14 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (20 Nov)
Starring Rey Fenix and Nick Jackson as two of the best high-fliers of all time.
The Wednesday Night Wars are bloody great.
While we could do without things like the dopy "suck it, Vince!" sign seen in tonight's crowd (and Cody's acknowledgement of it after the show), WWE's decision to run NXT head-to-head with Dynamite no doubt compels AEW to raise their own standards every single week. This goes the other way as well, of course, and with enthusiasm running high for both products, the period before this wild, creative battle already feels like a distant, desolate memory.
This week's Dynamite promised - and delivered - much. Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin, Private Party vs. Proud and Powerful, Rey Fenix vs. Nick Jackson, and the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal, with Chris Jericho hyping a "huge announcement" on social media hours before the show went on the air. One notable disappointment aside, it was a hugely successful night of compelling in-ring action, angles, and promos, rich in variety and story, with small-but-noticeable improvements peppered throughout.
It'd be heartening to see another viewership increase with the product hitting the mark so strongly, though it'll be tough going against NXT's ballistic WarGames/Survivor Series build on the other channel. Let's light the fuse regardless...