Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the inaugural edition of the Weekly Wrestling Wrap-Up, a brand-new Sunday tradition here at Titanquisitor, the WORLDWIDE LEADER in professional wrestling coverage!
Well, that’s what the marketing department tells me, anyway.
Inspired by the great wrestling magazines of yesteryear, particularly the old NWA Wrestling Wrap-Up, we’re bringing a little of that old-school magic back to the internet. Those publications offered something special. They didn’t merely tell you who won on Saturday night. They took you inside the wrestling world, from the champions and challengers to the rivalries, personalities, controversies, and occasional foolishness that made professional wrestling such wonderful entertainment.
That’s the spirit we’re hoping to capture here.
Every Sunday, we’ll travel around the wrestling world, revisiting the week’s biggest matches, championship developments, memorable moments, and questionable decisions. We’ll celebrate the good, criticize the bad, and occasionally wonder what in the hell somebody was thinking.
From the WWF and AEW to NXT, TNA, AAA, and beyond, if something noteworthy happened inside the squared circle, there’s a good chance we’ll have something to say about it.
And unlike certain championship contenders, we don’t need somebody to interfere on our behalf to get the job done.
So grab your favorite beverage, settle into your favorite chair, and join us as we begin what I hope becomes a long-running Sunday tradition.
This is the Weekly Wrestling Wrap-Up, and I’m Stinger, your ringside correspondent, reporting from the rafters of Titanqusitor Hall!
The Main Event: A Wrestling World Heading Toward War
If there’s one thing professional wrestling promoters seem to agree on this October, it’s that everybody needs more enemies.
The WWF is building toward Crown Jewel, with Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and several other major names finding themselves caught in increasingly personal confrontations. AEW, meanwhile, is preparing for Blood and Guts and Full Gear, and apparently won’t rest until every wrestler on its roster belongs to a faction trying to murder another faction.
And then there’s AAA, where Dominik Mysterio discovered that challenging for the Mega Championship becomes more complicated when your estranged father happens to be the promotion’s general manager. Apparently, family drama is included in the job description.
It was a busy week, and a particularly interesting one for the championship picture.
On SmackDown, Michin and B-Fab captured the WWF Women’s Tag Team Championship from Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley, although Jade Cargill’s interference played a significant role in the outcome. Chelsea Green successfully defended the Women’s Championship against Roxanne Perez, while Tiffany Stratton returned and threatened to cash in her Money in the Bank contract on Liv Morgan.
Across the border, all three championships defended during the opening installment of AAA Héroes Inmortales XVIII remained with their respective champions. El Grande Americano survived Dominik Mysterio, La Catalina overcame two challengers, and Los Perros del Mal escaped with their World Trios Championship.
In AEW, the biggest developments weren’t championship changes but the formation of a dangerous new alliance and the escalation of several rivalries toward Blood and Guts.
The wrestling world certainly isn’t suffering from a shortage of storylines. Whether every one of those stories needs another run-in, another faction, or another disqualification is a different question entirely.
And believe me, we’ll get to that.
Around the Territories
WWF RAW — October 19
Monday Night RAW helped set the stage for Crown Jewel, with Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn continuing their increasingly tense relationship and Penta making his presence felt with the Money in the Bank briefcase.
Inside the ring, Penta scored an important victory over Bron Breakker, while Chad Gable successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship against Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee. Chelsea Green and IYO SKY defeated Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez, and Lola Vice picked up a victory over Lyra Valkyria.
The continuing conflict involving Roman Reigns, the Usos, Solo Sikoa, and the faction known as 946 also erupted into another brawl.
Stinger’s View: The Reigns and Zayn situation is easily one of the more interesting developments heading toward Crown Jewel. Both men have enough history and personality to carry a major storyline without needing constant physical confrontations.
I also appreciate seeing the Intercontinental Championship defended in a match featuring three talented wrestlers. Championships should matter on television, and putting one on the line is an easy way to make a weekly show feel consequential.
