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AEW DYNAMITE HITS & MISSES
C.M. Punk Defeated Penta Oscuro – MAJOR HIT
The opener for AEW Dynamite between Penta Oscuro and C.M. Punk was hard hitting and methodical. The crowd was really into both competitors, and it showed. Both men knew when and how to work the crowd to their advantage, and they were having a blast in the ring doing it.
Focusing on the action, this match felt like Punk passing a milestone in his journey back to the ring. As he gains his confidence and rebuilding his muscle memory of how moves flow together, it’s allowing him to focus on the storytelling aspects of his matches. Punk is able to focus on selling his knee against Penta because of his confidence in the ring. Penta’s style is all about smoothly transitioning from spot to spot and when Punk got in that groove, they started to really shine. Once next Wednesday rolls around I look forward to Punk beginning a program with Page/Cole for Double or Nothing and I’m sure Punk will spill the details on who the champ will face in the interim in the process.
Jericho Appreciation Society Video Segment – MISS
Jericho is a master of cheesing it up for character development, and being “the Influencer”, the plane setting on the tarmac was the perfect place for a segment. I honestly thought TBS started playing the Backstreet Boys’ “As Long As You Love Me” music video, which admittedly I did chuckle when I realized what was going on.
The segment fell apart for me when the shock of 2Point0 being ambushed and on the ground when Kingston, Santana and Ortiz stole Lee and Menard’s shoes? Like did they think stealing their shoes would keep them from being able to interfere in the match? Do wrestlers walk around on the daily in their wrestling boots and only have one pair of shoes? Maybe if they beat them up worse their possession of the shoes wouldn’t matter? To quote Jericho from early in the Inner Circle’s inception, it was “a stupid idea from bad creative”.
Jurassic Express Defeated ReDragon – HIT
This match felt like two different matches in one. On the one hand, the action in the ring was excellent, with some really fun spots and creative two man moves sprinkled throughout by both teams. Both teams had differing styles but they both worked well to mesh together in fun ways.
On the other hand, none of the amazing action in the ring could save the fact that none of the wrestlers in the ring, including Jungle Boy, were able to get the crowds and viewers investment. I resisted looking at my phone during this match because I didn’t want to miss a great move, not because I’m invested in any of the performers. Thankfully Jungle Boy is still so young. He has time to learn to work a crowd. Learning to do that could mean the difference between second match on the card to a match worthy of match of the year. Speaking of…
Post Match Angle with FTR – MAJOR HIT
Book FTR and Jurassic Express for AEW Double or Nothing. Let JB learn from Dax and Cash for a month. That match is going to be incredible, and something people will pay money to watch. As good as it will be, gotta think you have to put the belts on FTR. The crowd exploded when they walked out, and they can turn the Top Guys into the Top Belt Collectors, and be over as faces. They’re that hot right now.
Blackpool Combat Club Segment – MINOR HIT
Relatively paint by numbers segment from the BCC. The brothers’ Ass and father Ass will make good opponents to test out the chemistry between Danielson, Moxley and Yuta, now that they’re working together. Yuta’s mic work was noticeably less confident than Bryan and Mox, but maybe 2 other guys on the roster would be fighting for anything other than third place behind those two. Wheeler has plenty of time to get better on the mic.
Jamie Hayter/Toni Storm Segment – MINOR HIT
This was an alright segment, but I don’t feel like Hayter sold her lines well enough for Storm to pull off the cocky silent face character in that scenario. Hayter needed a little bit of help, but it worked ok.
Shawn Dean Defeated MJF – MAJOR HIT
This was a lot of fun, and a very creative way to keep the “Wardlow can’t wrestle but will get kicked out by security” fresh. Having Wardlow unmask himself behind MJF as Friedman was resting on the barricade was cheesy, and admittedly had been done before, during MJFs feud with Darby Allin when Allin showed up dressed as the Invisible Man. Wardlow got such a huge pop from the crowd it didn’t matter. The in-match shenanigans leading to another loss for MJF to Shawn Dean is a great level of cheese for AEW.
Post Match Angle with Wardlow – HIT
This worked for me. Go ahead and book it. Wardlow vs. MJF. AEW Double or Nothing. Contract Calamity match.
Darby Allin Video Segment – MINOR MISS
I thought the Andrade/Darby program was over? It feels like it’s been a few weeks with no direct interaction between them. Just AFO and Hardy’s feuding. If they want to stretch it out, a coffin match is a great reason to.
Malakai Black Video Segment – MISS
Black was as captivating as he always is, but does he need a long term program with Fuego Del Sol? Is that the best use of his capabilities as a performer? A feud with Fuego just feels beneath Black. At least when Malakai was stuck in the Cody-verse, he was treading water. This feels like he’s sinking.
