far from perfect show as the card layout was highly questionable, specifically the opener and position of the women’s match. It was an enjoyable night, and now we see where people like Jericho, the Bucks and Moxley go from here.
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