The Elite, a stable well known to AEW fans as an invaluable group of players in the formation of the wrestling company, have formed a long list of accomplishments under the banner within the short timespan that it’s existed. Currently made up of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, Nick and Matt Jackson, there’s very little gold in the company that the trio hasn’t held. Their latest endeavours have seen them crowned as 2x AEW Trios World Champions. Their path to this glory was not the easiest though, both in the ring and out of it.
Following their glorious crowning moment as the inaugural AEW World Trios Champions at All Out, the Elite faced an unfortunate set of circumstances that led to them being stripped of their belts and suspended. The three of them were out of action for a little over ten weeks. On the Dynamite that the suspension was announced by Tony Khan, a match was held to crown new champions. Death Triangle, a faction consisting of PAC and the Lucha Brothers, Penta and Rey Fenix, defeated the Best Friends to become the second-ever World Trios Champions. In the latter period of the Elite’s absence, mysterious video packages began to air weekly on Dynamite. The videos highlighted the Elite being erased from the history they had been a part of, with fans calling out how one package had the phrase “Delete The Elite” in it. Tired of the not-so-subtle message being sent to Death Triangle, PAC called out the Elite in the ‘go home’ episode before the Full Gear PPV. As many fans were already suspecting following the teases, a match for the belts was confirmed for the event.
As a long time fan of the Elite and tag team wrestling as a whole, this return was a special moment to watch. As a viewer, regardless of what happens behind the scenes, not being able to see the talent you love perform can really put a damper on your overall enjoyment of the product. The Elite missing from AEW just didn’t feel right to me, so the anticipation of seeing them again on Full Gear made me excited for the show in a way that is so rare for entertainment these days.
The return was an emotional one. The Elite were finally able to use the song ‘Carry on Wayward Son’ by Kansas, an entrance theme the three of them have talked about for years before this. In addition to being a song they share the love for with their father, Matt and Nick in particular had a special connection to it, having used it for entrances as teens when they were backyard wrestlers. With their return having been teased over the past few weeks, the crowd in attendance was fired up to finally see the Elite back on AEW programming. The reaction to their entrance was raucous, creating one of the most memorable moments of the year. The match itself carried much of this same energy; these six competitors have a storied history within and outside of AEW in both singles and tag team competition, so seeing all of them go at it in a ring at the same time was an absolute treat for the fans.
The action was fast-paced and full of energy, with the momentum continuously switching between both teams. The excitement from the crowd was infectious and seemed to spur both teams on, all six men throwing themselves into spots. Matt broke out the Orihara moonsault, a move that used to be a frequent go-to for him, but had been phased out in recent years. The Jackson brothers and the Lucha Brothers engaged in a wonderful back-and-forth segment, with each team trying to nail the superkick but neither able to gain the upper hand. All four men went down before each of them did a kip-up to thunderous reactions from the awed crowd.
In an unforgettable sequence of the match, Kenny was able to hit his ever-popular terminator dive onto PAC, which was swiftly followed by Matt delivering a stunning DDT to Fenix on the apron of the ring. With these four men attempting to regroup on the outside, it left just Nick and Penta in the ring, with the latter starting the climb to the top rope. Throwing caution to the wind, Nick launched himself into a hurricanrana that sent Penta straight into the pile on the outside.
The closing sequence of the match had fans in the arena convinced that Kenny was about to secure the belts for his team, only for Fenix, who was set up for the One-Winged Angel, to use the hammer that PAC had slipped him moments before to hit Kenny and roll him up for the three count. The crowd exploded in shock as Death Triangle celebrated, though it is important to note that Fenix did not look happy about what had just transpired. The Elite looked visibly shaken at the events that had just taken place, despite their valiant efforts to recapture the gold.
Although this was a loss for the Elite, the magnitude of the match we just witnessed drowned out the feelings of disappointment that the returning trio had been cheated out of the win. There seemed to be a general consensus that the masterclass of trios wrestling these teams just put together transcended wins and losses. We were just grateful.
