9 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (May 19)
Downs...
2. At Least They Threw Hands
Will @RealBrittBaker being holding up Gold on May 30? @shidahikaru defends her #AEW Women's Championship against the #1 contender #BrittBaker at #AEWDoN
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— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 20, 2021
The typically robust AEW matchmaking mechanism malfunctioned with Rebel vs. Hikaru Shida, which was advertised as a "title eliminator" despite Not-Reba's inactivity and Britt Baker's upcoming Double Or Nothing match. Putting it together made little sense in that regard. Yes, Rebel is Baker's ally, so the match could have been sold as Britt sending her sidekick out to soften Shida up or humiliate her for the pay-per-view, but it wasn't.
It existed almost entirely without context. That's very un-AEW, and primarily why the match finishes on this side of the ledger.
A quick, single-move squash would have made this forgivable, but Shida and Rebel ran through interference and other heel spots before the end. Shida going for Baker's Lockjaw in front of her (glove and all) was a nice touch but not enough to save it.
That they got physical after the bell is a positive, and something that was overdue for this feud. Nonetheless, the Women's World Title scene could have had a stronger week.