AEW Five Fingers of Death 9/22 - 9/28

AEW Collision 9/27/25

Eddie Kingston/HOOK vs Big Bill/Bryan Keith [Tornado Tag]

MD: So here's what I think is going on. I think Kingston's having a comeback like Japanese wrestlers traditionally come back, where they really struggle in their first few matches and they need to build back up in a very kayfabe sense. Yes, some of it is that he's against Bill, who is, in fact, Big, but that's just the feel I get. He was on the shelf for over a year. He's not as young as he used to be. He's a fighter, a slugger, even a champion, but he's got to pull himself back against some of the hardest competition in the world. It's such an Eddie thing to do. Everything is a struggle. Everything is hard. But then everything becomes worth doing and every victory, even small ones within matches, mean so much more.

The problem is that it's 2025 and we're in the US and no one's actually telling this story in a way that the fans can understand. There hasn't been a video package on it. Commentary isn't talking about it. Here, Bill and Keith took out Eddie early and he was just there on the floor while they double teamed Hook (as it was a tornado tag) and Bill sort of ran interference blocking off Eddie from getting back in. 

And it 100% fit the idea that Eddie has to build back up and regain his strength and power and stamina and just find who he is again and until then, Hook has to survive on faith against adversity. And as an aside, some of his selling as he was pulling himself up with the ropes was just excellent. Best I've seen out of him. Worth noting. BUT to the fans in that audience, I think they just had no idea why Eddie wasn't rushing the ring, because he's Eddie, and of course he wants to get in a fight. And eventually they did and of course they got behind him then, but the last thing you can afford is for fans to question their faith in Eddie because things just aren't properly explained to them.

ROH TV 9/25/25

LFI (RUSH/Sammy Guevara) vs Ross/Marshall Von Erich

MD: This was filmed during the Philly residency, towards the end, and it definitely had a lot working against it. Sons of Texas vs Shane Taylor Promotions and Rush/Sammy vs Outrunners both worked because the crowd had someone to latch on to. But in neither case, that someone was one of the teams in this match. They were anti-Texas and anti-cowboys and they were certainly anti-Sammy. They were vaguely pro-Rush but it's easy to get behind the Outrunners, even in Philly. If this was in WV the following week, it probably would have worked better.

This was closing the circle on the Sammy turn and checking the box but it could have been a lot more heated and a lot more fiery but I think they knew the crowd wouldn't get behind it as much. It needed a bit more because I've never quite seen THESE Von Erichs in a situation where they could get hot like their dad and uncle (and that could still come if they ran this back in Texas or somewhere else) and because Sammy and Rush are still coming together. Sammy's sort of figuring out the act and the possibility in the moment. And there is a lot to tap into there given the personalities at play but you kind of wish they could get a house show run to work it all out first. 

So instead of the Von Erichs getting revenge for what Sammy did and almost getting the titles, the crowd bounced all over the place until they had fun with Marshall's hat. That, at least, built to a nice moment of comeback but ultimately, I think this just had too much working against it. If they ran it back in two months in front of a different crowd, who knows?