8 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (16 Oct)
Ups...
8. Dante Martin Shines
Onto the good, and there was a lot of it.
The opener was a doozy. Malakai Black ruled the first portion of the match, then let Dante Martin shine by showing off some high-flying offensive flurries that would ultimately cost him. Unlike the aforementioned six-man, this was a logical powerhouse that leaned hard on Black injuring Dante's leg then letting inexperience be his downfall.
Dante looked like a gusty bastard by fighting through the pain, and the announcers (including CM Punk, who was stellar all night) did well to suggest that Martin learns not to over-rely on aerials if he's gonna beat the best AEW has to offer. In other words, Lio Rush needs to teach him a new hold.
Malakai deserves a pat on the back for making the match 60/40 in his favour, which it should've been anyway, and for giving Dante a begrudging nod of respect afterwards. This, ladies and gentleman, is how you put over a young star whilst also looking strong yourself.