Egos and math.
Those are the two biggest reasons Jon Moxley retained his AEW Championship against Powerhouse Hobbs on Dynamite and why no one has been able to overcome the Death Riders.
At times, we’ve seen temporary alliances or outmanned efforts fail against Moxley and his very dangerous crew and yet that pattern keeps repeating with minimal results.
Think about the biggest names to stand up for AEW. Darby Allin has been there since the beginning of this as Moxley’s first target. He has attempted to recruit others, most notably Will Ospreay during the Continental Classic, but the Aerial Assassin told Allin he’d be there for him after the C2. Too bad Allin was thrown down a flight of stairs before the alliance could even get off the ground.
Orange Cassidy had the backing of The Conglomeration, yet he was insistent on fighting alone. Multiple beatdowns and two unsuccessful AEW Title challenges later, and OC is no closer to making any real progress. It wasn’t ego because Orange is too lazy to have one, but it certainly was stubbornness.
Others, like Jay White and Hangman Page, have been too obsessed with becoming the AEW Champion without realizing that to have a real chance at beating Moxley, the rest of the Death Riders have to be eliminated. They are too ego-driven and angry to see that they are playing right into Moxley’s hands.
Just look at what Hobbs tried to do this past Wednesday. As if fighting arguably the greatest AEW Champion wasn’t tough enough, how are you also supposed to overcome the rest of the group? Hobbs fought valiantly and while he certainly had a couple chances, ultimately it was too much and he succumbed to the Bulldog Choke. It was only after a post-match attack did Rated FTR, three of Hobbs’ tag partners on tonight’s Collision, come out to make the save.
Did Hobbs not ask for them to watch his back because he wanted to do it alone? When will a group who can match the numbers and cohesiveness of the Death Riders figure out how to take them out?
Let’s assess the factions in AEW and decide if they have what it takes to step to the Death Riders…
The Hurt Syndicate
The numbers are not there for Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP, although that hasn’t stopped them in the past. Strength and experience would be on their side, and the idea of Lashley vs Moxley for the AEW Championship sounds like big box office. If MVP continued to recruit, a few accepted business cards could bring the type of hurt needed to neutralize the Death Riders.
Undisputed Kingdom
Finally brought together by the shared hatred of MJF, the current version of Undisputed Kingdom features Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett. While these five men have known each other for a long time and have shared the ring as both opponents and partners, it is the first time these men have been united. Do they have the cohesiveness ? Probably. Are they ready or interested in fighting for AEW’s cause? That remains to be seen.
The Don Callis Family
Do I expect Callis to direct his crew towards The Death Riders? Not likely, as Callis is a smart businessman, who won’t run afoul of Moxley unless it’s clearly beneficial to him. If we just take the group of Kyle Fletcher, Konosuke Takeshita, Brian Cage, and Lance Archer at face value, they have it all and Callis has them on the same page. Imagine if their collective efforts were pointed at being the faction that runs AEW instead of Moxley? Would things be better or is Callis on top even worse? Who knows if we’ll ever find out.
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Rated FTR
Cope, Dax Harwood, and Cash Wheeler have the cohesion box checked off, as we know, the three are best friends. They’ve come together to have each others’ backs in what’s been a weeks-long rivalry across Dynamite and Collision. Obviously, they don’t have the numbers, but would they be willing to accept help from others? We know the Outrunners and FTR have formed a bond and they’ll be on the same side of a 12-man tag on Collision. Both teams have been attacked by the Death Riders, so the motivation is there. But is this all about revenge? Cope finding a way to get his first shot at Mox and the AEW Title? This is a wait-and-see situation.
Samoa Joe, Hook, Katsuyori Shibata
The long-awaited return of Samoa Joe finally happened this past week on Dynamite, as he came back to save Hook and Shibata and reignite his feud with The Learning Tree. While that’s the focus in the present, many, including myself, have hoped that a Joe return would eventually lead to him stepping right to Moxley. They’ve never fought in AEW and Joe faced Mox in singles competition just one time in their respective careers. Adding one more badass to this trio might be the last bit of firepower they need to extinguish the Death Riders.
The Patriarchy
Christian Cage wants the AEW World Championship. His presence and possession of a guaranteed title shot anytime he wants it looms large over any Moxley championship defense. Cage doesn’t care about saving AEW. He cares about himself and personal gain. Would Cage winning the title from Mox be enough of a blow to the Death Riders?
Until next time, when I’m back to talk about wrestling even more…
Check out the preview for Saturday’s AEW Collision: Maximum Carnage!
You can see Matt as a host and analyst on AEW’s social channels. Matt is also one of the hosts of Busted Open Radio on Sirius/XM. Matt hosts a pro wrestling stream every Monday-Thursday, 3pm ET for Bleacher Report.