There was no rest for the weary though, because no less than ten minutes later it was announced that due to the controversial ending of the match on the PPV, The Elite and Death Triangle would battle in a best-of-seven series, with the next match slated to take place on the Dynamite following Full Gear. The game was on.
Game two immediately had a different energy to the first bout between the teams. It is important to note that this match took place in Chicago, and whilst these crowds usually bring energy to the shows regardless, they were especially fired up during this trio’s match due to the events that transpired after All Out. The crowd were extremely vocal and made sure to make their feelings known. Numerous chants ranging from “Fuck the Elite” to “We want Colt” rang out from the moment that the Elite made their entrance. This energy added a new dynamic to the match, and it was easy to tell that Matt, Nick, and Kenny went into Chicago anticipating a polarising crowd. The trio leaned into the reactions they were getting, playing to the crowd throughout the bout.
The match itself might’ve had the same six people at play, but stylistically it couldn’t have been any more different from the first, even with it being only four days removed from Full Gear. Matt, Nick, and Kenny very much leant into a more “PWG-esque” matchup, especially considering the character work the Elite were doing, leaning into the jeering from the fans in attendance. The trio also pulled out moves they’ve not used in recent memory, such as the ‘1 boot, 2 boots, 3 boots, 4 boots’ sequence where they launch their opponent repeatedly into their corner with an increasing amount of boots hooked onto the turnbuckles to make contact with. It felt very nostalgic to see the trio wrestle this style in an AEW ring so many years later, and was a reminder of who they are and how they became to be the wrestlers we see today. Seeing moves they were using in the first few years I followed their career felt like a special moment, even if it was motivated by egging on the vocal crowd.
For the most part, The Elite led this match, taunting the crowd with not-so-subtle nods to CM Punk and the rumours surrounding the “Brawl Out” incident, but this ended up being their downfall. In the closing sequences of this bout, Matt’s cocky behaviour led to Penta being able to blindside him. He got hit with the dreaded hammer and was pinned for another Death Triangle win, giving the current champions a 2-0 lead over the challengers.
The result of game two had many fans speculating about the Elite’s ability to come out victorious in this best-of-seven series. Matt in particular was catching heat from fans online, with the general belief being that his actions in the closing stretch of match two is what led to them losing, which is a hard sentiment to argue against. It was his taunting of the crowd with the hammer that led to him being blindsided and pinned. In his own words, expressed through the bio on the Young Bucks Twitter account, he “shouldn’t have made out with the damned hammer”.
Watching game three live, you could really feel the urgency rolling off the Elite, and it was obvious how it fed into the aggressiveness of Death Triangle. This was the Elite’s match to lose, Matt’s so-called ‘legacy game’. Even having seen all the matches of the series at this point, rewatching this one was the one that made me most anxious as a fan. Going 3-0 would’ve been a dire situation, and would have sealed the fate of this series right there and then.
However, that was not the case. Just seven days later in Indianapolis, the Elite came into game three with a chip on their shoulders. This match started before Death Triangle could even complete their entrances. The palpable sense of urgency was evident in the challengers as they attacked the champions on the stage, resulting in a brawl that stretched on for several minutes before the bell even rang. All members were trying to gain the upper hand in the scrap, with PAC moonsaulting off the stage onto Nick, Fenix, Penta, and Kenny. Not wasting any time, Matt soon followed him and dived off the stage with a crossbody that took out all of Death Triangle. The momentum was not going to stay in the Elite’s favour for long though, as Penta was able to turn the tides after the bell had finally rung. Amongst the scuffle, referee Rick Knox was taken out by Matt, allowing Alex Abrehantes to slip Penta the ring bell hammer.
Before he was able to use the hammer on Omega, Rey Fenix prevented the blow. The two brothers argued for just a moment too long, and Kenny was able to nail Fenix with a V-trigger and eliminate him from action for now. This was an interesting wrinkle in the chemistry between Fenix, Penta, and PAC, one that was evident throughout the entire series of matches.