WWF NXT — October 20
The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic continued Tuesday night, with the Wagner Brothers defeating Birthright and Hank & Tank scoring an upset victory over the Creed Brothers.
Elsewhere, Izzi Dame defeated Layla Diggs, while Cruz Montana and Dion Lennox fought to a double countout in a confrontation that spilled well beyond the normal boundaries of a wrestling match.
The developing issues involving Kelani Jordan and Wren Sinclair also took center stage during a contentious contract signing.
Stinger’s View: The Dusty Rhodes Classic remains one of NXT’s better ideas because it gives tag team wrestling a meaningful objective. Winning a tournament should feel important, and upsets are part of what makes the format entertaining.
I do wish NXT would make a greater effort to advertise its women’s matches ahead of time. The division has plenty of talent, and those wrestlers deserve more than simply appearing on the broadcast without much advance promotion.
AEW Dynamite — October 21
AEW Dynamite featured one of the week’s most interesting debuts as Ilja Dragunov defeated Mike Bailey in a hard-hitting encounter.
Elsewhere, Jon Moxley submitted Roderick Strong, Queen Aminata earned an opportunity at the TBS Championship, and Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight defeated Will Ospreay and Adam Copeland following interference from Kazuchika Okada.
But the evening’s biggest development came when Jay White and the Bang Bang Gang revealed their alliance with the Dogs, turning on Orange Cassidy and joining an attack against the Conglomeration and Death Riders.
The new alliance immediately became one of the most dangerous groups in AEW.
Stinger’s View: Dragunov against Bailey was the kind of match that reminds me why I enjoy professional wrestling. Two talented competitors, plenty of intensity, and an opportunity for the action itself to tell the story.
The Jay White development was also effective. He’s a natural villain, and aligning himself with another dangerous group gives him an opportunity to become a central figure in AEW’s faction warfare.
I just hope the company remembers that not every rivalry requires fifteen wrestlers and three separate alliances.
TNA iMPACT! — October 22
TNA delivered several important developments Thursday night, with Jason Hotch successfully defending the International Championship against Mustafa Ali in a two-out-of-three-falls match.
Cedric Alexander won a four-way contest to become the top contender for the X-Division Championship, while Avery Styles defeated Joe Alonzo in his singles debut.
The women’s division also experienced a major shake-up when Kiera Hogan betrayed Allie and reunited with Tasha Steelz, bringing Fire ‘N Flava back together. Shotzi Blackheart returned to help Allie, while Daria Rae also made her presence felt following her suspension.
Stinger’s View: Hotch and Ali provided a championship match with a stipulation that actually makes sense. Two-out-of-three falls rewards consistency and gives both competitors an opportunity to demonstrate their ability.
I’m also intrigued by the return of Fire ‘N Flava. A familiar team reuniting through a betrayal is a simple, effective wrestling story, and Shotzi’s involvement gives the rivalry another interesting dimension.
TNA has plenty of talent. The challenge is making sure these developments lead to meaningful matches rather than endless confrontations.
WWF SmackDown — October 23
Friday’s SmackDown was particularly eventful for the women’s division.
Chelsea Green retained the Women’s Championship against Roxanne Perez, Blake Monroe defeated Giulia in an entertaining Street Fight, and Michin and B-Fab captured the Women’s Tag Team Championship from Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley.
Unfortunately, that championship change came with assistance from Jade Cargill, who interfered at ringside.
Elsewhere, Cody Rhodes proposed a Last Man Standing Match against Randy Orton at Crown Jewel, while CM Punk and Kevin Owens continued trading verbal attacks ahead of their confrontation.
The evening’s main event evolved into a six-man tag team match after interference spoiled the original contest, with Penta, Trick Williams, and Rey Fénix ultimately defeating Sami Zayn, Johnny Gargano, and Ricky Saints.
Stinger’s View: Three women’s matches on SmackDown, including two championship contests and a Street Fight? That’s the sort of thing I like to see.
