7 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Revolution 2023 (Review)
6. A Masterpiece Of Tone
It's great to be proven wrong, and expectations were low for Jack Perry Vs. Christian Cage.
Actually, it was difficult to have any expectations at all; AEW's social media first advertised a No Holds Barred match after Perry's vague challenge of a "fight" on Dynamite before the 'Final Burial' stip was announced on Rampage. The framing of Perry's promos also hinted at - or threatened - a cinematic-style attraction.
As it happens, it was a casket match - and an unfathomably brilliant one.
This was outrageously good and creative, infinitely better than anything the Undertaker ever did. Cage - in full turtleneck! - was on delightful form in particular. Sh*t-scared of the casket, he wrestled the match like a rat. One of the best match layout architects and counter specialists in wrestling history, the stip was beyond inspired because it maximised his slimy character work. He wanted none of it, and was at his cunning best to avoid it. The gimmick also allowed Perry, a great working babyface, to outwit Cage and guide him towards his fate.
The climactic sequence was fantastic. Loaded with suspense and schlocky to a massively entertaining extent, the set design didn't detract from what was brilliantly worked mutual loathing.
In the end, after a brutal Con-chair-to, Perry slammed the lid shut - and in a superb practical effect, the casket plummeted below the floor immediately. He went to hell where he belonged.
A tiny bit silly, but mostly very intelligent, super-cathartic business.