AEW - A Different Creation

[Hoss]

A Different Creation.​

I'm starting this thread to chronicle my booking of AEW in this TEW scenario. If you've been following in the TEW/EWR Discussion thread, you'll know that I've been playing a game that began in 2013, and have made it all the way up to 2019, when AEW opens.

I'll be playing the game as Tony Khan and booking things from the very start, using what wrestlers I have at my availability in this fantasy scenario. I'm going to wait until after getting a show or two in before I post all the company info, including the roster, titles, schedule, etc.

That said, I have decided to use a different schedule format to what was used in real life. I'm going to run the events under a numbered PPV format. Think UFC for what I mean. The first event will be titled AEW 1: All Out, scheduled for mid-March 2019, and the results for that show will be the jumping off point for this project!

 

[Chris]

Numbered format is interesting

 

[Hoss]

Numbered format is interesting

We'll see how it goes

 

[Hoss]

I figured since AEW already takes a lot of production aspects from MMA, and even has the records and rankings, and loves running Vegas, that it would make sense aesthetically.

 

[Hoss]

Background.

In a wrestling landscape where everything you know post-2013 is a totally different story, somehow, All Elite Wrestling still finds a way to exist in 2019.

Important People

CM Punk - never quit WWE. Is now a 9-time World Champion and 2015 Royal Rumble winner.

Daniel Bryan - never had to retire. Is now a 6-time, reigning and defending Wrestler of the Year, 3-time reigning and defending World Heavyweight Champions and 2-time WWE Champion.

The SHIELD - remained united for nearly 5 years, and have begun to enjoy singles success with Seth Rollins winning the WWE Championship in 2017.

Vince McMahon - died late in 2018, leaving WWE in the control of…

Stephanie McMahon - now owner and head booker of WWE.

Don Callis - became booker of NXT after Canyon Ceman left the business, and Kid Kash, who took his spot, walked out.

Cody Rhodes - enjoying a moderately successful WWE career still.

Kenny Omega - still yet to break into the upper crust of NJPW, but multi-time Intercontinental Champion.

The Young Bucks - were active across the indies until 2017, when NJPW signed them to an exclusive contract and made them Jr. Tag Champs.

The Elite - would come to exist in 2017, when Young Bucks joined Kenny Omega in NJPW full-time. The trio are currently considered very important.

Hangman Page - remained a fixture in ROH, PWG and OVW, where he has now solidified himself as a top American indie talent.

Chris Jericho - remained with WWE throughout the years, where he main evented many more PPVs… recently hit the market for the first time.

Sting - continued in TNA until 2017. Spent 6 months in NOAH, then 3 months in Lucha Underground, before joining WWE on an exclusive deal in October 2018.

AJ Styles - left TNA in 2014, and would join EVOLVE and Dragon Gate USA for close to a year. Would compete in WWE from 2015 to 2017 winning the tag belts once with Jack Swagger, before making the jump to New Japan.

Prince Devitt - became exclusive to his home company of Dragon Gate for years, before re-joining New Japan in 2018, where he’d also resume control of…

The Bullet Club - experienced years of diminished importance, following the departure of their leader, but currently consist of Prince Devitt, Karl Anderson, Bully Ray, Bad Luck Fale and Drew Hankinson.

Marty Scurll - is still just wrestling in British indies.

Jay White - wrestled mainly in EVOLVE early on in his career, but signed with New Japan early 2017.

Juice Robinson - is an upper midcarder in WWE as CJ Parker.

KENTA - was NOAH’s figurehead for a lengthy time, and also wrestled in TNA, where he’d win X-Division and Tag Team gold. However, injuries finally forced him to retire in 2018.

Undisputed Era - have all gone their separate ways. Adam Cole to NXT, Kyle O’Reilly to NJPW, and Bobby Fish in ROH and EVOLVE.

The Four Horsewomen - did not truly make the same impact, though they are all among the best female workers in WWE, and Charlotte is a 2-time women’s champion.

