5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (January 31 - Results & Review)
Downs...
4. Match Was Mostly Just There
The good news is that Deonna Purrazzo Vs. Tyra Valkyrie wasn't too sludgy.
It wasn't a great match, but it was competently worked, and while Purrazzo may have given Valkyrie too much, her Venus de Milo finish is so excellent that it always leaves a strong and definitive lasting impression. She needed the win, now that the rankings system is back in effect, and this is preferable to the stat-padding that used to go on on Dark - but logical and sensible storytelling is no guarantee of a great time.
Hikaru Shida has had her day as the division ace, is forever over, and can always be reheated as and when AEW requires - wouldn't she have made for a more high quality and slightly more unpredictable match-up?
On a show dominated by utterly predictable pairings, Deonna and Tyra had no chance in what is already a death slot, and in general, in this rebooted rankings era, AEW could do with one match per show that is not a complete formality.
Toni Storm was a riot, again, on commentary - especially the line about Tyra needing no invitation to her trademark command of "t*ts out!"