Blake Monroe and Giulia delivered my favorite match of the evening. Their rivalry had genuine intensity, and the Street Fight provided a satisfying outlet for that hostility.
The tag team championship change was significant, although once again we had interference determining the outcome. Sometimes I’d just like to see two teams settle their differences without somebody else deciding the match.
AEW Collision — October 24
Saturday’s Collision saw FTR even its Best-of-Five Series against the Motor City Machine Guns at one victory apiece.
The match was another excellent display of tag team wrestling, although Stokely Hathaway’s involvement and Cash Wheeler’s use of the ropes helped FTR steal the victory.
Swerve Strickland defeated Myron Reed, Josh Alexander made short work of Blade Brown, and the Death Riders defeated Shane Taylor Promotions in an eight-person mixed tag team match.
Wrathlander defeated Divine Dominion by disqualification after interference from the Triangle of Madness, leading to a challenge for a women’s Blood and Guts match.
Jay White also introduced his newly united faction, The Last Outfit, before defeating Kyle O’Reilly in the main event. The show concluded with another enormous brawl involving the Last Outfit, the Conglomeration, and the Death Riders.
Stinger’s View: FTR and the Motor City Machine Guns continue demonstrating what great tag team wrestling looks like, even if I wasn’t thrilled with the finish.
White’s new faction has the potential to be a major force in AEW, although The Last Outfit sounds suspiciously like a clothing store holding a liquidation sale.
And that disqualification in the women’s tag match? Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about it.
AAA Héroes Inmortales XVIII — October 24
The opening installment of AAA Héroes Inmortales XVIII featured three championship defenses, with all three champions retaining their titles.
Los Perros del Mal defeated La Parka, Mr. Iguana, and Niño Hamburguesa to retain the World Trios Championship, while Big Mami made a surprise return following the match.
La Catalina successfully defended the Reina de Reinas Championship against Flammer and La Hiedra, capitalizing on the growing tension between her two challengers.
In the main event, El Grande Americano retained the AAA Mega Championship against Dominik Mysterio in a match that featured interference from Dorian Roldán and Omos, along with an appearance by Rey Mysterio.
Stinger’s View: La Catalina’s championship defense was my favorite of the three matches because the story was so straightforward. Two teammates wanted the same singles championship, and their inability to cooperate ultimately cost them.
As for Dominik, the poor fellow just can’t escape his father’s interference.
Of course, Dominik wasn’t exactly competing without assistance himself, so I’m not particularly inclined to feel sorry for him.
Championship Corner: New Gold and Narrow Escapes
Our first Championship Corner features one genuine title change and several champions who managed to survive another week.
The biggest championship development came on SmackDown, where Michin and B-Fab became the new WWF Women’s Tag Team Champions, defeating Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley. The interference from Jade Cargill leaves plenty of room for the former champions to argue that they were robbed, which could make the next chapter particularly interesting.
Chelsea Green also successfully defended the Women’s Championship against Roxanne Perez, continuing her reign while the larger women’s championship picture became increasingly complicated by Tiffany Stratton’s return and the ever-present Money in the Bank contract.
Over in TNA, Jason Hotch retained the International Championship against Mustafa Ali, while Cedric Alexander earned a future opportunity at the X-Division Championship.
AAA’s championship picture remained unchanged after Héroes Inmortales, with El Grande Americano, La Catalina, and Los Perros del Mal all successfully defending their respective titles.
Meanwhile, FTR and the Motor City Machine Guns continued their Best-of-Five Series, which is tied 1–1 heading into the third match.
Stinger’s View: A championship change should feel like an event, and Michin and B-Fab certainly have reason to celebrate. But I hope the inevitable fallout focuses on the wrestlers competing for those belts rather than letting outside interference become the entire story.
I also appreciate the variety of championship developments this week. We had a title change, several successful defenses, and new challengers emerging. That’s exactly the sort of material this department was created to follow.
Storyline Watch: Trouble on Every Front
Three developing stories have my attention heading into next week.
