The quick, high-flying Guerrera kept Jericho off-guard early, only for The God of War to halt his momentum and deliver a crossbody from the top rope.
Kids, like this writer, who grew up watching Nitro on Monday nights felt a sense of familiarity watching this one.
Considering the very cool entries into the Labours of Jericho to this point, the Wardlow option feels a bit lackluster.
The action broke down coming out of the break, with Moxley running over Garcia at ringside and Allin wiping out Lee.
This was a fun, fan-friendly trios match that got some of the most popular AEW stars in front of the Jacksonville faithful.
Christian Cage battled The Blade, a week after suffering a nasty shot with brass knuckles to the face at the hands of the heel.
Blade managed to seize control of the match through the commercial break but the wily Cage fought back.
Christian winning makes sense and the commentary team put over his unbeaten streak.
The young star expressed interest in challenging for the title, to which Baker reminded her she beat the prospective contender in three minutes.
The impending match will be a big deal, if only because Baker will be competing in her hometown, in front of friends and family.
Kenny Omega accused the anxious millennial cowboy of trying to rejoin The Elite, but the group doesn’t allow losers, noting that everyone involved holds some kind of gold.
The union between Page and Dark Order continues to be one of the most entertaining elements of AEW and this continued that trend.
TNT champion Miro defended against The Nightmare Family’s Lee Johnson in the night’s next match.
He mounted a comeback that included a dive over the top rope, a crossbody and a superkick that momentarily rocked the champion.
It will only get better once AEW comes up with an actual feud for him to sink his teeth into that doesn’t involve weddings and arcade brawls.
In the ring, “Legit” Leyla Hirsch battled The Bunny, accompanied by Hardy Family Office, battled for the right to challenge NWA women’s champion Kamille.
Hirsch mounted a comeback, a tenacious pitbull-like competitor, and applied the devastating armbar for the submission victory.
Like her husband The Blade, Bunny is an unsung hero of the women’s division, putting in the work and oftentimes making her opponents look damn good as they move onward to other stories and opportunities.
Malakai Black menacingly made his way to the ring for the night’s main event, a battle of light and darkness against Cody Rhodes.
Black kicked the left knee of his opponent, gouged his eyes and applied a half crab early on.
After the match, Rhodes cut a promo that hinted at retirement, even including a reference to in-fighting with the EVPs.
This was an obliteration, a one-sided squash that announced to the world that Black is a big player in a big pond.
And hopefully, when all is said and done, the culmination of this story will not be another triumphant performance by Rhodes, shaking off self-doubt and retirement teases.