Real Reason Behind Botched AEW Dynamite Finish
TV growing pains surface.
The finish to this week's PAC Vs. Trent Dynamite opener was such a damn shame.
The match was excellent; PAC carried himself as an imposing, menacing killer, everything he did looked believable - which is so impressive, given the spectacular reaches of his arsenal - and Trent proved himself far more than a midcard novelty act in a powerful performance that flashed back to the best of his NJPW singles run.
At the finish, PAC ascended the turnbuckles and executed his Black Arrow finish in customary, jaw-dropping style. Trent lay prone on the mat. He didn't kick out, but referee Bryce Remsburg's hand hovered above the mat before the three count. Confusion swarmed (and marred) the atmosphere, before PAC applied his Brutaliser submission finish to score the win.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez speculated that perhaps Trent was meant to kick out of the Black Arrow, but for whatever reason flubbed it. This didn't sit right; PAC has protected the hell out of that finish for years now.
But, in the Newsletter, Meltzer clarified the situation:
"What happened is that the match was supposed to go longer, but then there was an issue with a break coming, and the talent got the word and Pac and Trent set up the ending, went into it and in their minds it was the Black Arrow. But Remsberg wasn’t clued in, so he stopped the count at two even though Trent didn’t kick out."
Perhaps Remsburg thought PAC had in mind to apply the Brutaliser immediately after the Black Arrow, much like in his win over Hangman Page, but forgot. This didn't happen, but if it had, everything dictates that he should have counted the pin.
Two takeaways from this: it was great improvisation on PAC's part, and every wrestler should equip themselves with a secondary finish.