7 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Revolution 2023 (Review)

Downs...

1. Not A Great Night For Wardlow

Wardlow Samoa Joe
AEW

Wardlow Vs. Samoa Joe was the one flaw on a show that was otherwise brilliantly sequenced.

In and of itself, the match was decent. Wardlow impressed with his bombastic aerial spots, and the byproduct of Samoa Joe's monster push was that, deep in the stretch, the crowd bought the fact that he could put Wardlow to sleep. The right man won, but the result while correct didn't register as some great comeback story.

The fans were exhausted by the intense, terrifying Texas Death match. Anything that followed was damned, irrespective of what that something was, but it was imperative that Wardlow emerged from Revolution as the superstar he was this time last year. That didn't happen; instead, the match just existed for the most part. The concept behind the finish was astute - in successfully using the Coquina clutch, Wardlow, ceremoniously, became the new monster in AEW - but it scanned as anticlimactic. The drama had not been built sufficiently.

Everything looked crisp and impactful, and this unfussy sequel wasn't as drawn-out and tame as their first encounter, but it felt inessential compared to most everything else on the card - that it did not even approach the greatness of Joe's programme with Darby Allin also worked against it.

Wardlow - who is still very over most weeks - felt somewhere between an afterthought and a consolation prize.

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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!