Following the disagreement, Kenny was able to get in some of his signature offence on Penta, hitting a snapdragon, before the momentum was shifting once again. A miscommunication between the Elite saw Kenny nailed with kicks by his own teammates before Death Triangle pulled off some tandem offence – PAC and Fenix moonsaulted onto the Bucks on the outside as Penta hit Omega with a frog splash.
This match saw a long stretch of tense back and forths, with both teams being evenly matched and battling to gain the upper hand. The champions were able to isolate Omega for a period of time, almost earning the win in several instances before he was able to make the tag out to Nick Jackson. Fenix was also tagged in, and the two younger brothers traded blows, each of them trying to get the best of the other. As the other members of each team began to get involved again, the Jackson brothers hit More Bang For Your Buck, a staple of theirs that fans don’t see as often these days.
The closing stretch saw Matt isolated in the ring with PAC, with the Lucha Bros and Nick and Kenny on the outside still fighting back and forth. The end seemed near for Matt as PAC lined him up for the Black Arrow. However, in a moment that stunned fans in attendance, the older Jackson brother was able to get his knees up at the last moment and roll a winded PAC up for the three count. The crowd exploded, once again in awe of the absolute classic match-up they had just witnessed. This win meant that the Elite were now only down 2-1 in the series, and the next matchup was two weeks away.
The conclusion of this match honestly felt like a sigh of relief. Only being 2-1 down in this scenario meant that I knew that even if Death Triangle were to pick up the next win, the series wasn’t over. There was still hope for the Elite yet. Having seen three incredible matches so far, I was beginning to wonder if these six men could continue to keep things interesting for the fans. They had surprised everyone so far – each match told a unique story, and you could see different layers of it unfolding on a week-to-week basis. But to keep this up for four more matches? Well if any teams would be up to the task, there’s none better for it than the Elite and Death Triangle. It goes without saying at this point that they certainly delivered.
Fourteen days later at Winter is Coming in Garland, Texas, game four opened an explosive episode of Dynamite. Although not the deciding match in the best-of-seven series, the Elite were noticeably more aggressive throughout the opening stretch of this match than some may’ve expected. It was clear to everyone watching that the challengers were doing everything in their power to avoid going down 3-1 to the champions. As highlighted on commentary throughout the bout, going down three losses was a difficult position for any team to come back from, no matter the sport in question.
Early on in the match, Nick threw caution to the wind and took PAC out with a front somersault, and it quickly became evident that in doing so he had tweaked his ankle on the landing. This is a dangerous position for a highflyer to be in, as it very much limits him from using much of his usual offence. Off the back of this apparent injury, Nick spent much time on the apron refusing to be tagged in by either Matt or Kenny, a very uncharacteristic move from him. The severity of the injury he had sustained became increasingly evident as the ringside doctor assessed Nick, and was quick to escort him to the back, leaving the rest of the Elite to try and keep Death Triangle at bay.
The champions were quick to take advantage of the situation, and Matt spent a period of time being worked over by all three members of the opposing team. With a burst of offence, he manages to nail Fenix with the locomotion northern lights suplexes. Rey tags Penta in the process before Matt attempts a rollup. As the older luchador enters the ring, Matt nails him with a final northern suplex and holds both Penta and Fenix in a pin for a dicey two count. Feeling the effects of the exchange, Matt more so than Penta after being isolated in the ring, both wrestlers are able to make the much-needed tags to their waiting partners. A fresh Omega and PAC enter the ring, the two competitors immediately exchanging strikes back and forth. Kenny manages to nail the Brit with his signature move You Can’t Escape. Despite Omega gaining the upper hand for a moment, the numbers game soon caught up with him and Death Triangle were in charge once more. The two jockey for position in the match-up, with Penta and Fenix combining their offence against Kenny.
Just as things may be looking up for the Elite, Penta attacks Matt in his corner and nails him with the Fear Factor on the apron, effectively rendering him a non-entity for the remainder of the match. Things are looking dire for Omega just before the crowd erupts for the valiant return of Nick Jackson, emerging from the back limping heavily on a wrapped ankle. Kenny manages to avoid PAC’s Black Arrow and makes the much-needed hot tag to Nick.
