-So, let’s start with that Adam Copeland promo. Nothing wrong with waving the flag of your company. Tony Khan should want guys on the roster that feel passionately enough about AEW to do that. That said, AEW needs to get away from fighting back “negativity” by going on television. You fight negativity by going on the air and putting on the best show possible. If you’re a viewer of AEW and didn’t follow the events of the week concerning AEW and CM Punk, you’d be watching Dynamite bewildered as to what the heck Copeland was talking about. If you put on good shows and do good business, the “negativity” goes away.
A balancing act
-A strong match between Will Ospreay and Powerhouse Hobbs. Not overly strong and that’s the point. Ospreay can’t be out there every single week having crazy banger matches. He’s got to pick his spots. This was him doing that and I’m here for it. Smart work by two pro wrestlers who knew the mission at hand. Good stuff.
-Bryan Danielson defeated Lance Archer?! Say what?? Kidding. This was another good match and AEW has found the right formula to build Danielson vs. Ospreay. Getting both in the ring and winning matches before facing the other positions both as the best. That’s the story. It’s simple. Winning matches matters and boosts the rivalry between both guys.
-Maybe fans are booing the Lionheart gimmick for Jericho because they don’t have any idea what it means? Why Lionheart all of a sudden. It’s time for Jericho to reinvent himself again. That’s what he does best. The callbacks feel weird — especially this one. Hook played off Jericho fine, but there is no sense that these two are oozing chemistry together.
Rock Bottom
-Jay White, meet rock bottom. The dude can’t get a clean win over Billy Gunn? Like, really? As expected the Bullet Club Gold vs. Acclaimed program is a disaster. I’m looking forward to the day Jay White picks up a microphone and buries all these guys around him right now. He’s that good and they aren’t.
-Mercedes Mone and the TBS Championship should not be in the same sentence. This week was another awful chapter in Mone’s introduction into AEW. Look, she doesn’t come across as likable. At all. A star? Yes, absolutely. One that you’d want to get behind as a fan? No way. All of that aside, it’s a huge miss not to put her at the top of your women’s division and with the AEW Women’s World Championship to emphasize that title being the most important in the company.
-Awwwwwww, The Best Friends broke up with Orange Cassidy. Meh. It’s fine I suppose, but the turn feels like that of failed babyfaces more than it does budding heels.
Thunder Rosa vs. Mercedes Mone
-Is Thunder Rosa vs. Toni Storm better than Mercedes Mone vs. Toni Storm? That’s what we’re getting instead and in no way does that define your women’s division the way you want it defined while Mone is sitting in the locker room.
-Smart to see The Young Bucks advance in the tag title tournament. If we get another FTR vs. Young Bucks match, Dynasty instantly gets another bump in terms of match intrigue. That match this time around with The Bucks clearly as heels will have a different interest behind it than the last batch of matches did.
Cheers for Joe?
-Wow. Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe brought it during their face-to-face to close the show. They each spoke with confidence and intensity, which fanned the drama flames of their match. So, excellent. But. Did you guys hear those “Joe” chants? They were loud and there were lots. If you’re Tony Khan, you want the crowning moment for Swerve to be universally cheered by fans. In the coming weeks, they have to find a way to get these guys together, but without Joe getting cheered while doing clear heel things to the babyface.
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