Post by sethisthegoat on Dec 27, 2023 10:35:57 GMT -5
In lieu of regular Christmas-week programming, AEW is presenting a “Best of 2023” awards show, interspersed with footage from a recent press event held after Winter is Coming. (This serves, hopefully, as a slight peek into my booking decisions and general thoughts on the AEW landscape):
The awards are presented by Pat McAfee and Jonathan Coachman.
Men’s Feud of the Year: Cody Rhodes vs. Goldberg
These two faced off three times and interacted from the end of 2022 and throughout almost all of 2023. A deeply personal feud, Goldberg long blamed Cody’s father Dusty for helping to end his Streak in WCW in the 90s, when Cody was a boy and looked up to Goldberg. Goldberg spent the first two months of 2023 chasing Cody and, ultimately, defeating him for the AEW Championship in February. Goldberg dominated for the next 7 months while Cody feuded with Kenny Omega and others, trying to earn another shot at the big belt. They faced off in a Career vs. Title Match at All Out, which Rhodes was able to win. He finally earned Goldberg’s respect after defeating him at Full Gear and defending the AEW World Championship.
—
Press Conference:
Question: In recent months, we’ve seen Goldberg show respect to Cody Rhodes and seemingly turn face; The Bloodline, while largely hated elsewhere, debuted in AEW and started taking down the top heel faction in The Apex; then Wardlow started attacking everyone in sight, whether they’re the good guys or the “bad” guys. What are your thoughts on heels and faces in modern wrestling?
Tony Khan: “I like to think that AEW fans are pretty smart and independent. They’re going to cheer for whoever the hell they want to. In other sports, very few teams or players are universally loved or hated. Fans cheer for their favorites and boo their rivals. It’s much the same here in AEW. I can guarantee you that some fans absolutely love Wardlow powerbombing the crap out of Jeff Jarrett; while others will boo when he clotheslines Triple H. I love the energy behind these shades of gray. On the other hand, you have people like Dean Malenko and Kenny Omega who our fans love to hate right now; or Cody Rhodes, who is the ultimate babyface. It’s important for us to have a mix of good guys, bad guys and tweeners.”
—
Kenny Omega vs. Harley Race - Last Man Standing Match at Full Gear
Omega and Race had a trio of matches that could have been considered as match of the year. Their cage match at Battle of the Belts in October went 25 minutes and saw Harley Race win with a headbutt off the top of the cage. The Last Man Standing Match at Full Gear was even more brutal and saw Omega reach new levels of depravity in beating the legend that is Harley Race.
Runner-up: Taz vs. Cactus Jack - Extreme Rules Match at June’s Road Rager event that included barbed wire, fire hydrants, thumbtacks, exploding light tubes and more. Cactus Jack won with a Double Arm DDT into the tacks, pinning a bloodied Taz. Jack/Foley would go on to feud with Sammy Guevara for the latter half of the year, ultimately coming up short in trying to win the TNT Championship. Taz hasn’t returned to the ring at this time.
—
Press Conference:
Question: Who has impressed you most over the past year in the ring?
Tony Khan: “I don’t like to play favorites. This roster is talented from top to bottom. You look at each of our current champions: Cody Rhodes; Sammy Guevara; Brian Cage; Natural Selection; Rhonda Rousey; Jade Cargill; Alexa Bliss. They’re the best in the world at what they do. I do want to point out Sammy Guevara, though. That man has had banger matches this year, going back to January when he faced Cody Rhodes. Then he feuded with MVP, Hook, Rey Mysterio and, finally, the many faces of Foley. Guevara had great matches with all of them. Next week’s match with Jeff Cobb promises to be great, and he’s got a one-on-one match with Mankind surely coming in the future.”
—
Women’s feud of the Year: Ronda Rousey vs. Paige VanZant
VanZant has been one of the building blocks of AEW’s women’s division. She was the second champion after Jade Cargill — winning in a fatal four way for the UWA and AEW championships, during which Cargill won the UWA Women’s Championship. This feud started in fall 2022 when Rousey blamed VanZant for her losing a shot at the belt. Rousey broke VanZant’s arm at the end of 2022. VanZant came back to beat Rousey in the octagon in February, then made Rousey tap out to win the AEW Women’s Championship later in the year. Rousey finally beat her former mentee for the championship later in the year.