The WWE women’s division - looks a lot more like the diva era in this scenario. The top stars of the division include Natalya, Lana, AJ Lee, The Beautiful People, Kaitlyn, The Bella Twins and Taryn Terrell.

Ronda Rousey - has debuted for WWE in 2018, as per real life, and is very popular immediately.

-------

Important Companies

WWE

Owner/booker: Stephanie McMahon

Spoiler

NXT

Booker: Don Callis

Spoiler

TNA

Owner: Court Bauer
Booker: Diamond Dallas Page

Spoiler

ROH

Owner: Joe Koff
Booker: Delirious

Spoiler

EVOLVE

Owner/booker: Gabe Sapolsky

Spoiler

FIP

Owner: Method Man
Booker: Sonjay Dutt

Spoiler

LUCHA UNDERGROUND

Owner: Robert Rodriguez
Booker: Kevin Nash

Spoiler

NJPW

Owner: Takaaki Kidani
Booker: Gedo

Spoiler

AJPW

Owner: Nobuo Shiraishi
Booker: Shuhei Taniguchi

Spoiler

NOAH

Owner: Akira Taue
Booker: Naomichi Marufuji

Spoiler

DRAGON GATE

Owner: Takashi Okamura
Booker: CIMA

Spoiler

STARDOM

Owner: Mariko Oshida
Booker: Rossy Ogawa

Spoiler

 

[King Kota]

Kevin nash booking Lucha Underground

 

[Hoss]

Background.

Part 2.

On New Year’s Eve 2018, a press conference was held at TIAA Bank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The conference was called by Tony Khan, son of the billionaire owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fullham F.C. Shahid Khan, and was announced as the launching of a new pro wrestling company.

At the press conference, Tony Khan spoke enthusiastically about his lifelong fandom of pro wrestling, and his excitement to be opening a promotion of his own. When asked about why Khan chose this time to launch a new company, he explained that the timing was right for a new company to enter the fray and present an alternative to existing companies in North America.

He would state that WWE had remained the unopposed leader in the industry for nearly 20 years, and that no other companies have been able to remain stable for long enough to create a truly viable secondary option where workers could make a comfortable living. Khan would state that his industry connections and experience managing professional sports teams had given him a good grasp on how to run a company in the live entertainment market.

Further, Khan felt that there had never been a better collection of talent in the business, and some convenient timing on the contracts of several major stars made this the ideal time to build something new and revolutionary.

Thus, All Elite Wrestling was born.

With that being said, Khan announced that the maiden event of All Elite Wrestling would be titled AEW 1, with the tagline “All Out”. The event would take place from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and feature stars from across the wrestling world, with several matchups being announced well in advance.

The first wrestlers to approach the stage for the newly birthed company would be Chris Jericho, looking like an aging rockstar, and “Captain Charisma” Christian Cage, dressed in a peacoat and thick scarf. The two men were announced as the main event match-up for the inaugural event, playing on their long-standing rivalry.

Each man delivered comments, celebrating the founding of a new company where top stars in wrestling can test themselves in a new, fast-paced and exciting environment. While Christian was quick to put over the young stars of the AEW roster, Jericho stated with conviction that AEW was his to rule.

After emotions flared on stage, with each man putting over their accomplishments and hurling some insults at the other, Tony Khan proposed that the main event be made a No Holds Barred match, to which both men happily agreed.

The spotlight was then moved to two men that Tony Khan confidently declared as the “here and now” of pro wrestling - Ricochet and Will Ospreay. Their previous encounters in EVOLVE were highlighted, with promise that their next bout would be their best yet. Each man stated that they’re bringing the best version of themselves into the marquee matchup in Jersey, clearly hungry to steal the show and make their mark on the national stage.

As Ricochet and Will Ospreay left the stage following a handshake and staredown, the fearsome “Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe waltzed up to the stage, brushing by AEW founder Tony Khan and approaching the microphone. Joe did not mince words, stating that he was in AEW for the paycheck and would take out anyone put in front of him to get to the top of the card. After demanding to know his opponent, Tony Khan brought out the man he’d be facing… “The Boss” Bobby Lashley. Khan announced that he would be playing into the two men’s combat sports backgrounds and had booked the two men in a “Knockout or Tap Out” match.

