9 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Collision (July 1)
7. Dustin Addressing Owen
Another small but simple thing, it was great to see Dustin Rhodes address Owen Hart ahead of the Natural's opening round Owen Hart Cup Tournament bout against Powerhouse Hobbs.
Dustin and Owen faced off over 20 times during their time together in the then-WWF, and the King of Harts even once defeated Rhodes to become the Intercontinental Title; that coming in a match where Dustin, under The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust guise, filled in for IC Champ-of-the-time Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Also, Rhodes was on the opposing team to the Hart Foundation at the legendary In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede.
Being honest, nobody really expected Dustin Rhodes to win the Owen Hart Cup, and few expected the veteran to make it past Hobbs, but it was still a nice touch to have Dustin pay tribute to his dearly-departed friend.
As for the much itself, it was pitch-perfect for the spirited veteran babyface Dustin Rhodes is at this point in his career. Kicking out of Hobbs' spinebuster after a one-count was a great spot, which in turn was followed by a mild Rhodes comeback and a fantastic powerslam, but it was ultimately Powerhouse who picked up the win after hitting another spinebuster.