Perhaps AEW just really have something with Will Ospreay, but it genuinely feels as though AEW really have something with the Casino Gauntlet gimmick.
The International Champion has won two in two months now and kicked *ss in both, and while this can't just become the next thing the company books too many of, the format and consequences felt exhilarating once again.
Just about everybody that entered got to shine before Ospreay wrapped it up following a breathless exchange with Orange Cassidy, and though there's a bizarre lack of explanation about exactly who gets to work these things and doesn't dating back to Hangman Page randomly wrestling Silas Young in a singles match instead of entering a Dynamite one in 2022, the sheer quality of the contest powers through the plotholes.
Forbidden Door being the winner's destination massively sold the stakes too - the reemergence of Mistico, Hechicero, Lio Rush, Shota Umino and others was a reminder of just how wide the net had been cast for the show at this point.
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
