A massive improvement on last week's inciting incident between the two, the MJF/Wheeler Yuta verbal and physical duels were individually and together a major step up from last week's one-sided evisceration.
'The Salt Of The Earth' selflessly showed a bit of *ss for the good of his opponent and a fresh match next week that feels far more in keeping with the All Elite Wrestling new-star-around-every-corner vibe of old than the confused energy of 2022.
For any that still weren't convinced by Yuta after the promo battle, a follow-up beatdown in MJF's skybox tore down an invisible wall between the two and positioned the Blackpool Combat Club man as every bit as smart as his chess-playing foe. The contest itself can probably only go one way, but with only a week to establish some parity, last night's efforts should be marked as a significant success.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
