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AEW International Championship
Konosuke Takeshita versus Ricochet versus Will Ospreay (c)
Ricochet has had a good start in All Elite Wrestling.
Debuting at All In 2024 in the Casino Gauntlet match, he’s since defeated Kyle Fletcher, Sammy Guevara, and The Beast Mortos is pretty good matches. Ricochet has done a good job reminding people he isn’t just some small guy from WWE who worked Speed matches and got beat up by big guys all of the time.
Ricochet and Will Ospreay made it clear they would be facing each other soon enough, as the two men have an incredible history in New Japan Pro Wrestling and on the indies facing each other. AEW was quick to get them in the ring together with Ospreay defending the International Championship against Ricochet at the 5th Anniversary.
The match would first end in a double pin when Ospreay hit The Hidden Blade but fell with his shoulders down. It was too cute of a finish and reminded me of Adam Cole and MJF having that double pin finish after the double clothesline at All In 2023. Similar to that match they re-started, but in this, Konosuke Takeshita came out to attack both men and cause the match to be thrown out.
I’m surprised since it felt like for weeks AEW was setting up Kazuchika Okada to be Konosuke Takeshita’s target. I’m not too sure what happened there, and if Takeshita is just delaying the program a little bit, maybe taking on Okada for Continental Classic instead? Not too sure. But that program got frozen pretty quickly in order for Takeshita to do this instead.
Takeshita was Will Ospreay’s first match as an official member of the AEW roster as the two had an incredible match at Revolution this year, one of the very best matches. Since then Takeshita has had some runs in his old stomping grounds of DDT as well as entering the NJPW G1 Climax. Most of his losses have been in contender matches, from losing to Swerve Strickland for the AEW Men’s World Championship #1 Contendership, an eliminator against Jon Moxley for the IWGP World Heavyweight, the TNT Ladder Match at Forbidden Door 2024, and then the AEW Continental Four Way at All Out 2024. Takeshita is always so close yet so far.
As for Will Ospreay, that Golden Retriever who continues to just be happy go lucky and golly gee aw shucks I just so happen to be the best wrestler in the world and only lose when I make a stupid decision that’s my own fault, he beat MJF to win back his AEW International Championship and quickly had to defend against PAC in an amazing match at All Out 2024. He then agreed to team with Kyle Fletcher to pay back a favour to Don Callis (allowing him to leave the Don Callis Family) only to lose to The Young Bucks at Dynamite: Grand Slam.
In other words it’s business as usual for Will Ospreay, just continuing to be the beloved babyface who does no wrong (unless the wrong will cost him a match he should be winning) and this defence feels like they had to throw something together after doing that AEW World Tag Team Championship match for no good reason at Grand Slam. Good job Don Callis! Good cashing in on a favour. Hopefully he doesn’t blow it for Konosuke Takeshita in Windsor, Ontario for the debut of Maple Leaf Pro.
The wrestler who will benefit the most for this match is likely Ricochet, who is getting a higher spot on the card than he’s experienced in years. The former Prince Puma might be a two time Lucha Underground Champion and also spent three months as PWG World Champion in 2018, but in NXT he was only able to capture the North American Championship. He did become WWE United States Champion for 21 days and Intercontinental Champion for 98 (big wins against… Angel. And Humberto. And… Shanky?) he will be better remembered as the man Gunther defeated before holding the title for 666 days. Working against Takeshita and Ospreay is a much more prolific spot in All Elite Wrestling, and Ricochet needs to prove he deserves to be there.
If I sound low on the match? Understand I think in-ring it will be absolutely spectacular. I think all three men can wrestle their asses off and likely will here. I just think Will Ospreay should be sinking his teeth into something stronger, and I want Takeshita to go back to focusing on Kazuchika Okada. But hey, that’s me. I’ll still be there from bell to bell.
