11 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Aug 5)
Blood and Guts aplenty as Moxley wrestles Allin, Matt Hardy's wig gets split, and more.
Last week's uncharacteristically defective AEW Dynamite necessitated a rebound, particularly with NXT heating up their build to TakeOver XXX on the other channel, and the promotion delivered. By the end of the night, this was a show that slotted nicely onto the brand's recent line of best fit: a colourful, expressive, and expansive two hours of television crammed with essential storyline development and great ring work.
There was plenty to look forward to coming into this. Jon Moxley and Darby Allin's AEW World Title match was the product of sloppy booking, but was pretty much guaranteed to bang between the ropes, while Chris Jericho and Orange Cassidy's Super Wednesday debate brought similar intrigue with its mystery moderator. Elsewhere, we got FTR teaming with The Elite to face The Dark Order in a 12-man tag, Big Swole facing an opponent of Britt Baker's choosing for the right to face the good doctor at All In, and the latest on MJF's campaign to become AEW World Champion.
Two significant issues prevented last night's Dynamite from hitting the hallowed 0 Downs status. Both are layered problems requiring careful analysis and action on the promotion's behalf, so here's hoping AEW takes steps to eliminate them over the coming weeks and months.
Let's light the fuse...