By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite Hits
Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland contract signing: An enjoyable segment. Joe had the line of the night when he said that he would leave Swerve mentally scarred like he left Diddy’s party too late. Joe went on to deliver a violent beatdown with a good table spot. As much as Joe felt like the dominant champion when he left the ring, Swerve was spotlighted perfectly when he laughed at Joe’s assault over the mic and then used his own blood to sign the contract. This was an effective segment that increased my already high level of interest in their title match.
Will Ospreay vs. Powerhouse Hobbs: The best match of the night. Hobbs got a lot of offense before Ospreay came back and beat him clean. Ospreay continues to receive big star reactions from the live crowds and for good reason. The post match angle with Hobbs walking out rather than being a good sport was solid. But it feels like they took a strange path by having Ospreay beat every other member of the Callis Family before he actually exits the faction. Those matches would have packed more of a punch had Ospreay been out to avenge the group turning on him. They can run those matches back once that happens, but it’s hard to imagine they will feel as big as they could have the second time around.
Adam Copeland promo: This felt like AEW completely overreacted to CM Punk’s appearance on The MMA Hour. That said, Copeland was the right guy to deliver what felt like an anti-polarization promo because he was able to draw from his own experience as a younger fan who watched everything, and because he spent most of his career with WWE and never badmouthed the company once he signed with AEW. AEW sending the message that it’s okay to watch both companies feels long overdue, as I wish they had taken this approach from the start. Tony Khan has to know that he’s just one anti-WWE social media meltdown away from erasing any good this speech may have done.
Willow Nightingale promo: Willow came off like a star while speaking to an arena filled with fans who followed her independent wrestling career in the area. Willow is such a likable and charismatic personality and she can go in the ring. I’ve always enjoyed Mercedes Mone as a heel more than when she works as a babyface. I don’t know if Tony Khan is willing to turn his high-priced acquisition heel this early in her run, but I hope he is. If nothing else, I hope he doesn’t make the mistake of turning Willow long before they’ve gotten everything there is to get out of her as a babyface.
“The Young Bucks” Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson vs. Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta in an AEW Tag Team Title tournament semifinal match: A solid match with the right team going over. The post match angle was a long time coming and yet still felt surprising. Beretta is a very good wrestler who has been stuck in a middle of the road tag team way too long. I look forward to seeing how Beretta does as a singles heel. We know he can go in the ring, but the big question is whether Beretta has the promo ability to thrive as a heel.
Thunder Rosa vs. Mariah May for a shot at the AEW Women’s Championship: A quality match with the expected outcome. Rosa has not regained the momentum she had prior to suffering a back injury. Her return was botched and then she had random matches until they decided to go with her as Toni Storm’s next challenger. Here’s hoping that Rosa will be featured prominently and given strong and decisive wins over the next two weeks to get viewers more excited about her as a challenger.
Chris Jericho and Hook: In the middle more than a Hit or a Miss. Jericho continues to feel cold, but it also seems like whatever he is doing with Hook is leading to a needed change. I hope that change includes Jericho ditching the Lionheart persona. Jericho reverting to his early career persona was fun for a few weeks, but it has overstayed its welcome.
AEW Dynamite Misses
Billy Gunn vs. Jay White: Perhaps they should go with a Triple Threat when Bryan Danielson faces Will Ospreay to find out who the best in the world because Billy Gunn beat the hell out of the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion for over ten minutes straight. Just when it seemed like Tony Khan couldn’t do a worse job of booking White, he actually allowed this lopsided nonsense to happen. Why?
Bryan Danielson vs. Lance Archer: A Hit from a match quality standpoint and yet a minor Miss overall because it felt needlessly long. I wish AEW did more with Archer, but he has been firmly established as a wrestler who beats up undercard wrestlers and then loses to everyone higher on the food chain. There was zero mystery regarding the outcome and I found myself rolling my eyes when they kept prolonging the inevitable.
Penta El Zero Miedo accepts Adam Copeland’s open challenge: Actually, that part is fine, but then they announced that Penta will face Komander on Collision. Why not have both men attempt to accept the open challenge simultaneously and then meet on Collision to determine who will actually challenge Copeland? This would have given Penta vs. Komander a purpose as opposed to the approach they took, which makes it a predictable, throwaway match with nothing at stake.
An irrefutably shitty promo is a hit?
The difference between wrestling fans and dirtsheet writers gets wider every day.
And yet you still live in our comment section…
I’m not generally a fan of his antics (or language) but TGO has a point on this one. I’d say that even the true AEW fans mostly hated Edge’s vanity promo. His heart may have been in the right place and he may have meant what he said (unless it was scripted of course) but this just didn’t belong on a live pro wrestling broadcast at all. And def not to open a show
I feel bad for Copeland. He has always been in my top 5 of faves but he has slipped into “Roddy Piper at the very end” mode and it makes me a little sad. I’m sure the money is nice but as a fan I wish that his WWE send off in Toronto was his last match
I mentioned it was an overreaction due to the Punk thing. The thing I liked about it is that it was an attempt to tone down the polarized wrestling fan bullshit that Tony Khan helped create. I’m beyond bored by fans who hate everything one company does and gush over everything their favorite company does. The world won’t change because of one promo, but you have to start somewhere. Now I can only hope that Tony Khan practices what he had Copeland preach.
Ratings went from 933k to 761k as people tuned out in droves on that obvious bullshit promo. Everyone in your comments section shit all over it. At some point, it’s not everyone else that’s wrong, it’s the dirtsheets and the smarks that pay for them that are completely out of touch with the vast majority of wrestling fans.
I give MY opinion. You don’t have to agree with it, but it’s my opinion and it doesn’t change based on popularity. I think there are plenty of “dirt sheet writers” who liked the segment less than I did and that’s fine too. It’s mainly because I’m bored by people like you who just shit all over one company when you could just turn the channel (just as I’m bored by people like Angry Mike cheerleading AEW and shitting on WWE). I’m not the least bit surprised that our reigning king of the tribal fans didn’t like a promo that was about not being tribal.
LMAO….oh thegreatestone, your screenname and your comments on every AEW column prove what a sad little person you are. However, as we’ve said, you are funny to laugh at, so thanks for that….
If they wanted Mone to start by working with a mid-carder, they shouldve had them attack her, call her out, etc. Her choosing this just feels beneath her. I like Willow, but this still feels like it’s bringing Mone down more than elevating Willow. So far Mone feels like a movie star visiting a wrestling show, not emoting, no specifics being said, etc.