-The MJF and Adam Page promo showdown was great AEW television. Both guys were authentic in how they talked about themselves and owned the paths that they’ve walked in the company. That was especially important for Adam Page, who has officially turned babyface just months after working hard to become a heel. His explanation on what happened with him made sense. Page and MJF drove in clear lanes and the audience understood exactly how to react for both. Pro wrestling is best when that is easy to follow. The end result here is a fresh match that feels important inside of the AEW ecosystem.
The Opps
-A fine little trios match between The Opps and The Patriarchy. Christian Cage didn’t lose, so a bigger match between him and Samoa Joe still looms.
-It’s really hard to watch Adam Cole play second fiddle to Roderick Strong, but fans were tortured with that reality this week on the show. Nobody is beyond repair in pro wrestling, but Cole feels as far away from being a main event player than he ever has.
-Good big man brawl this week between Powerhouse Hobbs and Big Bill. Was this the blowoff? It seems like it. Not sure why Hobbs would get such a definitive win if it wasn’t.
More of the same
-More of the same this week for Jon Moxley and Cope. The same attack angle on Willow Nightingale backstage, the same kind of promo from Mox, and the same response from Cope. Moxley and Cope are both over enough to not make this feel like a mid-card feud, but it absolutely does not scream main event of a PPV.
-Mercedes Mone doesn’t appear to be in the business of storytelling on the episodic television show that is AEW Dynamite. Momo Wantanabe is a fine opponent from a match perspective, but means nothing to anyone who just watches AEW on a regular basis.
-Not a terrible match between Megan Bayne and Kris Statlander, but one that featured two talents that were too alike. Bayne and Statlander have similar styles and together they didn’t emphasize or make the style standout. Instead, it just hid behind itself.
Ridiculously terrible
-What was ridiculously terrible was the angle with Bayne and Thunder Rosa. Rosa runs into the ring with a steel chair, kind of taps Bayne with it, gets it taken out of her hands, and just stands there? Someone was sandbagging someone in that segment and it’s unacceptable. Rosa needed to just bash Bayne with it to look like a bad ass babyface, or Bayne needed to violently grab the chair and smash Rosa with it to look like a bad ass heel. One of those two scenarios would have sufficed. We got neither.
-Ricochet continues to work nicely as a heel on the microphone. He’s finally found a character to play and it’s helped him immensely. As far as the Jimmy Rave references go, they are totally warranted, but Rave needs to be explained more. The importance and meaning of that jacket is the fact that Rave wore it. AEW commentary can and should go deep on Rave, to sell that meaning as much as possible. It’s an essential plot point to the story right now.
What is the AEW International Championship Series?
-Roderick Strong vs. Orange Cassidy was a weak main event for Dynamite. They’ve got 52 to do each year, but this was one of the worst in recent memory. Plus, does anyone understand just what in the hell the AEW International Championship Series is? Was? That lack of definition didn’t help the match or the post-match angle with Kenny Omega and The Don Callis Family.
What did you think of this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite? Let us know in the comments!
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