‘AEW: Revolution 2025’ PPV Review
Welcome to this review of 2023’s AEW: Revolution pay-per-view, which emanates from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA and opened with the usual Zero Hour pre-show – which saw Komander & Hologram defeat Lee Johnson & Blake Christian; Daniel Garcia & The Undisputed Kingdom take down Shane Taylor Promotions; the ROH World Championship Match between Chris Jericho and Gravity get thrown out after Jericho used his baseball bat; and Big Boom AJ, Mark Briscoe, & Orange Cassidy pick up the win against Johnny TV & MxM Collection. Now on to the main show!
Match #1: “Hangman” Adam Page def. MJF
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Page and Max slugged it out. Page got the upper hand. Page knocked down MJF and stomped on him. Hangman locked in a sleeper, but MJF countered with a jawbreaker. MJF power bombed Page across his knee. MJF spat in Page’s face and then thumbed him in the eye. Page fired back with a fallaway slam. Page clubbed MJF with a lariat to the back of the head. MJF rolled out of the ring, getting out of harm’s way as Page was thinking about a Buckshot Lariat. Page connected with a moonsault off the post, crashing onto MJF and landing on his own two feet. Page charged at MJF, but MJF countered with a waterwheel drop and then a DDT for a near fall. Hangman spiked MJF with a Dead Eye for a two-count! Page blocked a Heat Seeker and then scored with a Buckshot Lariat. Page went for the cover, but MJF put his boot on the ropes. Page nailed MJF with a short arm lariat. Page charged at MJF outside the ring. MJF moved and Page crashed into the steel ring steps. MJF countered a Buckshot Lariat with the Salt of the Earth arm bar. MJF transitioned to the cross face. Page managed to get to the ropes, touching them with his cowboy boot and forcing the ref to break the hold. Hangman moonsaulted off the barricade but MJF caught him and countered with a tombstone piledriver onto a steel chair! Page got back into the ring just before the 10-count. MJF went for the Heat Seeker, but Page countered with a Dead Eye in the center of the ring. Page planted MJF with the Angel’s Wings! Hangman finished off MJF with the Buckshot Lariat, scoring the victory!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: TBS Championship Match – Mercedes Moné def. Momo Watanabe
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Momo kicked Mercedes in the arm, focusing on punishing the champ’s left arm. Mercedes connected with a meteora. Mercedes power bombed Watanabe off the apron and onto the arena floor! Mercedes went for the three amigos, but Momo stopped her after two and hit two snap suplexes of her own. Momo hooked Mercedes into the Tree of Woe and began to wallop Mercedes with kicks. Momo dropkicked Mercedes in the corner, looking for a knockout. Mercedes got caught in a cross face chicken wing. Mercedes countered with a pin attempt, but Momo kicked out at two. Mercedes rocked Momo with a backstabber. Mercedes connected with a meteora for a near fall on Momo. Momo baited in the champion and began to kick her. Momo squashed Mercedes with a meteora on the apron. Mercedes retaliated with a power bomb. Momo connected with a high roundhouse kick. Momo released the Peach Sunrise for a near fall on Mercedes! Momo kicked Mercedes in the jaw. Mercedes landed a cross body press. Mercedes smashed Momo with the Mone Maker and then forced her to tap after the Statement!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Swerve Strickland def. Ricochet