A variety of younger, less known stars were given the opportunity to take to the stage and deliver their introductions.

This included the narcissistic Maxwell Jacob Friedman, who wore a Burberry scarf and took most of his time running down media members and even Tony Khan himself.

It also included Drew Gulak, who gave what felt like a lecture on the catch-as-catch-can roots of pro wrestling and promised to prove himself a scientifically perfect wrestler.

A cocky, young Jersey Shore type named "The Bad Boy" Joey Janela gave a very sleazy and profanity laden promo, essentially ripping into wrestling traditions and claiming that he’s flipping the script in pro wrestling. This prompted a surprise appearance from “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes, hot off the heels of his latest WWE run. The sage Texan challenged Janela to put his money where his mouth is, in a match where the winner would get both men’s purse! Janela would agree, looking forward to delivering a star-making performance in front of his hometown crowd... and take Dustin's money while he's at it.

WWE veteran Sheamus and his tag team partner Tommy End spoke. Sheamus spoke about post-WWE life, wrestling in companies including ROH, EVOLVE, Progress and his recent homebase of wXw. He stated that the level of competition out there across the world has never been higher, and he and his partner, Dutchman Tommy End, were excited to bring their brand of physicality to the forefront.

An eye-catching joshi veteran known as "The Empress" Kana also spoke, stating that she felt a personal responsibility to put the AEW women’s division on the map with hard-hitting action that has yet to be seen in America.

This would bring onto the stage “The Queen of Spades” Shayna Baszler, a former MMA fighter known for her submission prowess… “The Vanquisher” Jessicka Havok, who stands 6 feet tall and rocks a terrifying goth-inspired look… and the muscular powerlifter Jordynne Grace, boasting an impressive physique. The three women are slated to collide in a triple threat at AEW 1, and got into a verbal altercation among themselves, as well as with Kana.

The final match that would be announced was between long-time fan favorite tag team The Motor City Machine Guns and the reuniting Calgary Bulldogs, composed of TJ Wilson and Harry Smith, otherwise known as Tyson Kidd and DH Smith. The bout was announced as an “eliminator”, with the winning team receiving an automatic bye in a future Tag Team Championship tournament. Both teams had a moment to speak, and put over the others, while stating their intentions to become the first ever tag champs and build a division in AEW that is the envy of the wrestling world. Khan stated his excitement for the first-ever matchup between these two teams that he considers among the best of the past 20 years.

Khan promised MANY more surprises in store for AEW 1, and promised that his company would be all about innovating, looking towards the future and creating the best product in the entire wrestling world.

Before ending the press conference, he would also announce the roster of AEW Coaches, built up of experienced pros who would develop the AEW roster. Those names include: former ECW and ROH Champion Jerry Lynn, former multi-time tag team champion across multiple companies and continents Devon Dudley, 30 year veteran Simon Diamond and former WWE European and Intercontinental Champion D’Lo Brown.

And finally, the announce team for AEW’s pay-per-view broadcast would be revealed. The first man at the desk would be a man very familiar to fans of boxing and mixed martial arts. Prolific announcer known for his work for Showtime boxing and Pride FC - Canada’s own Mauro Ranallo! Joining Mauro on the call and bringing an extensive knowledge of pro wrestling, as well as his patented New York charm to AEW - “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz! And rounded out the three man team would be a man making his return to the wrestling world, and his color commentary debut - none other than “The Rated R Superstar” Edge!

Edge was given the royal treatment and a big red carpet rollout. The legend of the wrestling world gave the final words of the press conference, hyping up the premiere of AEW and putting everyone on notice that the game has just changed!

confirmed for…

---

AEW 1: ALL OUT

Main Event
No Holds Barred!

