SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
On paper it was a pretty stacked card for this week’s Dynamite as the company looks to further establish the stars for 2024 and set up the Revolution PPV. In front of what was expected to be a small crowd, it was important for the product to overcome that lack of attendance. And with the money being given out by Netflix for WWE, the opportunity is there for AEW to try to get their slice of the pie in the current TV landscape by putting on a show worthy of the hype.
Here we go.
HITS
JOE & HIS CHALLENGERS
Solid opening to the show with Samoa Joe coming out and showing his intensity right off the bat. I like that they did a follow-up with Hook coming out and saying they’ll meet again down the line. Joe was great on commentary putting over the rankings coming back (which the jury is still out on), but it was clear that they are establishing meaningful matches with stakes and you have to win to get a chance at the title. I hope they can follow through with that plan. Wins by Hangman and Swerve continue the build to a likely there-way at Revolution.
TONI AND DEONNA
First of all, nice job on the cool effect that split the screen in color and black & white. Very well done. Toni Storm was her usual wacky self with a couple of nice one-liners and Purrazzo seemed much more comfortable on the mic. Nice touch using the matching tattoos to honor their history, but also set up what is to come. Poor Luther catching the “innocent bystander” kick was a fun way to end the segment. On a side note, great job by AEW showcasing the Women’s Division with a match and three other segments. Now just make it two matches every week!
MOXLEY’S PROMO
Just a shout out to the guy doing hands down the best promo in the business, Jon Moxley. He never disappoints. He’s clear and believable in everything he says and he says it with an intensity that is unmatched in all of wrestling. After listening to him for 30 seconds, I can’t wait to see him fight. Young stars should take lessons from him.
DARBY & STING
Staying with the episode-long theme of mentioning win/loss records, Darby brought up his undefeated record with Sting in tag matches and challenged Big Bill and Ricky Starks for the belts. Watching Darby speak made me really appreciate how far he’s come on the mic. He speaks with a calm confidence and is so relaxed.
ADAM COPELAND’S SELLING
What a great job Copeland did in selling in his match with Suzuki. If Moxley should teach a class on promos, Copeland should play this match for anyone who wants to know how to sell and tell a story in a match. The finish was a little sloppy, but that didn’t bother me because I was invested in the entire match and the post-match happenings due to Copeland’s performance.
MISSES
WARDLOW SHOULD HAVE WON QUICKER
With all due respect to Trent, Wardlow should have won their match in 5 minutes or less. If they are establishing him as a World Title contender; he should not be selling as much as he did. Trent has had some decent wins in the last month, so beating him rather quickly would mean more for Wardlow. Plus, you need to establish the Undisputed Kingdom as a dominant force after the whole “Devil” storyline and your toughest guy should be dispatching most opponents quickly.
THE ATMOSPHERE
I give credit to those who attended for making as much noise as they could, but the show really suffered with the lack of sustained energy in the building. Perhaps I’m in a minority liking much of what the company is doing these days, but I don’t want to believe that. This is a much better product than what was airing six months ago and I’m hopeful that they can choose better venues and cities to visit where they can regain the magic from the live crowd. I know Revolution will be nuts, but I am hoping some of the future TV spots can do a little better.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall, another solid show and an entertaining two hours of my time.
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s AEW Dynamite Hit List: Adam Copeland vs. Minoru Suzuki, Hangman Page vs. Penta, Swerve Strickland vs. Jeff Hardy, Billy Gunn and The Acclaimed vs. Mogul Embassy for the AEW Trios Titles
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