11 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Sep 9)

1. Tag Teams Have Their Cake & Eat It

FTR Tully Blanchard
AEW

Too many Sports Entertainment angles are making it onto AEW shows at the moment. We've got televised weddings, tag team feuds over a smashed car, mimosa matches, cinematic wrestling predicated and low comedy, and more, and while these things have varied in quality, this isn't the product that was promised. It's a little much right now.

Last night's FTR victory celebration was another example, with Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler, and Tully Blanchard inviting a bunch of AEW tag teams to be addressed around the ring. Blanchard put his charges over for battling through 117-degree heat for 30 minutes. Wheeler threw glorious shade at SoCal Uncensored and Private Party, Harwood did the same for Gunn Club, and after putting themselves over as locker-room leaders and top guys, FTR announced a match with Jurassic Express next week. A win will buy Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus a title shot.

Solid promos, though the segment got silly soon after. FTR were chased out of the ring after trying to jump "cosplay Tarzan" and the "dumbass dinosaur" and we closed on the other tandems just hanging around, eating cake. Austin Gunn was very excited about this. Good for him, but where's the energy? Where's the zest? The pop?

Disappointingly tame, this.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.