By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite Hits
Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, Darby Allin, and Steven Borden vs. Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler, Kyle Fletcher, and Kevin Knight: The backstage verbal segments before the match were entertaining. Christian being a dick is always a good time. It would be nice if Borden showed a bit more personality while interacting with other characters. He comes off like he’s using the Crow version of Sting as his inspiration by showing no emotion and remaining stone-faced throughout the entire backstage segment. The actual match got the show off to a strong start with a good match that featured a lot of star power. I also got a kick out of Tony Schiavone saying he’d rather have Don Callis on commentary than put up with Stokely Hathaway.
Jon Moxley, Pac, and Gabe Kidd backstage segment: The most compelling segment of the night. Moxley spoke about how he wanted Ospreay to lead rather than follow him. He also said that Pac and Kidd would prefer to rough up Ospreay in the parking lot, which implies that Moxley wasn’t on board with that approach. Plus, Pac glared at Moxley while sternly telling him that the Death Riders wouldn’t let Ospreay off the hook. It came off to me like they were setting the table for a Moxley babyface turn. I could be misreading the situation, as I remember thinking there were signs that the other Death Riders seemed to be taking orders from Claudio Castagnoli after he beat Moxley in a Continental Classic match, but that didn’t lead to any changes. Even if I have it right, it could always be a swerve. So let’s review: it could be a turn, it might not be a turn, or they are teasing us with a turn that could be a swerve. Yeah, I know, way to go out on a limb there, Powell. But here’s the thing. There was a time not all that long ago that I hoped Moxley would take some time away and the company would move on from the Death Riders. So while I clearly have no idea where this is headed, the fact that I care enough about the Death Riders again to consider all of these possibilities is a big positive.
Jon Moxley, Pac, and Gabe Kidd vs. Will Ospreay, Andrade El Idolo, and Francesco Akira: A good match with the right call of the heels going over. Moxley forcing Akira to submit and then reapplying the bulldog choke while Kidd forced Ospreay to watch from the floor should have packed a much bigger punch. The problem is that AEW is asking its fans to care about a New Japan wrestler who has had roughly a handful of matches on AEW television. Akira also felt like the weak link in the match, so it was no surprise to see him take the loss for his team. Still, the match was entertaining, and the segment added some juice to the Ospreay vs. Moxley feud heading into their showdown match at All Out.
Hangman Page, Bandido, and Brody King vs. Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O’Reilly for a shot at the AEW Trios Titles at All Out: A quality match. I still couldn’t care less about the AEW Trios Titles, but I am looking forward to Page, Bandido, and King facing Swerve Strickland, Kofi, and Austin Creed. The Demand’s beatdown angle on Swerve, Kofi, and Creed was violent and impressive. While I want to care more about the Demand getting a shot at the AEW Trios Titles next Wednesday, the outcome feels predictable, as it’s hard to imagine AEW teasing viewers with Swerve, Kofi, and Creed vs. Page, Bandido, and King only to move in a different direction a few nights earlier.
Andrade El Idolo video package: The video was brief, but it was effective in establishing some of his family’s history in the business, and the family photos were great. It’s really fun to see Andrade thrive during his second stint with AEW. It seemed like his NXT run with Zelina Vega was going to remain the best run he’s had in the United States, but he’s definitely surpassed it with this run, which doesn’t even feel like it’s reached its peak.
Lena Kross vs. Jamie Hayter: A soft Hit for a solid match that felt like it went a few minutes longer than it should have. AEW can probably get another month out of the Brawling Birds vs. Devine Dominion feud. It’s not going to last forever, so why aren’t they doing more to establish other women’s tag teams? There should be an actual women’s tag team division rather than just the champions and a random team they throw together to serve as their challengers.
AEW Dynamite Misses
Chris Jericho vs. Nick Wayne: The match was on its way to be a Hit until the bad finish, which established that Wayne cared more about his stupid necklace than winning. Anyone who bitched about a friendship bracelet playing a big part in the CM Punk and Drew McIntyre feud should be just as annoyed by this finish. I wish the people who work in a creative capacity in pro wrestling would take the time to establish the meaning behind a trinket more than a week or two before making it such a big part of the storyline. Even if they had, Wayne still would have looked ridiculous for being so bothered by a broken necklace that could be repaired.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time since 1997. He hosts the weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
Be the first to comment