Nick comes in with a vengeance, having to adapt his style on the fly to a much more mat-based offence. The upper hand he gains is short-lived though. As Nick throws a superkick, Fenix catches it and it allows Penta to slip in when the ref’s back is turned and nail his already injured ankle with the hammer, much to the chagrin of the fans in attendance. With Matt still wiped out from the apron Fear Factor, PAC holds Omega back as Fenix locks in a knee bar on the injured Jackson. With the pressure on his ankle just being too much, Nick taps out, giving the champions the dreaded 3-1 lead against them.
The storytelling in this match stands out to me among the seven bouts the teams had for a couple of reasons. The drama leading up to Nick making his way back to the ring was gripping, and it brought back hope, no matter how brief, that this match wasn’t going to slip away from the Elite. It highlighted the fact that every member of the team is vital to them running as a well-oiled machine, and when there’s a part missing, things just don’t work the way they usually would. It also sheds light on the mentality Death Triangle has had throughout the entire series: win by any means possible. They were determined to keep those titles, no matter what they had to do in the process. It truly felt like these belts were more than just a prize to both of these teams, they mean something special. They’re the symbol of excellence within the trios division, and both teams here were desperate to prove themselves as the ones worthy of representing the company.
Tired of being bested yet again by nefarious tactics, Kenny grabbed a mic post-match and challenged Death Triangle to a no-disqualification match for game five, taking place just seven days later. The crowd exploded at the suggestion, and PAC and Penta were very accepting of the idea. The teams don’t have to wait long for the verdict from management, as it is announced in the very same show that next week would indeed be a NO-DQ matchup. Not only that, stipulations were added to games six and seven as well, should they be needed. Match six was named a Falls Count Anywhere bout, and match seven was to be Escalera de la Muerte.
The stipulations were welcomed by fans, many of whom had been wondering online whether the two teams would be able to keep up a streak of unique matchups in the best of seven with just traditional bouts. The first four proved themselves capable of working different styles and creating magic in the ring every week, but upping the stakes was certainly a breath of fresh air that everyone embraced. Now the question on everyone’s minds was this: could the Elite come back from a 3-1 deficit? It had already been highlighted what a notoriously difficult position this was to be in for the losing team.
Seven days later in San Antonio, the Elite proved why you should never count them out. As soon as Rick Knox called for the bell to be rung, both teams were in the middle of the ring battling it out. The Elite immediately went for simultaneous powerbombs, but Death Triangle were able to counter this and threw their opponents to the outside, and wiped them out with three top rope dives.
The champions were quick to try and corner Nick, who was still showing signs of the injury he sustained the previous week. Kenny and Matt didn’t take long to recover though and pulled PAC and Fenix out of the ring to isolate Penta from his teammates. Penta is thrown into the corner, with each member of the Elite taking a running dive at him, including Nakazawa and Cutler.
Brandon is intercepted by Abrahantes, but he pulled out his trusty cold spray and took out the hype man. Celebrating a moment too early, Penta took Cutler back out of the match with a thrust kick. Offence is traded back and forth, with Penta derailing the tradeoff by nailing Kenny with a trash can. The trashcan is used in different offensive moves against Omega before Matt comes in to try and make the save before he too is overwhelmed by Death Triangle. It’s Nick that is able to shift the tides in favour of the Elite, before getting halted by a sling blade from Penta on the outside.
During a breather between the fast-past action, Death Triangle introduces a myriad of weapons, including a set of tables and an artificial Christmas tree. The Elite are launched into the tree one by one and it seems like the champions once again have the momentum in the match, before Nick nails all three of them with a beautiful crossbody. Again, this string of offence is limited though as the younger Jackson brother accidentally hits a superkick onto a previously set-up chair in the corner with his injured foot. Things are dire for Nick as PAC sets his ankle up in the chair and heads to the top rope, but he’s saved by Kenny launching the previously used trash can at PAC in desperation. In the meantime, Matt hits the Lucha Brothers on the outside with a flawless Orihara moonsault.