Christian Cage vs. Chris Jericho

—

Marquee Attraction

Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet

—

Knockout or Tap Out

Bobby Lashley vs. Samoa Joe

—

Winner Receives First-Round Bye

Motor City Machine Guns vs. Calgary Bulldogs

—

Women’s Showcase

Shayna Baszler vs. Jessicka Havok vs. Jordynne Grace

—

Winner Gets Other Man’s Purse…

Dustin Rhodes vs. Joey Janela



ALL THIS + MUCH MORE!

—​

 

[Chris]

Crazy timeline

 

[Bobby Barrows]

The Empress gonna kill everyone I swear.

 

[Hoss]

AEW 1: ALL OUT

Live on PPV from…
The Prudential Center
Newark, New Jersey
Attendance: 10,874
Buyrate: 70,901

—

—

THE BUY-IN

The debut broadcast of AEW begins with a 30-minute pre-show, broadcast on YouTube. The announce team of Mauro Ranallo, Taz and Edge welcome us into the show, hyping up the new era and thank the people of Newark for welcoming them into the beautiful Prudential Center.

The production of the show is decidedly darker than your typical WWE or TNA program, with a silver ring-mat adorned with an all-black AEW logo. There are DraftKings logos on banners, hanging over the black guardrails. The stage features two tunnels, a large middle screen and two smaller screens off to each side.The graphics displayed on screen are a dark silver, futuristic aesthetic.

Cut to the ring.

—

Buy-In Match 1
British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) vs. Trey Miguel, Blake Christian and Alex Zayne

Officially the first match in the AEW record books. Three young men representing the new generation of British wrestling talent take on three of the top high flying talents on the American indie scene today. Ultimately, it’s all about the spots and getting the crowd into the show, which it manages to accomplish. The match reaches a conclusion after about 10 minutes when Tyler Bate pins Blake Christian with the Tyler Driver ‘97. (44)

—

After the exciting opening match between six budding stars, we cut back to the announce desk where Caprice Coleman has joined the commentary team. They discuss the card with Coleman and ask for his predictions for tonight. But, before Coleman is able to talk much, he’s interrupted by Sean Cutter Jr., a man who considers himself the personification of “American Royalty”. He presses the commentators on why he wasn’t asked to participate in this segment, and before long, Coleman has challenged Cutter to a match tonight. Mauro receives word through the headset that Tony Khan wants to speak to the two men in the back to iron something out, potentially for tonight! (42)

—

Buy-In Match 2
The Pretty Boy Killers (Shane Taylor & Keith Lee) vs. Butcher & The Blade

A pair of teams who are basically brand new battled it out next. The Pretty Boy Killers are actually the reigning IWA: Mid-South Tag Team Champions, but they fall short against the menacing Butcher & The Blade, who Mauro claims to be mercenaries from Buffalo’s seedy underbelly. They finish the match off, pinning Shane Taylor following a suplex by Butcher onto The Blade’s knees, a move known as Full Death. (47)

—

Following the match-up, there’s a disagreement at ringside between Taylor and Lee, as it seems Taylor blames Lee for the loss. Lee tries to shake off his partner, but Taylor is persistent. Eventually, Lee goes to walk away but Taylor whips Lee back around... Bad idea. Lee grabs Taylor and drives him down through the timekeeper’s table at ringside, making a massive impact! (28)

After this chaos, the Buy-In audience is reminded to order the PPV, which is beginning now!

—

MAIN SHOW

AEW 1: All Out begins with a lengthy video package, set to Ty Segall’s “Every 1’s a Winner”...




It highlights the deep pool of talent, with a backdrop of New Jersey nightlife, and we get sound bites from multiple wrestlers competing tonight, including Chris Jericho, Christian Cage, Samoa Joe, Dustin Rhodes, Joey Janela, Bobby Lashley, Jessicka Havok, Shayna Baszler and Jordynne Grace, as well as other roster members such as MJF, Sheamus, Tommy End, Edge and Tony Khan himself.

We cut back inside the Prudential Center for the opening contest. (63)

—

Opening Match
Winner Gets The Other Man’s Purse
Dustin Rhodes vs. Joey Janela

In our opening bout, the veteran of 4 decades, “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes (debuting his new look) meets Jersey’s own, “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela. With Joey trashing wrestling traditions, Dustin is looking to teach Joey a thing or two. The two men engage in an entertaining feeling out, hitting some of their signature taunts to good reactions from the crowd.