The first is Cody Rhodes against Randy Orton, now set to collide in a Last Man Standing Match at Crown Jewel. The stipulation suits a personal rivalry between two men with considerable history, and it should give their confrontation a sense of finality that an ordinary singles match might lack.
The second is Jay White and the Last Outfit. White has made his intentions toward Jon Moxley’s Continental Championship clear, but the involvement of the Conglomeration and Death Riders creates a much larger conflict. With Blood and Guts approaching, AEW has a natural destination for all this faction warfare. The question is whether the story can remain coherent long enough to reach it.
Finally, the women’s Blood and Guts challenge deserves attention. Wrathlander, Willow Nightingale, the Brawling Birds, Divine Dominion, and the Triangle of Madness are heading toward a major confrontation, and AEW has an opportunity to give its women’s division a significant showcase.
I’m interested in all three stories, although I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little concerned about the sheer number of people involved in the AEW rivalries.
A good wrestling feud needs identifiable heroes, villains, and reasons to fight. If everybody is attacking everybody else every week, eventually the audience starts wondering who they’re supposed to support.
Match of the Week: Ilja Dragunov vs. Mike Bailey
We’ve had some excellent wrestling over the past seven days, particularly from FTR and the Motor City Machine Guns, Blake Monroe and Giulia, and Jason Hotch and Mustafa Ali.
But for our inaugural Match of the Week, I’m giving the nod to Ilja Dragunov against Mike Bailey from Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.
This was the kind of encounter I enjoy most: two wrestlers with distinct styles, tremendous intensity, and the ability to make every exchange feel important.
Dragunov brings a level of aggression that few wrestlers can match, while Bailey’s speed and striking ability make him a dangerous opponent for almost anybody. Putting them together was an excellent decision, particularly for Dragunov’s AEW in-ring debut.
What I appreciated most was that the match didn’t need an elaborate storyline to justify its existence. Sometimes the promise of two outstanding competitors testing themselves against each other is more than enough.
FTR and the Motor City Machine Guns deserve an honorable mention for another terrific tag team encounter. Had that match ended without the questionable assistance from ringside, I might have made a different decision.
But that’s the beauty of professional wrestling. There’s always another match next week.
The Stinger Report: Random Thoughts From the Rafters
Jim Ross had a wonderful little department called Random Thoughts in the original Wrestling Wrap-Up. I rather like that idea, so consider this our own collection of observations from the cheap seats high above the ring.
The tag team renaissance continues. FTR and the Motor City Machine Guns are demonstrating why traditional tag team wrestling still matters. Their series gives fans a reason to care about wins and losses, and I’d love to see more promotions embrace that approach.
Give the women their television time. SmackDown featuring three women’s matches was a welcome development. AEW is also giving its women’s tag team division a prominent storyline heading into Blood and Guts. The talent has been there all along; it’s encouraging to see more opportunities for meaningful competition.
Not every match needs a surprise finish. Interference, disqualifications, and outside distractions have their place. But when they happen too frequently, they stop being surprising. A clean pinfall can be every bit as dramatic as a dozen people rushing the ring.
The best rivalries have simple foundations. La Catalina’s match against Flammer and La Hiedra worked because two partners wanted the same championship. No complicated explanation necessary. Sometimes wrestling promoters would benefit from remembering that the audience doesn’t need a flowchart to understand a good story.
Dominik Mysterio might want to consider family counseling. Rey Mysterio is AAA’s general manager, which makes the continuing problems between father and son particularly entertaining. Dominik had Dorian Roldán and Omos in his corner Saturday night, but Rey still managed to spoil his championship ambitions. At this point, I suspect their next family reunion will require a steel cage and three referees.
Deadly Venom: Whatever Happened to Kayfabe?
Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve got a question.
Whatever happened to protecting the illusion?
On Saturday, MVP took to X to dispute reports concerning the Hurt Syndicate, a group that hasn’t been appearing on AEW television recently. He was clearly frustrated with what he described as blatant lies about the faction, particularly suggestions that they hadn’t wanted to put folks over.
