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

2. Probably Not Worth Undermining A Title For, But...

The Gunns
AEW

The Gunns retained their titles in a fun match cleverly slotted.

The ends - a fun, comedic match that coaxed the fans into a party atmosphere and gave them a second wind ahead of the main event - did not justify the means. Tony Khan could have accomplished this by booking Sting and Darby Allin to go over virtually anybody, and maintaining the prestige of the World Tag Team titles in the process, but he didn't.

Ultimately, the Acclaimed remain over, Jeff Jarrett's lads are still stupidly entertaining, and FTR are set to rebuild the importance of the belts. The puzzling meta game that Khan has played with the division of late is coming to an end, and this last round was raucous and played a quietly important role on a card that had to be great. Revolution '23 was so amazing that it restored the magic feeling that AEW has lacked this year. The second wind semi-main was such a great Tony Khan idea, and here, Orange Cassidy doing the Double J strut with his hands in his pockets did the trick.

The action was uneven. The saves, high spots and interrupted posing were timed well enough to draw laughter.

If FTR are going to get something outstanding out of the Gunns, it will require a career-best performance. Their slapstick, stalling bumping was fun, but they didn't own the occasion and really get over as the ar*ehole heels who commit daylight robbery. The finish didn't sting. It was anticlimactic. Then again, when the main thrust of the match was building a Satnam Singh bump, perhaps what passes for heat in 2023 was impossible.

Elsewhere, Orange Cassidy and Jay Lethal worked well together, not that that was the point. The point was to thread together silly b*llocks in a halfway intelligent and engrossing manner, and they pulled it off.

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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!