6 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (19 Apr - Review)
4. Jay White Vs Kommander
AEW set out to achieve a lot - arguably too much - with Jay White’s formal debut for the organisation, but the match was a strong showing for ‘Switchblade’ and teased the possibility of something quite special down the road for the former IWGP Champion and the floundering Ricky Starks.
White’s experience saw him score the win, with Kommander’s hesitation and posturing undermining the stunning aerial artistry elsewhere in the bout. Alongside that, Shawn Spears was ranking the moves to play off his old gimmick and fold himself into Bullet Club Gold’s path for a post match that drew out Starks and drew battle lines for the inevitable tag.
All a little formulaic after the fact, but white was in devilishly great form bell-to-bell. What could have been fluff felt bigger in his hands, and for the first time since he made his big North American decision, ‘The Catalyst’ felt worthy of all the speculation that predicated it.