Adam Cole, Jon Moxley, Actual Winners and Losers From AEW WrestleDream 2024 Match Card

AEW returned to pay-per-view Saturday night time with its WrestleDream occasion, a present devoted to Antonio Inoki’s reminiscence and headlined by world champion Bryan Danielson defending in opposition to former Blackpool Fight Membership teammate Jon Moxley.

As is the case with most main wrestling occasions, there have been stars up and down the cardboard who had higher nights than others, rising as winners or losers each actually and figuratively.

One such winner was a returning star injected again into the combination as one of many high and most recognizable performers within the firm.

Who gained the encounter between the champion and No. 1 contender, which opponents left Tacoma, Washington as winners, and which have been losers for one motive or one other?

Discover out on this recap of the October 12 extravaganza.

“Switchblade” Jay White defeated “Hangman” Adam Web page within the opening contest of WrestleDream in what can finest be described as a momentum-builder for the previous IWGP heavyweight champion.

White had large success in New Japan Professional-Wrestling. He was a high star there and chief of the storied Bullet Membership. He carried the mantle

After dropping a world title match in opposition to MJF at Full Gear final November although he spent a substantial period of time wallowing away on the undercard in AEW, in a spot that was not essentially reflective of his abilities or stature.

A current return following a hiatus on account of damage put him able to reignite his push within the firm and Saturday’s clear win over former world champion Web page solely additional helps the concept ol’ King Swap could possibly be reheated for a renewed run at or close to the highest of the cardboard.

Contemplating the dearth of contemporary predominant occasion expertise on the high of the cardboard, the thought of a reinvigorated White mixing it up in the identical realm as Web page, Swerve Strickland, Jon Moxley, and Bryan Danielson is mighty interesting.

Jack Perry retained his TNT Championship over Katsuyori Shibata within the third match of Saturday’s card. Inside a minute of the choice, one could be hard-pressed to recollect something in regards to the match or the champion’s profitable retention.

As an alternative, he was overshadowed instantly by an look from Daniel Garcia, who despatched him scurrying away from the squared circle.

By the point MJF made his shock return and bodily confronted Garcia, Perry’s victory turned that rather more insignificant.

Throw in a good greater shock return and the thunderous ovation that acquired (extra in a second) and you’ve got a champion who was finished soiled by the location of his match in relation to these appearances.

Even when there are nonetheless massive reserving plans for Perry, which can embrace defending his title in opposition to the opponents instantly concerned within the post-match actions, it’s troublesome to say his star energy didn’t take successful Saturday when he was handled just like the clear No. 4 to each different star who both shared the display screen with him or adopted his exit.

The final time we noticed Adam Cole, the previous Ring of Honor and NXT world champion was left mendacity by MJF in what most assumed was a feud-ending phase.

Saturday, we came upon that is probably not the case as Cole made a shock return, making the save for Daniel Garcia and chasing his sworn enemy away from the squared circle.

Cole helped Garcia to his toes, confirmed him respect, after which basked within the adulation of the Tacoma followers.

If there was any doubt as as to if Cole would return as a babyface or heel when he was cleared to take action, that was erased by the overwhelming cheers of the followers based mostly on how his comeback was booked.

Whereas Cole is historically at his strongest as a heel, the choice to guide him as a babyface if the intent is for him to renew his rivalry with MJF, as soon as once more a despised heel, is smart.

What meaning for the Undisputed Kingdom stays to be seen however Matt Taven and Mike Bennett displaying respect to Hook at Dynamite: Grand Slam suggests a babyface flip for all concerned is on faucet.

Regardless, Cole’s return to tv and ultimately the ring is nice for the corporate, his followers, and the performer. His star bolsters the roster, offers AEW one other predominant occasion participant to work with, and will get Cole again to doing what he was born to do: carry out between the ropes in opposition to the corporate’s finest.

Particularly given what number of hardships he has encountered since arriving within the firm in 2021.

Konosuke Takeshita has spent the second half of 2024 rebounding in AEW, rising again up the ranks after months spent showcasing his monumental ability however dropping to extra outstanding stars.

That revitalized rise culminated at WrestleDream along with his victory over Will Ospreay and Ricochet for the AEW Worldwide Championship.