—
Press Conference:
Question: The Women’s Division has taken some flack this year for only having feuds surrounding the belts. Are there stories you can tell in the women’s division that don’t have anything to do with the belts?
Tony Khan: “I think that’s a little bit unfair. I’d put AEW’s women’s talent up against any other promotion’s. We’ve got the Universal Champion in Jade Cargill, who is closing in on 40 wins to 0 losses. Ronda Rousey is a tremendous champion, and Alexa Bliss has transformed this year outside the purview of any title feuds until finally getting her shot against Sasha Banks. And she’s been rewarded. Paige VanZant has risen from a brand new wrestler into the second ever AEW Women’s Champion. I promise that better things are coming in the future.”
—
Women’s Match of the Year: Jade Cargill vs. Sasha Banks for the UWA and AEW Women’s Titles at Dynamite March Madness
Highlights:
The initial match ended in a double countout, but was restarted by Tony Khan. They restart the match in the ring, and Cargill hits a quick Irish Whip into a big boot for a 1-count. Banks hit a dropkick; Cargill hops up and ducks another kick, following it up with a clothesline and a body slam. She goes for the Jaded, but Banks reverses it into the Bankrupt. She follows it up with the Bank Statement! She locks in the submission hold and locks it in. Cargill gets close to giving up, but gets a second wind and drags Banks to the ropes to break the hold.
As Cargill rises, Banks goes for another Bank Statement, but Cargill slams her down. She hits Jaded and heads to the turnbuckle! Cargill climbs the turnbuckle and stands on the top rope! She jumps off and hits a big splash on Banks, going for the pin. 1…2…3! Cargill retains both the AEW and UWA Women’s Championships, in a total match time of 19:45. She celebrates as we go off the air.
—
Q: What is the state of tag team wrestling in AEW?
Tony Khan - Tag teams and trios are a staple of AEW programming and have been since our inception. Our first champions were the legendary Steiner Brothers, and the belt has also been held by the also legendary Outsiders. The current champs are also the only two-time champions, and there are plenty of other great teams vying to dethrone them.
—
AEW Tag Team of the Year: Natural Selection (Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin)
—
Q: You can tell a lot about the health of a promotion by the strength of its championships and champions. How do you feel about the strength of AEW’s championships?
Tony Khan - We’ve been very intentional about introducing our championship belts over time. We want each of them to mean something, and I think they do. Our World Title has been held by three established stars in the wrestling world: Jeff Jarrett, Cody Rhodes and Bill Goldberg. There have yet to be any lengthy reigns — Goldberg’s was the longest at just under 7 months — but it’s also not been a hot potato.
The Women’s Championship has changed hands only twice, and our top female wrestler in Jade Cargill is the universal champion. She held our belt for over a year, and now Ronda Rousey is adding to its legacy. The secondary women’s belt went to former universal champion Sasha Banks, who had a nice run as well.
The International Championship is quickly becoming a major belt, as well. Thanks in large part to current champion Brian Cage, who has held it for 7 months now and is truly defending it around the world. You can find our full championship history on our website here.
—
AEW Wrestlers of the Year: Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill
—
Q: What can we expect in 2024 for AEW?
Tony Khan - “You’ll see a continuation of the great things we’ve already been doing. We promise great in-ring action and world-class storytelling. With the shift to AEW Collision in January, we’re increasing our TV time to allow for more wrestlers to get in front of the camera. In August, we’re heading overseas for the first time for All In London. We’ve also got a few people waiting in the wings to debut as well, including the Blackpool Combat Club trio, who will be a part of the second annual King of Trios Tournament in the summer.”
Q: What do you see as AEW’s premiere pay-per-view or event? AEW’s Super Bowl, Wrestlemania or Starrcade?
Tony Khan - “Since our launch, we have consistently built toward four premiere pay-per-view events in Revolution, Double or Nothing, All Out and Full Gear. Each of those events brings its own flavor with the potential for major impact. But Double or Nothing was our first PPV event, and I really try to honor its status every year. In 2024, the aforementioned All In London event will be the biggest show we’ve ever had in terms of attendance and, hopefully, PPV buys. All eyes should be on that event as the biggest of 2024.”
