By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite Hits
Jon Moxley, Lance Archer, and Rey Fenix vs. Eddie Kingston, The Butcher, and The Blade: An action packed main event with Moxley getting another win over Kingston. Moxley’s promo about being the only person who cares about Kingston seems to support the idea that they could end up teaming together at some point. I don’t think anyone would have predicted that Kenny Omega would announce after the match that he will face Moxley in an Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match for the pay-per-view. It’s not my style of match, but it’s not something that has been done on a big stage in the United States, and I have to imagine that it will sell a lot of pay-per-views if the company does a good job of building it up over the next two weeks.
The Young Bucks vs. Santana and Ortiz for the AEW Tag Titles: An entertaining match from two of the best teams in the game. There was a bit too much going on with the Inner Circle being ejected and returning afterward, the Bucks’ father shoving Chris Jericho, and the delayed save by Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson. But the actual match was fun and I am hopeful that the best is yet to come for Santana and Ortiz in AEW. The duo carried Impact Wrestling and are capable of a lot more than they’ve been asked to do in AEW thus far.
Serena Deeb vs. Riho in an Eliminator tournament match: Another good tournament match. Riho beating the NWA Women’s Champion in the tournament should lead to a title match at some point. The Thunder Rosa vs. Riho match in the next round looks terrific on paper.
Orange Cassidy vs. Luther: Short and sweet. A showcase win for Cassidy that didn’t overstay its welcome.
FTR vs. Matt Sydal and Mike Sydal: It wasn’t flawless, but FTR came out of the match looking strong.
AEW Dynamite Misses
Brian Cage powerbombs Sting: It was uncomfortable watching a 61 year-old man who was diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis taking a nasty powerbomb. One can only hope that AEW put Sting through the proper medical evaluations before signing off on this.
Hangman Page and Matt Hardy: I still don’t understand how Hardy was unaware of the contract switch, yet somehow he or Isiah Kassidy knew that Page would have the Jaguars’ mascot deliver the contract to the ring. Putting that aside, I’m not a fan of the “Money Match” stipulation. Monetary stipulations don’t register with fans because it doesn’t affect them in any way. No matter who loses their earnings for the first quarter of the year, fans will still assume that both guys are thriving financially, so the stipulation just doesn’t pack a punch.
STING IS 62 YEARS OLD IN MARCH. The only medical evaluation sting will be put through is whether he can walk upright and sign his contract.
AEW wanted sting because he is a big WCW name who is willing to “wrestle” for money.
If bret hart and Luger were healthy, they would be in aew right now because AEW just wants to the the new wcw.
Jason Powell is a professional journalist. Why does he attract trolls in comment sections?
why don’t you mind your business moron.. Pro wrestling “journalists” are just know it all fans with too much time on their hands.
::posts comment on public forum::
“wHy dOn’T yOu MiNd yOuR OwN BuSiNeSs”
Ignore him Jenny. He has been writing the same post over and over again for months.
As much as I enjoy AEW’s matches and a lot of its wrestlers, I think they need to employ some kind of ‘Quality Assurance’ person for the writing from week to week. Instead of doing things that make no sense, then realising and scrambling to explain them away on the next episode (hello Guevara/MJF), they need to stop things like the Hardy/Page nonsense happening in the first place. I am obviously no insider so don’t know for sure, but this smacks of a lack of oversight from a non-wrestling director/executive.
I don’t give a damn about your opinion. I just stated the facts. wrestling fans are hypocrites.
wwe uses guys in their 50s like goldberg once in a while and fans whine about how wwe relies on old guys.
aew uses a 62 year old sting and a 67 year old tully blanchard in the ring and fans act like this is so great.
enjoy ex nba great 50 year old, over weight shaq playing wrestler versus cody rhodes, the chosen one.
This pretend world you live in where AEW fans are shitting themselves seeing these old guys wrestle is an interesting one, yet it doesn’t exist.
I’m sure there is a small minority of fans who love the idea, but 95% of what I see across various comment sections is mainly concern followed closely by the ones who either don’t want to see it or don’t really care/take it on a case by case basis (me, probably). So you’re using obvious disingenuous straw men to denigrate a company and it’s fans, which indicates insecurity and lack of faith in your arguments.
Other than pointing this out, I don’t really care why you have a problem with AEW fans, just like how you shouldn’t have a problem with people liking what they like because who cares.