Kenny levels PAC with the You Can’t Escape, incorporating the trash can into his own moonsault for a near-fall. Sensing the win is close, Omega introduces a weapon that fans are very familiar with – the barbed wire broom. He nails Fenix with it twice, whilst on the outside, Matt and Nick are setting PAC and Penta up on the tables the other team previously introduced. Penta gets hit with Matt’s elbow drop, and PAC suffers a senton from Nick. In the ring, Kenny hits Fenix with a Tiger Driver ‘98 onto the barbed wire broom for an extremely close near fall.
With the Young Bucks now back in the ring, the trio set up for the BTE Trigger. Their plan is interrupted by Kenny getting grabbed by Abrahantes, and the Bucks collide with each other as Fenix dodges the move. The Jackson brothers get wiped out of the ring, and with them as a non-factor Fenix is able to counter Kenny’s One Winged Angel attempt into a hurricanrana, earning him his own near-fall. As he rises to continue the attack, Abrahantes once again slips him the ring bell hammer. He nails Omega with it, and the crowd are convinced that’s the end before they come to life as he kicks out at the very last millisecond.
The other members of the match make their way back into the ring, and both Kenny and Nick get locked into submissions – Kenny into PAC’s Brutaliser and Nick into the knee-bar by Fenix. Matt valiantly fights away from Penta to break up both of the submissions before getting sent to the outside with his brother once again. This left Kenny in the ring with all three members of Death Triangle, all of whom are armed with hammers. The Bucks aren’t down for long though and are able to drag PAC and Penta out of the ring, leaving Omega alone with Fenix once again.
It’s here that Omega nails Fenix with a snapdragon before Matt and Nick set him up for the Indie Taker onto a steel chair, allowing Matt to get the three count for the Elite. Their celebrations are short lived though as Death Triangle attack, clearly angered by not being able to capitalise on the 3-1 lead they had procured. Nick is split open by PAC with the hammer in the brutal beatdown before he and Penta are finally dragged away from the victors.
Watching the first of the three stipulation matches was an absolute treat. Although the two teams had shown us they could work differently styled traditional matches, there was a new layer of tension introduced to the story by upping the stakes in matches that were all make or break for the challengers. Seeing the Elite win here was exciting. The anger from Death Triangle afterwards because they failed to capitalise built on the unfolding story of Rey Fenix not quite being on the same page as PAC and Penta. He didn’t join in on the post-match beatdown. In fact, he was helping to drag his teammates away from the challengers. Emotions were rising and this already personal series was reaching new heights.
Game six the following week in Colorado was the falls count anywhere match, and there was truly no rest for the weary in this bout. Before the match even had a chance to start in the ring, the two teams had begun to brawl backstage. The action was fully loaded from the get-go, with Kenny being driven into a pile of pallets via brainbuster and PAC moonsaulting onto the Bucks. The Elite were able to answer that violence with some of their own just as quickly as Matt put Rey Fenix through a table, and then hit PAC with a superkick as Nick wheels him into it on a storage box. Matt tried to make the pin here, only to receive a thrust kick from Penta. The Death Triangle recovery is short-lived though, as he’s sent through a table by Nick performing a running somersault and almost earning the win.
During the scrappiness of Penta, PAC, and the Young Bucks brawling, we lose track of Fenix and Omega. This doesn’t last long though – as the four make their way onto the entranceway, Fenix is on top of it and wipes everyone out with a Tornillo, only to get nailed by a vicious V-Trigger out of nowhere by Kenny. PAC hits Omega with a bridging german suplex, and the pinfall is broken up by Matt to keep the match alive. Matt beats on PAC and sets him up for the locomotion northern lights suplexes down the rampway. Fenix tries to intervene and Matt sets him and PAC up for the double suplex and hits it after Nick dives over the top of him to wipe out Penta who had been approaching from behind.
