6 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Dec 23)
2. Biting Talk
It seems futile hoping AEW will completely break free from putting the women in the same spot to do nearly the same thing every week, but the very end of Hikaru Shida's functional win over Alex Gracia was a reminder not to lose hope entirely.
Shida's interactions with Abadon were strong here. Playing out like a course correct from the company, it was as though the Champion had realised exactly how to face her fears - kicking the f*ck out if them. The next Women's Title challenger took a beating before Shida polished off Gracia, but got her revenge when the war continued after the match. Taking a chunk out of her neck and shoulder, the fake blood and fury flowed with the Challenger claiming dominance in an admittedly odd context.
The bite won't be for everybody and will likely draw bad faith comparisons to Shayna Baszler doing the same to Becky Lynch, but look at Abadon rather than ex-MMA super-worker Baszler for why that's a dumb take. And if anything, it was warranted after Shida tried to blow her off as a cosplayer just to deal with her own panic. The match will be a steep climb for the titleholder, but this planted a flag halfway up.