* Wes Lee’s psychology really sets him apart from smaller guys. He’s got a natural charisma. He doesn’t seem out of place working with bigger guys who should realistically crush him. I like the story of him pouring his heart into challenging and failing.
* Femi is one of my favorites. He just seems to get it. He can do some pretty crazy things and doesn’t seem to get lost or rush.
* Kelani Jordan vs. Sol Ruca had a good video package. I liked how they kind of did a “same but different” thing with them as babyfaces. Kelani’s got such a cute face, but she’s getting better at projecting an elite athlete’s edge. They made sure to get plenty of footage of Sol in a bikini.
* Some of the gymnastics they did was sloppy, but considering how green they are, this was a good match. Like if Will Ospreay and Ricochet were both trying to win.
* I HATE the Chase U gimmick. The sad thing is they’re all so committed that it’s hard to imagine them doing anything else.
* Andre Chase is really good in the ring. He kind of wrestled like he was trying to play up his gimmick, which I admire even if the gimmick sucks. But I can see how he’d be valued as a player-coach.
* Thea Hail has a lot of energy at ringside.
* Duke Hudson looks like a big boy in there with the champs. He reminds me of Wade Barrett for some reason.
* I don’t mind Axiom & Nathan Frazer together. The flippy guys put their stuff together well in NXT and use body language well. Puts them a cut above AEW guys.
* I also HATE the D’Angelo Family gimmick. I actually got a kick out of Tony doing the promo kind of tongue-in-cheek though. It’s hard to imagine them main roster, but that’s kind of what I’d want him to evolve into. Calls himself the Don or whatever, but he’s kind of just laying it on thick to stir the pot.
* Roxanne Perez is so much better as a heel. Feels way more comfortable.
* I can see why they want Lola Vice to be a star, but I thought this was probably the weakest match on the card. They put it together like a a classic pro-wrestling match, but something is just missing from Vice right now I think. She doesn’t generate that genuine sympathy as a face yet.
* Lol, when I last saw Brooks Jensen I thought he was like a better Adam Page. Now he’s doing the drunk cowboy thing too.
* Main event felt like a classic Takeover match. Evans got great shine and his stuff was quite spectacular. His bump through the table was great. Trick has got the tools. He sold the finish great. This was my first time really taking a look at Ethan Page. He’s good. Shawn Spears showed why he’s a player-coach too.