AEW Booms and Duds: Are Butcher and Blade a worthy threat for FTR?

Boom: a wonderful story in a great match

Boom: keeping Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. involved even while injured

I’m a noted fan of Big Swole, and was so glad to see her back the past few weeks in the crowd. Her yelling, “YOU AIN’T S***!” at all the heels during Double or Nothing was such a highlight.

Interestingly, it was her chanting, “WHOOP THAT TRICK!” at Rose during her Women’s Championship loss to Hikaru Shida that Swole credits as making Rose set her sights on Swole.

Well, if that’s the case, then THANK YOU! What a tremendous match these two put together for last night’s show. As with Jungle Boy earlier, the story was about Swole using her speed, agility, strength (at certain points), and athleticism to literally run circles around Rose. Swole showed some great offense, including a modified question mark kick she used to drive Rose (who was dazed on her knees) face-first into the mat.

I also loved Swole’s Yellow Power Ranger cosplay, coming off her Storm cosplay prior to the pandemic.

Rose, with her size and strength advantage, looked to be utilizing a pure power game plan, and it took her a good while to adjust. However, when she did adjust, it didn’t take long for her to capitalize and win. She hit a nasty spear on Swole to reverse momentum, setting up for a Beast Bomb.

That was countered into a sunset flip by Swole, but Rose kicked out and hit a sit-out spinebuster for the victory. Rose seems set for a rematch with Shida come Fyter Fest.

(Side note: the match ended with that? When has Rose finished an opponent with a spinebuster? When was the last time a spinbuster was actually a match-ending move? Last week, it was Shida winning with the Falcon Arrow; this week it’s Rose with a sit-out spinebuster.)

Schiavone interviewed Swole post-match at ringside. While she lost, she said the time off allowed her to recenter herself. This was when Baker started talking over and at Swole, including having Reba, I mean Rebel drive the golf cart her “Roll Model” wheelchair was on (called the “Role’s Royce”) into the barricade.

Swole, justifiably angry, grabbed a chair to attack Baker, who told Rebel, I mean Reba to drive off before she was hurt. The best part of the segment: MJF reacting like a scared child and almost hiding behind Wardlow when Swole went after Baker.

Props to AEW on the Baker rehab video they aired earlier in the night as well. It was downright hilarious and had me chortling from the moment I saw the five pound weight tied to the back of her wheelchair. It was topped by her only being able to roll the chair up the ramp once Schiavone, her frienemy, appeared and cheered her on. Classic heel stuff that was true to her character.

While it looks like Swole and Baker will remain in a secondary feud that began before the pandemic and now must weather Baker’s injury, where does Swole go from here until Baker is healed for All Out? I predicted she would wind up in a championship triple threat at Fyter Fest, but her loss last night makes that path more difficult.

I hope we gain more clarity for Swole next week.