It got here by the hands of Kyle Fletcher, who shockingly betrayed his United Empire teammate Ospreay and robbed him of a clear win. Nonetheless, there isn’t any denying what a win of that magnitude means for Takeshita and the belief Tony Khan and Co. have in him as one of many stars of the long run.

What’s going to finally decide how profitable Takeshita is in his position as champion would be the energy of competitors that he faces popping out of WrestleDream and whether or not he’s the point of interest of any story he’s concerned or if he’s however a heel foil biding time till Ospreay regains his gold.

Or Ricochet dethrones him.

An awfully proficient competitor who appears like a man able to starring on the high of AEW for the following decade, this was an incredible step towards stardom. Hopefully, Khan and his inventive group can construct on it and keep away from the identical errors which have plagued Takeshita’s journey at totally different factors.

Mariah Might efficiently defended the AEW Girls’s World Championship in opposition to Willow Nightengale in the one girls’s division match-up on all the predominant card of the WrestleDream pay-per-view.

Certain, Anna Jay bested Harley Cameron and TBS champion Mercedes Moné arrange a match for Wednesday’s Dynamite in opposition to Queen Aminata.

Nonetheless, the dearth of one other match on the PPV card was unacceptable contemplating the standard of labor and the corporate’s current emphasis on the ladies’s division.

Jamie Hayter, Kris Statlander, Saraya, Aminata, and Moné are all opponents missing a match on the cardboard who may have been afforded that chance.

It’s clear based mostly on the TV product that AEW is actively making an attempt to construct its girls’s division and put these opponents able to succeed as a respectable a part of the present, however to depart them a card that was a minimum of partially thrown collectively briefly order threatens to unravel these efforts.

Within the firm’s protection, it usually does have a minimum of two matches, with the TBS and girls’s titles represented. Maybe that’s the reason it was extra apparent Saturday when that was not the case.

Given the size of the PPVs, there isn’t any motive to not have a minimum of two matches representing the jam-packed division on every of these playing cards.

If no more.

Particularly when a star of Moné’s stature is proper there.

The rivalry between the undefeated Hologram and The Beast Mortos wrote its remaining chapter in a Finest Two-Out-of-Three Falls Match Saturday night time.

Regardless of missing the profile of a number of the different stars and match-ups on the cardboard, the luchadors tore the home down, delivering a rattling good match that noticed the masked babyface overcome his first pinfall within the promotion to defeat Mortos and prolong his unbeaten streak.

Not solely did the match get some contemporary faces on the cardboard, but it surely additionally proved that the opponents concerned may come off of Collision and onto a pay-per-view and stay as much as the expectations set by the earlier encounters.

Mortos stays one of many hidden gems on tv. He was that approach throughout his time as Black Taurus in TNA and that has carried over to AEW, the place he has gained consideration and respect for the standard of his ring work, even when his win-loss file is nothing particular.

Each males are potential breakout stars and performing as much as the extent they did right here solely solidified that sentiment.

Jon Moxley is the AEW world champion for the fourth time after defeating Bryan Danielson with the bulldog choke in the primary occasion of WrestleDream through referee stoppage.

A grueling match-up between two opponents who’ve been buddies, companions, and adversaries at totally different factors of their careers, it was one of the best match on the present, and in line with a stipulation set by The American Dragon himself, his remaining one as a full-time lively wrestler.

Moxley’s standing as a winner transcends the title victory, although.

It contains the brutal assault that occurred after, an assault that included a heel flip from Wheeler Yuta, who laid out Darby Allin with a operating knee to stop him from saving the previous champion earlier than inserting a plastic bag over Danielson’s head and making an attempt to suffocate him.

The gang’s shocked silence because the heels stood triumphantly earlier than lastly being pushed from the squared circle, adopted by its scornful jeers, suggests AEW has a scorching heel act on its arms, led by the brand new champion.

The way it manages to comply with up on that, and which babyface it selects to fight them will decide how profitable the angle was within the long-term however for now, the corporate and its high star can relaxation comfortably understanding the brutality of the closing moments of the present positioned Moxley and Co. because the faces of the promotion and essentially the most harmful risk on the roster.

And all of it got here on the expense of a legendary competitor who would need his swan track to be utilized to assist get others over.