“Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments”
Rose Kennedy
Professional wrestling is built on the foundation of storytelling and creating lasting moments that will be talked about for generations to come. The moments are that lasting legacy for promotions and performers that can define them not only today, but for years to come. Storytelling and moments go hand and hand, in building a lasting impression and legacy.
As I prepare for WrestleMania week, I wanted to try to find the time to talk about three incredible moments from this month that I’ve wanted to write about, but finding the time to do so has been hard. I briefly touched on these moments as a contributor on Wrestling Republic’s Daily Broadcasts on YouTube, but I wanted to talk about them a little more indepth.
Moment #1 – MJF’s Re-Bar Mitzvah & Four Pillars Segment – AEW Dynamite – March 15, 2023
As any long time reader knows, I’m a very big fan of MJF’s work as he is arguably the greatest heel on the mic since the GOAT, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. I’ve written about MJF multiple times over the past year to the point where I started feeling like I was exclusively writing only about him. MJF has that unteachable X-Factor that he is able to draw an audience in and make you care about whatever story he is involved in or whatever story he happens to be telling. MJF is unquestionably the best guy on the mic in AEW and one of if not the best in the entire industry today.
MJF proved himself to be just as great in the ring with the absolute masterpiece that he and Bryan Danielson were able to paint on that canvas at Revolution in the 60-minute Iron Man match. So, it was no shock or surprise that MJF would do what MJF does best, he would brag about beating someone that many considered the “best technical wrestler in the world” in essentially a match that would certainly favor, Bryan Danielson. Of course, MJF cannot just cut a promo to brag, he needed a absolutely over the top segment and in this case, a MJF Re-Bar Mitzvah.
This segment was pure entertainment because MJF went full over the top that it worked so well for his character. My personal opinion is that I think this part of the segment of the Re-Bar Mitzvah could have gone on a little longer. To me, this could have easily been AEW’s version of the legendary “Rock: This Is Your Life” as far as entertainment value.
However, MJF was first cut off by “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry, which on its own would have been great as a potential challenger to MJF’s title reign. Perry just came off of a great win over Christian Cage, so he certainly has the momentum. However, Perry was soon followed by Sammy Guevara, it was at this point I knew okay we are probably going Four Pillars here and of course Darby Allin came out finishing the foursome.
This is an amazing visual on its own, these are the four young talents that have been marked by many as the essential talents to be the future of the company. This is the first time these four men have appeared in a AEW ring together so immediately had a special feel to it. As someone that has been watching wrestling for 25 years now, you kind of know what moments are likely going to be special before anything is said or done, and this was one of those times. Perry, Guevara and Allin all made their intentions very clear that they want a title match from MJF. They not only wanted a title match; they had a lot of vented up frustrations about MJF and other things that finally were able to get off their chests.
Jack Perry vented that everyone else in that ring and talent in the back have busted their ass day after day, scratching and crawling to get any recognition and TV time yet MJF is essentially given TV time on AEW’s flagship show, Dynamite almost every week. Perry essentially implied that MJF has politicked his way to get special treatment and pointing out that MJF has never wrestled on Rampage or Dark or Dark Elevation. This was easily the best Jack Perry promo that I have seen him deliver, and I’d speculate that there may have been a certain element of his real feelings coming out here. When you are young talent and seeing your peer getting opportunities that you are not being given, there is going to be a sense of jealousy there that exists because this is a competitive industry.
Sammy Guevara aired his own frustrations as he vented that he was never supposed to achieve anything in AEW. Management just wanted him to be a Jericho lackey that was just viewed as the guy that would be jobbed out. Despite the perception that was placed on him, he defied the doubters wrong by winning the TNT Championship three times. Sammy and MJF proceeded to take digs at one another about their love lives. Like Jack Perry, this was probably the best promo I’ve seen from Sammy. It had a feel of realistic frustration that he was just viewed as a jobber and like any real talent in this business he wasn’t satisfied with that perception.
Darby Allin, who is certainly not known for his promo style, delivered a great one here, where he proclaimed he will always be a AEW lifer unlike the guys in the back complaining about the company on Twitter or MJF who wants to hold the company hostage with his bidding war of 2024.
All these men all had their own reasons for being in there as they all have been there from the beginning of AEW, but all traveled different roads to get where they are today. I wrote about this on May 29, 2022, that I truly believed that MJF will probably jump to WWE in 2024. The reason that I bring this up is because I think AEW wants to capitalize on a four pillar feud or just a match because they in theory only have MJF for about another eight months if he doesn’t re-sign with the company.
I expect great things for this feud as all four of these men can absolutely deliver.
