There were some really nice surprises tonight at Revolution; some expected, but fun and exciting none the less. Some were less expected, making them even more special, with one big shock that has the internet wrestling community divided. 

AEW kind of front-loaded the show with all the big returns, but they worked, so I don’t think I minded that aspect at all. The first return was Adam Copeland and Christian Cage making their way back to AEW to set their sights on the World Tag Team Championship. While I’m sure a lot of fans expected them back, nobody was exactly sure when we’d see them. They not only stared down FTR, but were confronted by the Young Bucks, who had just lost a brutal, bloody match to the team to kick off the show. The veteran team being the first return and surprise of the night just felt right.

I don’t think anyone expected to see Ronda Rousey in AEW ahead of her big fight against Gina Carano on Netflix in May. Think how you want about Rousey, of course, and she has certainly lost me as a fan over the years, but this appearance was unexpected, at the very least. I didn’t mind it as much later in the night, as when commentary announced “Timeless” Toni Storm’s No Holds Barred match against Marina Shafir on “Dynamite” this week, there was no mention of Rousey being there as well. Even writing the news story tonight after it happened, I was hesitant to call it a “debut for AEW,” as it was hopefully just a one-off appearance in an attempt to pop the crowd.

The best return of the night was accompanied by an incredible video package teaser, and right after, Will Ospreay’s music hit, and the “Aerial Assassin” returned to our screens, seemingly to challenge Continental Champion Jon Moxley and the Death Riders. I had no idea where or when we were going to see him, and I kind of expected it at Double or Nothing. I also expected him in the top title scene immediately, so when the video played following Moxley’s victory, I was pleasantly surprised.

And even though he wasn’t gone for an awfully long time, we saw Kenny Omega pop back up to protect Brody King from a further beatdown by Swerve Strickland, slightly furthering that story. It’s always nice to see Omega, so I also liked that. The first half of this show was full of surprises, both good and bad, depending on how you feel about these stars, and it helped Revolution feel even more big and exciting, which was great after a few months without AEW pay-per-views.

Written by Daisy Ruth