Janela and Rhodes would prove to have good timing, feeding off of each other’s comedy, while still having an entertaining brawl that spilled around the floor. In the end, Janela would use some underhanded ingenuity to distract the referee and land a low blow on Dustin, hitting him with the Death Valley Driver to gain the pin and a huge upset in front of his people! (48)

Following the match, we get reactions from the commentators. Mauro, naturally, detests the actions of Janela, while Edge and Taz can’t help but admit that they probably would have done the same thing.

—

Suddenly, there’s a disruption and we shoot to the backstage area. Cameras are hurrying down a corridor, and turn a corner to enter the parking area. We see a hulking man in a suit clubbing down on another man, visibly bleeding from the forehead - it’s Christian Cage! The man lifts Cage into a powerbomb and sends him crashing into the hood of a car, letting out a monstrous growl before leaving the scene. Staff rush in to help out the man currently scheduled to face Chris Jericho in the main event tonight! (62)

—

Back at the desk, the announcers are stunned, particularly Edge, who is concerned for the wellbeing of his longtime friend. Taz identifies the man in the suit as Wardlow! A man he claims is not signed to AEW, but whom he met backstage earlier, claiming that he was friends with some talent.

The commentators pivot and say the upcoming match features rising indie star known from FIP and PWG, “The Native Beast” Nyla Rose taking on an impressive prospect named Starlight Kid, who is appearing on behalf of STARDOM.

—

Match Two
Nyla Rose vs. Starlight Kid

Nyla and Starlight deliver a good old-fashioned cruiserweight versus powerful heavyweight performance. Starlight Kid is able to generate some positive feedback from the crowd, and makes several runs, but Nyla is able to impose her will for the majority of the match and ultimately finished Starlight Kid off with a Beast Bomb. (52)

—

Again cutting back to the announce desk, the three-man team praise the performance of Nyla and say that they look forward to future visitors from their partners in STARDOM. They preview the upcoming match of Motor City Machine Guns vs. Calgary Bulldogs, a match in which the winners will receive a first round bye in the future Tag Team Championship tournament, which is yet to be announced.

—

Match Three
Motor City Machine Guns vs. Calgary Bulldogs

Clearly, the two teams were ready for the moment. Not surprisingly, four of the most experienced men on the card brought their A-game and put in some truly show-stealing performances. Crisp tag team sequences, near-falls and plenty of good old fighting spirit built up to a grand finale where Alex Shelley would headscissor TJ Wilson into Harry Smith, knocking Smith off the apron and allowing Sabin to finish Wilson off with the Cradle Shock for the W. (81)

—

As MCMG celebrate, we cut to the backstage area where interviewer Quinn McKay is standing by with the jacked and greased up “Swolverine” Brian Cage and his arm candy Melissa Santos. Cage gives a cocky promo, flexing his pecs and putting over his physique. But suddenly, Cage had company. “Mr. Depravity” Damian Martinez. The tall, dark and handsome rockstar comes into frame, drawing the ire of Cage. However, Martinez is more interested in Santos, and drops some very suave lines her way. Cage becomes heated, naturally, and challenges Martinez to a match at AEW 2, to which Martinez agrees. (46)

—

Match Four
Shayna Baszler vs. Jessicka Havok vs. Jordynne Grace

A dynamic women’s matchup where all three women seem to be dangerous in their own ways. It’s Havok who gets most of the early offense, using her size to her advantage, until Jordynne Grace manages to slam her with a gutwrench! Baszler then is able to control a stretch of the match with limb work on both of her rivals, but ends up taken out with a dual splash from both opponents who sandwich her violently. Grace then nearly puts Havok away with a pumphandle slam but no dice! Recovered now, Baszler is able to trap Grace in a rear naked choke, but Havok squashes her two opponents in the corner with a big avalanche splash. She grabs the dazed Shayna Baszler and drops her with a Tombstone for the win. (55)

