Thoughts on AEW Redemption - A baffling, lackluster PPV

All Elite Wrestling ended its streak of near-perfect Pay-Per-Views following the inaugural event Redemption. 

The show felt like a slog to get through, which is particularly frustrating given the show started one hour earlier than usual. I found some of the wrestling to be sloppy, and the storytelling eye-roll-inducing. I don't think it was a bad show, or at least not in the same vein as WWE Premium Live Events, but it failed to live up to the sky-high standard set by Tony Khan and his roster. 

It's also a show shrouded in confusion. We do not know why Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland have disappeared from television, despite Khan's insistence that the two remain in good standing. MJF may or may not be injured, and the severity of his possible injuries may or may not be significant. We do not have enough information, which is frustrating in itself. 

This was the show where Kenny Omega was set to defeat MJF for the AEW World Championship, a decision that played out a couple of weeks earlier on Dynamite. It was a baffling decision then, and even more so now; instead, Omega defended his newly won title against up-and-comer Kevin Knight, who recently expressed some dissatisfaction with how his partnership with Speedball Mike Bailey ended. 

Omega winning the title and Bailey beating Knight in Montreal would have made for infinitely better storytelling before the white-hot hometown crowd. Will Ospreay should feel like the single biggest thing in pro wrestling, as he's weeks away from capturing his first AEW World Championship in front of his home nation; yet, Ospreay feels colder than ever before. His association with the Death Riders - now at its merciful end - was ultimately for naught.

I did not watch Zero Hour, and I've become agnostic towards the concept and presentation of pre-shows. I don't know any sane person who turns on their televisions to hear Jeff Jarrett, Renee Paquette, and whomever else run down the card. It's just background noise that blends in with slowly paced, methodical VIDEO PACKAGES meant to inform AND get you hyped up for the card. Woo!

Again, this is an opportunity for Khan to differentiate himself from WWE. You have one of the greatest rosters ever assembled, with access to the rosters of New Japan and CMLL. You also own Ring of Honor, which still hasn't secured a media rights deal. I don't think having The Lethal Twist taking on the AEW World Trios Championship does anyone good, nor does it for ROH. 

I miss the old Sunday Night Heat days. I'd turn on MTV and was treated to a sneak peek of the upcoming PPV stage (my parents rarely ordered PPV in the '90s). More than that, they usually did a solid job of building anticipation for the PPV. I don't think fans are getting excited to see the customary 3-to-5-match pre-show card, usually filled to the gills with multi-person tag matches that all follow a very similar formula.

The Conglomeration are stale. I love those fellas as much as the next person, but it's time to put an end to their association, or at least dramatically change up the dynamic. 

Anyways, let's get to the show:

Six-way Ladder Match to determine the #1 contender for the AEW International Championship

This was an entertaining car crash, though I didn't consider it amongst AEW's best. The issue with multi-man ladder matches: they're essentially all the same thing. Wrestlers take turns doing big spots - and I thought quite a few of the spots in this match were sloppily set up - until someone climbs the ladder and grabs the gimmick. I hated how Jungle Jack Perry was an arm's length away from winning the match, but decided to execute a sunset flip onto a "ladder bridge." Why? Why'd you do that, Jungle Jack? Komander is a human highlight reel and should be featured more often (visas are an issue). 

Rewatchability: 6/10. Again, you've seen one multi-man match, and you've seen them all. I will probably never go back to see this match, but I've found myself rewatching some of the more impressive spots across various social media platforms, which I'm sure is a big factor when promoting this kind of match. The hometown hero in Speedball Mike Bailey picked up the victory, a predictable but necessary result. I'm much more looking forward to Bailey vs. Kyle Fletcher for the AEW International Championship. 

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The Young Bucks vs. Jon Moxley & Will Ospreay

It was a really good bout, but I'm over this ridiculous Death Riders/Ospreay story. Ospreay is weeks away from capturing his first AEW World title, and it will be in front of his fellow citizens. This should be a massive deal, and yet Ospreay is acting like a total pussy. Why show concern for the Bucks? Why wouldn't he finish them off when given the chance? Who cares about his inner conflict, man? It's silly. This guy is trying to become the next World Champion, and we have him acting scared? This is a perfect example of "cinematic" elements ruining what was otherwise a really good match.

Rewatchability: 4/10. I'd rage-bait myself if I ever went back to watch this. 

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AEW International Championship Match - Bandido vs. Kyle Fletcher

Bandido must stop losing on PPV, because he is no longer viewed as a special attraction who's coming in for a night or two. He's part of your roster. He's aligned with Brody King. He's a WORLD CHAMPION for heaven's sakes, and clearly has the support of the fans. Bandido is too good, too special, to be reserved to lose to high-end main roster talent. I thought this was the best match of the evening. Fletcher is just an incredible specimen. 

