7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite: Big Business (Results & Review)
Big Business - mostly - achieved the full spectrum of TV brilliance last night.
AEW was questioned about its approach to last night's Big Business TV special - and rightly so.
As ever, two different conversations unfolded amongst a fandom that is destined to fight forever as vocally as they chant those two words. Tony Khan hardly created some complex puzzle, offering only cryptic clues. Only a complete idiot would have failed to grasp that last night's show, which emanated from BO$$ton, Massachusetts, was the site of Mercedes Moné's debut in All Elite Wrestling. Nobody in their right mind could claim they didn't know that.
The real question was: did Khan do enough to build Moné's profile?
Khan opted for the glorified surprise pop, once again refusing to deviate from a tactic that he has done to death. Why not try something new? Or a proven formula that has worked historically, but Khan has mostly shied away from?
The idea is to get excited about something you're almost certain is happening. A series of well-produced teaser vignettes would have done the job. People enjoy luxuriating in the anticipation. That's the art of promotion.
The thing is, in not yelling to the world to that AEW had signed one of its biggest stars, AEW drew an unflattering comparison.
This was basically the First Dance, only nowhere near as fun. CM Punk's presence was all over AEW programming before he even appeared on it. Beyond the odd aside made by Serena Deeb on Collision, this wasn't the case with Mercedes. Also: Moné didn't leave wrestling for seven years, and as phenomenal as she is in the ring, the world wasn't waiting to hear her speak as they were Punk in Chicago. A repeat of her NJPW debut hardly seemed like a great idea.
The insinuation, to be really cynical, is that AEW didn't care as much about Moné's arrival as they did Punk's, which itself only worked because the event was so improbable. Surely, a Deeb open challenge fused with a series of vignettes was the way to go, if Khan was insistent to securing that "surprise" pop. The build to Big Business was neither nothing nor something.
Was it all worth it in the end...?