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Hello, Wrestling Fans, long time no see! Although it’s been quite a while since I last published a column, I thought AEW’s Blood & Guts special was a great time to bring back the column, if only for one week. I look at wrestling with a (hopefully) humorous eye, as I ask rhetorical questions and make stupid comments based on what I see. So let’s get Wringing!
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Blood & Guts – May 5, 2021
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, FL
Announcers: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur
Kenny Omega/MT Nakazawa vs. Jon Moxley/Eddie Kingston
Can’t they open a show without some kind of pre-match attack or schmozz?
If a low blow is a “deep dive”, couldn’t you call a pulling-the-tights spot “exposing the business”?!
Did JR seriously use the word “precision” when talking about Kenny’s moves?
Did the Young Bucks look like they just came in from Disney World?!
If this is your first experience with AEW, do you really want to spend $50 to watch Kenny in a title match at the next PPV, considering his match here was basically one big angle?
Cody Rhodes vs. QT Marshall
Since Arn Anderson is now getting “physically involved” in matches, how long till we see him in an actual match, only to have it turn into an angle?
So, swearing, yes, blood, yes, butt shots…..NO!? I guess we’ve finally seen the limit that TNT will put up with in AEW!
Do I see post-wrestling careers in Cirque du Soleil for Cody and QT?
Scorpio Sky quotes a 25+ year old Batman movie that is probably (some would say blessedly) out of the consciousness of most serious Batman fans?
Were you shocked, or disappointed, that Darby didn’t tumble all the way down the stairs?
Britt Baker vs….WHO?! (Julia Hart)
This squash match was so short, by the time I was done cleaning up my Cody/QT comments, it was over!
SCU vs. Jurassic Express vs. Varsity Blonds vs. The Acclaimed
So in one match, we had a Tarzan character, a “dinosaur” character, a character dressed as a poor-man’s Michael Jackson, and a team with a poor-man’s John Cena rapper-type characters. Can I call this a Too-Many-Gimmicks Match?!
Does anyone else hate the word “cordwood”?
Of course people want to be like Orange Cassidy – who wouldn’t want to be laid back, lazy, dress in denim all day, and fake working…until they were forced to?
They had to waste a bit of time before the main event, so the two promos they give us are Kenny Omega….and Miro?!
Blood & Guts – Pinnacle vs. Inner Circle
Has anyone else ever forgotten there are no pinfalls in a traditional Wargames-style match?
Chairshots to the head, in 2021? Really?
Are they going to dismantle the entire ring?
So even this Wargames style match devolves into a regular cage match, complete with a top of the cage spot?
Now the announcers are swearing?
They can’t even give us a clean finish in the concept match they’ve been building to for months?
Did you notice Jericho peeked open one eye while “unconscious”?
FINAL THOUGHTS
I will give AEW faint praise here, with some major exceptions. Overall, the show was kind of decent. I enjoyed the Cody/QT match, the four-way tag was okay, and Britt’s squash match was what it was. But the opener was basically an excuse for an angle…and then there’s the main event. While I knew going in that there would be tons of blood, and I’m not really okay with that, but it’s their thing, and I get it. The chairshots to the head are completely inexcusable in 2021. They have to stop that, and the throwing of chairs at people’s heads. And that bullshit finish? Somebody should have gotten a clean win, but since it’s AEW, they have to have their “shenanigans” finishes. They could have accomplished the exact same thing if MJF had thrown Jericho off, and then the Inner Circle surrenders (out of concern for Jericho’s health & safety).
You can send all questions, comments and hate mail to me at: ritnfool@yahoo.com
