‘AEW: Revolution 2022’ PPV Review
Welcome to this review of 2022’s AEW: Revolution pay per view, which emanates from Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida and features a whopping 12 matches across the Buy-In and the main PPV itself. Can’t say you don’t get your money’s worth with AEW!
THE BUY-IN
Match #1: Kris Statlander def. Leyla Hirsch
My Thoughts: What a match to open the Buy-In. I’ve loved the fact Leyla Hirsch has finally got a decent feud in AEW, even if the blow-off is in the PPV pre-show. Hirsch has taken well to her new heel role and it’s made her look even more badass than I already thought she was! Hirsch stumbled at one point but a massive step-up hurricanrana from the apron to the floor made up for that! Statlander was no slouch in this match either, using her strength and power to pick up Hirsch and throw her around the ring. But back to the heel turn… LOVED Hirsch using a weapon to get the win. Yes THE WIN. About time Hirsch got a big-time win, no matter the way. I’m guessing this feud will continue in some way… either with Statlander and Hirsch or Red Velvet (who came out to help Statlander post-match) and Hirsch.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Hook def. QT Marshall
My Thoughts: Good god Hook’s good. Marshall was THE guy to “legitimise” Hook and between them, the pair put on a great match and had the audience in the palm of their hands. Marshall played heel, Hook played Hook and we got a match that saw Hook tested, even taking punishment from QT – which added resilience to Hook’s arsenal… AEW have built a beast in Hook and he’s only getting started.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: House Of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews) def. Death Triangle (PAC, Penta Oscuro & Erick Redbeard)
My Thoughts: If there was any match on the Buy-In show you’d expect awesomeness from it’s this one. And it did NOT disappoint. The addition of Eric Redbeard made for a superb match – his size and strength perfectly matching Brodie King and being very effective against Malakai Blank and Buddy Matthews. PAC and Penta were totally on form too, throwing themselves around the ring in their usual death-defying feats. Speaking of death, the House of Black played a good game too, as if they’d been wrestling together as a trio for years. This one broke down at the end, but in a good way – the chaos feeding into the energy and urgency and viciousness of the match. One hell of a way to end the Buy-In. The PPV has a lot to live up to after this one!
My Score: 4 out of 5
REVOLUTION
Match #1: Eddie Kingston def. Chris Jericho
My Thoughts: These two guys just went for it. Kingston wanted a very specific Jericho and that’s what he got. Jericho looked the best he has in ages, really putting in the work in this match; whilst Kingston brawled his way through the match AND took a lot of punishment from Jericho. He really played the underdog for a lot of this one (apart from that brilliant opening move) and the crowd were behind him all the way… as was Excalibur, whose commentary really added a LOT to this match. Absolutely LOVED Kingston’s shocked response to winning – by submission no less. Though the lack of promised handshake from Jericho means this feud might not be over.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: AEW World Tag Team Championship – Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus def. reDRagon and the Young Bucks
My Thoughts: This was as chaotic as you could imagine from three tag teams who are known for fast-paced, high-flying action. The outcome of this wasn’t at all predictable, with all three teams getting the upper hand at various points in this match… But Jurassic Express won, mainly because the duo were on top form, Jungle Boy pulling out all his moves AND Luchasaurus hitting a high note for his performances in AEW so far this year – both men working in sync. Unlike their opponents, who sold the in-fighting well and will no doubt go on to feud post-PPV.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #3: Face of the Revolution Ladder Match for a future TNT Title shot – Wardlow def. Keith Lee, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, Orange Cassidy and Christian Cage
My Thoughts: This was your usual ladder match frenzy, with some great comedy spots featuring Orange Cassidy and the three big men of the match: Keith Lee, Wardlow and Powerhouse Hobbs. And it was those three men who were also the main focus of this match but without this ever being a hoss fight! A nasty landing for Ricky Starks, with his neck seemingly smashed into a ladder in what looked like a botch (Starks didn’t get a clean release from Wardlow’s shoulders) marked the end of this one. To be fair, the right man won – especially given Wardlow’s current storyline with Shawn Spears and MJF and the fact he’s likely to split from them soon. But if any of the trio of Keith Lee, Wardlow or Powerhouse Hobbs won the fans would have still have been happy.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Jade Cargill def. Tay Conti
My Thoughts: Well this one lasted longer than any of Jade Cargill’s other matches and she looked a lot more impressive (as she tends to do with each and every match), though I still think Jade’s height, and her long legs, make her look clumsy even when she’s not. Tay Conti looked tough as usual, with some warpaint that added to her dogged, determined, characterisation in this match. Conti hit a tremendous looking piledriver on Jade, in what was a shocking show of strength, but still could not put Jade away – who would ultimately win after Conti hit the camera on the corner post and then took a “Jaded” from Cargill for the win. That’s 29-0 for Jade now… Who’s gonna dethrone her?