The Bucks finally get the Lucha Brothers into the ring, cornering them and raining down strikes. Their momentum is short-lived as they get shoved to the outside as the brawling continues. Penta sends Nick into the crowd, and they battle up the concrete stairs. At one stage, Penta grabs both a scarf and a crutch from members of the audience in an attempt to choke Nick out, but to no avail. Meanwhile, in the ring, Kenny and PAC have made their way in and are trading shots. Fenix introduces a trash can, and as Penta has made his way back as well, Kenny gets hit with a triple dropkick with the can over his head. Ever the fighter, there is only a near fall when Death Triangle goes for the pin.
In an attempt to shift the odds back in his favour, Kenny throws Penta and Fenix to the outside, Nick appears back from the crowd and nails PAC in the corner with a flurry of offensive moves. The Lucha Brothers and Matt all make their way into the ring and trade moves back and forward, with Matt hitting a destroyer on Penta before Fenix hits a frog splash on him. Kenny is quick to be back in the fray and removes Fenix from the equation before turning his attention to PAC.
PAC suffers the fate of the V-Trigger with a trash can over his head, followed by a doctor bomb that almost puts him away. He is seconds away from being hit with a One-Winged Angel before Penta saves him. He and Fenix hit Omega with the Fear Factor foot stomp on the outside, but the pinfall attempt is broken up by both Jackson brothers. The frantic action continues as Fenix fends off the Bucks, and tope suicidas onto Kenny back on the outside. Nick manages to evade the Fear Factor on the apron from Penta with a back-body drop counter, followed by an Indie Taker on the outside. The following pinfall attempt is broken up by PAC.
Matt and PAC both make their way back into the ring, and the latter fails to nail the former with a shooting star press and has a chair launched into his face by Nick. As Penta enters the ring, he quickly meets the same fate. Penta is hit with the BTE Trigger and is barely saved in time by PAC. In the frenzy that follows, Matt accidentally hits Nick with a superkick and gets locked into the Brutaliser. Disaster is only avoided by Matt being able to hold out in the submission long enough for Kenny to drive Fenix through tables with a One Winged Angel and earn the three count for the Elite.
The closing sequence of this match was probably the most nail-biting experience of the whole series. As I watched the split screen between Kenny nailing his finisher and Matt holding out against the submission, the joy when the iconic Kansas song blares through the arena was palpable. It truly could’ve gone either way in those final moments, and I had been on the edge of my seat for most of the match.
With game six in the books with a W for the challengers, the teams are tied at three wins a piece. It all came down to the final match – Escalera de la Muerte. This is a match that both the Bucks and the Lucha Bros were very familiar with, the latter holding a win over the former within AEW in this very stipulation. Would the Elite be able to overcome this, or were their efforts up till this point fruitless?
The Kia Forum in Los Angeles was the host to this historic game seven. The Elite has done the unthinkable and had come back from a 3-1 deficit to reach this tiebreaker, a matchup that was sure to be the most brutal of them all. Two weeks removed from the falls count anywhere bout, and only seven days removed from Kenny’s spectacular match with Will Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom 17 (where he was victorious and walked away with the IWGP US Championship), no one was talking into this match 100%. It simply came down to whoever was able to best the other team first.
The energy in the building was palpable as the teams made their entrances. The crowd were already cheering like they’d witnessed a classic before the bell rang. As the matchup started, much like the previous bouts before them, the competitors could not be confined to the ring. Nick and Fenix were left to exchange blows in the ring before spilling out and Kenny and PAC rolled back in, quickly followed by Matt and Penta, who both hit backstabbers on their competitors. Penta and Matt quickly trade moves, with Penta hitting a thrust kick in the corner that sends him reeling. Omega is back in the ring to take out Penta, only for Fenix to nail him with a dropkick in the back. He can’t build any momentum though, because Nick is back in the ring and hits him with a sit-out facebuster. Penta answers this by swinging Nick into the Cazadora only for Fenix to hit him with a cutter, swiftly followed by a frog splash.