The awards are presented by Pat McAfee and Jonathan Coachman.
Men’s Feud of the Year: Cody Rhodes vs. Goldberg
These two faced off three times and interacted from the end of 2022 and throughout almost all of 2023. A deeply personal feud, Goldberg long blamed Cody’s father Dusty for helping to end his Streak in WCW in the 90s, when Cody was a boy and looked up to Goldberg. Goldberg spent the first two months of 2023 chasing Cody and, ultimately, defeating him for the AEW Championship in February. Goldberg dominated for the next 7 months while Cody feuded with Kenny Omega and others, trying to earn another shot at the big belt. They faced off in a Career vs. Title Match at All Out, which Rhodes was able to win. He finally earned Goldberg’s respect after defeating him at Full Gear and defending the AEW World Championship.
—
Press Conference:
Question: In recent months, we’ve seen Goldberg show respect to Cody Rhodes and seemingly turn face; The Bloodline, while largely hated elsewhere, debuted in AEW and started taking down the top heel faction in The Apex; then Wardlow started attacking everyone in sight, whether they’re the good guys or the “bad” guys. What are your thoughts on heels and faces in modern wrestling?
Tony Khan: “I like to think that AEW fans are pretty smart and independent. They’re going to cheer for whoever the hell they want to. In other sports, very few teams or players are universally loved or hated. Fans cheer for their favorites and boo their rivals. It’s much the same here in AEW. I can guarantee you that some fans absolutely love Wardlow powerbombing the crap out of Jeff Jarrett; while others will boo when he clotheslines Triple H. I love the energy behind these shades of gray. On the other hand, you have people like Dean Malenko and Kenny Omega who our fans love to hate right now; or Cody Rhodes, who is the ultimate babyface. It’s important for us to have a mix of good guys, bad guys and tweeners.”
—
Kenny Omega vs. Harley Race - Last Man Standing Match at Full Gear
Omega and Race had a trio of matches that could have been considered as match of the year. Their cage match at Battle of the Belts in October went 25 minutes and saw Harley Race win with a headbutt off the top of the cage. The Last Man Standing Match at Full Gear was even more brutal and saw Omega reach new levels of depravity in beating the legend that is Harley Race.
Runner-up: Taz vs. Cactus Jack - Extreme Rules Match at June’s Road Rager event that included barbed wire, fire hydrants, thumbtacks, exploding light tubes and more. Cactus Jack won with a Double Arm DDT into the tacks, pinning a bloodied Taz. Jack/Foley would go on to feud with Sammy Guevara for the latter half of the year, ultimately coming up short in trying to win the TNT Championship. Taz hasn’t returned to the ring at this time.
—
Press Conference:
Question: Who has impressed you most over the past year in the ring?
Tony Khan: “I don’t like to play favorites. This roster is talented from top to bottom. You look at each of our current champions: Cody Rhodes; Sammy Guevara; Brian Cage; Natural Selection; Rhonda Rousey; Jade Cargill; Alexa Bliss. They’re the best in the world at what they do. I do want to point out Sammy Guevara, though. That man has had banger matches this year, going back to January when he faced Cody Rhodes. Then he feuded with MVP, Hook, Rey Mysterio and, finally, the many faces of Foley. Guevara had great matches with all of them. Next week’s match with Jeff Cobb promises to be great, and he’s got a one-on-one match with Mankind surely coming in the future.”
—
Women’s feud of the Year: Ronda Rousey vs. Paige VanZant
VanZant has been one of the building blocks of AEW’s women’s division. She was the second champion after Jade Cargill — winning in a fatal four way for the UWA and AEW championships, during which Cargill won the UWA Women’s Championship. This feud started in fall 2022 when Rousey blamed VanZant for her losing a shot at the belt. Rousey broke VanZant’s arm at the end of 2022. VanZant came back to beat Rousey in the octagon in February, then made Rousey tap out to win the AEW Women’s Championship later in the year. Rousey finally beat her former mentee for the championship later in the year.
