11 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Oct 9)

The Young Bucks & Private Party raise the roof; Chris Jericho blows it off.

Chris Jericho
AEW

AEW Dynamite roared into existence with a strong debut show last week, with Jon Moxley Paradigm Shifting Kenny Omega through a glass table, Jake Hager's debut, and Riho's coronation as Women's World Champion highlighting a crowd-popping episode that trounced NXT in the Wednesday Night War's first round.

Round two was a similar story. A combination of hot angles, good matches (for the most part), and one particularly stellar promo, Dynamite's second episode hit even harder than its first.

This show promised much, with The Young Bucks and Private Party set to collide in the tag team tournament, Chris Jericho promising an explanation after last week's apparent stable formation, a Darby Allin vs. Jimmy Havoc number one contender's match, and Jon Moxley's bout with Shawn Spears all on deck. There were mishits, but that's fine. Not everything is going to work all of the time and growing pains were inevitable. The next few weeks are about ensuring that the problems of the first two episodes don't become lingering habits, and AEW deserves our trust in that regard.

On the positive side, AEW knocked everything that mattered right out of the park last night. Let's break it down...

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.