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What a week it’s been for AEW. All In was spectacular and a show that has given the company a lot of positive attention over the past few days. What an unbelievable opportunity to grab new fans and new viewers to their weekly television. That made this episode of Dynamite crucial for them to build upon this momentum.
HITS
WILL OSPREAY OPENS THE SHOW
It was a no-brainer, but of course you open the show with a fantastic recap of All In and then introduce your new champion!
Some may have issues with the way he talks, but I love how Ospreay addresses the fans. It’s not polished and he may get a little silly at times, but I believe that this is who Will Ospreay is. He is not scripted and he is not looking to ramble on and throw catchphrases at you. He is genuine and you never really know what he’s going to say. That makes it more compelling and not the same stuff you’ve heard before.
He put over Kenny Omega as the best wrestler in the world and teased one more match between the two which, if it happens, will be epic. He also honored the other champions and promised it’s going to take someone’s absolute best to take that title from him. He even added a little intrigue by teasing that he will be bringing his version of the United Empire to AEW.
It was a nice change of pace for a heel to come out and give the champ respect. Of course, Ricochet wants a title shot because they have unfinished business. And then there is Gabe Kidd. I think he is going to be a superstar heel for AEW. He draws your eyes whenever he is on the screen and when he talks. I certainly hope he is going to be put into the top of the card soon because he can be another difference maker.
The “Japan” United Empire coming out to save Ospreay and setting up a 10-man tag match for the main event was a great way to start the show. Mission Accomplished.
SWERVE AND THE NEW LEVEL
It was also a no-brainer to showcase your brand new team in the first match of the night. The Rascals were great opponents to show what the New Level can do. Kofi and Austin Creed not only held their own, but fit right into the AEW style. They brought out some new movesets and double teams which made them seem different from the New Day. They looked like they belonged from the start. Myron Reed did a fantastic job selling for them and hit a ridiculous move on Kofi and Creed on the outside.
There was some great chemistry between Swerve Strickland and the New Level. It looked like they’d been together for years.
After the win, here come The Young Bucks. We got some great foreshadowing of what may be to come in the near future between those two teams.
TAG DIVISION… HERE WE GO!
This was a great segment to set up what could have been the main event of All Out, before the end of the show happened! The Young Bucks called out the cheating by Christian at All In. FTR came out to some real heat from the fans proving they haven’t lost their touch during their time away. Finally, the champions came out and I was thrilled to hear from Christian owning their win, by any means necessary. Copeland played his role as the “voice of reason” well and my favorite part was:
Copeland: “We’re better than that.”
Christian mouths: “No, we’re not”
It’s a brilliant dynamic to have those guys stay true to their characters despite being the babyface champions. That was followed by proposing a “TLC,” wait, make that CHAIRS, ladders, and tables match at All Out. Cue the famous Bart Scott gif: “Can’t wait!”
DARBY’S SELLING
Darby Allin is a crazy person and I love it. Now, as I write this, I am not aware of any major injury suffered in his match with Mark Davis. However, when he was thrown into the timekeeper’s area early on, it sure looked like he hurt his lower leg and it seemed bad. It looked like a possible achilles injury as he went a good five minutes without putting any pressure on that leg. I was thinking they may have had to call an audible in the match, but apparently he got me good, because he recovered and was not only able to finish the match, but looked really good doing it.
If that was 100 percent a work, then bravo to you Darby!
OSPREAY VS. MOXLEY REVEAL
As stated below, the main event was fun, but the final moments were very well executed. Jon Moxley and the Death Riders coming out to save Ospreay from Gabe Kidd was a surprise as the fans had no clue what their intentions were. Once it became clear that Mox held no ill will towards Ospreay from leaving their group last month, the main event for All Out was put on the board and both wrestlers sold the surprise very well. Moxley excels in his facial expressions and he was on top of his game in this segment. This was a great way to end the night with a major talking point for fans, writers, and podcasters to discuss.
By the way, how great would it be for Gabe Kidd to take over The Death Riders with Mox moving to the babyface role he truly needs to be in? Stay tuned!
QUICK HITS
– It was very smart to go 28 minutes before the first commercial break. Get your World Champion and your newest stars on the screen before you give anyone a chance to change the channel.
– MJF had another terrific backstage promo after his loss at All In. He is so compelling and so good at getting his message across. We know payback is coming, but when?
– It was great to see Thekla back and getting involved with Mercedes Mone. Her promo style is unique and may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I love the fact that she is being given the airtime to sink or swim and I believe eventually she will be among the top babyfaces in the company.
– I also love seeing Persephone getting the push she deserves. She is good in the ring and on the mic and pairing her with Britt Baker should allow both of them to stand out in a women’s division that needs some standouts.
– Gabe Kidd screaming and harassing the woman who took the selfie in the main event was hilarious. More Gabe Kidd, please!!
– The main event was a lot of fun to watch. The sequences with Ospreay and Ricochet were a treat and Andrade setting the table for Ospreay’s win was a perfect way to end the match.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
MISSES
– Nick Wayne has a very bright future, but there were a couple of things he could have done in this backstage segment with Jericho that would help him in the present. First, he was way over the top in his mannerisms. Second, when Jericho said he was pinned at All In, Wayne should have simply responded that he got kicked below the belt by MJF and that’s what led to him losing. That would have also set up Wayne using that same tactic to get the better of Jericho at the end of the segment.
– I’m not sure if there were any travel issues, but regardless, it’s unacceptable to not have a former wrestler analyst on Dynamite. They have Taz, Nigel McGuinness, Paul Wight, and Bryan Danielson on their analyst roster and I’m disappointed that they could not get one of them for such an important show. Danielson’s performance at All In was phenomenal. He made that show better with his commentary. Without that extra voice, it’s too much heavy lifting for Excalibur and Tony Schiavone to carry 2-plus hours.
Please check out the weekly free podcast I’m part of, “The All Elite Conversation Club” that drops on Fridays on 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.
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