11 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (Jun 14 - Review)

CM Punk has some scores to settle, The Elite have more problems & MJF has another Match Of The Year.

Jon Moxley Eddie Kingston
AEW

Despite the largely unfavourable reviews for May's Double Or Nothing pay-per-view (and indeed the build towards it), Tony Khan was typically enthusiastic about all there was to follow for All Elite Wrestling in June.

The promoter has to promote, but truthfully the optimism felt a little forced. Yes, Fight Forever was finally being released, yes Forbidden Door was something to get buzzed for after 2022's show-of-the-year effort and yes Collision kicking off on TNT was as great for AEW as all the great matches we get every week on great episodes of Dynamite and Rampage and Dark and Dark: Elevation featuring all the great wrestlers and great stories. But great's in the eye of the beholder, and not many were sharing Khan's vision.

Were.

Dynamite roared back into form following the pay-per-view, CM Punk buzz/confusion/bewilderment began in earnest, clips of the game drew raves from those hyped to bloody up their opponents with kickflips, and Khan's claims of Forbidden Door being the best show in the history of both AEW and NJPW didn't seem that wild when the double main event of Omega Vs Ospreay and Okada Vs Danielson were announced out the gate.

Maybe the power is back? The only way to check is to light the fuse...

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett