14 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Oct 29)
9. A Step In The Right Direction
Shanna vs. Hikaru Shida was rather good.
What looked like a simple showcase for Shida against a debuting star became something more meaningful as Shanna took control with impactful, exciting offense. Coming out of it, it's clear that AEW want to do something with both - and they should. These competitors are a cut above the standards we've seen from much of the struggling division so far and we can only hope that Shanna (a standout on the European scene) is around more often.
More contests of this calibre will help drive the division forward. Both wrestlers got over progressively as the match continued, and with Shida recently moving from Japan to the United States, there's no reason not to make her a featured staple. Here, she caught the eye with her charisma, a chair-assisted leaping jumping knee on the outside, and the Daniel Bryan-esque knee to the face that sealed the win. She's tremendous.
Shout outs to Excalibur for getting his sh*t in, too. Shida did the deal! Shana did kick out of the Falcon Arrow, though.