6 Ups & 6 Downs From AEW Dynamite (September 13 - Results & Review)
2. Failing To Fake It
With the exception of roaring their approval for Jon Moxley in the opening match, the 2,521(ish) in attendance at the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio didn't really have too much to raise their voices for elsewhere on the show.
AEW playing to emptier buildings has been a 2023 trend, but the lack of producing around the smaller crowds continues to be a problem as far as the television viewing experience goes. When matches sagged and fans sat on their hands, visuals revealed empty parts of the building while the silence was filled by the commentary veering off into random asides, leaning too hard into their favourite running jokes, and at one point, another dreaded "bizarro world" reference.
The vibe was off for most of the night, furthering the frustration when certain matches or segments didn't really sizzle in the way they had the potential to. Speaking of which...