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AEW Booms and Duds: Jake Roberts went full incel on us

By Bruce Lee Hazelwood

PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 23: Wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts from "The Resurrection of Jake The Snake Roberts" poses for a portrait at the Village at the Lift Presented by McDonald's McCafe during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2015 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 23: Wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts from "The Resurrection of Jake The Snake Roberts" poses for a portrait at the Village at the Lift Presented by McDonald's McCafe during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2015 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images) /
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https://twitter.com/SugarDunkerton/status/1260748696028938246

Boom: a sudden end to “Pineapple Pete,” an impetus for the return of SUGE D

Let me begin by praising Jericho. Sure, he’s definitely past his physical prime, but I’ve heard enough people say this is the best character work of Jericho’s career to say I agree. Beyond being a cocky, skilled, and charismatic leader, his comedy anytime he’s on the mic is downright hilarious.

It’s been Jericho’s commentary that really started his “rivalry” with SUGE D, who himself said in a pre-match video he hated being called “Pineapple Pete” at first. It hit a head when the Pineapple one slapped Jericho at ringside during a match.

Props to AEW for hyping the match so much and garnering the interest of SUGE’s fans who know him from the indy scene. It’s safe to say “Pineapple Pete” might be a cult-like figure to AEW fans.

The match…ended rather abruptly. At first, I thought, “All that hype for a squash?” Then, I thought about it more and talked to some people, and they kindly reminded me this wasn’t necessarily a squash match (beyond the time).

SUGE took it to Jericho, using his quickness to outmaneuver Jericho and wail on him with strikes in the corner. He set up for (presumably) a running splash to Jericho in the corner, who countered by nailing him with the Judas Effect; SUGE took a great bump here.

Just like that, it was over.

However, even if you do classify it as a squash, I have written before how AEW has a diversity in squashes, and this tangentially fits.

Let’s look at it objectively: the former World Champion, in his first singles match since losing the championship at Revolution, took on yes, a ring veteran, but also someone whose status is considerably lower than Jericho’s. Jericho should win, and win handily.

The fact he took so many strikes before landing the most protected finisher in AEW (his only strike in the match) for the win speaks to a few things: the potential of SUGE; the journey of Jericho reinventing himself due to the aging process; and how no one kicks out of the Judas Effect.

The tweet embedded above also represents an intriguing possibility: a rematch with Jericho, but this time as his original self, SUGE D.

After all, as he said in the pre-match video, he’s pretty much run with the name and tried to embody “Pineapple Pete.” Maybe this isn’t the path he needs to be successful. Maybe what he needs is to enter as SUGE D, not a caricature of himself. Maybe he triumphs over Jericho as his “authentic” self (as authentic as you can be as a wrestler).

I doubt this is the last we’ve seen of Jericho and SUGE D/”Pineapple Pete.” I doubt the rematch will be added to Double or Nothing, but this might be a marquee match for the Dynamite after Double or Nothing. When they do have another match, count me as one person who will be excited.

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