The Icon took his ultimate bow Sunday evening at AEW Revolution as Sting wrestled his final match, teaming with Darby Allin to defend the AEW World Tag Group Championship in opposition to the corporate’s megalomaniacal EVPs, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson.
Did the Corridor of Famer take pleasure in one final success below the brilliant lights, retiring a champion, or did the EVPs purchase much more energy by taking the titles which have eluded them since 2022?
Discover out the reply to that and extra with this recap of Sunday’s pay-per-view broadcast, reside from the historic Greensboro Coliseum, residence to a number of the most unforgettable moments in skilled wrestling historical past.
Introduced prematurely of the Revolution pay-per-view had been:
- AEW World Tag Group Championship Match: Sting and Darby Allin (c) vs. Matthew and Nicholas Jackson
- AEW World Championship Match: Swerve Strickland vs. Samoa Joe (c) vs. “Hangman” Adam Web page
- AEW Girls’s World Championship Match: Deonna Purrazzo vs. “Timeless” Toni Storm (c)
- AEW Worldwide Championship Match: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Roderick Robust
- Continental Crown Championship Match: Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Bryan Danielson
- Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- TNT Championship Match: Daniel Garcia vs. Christian Cage (c)
- FTR vs. Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli
- All-Star 8-Man Scramble Match: Chris Jericho vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Lance Archer vs. Wardlow vs. Brian Cage vs. Hook vs. Dante Martin vs. Magnus
- Revolution Zero Hour: Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale vs. Julia Hart and Skye Blue
- Revolution Zero Hour: “Switchblade” Jay White, The Gunns, The Acclaimed, and Daddy Ass vs. Jeff Jarrett, Jay White, Willie Mack, Satnam Singh, and Non-public Celebration
The Bang Bang Scissor Gang kicked off Sunday’s Zero Hour kickoff present with a giant win as ROH World Trios Champions Jay White and The Gunns partnered with AEW World Trios Champions The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass to defeat the mishmash group of Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, Jay Deadly, Non-public Celebration, and Willie Mac in a bloated 12-Man Tag Group Match.
A messy match benefited from a sizzling crowd, however not sufficient to raise its total high quality.
There was loads of motion, typically disjointed, that concluded with “Switchblade” leveling Mack with Blade Runner for the win.
For a match thrown onto the cardboard principally to get everybody on the present, this was fantastic.
While you take into consideration White losing away at this spot on the cardboard, although, it solely makes the meaninglessness of the match stand out. How is a man who arrived within the firm with a lot momentum on his aspect, and challenged for the world title final fall, in such a spot?
A post-match promo teased one thing of substance doubtlessly coming on the Massive Enterprise episode of Dynamite on March 13 in Boston. For his sake, hopefully, it’s one thing with long-term substance as a result of this is not it.
Consequence
The Bang Bang Scissor Gang defeated Jarrett, Deadly, Singh, Non-public Celebration, and Mack
Grade
C-
High Moments and Takeaways
- The randomness of Mack on this match was not misplaced on RJ Metropolis, who reacted with shock upon seeing his title on the heel aspect of the lineup.
- Max Caster botched his pre-match rap and reacted accordingly. He gave the impression to be thrown off his recreation totally moments into the match, too.
The prolonged rivalry between the group of Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale, and the duo of TBS Champion Julia Hart and Skye Blue, wrote its newest chapter within the evening’s second Zero Hour match.
The heels managed a big portion of the match by isolating every of their opponents at completely different parts of the bout. Late, although, Statlander and Nightingale’s energy benefit proved to be the distinction.
After Nightingale broke up a pin by Hart on Statlander that proceeded a picture-perfect moonsault, the babyfaces mounted a comeback that concluded with a giant powerbomb from Nightingale to Hart for the victory.
A superb match that was a bit messy at instances, but it surely nonetheless did a greater job of telling a cohesive story than the opener and highlighted the 4 opponents very nicely.
Consequence
Nightingale and Statlander defeated Hart and Blue
Grade
C+
High Moments and Takeaways
- This was Hart’s first match again from what, if the Ok-Tape was any indicator, was a shoulder harm that had stored her sidelined.
