AEW Booms/Duds: Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin could be the most storied rivalry

Boom: a more vulnerable yet still dominant Lance Archer

(Poor khaki-wearing fella.)

I continually enjoy Archer just decimating any random person or his opponent during his entrance. It always makes me chuckle.

What Archer has done since his second week in AEW has been nothing short of star-making (aided, of course, by Jake “The Snake” Roberts) as I wrote two weeks ago. Remember, his first week he just sat in the crowd with Roberts, not doing much of anything.

Considering all of his matches were virtually squashes until last night, Archer did his part in those matches by coming off mean, vicious, devastating, and applying those traits to his moves. The height he achieves on his chokeslam is ridiculous. Even though Colt Cabana did get some offense, it was still a pretty one-sided match. We had never seen a truly precarious Archer in the ring yet.

Last night, that changed, and it didn’t take anything away from Archer. It wasn’t quite clear if the retirement stipulation was still in place heading into the match, but since Rhodes implemented that the week prior, it only made sense that Rhodes would come out with nothing to lose and provide a true fight for Archer.

(On the retirement front, Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone on commentary sure made it seem like the stipulation was still in place, much like Ric Flair’s retirement story in WWE a dozen years ago. I hope we gain some clarity on this front in the next week.)

It also doesn’t hurt that Rhodes had 30+ years of experience to draw on, not to mention his size is more comparable to Archer than Archer’s previous opponents.

Rhodes provided a fight and more. He drew color (blood) early in the match, and part of me wonders if he bleeds so much in AEW because it blends in with his face paint. Something we were all reminded of during his match with Cody last year is Dustin Rhodes is superb at in-ring psychology and the art of storytelling.

His aptitude in those areas added to this match, particularly in his facial expressions and selling. It helps when you have an adversary like Archer who makes everything appear painful.

Much maligned as she is as a wrestler, Brandi Rhodes was excellent as Dustin’s manager last night in terms of constantly encouraging the latter and never wavering in her loyalty.

On that note, beyond the match probably being ten minutes too long, what I didn’t like was QT Marshall running down with a towel, ready to throw it in. As his tag partner, shouldn’t Marshall have been there to support Rhodes instead of Brandi from the beginning? Was Dustin really in such a state that foreshadowing that was necessary?

Also, if you tease a towel being thrown in, the match can’t end a minute later; there should be more drama!

I do like Archer using the Iron Claw into a pin as a finish, something more common during his New Japan days. It shows another vicious side of Archer.

Speaking of vicious, props to Jericho on commentary putting over the dangerous force that is Archer. After saying he’s going to contact Roberts about recruiting Archer to the Inner Circle, Jericho mentioned if Archer said no, they would have to “take him out.”

Also, after Allin crashed into Brandi with the momentum sending her into the barricade, did anyone else notice Brandi Rhodes was miraculously recovered with no aches or pains? My, the wonders a change in attire can do for you.

(This wasn’t the only instance of a couple having miscues on the outside resulting in a barrier crash.)

We’ve come to the final most of us predicted. I did write in the linked article earlier I was expecting Cody vs. Archer, but that I wanted to see Allin vs. Archer. Still, Cody has been Archer’s target and mission statement since day one in AEW, so wouldn’t it be sweet, sweet victory to not only defeat Cody, but become the first TNT Champion as well?