—

With Havok standing tall after the match, Kana appears to receive a good reception. She comes face-to-face with the behemoth and offers a handshake. After some consideration, Havok accepts and the crowd pops. After they’re done shaking hands, Havok clocks Asuka with a forearm smash that sends “The Empress” to the mat! Havok leaves the ring looking rather pleased. As she gets to the stage and turns back, she sees Kana still on the mat, holding her jaw, but staring her down with an unsettling smile on her face! (55)

—

Commentary takes a moment to note that Christian Cage has been taken out of the arena and is not expected to return, as he's treated at a local hospital…

We cut away now to a pre-filmed vignette. It is a man sitting in a dark setting, wearing a plum purple colored suit. It’s Brodie Lee, the man once known as Luke Harper as part of the Wyatt Family. With his hands together in front of him, almost like a politician, he speaks.

He says that in wrestling, perception is everything. And some people may look at a man like himself, and want to put him in a box. Paint him as some kind of a savage. But the reality is that he’s much more complex than that. He is in fact a *family* man, who views himself as a provider and role model. He is also career-driven and determined to win a World Championship. Yes, he has a bushy beard and wily eyes. But, he can also clean up nicely and conduct business like a professional.

He then stands up from his chair and begins unbuttoning his sleeves… and then his collar… he takes off the jacket. Brodie says that even with that, people aren’t entirely wrong about how they view him. There is something a little bit savage inside of him… He tears open the dress shirt and pulls it off. Brodie continues, stating that wrestling is like an outlet for him. A chance to tap into his animal instinct. Inflicting and receiving pain is like therapy for him. It keeps him… balanced. Now staring directly into the camera with those signature wild eyes and a wolfish grin, Brodie shakes his head. He says that he’s a complicated man, and soon enough all of AEW will see just how difficult of a puzzle he is to solve… (62)

—

Match Five
Caprice Coleman vs. Sean Cutter Jr.

The match that would end up booked on the Buy-In delivered quite well. Coleman has long been established thanks to work in ROH, while Cutter is still relatively new to the wrestling world, but has been a hot property on the indies. Cutter makes no attempts to endear himself to the fans, using every stalling technique in the book. After a while, we settle into the flow of the match, which is pretty back and forth. Cutter does manage to seal the deal with a flying leg lariat dubbed The Dethroner. (66)

—

Following the match, we shoot backstage once more where the victorious Joey Janela has joined Quinn McKay. Quinn wants to discuss the match with Joey, but “The Natural” appears and doesn’t seem to be in the best of moods. Rhodes is disappointed with the outcome of their match, but acknowledges that Janela got the drop on him tonight. Janela is pleased with himself, and once again reiterates his belief that the new generation has simply passed Rhodes by. Rhodes says that may be the case, but to prove it once and for all, he challenges Janela to a rematch at AEW 2 in a match that will be “Double or Nothing”! The winner of the next matchup will take all four purses from both shows, while the loser is left with nothing. Taking little time to consider, Janela agrees to these terms and promises to put Rhodes in his place for good! (67)

—

Back at ringside, the commentary team mentions that up next is the Knockout or Tap Out match between Samoa Joe and Bobby Lashley. We are shown a tale of the tape, comparing the two men’s physical attributes, as well as their fighting style. Both men then make their entrances, with Bobby Lashley being accompanied to the ring by American Top Team owner Dan Lambert, his personal MMA coach. As the two men stand face-to-face in the ring, a man makes his way out onto the stage wearing a suit. It’s Stu Bennett, the former Wade Barrett! He’s apparently here to scout the upcoming match, as he comes down to ringside and pulls up a chair next to the timekeeper’s area. (67)