- “Been listening to GloRilla. Acquired her HYPED!” Stokely Hathaway mentioned of Statlander throughout a sizzling tag sequence.
- “She virtually pounced her to Sting’s first match,” Hathaway delivered a killer line following Nightingale’s pounce to Blue.
The opening contest of the AEW Revolution fundamental card noticed Christian Cage efficiently defend the TNT Championship in opposition to Daniel Garcia in a powerful match.
The in-ring psychology of Cage was on full show as he manipulated his method to a bonus and proceeded to work over the challenger. At one level, the huge Killswitch interfered on behalf of the champion, chopping off a comeback by Garcia, just for a revenge-minded “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard to hit the ring and combat the masked heavyweight off.
What nobody accounted for was Nick Wayne’s presence at ringside. The 19-year-old rocked Garcia, permitting Cage to ship the Unprettier and safe the victory.
High quality and smart in-ring content material, one other spotlight reel efficiency from Garcia, and sensible reserving that protected the challenger in defeat helped make this a giant thumbs as much as begin the present.
Consequence
Cage defeated Garcia to retain
Grade
B
High Moments and Takeaways
- Cage faked a foot harm and suckered Garcia in earlier than beautiful him with a poke to the attention, permitting him to grab management of the bout.
- Excalibur tied Garcia’s deal with injuring the ankle of Cage to his time within the Jericho Appreciation Society with Jake Hager, himself recognized for his ankle lock.
- Garcia delivered a piledriver and scored an important near-fall on Cage that had followers chanting “That was three!” in anger on the heel narrowly escaping defeat.
For the second, consecutive AEW pay-per-view, Eddie Kingston and Bryan Danielson tore the home down with an intensely bodily and private battle of attrition.
Kingston retained the Continental Crown Championship, overcoming an injured proper hand, broken throughout a missed chop that struck the ring submit, and an especially targeted Danielson to earn one other high quality victory.
The story right here was Kingston’s grit and resiliency and the mounting frustration it triggered in Danielson.
Each opponents threw the whole lot that they had at one another earlier than the champion uncorked a left-handed comeback that rocked Danielson, a lariat that countered a Busaiku Knee, and a powerbomb that ended The American Dragon’s championship chase.
This was a improbable match with an important story and a efficiency from Kingston that each one younger and aspiring wrestlers ought to research. He offered the correct hand, by no means utilizing it until completely essential.
That features all through the match and even after, insisting Danielson increase the left one after the heel lastly confirmed him respect through handshake.
This was glorious and an early contender for Match of the Yr.
Consequence
Kingston defeated Danielson to retain the Continental Crown Championship
Grade
A
High Moments and Takeaways
- Kingston’s exploder suplex in honor of Jun Akiyama was a pleasant contact, particularly after he devoted the bout to his idol, whom Danielson brutally assaulted within the lead-in to this match.
- The champion delivered a discus back-fist together with his injured hand however was unable to capitalize due to the ache.
- Danielson teased not shaking Kingston’s hand, the stipulation in place if he misplaced, however in the end did to a thunderous roar from the followers.
Chris Jericho, Powerhouse Hobbs, Lance Archer, Wardlow, Dante Martin, Hook, Brian Cage, and Magnus battled in an All-Star 8-Man Scramble Match, a late addition to the cardboard after accidents pressured the cancellation of the beforehand booked Meat Insanity Match.
Completely different area of opponents, similar end result, although.
On the heels of a bombshell promo, Wardlow channeled his sudden momentum right into a hard-fought victory, obliterating Martin with a powerbomb for the win.
The match was primarily a group of spots and sequences with no connective thread to talk of. That isn’t essentially a foul factor, particularly for a match that got here collectively as late as this one did.
Nonetheless, the group struggled to put money into it the best way they did the opposite matches on the cardboard however they did react favorably to a number of the motion all through.
