AEW Revolution 2023 PPV Review

Umar Usman
Mar 6, 2023
7 min read

March 5, 2023
San Francisco California
17,000+ in Attendence

Tanner and Prince of SmarkDown break down AEW’s latest PPV, Revolution!

Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Starks | J.A.S. Are Banned From Ringside

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Ricky Starks def. Chris Jericho via Pinfall at 13:49

Tanner: A pretty well-done story with some very basic action behind it. I’m proud of Ricky for winning this feud against Jericho (hopefully). Jericho seems to be slogging at some points, and every time he competes, my need for him to retire increases. **¾

Prince: A blazing opener which served this rivalry’s end in the best way possible. Both men just took off their boots in high speed and didn’t stop/slow down anywhere. The reversal of Judas Effect & Andretti dodging Sammy’s interference worked really well with a bookend win for one of the prominent prospects of AEW. Now, take your own routes and stay away for a long time, gentlemen! ***½

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

‘Jungle Boy’ Jack Perry vs. Christian Cage| Final Burial Match

Jack Perry def. Christian Cage at 14:52

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Tanner: A pretty fun and overall brutal brawl here to formally close the feud between these two. Nicely done by both men. Loved the tense ending that pretty much shows how much this means to Perry. You love to see it! ***½

Prince: Just like the opener, the pacing was great, and the action was even wilder. But, the on-off nature of this rivalry might’ve put some fans in disinterest, and I’m not among them. We were robbed off a definite heater like this in order to build the story strong & I’m glad that we finally got it! Now, the path for Perry is the same as Starks – eye for something valuable. ****

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The Elite(c) vs. House Of Black | AEW World Trios Championships Match

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Brody King def. Nick Jackson via Pinfall at 17:58to WIN the AEW World Trios Championships!

Tanner: Pretty well-done spot fest here with an unexpected win from House of Black who deserve this following the hype of their return. The question is, where do they take this now? Will Punk and FTR join together for The Elite? Only time will tell… ***½

Prince: The trios division in AEW has been one of the best things for the brand as of late & this contest just added more prestige to it. Both teams were hellbent on showing who’s the better united front. The Elite were doing great as champs through a handful of heaters throughout their reign, but it’s now or never for the mystic force of AEW! I’m shocked that they pulled the trigger because I expected the champs to retain due to their short stint & not getting the first reign right. ****½

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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Jamie Hayter(c) vs. Saraya vs. Ruby Soho | AEW Women’s World Championship Three-Way Match

Jamie Hayter def. Saraya via Pinfall at 10:03to RETAIN the AEW Women’s World Championship!

Tanner: The booking of this whole ordeal is odd, but the match is shockingly decent while it lasted, and I’m glad they kept it short. I won’t completely destroy the post-match drama, but I don’t have much confidence in it as I haven’t seen a single good thing come from a storyline involving Saraya. **¼

Prince: I might be on the minority, but I’m digging the “Originals vs. Outsiders” arc even though the build to it is in the middle so far. Saraya had her moments to a few. Other than that, she was dragging things a bit down. Thankfully, Hayter & Soho saved it from going worse and exhibited great offense. The turncoat by Soho was seen from a far mile executing in a nice shocker. Now, bring more women who could drive the story really well & we’ll be set for a cool end to this. ***

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⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

‘Hangman’ Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley | Texas Death Match

Adam Page def. Jon Moxley via Submission 26:01

Tanner: Seeing Jon Moxley tap out was absolutely insane. While this match was a little slow, it’s an insanely brutal war that tells a story of Page not giving up against someone who took months of action away from him. I like that nobody got involved, as this was always a personal thing between the two. Well done to these two! ****

Prince: Another long-term enmity has met its definite closure in a bloodbath! Many do hate this stipulation because it’s been overdone so much, but this is one of the rare occasions where the most overhyped atmosphere worked fantabulous for these gladiators. Forks, barbed wire in loose & as a wrapper, bricks, chairs – the tension amped up higher & higher with the help of these! I’m elated to see Hangman prevail as the last man standing as his growth has been tremendous to watch. ****½

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Samoa Joe(c) vs. Wardlow | AEW TNT Championship Match

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Wardlow def. Samoa Joe via Submission at 10:41to WIN the AEW TNT Championship!

