10 Ups & 1 Down From AEW WrestleDream

7. FTR Just About Build On Their Legacy

FD FTR Aussie Open
AEW

FTR Vs. Aussie Open II was a very good match, but true greatness eluded it.

The signature excess of the AEW PPV worked against it. They followed an instant classic and a breathtaking trios match. Also, Mark Davis snapped his arm midway through.

It feels harsh, then, to critique it too much, but the work was beneath the level of their NJPW Royal Quest Match of the Year Contender. A great wrestling match should feel like a struggle, but this was the good and bad version of a struggle at the same time. It just felt like they were toiling in there, and while Davis suffering an injury was terrible enough under any circumstances, his storyline role as a total monster - those chops were vile - messed with the dynamic.

Despite playing out against an exhausted backdrop, much of the action was very, very good. Cash Wheeler bumped like a lunatic to tell the story that Aussie Open are the most physically imposing team in the world, and Fletcher's cut-off for the Dax Harwood hot tag was nanosecond-perfect. The challengers barely executed a Shatter Machine to prevent the finishing stretch from feeling like a breathless maelstrom, but the finish itself - a match-winning avalanche Shatter Machine from FTR this time - looked awesome.

The finisher theft cliché was deployed just over a month removed from All In, too, which felt like a diminished return. The Big FTR Match can feel patterned, and fans have watched a lot of them in 2023.

Conceptually, this probably wouldn't have reached true classic status even if the circumstances were more favourable.

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Contributor
Contributor

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 current Undisputed WWE 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!