Wardlow successful was the correct name as a result of a loss right here would have rendered that aforementioned promo irrelevant. Now with a championship alternative in his possession, it will likely be fascinating to see if Adam Cole does as he instructed he would in his inaugural promo because the chief of Undisputed Kingdom and makes the large man hand it over to him.
Consequence
Wardlow defeated Martin, Jericho, Magnus, Archer, Hobbs, Hook, and Cage
Grade
C+
High Moments and Takeaways
- Jericho and Magnus landed stereo Lionsaults on Archer in a cool spot.
- Hook took to the highest rope and delivered a double ax deal with, paying homage to “Macho Man” Randy Savage, as Taz eluded to on commentary.
- The Chilly-Hearted Good-looking Satan additionally utilized Redrum to Wardlow, dropping him to his knees. From there, Jericho utilized the Liontamer in an important double submission spot.
AEW Worldwide Champion Orange Cassidy had spent the final 12 months and a half overcoming harm and proving his toughness in opposition to all challengers. Sunday evening, he merely had no combat left in him.
Hampered by a again harm that threatened his competitors clearance, he discovered himself on the defensive practically from the get-go as he defended his title in opposition to The Undisputed Kingdom’s Roderick Robust.
Robust, recognized beforehand as The Messiah of the Backbreaker, expertly picked his opponent aside, leaving him incapable of delivering his signature transfer and stringing collectively a constant offensive.
The challenger in the end caught Cassidy with a knee strike and delivered Finish of Heartache for the win.
After the match, Kyle O’Reilly made his first look in nicely over a 12 months, hugging the brand new champion and turning down a proposal to affix the Undisputed Kingdom, as a substitute whispering one thing to his pal and strolling away.
The match was fairly good, as one would anticipate given the expertise concerned. Kudos to Cassidy for persistently promoting the whole lot surrounding the again, and to Robust for being as relentless in his assault on it.
The O’Reilly improvement was fascinating and will create some drama throughout the Undisputed Kingdom; perhaps even warmth it again up after it descended into the ice age when it comes to crowd warmth and significance over the previous couple of months. No matter what it means for the story, it was a welcome return for one of many nice technicians of the final decade.
Consequence
Robust defeated Cassidy to win the Worldwide Championship
Grade
B
High Moments and Takeaways
- Robust delivered a gut-wrench backbreaker onto the highest rope, additional damaging the closely taped again of the champion.
- Cassidy broke out the Panama Dawn to Robust, an important dig on the challenger’s finest pal, Adam Cole.
- The champion offered the again harm persistently all through, even failing to raise Robust into the Seaside Break with out the help of the ropes.
Within the residence of a number of the best tag group encounters within the historical past of Jim Crockett Promotions, Blackpool Fight Membership’s Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli defeated FTR’s Dax Harwood and Money Wheeler in one other excellent match.
The match began gradual, with each groups feeling one another out amid an viewers nonetheless recovering from the evening’s motion thus far. As soon as issues picked up, although, the group got here alive and the match intensified.
Harwood bled buckets late, the drama was at a excessive following some high quality near-falls, and the group was behind the thought of the hometown FTR scoring the victory. The alertness of the BCC, nevertheless, allowed them to interrupt up a number of tried pins by the babyfaces and in the end put them away with stereo submissions.
A lot was made after the match of Moxley and Castagnoli being people in a gaggle, with the win solidifying them as a group. It will appear to counsel {that a} future as a tag group isn’t out of the query, neither is a championship alternative.
If that’s the case, the end result a minimum of had a objective. Nonetheless, it felt like a misstep given FTR was of their residence state, in an enviornment that the groups they molded themselves after made well-known.
Consequence
Moxley and Castagnoli defeated FTR
Grade
A
High Moments and Takeaways
- Moxley and Castagnoli wore Street Warriors-esque shoulder pads to the ring, paying tribute to one of many nice groups to compete within the hallowed grounds of the Greensboro Coliseum.
- Harwood caught his head on the ring submit or stairs, busting him open and resulting in the proverbial crimson masks.
- Castagnoli countered the Shatter Machine and delivered the large swing to Harwood whereas Moxley downed Wheeler with a cutter in an important spot.
