AEW 1-15-20 - Bash at the Beach

I loved the old Bash at the Beach name and setup - it was a perfect name for a wrestling show, and had a tremendous set design year after year. Fyter Fest brought that part of it back, so to have the BATB name formally make it even better. Good show on tap tonight too with Sammy against MOX and PAC vs. Darby. The show opens with a graphic for Rocky Johnson while Ross pays tribute to him, Kendo Nagasaki, AAA's La Parka, and Pampiro Firo. Wow it really was a sad week in wrestling.Great set showcase to start off.

Fatal 4-way tag title shot match is up with the Bucks, Hangman and Kenny, PNP, and the Best Friends. TONY RETURNS TO CALL BASH AT THE BEACH! Kenny and Nick got at it for a bit before PNP jumps them. Nick lands a double stomp on Santana while Kenny has him in a backbreaker. Matt lands locomotion suplexes to Trent before he gets a DDT. Sole Food/half and half leads to Matt taking a nasty bump.

Santana goes for three amigos and gets a stalling suplex before the trade-off suplex exchange. Eddie shimmy gets a nice pop. Omega's in and gets a snapdragon to Trent. Trent superplex onto the pile from the top rope! Billion person pileup mid-ring suplex WITH ORANGE CASSIDY MAKING THE DIFFERENCE! BY GOD...THEY WANTED A HUUUGGGGG! is the best Jim Ross call in ages.

Tons of crazy shit happens and Nick eas a Ligerbomb and then a buzzsaw kick before Matt superkicks for a save. Buckshot/V Trigger to Chucky ends it! This was tremendous PWG-style action on national TV for 20 minutes. Just unreal to see where wrestling is at in 2020. COMMENTATORS ARE IN BEACHWEAR! Cody is coming out ON A SHOW THAT HE TRADEMARKED. Pyro may not end until the cruise.

Cody comes out dressed like Sonny Crockett on a show with Miami Vice font - which is great. He brings up MJF's parents being stage parents putting him on Rosie O' Donnell when he was 7 and says he isn't an old-school heel. He calls him lazy and says he's incapable of more and he accepts the stips. Just wait until we get Season 3 Crockett Cody with a goatee and dark grey suits. Cody vs. MJF is set for Revolution. He calls MJF a chapter in his story and he'll give MJF a goddamn scar at Revolution.

MJF needs to market those BANGED DALLAS' DAUGHTERS shirts. Joey Janela is backstage and talks about being hit in the balls by Penelope. He cuts a promo on her and Sabian and dares him to cross the line. Last year, his record sucked and next week, he has Rey Fenix and he has something to prove. Brandi and Mel are out and jump Kris before Shida comes out. Shida canes Luther to get to the ring. Kris needs to walk before she crawls on this wacky apron shit - she's 0/2 for any of it looking good.  Statlander gets 2 on Brandi with some nice offense. Bionic spear to Kris gets 2. Mel gets a spinning uranage for 2. Big Bang Theory ends it thankfully.
God bless them, but this doesn't work.

Dark Order video airs showing that they have a gmail account on a scroll. They want Michael Nakizawa and Omega. Tease of Hangman for Dark Order - so it won't be him. Sammy's out and hits on the bikini babe on the lifeguard chair on the set. Sammy G cue card act leads to some comedy with him saying he has an ulcer during a laxative ad.

MOX IS OUT WITH THE CAR! JOOOONNNNNNNNNNNN Mosley is here! Solid pace to it to start with Sammy getting 2 off a basement kick. Rope choke by Sammy. Big superplex by Mox and then the OG Dirty Deeds with a sick head landing gets 2. Spanish Fly leads to a buring hammer GTS combo for 2.5! Sammy goes for a moonsault press, but Mox gets an RNC and wins by tapout! I dig it - new finish over isntantly. And just like that, Mox did more to get Joe's choke over better than WWE ever has.

Lights out and the Inner Circle is trapping Mox by standing on one side. Well that's bad form, but it works anyway. Jericho whips him with the metal part of the belt. RUNNING BALLSHOT by Hager. Hager is so much more entertaining never talking or wrestling - it's amazing. Jericho goes all Road Warriors on him and gets a spike from his jacket and spikes Mox! Well, that's a great little homage to Dusty in a way.

Jericho says that it was an eye for an eye and they just beat the SHIT out of Moxley and now whoever wins Pac vs. Allin faces him on the crusie and the Inner Circle will face the Jurassic Express next week. Hager gets off a great ARRR and Sammy tells Jen to hit him up. Butcher, Blade, and the Bunny are out for the DDP tag match.MJF's theme is such a great little homage to the Mean Street Posse - it's great.

QT Marshall is out to do the job here. Dustin and DDP get great pops. Tony puts over DDPY changing his life and how the Positively Impossible challenge can make someone a million dollars richer. DDP goes shirtless for the first time since his WCW run!  MJF slugs Dustin with the ring and then hands it back to Wardlow. Retro-inspired gear for DDP here with the bright blue belt on it.

Dustin, who teamed with DDP in their final TNT match, is a great face in peril. DDP runs wild with lariats and buckle headshots. Ducking lariat! DIAMOND CUTTER TO THE BUTCHER!  Mule kick from MJF leads to Dustin tagging in. DESTROYER BY DUSTIN! CUTTER, but Blade saves. QT SPECIAL HITS and JR hypes the future shirt. DDP HITS A DIVE OFF THE TOP TO THE FLOOR! THIS MATCH RULES! MJF rolls up QT and pins him as God intended.

Jen interviews SCU and Page interrupts. Omega apologizes for him and it seems like HE'S BEEN DRINKING! AEW Dynamite cage match is made for Feb 19 for Cody vs. Wardlow. Main event already? Damn this show has flown by. HOW THE FUCK IS PAC #12 IN THE RANKINGS!? Snap tiltawhirl from Pac hits early on.

THAT BASTARD's ass just crushed a fan's popcorn bucket! Well, i guess the crazy topes by Darby are to blame - but still! Powerbomb on the steps during the break! COFFIN DROP TO THE FLOOR BY DARBY! Standing diamond dust stunner and a code red gets 2 for Darby! God, Darby's act is like '09 Jeff in that he's THAT GOOD at that part, but Jeff of '97 in the ring where he's got SOMETHING but the pieces aren't put together just yet. SICK Ligerbomb hits for 2.9!

GODDAMN! I thought for sure they were going to have Darby score the upset there - but damn did that match make you care about it from beginning to end. This was like Taker vs. Jeff Hardy in the ladder match where you just build up sympathy at all points in the match and make a star in one match. Tony interviews PAC who demands to be called to the number 1 contender. Pac says that Mox is incapacitated and that's a forfeit - he's the top contender! Mox gets loaded into an ambulance with a covering on his eye.

HE LEAVES AND COMES TO THE RING! He'll have one eye or no eyes - but come next week, he's kicking Pac's ass and getting the title shot! Dude is so the modern-day Austin it's crazy. He's just got IT in spades.