AEW DYNAMITE “FYTER FEST” HITS & MISSES (6/4): Omega’s four-way win and then Okada set-up, Toni Storm chomps on steak, Ospreay’s opening promo, Hurt Syndicate’s 180 degree turn with MJF

It was a four-hour extravaganza from AEW this week packed full of matches and promos. They split it up into a Dynamite and Collision so this column will address just the first two hours of the show, my usual beat.

HITS

WILL OSPREAY OPENING PROMO

I continue to be blown away with how genuine Will Ospreay is on the mic. Everything he says is not perfect, but I feel he is just so likable and it’s good to establish him as the face of AEW and the guy you want to get behind. I would avoid him alluding to AEW being “back” or “better” though. Let the show speak for itself. We can all see the improvement over the past six months. I even had a WWE fan friend of mine tell me he intends to give AEW another look after hearing how much better the shows have been.

I really like the long-term storytelling here that I expect to eventually lead to a truce between Swerve and Hangman. After all they have been through, having them quickly get on the same page is unrealistic. Plus, we get to see another Swerve vs. Ospreay match so everybody wins!

TONI STORM

Toni and Mina Shirakawa’s tag team victory was a nice showcase and I thought it was wise to have Mercedes Mone just sit by ringside with a meal rather than put her on commentary. The best part was after a solid win, Toni kept with her character’s persona and started chomping down on the steak (and some lettuce) that Mercedes was eating. It was simple, but it was able to further the build to their match without losing any momentum.

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KENNY OMEGA WIN / OKADA PREVIEW

The main event for the Dynamite show was a blast to watch. You can underestimate how difficult it can be to have four unique wrestlers able to find the chemistry to put together a 4-way match that was so impressive. Every move was not perfectly executed, but that’s what I liked about it. When things aren’t perfect, it brings some realism into the match and avoids making it look like Cirque du Soleil. I thought this match was positive for all four competitors.

It was also nice to see serious Okada come out afterwards to officially start the build to the match at All-In. Okada still has a ways to go to become the guy we all expected a year ago, but his recent shift to a more serious persona is a great first step and they are rekindling the epic match feel fans had years ago for these two.

QUICK HITS

– It was smart to replay Mark Briscoe’s backstage promo from Collision last week before this match with Moxley. It was very good and helped set the stage for the match. I liked the match as well. It was entertaining, but the lack of suspense puts it here rather than a full “Hit”.

– I enjoy that AEW is setting up some future matchups with interactions in the back. Will Ospreay has a lot on his plate right now, but having him begin to have issues with MJF and the Hurt Syndicate gets you thinking about stories down the line.

– I loved the six-man match with the Kommander group vs. Rush’s group. Now, I called them “Kommander’s group” for a reason. I really thought he stood out in a match with a lot of high-flying talent. The crowd really got behind him and I’m starting to see him as more than just a guy who puts on a good match and loses. There is something there that has separated him from being that guy. I hope they build on that momentum.

MISSES

HURT SYNDICATE’S 180 TURN

First let me say I’m not against the Hurt Syndicate being heels. They came in as heels, but the crowds really liked them. MVP also played to the audience instead of insulting them so as the months have gone on, fans have gotten behind them and chanted “We hurt people” for them constantly.

My issue is that within the two weeks since MJF has joined them, they have done a complete heel turn without explanation. In the blink of an eye, they are insulting the crowd. Perhaps if MVP came out there and explained that since MJF joined the group, he opened their eyes to how awful the fans are or something like that. At least that would explain it.

This crowd in Denver seemed to turn on them after a while, so I’m sure they can pull it off, but it would have been better to explain this sudden shift in attitude.

There was not much suspense to the first two hours of Fyter Fest, but we got some great matches and some interesting promos. I wrote this before watching the final two hours of the show, so I’m going to get back to that and wish you all well!

tpwDon’t forget to check out the weekly free podcast I’m part of, “The All Elite Conversation Club” that typically drops on Fridays the PWTorch Dailycast lineup. Joel Dehnel and I have a great time breaking down all things AEW. Search “pwtorch” on your podcast app to subscribe. Send questions and comments to allelitecc@gmail.com.