Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley vs. Hechicero, Brian Cage and Jake Doyle6 of 7
Last Time in Action: Hechicero, Brian Cage and Jake Doyle made quick work of Gino Medina, Nic Nolan and Tome Filip (Collision, July 18). This was the first time Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley have teamed up as a trio.
While a dream team on paper, Omega, Ospreay and Mox struggled to work as well together as The Don Callis Family.
However, as the intensity rose and it was make-or-break, all three locked in, working together, even following the Running Corner Clothesline Barrage signature to The Death Riders.
Mox helped Omega Snap Dragon Cage, but The Cleaner accidentally caught The Death Riders’ leader with a V-Trigger to send Mox to the floor.
Hechicero nearly caught Omega for three with the Crucifix Tijeras, but The Cleaner refused to quit.
A combination V-Trigger and Hidden Blade by Omega and Ospreay sealed the pinfall for the makeshift trio of top stars.
Afterward, Omega and Mox argued until The Young Bucks arrived, starting a brawl.
The Cleaner was left alone in the aftermath, taking down RPG Vice before Kevin Knight blasted him with a Running TNT Championship shot over the ropes.
The show ended with The Jet holding up a bleeding Omega with both championships in hand.
From a technical perspective, this was an engaging tag team match that sold the strained drama between three men at the center of the AEW Men’s World Championship scene.
However, with all the promise of this contest, it never felt like the competitors clearly sold why this team-up needed to happen.
The Don Callis Family never had a genuine dramatic moment to look like the dominant force in this contest, relying on the typical heel beatdown style alone.
Down the stretch, everyone hit their spots, but the dysfunctional team kept falling into advantageous positions while Hechicero and his crew kept falling over themselves.
The aftermath sold the chaotic aggression between The Death Riders and Young Bucks as well as Omega and Knight, but it all felt more contrived than genuine.
All of this will lead to great wrestling matches at Redemption, but AEW did not deliver any surprises that would have sold the PPV as must-watch.
Omega, Ospreay and Mox def. Hechicero, Cage and Doyle by pinfall.
Notable Moments and Observations
Omega came out dancing and excited, playing to the crowd even more than usual.
It was nice to see the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship highlighted, even if it would have been nicer to see the champion better protected.
The Cleaner’s smile faltered whenever he had to tag in Mox despite the insistence of Ospreay.
In a nice visual for The Aerial Assassin’s current headspace, Ospreay had to choose who to tag late and chose Omega over Mox.
Knight and Omega struggled to line up a perfect shot into the camera to end the show, ending the night with a side shot of the bleeding Cleaner.