At AEW Dynamite after the All Out mega show, cult star Orange Cassidy unexpectedly takes centre stage. Is he about to have his first Pay-Per-View main event match?
WWE rival AEW has had the biggest event in its history in front of 80,000 fans at London’s Wembley Stadium – and at the first show afterwards, someone you wouldn’t necessarily have expected took centre stage.
Cult star Orange Cassidy, who had the greatest moment of his long and late blossoming career at All In on Sunday, has been thrust into the spotlight on the latest edition of the TV show Dynamite.
Cassidy defended his International Title against the masked Mexican Penta El Zero Miedo in Chicago – and then did something he had never done before: he grabbed the microphone in the ring and gave a lengthy speech to the audience before his title duel against former World Champion Jon Moxley on Sunday’s next Pay Per View All Out.
As a result of the unclear situation surrounding suspended Chicago local CM Punk, it now appears quite possible that Cassidy will compete in his first main event at a major event this weekend against the former Dean Ambrose.
Orange Cassidy vs. Jon Moxley – the Main Event for All Out?
Cassidy, who portrays a taciturn “slacker” in the ring who doesn’t seem to care about anything but then continues to amaze the crowd with mad interludes (some with sunglasses on and hands in their pockets), had already celebrated a moment for the ages at Wembley.
The 39-year-old led a team of four other crowd favourites into a “Stadium Stampede Match” against Moxley’s Blackpool Combat Club and the duo of Santana and Ortiz, and led them to victory, resulting in the biggest victory celebration to date to his theme “Jane” by Jefferson Starship – borrowed from the film “Wet Hot American Summer” which set the style for his character.
Now, his biggest singles match to date is scheduled against Moxley. for the fledgling title that Cassidy has tirelessly defended for many months in many excellent matches, giving it unprecedented value.
This is exactly what Cassidy referred to in his monologue – saying that he embodies the spirit of AEW with what he does. He had been told X times that he was too small, too skinny, too different for a wrestling career on the big stage – now he was standing here wearing a title belt that meant everything to him.
Emotional as usual – with only a small of the usual ironic notes at the end – Cassidy announced that he would defend his title to the death and that Jon Moxley would have to bring more than a Gable to wrestle it from him, “because I’m Orange Cassidy – and I don’t have a catchphrase.”
The show closed with an intense eye duel between Cassidy and Moxley.
CM Punk’s status for All Out unclear
At All Out on Sunday – the back-to-back concept of two Pay Per Views in immediate succession is new – the duel could now be the Main Event, as it is uncertain whether Punk, who should be predestined, will be there on Sunday.
Punk had gotten into a real-life backstage brawl with young star Jack Perry at All In, for which both have since been temporarily suspended. Punk’s status was not addressed at AEW.
He has not been announced for Collision on Saturday – actually Punk’s show. Instead, his rival Ricky Starks is now scheduled to challenge Punk’s friend and legend Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat to a strap match, following up on the match against Punk a few weeks ago in which Steamboat was a guest wrestler and subsequently beat up with a belt.
It’s not out of the question that the 70-year-old Steamboat, who is still in great shape for his age, will actually accept the challenge – it remains to be seen if he really turns out to be Punk’s replacement or if Punk or another younger star will step up as the “white knight. “
