:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66725706/darby_allin_aew_2.0.jpg)
Tonight (April 29) All Elite Wrestling comes our way pre-taped from a closed set. Last week Dustin Rhodes got to keep his job, Kenny Omega put on an excellent match with a jobber, Orange Cassidy won (thumbs slightly up) and Sammy Guevara lost his match, but won some hand sanitizer.
Advertised for tonight:
- Cody versus Darby Allin (TNT Championship Tournament semi-final match)
- Lance Archer versus Dustin Rhodes (TNT Championship Tournament semi-final match)
- Brodie Lee vs. Marko Stunt
- Best Friends vs. Jimmy Havoc & Kip Sabian
- Jon Moxley speaks
Here are five questions about AEW tonight:
1) Can Cody get the job done?
This is Cody’s chance to hold gold in AEW. He can’t compete for the main belt and he doesn't have a tag partner. The TNT Championship is it for him. If he wins this match he makes it to the final and he’s one step closer to gold.
But Darby Allin isn’t one to discount. He has proven himself time and time again to be a worthy competitor and a mid card belt like the TNT championship seems like it was made for the likes of Darby.
Both men are at a bit of a precipice, but who will go over?
Honestly, at this point, Cody feels like a forgone conclusion to win the belt, but we’ve felt that way before. Cody may be the boss, but he is also their favorite punching bag. It would be just like AEW to fake us out. But this time there is no MJF to kick him when he’s down and Lance Archer wants his blood.
He’s going to win, right? Right?
2) Dustin Rhodes didn’t retire last week, but will he be forced to after facing Archer?
Last week Dustin narrowly avoided retirement when he beat Kip Sabian, but now he has to face Lance Archer. Lance Archer who’s nickname is “Murderhawk.” I predict this going poorly for Dustin.
Archer is not only going to win, but he is going to do so in a way that compromises Cody’s big bro. It wouldn’t be the first time Dustin has been used to add fuel to one of Cody’s feuds and, in this context, it makes sense.
Jake the Snake has been warning Caesar Cody for weeks that Archer was coming to destroy his life and destroying his brother in the process makes sense.
And what a good fake out! We all were worried Dustin was going to have to retire, then we felt elation at his win, only to feel devastation tonight when he is taken out!
Right now Lance Archer and Jake are just annoying to Cody. If Archer takes out Dustin, he becomes a real threat. A threat that Cody will be forced to deal with.
3) What’s going to happen to Marko Stunt?
Marko Stunt has a lot of heart and is a pretty good wrestler. He is also going to get his ass kicked by Brodie Lee tonight. My question is - what happens next?
Marko has been made fun of and beaten down ever sine he joined AEW. Sure, he has two amazing trios partners, but let’s be honest here, he’s a bit of a third wheel. Jungle Boy and Luchasauras would be fine without him.
Meanwhile, The Dark Order is looking for recruits that have been beaten down by their circumstances. Perhaps Brodie delivers the final blow and Marko finds himself drawn to #JoinDarkOrder?
4) Who does Moxley have his eye on now?
Two weeks ago we were subjected to Moxley versus Hager - for what seemed like 16 hours - as they battled for the AEW championship. Thankfully, Moxley won (I’m not emotionally stable enough during quarantine for a Hager championship), but now the champion is left without a challenger.
Most of the men’s roster has been focused on the TNT championship, Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (both viable contenders for the championship) have their tag titles, PAC is currently in a trios stable (and MIA)...who is left to face the Champ?
Hopefully we get an open challenge announcement tonight. Moxley has been embroiled in two big feuds since he won the belt and an open challenge would be a nice change of pace. Put some guys over while solidifying his championship reign.
Of course AEW’s next PPV is around the corner, so maybe they have a plan for a new #1 contender. I guess we’ll find out tonight!
5) Women?
And to round out this preview, like most AEW previews, I ask - what about the women? Brandi will no doubt be in the corner for Cody and Dustin Rhodes as Penelope will be in Sabians, but no women’s matches or segments are advertised for tonight.
Britt Baker on Twitter mentioned that she will (reluctantly) show up, so there’s that, but I can’t help but feel like we are subsisting on crumbs.
Hopefully their new set of tapings/live shows will course correct this problem and I won’t have to ask this question every week.
I’m not holding my breath.
Tune into AEW on TNT at 8 ET tonight to see if we get any answers to these questions!