—

Match Six
Knockout or Tap Out
Bobby Lashley vs. Samoa Joe

This match begins, and it’s clear that the style of this match is nothing out of the ordinary, other than the fact that pinfalls are not valid. While Joe seems to want to get into things, Lashley takes a cautious approach, as his coach Dan Lambert continually stops the action to give Lashley direction. Eventually, the stalling works and causes Joe to lower his guard, at which point Lashley strikes and takes control of the bout. The match goes along with some of your typical big man brawling, though Lashley displays his amateur wrestling skill with some powerful takedowns, forcing Joe to fight his way back to his feet and try to find an opening. Lashley attempts to throw on his feared Full Nelson, but Samoa Joe is able to ram him backward into the turnbuckle and then lay him out with his signature backwards jumping Enzuigiri. Joe manages some control time for the match, before a distraction from Lambert enables Lashley to hit a big spinebuster. When Joe comes to hit feet, Lashley drives in for a spear, only for Joe to sidestep and send him headfirst into the turnbuckle pad. Seizing the opening, Joe slaps on the dreaded Coquina Clutch, and after a valiant struggle, Lashley is determined to be unconscious! (51)

Following his big win, the menacing Joe parades around the ring proudly. Many fans chant “JOE! JOE! JOE!” but there’s still a smattering of boos as well. He leaves the ring, and takes a moment to glare at Stu Bennett who remained completely inconspicuous throughout the match. Stu throws his hands up, stating that he’s simply observing, and Joe walks away shaking his head.

—

We now get a little bit of filler talk from the announcers. They say that up next, the AEW World Heavyweight Championship is being unveiled by a very special guest.

Cut to - a screeching guitar note slices through the Prudential Center as the video screens display a black and pink graphic of a maple leaf/heart hybrid logo of some sort… who else could it be but “The Hitman” Bret Hart? The old stick in the mud gets a huge ovation from the crowd, who had no idea that Hart would be appearing. Hart is accompanied to the ring by the Calgary Bulldogs, who have gotten dressed after their impressive match earlier. He comes out holding what can clearly only be the AEW World Championship underneath a black cloth. Once in the ring, he begins to put over AEW and all those good things. But before he gets to the point, the music of one Maxwell Jacob Friedman hits on the PA. Out comes the cocky Long Islander with microphone in hand; and he proceeds to verbally eviscerate the entire Hart family extended universe.

Of course, Hart and The Calgary Bulldogs more or less no-sell Friedman, indicating that he’s not worth their time. MJF becomes enraged when Bret refuses to acknowledge him, and as he’s beginning to boil, someone else’s theme hits

Drew Gulak hits the scene. “The Stretch Scientist”, who gave an impassioned sermon about technical wrestling at the AEW launch press conference is here to check Max. Gulak gets on the microphone and thanks Bret for being here. He puts over “The Excellence of Execution” and claims that he aspires to reach Bret Hart levels of technical brilliance. He calls out MJF for trying to steal a legend’s thunder, accusing him of having accomplished nothing in his career. MJF returns fire, with his typical digs, claiming that he’s never even heard of Drew Gulak, and calling himself the fastest rising star in professional wrestling. Bret Hart interjects to throw a quip MJF’s way, which pops the crowd, but leads to MJF spitting his gum at “The Hitman”. This immediately prompts Gulak to take MJF down to the mat. A scuffle ensues as The Calgary Bulldogs attempt to keep Bret clear of the action. In the end, Gulak gets the better and sends MJF wheeling with a big uppercut. As MJF staggers around, Bret uses the AEW World Championship belt to clock MJF in the skull! Taking a powder, MJF retreats up the stage with his face beet red, as he screams that every one of them is going to pay! Meanwhile, Bret holds up the gorgeous AEW World Championship belt to display to the world, while Gulak, Wilson and Smith play to the crowd. (53)

—

Match Seven
Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay

It’s now time for the marquee attraction of the night, between two men who could easily be considered the most in-demand independent talents on the scene today. “The One and Only” Ricochet has been racking up wins and championships in EVOLVE, PWG and FIP, while Will Ospreay has been a true globetrotter, working in NJPW, EVOLVE, PWG, PROGRESS, IPW:UK and RevPro. Their previous encounters in EVOLVE in 2016 were highly acclaimed, but both men have only improved in the time since. The action of this match reflects that, as they begin the match with a mind-boggling series of gymnastic movements, as neither man takes one iota of damage for about 3 minutes, not counting all the wasted energy doing cartwheels and back handsprings. But I digress. They do eventually start hitting each other with actual shit, which does look painful to be fair. Anyways, Ricochet wins with the 630 right in the sternum. (83)

