9 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Apr 15)
2. A Massive Tonal Shift
AEW went for a different style of presentation with Jake Hager vs. Jon Moxley, which was reportedly recorded several weeks ago in Jacksonville. Jim Ross came in as a solo commentator, replacing Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone, and without Marko Stunt and the Gunn Club making enough noise for a dozen men in Georgia, Dynamite suddenly felt dead. That's how sharp the change was.
Going for a solo commentator was a mistake. Ross tried, but couldn't fill the gaps on his own. The result was a match full of long, awkward silences, making its colossal 30-minute runtime feel like double that, which isn't even a criticism of J.R. - it's hard to imagine anyone else faring better in the situation.
A weird viewing experience for a show that was rolling along nicely prior to the main event, worsened by the bout itself...