10 Moves Tony Khan Must Make To Save AEW
5. Watch The Peak Shows Again
When AEW resumed live touring following the U.S. vaccination effort, Tony Khan lost a little bit of what made AEW special despite, until deep into 2022, promoting many seminal episodes of Dynamite.
Knowing that there was once more a big, enraptured crowd acting as a backdrop, he indulged in the surprise debut, the interactive back-and-forth promo segment, and the run-in for easy pops. These are all staples of the episodic TV experience, but then, he once transcended the medium he is merely operating within now.
On the June 30, 2021 Dynamite - the last held when Daily's Place acted as AEW's residency - Khan booked 20 of the best minutes of wrestling TV ever. Or of TV ever generally: Penta El Zero Miedo and Eddie Kingston defeated the Young Bucks in what was an absolutely incredible match and deliriously entertaining spectacle, all at the same time. The pops were utterly relentless; after so much d*ckhead heel chicanery, justice was served and catharsis was elicited via Elite Hunter Frankie Kazarian evening the odds and, in an unforgettably hilarious visual, Brandon Cutler blinding himself with freeze spray.
This was peak Dynamite: a gonzo bonanza of emotion, irreverence, and energy packaged together through the medium of state-of-the-art wrestling that advanced a million different things without losing focus of anything.
It was supreme narrative elegance masquerading as intoxicating chaos: a cast of characters interacting with one another to deliver an overload of pure joy. It was a quintessentially deft AEW segment, whereas now, AEW feels more regimented than ever before: a very good show that isn't truly remarkable nor distinctive.
Watching this all back is crucial in determining what, exactly, has been lost.