10 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Jan 22)
3. Decent Match, Duff Finish
A similar story to Baker vs. Kelly, here. Joey Janela vs. MJF was a solid little bout with 'The Salt of the Earth' very effective in his d*ckhead role as he poked 'The Bad Boy' in the eye and spat in his face, looking cold and uncaring as he infused his work with a genuinely vicious snap. For seven minutes it was good, good stuff... and then the finish happened.
Janela's old flame, Penelope Ford, marched out with Kip Sabian. The duo snogged each other's faces off to divert Joey's attention and that triggered the distraction finish, with MJF picking up the victory.
Sure, it advances the Janela/Sabian storyline and gives MJF a victory, and those with a higher tolerance for such tropes will forgive it, but this isn't the kind of finish we want to see in AEW. It'll only be a major problem if such finishes become the norm, but they're beyond tiresome. Let's not make them a habit.