Jericho Appreciation Society Defeated Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz – HIT
Better match than I expected, but was drug down a bit from the crowd starting to lose energy. The heels came out looking strong even after the pre match beat down from the faces earlier in the show. The numbers advantage will surely be addressed soon and Kingston, Santana and Ortiz will even the odds. My hope would be for Danielson and Mox, as I could see the BCC thinking the Jericho Appreciation Society are the types of goofs they’d like to rid AEW of.
MJF Segment – MISS
For me there are two main aspects of this segment that don’t work. First is MJF’s ability to find and match Spinal Tap’s ability to go to 11. Part of what makes music fun is its ability to get louder and softer to do different things and illicit different responses from the listener. Promos work the same way, and even though MJF is pissed because he lost to Shawn Dean, doesn’t mean he can’t emote, rather than just be loud. The second part is MJF booking Wardlow into different matches before inevitably facing MJF. MJF is an incredible character in wrestling, but he needs to figure out how to extend programs. We’ve already done this with Cody and with the Labors of Jericho. Think of a different way of making Wardlow earn a match. You’re smarter than this, and we know it.
Marina Shafir Defeated Skye Blue – MISS
This presentation of Shafir in AEW didn’t work at all. It’s like someone had the idea to try and book Shafir as a female Miro, with the drum heavy music that illicit thoughts of war and the slow walk out, but Marina wasn’t playing that character in the ring, trading the charisma that makes the Miro character work for the aloofness of Orange Cassidy. Marina is quite talented and could be a star in the division, but this presentation could prove to be a problem for The Problem.
Hook Segment – MINOR HIT
Hearing Hook speak for the first time in AEW is going to be the TikTok generation’s version of hearing Maggie Simpson speak. It’s going to be a big deal. In the meantime Hook’s first match on Dynamite is going to be big and a major test to see if he can carry over the crowd responses he’s been getting on Rampage. If that opponent happens to be Tony Nese, even better. Nese is a great athlete with a flashy style that will complement Hooks.
Men of the Year Segment – HIT
Sky, Page and Lambert did a good job with this segment laying some creative digs in on Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti. Calling Tay a “future ex-girlfriend” and saying the most obnoxious couple in wrestling was ~still in AEW were funny. Sky’s delivery on his promo really sold the upcoming match between him and Guevara on Saturday. He was confident and cool in his delivery and made the snap he uses to end his segments feel like the perfect punctuation mark to end the segment.
Ricky Starks/Powerhouse Hobbs Defeated Swerve Strickland/Keith Lee – HIT
This was a fun match with excellent action throughout. Swerve’s moonsault off Lee’s chest was especially fun, and it felt like the athleticism and in-ring charisma from Swerve and Keith was starting to turn the crowd there for Ricky Starks in their favor. While Starks may have gotten the win in his hometown, all four men came out of this match looking much better than they went in.
Thunder Rosa/Nyla Rose Segment – MISS
This was supposed to be the go-home promo before a championship match, and instead this felt like a bad WWE attempt at Three Stooge’s style shtick. Rose came off looking bad after being blinded by cake and doesn’t look strong at all heading into their match.
Hangman Adam Page/Adam Cole Segment – HIT
Love these kinds of video packages for hyping matches. Would’ve liked an in-ring segment from one or both competitors earlier in the show to really hype this match but you take what you can get.
Samoa Joe Defeated Minoru Suzuki – MAJOR HIT
This match would’ve been perfect last year when AEW had a promotional agreement for the movie Godzilla vs. Kong. Two tough dudes having a good ol’ fashioned slap fest. Am I talking about the match or the movie? The match was great, with both men showing excellent toughness and working the pace to tell the story they wanted to tell. Hope we get a rematch in the future between these two.
Post Match Angle with Jay Lethal, Sanjay Dutt and Satnam Singh – MISS
On the one hand, I would love a fan edit of Jay Lethal opening the box to reveal his middle finger, followed by Joe’s puzzled look followed by the music and credits for Curb Your Enthusiasm. On the other hand, is Tony Khan signing so many wrestlers he can’t afford to pay the electrical bill? Do we need to start a gofundme? What a horrible intro to a massive human being. Satnam Singh is larger than life, but was instantly defined down because he was given that introduction. It worked for Malakai Black when he debuted like that, because fans recognized him. No one knows who Satnam Singh is. If you want Satnam to be treated like a star by fans, then present him that way. Give him pyro. Give him a baddie section. Give him an A.R. Rahman-produced theme. Do anything but turn the lights out on him. Save that for the Kings of the Black Throne.
Overall – HIT
This episode was one of the stronger episodes of Dynamite before the ending. The crowd was more hot and cold than we’ve seen the last few weeks, but aside from the Shafir/Blue match it wasn’t that bad. Unfortunately, all people will talk about is the end of the show. Khan and co. will need to work overtime to figure out how to re-present Satnam in a good light. Or any light. Let there be light.
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