After the frenzied start, the champions are finally able to establish some momentum. On the outside, Kenny is hit with a ladder by PAC and Penta, getting dived on by Fenix immediately after. Matt is able to dropkick the ladder they’re still holding into the two competitors, and Nick takes a running dive over him to wipe out Fenix.
Matt drags a ladder into the ring and makes the first bid for the titles, battling off Fenix in the process. Penta and PAC slide in to prevent his climb, and even as Matt hits a destroyer on Penta and throws PAC to the outside, he is stopped short by an arm drag from Fenix that sends him tumbling off of the ladder. Fenix then begins his own bid for the titles, only to be dragged down by Kenny. Penta tries to prevent this but Omega hits him with a crisp snapdragon suplex. He sets up for the Terminator Dive, only for PAC to deliver a shotgun dropkick and stop him in his tracks. Omega counters with another suplex, and once again goes for the Terminator Dive. PAC avoids it at the last second, and Kenny crashes through a table on the outside. The Brit doesn’t escape unscathed though, as Matt sends him straight through another table with a crossbody.
Nick is left alone in the ring with the Lucha Brothers, and despite his efforts to regroup, the team overwhelms him with double superkicks and sends him careening back first into a ladder set up in the corner. Nick rolls out of the ring just in time for Kenny to roll back in, with Fenix and Penta now targeting him for the beatdown. It’s at this point that Matt has recovered enough to reenter the fray, and the struggle to gain control of a ladder begins. Nick and Fenix enter the ring again as Matt gets the upper hand, and Nick is quick to disperse Fenix back to the outside. He follows him with a corkscrew somersault.
The pace of the action does not let up – Nick back body drops Penta onto a ladder, then gets nailed by a hurricanrana into the same ladder by Fenix. Kenny is trying to involve himself again and gets his hand stomped on by PAC through a ladder in the scramble. As Omega tries to stop PAC from reaching the belts, he gets hit with a poisonrana, followed up by the Fear Factor, and Fenix hits Nick with a Tornillo. Matt is quick to stop Penta from his ascent up the ladder, and he and Nick dish out superkicks aplenty to Penta and PAC. As Fenix is left alone with Matt in the ring, he gets driven into the ladder in the corner via locomotion northern lights suplexes. In the meantime, Nick hits Penta with a 450 splash through a table on the outside.
Matt is making yet another climb for the titles when Abrahantes pushes over the ladder, holding off the Elite for just a moment before Cutler hits him with the cold spray and Kenny nails him with a V-Trigger. As Kenny makes a bid for the titles, PAC hits his hand with the hammer, followed by an avalanche falcon arrow. PAC tries to make for the titles, only to be met by the older Jackson brother. Matt suffers a Fear Factor onto a ladder though, effectively removing him from the competition.
It’s just Fenix and Kenny left in the ring, as PAC is wiped out by Nick on the outside. In one last desperate bid to beat the champions, Kenny nails Fenix with a brutal One-Winged Angel off the ladder. Finally, with no one who can interrupt his climb, Omega grabs the trios titles from where they hang above the ring and secures the victory for the Elite. Not only have they won the match, not only have they won the belts for the second time, besting some of the fiercest competitors in the world to do it.
The best-of-seven series is a shining example of the excellence these teams are able to produce together, as if their previous encounters did not show that enough. The Elite may have won back the belts they never lost, becoming two-time AEW World Trios Champions, but it is truly us fans that won. These are not competitors to take for granted. They put their bodies on the line on a regular basis just because they love this business and want to give their all to the fans. All six of these men deserve their flowers now, not when they’re no longer around for us to appreciate.
The question now though – what is next for the Elite? They’ve already delivered a tantalising title defence against the team of AR Fox and Top Flight on the road to Revolution, but we still don’t know who they’ll be defending against on the PPV. Regardless of the opponents, it’s a safe bet to say the match will deliver and will yet be an absolute treat for the fans in attendance and watching around the world.
