Tonight is the night for a revolution! AEW will be front and center with their Revolution PPV featuring an exploding barbed wire deathmatch, a ladder match, the return of Sting in a street fight, and so much more. The countdown show to hype the event provided several intriguing statements from Sting, Taz, MJF, Chris Jericho, Hangman Page, and Cody Rhodes that are worth sharing.
Part 1 of, “Countdown to Revolution,” profiled Team Taz’s feud with Darby Allin and Sting.
Sting has been on Dynamite several times, but he never quite got around to telling us why he returned. Sting was always interrupted by one person or another. He finally shed some light on that during the countdown special.
“Why am I in AEW? There have been a few times in my wrestling career that I did not leave under my own terms, but I left more like a dog with my tail between my legs. And I promised myself I would never do that again. It’s just in my blood, I guess.”
The obvious reference would be to Sting’s short run with WWE as he faded away due to injury in what seemed at the time to be the end of his career. The fun part is that you can take it as in character and out of character.
Sting also shared why he has interest in Darby Allin.
“What do I see in Darby Allin? I see someone who most definitely does remind me of me. Extremely physical and talented and creative and innovative wrestler. He reminds me of me. It’s not just the paint on the face. It’s the attitude, the aura, it’s the way he thinks. I like it.”
Taz addressed the common query of his squad running from Sting and Allin when they have the numbers advantage.
“Why is Team Taz running from one man with a baseball bat or one guy in Darby Allin? If you ask those questions, you ain’t never been in a fight. It’s about picking your spots.”
That makes sense. Being hit with a baseball bat is no joke. And remember that Taz is still a manager looking after his team’s best interests. He proved that by throwing in the towel for Brian Cage when Jon Moxley was close to breaking the machine’s arm. Taz saved his fighter in an effort to think about Cage’s career long-term.
Part 2 of, “Countdown to Revolution,” profiled the Young Bucks defending the AEW tag titles against Chris Jericho & MJF as well as the Money Match between Matt Hardy and Hangman Page.
The best line of the whole countdown special came from Tony Schiavone speaking about Le Champion and MJF.
“Chris Jericho is one of the greatest wrestlers ever. He’s done everything. And then you have his partner, who’s a piece of shit.”
A close second comes courtesy of Hangman Page when speaking about Matt Hardy.
“Matt’s a guy who throughout his career has had to reinvent himself dozens and dozens of times, and I think finally he’s shown the world who he truly is. And that’s a money-grabbing, carny, son of a bitch, piece of shit asshole.
Those are both good for a chuckle. As for insight into the matches, MJF has an interesting attitude about right and wrong.
“You know, everybody wants to talk about right or wrong. Is there a right and wrong when it comes to winning? Is there a right and wrong when it comes to getting inside the mind and the head of your opponent?”
MJF has a point. History remembers winners, not necessarily how they won. As hated as MJF is by the EVPs of AEW, he knows that success is the only thing keeping him with the company. It is easy to fire a loser rather than a winner. Besides, Matt Jackson has been known to go overboard in the quest for victory. He tried to permanently injure Hangman with a piledriver on the stage during last year’s epic match between the Young Bucks and Hangman & Kenny Omega.
Jericho seems to agree with MJF. He spoke on the value of making it personal by attacking Papa Buck.
“I’d have to say that that move right there is probably the greatest move in AEW history. It’s not a Meltzer Driver or a double knee to the face. It was taking out your father, watching the tears well up in your eyes as he’s being taken away in an ambulance. That’s going to effect you way more than a superkick to your chin would.”
Part 3 of, “Countdown to Revolution,” profiled the Face of the Revolution ladder match with Cody Rhodes and the exploding barbed wire deathmatch between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley.
Cody had a curious statement about the value of the TNT Championship.
“It is just as important as the World Championship. Just as important. It’s the TNT title, and think about its legacy. The open challenge and what that created and what that brought to AEW. Followed up by Brodie Lee, as what Tony Khan called the greatest TNT champion there ever was. And now Darby Allin to have the TNT title. And that’s what’s important. That’s why the match is such high stakes.”
Good on Cody to pump it up, but I’m not buying that hype job. We all know the World Championship is the top gold in AEW. I may start believing if the TNT title ever closes a PPV over the world title. Plus, it plays into Cody’s ego for accomplishments, since he is sticking by his word to never challenge for the AEW World Championship after losing to Jericho.
The countdown concluded with thoughts from the competitors in the exploding barbed wire deathmatch. Kenny Omega discussed the mental destruction he hopes to achieve with the Moxley Extermination Chamber.
“And how humiliating it must be for you, Jon, when you have to wake up, look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘Not only could I not out-wrestle Kenny Omega, but goodness gracious me, I couldn’t even beat him in a match I’m known for.’”
Jon Moxley did what he always does. Deliver a badass promo.
“I know this is all designed to destroy me, but with so much at stake, with my honor, my pride, it’s my responsibility to take Kenny Omega out. If that means I suffer unthinkable fate, if that means this is the end of my career, then I can’t think of a better way to go.”
The Revolution main card kicks off at 8 pm ET and is available for viewing through B/R Live and Fite.tv.
What’s your take on the featured quotes? Which parts of the countdown special caught your attention?