Moment #2 – Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn Finally Hug It Out – WWE Smackdown – March 17, 2023
The Bloodline story may very well be the best told long term story I’ve ever seen in wrestling in the past 25-years. It has had so many twists and turns, but they all made sense and weren’t done just to do them. Like I said storytelling is the life blood of this business as they have not only drawn the fans into it, but they have also been along for the ride for a long time. It is no surprise that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, two of the absolute best to ever to do this and whose careers are forever intertwined with each other are in the center of this.
Kevin and Sami are legitimately not only best friends, but very much consider each other brothers. These men’s careers have been tied together like no others and are very much this generations Triple H & Shawn Michaels. What I mean by that is no matter whether they are teaming together or trying to kill each other as mortal enemies, they create magic in that ring and everything they are involved with together.
As Kevin tried to warn his longtime friend that the Bloodline were just using him, Sami brushed off his brother and sided with the cool kids table instead. By the time, Sami came to his senses and wanted Kevin’s help in taking the Bloodline down, Kevin reacted in the most realistic way possible telling Sami absolutely not. Sami broke Kevin’s hurt and that was a wound he didn’t think he’d ever recover from and told him I want nothing to do with you.
I cannot tell you how much I appreciated that they dragged this out for weeks and didn’t immediately go to the hug and we are best friends again. That would have been unrealistic and by dragging this out this created the anticipation for the reconciliation. By doing this, they created an anticipation that would create a maximum impact moment when they did finally hug it out.
Friendships like Sami and Kevin have are truly rare in this world as you’ll be lucky in life to be able to count on one hand true lifelong friendships like this. These friendships are a bond that can never be broken, you can disagree or argue or fight with each other, but at the end of the day you love each other like you are family and will always be there for each other.
It is fitting that at WrestleMania, the longest reigning WWE tag team champions, the real-life brothers, the Usos will be defending their titles against the adopted brothers of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Sami and Kevin haven’t held tag team gold together since April 10, 2009, when they lost the ROH Tag Team titles. So, if they are able to dethrone the Usos it will be the first time they have been tag champs in almost 14 years and it will make KO a WWE Grand Slam champion.
As I’ve said before the Bloodline is the best story going and with Cody and Roman main-eventing night 2, I think Usos vs KO and Sami should main event night 1.
Moment #3 – Vikingo Shows The World Who The Hell He Is – AEW Dynamite – March 22, 2023
This is a match when it was first announced, I don’t think a lot of people outside a niche of a niche audience was really truly familiar with El Hijo Del Vikingo. Even someone like me who watches a lot of wrestling only knew Vikingo by name and reputation. Full disclosure I don’t really much AAA, GCW or PWG, there is only so many hours in the day. From what I knew of Vikingo, I knew he was a very special young talent and was probably more excited about this match than any other that has been announced for weekly TV in wrestling.
I knew Kenny Omega, who is a tremendous talent, and would put on a tremendous performance with this Mexican prodigy talent. Although I had high expectations for this match, they absolutely blew those already high expectations away. Vikingo did exactly what he needed to do and took full advantage of performing on the biggest stage so far in his career. He put on a performance that reminded me of Rey Mysterio and Will Ospreay, as he delivered something that was truly magical is the only way I can describe it. Vikingo was pulling off moves that I didn’t even think were possible, and he did them so flawlessly.
Needless to say, consider me a HUGE fan of Vikingo and cannot wait to watch him pull off his magic live at ROH Supercard of Honor. I also want to give a huge shout out to Kenny Omega as well as he understood that he may have been going over Vikingo, but he made the kid look like such a superstar by selling for him like crazy. Kenny absolutely elevated Vikingo in this match and that is what all the best talents are able to do. This match made me become a bigger fan of Kenny as a performer as well.
I want to make this clear, Vikingo is a once in a generation talent that could be the next Rey Mysterio that the industry has been searching for that can connect with multiple generations of people as a lucha star. If I’m Tony Khan, you need to make a deal to sign Vikingo and build ROH around him, but if I’m Triple H, I’m sending Regal and Mysterio down to Mexico immediately to make a deal to buy out his AAA contract. Vikingo will not struggle in getting a big money contract in America, it is just a question of will it be a AEW or WWE contract.
Final Thoughts:
The road to WrestleMania is not even just about WWE anymore, the whole industry steps up and it reminds us of why we became fans in the first place. These moments alone make it all worth it in being a fan. Wrestling is an escape for many of us to get away from the stresses of real life and be entertained for a little while. Wrestling has given me so many great moments in the 25 years I have been a fan and some dear moments I hold dear because who I shared those moments with. As we approach WrestleMania week, and I will be in LA with my buddies the WRWD crew, I’m looking forward to our time together hanging out just as much as the events we will be going to. WrestleMania season has that ability to renew your love of professional wrestling and these moments above are proof of that.
ITTMP
Photo Credits – WWE & AEW