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Swerve rocked Ricochet with a rib breaker. Swerve knocked Ricochet over the top rope with a lariat. Swerve stomped on Ricochet outside the ring. Prince Nana tried to get Swerve back in the ring and Swerve shoved Prince Nana away. Prince Nana walked off, flipping off Swerve. Ricochet used his speed and agility and caught Swerve with a cutter. Swerve answered with a back breaker and a dropkick. Swerve blasted Ricochet with a stalling brain buster. Ricochet leveled Swerve with a running lariat. Ricochet hit a dragon rana. Swerve power bombed Ricochet and then planted him with a slam. Ricochet folded up Swerve with a reverse hurracanrana on the apron. Swerve planted Ricochet on the Spanish announce table. Back in the ring, Swerve hit the Swerve Stomp and went for the cover, but Ricochet kicked out at the two-count Ricochet connected with a brain buster and then crushed Swerve with a 630 senton for a near fall! Prince Nana ran back down and grabbed the Embassy robe and put it on. Ricochet wiped out Nana with a tope. Ricochet put the robe on. Swerve went for a tope, but Ricochet caught him and countered with a Death Valley Driver. Ricochet spiked Swerve with the Vertigo but Swerve kicked out at the two-count! Prince Nana tugged at the robe that Ricochet had on. Swerve served up the House Call kick and followed up with a second House Call. Somehow Ricochet kicked out of the pin! Swerve finished off Ricochet with Big Pressure and pinned Ricochet.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #4: AEW Continental Championship Match – Kazuchika Okada def. Brody King
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Brody elbowed the champion in the jaw. Brody whipped Okada into the barricade. Okada spiked Brody King with a DDT on the floor. Brody retaliated with an elbow suicida! Brody charged and splashed Okada against the guardrail. Okada countered a piledriver with a neck breaker. Okada landed an elbow drop from the top rope. Brody smashed Okada with a Death Valley Driver against the turnbuckles. Brody followed up quickly with a cannonball in the corner. Okada dropkicked Brody King into the barricade, using Brody’s size against him. Okada cracked Brody with the championship belt as the ref had his back turned. Okada covered Brody but Brody kicked out at the two-count. Okada went for the rainmaker clothesline, but Brody countered with a lariat of his own. Brody staggered Okada with a headbutt. Okada pulled out the rainmaker clothesline out of nowhere and pinned Brody, remaining the champion!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: AEW World Tag Team Championship Match – The Hurt Syndicate 9Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) def. The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lashley bulldozed Truth with a lariat. Shelton grabbed Truth and bounced him back and forth between the ring apron and the barricade. Bobby Lashley planted Truth with a Stampede Slam. Turbo tagged in and slammed Shelton. The Outrunners dropped the double biceps elbow on Shelton. Shelton nearly decapitated Turbo with a thrust kick. Bobby spiked Truth with a choke slam. Lashley speared Truth. Bobby speared Turbo and Shelton pinned Turbo!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #6: AEW Women’s World Championship Hollywood Ending Match – Toni Storm def. Mariah May
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mariah charged up the ramp, taking the fight to Toni as Toni was making her entrance. Mariah drilled Toni with a DDT on the stage! Mariah had a taser. Luther tried to grab it away, but Mariah dropkicked Luther. Toni grabbed Mariah and dropped her off the stage through a production table with the Sky High. Mariah dodged a hip attack. Mariah nailed Toni with a Storm Zero on the steel steps! Mariah grabbed a steel chain and chairs from beneath the ring. Toni was busted wide open from the forehead. Mariah rammed Toni with a hip attack, smashing a steel chair against Storm’s forehead. Toni Storm pulled out a champagne bucket with a broken bottle inside of it. They wrapped their knuckles in tape and then covered them in broken glass. Toni punched Mariah in the face. Toni took the broken neck of the bottle and dug it in the forehead of Mariah. Mariah used a hurracanrana and sent Toni crashing into broken glass on the mat. Toni grabbed Mariah and planted her with a Storm Zero on top of a chair for a near fall. Toni curb stomped Mariah onto the championship title. Toni whipped Mariah with the belt. Toni grabbed a high heel shoe, but Mariah countered with the May Day on the stage. Toni punished Mariah, pummeling her with the shoe, and then used the Code Zero to plant her through a table! Toni covered Mariah and pinned her!
