11 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (Jun 14 - Review)
7. Open Challenge, Closed Mind
AEW/NJPW
IWGP Champion SANADA offering an open challenge for Forbidden Door was already an “Up” before it was very neatly folded into one of the uneasier ongoing storylines in AEW at present.
The Champion offered it up to anybody, but rather than waiting for a surprise on the night, Jungle Boy Jack Perry jumped to the front of the queue…immediately after trumpeting that it was going to be the Summer Of Jungle Hook.The hours with Christian Cage were clearly well spent - Perry dripped with a brand new sense of insincerity here, simultaneously patronising Hook for having the FTW Title and jealously pining for something just like it or better as soon as he could.
The match sums up the uniqueness of a night like Forbidden Door, affords SANADA a relatively high profile retention on a North American stage, and gives AEW regulars a significant next chapter in Perry descent towards the dark side.
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