According to MVP, the opposite was true. He claimed that the Hurt Syndicate had wanted to work with younger wrestlers and had even wanted to drop the AEW World Tag Team Championship back to Private Party during their previous championship run.
Now, before anybody misunderstands me, I have absolutely no problem with veteran wrestlers helping younger talent get established. That’s how professional wrestling has survived for generations. Experienced performers help develop the next generation, and eventually those younger wrestlers become the stars who carry the business forward.
Wonderful. That’s how it should work.
But here’s where MVP lost me.
WHY ARE WE PUBLICLY DISCUSSING WHO WANTED TO LOSE THE CHAMPIONSHIPS?!
I understand that professional wrestling is scripted. I’ve understood that for decades, and so has practically everybody watching.
That doesn’t mean I particularly enjoy hearing active wrestlers casually discussing the booking decisions they wanted to make.
Remember when championships were supposed to be the most important prizes in professional wrestling? When champions would insist that nobody could take their belts away, and challengers would promise to do whatever it took to win them?
That’s the illusion that makes wrestling work.
Imagine Ric Flair appearing on television in 1989 and announcing that he’d been perfectly happy with the idea of dropping the NWA World Heavyweight Championship because it would have been a good creative decision.
Can you picture the Nature Boy saying that?
WOOOO! I CAN’T!
And before somebody starts shouting that wrestling fans already know the outcomes are predetermined, let me explain something.
We know movies aren’t real, too. That doesn’t mean I want the villain stopping halfway through the picture to explain how the director told him to lose the final fight.
LET US ENJOY THE SHOW!
Now, MVP was responding to reports he believed were false. I understand why he wanted to defend himself and his colleagues, especially if he felt their reputations were being unfairly questioned. There’s nothing wrong with setting the record straight.
And I recognize that wrestlers regularly discuss creative decisions in interviews, documentaries, and podcasts. There’s a time and place for those conversations.
But I still miss the days when active wrestlers made at least some effort to preserve the illusion that championships were prizes they desperately wanted to win and never wanted to surrender.
If the Hurt Syndicate wanted to help Private Party regain the championships, that’s commendable from a professional standpoint. But as a wrestling fan, I’d rather hear MVP tell me that Private Party would have to pry those belts from the Hurt Syndicate’s cold, dead hands.
Let the backstage discussions stay backstage once in a while.
Let the champions act like champions.
And for crying out loud, AT LEAST PRETEND YOU NEVER WANTED TO LOSE YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP!
And that’s your first dose of Deadly Venom.
Somebody get me an antidote.
The Final Bell: One Week Down, Many More to Come
And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen: the inaugural edition of Titanquisitor’s Weekly Wrestling Wrap-Up.
We’ve crowned new champions, watched old rivalries grow more personal, witnessed the birth of a dangerous new faction, and survived enough outside interference to keep an entire referee training academy occupied.
We’ve also seen some excellent wrestling, from Dragunov and Bailey to FTR and the Motor City Machine Guns, along with promising developments in several women’s divisions.
Looking ahead, Crown Jewel, Blood and Guts, Full Gear, and the remaining installments of AAA Héroes Inmortales promise plenty more material for our Sunday visits to the rafters.
But before I go, I want to say something.
Those old wrestling magazines meant a great deal to fans who grew up with them. They made the wrestling world feel enormous, mysterious, colorful, and alive. You could turn a page and discover a new contender, a new rivalry, or a wrestler you’d never heard of before. They inspired kids, like me at the time, to sit down on the floor and make my own.
That’s the feeling I’d like to bring back with this column.
Not because professional wrestling needs another collection of match results. The internet has plenty of those.
But because wrestling is supposed to be fun, and talking about it ought to be fun, too.
Thanks for joining me for our first trip around the territories. I hope you’ll make this a regular part of your Sunday routine.
Until next time, this is Stinger, signing off from the rafters.
