-So, the big main event of the show this week that AEW promoted everywhere was MJF vs. Darby Allin for the AEW World Championship. Yet, MJF had no clue that he was scheduled to have a title match? That’s what we were supposed to believe? It’s a stretch. I understand that the company wanted to set a hook early in the show to keep viewers for later, but this neared the line of ridiculous. MJF is on social media and tapped into the wrestling culture more than any fan. He didn’t know?
A Darby who cares
-Now, the MJF portion of this was bad. Darby Allin’s promo, though? Thumbs up. Allin showed some real emotion, almost crying as he spoke about this week being the week that he wins the world championship. Authentic stuff and Allin as a character who cares is relatable.
-Man, how about that segment with Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay in the training room? Goodness. It looked like two warriors telling war stories and felt extremely raw and emotional. Both Omega and Ospreay were great. Both looked like stars themselves, but also showed respect to the other as a rival. This kind of a segment is obviously not an accident. Could we be looking at the finals of The Owen? Omega and Ospreay are on the journey to a world title. Those journeys colliding at the end of that tournament is a compelling story.
-Tommaso Ciampa got a nice win this week, but the best thing about it was his promo after. Ciampa set his sights on the world championship. This is the way. The more wrestlers angle toward that, the more important it becomes.
From The Takedown on SI
-I was wondering when FTR would mock the Copeland and Christian “5-second pose.” With FTR beating them at the AEW Dynasty PPV, it made sense to do it this week. Dax, Cash, and Stokely cut a strong heel promo as champions. They got heat, they were unlikable, and they set the table for another final match with Cope and Cage. Promo mission accomplished.
-Like Ciampa, Kevin Knight had a better than solid match against Claudio Castagnoli this week and successfully defended his TNT Championship. The best part of his showing was the promo after his win. Knight was smooth. Smooth, but serious. His delivery felt different than other promos and it stood out. A good sign for his future.
Judas is Jericho
-So, the Chris Jericho and Ricochet feud continues. Sidebar. The fans just don’t remember the old Chris Jericho, I guess? Man, when he left, he was a rejected star. Now, they sing Judas and chant for him. That’s what a year off does for you. Jericho and Ricochet had a good enough match at Dynasty, where running it back makes sense. Especially since neither guy has something better lined up.
-Will Ospreay vs. Hechicero was a good match, but the exact match Ospreay shouldn’t be having on television without any build. I’m firmly in the camp of making fans pay to see singles Ospreay matches, so that they feel as big as possible. This went close to 20 minutes and for what?
-The Thekla promo with Alex Windsor was tremendous. Not because it was polished and perfect, but because it wasn’t. Both women talked over the other and it created an environment of uncertainty. It kinda felt like Thekla was going rogue out there and that’s what she’s going for. She’s unpredictable and it’s compelling to watch. Windsor held her own very well.
-I suppose Kamille got a little protection this week in losing to Willow Nightingale via a rollup. That said, the match was less than 10 minutes.
New world champ
-Darby Allin is the new AEW Men’s World Champion. It took just a few minutes for Allin to beat MJF and he connected with four Coffin Drops and a headlock takeover to do it. Well, that stuff and a retaliatory low blow. There’s nothing wrong with Darby Allin as champion. In fact, it’s good for AEW to create a sense inside the fanbase that titles can truly change hands whenever they are on the line. This match didn’t highlight Allin. It was designed mainly to protect MJF. The low blow, all the finishers, the fact that MJF claimed he didn’t know about the match? That’s there to cushion the loss for MJF. Allin is a fighter. He scratches and claws. That’s the character and that’s how he’s connected so well with the AEW audience. That character didn’t shine through during this match. It did earlier in the night, but is that enough? Maybe. It’s all in the follow-up now.
What did you think of this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite? Let us know in the comments!
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