—
Press Conference:
Question: The Women’s Division has taken some flack this year for only having feuds surrounding the belts. Are there stories you can tell in the women’s division that don’t have anything to do with the belts?
Tony Khan: “I think that’s a little bit unfair. I’d put AEW’s women’s talent up against any other promotion’s. We’ve got the Universal Champion in Jade Cargill, who is closing in on 40 wins to 0 losses. Ronda Rousey is a tremendous champion, and Alexa Bliss has transformed this year outside the purview of any title feuds until finally getting her shot against Sasha Banks. And she’s been rewarded. Paige VanZant has risen from a brand new wrestler into the second ever AEW Women’s Champion. I promise that better things are coming in the future.”
—
Women’s Match of the Year: Jade Cargill vs. Sasha Banks for the UWA and AEW Women’s Titles at Dynamite March Madness
Highlights:
The initial match ended in a double countout, but was restarted by Tony Khan. They restart the match in the ring, and Cargill hits a quick Irish Whip into a big boot for a 1-count. Banks hit a dropkick; Cargill hops up and ducks another kick, following it up with a clothesline and a body slam. She goes for the Jaded, but Banks reverses it into the Bankrupt. She follows it up with the Bank Statement! She locks in the submission hold and locks it in. Cargill gets close to giving up, but gets a second wind and drags Banks to the ropes to break the hold.
As Cargill rises, Banks goes for another Bank Statement, but Cargill slams her down. She hits Jaded and heads to the turnbuckle! Cargill climbs the turnbuckle and stands on the top rope! She jumps off and hits a big splash on Banks, going for the pin. 1…2…3! Cargill retains both the AEW and UWA Women’s Championships, in a total match time of 19:45. She celebrates as we go off the air.
—
Q: What is the state of tag team wrestling in AEW?
Tony Khan - Tag teams and trios are a staple of AEW programming and have been since our inception. Our first champions were the legendary Steiner Brothers, and the belt has also been held by the also legendary Outsiders. The current champs are also the only two-time champions, and there are plenty of other great teams vying to dethrone them.
—
AEW Tag Team of the Year: Natural Selection (Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin)
—
Q: You can tell a lot about the health of a promotion by the strength of its championships and champions. How do you feel about the strength of AEW’s championships?
Tony Khan - We’ve been very intentional about introducing our championship belts over time. We want each of them to mean something, and I think they do. Our World Title has been held by three established stars in the wrestling world: Jeff Jarrett, Cody Rhodes and Bill Goldberg. There have yet to be any lengthy reigns — Goldberg’s was the longest at just under 7 months — but it’s also not been a hot potato.
The Women’s Championship has changed hands only twice, and our top female wrestler in Jade Cargill is the universal champion. She held our belt for over a year, and now Ronda Rousey is adding to its legacy. The secondary women’s belt went to former universal champion Sasha Banks, who had a nice run as well.
The International Championship is quickly becoming a major belt, as well. Thanks in large part to current champion Brian Cage, who has held it for 7 months now and is truly defending it around the world. You can find our full championship history on our website here.
—
AEW Wrestlers of the Year: Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill
—
Q: What can we expect in 2024 for AEW?
Tony Khan - “You’ll see a continuation of the great things we’ve already been doing. We promise great in-ring action and world-class storytelling. With the shift to AEW Collision in January, we’re increasing our TV time to allow for more wrestlers to get in front of the camera. In August, we’re heading overseas for the first time for All In London. We’ve also got a few people waiting in the wings to debut as well, including the Blackpool Combat Club trio, who will be a part of the second annual King of Trios Tournament in the summer.”
Q: What do you see as AEW’s premiere pay-per-view or event? AEW’s Super Bowl, Wrestlemania or Starrcade?
Tony Khan - “Since our launch, we have consistently built toward four premiere pay-per-view events in Revolution, Double or Nothing, All Out and Full Gear. Each of those events brings its own flavor with the potential for major impact. But Double or Nothing was our first PPV event, and I really try to honor its status every year. In 2024, the aforementioned All In London event will be the biggest show we’ve ever had in terms of attendance and, hopefully, PPV buys. All eyes should be on that event as the biggest of 2024.”