8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Nov 9)
Saraya proves her worth, Bryan Danielson is a master, and you just don't know about that MJF...
Full Gear needed to be sold on Dynamite last night.
MJF Vs. Jon Moxley needed something more than a mystery angle, or at least it seemed that way last week. It's not AEW's fault that TNA existed, and that its unforgettable awfulness has seeped into the brains of fans anxious over the threat of an Aces & Eights-adjacent plot development, but still: cliffhangers drive TV, high-stakes conflict drives big PPV matches.
The JAS Vs. BCC storyline has peaked, and while it isn't bad, it's hardly unmissable fare. Was booking a match in which one upcoming PPV World title contender had to lose...twice...a good idea? Chris Jericho's motive for the four-way match was actually quite sound, by the standards of this sort of thing, but should it be up to him?
Beneath the World title scenes, the build has been uneven. Toni Storm Vs. Jamie Hayter was strong stuff in both backstory and their teased physical interactions, and the prospect of Powerhouse Hobbs Vs. Wardlow instantly possessed that timeless, almost hypnotic quality of a heavyweight fight - but the Acclaimed's act while fun hasn't resonated with the credibility of the best title reigns.
Did this week's show intensify the hype?
By subverting what usually sells a big event and deepening an already intriguing mystery, yes it did...