9 Match Star Ratings For AEW Revolution 2021
2. Sting & Darby Allin Vs. Brian Cage & Ricky Starks - Street Fight
Some minor complaints to address before the praise. See, the pedantry isn't just reserved for WWE PPV write-ups so...f*ck off.
The use of music detracted from the experience and clashed with the commentary. One meshed uneasily alongside the other, like a director's commentary almost, which felt neither live nor cinematic.
The aesthetic was a bit too Sting, a bit too '90s. This might be a subjective complaint, but Darby Allin's own vignettes look cooler than this did, and they have a lot more personality. Wouldn't you draw on the experience of the talent who went to film school and got over through his unusual approach to character work?
The overtly cinematic elements should have ended with that incredible pair of entrances. The actual work in this match was great. Why obscure it? Why not frantically switch to a different camera crew, instead of a drone zoom transition?
If this was somewhat missing the chaotic live energy that made this programme peak big-time over the last few weeks, it was still a resounding success. Sting looked great, and there was just one obvious cut that didn't even break the spell: he probably didn't hit that Yoshi Tonic (!) live, but it still looked near-perfect. Darby Allin was as inventive as he was demented, running up walls and poles to launch into legitimately jaw-dropping high spots and volunteering to smash himself through glass. Brian Cage carried him up the stairs in a suplex position in what was a fantastic moment.
A cool if generic cinematic presenta that might have been even better as a straightforward match craftily filmed in an unusual location, it still positively embarrassed WWE on two fronts: the use of Sting and the medium itself.
Star Rating: ★★★¾