11 Ups & 0 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Mar 31)

9. The Art Of The Promo Articulated

Darby Allin Matt Hardy
AEW

Any great wrestling promo achieves three things: the man that cuts it puts himself over, his opponent over, and builds anticipation for the match.

Two excellent and unique promos on last night's Dynamite probably didn't do that last bit, but they were still admirable efforts to make something.

Darby Allin, in his trademark creepy black-and-white, put Matt Hardy over as an inspiration but put over the need to fight him because he's an inspiration no longer. He is a corrupted man seeking to corrupt others to hold onto his spot, but Darby won't be corrupted because he isn't driven by material bullsh*t. This established the simple, winning dynamic of a match that is probably Hardy's best shot at one last noteworthy career singles outing.

Jon Moxley put Cezar Bononi over as a huge telegenic guy with the potential to make AEW money, so it was a shame that he was going to end him before he had the chance to realise it. Jon Moxley is an absolute master at this core "You're good, I'm better" wrestling standard, and he articulates it in such a funny but totally convincing way.

WWE, meanwhile, hands sheet music to songwriters.

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Contributor
Contributor

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!