Happy late Thanksgivin Thumpin' to you and your's! Hope you all survived another year of COVID-19 and Black Friday stampedes. Now that you're all safe at home, no doubt enjoying this review on a sick new device, let's see what all the fuss about CM Punk vs. MJF is.
Live from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Our hosts are Jim Ross, Tony Shiavone, and Excalibur.
CM Punk comes to the ring to a big ovation, and what do you know, 3 months of Happy CM Punk haven't soured his hometown fans' opinion of him. He's got a scheduled match, but he's immediately joined by MJF. They let the moment breathe first, before MJF fires the first shot with "Punky Brewster." MJF goes on to bury the pipebomb promo and suggests Punk looks like a meth head. He then accuses Punk of ducking him because he don't want none, and vows to verbally finish him quicker than his UFC career. Punk listens to everything MJF has to say and begins his retort with a casual "I am so disappointed in you." Punk had no idea that MJF's real name was Maxwell, he always thought it stood for "My Jealous Fan." Punk lives in MJF's head, who probably still has his poster on his bedroom wall. Punk silenced MJF without saying a word, gave him seven days to come up with zingers, and he showed up with low hanging fruit, like some kind of less famous Miz (crowd LOVES that one). MJF says nostalgia is a powerful drug, and that's all Punk is. Punk's promos are all robotic, he's gone soft, and based on his eyes, he's the only one who should go to sleep. Punk has gone so PG, he might as well be preaching "Hustle, Loyalty, Respect!" MJF goes on a long rant about how Punk has always been second best. Punk admits that he was a bit scared about returning to wrestling, but he's not scared right now, because he was selling out MSG while MJF was marking out over Rosie O'Donnell. Punk dares MJF to do another song and dance for him, this time he'll put him in the news as an obituary. Punk never mentioned MJF because he never had to. When he arrived in AEW, he chose Darby Allin, and MJF doesn't realize that he's been replaced in the Four Pillars by Britt Baker. Punk compares himself to Chicago, because when it burnt down, they rebuilt on the embers. Punk is happy to be number two, especially since MJF will only be number one if everyone waits around long enough for Tony Khan to have a daughter to marry. Punk is ready to punch MJF in his "needle d!ck" and looks to throw down, but MJF flees. I daresay this was a promo exchange for the ages.
Tony Shiavone interviews Christian Cage and Jurassic Express backstage. The group feels good about the momentum they've built and the confidence that affords them. Jurassic Express are once again the #1 ranked tag team, and this time Christian will make sure they win the gold.
Eddie Kingston enjoys a meal at catering. He is amusingly interrupted by 2point0 and Daniel Garcia. They accuse Eddie of not being hungry anymore. Eddie becomes irate when they say he couldn't help Moxley, and they throw his coffee into his eyes, and chaos follows.
The Gunn Club's celebration is interrupted by Sting on the stage. Austin charges at Sting, but Darby Allin intercepts with a decapitation clothesline. Darby and Sting chase Billy and Colten from the ring, and I guess this is an ongoing feud that must continue.
AEW's first Saturday special, Battle for the Belts, is announced for January 8th.
Adam Cole and Bobby Fish vent together about their recent setbacks. They're joined by Best Friends, who rub it in their faces that they are better friends than Fish and Cole. They are sick of being disrespected, so the logical match will happen later.
Tony Shiavone hangs out while Team Taz offer Dante Martin a contract. Taz doesn't know why Lio Rush has a copy or why he's even in the room. Rush says they want no part of their business, but then looks on incredulously as Dante signs the contract. Dante steps over the table, leaving Rush speechless.
Alex Marvez interviews Chris Jericho backstage. Jericho is feeling festive about Thanksgiving, but gets rudely interrupted by 2point0 and Daniel Garcia. Jericho calls them jackasses for what they did to Eddie Kingston, but gets distracted by Matt Lee's square head. Jericho warns them to never interrupt him again and the trio backs away. Jericho wishes Marvez a happy Thanksgiving, but still cannot get over the shape of Lee's head, it looks like a rubix cube.
Britt Baker hosts Friendsgiving with Tony Shiavone and Rebel. Britt is grateful that she can host the best time for her friends, although Rebel would be better off not eating a roll (which she swats away). Tony is grateful to be here, but has to show footage from All Out, revealing that Riho was never eliminated from the Casino Battle Royal. This means that Riho will face Britt on Rampage in a Black Friday Deal match. Britt yells at Tony for ruining Thanksgiving and revokes his invitation to the Christmas party.
Tony Shiavone gets a word in with Bryan Danielson after his victory. Bryan thinks it's funny that the fans booing him today gave him a much different reaction at All Out, and brings back his "fickle" catchphrase. Next week, he invites any of the Dark Order guys from Atlanta to get their heads kicked in. He's joined by AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page, and the crowd welcomes him with a "Cowboy Sh!t" chant. Page says Bryan has made his point and rather than hurt any more Dark Order guys, they should have their title match right now. Bryan scoffs because he's already wrestled and that isn't "cowboy sh!t, it's coward sh!t." Page still wants to fight and offers to give Bryan the first shot. Bryan feels insulted and slaps Hangman, prompting a brawl. Bryan runs away from a Buckshot lariat, leaving Hangman to stand tall.
Video promo hyping up Ruby Soho vs. Kris Statlander in the TBS Championship tournament. They have a friendly rivalry but neither are going to budge when they face off on Rampage.
Final Thoughts: This Dynamite continued to reset the table post Full Gear. I really enjoy where things are going with Hangman vs. Bryan, Punk vs. MJF, the TBS tournament, and the mix of Cody, Pac, Malakai, and Andrade. I'm not sure the world needs a Gunn Club push, but that's a minor point. Good show, check this out if you missed it.
Sound Off!
Comment about this article on Da' Wrestling Boards!