SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite has wrapped. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and relive some of the madness.
-Bryan Danielson vs. Kenny Omega was beyond excellent, but not only because it was a tremendously good wrestling match. What they did was smart business, too. They left a fifth gear on the table for future matches, while teasing what’s sure to be one of their largest audiences to date in an effort to hopefully hook more folks into the AEW web. This match was more than enough to satisfy the hype it got, but balanced that satisfaction with anticipation and leaving enough on the table to go back to later on.
-Danielson took some gnarly bumps during the match with Omega. He’s a pro, but I hope there are folks backstage watching out for him and ready to dictate if he gets too reckless and keeps himself unnecessarily in harms way.
-A solid piece of business on the microphone from C.M. Punk. He parlayed his “happy Punk” shtick into the story with Team Taz and not only emphasized how much this time has meant to him, but bolstered the pro wrestling story going into his match against Powerhouse Hobbs on Friday. This is the C.M. Punk we need to see on a regular basis.
-20,000 plus fans mercilessly booing MJF is quite an accomplishment. MJF is a committed heel and the match with Brian Pillman Jr. was exactly what it needed to be. MJF was kept strong, but due to his ability to generate heat, Pillman was elevated. Mission accomplished.
-Cody has to know what he’s doing here. Nobody can be that self-unaware right? He’s turning heel, without actually “turning heel.” That’s the ultimate Cody overdramatic cuteness right there isn’t it?
-Tony Khan has an interesting choice to make with Malaki Black. On the surface, he’s a heel character, but he also pristinely connects with the crowd. During his entrance, 20,000 rabid fans quieted themselves down thanks to being mesmerized by Black. Khan needs to lean babyface; otherwise, he risks neutralizing other babyfaces that work with Black due to his strong presence.
-Sting is 62? If at 62 I can get off the couch as smoothly has he flew through the air for his top rope cross body, that’s a win. The match with him and Darby against FTR was fun. Sting should throw a couple beers on his tab for FTR. He certainly did his thing out there, but they flew around that ring like good heels should to make him look like a million bucks.
-I like the women’s championship match holding down the main event slot of this show. Why not? If you want to have a company that features main event women’s wrestling, women need to be given main event opportunities to show they can deliver. Plus, it allowed for clock-watchers like myself the ability not to watch the clock during Danielson/Omega.
-Britt Baker and Ruby Soho delivered in the main event. Their match had stakes, an effective build, and a main event style worthy of both. Will be curious where Ruby goes now after the clean loss, but certainly no shame or burial in losing to Baker cleanly at this point.
“… Malaki Black. On the surface, he’s a heel character… ” – it struck me that Malaki Black is becoming the anti-hero on the roster. Black should embrace this, and be pitted against the bully-type of heels on the roster. And in that match it also seemed to me that Cody was indeed expressing that Cody-esque heel-ness. I’m fine with Cody being a non-declared heel (there is no reason for him to make one of those heel-turn speeches.)