AEW were playing with fire in regards to exactly how Kota Ibushi was teased as The Elite's fifth and final member going into Blood & Guts.
Kenny Omega's words hit home with everybody, and the knowledge that he'd been off in Japan weeks earlier had planted the seed that the 'Golden Star' was at long last going to debut in the company he'd played no small part in helping come to life. But building a surprise meant that it could have been somebody else, which then would have drawn derision from those believing they were promised the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.In the end, it was less about that reveal and more about the BCC's star man.
PAC's shocking return and attack on the 'Best Bout Machine' immediately made sense despite being speculated upon by absolutely nobody in the build-up. Omega used the Ibushi news to save himself from a potential Black Arrow neckbreaker, but the 'BASTARD' would have done it given the chance. A captivating figure for the 5-on-5 war, the stakes and sides were well set in a segment that shone even if it didn't quite sizzle. The feud itself might be done, but the last match at least has some very new life.
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
