The Real Winners and Losers From AEW Revolution 2023 Match Card

AEW Revolution 2023 may have been the least hyped show All Elite Wrestling has put together, but that did not stop the company from putting together a stellar event.

From start to finish, every match accomplished what it needed to do, putting over fresh talent and elevating the product.

MJF and Bryan Danielson went the distance and beyond. It was a brutal bloody main event that further improved the standing of the AEW world champion.

"Jungle Boy" Jack Perry, Ricky Starks and House of Black picked up career-defining wins that could be setting the course for their AEW future. Even "Hangman" Adam Page succeeded in one of the biggest nights of his career by overcoming Jon Moxley.

While each match was unique and many benefited, though, some were left behind. Jamie Hayter kept her title in a fast-paced Triple Threat, but she, Ruby Soho and Saraya deserved more time. Wardlow won the TNT Championship but without any fanfare.

The following are the real winners and losers from Sunday's Revolution, a show that overachieved beyond what most expected.

Losers: Any Talent Hoping to Get Late Spot on the Buy-In

The Buy-In for AEW has typically been a good place to add some extra talent to a PPV, typically putting three matches on the card that would not have made it otherwise.

This time, the pre-match event had just one bout: a trios tag team match featuring Penta El Zero Miedo, Rey Fenix and Mark Briscoe against Ari Daivari, Tony Nese and Josh Woods.

The rest of the hour featured Renee Young talking to talent about the show to come and RJ City interviewing talent missing from the main card.

It was very reminiscent of what WWE has done in Kickoff shows for PPVs over the past years. These pre-show events have lacked purpose in recent years, and AEW may be taking the same approach.

This could have been a great spot to add stars such as Darby Allin, Claudio Castagnoli, Powerhouse Hobbs, Jade Cargill, Hikaru Shida, Top Flight, Dark Order, Swerve Strickland, Keith Lee and more.

There were plenty of exciting stories that could have been told with this hour rather than having wrestlers talk about other people wrestling for too long.

Winner: Ricky Starks

Ricky Starks did not walk into his match against Chris Jericho with much more to gain. He was competing for the AEW World Championship at the end of 2022, and he is likely to win gold in 2023.

However, a definitive win over The Wizard was the final piece. It showed that he has made it. A former world champion was no match for him in a fair fight, so the next time Absolute gets his title shot, he will not miss.

Hopefully, this is the end of the Stark vs. Jericho feud. The two did not have much chemistry as in-ring competitors, mostly relying on an invested crowd to put together a solid contest.

Sometimes, the story matters more than the match itself. Absolute has been made, and much like Orange Cassidy and MJF before him, he can ride this straight to the top.

Winner: 'Jungle Boy' Jack Perry

"Jungle Boy" Jack Perry has been the future of AEW since it started, but he has always stood in the background. The closest he got to true success was winning the AEW Tag Team Championships with Luchasaurus.

His feud with Christian Cage was ultimately about taking him to the next level. Fans got to see that the 25-year-old could be more than just a good wrestler. He had a big fight with Captain Charisma and picked up an emphatic win.

Cage is a wrestling legend who also knows what it is like to be passed up despite serious potential. He had a goal in working with Jungle Boy that came together at Revolution.

It would be shocking if Perry did not win a singles AEW title in 2023. He and Ricky Starks got their big breaks against great veterans. The next step will be deciding which championship each man needs to find greater success..

Winner: House of Black

The Elite returned at Full Gear and focused on winning the AEW Trios Championships, and they accomplished that at the end of a wild Best-of-Seven series. After just 53 days, though, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega have lost that gold.

It was a shocking result but the right decision, finally crowning House of Black. Malakai Black is a popular and unique performer AEW has not yet committed to, even after giving him a great stable including Brody King, Buddy Matthews and Julia Hart.

Finally, though, it has all come together. House of Black captured the AEW Trios Championships and can begin to build a legacy that may eventually get the individual men competing for singles gold as well.

