To say AEW needed to hit Revolution out of the ballpark is not an understatement. What they accomplished last night is a fantastic start to their PPV calendar year. All roads now head to Vegas as they begin the process for their next big show; AEW’s Double or Nothing. Here is how the event played out.

Match 1: Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Starks

This is the ideal match to start the show, a true rivalry. Jericho is still beloved no matter what he does. Starks is one of the future pillars of the company. Both men use this slot in the card to elevate their spots within the company. Starks is still selling the beatdown by the Jericho Appreciation Society. Jericho showed why he is one of the best performers ever with heel work and working over the younger Starks.

Two fantastic spots in the match were the counters to Jericho’s codebreaker into a powerbomb and Jericho countering Starks’ spear into a codebreaker. Then, in the match’s closing moments, Sammy Guevara attempts to run in but is stopped by Action Andretti. During the distraction, Jericho hits Starks with a bat and goes for the Judas Effect finisher, only to have it blocked for the first time in AEW history by Starks. Ricky hit his finisher to win and end his rivalry with Chris Jericho.

Winner: Ricky Starks

Match 2: Christian Cage vs. ‘Jungle Boy’ Jack Perry Final Burial Match

In AEW’s take on a Casket match/Buried alive match, we have the Final Burial match between former mentor and student. These two are playing the parts of hatred for each other perfectly. Christian shows off his experience by punishing Perry throughout the match.

He would follow that up by taking off Perry’s belt and whipping him like a government mule. Most of the match was held near the casket/burial area by the ramp. Perry fought through and dived off the ramp. The closing moments came once Perry locked in an STO submission using the shovel. This led to an unconscious Christian being finished with one of the most vicious chair shots in recent memory. Perry was able to carry Christian’s body into the casket and slam it shut.

Winner: Jungle Boy Jack Perry

Match 3: AEW World Trios Title Match The Elite (c) vs. House of Black

This was one of the most anticipated matches of the night. Kenny was the star of the opening moments, whether it was him starting against Buddy or the phenomenal exchange between himself and Malaki Black. However, it turned the tide for House of Black once Brody King entered the match. The interactions between all six men have been excellent. This match showed what House of Black is capable of.

The Match of the Night had many near falls during its closing moments. Black hit Matt with the Black Mass, but Kenny saved him. Similarly, the BTE Trigger hit Buddy, but Black was saved by him. The Young Bucks eventually set up Black for the Meltzer driver, but Buddy intercepted and hit Nick with a violent high knee strike as he was coming down, bringing an end to the match. This led to the House of Black hitting their finisher onto Matt and pinning him for the win.

Winners and new AEW Trios Champions House of Black

Match 4: AEW Women’s World Title match: Saraya vs. Ruby Soho vs. Jamie Hayter (c)

The night’s only women’s matchup was a solid outing for all three women. This match does highlight just how grand and competitive a champion Jamie Hayter is. Saraya, the veteran in the game, was the perfect blend of Soho and Hayter. All women are getting in solid maneuvers on one another. Ultimately, Hayter defended and retained her title against the two women. Hayter should be champion for a long time as she has now beaten Saraya, Toni Storm, and Ruby Soho, among others.

Winner and still AEW Women’s Champion: Jamie Hayter.

Post-match: After weeks of not choosing sides, we saw Ruby Soho pick and side with Saraya and Toni Storm as they beat down Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker.

Match 5: Texas Deathmatch Hangman Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley

In what should not be a surprise, this was the most violent match of the night. They pushed the limits that a major promotion allows in a match like this. From the blood, chairs, barbed wire, chains, and bricks. To the imagery of Hangman hanging Mox and winning the match. A lot of Twitter did not like the use of blood in this match. However, when the match is labeled as “Texas Deathmatch,” you will undoubtedly run into moments that may be hard to watch, whether it was Hangman wrenching barbed wire onto Mox’s head or Mox returning the favor by stabbing Hangman with a fork.

These moments and many others throughout the match show the audience what to expect from a matchup like this. This is one of the three matches that warrant a replay, as Mox showed why he is one of the more violent wrestlers today, and Hangman showed precisely what he is capable of when pushed to the limits of something he is unfamiliar with.

Winner: Hangman Page.

Match 6: TNT Championship match: Wardlow vs. Samoa Joe (c)

Here we had just two more physical wrestlers throwing haymakers at each other. Another personal rivalry as Joe cut Wardlow’s hair. Now looking for his revenge Wardlow did just that, as he was the first person to choke out Samoa Joe with his submission move. Some of the hardest hits happened during this matchup. It was odd to have the winner of the match face off against the winner of the Face of the Revolution ladder match, Hobbs. The consensus would say it would be Joe walking out the champion. However, Wardlow had other plans, as he was the one to win the match and choke out the Samoan Submission Machine Samoa Joe. We will turn to Wednesday and see if they continue with Wardlow’s reign or if Hobbs will capture his first singles championship in AEW.

Winner: New TNT Champion Wardlow.

Match 7: AEW World Tag Team Championship Title Match: The Gunns (c) vs. Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal vs. Orange Cassidy & DanHausen vs. The Acclaimed

In a match that no one could have predicted, these would be the teams competing. We had an excellent showing for all teams, as each team was highlighted throughout the match. Unfortunately, in what many had hoped would be a second reign for The Acclaimed, we had the Gunns sneak by this match and steal another victory. This match will be remembered for the spots with Danhausen and Orange Cassidy, a team that should not have been in the match but did what they could to keep it entertaining. However, this match will be the least memorable of the night as it was the match leading up to the main event, and many fans expected a different outcome.

Winner and still champions: The Gunns

Post Match: The Gunns are interviewed by Renee in the ring, and they cut a promo running down all the teams they have beaten in their short reign as champions mentioning the teams from this match along with FTR, who make their surprise return and beatdown the champions hitting a finisher on each member of The Gunns.

Match 8: AEW World Championship Iron Man Title Match: MJF (c) vs. Bryan Danielson

Heading into the event, many had the Trios match as the match of the night contender or the Texas Deathmatch as it. However, what we got in this Iron Man was unexpected. Many thought Danielson would outpace and work MJF. Well, here’s another reason for disliking MJF, as the man would go on to craft one of the best Iron Man matches with Danielson in over two decades. MJF showed why he is what he is by keeping up with one of the best in-ring performers of this era. From his already fantastic heel work throwing water onto a kid to delivering picture-perfect dives onto the outside or one of the best elbow drops from the top rope onto the outside through Danielson on a table.

Some pictures and video highlights will not do justice to this match. However, the imagery, the pain on each competitor, and the overall moves each delivered will surely be remembered as MJF had the best in-ring performance in his AEW career. Danielson is one of the best in-ring workers and showed exactly why he is that good, showing off his chain wrestling, which is undervalued today, to pay homage to one of his mentors, William Regal.

Sixty minutes was not enough time to declare a winner, as they went into the sudden death format with the next fall declaring the winner and champion; MJF went back to his playbook and attempted to do everything possible to win, whether it was using the belt or the Dynamite Diamond ring all which were foiled until he rolled outside and used the oxygen tank that he was being administered post-match. This allowed MJF to lock in the submission and force Danielson to tap out, a rare way for him to be defeated.

Winner and still AEW World Champion; MJF

This event was precisely what AEW needed to start the new year. Every feud heading into the show had its final chapter closed this night. AEW decided this show was meant for all the performers who started with the company, as in all but one match, an AEW original or homegrown talent came out victorious. Wrestling’s new era of stars is truly thriving, and we head to Double or Nothing with some of the best in ring, promos, and presentations AEW has ever produced.

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