The Hurt Has Come to AEW
The long rumored arrival of Bobby Lashley finally happened on this week‘s edition of Dynamite. As the show came to a close with Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP standing tall over Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana. Was that final image a preview of how things will be in AEW with the Hurt Busin…or should I say Hurt Syndicate?
Typically, I’m not a fan of redoing gimmicks or factions from another company, but this feels like a real chance to right a wrong from the pandemic. The original Hurt Business came to be during the ThunderDome era in WWE. While originally and primarily a heel faction, perhaps the best use of the group came when they confronted the doomed Retribution stable. Unfortunately, that iteration of the Hurt Business never got a chance to work in front of a live crowd. For some reason, they never put back together once fans were back in attendance. Pardon the pun, but there is unfinished business for Lashley, Benjamin, and MVP.
The combination of Lashley and MVP can be traced to their time in the Beat Down Clan in TNA back in 2014. You could argue that Lashley was presented at his absolute best during that time. Lashley was able to find his footing as a main eventer, with MVP being the perfect mouthpiece to accentuate the power, skill, and presence. So, it wasn’t a surprise that the tandem was able to excel when they were put back together in WWE in 2020. Some connections in wrestling stand the test of time, creative, and different promotions.
Is Bobby Lashley the next big man in AEW?
I’ve long made the argument that AEW needs to push a true big man in the main event scene. If you look at the history of AEW World Heavyweight Champions, the only one who could compare to Lashley‘s overall size is Samoa Joe. Joe, coincidentally enough, was part of the Beat Down Clan with Lashley and MVP in TNA. As we have seen over his first month in the company, Benjamin also looks much bigger than a lot of AEW wrestlers. Before, he would sometimes get lost in the shuffle when he was in WWE.
Without comparing what they did in other companies or what any other faction is doing in AEW, the presentation of Lashley, Benjamin, and MVP has been that of a dominant, badass group who can take anyone on regardless of quantity, quality, or experience. The beginning of this run for those three as heels is happening at the same time we’re seeing Jon Moxley and his crew decimate babyfaces of the AEW roster. Obviously, there’s a need to establish both groups as major threats to those who stand in their way. Interestingly enough, at the end of Dynamite, Daddy Magic made a point to ask where Moxley‘s crew was while Lashley, Benjamin, and MVP laid out Strickland and Nana. While I don’t think Moxley and Lashley or anyone in their respective groups should cross paths anytime soon, that would make for a massive showdown in the distant future.
To me, this should not be looked at as another WWE talent coming in to take away valuable television time from long-standing member of the AEW roster. Instead, this should be an opportunity to get it right and create a valuable asset in Lashley. There’s already proof that it’s working as Lashley‘s debut has already done over 1 million views on the AEW YouTube channel. Now, we’ll see just how much business can boom. Plus, you have to wonder if MVP will continue to recruit…
Adam Cole
Before getting into the analysis of Adam Cole‘s in-ring return, I just want to say how happy I am to see one of the true nice guys in pro wrestling get back to doing what he loves. The return from Cole’s injury was a lengthy and complicated one. There was a distinct possibility his career was over. Luckily, Cole has been able to rehab his injury, and a year later is now back as an active member of the AEW roster. During the match with Buddy Matthews, they played into Cole’s injury as a sign of weakness. In the end, he was able to overcome it and get the victory. I would be careful with playing too much into calling Cole fragile, even if the intent is to get him babyface sympathy. Cole has crowds in the palm of his hand and is seen as a major star by the fans, so despite coming back from a crippling injury, you still want to protect his aura.
Next week, Cole will have to face a rival of the past when he takes on Malakai Black. The two had an excellent feud at the end of 2017 in NXT. It culminated in an outstanding Extreme Rules match at NXT TakeOver Philadelphia, a show I was lucky enough to attend. While you don’t want to play up too much of what happened in a rival company, the moment of Black and Cole shaking hands produced a strong reaction from the fans. While Cole is likely still working his way back into ring shape, he’s already shown he can put on a solid TV match. Expectations should be high for next week’s showdown with Black.
Private Party and The Young Bucks
More than five years after they beat the Young Bucks in their first meeting, Private Party saved their partnership and won the AEW Tag Team Titles. It was yet another outstanding match between the two teams. Despite the teases of the team splitting apart, Marq Quen and Isiah Cassidy finally have the championships that eluded them for so long. It was imperative to get the most out of the despicable Bucks finally losing. This is why Private Party winning should be an indication of a big push coming their way. Are they up to the task? Time will tell.
Meanwhile, Matt and Nick have apparently bailed on AEW, citing the troublesome work environment. With no titles left to defend and an apparent fear of Moxley and his group, the Bucks went home. Was there something to Brandon Cutler shredding those documents or was it just a silly bit that has no meaning? Will the attack on Cutler draw the Bucks back to AEW to battle for the company they created? If that does happen, will the fans truly be behind them?
AEW Quick Hits
-Orange Cassidy interrupting the usual pretape package from Moxley was the proper way to begin Dynamite. Even though his promo wasn’t atypical of a heroic babyface, OC’s words meant more because it’s nowhere near his normal demeanor. I’m intrigued by this version of Orange, as it will be a good exercise to see if a more serious version of the character has real staying power.
-Mariah May has been absolutely crushing Anna Jay in her promos ahead of their AEW Women’s Championship match on this week’s Collision. May continues to make the most of her minutes and her sharp tongue will only strengthen her future rivalries. On an unrelated (or related) note, fliers asking about Toni Storm’s whereabouts were littered throughout the arena on Dynamite. They included a QR code that brings you to this fantastic news bulletin narrated by Storm. Will we return to May vs. Storm before the end of the year?
-Should Mercedes Mone be wrestling more? Was Kamille presented as a major threat before she lost to Kris Statlander? I’m still scratching my head as to what needs to be done to make this entire feud better.
I’ll be back next week to talk about wrestling even more…
You can watch and listen to Matt every weekday at 5pm Eastern at thewrestlingmattshow.com. Matt is also one of the hosts of Busted Open Radio on Sirius/XM. He is regularly featured as a streamer for Bleacher Report’s pro wrestling content.