This show helped build multiple stars who have waited for their opportunity to shine. House of Black's win may have been the biggest of the whole night as it was the most unexpected but the most necessary for the sake of the talents' futures.

Losers: Women's Division

Jamie Hayter, Ruby Soho and Saraya worked hard to make the most of their time in an action-packed Triple Threat that made everyone look strong.

However, it was the only women's match on Sunday and the shortest of the night. While Samoa Joe/Wardlow was the clear cool-down bout of the night, the women also got devalued on this card.

The story of Saraya and Toni Storm tormenting the AEW original talent has evolved. Soho made her allegiances clear after her latest heartbreaking title loss. It was a smart heel turn that may breath new life into the heel stable.

Even that though could not take away from the feeling that the women should have more to do on this show.

The company has so many great women who cannot find a spotlight on Dynamite or Rampage. The AEW Women's Championship must feel like a main event belt, and the women need a clear midcard scene also featured each week.

Winner: 'Hangman' Adam Page

When all is said and done, "Hangman" Adam Page will be seen as one of AEW's greatest stars. His world championship victory is an all-time moment in wrestling history.

However, a lot has changed for AEW since Full Gear 2021, and The Cowboy had lost momentum as a main event act until his feud with Jon Moxley.

Mox put over Hangman in a big way on the road to Revolution. They had two great matches together following an unfortunate mishap injury in their first battle.

This Texas Death match was built to show that Page could be a true fighter, battling and overcoming one of AEW's all-time greats. The Death Rider went from being the first three-time AEW World Championship winner to putting over Page by genuinely tapping out.

Added to the win, The Cowboy arrived with new music that may be better than his well-loved original theme.

Page is finally in position to return to the main event scene. He has an easy story to tell with MJF when the time is right.

Loser: Wardlow

Wardlow came out of Double or Nothing 2022 with all the momentum in the world. Almost one year on, he has little of that hype left.

Mr. Mayhem got an emphatic victory over Samoa Joe, choking out one of the great monster heels in wrestling history. It should have meant more, but following the brutal Page-Moxley battle, the crowd did not care.

It would not be surprising to see Wardlow lose the TNT Championship in record time to Powerhouse Hobbs. In fact, fans may even be rooting for it.

Title wins should feel bigger than this. It does not help that AEW has repeatedly devalued the TNT Championship with short repeat reigns to the point of parody.

AEW has not done right by Mr. Mayhem in the past few months especially, but Revolution should have been an easy layup to get him back on track.

Bad card placement and limited build meant this was underwhelming despite the title win.

Losers: Fans Who Don't Like The Gunns

When Austin and Colten Gunn won the AEW Tag Team Championships, dethroning The Acclaimed, many fans were understandably upset. Taking the gold from the most popular tag team in AEW to crown a widely disliked heel tandem was dangerous.

At Revolution, a quick title change was certainly possible. AEW could have given Max Caster and Anthony Bowens the gold back. Orange Cassidy and Danhausen could have won a shocker. Even Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal would have been more beloved by the crowd.

However, AEW had a greater plan. After The Gunns survived this challenge with the gold still in hand, FTR returned to challenge Austin and Colten.

The tag team division has a clear direction that will likely lead to Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler as AEW tag team champions again.

Fans will just need to deal with a couple more months of The Gunns holding AEW gold.

Winner: MJF

The greatest trick Maxwell Jacob Friedman ever pulled was to convince the AEW audience he cannot wrestle. At every turn, he has answered the call.

While 60-Minute Iron Man matches rarely live up to the hype, Bryan Danielson is one of the best wrestlers in the world. Many expected him to do something special here.

However, MJF carries the stigma that he cannot compete with the best in AEW. Even though he has had had great matches with Darby Allin, Jungle Boy and CM Punk, each big contest brings new questions.

Sunday, though, brought the most impressive performance of The Salt of the Earth's career. He likely will get the often-coveted Dave Meltzer Five Stars. More importantly, he always looked like he was working on the same level as The American Dragon.

This Iron Man match stands as the gold standard of AEW wrestling in 2023, and MJF must now be placed among the best wrestlers in the world today.