10 Times AEW Turned Trash Into Treasure

9. The Butcher & The Blade

Penta Oscuro Julia Hart
AEW.com

The Butcher and the Blade debuted on the 27 November 2019 Dynamite by, in the style of a supernatural WWE monster, emerging from a hole underneath the ring to attack Cody.

Jim Ross was mystified. Excalibur knew of their identity, and so he told us. He told us several times without really telling us anything. He just rattled off their names over and over again. Cody a week later styled the terrible entrance as the Butcher and the Blade's attempt to make a unique, theatrical impact, but it scanned as an apology. He didn't really explain the story beat.

MJF did - he hired the team to take Cody out - but the wonky audio left fans clueless. Happily, one of the weirdest match graphics in AEW's short history manifested as an inconceivable triumph. Cody and QT Marshall Vs. Butcher and Blade was a terrific TV match built around the idea that QT was far better than he looked losing tune-up matches on Dark.

The Butcher and the Blade became ancillary characters in the epic MJF vs. Cody saga, and, in 2020, became cult favourites with their amazing work in crazed plunder brawls. The Falls Count Anywhere match opposite the Young Bucks on the July 16 Dynamite was one of the most creative and relentlessly entertaining TV matches ever. All four men turned Daily's Place into a playground and battleground by working awesome spots across every square foot of it.

AEW learned from the initial fumble and refined the debut process across the board...

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!