10 Ups & 0 Downs From AEW Dynamite (April 14)
The Young Bucks go full heel, Mike Tyson joins The Inner Circle, Darby Allin DIVES.
0 Downs. Dynamite is back.
And it needed to be back.
Last week's episode was swallowed up by main event melodrama and an underwhelming lack of energy and dynamism from top to bottom, perhaps driven by an understanding that trying to compete with a loaded TakeOver card on USA Network would be futile. That lacklustre show, coupled with the ongoing ratings stagnation, increase the importance of hitting a home run last night.
Which is exactly what AEW did here. From top to bottom, this was an excellent, excellent Dynamite rife with important storyline and character development on top of the cutting-edge in-ring action missing over the past fortnight or so. Everything on the card hit with varying degrees of success, as Tony Khan and co. showed out on AEW's first proper week without competition.
Two titles were on the line as The Young Bucks defended the tag straps against PAC and Rey Fenix in the opener, and Matt Hardy challenged for Darby Allin's TNT Title in the main. Elsewhere, we got the Jade Cargill vs. Red Velvet feud-settler, Christian's answer to Team Taz, and Mike Tyson sending a man to the shadow realm.
Let's light the fuse...