Tanner: This match suffers from how much the crowd and myself just didn’t care. It’s obviously got some decent action, but with the flip flop between the TNT title and the weak build to the match itself, I just couldn’t get into it. It’s not bad, but boy, it’s not that good either. *½

Prince: It’s your usual “meaty men slapping meat” style of a match where there’s a small space of bringing fresh action. The trade of signatures was a nice touch while the ending was shocking & cold as heck. Wardlow’s personal connect in this story made the win relevant, and I’m more confident in seeing Hobbs as the new champion this Wednesday. ***¼

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

The Gunns(c) vs. The Acclaimed vs. Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett vs. Orange Cassidy & Danhausen | AEW World Tag Team Championships Four-Way Match

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Austin Gunn def. Danhausen via Pinfall at 13:41to RETAIN the AEW World Tag Team Championships!

Tanner: This match was better than expected for me. I was going in thinking this would be a mess, but it ended up being a pretty fun brawl. The Gunns still have room to improve, but they can obviously achieve that with FTR, who made their great return to AEW, silencing the release rumors. **½

Prince: When I saw the final layout of this match, my expectations for a wrestling driven version simply lowered. The comedic elements worked so well along with a nice ample mix of action. Every team proved their worth of being here in their chances. The Gunns easily took the win off the others, much to their dismay immediately as their celebration was cut short by the returning FTR. Now, I expect a shorter wait time to strap the rockets on FTR because no matter how hard these teams try, the Gunns’ inexperience leads to not-so-good storylines. So, I hope the creative don’t fumble that part & do the right thing faster. ***¼

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

MJF(c) vs. Bryan Danielson |AEW World Championship 60 Minute Iron Man Match

MJF def. Bryan Danielson via Submission at OVERTIME 1:05:15to RETAIN the AEW World Championship!

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Tanner: It was slow, but they somehow kept me in the whole time. A lot of drama throughout, twists and turns, a possible title change, a dramatic finish. This was really good. I’m not sure what’s next for MJF, but I’m intrigued. Well done to both of these guys for going at the pace they did for over an hour! ****½

Prince: One of the polarizing stipulations in the game just got worked on a whole different level. Sensational clash in all aspects! A massive slow burn followed by a quick succession of falls that increased the hype and that was THE moment! From there, my eyes were glued to the action as MJF went to the place where he didn’t go before in his career & Bryan’s experience in this atmosphere speaks for itself. I’m proud of both men for orchestrating a masterclass of wrestling. The sudden death is simply a “chef’s kiss” touch because I never wanted a draw to end this battle. MJF’s stock just skyrocketed it it wasn’t before, while Bryan has proved one more darn time that he’s the GOAT of all the GOATs in the league. *****

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Overall Thoughts

Tanner: This show has a lot of flaws in it, but it also has some very enjoyable aspects. It’s kind of like the great and the mid are balancing in a way. Some interesting title changes, new plots, and an astounding closer make this an overall decent show. 6/10

Prince: AEW’s 2023 for the PPV schedule has kicked off in style! It was a scintillating night of action from all varieties – high-speed sprints, brutal fights, bloodbaths, betrayals, entertainers, and game changers! Everything was explored in all of the matches, and I thoroughly enjoyed it to the core. Had a couple of matches been more refined (women’s 3-way, Joe/Wardlow), this PPV could’ve been an all-timer but that doesn’t change the fact that AEW has indeed gone through a revolution from this event & I’m enthusiastic to see what’s in store for the brand. 9/10

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

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