-Jon Moxley is having some wild matches these days. Saturday against Konosuke Takeshita at Grand Slam, this week against Mark Davis to open AEW Dynamite. The Moxley and Davis match this week wasn’t nearly as good as the Takeshita match, but the style continues to stand out positively. It freshens up the show when not all the matches look and feel the same. These Moxley matches are pretty one-note, but that one note is a stark difference from the other matches on the show.
Again?
-Well, it’s official. The Young Bucks vs. FTR for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at Revolution. If it feels like we’ve been here and done that before, it’s because we have. And here’s the thing, these matches were excellent before. Tremendous. But, what has changed? It very much feels like these teams are the same teams now without an added story to their rivalry. Just two legendary teams with less momentum than ever.
-On the surface, the TBS Championship match this week between Willow Nightingale, Megan Bayne, Mina Shirakawa, and Marina Shafir was off the wall random. From a participant perspective, it was. AEW did something they rarely do prior to the match walking to the ring, though. Willow cut a promo talking about how she needed to defend her title to stay a fighting champion. That’s elbow grease that gives context to random championship matches like this one. The match itself was exciting, but lacked drama due to the inevitability that Nightingale would retain.
From The Takedown on SI
-Ok, I have to vent about the MJF and Adam Page segment. I liked the intensity. Page and MJF were able to convey a strong sense of hatred for the other. The logic? What the hell was happening out there? So Page said he would put all future world title shots on the line if MJF agreed to a stipulation, but that stipulation wasn’t defined, but it kinda was since Page suggested Texas Death, but MJF needed to think about it and we’ll repeat it all next week? This is your big match for Revolution. It’s the main event. When it comes time to put cards on the table and announce things, you have to hit a home run and get it right. After this segment, there was more confusion around what was next rather than intrigue and drama over the outcome of the match. This isn’t beyond repair, but AEW can’t miss on this type of thing six years into existence.
Ouch
-Is Tomohiro Ishii ok? He took a bad bump and looked to be in a lot of pain. A lot of physical work on his part for a match that pretty much just existed.
-AEW has to stop with the Don Callis Family, we beat random people up as we talk promos, backstage. They are beyond ridiculous and create laughter more than actual fear or danger. I get the idea, but it doesn’t work.
-The Brawling Birds have a terrible name, but they are being treated like a credible tag team. That works well opposite other teams like Sisters of Sin and Babes of Wrath, especially. AEW continues to put resources behind developing that division.
-Kevin Knight showcase matches = good. Attempting to take Beast Mortos seriously = bad. Mortos just doesn’t have the wins or credibility to be talked about as a real threat.
-Damn, Kenny Omega vs. Swerve Strickland was fantastic. Quick-paced, but with logical and meaningful spots that looked like a fight. Great action and a really nice near fall kick out by Kenny Omega near the end. He milked that one for all it was worth and got the big crowd gasp.
Swerve Strickland turns heel
-The Swerve Strickland heel turn was well done. Not only was it believable, but it was nuanced. Strickland pulling the referee into harms way to escape the V-Trigger set the table for the turn and then the Omega attack pushed everything overboard. It’s a crowded main event scene for babyfaces. Omega, Page, and Will Ospreay when he comes back. Strickland elevates himself in a heel position and has more fresh matches than he would as a babyface. With anything in pro wrestling, the success is in the follow-up, but night one here was a success for the angle.
What did you think of this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite? Let us know in the comments!
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