-AEW started this week’s show with a strong video package that highlighted all the happenings at the WrestleDream PPV over the weekend. This is always a smart strategy, as it frames the company PPV’s as can’t miss. It also did a nice job setting the table for the show this week.
The Hurt Syndicate vs. The Demand … again?
-A strong opening contest between The Opps and The Hurt Syndicate for the AEW World Trios Championships. Samoa Joe and Co. looked strong, but what about The Hurt Syndicate? More between them and The Demand? Yawn.
-Samoa Joe needs a microphone in his hand in front of a live audience every week. Joe’s promo was great. He didn’t try to be cool, he tried to be despicable. That’s what AEW needs from him if he’s going to be a heel opposite Adam Page. Still, in being despicable, Joe still had a likability to him that fans my doubts that AEW audiences will genuinely boo him — even opposite a major favorite like Page.
-A pretty good Kris Statlander promo this week. She’s got good material to work with thanks to Mercedes Mone, but she looked comfortable and had an authentic voice about her that was missing throughout her feud with Toni Storm.
-Statlander smashing Mone through a cake later in the show was a nice way to start up the Mone feud again. Mone sold the cake spot like a million bucks and was obnoxious in doing so. So far, AEW is hitting the right tone with this Full Gear feud.
Cool it, Jurassic Express
-Yeah, look, people don’t want to see Jurassic Express against Brodido for the AEW World Tag Team Championships. Jack Perry said they are gunning for the titles and that’s fine, just as long as we don’t get a feud between these two teams. Both are too new and too babyface to work together right now.
-So, Darby Allin is going to still be doing his Death Rider duty? He cut a nice promo, but it was time to totally move on from Jon Moxley and he didn’t. How about instead of Death Rider stuff and defending AEW, you talk about winning championships? AEW has to better capitalize on moments that upgrade it’s talent. Darby got the upgrade this weekend with the win over Moxley and it doesn’t appear the company is ready to really do anything with it at this point.
Appointment viewing
-AEW has too many championships. Period. That said, the tournament that Tony Khan has built to crown AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions is an intriguing one. Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa stand out as possible victors, but the team to watch is Mercedes Mone and Athena. A helluva pairing that will be appointment viewing throughout the tournament.
-Yikes. The worst part of the show this week was the follow-up on Jon Moxley coming out of WrestleDream. Moxley basically no-sold the beating that made him say “I Quit.” Moxley is a heel, so that cowardice is ok, but the match at WrestleDream with Darby Allin was vicious and Moxley was clubbed over and over again in the leg with a damn bat. That should be accounted for and it wasn’t.
Moxley the quitter
-What I did like about the Moxley stuff this week was that the commentary team made a point to call out that Moxley was afraid to quit again, which is why he needed to punch the referee and get disqualified. A fun story that will ad layers to Moxley and drama inside the Death Rider faction.
-Nothing wrong with Mark Briscoe still hanging around the TNT Championship scene. That’s his level. Now, the money is in him chasing down that title. It should be a good while until he gets another shot at Kyle Fletcher. Lots of TV time to get through on this before the end.
-An excellent main event between Kazuchika Okada and Bandido this week for the AEW Unified Championship. Not a surprise really because both guys are who they are. Tension continues to build between Okada and Konosuke Takeshita. AEW has something there. The audience is going to go nuts when they finally collide. And the match? *chefs kiss*.
What did you think of this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite? Let us know in the comments!
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