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: CM Punk def. MJF
My Thoughts: For starters, what an entrance! CM Punk comes out in his old gear, to his old AFI theme… a stroke of genius. Especially after Tony Khan buying ROH. Punk was busted open early and bled like a pig, literally wearing a crimson mask for most of this match. This was a brutal battle that was topped off by a brilliant “double-cross” on MJF by Wardlow, who couldn’t find MJF’s diamond ring before seemingly handing it to Punk to use on MJF and get the ring. Payback’s a b*tch for MJF.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #6: Dr Britt Baker D.M.D. def. Thunder Rosa
My Thoughts: This was a disappointing match, with far too much outside interference to make this a truly competitive affair. Thunder Rosa won this one over and over but Reba and Jamie Hayter distracted the ref every time and that did the opposite of what it was supposed to do – instead of making me root for Thunder Rosa more it just p*ssed me off AND put me off the match. Also, this was much more technical than a lot of the matches on the PPV, which meant the wind was taken out of its sails somewhat by a crowd that was looking for the same excitement they got from the matches before it. Oh, and the wrong woman won. Plus, it has to suck for Britt Baker that her championship is so one-note; she’s a champ that only wins by cheating, nothing more. Not much character progression in that “story” is there?
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #7: Jon Moxley def. Bryan Danielson
My Thoughts: This again was a display of actual wrestling… and violence. This was a mish-mash of styles, with Danielson’s pure technique going toe-to-toe with Mox’s brawling style. And it broke down in violence, with blood spilt (as promised) and one hell of a wrestling match. Moxley getting the win seemingly came out of nowhere… as did F*CKING WILLIAM REGAL!!!!!!!!!!! As if a match this good wasn’t enough, William Regal came out at the end to separate these two, who were ready to go again! Talk about a shocker.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #8: Sting, Darby Allin & Sammy Guevara def. A.H.F.O (Matt Hardy, Andrade El Idolo & Isiah Kassidy)
My Thoughts: Andrade opened this one in vicious style hitting Darby Allin with a tray, Sting with a trash can and then slamming Sammy across a guard rail. And that was only the start of the chaos (and this was VERY chaotic, spilling out across the arena) of this match, that mixed the fast-pace of Sammy, Isiah and Darby with the brawling of a no DQ weapons, and tables, filled match. This was essentially a spot-fest, the opposite of the two matches that proceeded it and, honestly, was what the PPV needed to ramp up the excitement levels after a huge, and long, show. Oh… and we got the holy sh*t moment of the PPV too here, with Sting, who put himself through it in this match, diving out of the stands onto Andrade, who was lying atop a literal TOWER of tables!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #9: “Hangman” Adam Page def. Adam Cole
My Thoughts: This was pretty much everything you wanted from a main event and a championship match. Page and Cole have fought before and brought that experience to this fight. And even though there wasn’t any blood or as much violence as some of the other matches on this card, this still felt very much like a fight. I could’ve done without the outside interference but it didn’t hurt his match as much as the Women’s Championship match. The right man won this one, though it did look like it could’ve gone either way.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
This was one hell of a pay per view, that promised a lot and delivered. There wasn’t a single bad match in the entire bunch, not even in the Buy-In – which was surprisingly great this year. The only downside to the whole thing was that not a single title changed hands. Not a one.