My Score: 5 out of 5
Match #7: AEW International Championship Match – Kenny Omega def. Konosuke Takeshita
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Omega and Takeshita traded forearms. Takeshita jumped at Omega and clocked Omega with a Takeshita-line! Omega answered with a vertical suplex. Omega jumped over the top rope and wiped out Takeshita on the arena floor. Takeshita whipped Omega into the guardrail. Takeshita spiked Omega with a DDT in the ring. The champ targeted the abdomen of Kenny with a well placed knee strike. Takeshita pulled a table out from beneath the ring. Takeshita set up the table on the arena floor. Takeshita was thinking Blue Thunder Bomb off the apron. Kenny chopped back. Omega palmed Takeshita’s head like a basketball and planted Takeshita on the apron. Omega jumped onto the barricade, but Takeshita shoved him off it. Omega crashed into the guardrail, smacking his ribs. Takeshita staggered Omega with a brain buster back in the ring. Takeshita applied the body scissors on Omega, trying to squeeze the life out of him. Omega jabbed at Takeshita, back into the fight. Omega nailed Takeshita with a fireman’s carry into a moonsault combination for a near fall. Kenny took down Takeshita with a hurracanrana. Takeshita’s momentum carried him out to the floor. Don Callis grabbed Omega’s ankle. Takeshita used the distraction to knock Kenny over the top rope with a lariat. Takeshita hurled Omega with a release German Suplex on the arena floor. Takeshita picked up Omega and planted him across a table that was set on its side, continuing to work on Omega’s midsection. Takeshita went for a senton, but Omega countered by lifting his knees. Kenny was still clutching his ribs. Takeshita went for a senton off the top rope, but Omega rolled inward, preventing the impact from Takeshita. Omega anticipated the Takeshita-line and countered with a snap dragon suplex. Omega power bombed Takeshita and rocked Takeshita with a knee strike. Takeshita blasted Omega with a Blue Thunder Bomb out of nowhere for a near fall! Takeshita placed Omega on the top turnbuckle. Takeshita knocked Omega out of the ring with a lariat. Omega jumped with a springboard into a power bomb, but Takeshita kicked out at the two-count! Omega followed up with a V-Trigger! Omega was looking for the One-Winged Angel but collapsed, the damage to the midsection was too much. Takeshita countered a pile driver with a tombstone piledriver, but somehow Omega kicked out of the pin attempt. Takeshita struck Omega with a powerdrive knee, and then a second knee, but Omega kicked out at the one-count! Takeshita crumbled Omega with a forearm strike. Omega landed a ripcord knee and then a stuffed piledriver, but Takeshita escaped the pin attempt! Takeshita absorbed kicks from Omega, defiant against the challenger. Takeshita intercepted a knee strike, but Omega fired back with a poison rana! Omega smashed Takeshita with the V-Trigger. Takeshita escaped a One-Winged Angel, but Kenny pinned Takeshita with a crucifix and became the new AEW International champion!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #8: Steel Cage Match – Will Ospreay def. Kyle Fletcher
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ospreay used the cage as a weapon on the fingers of Fletcher. Ospreay grabbed Kyle in a stun dog millionaire. Kyle blocked an Os-Cutter and drove Kyle into the cage face-first. Ospreay was busted wide open. Fletcher licked the blood off the cage. Will whipped Kyle into the cage and then hit Kyle with a standing sky twister press. Fletcher fired back with a snap half and half suplex. Fletcher ripped off the top turnbuckle pad to expose the steel underneath. Fletcher booted Will in the face. Will catapulted Fletcher into the cage. Will cracked Kyle with Kawada style kicks. Kyle punted Ospreay in the head. Will spiked Fletcher with a DDT! Fletcher planted Will with a brain buster. Mark Davis walked to the ring with a black bag. Davis pulled out a pair of bolt cutters and cut open the cage. Davis opened the door and slid the bag into the ring. Will shoved the door shut against Davis’ head. Will opened the bag and pulled out a barbed wire baseball bat, grinding it against Kyle’s forehead. Fletcher struck Will with a low blow. Kyle swung the bat, but Will ducked it and nailed Fletcher with the Hidden Blade and the Storm Breaker. Will went for the cover, but Mark Davis ran in and broke up the pin! Ospreay defended himself against Davis and Fletcher! Ospreay struck Davis with a Hidden Blade against a steel chair. Ospreay rocked Fletcher with an Os-Cutter off the cage for a near fall! Fletcher climbed the cage. Will followed him. Fletcher found a screw driver up there and jabbed it into Will’s forehead. Fletcher planted Will with a brain buster on a steel chair! Kyle poured open a black bag, pouring out thumbtacks onto the mat. Ospreay grabbed Fletcher and dumped him on the tacks with a Styles Clash. Ospreay and Fletcher slugged it out on top of the cage. Ospreay hit a Spanish Fly on Fletcher from the top of the cage! Will smacked Fletcher with the Hidden Blade and then dumped Fletcher on his head with the Tiger Driver ’91, scoring the pin on Fletcher!