—

Back to the desk, the announcers emphatically state that Ospreay and Ricochet have torn the roof down with that shit right there. Pivoting, they state that it’s unclear at this time what is going to become of the main event match, with Christian evidently taken out of action… Leading into…




Ahead of the scheduled main event, Chris Jericho makes his triumphant entrance to his own band Fozzy's new single "Judas". He easily gets the most pyro and elaborate light show of the whole night. He's draped in a leather jacket, leather pants, black wrist tape, a fedora and a bandana around his neck. He looks like a certifiable ass clown.

He parades around the ring for a moment before taking the microphone and cutting a brief promo, clearly pretending to be concerned for Christian Cage's wellbeing, and then demanding that he be declared the winner of the main event by forfeit!

This leads to Edge jumping up from the announce desk and getting in the ring to confront Jericho. Fired up, Edge gets a big pop from the crowd who are dying to see him get his hands on Jericho. Just then, AEW founder Tony Khan appears. Big Tone is here to announce that Cage is unable to compete tonight. And in terms of liability, Edge also cannot compete as he is only under contract for commentary. However, there is a man here who has JUST signed a deal with AEW and, as per the stipulation of the match contract, is eligible to fill in for Christian Cage in the event that Christian is unable to compete. Therefore, Chris Jericho's new opponent…




GOLDBERG!

Returning to wrestle for the very first time since 2004 tonight, it’s Goldberg! "The Man" makes his signature entrance, as the camera follows him all the way from his locker room, security escorting him to the stage. The fans chant "Gold-berg!" as Jericho is absolutely beside himself. Edge looks pleased and returns to the desk to call the main event, as the arena is now abuzz, this orchestral arrangement of Goldberg’s signature “Invasion” theme ringing out through the Prudential Center! (83)

—

Main Event
No Holds Barred
Chris Jericho vs. Goldberg

In his first match back in 15 years, Goldberg looked to still be in great physical shape. Jericho has seen better days. Either way, they each hold up their end of the bargain in this match which only goes around 11 minutes bell to bell and is a lot more walking around brawling and posing than anything else.

Confirming what everyone had more or less already known, the man earlier identified as Wardlow, who took out Christian Cage, appears late in the main event to try to help Jericho. Goldberg, however, is able to escape the powerbomb and hit Wardlow with a spear. After a bit more action, Wardlow gets back on the apron wielding the ring bell. Edge has seen enough and springs into action, throwing his own cup of coffee into Wardlow's face. Through a series of incidents, a disoriented Wardlow accidentally smacks Jericho with the ring bell, after which Goldberg lands the Jackhammer and secures the pinfall! (56)

—

After the main event, Goldberg poses dominantly to a great reaction. Jericho and Wardlow recuperate on the floor, before looking for some retribution. They hit the ring, but Wardlow is cut off by a surprise spear by none other than Edge! While Jericho is looking shocked at that, Goldberg takes him down with a spear as well! The heels are sent retreating as Goldberg and Edge celebrate together in the ring to end the show! (67)

—

Show Rating: 62​

 

[Canadian Dragon]

I loved it until that main event reveal good shit tho, very cool timeline

 

[Hoss]

I loved it until that main event reveal good shit tho, very cool timeline

I was in a corner Christian got severely injured between the time I signed him and when he left WWE Terrible luck but Imma roll with it, I wouldn't sweat this result too much, just consider it sending the fans home happy (theoretically)

 

[Canadian Dragon]

haha ya imma just always bitch when I see that Goldberg guy , was still pretty fun and looking forward to see where it goes

 

[Canadian Dragon]

always a shame when Turtleneck is out of action

 

[TOP GUY TIME]

SCJ the future pillar?