Rewatchability: 8/10. Super match.

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Double Chain Match - The Dogs vs. The Bang Bang Gang

I fucking hated this match. It was absolute fucking dog shit, no pun intended. First off, this match did not have to be a double chain match because no one bled! How can you do a chain match without blood? But more than that, how fucking ludicrous is it for Marina Schaffir to interfere and hand the heels a fucking weapon so they could cheat to victory? What are we doing here? What's with The Bang Bang Gang coming out to make the save with their music playing? It was so fucking quiet that the start of the song actually startled me. Just absolute SHIT. Shit, shit, shit.

Rewatchability: -10/10. Torture would be preferable to sitting down and rewatching this piece of shit match. 

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TBS Championship Match - Maya World vs. Hikaru Shida

Another STINKER. Look, I understand and even appreciate what they're attempting to do with Maya World. I am personally happy for her; that said, she clearly is not ready. She looks rough out there. Shida's recent performances aren't much to write him about, either. I love Shida, but she's starting to feel like a relic. This was a match that needed a better wrestler to carry the bout, and that did not happen. 

Rewatchability: 1/10

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AEW World Tag Team Championship - Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. The Death Riders

Mrs. JCup joined me for this contest and immediately asked me who the two old guys were. Copeland is looking rough, man. The unkempt hair and beard age him quite a bit, eh? Look, I was willing to give Copeland a chance, and I think he's better than he's generally credited for; that said, I'm ready for the end. I'm done with the sing-a-longs, the WWE-style promos and skits, and the belts coming off the duo. When I first heard about the possibility of Redemption, someone floated the idea that it would be Copeland's retirement show, but that may come later in the fall. Whenever it is, it can't come soon enough. It looks like they're defending their titles against The Young Bucks at Wembley, and it wouldn't shock me if the fall sees a TLC match involving them + FTR as part of Cope's send-off. 

Rewatchability: 5/10

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No Holds Barred - Chris Jericho vs. Tommaso Ciampa

I hate the Painmaker shit. He looks incredibly lame, and I hated how the announcers kept mentioning how Ciampa forced him to "change into" this special character. Get the fuck out of here with that. Jericho needed to tap into some dark character...so he could save a stuffie from getting its ass further kicked by Ciampa? Come on. I hate these types of silly plunder matches, and I'd make one rule if I were TK: no more thumbtacks. It's been done to death. It's not cute. It's not original. It's dated and dumb. I'm also unsure of the finish (did Ciampa submit? Ref stoppage?). 

Rewatchability: 6/10

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AEW National Championship - Andrade El Idolo vs. Mark Davis

AEW is following in WWE's footsteps by inundating their audience with "How you know?" It was cute the first couple of times, but my god PLEASE do not make it this man's entire personality. I wanted more out of this match, but it was still really good.

Rewatchability: 6.5/10. Needed more action. 

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AEW Women's World Championship - Willow Nightingale vs. Thekla

Meh. I love both of these women so much, but I hate how Willow won. It was anti-climactic, and the type of match that could've been on Dynamite or Collision. I don't think the backslide finish was necessary in the slightest, either. Blah.

Rewatchability: 3/10. 

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AEW World Championship - Kenny Omega vs. Kevin Knight

A predictably fantastic match. Let's talk about the aftermatch. Here come the Death Riders to murder Omega, ridding themselves of him once and for all. Down comes Ospreay. It all comes down to this. The man is putting on a performance that would make a theater kid blush. He's CONFLICTED...and ultimately decides to turn on the Death Riders, because he's a GOOD GUY DAMN IT! Omega, of course, nails him with the OWA to end the show.

At the end of the day, Redemption did not help anyone's cause as we head into Wembley. Ospreay looks like a geek mere weeks before his expected coronation. Neither Hangman Page, Swerve Strickland, nor MJF returned. The World Tag titles are being held hostage by older men. The TBS Championship is around the waist of an incredibly green worker. We witnessed a Double Chain match between two teams who supposedly despise one another, yet no blood was shed. Kevin Knight felt like an afterthought. 

I'm looking forward to seeing what Andrade does with the National Championship, and I'm intrigued to see where Thekla goes from here...

...but not much else, at least after watching that show. It was bad. There's no sugarcoating it. It failed to live up to AEW's own standards, failed to silence all the criticisms heading into Redemption, and FAILED TO END BEFORE MIDNIGHT! WHAT IS THE POINT OF STARTING ONE HOUR EARLIER?

Sigh.