AEW stars work indies, continuing Rhodes/Spears & setting up Moxley/Pentagon

Until their weekly television series starts on TNT the first Wednesday in October, All Elite Wrestling’s been forced to use other means to build programs and promote upcoming events. Mostly, that’s meant social media and YouTube, but they’ve also used their stars appearances on partner promotions and independent bookings.

Last night (Fri., Aug. 16), there was a lot of that last thing going on.

First, after Cody Rhodes & Maxwell Jacob Friedman teamed to defeat Québécois duo TBT at Capital City Championship Combat (C4)’s Fighting Back 9 show in Ottawa, Cody’s All Out opponent Shawn Spears showed up. He flattened MJF, then slowly made his way to the ring for a brawl with Rhodes. A repeat chair shot was teased, but Friedman recovered to help his mentor get the better of Spears. He escaped, but TBT brought The Perfect Ten back out so all everyone could beat down the heel and send the Canadian crowd home happy.

Meanwhile, in Poughkeepsie, New York, on a wild card which featured nZo & CazXL in separate singles matches, Jerry Lawler wrestling David Arquette in tag action, and lots of AEW talent, Jon Moxley unmasked Pentagon Jr. en route to a win via the Paradigm Shift:

And it sounds like something that’ll be run back in AEW (hopefully without that limp Mox picked up after last night and a run through the grueling New Japan G1 Climax):

We’ll see more of Spears vs. Rhodes in two weeks, but will probably have to wait longer for the Death Rider to prove he has Cero Miedo.

Like what you see? Does it make you want to see more?