HEYDORN’S DYNAMITE RECEIPT 6/8: An epic miss of a show with a lot on the line for AEW

BY ZACK HEYDORN, PWTORCH ASSISTANT EDITOR

AEW fires BJ Whitmer

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.

-So, I didn’t like this episode of AEW Dynamite. At all. It was sloppy, illogical, with parts that were detrimental to essence of the company when it comes to their men’s world championship.

-With that said, where were the ACTUAL top world title challengers in the battle royal? Hey Adam Cole, the AEW World Championship meant a ton to you just a few months ago. Adam Page, like, you don’t want a rematch? Flex your muscle a bit and get one. Wardlow, be a badass and try and win the interim title and THEN call out C.M. Punk later. Look, I know this wasn’t their call, but if these guys are so valuable to protect in this way that keeps them out of top contention, they should probably just be the champion. On top of the lack of logic above, the match itself was just too bored and boring because it didn’t feature the proper acts.

-Now, I liked the Jon Moxley promo. He framed the title in as important and his quest for it back important too … only to be brought back down later on. He can’t do it himself, Tony!

-Another new belt? Ok, there are too many belts. We know this. But this was a miss outside of that miss. If you are going to introduce a new belt, this is how you do it? No fanfare? No hype? No framing around what is actually is for and how it’s different than what’s out there to win right now? I mean, Khan had a match booked, announced, and hyped for the tournament before the tournament was even announced. Bad.

-Buddy Matthews vs. Pac? Good. Unquestionably a good match that simply should have meant more given the tournament circumstances. I could watch these two wrestle for a long, long time.

-This was the debut of the big, bad, Will Ospreay? Being opposite FTR is nothing to sneeze at, but c’mon, this is Will Ospreay. Not only does he need a proper introduction regarding why AEW viewers should care about him, but it needs to be ahead of a major singles program with a top AEW star. If we’re not going to get those kinds of matches at Forbidden Door, the show is going to have issues.

Adam Page and David Finlay had a good match as well. Page’s promo? An abomination. I’m pretty sure his instructions weren’t “go out there and put over the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship as more important that the AEW World Championship,” but that’s what he did. Also, who is Okada? You know him and I know him, but the majority of the audience likely doesn’t know why that call out was so significant. This is pro wrestling and Tony Khan needs to make time to make his audience understand that fact.

-Adam Cole, get rid of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament belt. Just do it. Thanks.

-No, Wardlow. You should have absolutely been in the Battle Royal. Not buying the reason because it’s ridiculous and shame on Tony Khan for thinking anyone with a brain would believe it. The interim world championship is the most important championship for the men to attain on the roster. It’s not downgraded because it’s interim. If it will get treated as such, then strip Punk of the title and crown a real champion because that title is too important to be tossed aside for the TNT Championship of all things.

-We didn’t get an MJF reference on this week’s show, but even after the signature win Wardlow got at Double or Nothing over him, he’s floundered without him.

-Next week’s ladder match should be a spectacle. Here’s to hoping Jeff Hardy doesn’t try anything silly. Much like the hardcore matches AEW featured last year, we’re seeing more of the ladder matches pop up this year. Pump the brakes.

-It was great to see the AEW Women’s World Champion on AEW Dynamite. Thunder Rosa is a great talent for that division, but seven minutes in the segment before the main event doesn’t scream “this is important.” It screams “oh crap we have to fit this in.”

-Really good main event between Moxley and Kyle O’Reilly. Moxley winning was obvious, but boy they beat the tar out of one another. My body hurt after watching one of those Moxley clotheslines rock O’Reilly back to NXT.


CATCH-UP: HEYDORN’S RAW RECEIPT 6/6: Cody Rhodes keeps momentum from Hell in a Cell

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply