12,258 excited, screaming fans packed into the Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles for an eventful evening of wrestling. All Elite Wrestling (AEW) returned to LA to host the very same pay-per-view they presented a year ago, titled “Revolution.”
President of AEW Tony Khan announced two days before in a tweet that the event had been sold out, breaking a live gate of over $1M dollars from tickets bought by fans to attend the event.
The excitement was truly justified, with the exciting card and highly anticipated Texas death match contested between MJF and “Hangman” Adam Page in the main event.
From the very beginning of the show, the crowd was excited, and the roar of the audience was heard all throughout the venue. Fans were welcomed with a tag team match between The Young Bucks and FTR that truly exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Chants such as “AEdub, Fight Forever” continued throughout the event, as most fans were not given a single moment to take a break due to all the action and fast paced wrestling done by each superstar.
One of the major events that occurred throughout the evening was the sheer number of returns. Adam Copeland and Christian Cage were the very first two people who were welcomed back into the ring after some time away for a break. Will Ospreay returned much earlier than expected, having been on a break due to his neck injury. It was a surprise to most fans, as they thought he’d be out for an extended period of time.
To most people’s surprise, Ronda Rousey, who is widely regarded as one of the most popular figures in UFC history, also made her return to the squared circle after her departure from WWE in late 2023. Fans’ reactions were mixed, as some were conflicted between cheering or booing Rousey.
As the event progressed, some members of the audience got tired from the number of matches that were happening. In total, 13 matches were scheduled for the event, which, to many casual fans, may seem like a few matches too many. However, the die-hard fans didn’t get tired of watching, as they continued to cheer on.
One of the best moments, without a doubt, was when the crowd began to chant “Fuck ICE” during the one-on-one match between Swerve Strickland and Brody King. It had to have been expected, since Los Angeles is an area that has shown opposition towards the presence of ICE and their raids on the immigrant community. But it had to have made King proud, due to his vocal stance against ICE and the Trump administration.
When the main event came around, fans immediately turned their attention right back onto the show, as they knew they were in for a violent brawl, one that was definitely not for the squeamish.
The main event had lots of violent moments, but one of those was undoubtedly where MJF stuck a syringe through Page’s mouth. Some fans were shocked and felt as if that moment was going overboard, despite how extreme of a product AEW is, while others enjoyed the lengths both men went to in order to win.
At the end of the night, following a bloody and chaotic brawl between both men, MJF ended the show on top, having retained his AEW world championship over Adam Page, which was stretched out of the arena
While the Oscars were being held not too far away from the venue, AEW undoubtedly provided the fans with a fun evening despite the long run time. There were so many factors that made the pay-per-view worth watching. Exciting returns, great wrestling, and an amazing atmosphere inside, highlighted by the bright purple and yellow stage. Only time will tell when AEW chooses to return to LA for another guaranteed exciting night of wrestling.
