5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite: Blood & Guts 2023 (Review)
1. The GREAT Of Blood & Guts
The 50 minute, 49 second long Blood & Guts match was paced incredibly well.
It never once sagged and was escalated to near-perfection. The dream pairing of Kenny Omega and Claudio Castagnoli started the match with a very physical pro wrestling sequence, conscious not to escalate the violence too early. Mox's introduction changed the tenor of the match, which truly fit the billing when he introduced a nail board. The mere sight of that gruesome apparatus, introduced at the perfect time, created an unbearable tension, and Ibushi released it with a fantastic standing moonsault onto it at Mox's expense. Mox, incidentally, wrestled this match like a lunatic. He was unbelievable. He made it feel like a war.
As rough as Ibushi was, save for a few uplifting moments, the crowd went easy on him. The Golden Lovers reunion got over, and followed the continued reconciliation of Page and Omega. The emotional beats intensified as perfectly as the violence.
The nail board lunacy preceded the more demented high spot stunts. Everything was in the right place, and by the finish, both teams expertly arranged two different, suspenseful sequences in which the Elite looked doomed: a wave of superplex spots culminating in the PAC table stomp, and then a sequence in which each member of the BCC had a member of the Elite trapped in a submission before Ibushi, rediscovering a glimmer of his striking power, broke them up one by one.
The previous two Blood & Guts matches collapsed into unfocused dawdling to accommodate the roof jumps. This third match, the best one, was far more focused and dramatic by the finish. Real doubt was cast over the result, investment in which was deafening.
The "we want tables" chant was annoying, but it is to be expected, sadly. The Boston crowd actually saw countless weapons more befitting of a real ultra-violent gimmick match, but the timing was serendipitous, at least: the planned table spot was set up within seconds of the chant.
The "we want fire" chant actually put over the match because, in the throes of bloodlust, the crowd actually deemed these maniacs capable of setting each other alight.
That's how committed and unhinged - and believable - the match was when it peaked.