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A great night of AEW action followed up Revolution with more news on the women's division and a huge title fight for the TNT Championship in the show's main event
All Elite Wrestling continued its West Coast swing this week with a stop in Sacramento on Wednesday night. After the events of AEW Revolution, there were plenty of questions still unanswered. This episode tied up a few loose strings while advancing some major storylines.
Tony Khan & Company have been making magic since the start of 2023, and Revolution was the equivalent of pulling a huge rabbit out of a hat. They've got a ton of momentum coming out of that event, and with the pedal down are heading toward summer and some more huge PPV shows.
This one featured plenty of AEW's brightest stars highlighting their skills in The Golden State. Here are a few of the most vibrant moments of the night:
#1 - Orange Cassidy has a new championship (sort of)
The Orange One was out with his (for now) All-Atlantic Championship to take on Jay Lethal in what turned out to be a very good battle. While the match featured some exciting action between two great athletes, the story behind the showdown actually means more here.
Cassidy got the pin with the Orange Punch in a little under 15 minutes, but he was El-Kabonged by Jeff Jarett with his guitar, setting up a title match between the two next week in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
It is fitting that the bout will take place across the border in The Great White North. The All-Atlantic Championship - log saddled with one of the worst names possible - is finally getting a new coat of paint. The crown will now be known as the 'AEW International Championship' from now on. (Thank goodness that Tony Khan righted that wrong)
#2 - NEWS FLASH: Ricky Starks will soon wrestle someone besides Sammy Guevara or Daniel Garcia
Ricky Ricky Ricky came out to cut a promo, but instead of challenging someone in the Jericho Appreciation Society to a fight, he said he isn't sure what will be next for him.
That should be music to the ears of the AEW audience, who must be growing tired of him being on what was appearing to be a continuous loop of bouts against Sammy Guevara or Daniel Garcia. He's apparently moved past them and their budding, bad guy bro-mance, leaving that to be Action Andretti's problem for now.
Instead, he barely spoke before the Bullet Club logo flashed on the screen, distracting The Absolute One. Right away, Juice Robinson attacked Starks, setting up what is likely a rivalry that will culminate at Forbidden Door 2023 in June.
#3 - Ruby Reveals All
Ruby Soho spilled the beans on why she aligned herself with th WWE Invaders at Revolution, and her explanation - while not electric - was at least valid. She talked about how the AEW faithful never really backed her in some important matches, despite the fact that she should have clearly been the fan favorite.
As has become the trend today with any veteran who turns heel, she made sure to make obligatory remarks about the younger wrestlers being spoiled and entitled. Then, she proceeded to defeat Sky Blue.
Ruby was considered the wild card in this war, so it will be interesting to see how she's booked now that she's gone full heel. The guess would be that this move is a way to freshen her up for an eventual AEW World Women's Championship reign. If you're laying down bets on who will win that belt next, it's probably a good idea to put down all your money on Soho.
#4 - FTR continues to prove that excellence gets over
Following their raucous return at Revolution, FTR came out to talk with Tiny SChiavone to a rousing reception. The Top Guys drank in the crowd's adulation for a long time before getting down to business.
They expressed that while they were out and had come off a long stretch of hard times, they were back and planned on returning with one thing in mind: winning the AEW World Tag Team. They called out The Gunn Club, and it's looking like they're going to be the next major challengers in line.
What was most striking about this segment is just how over two, blue-collar, toolbox guys like Wheeler and Harwood really are. They are grungy grapplers in an era of glitz and glamour, yet that's precisely what makes them so popular.
Anyone watching this duo right now should really step back and realize that they are watching true greatness. Not just based on their mat work, but based on their amazing connection with the people, as well. That's what truly makes FTR so special.
#5 - The Main Event
Coming off his championship win at Revolution, Wardlow didn't have time to relax. He posted on social media on Wednesday that his car had been broken into where his gear and belt were stolen. And just a few days after his title tilt with Samoa Joe, he would be facing a 'Powerhouse' opponent in the main event.
In a backstage promo earlier in the show, a frustrated Wardlow said that he wanted to make the first defense of his second TNT Title reign into a Falls-Count-Anywhere Match. So, that's what these two stormy combatants were heading into to close out the action.
In the end, Hobbs made short work of Wardlow's latest championship run, as he power-bombed the big man off the stage and through a platform. This was, of course, not done cleanly. They had to cover this whole thing somehow, so QT Marshall did an unexplainable run-in.
Still, the end result is that one of the company's hottest prospects finally has the gold around his waist. Hobbs has a lot of potential, and his raw skills are going to only be polished more and more as time passes. Hopefully, he gets to work some programs with veteran, technical grapplers who can carry him for a while through the early stages of this title tenure.
Hobbs has the potential to be the number-one man in the promotion someday, so this 'test run' with a title will be a nice litmus test as to where he's at right now, in terms of his development.