4 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dynamite (15 Feb - Review)
MJF, Mark Briscoe and Wardlow elevate an otherwise flat and lifeless two hours.
It was imperative that AEW really started to sell fans on the Revolution card last night, and not merely because some fans think WWE invented the concept of telling stories in the latest chapter of a demented culture war.
AEW should be critiqued on its own terms, and while the promotion is telling stories - what an asinine and deranged thing it is to suggest that Tony Khan isn't - only one is truly connecting with the base to the expected standard.
Mooted attractions for the pay-per-view make it feel uninspired and rematch-heavy. Samoa Joe Vs. Wardlow was difficult to care about before Darby Allin's awesome sprint of a TNT title run killed it by comparison. The women's division feels like a "Fed bad" Jericho Appreciation Society Vs. Blackpool Combat Club retread hinged almost entirely on where Saraya and Toni Storm used to work.
It isn't, to paraphrase the late, great Jerry Jarrett, a personal issue that will draw any money.
Despite an incredible spree of action-heavy shows, it has felt as though a lot of material is waiting to "click". Eddie Kingston has never felt less credible. Chris Jericho has never felt more tedious. What are the Elite - usually very dependable and creative storytellers - doing?
Did that feeling persist last night...?