3 WWE/AEW matches worth a rewatch (Week of Sept. 4-10)

With big supercards from both major U.S. promotions taking place on Sunday along with the usual weekly broadcasts, fans had plenty of good pro wrestling to choose from this past week. It might be a stretch to say that  modern fans are spoiled, but…it’s hard to find a better adjective for getting to see Bryan Danielson vs. “Hangman” Adam Page on free(ish) television, for example.

If that match didn’t land in your wrestling sweet spot, you had plenty of other fun matchups to fill that void. If you need a little help knowing which matches to start with, well, that’s what this piece is here for.

These are three WWE/AEW matches worth a rewatch

Roxanne Perez vs. Meiko Satomura (NXT 2.0, Sept. 6, 2022) (***3/4)

As you know, the overhaul of the NXT brand over the last year has limited the amount of great matches you’ll see on WWE’s Tuesday show. With the infusion of NXT UK talent over the last month has started to change things, as seen when Meiko Satomura took on Roxanne Perez on the Sept. 6 episode of NXT 2.0.

In the Vince McMahon days, fans would’ve feared for a non-finish involving Cora Jade, who’s still feuding with Perez and got angry about not facing Satomura in a backstage segment. Instead, they saw one of the smoothest women’s matches NXT has produced in a while.

Satomura scored the clean win after hitting her scorpion kick, but Perez gained plenty in defeat by hanging with the former NXT UK Women’s Champion.

Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Ricochet- NXT North American Championship match (NXT Worlds Collide) (****1/4)

Fans had high expectations for the Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricochet match at NXT Worlds Collide, and based on WWE’s decision to schedule it as the show’s opener, the company shared the same sentiment.

How did Hayes and Ricochet reward this good faith? Well, they turned in a Match of the Night performance; in fact, it was one of WWE’s best matches of the year. The combination of slick counter wrestling, a quick-but-digestible pace, and enviable athleticism contributed to this instant classic.

With Ricochet residing on the main roster, Hayes obviously won this one, but no one would mind seeing these two link up again.

“Hangman” Adam Page, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds vs. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)- AEW Trios Championship Tournament Finals (All Out 2022) (****1/2)

It’s a shame that the post-show press conference and fight became the dominant talking points of All Out because it took away from a lot of the outstanding wrestling we saw on the show. Exhibit A: this trios match between The Elite, Dark Order, and “Hangman” Adam Page.

As you would expect from an Elite match, the participants deftly mixed compelling storytelling with breathtaking action. For example, John Silver’s nearfall after countering the One Winged Angel might be a top five spot in 2022. The finish — Omega pinning Silver after Page accidentally hit him with the Buckshot Lariat — wasn’t bad, either.

Due to The Elite getting suspended, we’ll have to wait for the next chapter to this story. If it means seeing more matches like this, sign me up.