7 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Revolution 2021

3. A Cinematic Fight

More a Street Fight with cinematic production than a pure cinematic match, Sting and Darby Allin vs. Ricky Starks and Brian Cage ruled hard.

This was a glorious B-movie that struck the perfect balance between fun and raucous aggressive energy. The background music was a little corny, sure, and the flashy camerawork occasionally undermined the grittiness, but it felt like an earned, heated scrap and never once disrupted the accepted psychology of professional wrestling, as these bouts often do. It was a triumph.

Darby was highlighting with wild daredevil spots from his early-match parkour run up the wall to the multistorey elbow drop that level several Team Taz members, leaving Sting with Starks. Cage was a monster, rag-dolling Allin throughout, while Starks was crafty and giving, begging off and playing the chicken when he needed to. A shirtless Hook and masked Powerhouse Hobbs intervened in this very Lucha Underground fight, stacking the odds against the faces, though they all paid in the end.

Sting ended up pinning Starks after hitting the Scorpion Death Drop in the ring set up in this dingy warehouse. Yes, it was a cinematic match and yes, it was heavily edited, but the veteran looked great. Considering his age, injury history, and everything else, the 61-year-old moved well and showed genuine dynamism from start to finish. To say he exceeded expectations would be an understatement.

Every bit as fun as WWE's Boneyard Match, this was AEW's best cinematic offering since the Stadium Stampede. It was a hoot.