Sports Entertainment Solidified: WWE and AEW Are On a Roll


“Sports Entertainment Solidified” is a pro wrestling column by Maddy Myer that runs on Mondays.

After appearances by the Rock and John Cena, the momentum for WWE has never been better. The company seems to know exactly what direction they’re going in, and while they sometimes have legends appear, they are starting to look to younger talent to deliver more and more.

Similarly, AEW recently debuted Adam Copeland, formerly known as “Edge” in WWE, and has been building up some momentum of its own. They gave fans multiple first-time-ever one-on-one matches that were instant classics.

Both companies have incredibly talented wrestlers who put on amazing performances each week, and this past week was no different. Here are the top pro wrestling matches from the past week:

Bryan Danielson vs. Andrade El Idolo (AEW Collision, October 21)

Billed as a dream match, Bryan Danielson took on Andrade El Idolo in a sickening one-on-one bout. The technician Danielson is in the ring is always impressive, and seeing El Idolo keep up with Danielson with his own speed and strength was true magic. The chops given by El Idolo visibly reddened the chest of Danielson, but that didn’t stop the “American Dragon” from delivering some of his own back. A highlight of the match was a springboard dropkick that sent Danielson outside of the ring and saw El Idolo follow up with two moonsaults. They continued to go back and forth, and ended the match trading roll-up covers, with Danielson rolling up El Idolo for the three count in the end.

Charlotte Flair vs. Iyo Sky (WWE Friday Night Smackdown, October 20)

This may have been a repeat match, but every time these two step in the ring together, it’s something special. This time around, Sky hit Flair with a suicide dive, missile dropkick and powerbomb from the top rope, and so much more innovative offense. On the flip side, Flair reversed several of Sky’s moves, including incorporating a Boston Crab submission into her moveset. She also reversed a hurricanrana that Flair used the momentum from to catch Sky and drop face first on the ring apron, and a crossbody from Sky that led to Flair hitting a fallaway slam from the top rope. Flair seemed to have the match won after a spear, but Sky’s Damage CTRL group moved Sky’s leg to the rope to avoid a three count. When Flair tried a spear again, Sky illegally had her championship belt catch Flair’s impact so she could steal the victory. Even though Flair lost, she avoided getting completely beat up by Sky and company thanks to Bianca Belair making her return to aid Flair.

Kyle Fletcher vs. Kenny Omega (AEW Dynamite, October 18)

Kyle Fletcher’s nickname should be “The Flash” because of the sheer speed he delivered some of his moves to Kenny Omega. With the two having similar arsenals of suplexes, running kicks and knees, there were so many moments that I thought would end the match, but both competitors showed resilience. I also have to mention how both Omega and Fletcher are incredible sellers, meaning they know exactly how to land from moves to make their opponent look stronger. After a sinister high knee that sent Fletcher to the mat, Omega raised him up again for his One Winged Angel finisher and the victory.

Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE Monday Night Raw, October 16)

Due to its falls count anywhere stipulation, this match took Ricochet and Shinsuke Nakamura from the ring to backstage, and even to the crowd. There was no limit to these superstars’ innovation. At one point, Ricochet climbed into the crowd and jumped off the stair ledge to hit Nakamura with a shooting star press, something that not many superstars could do. Unfortunately for Ricochet, that wasn’t enough to pull off the victory, and once the two made it back to the ring, Nakamura kicked Ricochet off the top rope straight into a table. Nakamura followed the table spot with his finisher to get the win over Ricochet.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *