5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (April 24 - Results & Review)
Tony Khan crosses the final frontier on the same night he books a baffling, divisive show.
The line-up looked strong, the vibes in Daily's Place are always lush. The ugly LED barricades threatened to diminish the iconic aesthetic, but there's something about the unique architecture of AEW's spiritual home and the open air environment that captures the freedom of expression and unique creative vision at the heart of the promotion.
Jon Moxley was set to defend his IWGP World Heavyweight title against Powerhouse Hobbs. A fondly-remembered and wickedly brutal giant-slaying was promoted in the very same venue in 2020. That was the template.
New AEW World champion Swerve Strickland, meanwhile, was set to wrestle Kyle Fletcher in an Eliminator. This was basic, yes - a predictable reminder that AEW is "Where The Best Wrestle" - but on week one, well before the next pay-per-view cycle, a bit of acclaim wasn't going to do him any harm. Did the match generate it?
Chris Jericho was scheduled to appear in a live segment. The best he could hope for was a callous rejection loud enough for it to be perversely entertaining. How sad.
The best episodes of US cable TV deliver a trifecta of matches, angles and promos. As daft as it seemed, a segment in which Chuck Taylor had to pick his best friend between Orange Cassidy and Trent did promise some affecting drama. The Best Friends stable often deliver memorable moments at the checkpoints of their big programmes.
AEW almost always produces seminal pay-per-views. The TV has felt lacking in recent weeks.
Did last night reverse the trend...?