10 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite: Blood & Guts (May 5)

by Andy H Murray

1. Real War

MJF blood
AEW

A few slips and botches aside (they were noticeable and potentially harmful depending on your subjective experience with the match), Blood & Guts was a broadly great main event.

This felt more in tune with the classic WarGames matches than any that have happened since WCW shut down. The closed roof is partly to think for this, as it prevented big dives from the outside in, but it had more to do with the work. The Pinnacle and Inner Circle emphasised heat and hatred over high spots. This wasn't a wacky, giffable popcorn show, but a nasty, brutish fight between two teams who legitimately felt like they wanted to wipe each other out, willing to die for their brothers in the process.

Sammy Guevara's electric performance was a highlight. Highly energised, the Spanish God was a dynamo, starring in many of the bout's most giffable moments after entering at number one. Jake Hager looked more fired up than he has been since his debut, Santana and Ortiz were an instant shot of manic fire, lots of men bled buckets, and MJF felt like a vulture coming in to pick the bones towards the end.

It could have done without the cheesy NXT-style face-off in the old Match Beyond phase and yes, those slip-ups were noticeable, but Blood & Guts was as wild and nasty as it needed to be. The advertised levels of violence were delivered on and The Pinnacle come out of this smelling like bloodied money - if they didn't already.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.