10 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Jun 17)

5. Midcard Storyline Progression

MJF Jungle Boy
AEW

Where Dynamite stagnated on the night it still built towards a more exciting future, particularly in the post-match of MJF Vs. Billy.

This is where attentive booking yields convincing, compelling storylines. Two weeks ago, Jungle Boy and MJF argued at ringside during the former's challenge of Cody's TNT Championship. They didn't stop despising one another simply because their match ended. Weeks prior to that, Wardlow earned the ire of Luchasaurus by (hilariously) braining Marko Stunt against the barricade. This wasn't the first tease of this tantalising hoss fight, either, and this week, with Jurassic Express watching on, another melee - a very believable melee - broke out, leading to the announcement of a Wardlow Vs. Luchasaurus lumberjack match, the star rating for which, inevitably, will read "F*cking ruled".

Elsewhere, everything moved forward with purpose. Anna Jay's loss saw her preyed upon by the Dark Order. Abadon's victory upset Britt Baker. Match finishes created storylines and further matches in the short and long-term.

This company has mastered episodic wrestling storytelling even when the episode itself sags.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!