-Man, chef’s kiss to the show opening promo this week. A chef’s kiss to all involved. Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, MJF? That’s a lot of talent in one promo, but they showed what they could do. The promo wasn’t that long, but it had plenty of depth to juggle multiple stories like Ospreay/Omega, Ospreay/Moxley, Ospreay/MJF. Omega and MJF as well. More on all of those in a minute, but this is the tip top of your men’s division and all of their storylines are mashed up together with the world title at the center. That’s a strong place to be.
Good match, no drama
-There was almost nothing MJF and Mark Briscoe could have done this week to truly make me buy that the AEW Men’s World Championship was going to change hands. The match itself was good, but it lacked drama because of outcome certainty.
-As for the post-match angle with MJF and Kenny Omega? I mean, it fits for MJF. He’s gloated about pushing Adam Page out of the title picture forever, so I like that very stipulation serving as his secret weapon to take matches he might not want. Remember when it used to be the “5 trials of MJF?” This is much more compelling.
-I’m glad AEW didn’t drop the MJF and Andrade storyline that completed a significant chapter at Forbidden Door over the weekend. Andrade cost MJF their match and now he’s out of The Don Callis Family. Andrade isn’t a strong promo, but it was essential to hear from him about why he did what he did. The backstage promo checked that box and was confidently delivered. Is Andrade vs. MJF an All In match if Will Ospreay takes on Kenny Omega for the world title instead?
From The Takedown on SI
-Alright, I’m about done with the new Lio Rush gimmick. Pro wrestling is supposed to a staged sport. At it’s core, that’s what it is. And yes, there have been supernatural gimmicks out there, but there was an authenticity in those that Rush hasn’t found yet with whatever this bit is. It looks like he’s at an adult Halloween party and trying to scare people, but failing to do so.
-I have to admit, I’m ready to watch all of the “accidents” that are about to befall Kevin Knight if he doesn’t grant Darby Allin a shot at the TNT Championship. A lot of this is going to be bad — or, overproduced and overthought. That’s the nice way of putting it. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still very intrigued.
Is Darby Allin high enough on the card?
-What do we think about Allin now chasing the TNT Championship? It’s a belt, but this feels like a steep drop for him coming out of a very memorable world title run. As is too often the case, Allin got lost in the shuffle once he lost the title and the company hasn’t fully capitalized on the elevated star he currently is. Timing is everything, though, so they have to strike.
-It’s alllllllll about the patch. Jon Moxley gifted Will Ospreay a Death Rider patch to start the show. Ospreay officially joined the group when he wore the patch on his gear for his tag match alongside Moxley. AEW is going to sell a lot of those damn patches throughout the summer.
-Business talk aside, it was a fun squash match. Ospreay and Moxley got to look like a well-oiled machine and they did. Ospreay and Moxley play off one another very well. I want to see Ospreay find some maturity as he heads toward All In. Moxley is almost a dad-like figure for him now and that needs to pivot into him being his own man by the time his crowning moment happens inside Wembley Stadium. The audience is going to want that, but AEW has to put in the elbow grease and feature him as a standalone top star away from Tony Khan’s safety blanket guys like Moxley.
-Jay White. Microphone. Promo. Excellence. White is so comfortable talking. His flow and tone this week were on point with the character. White will be leading a takedown of The Dogs for the time being. If he keeps cutting promos like this one, he’ll be back in that world title picture on the men’s side sooner than later.
-Now, why call Will Ospreay a fraud? This kind of thing can’t make television. Ospreay is the star summer character for AEW. Why is the newly returning babyface like White running him down?
A new champion of TBS
-Hikaru Shida is the new TBS Champion in AEW. That works. Shida hasn’t been very relevant in recent years, but has an important history with the company. The Survival of the Fittest match was entertaining as hell. Persephone is a woman to watch. She looked great in this.
-What a freaking promo by Kenny Omega to end the show. How does the guy who cut that odd promo on Zack Sabre Jr a couple weeks ago, cut this one? Is it the same guy? I mean, yeah, it is, but with two entirely different focuses. Omega not only properly articulated, but he properly emoted the weight of the choice he had to make. It’s because he worked those angles so well that the moment he said he was accepting MJF’s stipulation landed the way it did. You felt it. You could feel his heartbreak and competitiveness fighting with one another.
Curveball
-MJF vs. Omega for the world championship is next week on the Beach Break edition of AEW Dynamite. Don’t hold your breath for a legit finish. AEW Redemption is just weeks away. You can bet this match exists as a road to a rematch for that event specifically. It’s the TK, MO.
What did you think of this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite? Did Omega find The Cleaner again? Let us know in the comments!
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