5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (April 24 - Results & Review)
4. A Problem Is Addressed...Sort Of
Will Ospreay's entry into the International title picture is difficult to unpack.
He is the most over wrestler in the company. He is the World champion-elect; the only question is when. The International title is beneath the wrestler and indeed the character: it makes little sense for him to defeat Bryan Danielson in a match framed as a meeting between the two best wrestlers alive - at a minimum! - if it doesn't double as a match fought to determine the #1 contender. Ospreay winning the Casino Gauntlet match was an inelegant solution to a problem that has been articulated in these Dynamite reviews since Revolution: Swerve can't be the guy as long as Ospreay is hunting him. This move - again, inelegant, open to scrutiny - is inspired.
The chase is the greatest thrill in pro wrestling. AEW just elongated Will Ospreay's inevitable coronation as the man. It feels less like Tony Khan's trademark dallying - he can't be accused of withholding matches after Ospreay's last two PPV outings - and more like a concerted effort to extract the maximum value from a long-term investment. Ospreay is still only 30 and is All Elite for several years. Moreover, if it's even this simple, Ospreay's detour should allow Swerve to map out a title reign without Ospreay's inevitable shadow looming. Swerve's run can now be appraised on its own merits. There's no Wembley end date - right now - to wait for.
Swerve might still be outclassed, but he's no longer on a countdown, and feels less like AEW's second consecutive transitional champion.