My Score: 5 out of 5
Match #9: AEW World Championship Match – Jon Moxley def. Cope (and Christian)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mox flipped off Cope, but Cope answered with an elbow strike. They exchanged forearm strikes. Cope jumped off the top rope and knocked down Moxley on the arena floor. Mox grabbed Cope and bashed his head against the guardrail. Moxley nailed Cope with a neck breaker on the apron. Mox rocked Cope with a cutter. Cope spiked Moxley with an Impaler. Cope lunged at Moxley with a lariat. Cope superplexed Moxley. Cope locked on the Grindhouse submission. Moxley reached the ropes, forcing the ref to break the hold. Cope speared Mox through the ropes, sending Mox crashing to the floor. Moxley reversed Cope and sent Cope into the steel ring steps. Mox peeled back the padding on the arena floor. Mox went for a piledriver, but Cope countered with a back drop. Cope went for a spear, but Mox struck Cope with a knee to the face and then curb stomped Cope. Moxley applied a bulldog choke. Cope escaped but Mox stunned Cope with a piledriver. Mox brought a chair into the ring. Cope pushed at Mox with his boot and inadvertently knocked the referee out of the ring. Mox planted Cope with a Paradigm Shift. Mox grabbed two steel chairs and was looking for a con-chair-to but Cope up-kicked a chair into Mox’s face. Wheeler Yuta walked down the ramp and got into the ring. Yuta smashed Cope with the Busaiku knee! Yuta handed Mox the briefcase. “Switchblade” Jay White ran down and knocked down Yuta. White pulled the briefcase from Mox, went to smash it against Mox’s head, but Mox ducked! White accidentally struck Cope with the briefcase. Cope was able to get to his feet and speared Mox, but Mox kicked out at the two-count! Cope speared Mox again! Cope speared Mox a third time! Cope went for the cover but Christian Cage, out of nowhere, pulled Cope out of the ring! Christian Cage was cashing in his contract! It was now a three-way match! Christian speared Cope and went for the cover but Cope kicked out! Christian nailed Cope with the Kill Switch! Mox ran into the ring and locked Christian in the bulldog choke. Christian was put to sleep and the ref stopped the match, with Mox retaining!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4.5/5
What a rollercoaster of a show! Things kicked off strong with the opening MJF/Page match, which played out like the hard-hitting match it needed to be – feeling more like a fight than a staged event. Swerve and Ricochet upped the ante even more, with yet another match that blurred the line between fight and wrestling match. The first, and yes I did say first, five-star match of the night was the women’s title match, saw Mariah May and Toni Storm deliver a stunning “ending” to their rivalry – in a bloody, leave everything in the ring, fantastic match! The women’s championship was SO good that not even Omega and Takeshita could live up to it… Though they gave it a goddamn good try, and it’s great to see Omega get the gold again. And all the while Takeshita looked like the badass we all thought he was back when he debuted for AEW back in the day! As if things couldn’t get any more insane and along comes Ospreay and Fletcher in a steel cage match! The duo’s vast experience working together outside AEW clearly made this battle even better and, honestly, the best man won. Only just though… Well, it felt that way at one point. Sadly all of that meant the main event fell a little flat and – in all honesty – the addition of Christian into proceedings tarnished the entire thing TBH. Going into this I was worried that they couldn’t top last year’s Sting-retirement show… They did. Now how do they top this next year?!