“Timeless” Toni Storm can thank her butler, Luther, and obsessively loyal fan, Mariah Could, for the continuation of her reign as AEW Girls’s World champion.
The champion discovered herself reeling late, solely to capitalize on a distraction from Luther and a momentary distraction from Could to place No. 1 contender and former pal Deonna Purrazzo away with the piledriver.
The AEW devoted had been surprisingly quiet for the match, particularly given the backstory and that two of the higher technicians in any ladies’s division in North America had been having a high quality battle.
A few of that may be attributed to the lengthy runtime of the present thus far and the match’s placement within the cool-down spot of the present. Some may be attributed to a ladies’s division that’s nonetheless rising and evolving, and a crowd nonetheless acquainting itself to it.
Regardless, it was a disappointingly weak crowd for a match that ought to have been hotter primarily based on the expertise concerned, their actual backstory, and the character work at play.
Consequence
Storm defeated Purrazzo
Grade
B-
High Moments and Takeaways
- Following Storm’s promise that Purrazzo would get the previous her and extra, Mariah Could entered the sector dressed like her idol from a 12 months or so in the past.
- This had the unenviable job of following three-and-a-half hours of motion and the group’s relative quietness mirrored as a lot. The position on the cardboard did the match a disservice.
- Tony Khan is often good about not working repetitive finishes however the interference-heavy one right here was eerily just like the one from the opening match between Cage and Garcia.
Will Ospreay made a profitable in-ring debut as a full-time member of the AEW roster, defeating fellow Don Callis Member of the family Konosuke Takeshita in a Match of the Yr candidate.
A hellishly bodily encounter stuffed with awe-inspiring sequences and athleticism, with the story thread of two teammates testing one another, it captivated the viewers from the opening bell and elicited chants of “combat eternally.”
None of that was essentially sudden. Ospreay is nice and Takeshita is among the brightest younger stars in professional wrestling at present. They went on the market and had a banger of a match that will probably be one of the talked about of your entire evening.
Ospreay was as marketed, the match was nearly as good (if not higher) than anticipated, and the end result was an effective way to kick off the New Japan export’s run with AEW.
After the match, in an fascinating improvement, Ring of Honor World Tv Champion Kyle Fletcher appeared and after a quick staredown, embraced his United Empire teammate, however not earlier than Excalibur revealed on commentary that the 2 will conflict Wednesday evening on Dynamite.
It is going to be the second, consecutive match pitting Don Callis Members of the family in opposition to one another, suggesting the namesake of the faction could also be as much as no good.
Consequence
Ospreay defeated Takeshita
Grade
A+
High Moments and Takeaways
- Ospreay entered Greensboro Coliseum to a thunderous ovation, solidifying himself as one of the common guys within the firm from match No. 1.
- The opponents repeatedly dared one another to deliver the combat, testing one another, and the group ate it up.
- Takeshita offered a forearm to the face that knocked him down and, apparently, out. A lot in order that Bryce Remsburg backed Ospreay off and checked on the younger performer. An amazing, particular person efficiency for that second.
- The Ace responded with a forearm that leveled Ospreay, however he was unable to observe up with a pin.
- Takeshita delivered a brainbuster that folded Ospreay in half backward on the highest rope and left him with a nasty contusion on his decrease again.
The hatred that exists between “Hangman” Adam Web page and Swerve Strickland supersedes the AEW World Championship, or so the end of Sunday’s title bout, additionally together with champion Samoa Joe, would counsel.
An action-packed fundamental occasion that highlighted every star, in addition to the continuing rivalry between the 2 challengers, got here to a head when Joe trapped Web page within the Coquina Clutch. Earlier than Strickland may break it up, Web page tapped up, awarding the match to the champion.
The insinuation in commentary was that Web page’s hatred for Strickland was such that he tapped out on objective to stop his foe from successful the world title and that flies within the face of the whole lot that the viewers simply watched and invested in.
