13 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Revolution 2022
3. Respect Me Not
Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston was a colossal achievement - but not an overachievement.
Why?
Because Eddie Kingston having an excellent pay-per-view match shouldn't surprise anyone at this sting.
Eddie is the absolute best at willing an entire audience behind him. This was a typically gutsy, gritty showing from the most relatable wrestler in the company, who clawed, scratched, and slugged his way through Chris Jericho, selling like one of the best in the business and showing his influences with his Keisuke Sasaki, Kenta Kobashi, and Genichiro Tenryu-inspired offense. Stuck in the Walls of Jericho, he literally screamed his face red for dramatic impact.
But the match's quality owed as much to Eddie as Chris Jericho's best singles performance in year. The Inner Circle leader hasn't looked this great since facing Tetsuya Naito in New Japan. Leaner, meaner, and more of an egotistical prick, Jericho excelled not only as a wild brawler, but also as a total d*ckhead. Though the crowd sang Judas during his entrance, as they always do, Jericho turned them around very, very quickly, flipping the bird whenever they got behind Eddie, taking shortcuts to gain and maintain control, and frequently diving into a bag of tricks left unopened during his recent face run.
This was classically-styled pro wrestling. An exercise in generating sympathy for the babyface and heat for the heel, everything that happened in this opener landed.
Kingston survived multiple Codebreakers before ducking a Judas Effect, landing the Uraken twice, and wrenching Jericho in a stretch plum for the submission victory. Then, when he demanded a handshake, Chris bailed, breaking his promise.
In an ideal world, this won't be the last big win Kingston scores this year. But if it is, at least it came in a great match.