The aim of a world title match ought to all the time be to win the title. In principle, opponents work their whole careers to get that championship alternative and for one of many challengers in such a match to simply voluntarily tapout to stay it to another person is asinine and insulting to the viewer.
Certain, there’s a story at play right here between Strickland and Web page that has seen them do issues the likes of which we have now not ever seen earlier than. They’ve portrayed disdain for one another extraordinarily nicely, however that doesn’t excuse diminishing the worth of the prize that everybody on the roster needs to be preventing for.
The match was good, fairly so. That was hampered by the huge inventive misstep within the closing seconds.
Consequence
Joe defeated Web page and Strickland to retain the AEW World Championship
Grade
B+ for the match, D for the end. Name the entire thing a C+.
High Moments and Takeaways
- Strickland was the overwhelming fan favourite. He’s a future world champion, if not the following one.
- Swerve’s obsession with beating Web page led him to not observe up on overlaying Joe, as a substitute specializing in Hangman and gaining solely a two-count following the Home Name to the again of the pinnacle. A pleasant little bit of storytelling primarily based on the established narrative of hatred between the challengers.
- Hangman obliterated referee Bryce Remsburg, making certain he wouldn’t depend the autumn that delivered Strickland the championship.
- Swerve refused to make use of Prince Nana’s crown, which he utilized to beat Web page of their first encounter.
The legendary profession of wrestling’s final nice icon, Sting, concluded Sunday evening in a wild, chaotic, violent fundamental occasion that noticed him and Darby Allin defeat Matthew and Nicholas Jackson, The Younger Bucks, to retain the AEW World Tag Group Championship in a Twister Tag Group Match.
There have been ladders, tables, and chairs however the introduction of panes upped the ante and the violent content material. It may be argued that the final bit was pointless, and it completely was, however the match as a complete was a memorable finish to what is among the best careers for any star in skilled wrestling historical past.
Sting seemed like a world-beater, overcoming the whole lot the Bucks threw at him earlier than securing the victory together with his Scorpion Deathlock. He was triumphant, in a position to soak within the adulation of the followers in Greensboro and rejoice an unbeaten file in AEW as he took one final second within the highlight.
It’s apropos that one of the selfless megastars in wrestling took the chance after the match to thank the followers and Allin to shut out the published, which reduce off mid-speech as a result of timing constraints.
That’s one other difficulty for one more time however for now, the finale of Sting’s profession was an unforgettable second that delivered in spades.
Consequence
Sting and Allin defeated The Younger Bucks
Grade
A for your entire presentation
High Moments and Takeaways
- Sting’s entrance was preceded by a wonderful video that noticed The Icon view from an empty movie show a number of the highlights of his iconic profession.
- The legendary competitor’s sons, representing two completely different eras of his profession, accompanied him to the squared circle and even received concerned early on.
- Sting took a giant suplex bump off the stage and thru a desk on the bottom beneath. Later, he endured a powerbomb off a ladder and thru a desk, leaving little doubt that he was throwing warning to the wind in his final dance.
- Allin took a sickening (silly) bump off a ladder and thru a pane of glass, his again lacerated in dozens of spots. To not be outdone, Sting took a stumble upon one in all his personal moments later.
- Ric Aptitude (who was joined at ringside by Ricky “The Dragon Steamboat) lined Sting up, refusing to permit the heels to additional assault him, a second of sacrifice for a man who spent his profession making life a residing hell for The Stinger.
Minus the controversial end to the AEW World Championship match, or a minimum of the way it was introduced by the commentary group, the corporate completely caught the touchdown with Revolution.
There have been two reputable Match of the Yr contenders right here in Kingston vs. Danielson and Ospreay vs. Takeshita, and the whole lot else ranged from good to nice.
Most significantly, the present was offered on the again of Sting’s retirement match and the primary occasion lived as much as expectations. The best avenger in wrestling historical past as soon as once more thwarted the plans of the evil and injust, sending followers residence completely satisfied and bringing an finish to his profession.
All the pieces that hit did, principally, and the end result was an effective way to kick off the corporate’s PPV slate right here in 2024.
Grade: A