11 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Jan 1)

7. An Acknowledgment

The Elite
AEW

"We were supposed to be the winners," began last night's show-opening video package. "The heroes who would shatter limitations, the Elite of All Elite Wrestling... but this doesn't feel like winning."

These were the words of Cody, Kenny Omega, and Matt and Nick Jackson, who ran through their recent failings in a well-presented vignette that asked "is the Elite still Elite?", and "is our fighting spirit still alive?".

More than a mere character-building exercise, this was a direct acknowledgement of AEW's recent creative shortcomings. That was the clear subtext here. Particularly emphasised was the idea that The Elite themselves haven't been that well booked, with AEW taking their perceived star power for granted while overestimating their popularity amongst casual viewers, leading to unflattering win/loss records and diminished star power.

As the evening's first sign that AEW had taken the criticisms on board, this was a great way to start things off. It set the perfect tone and was reflected throughout the evening. Here's hoping it's a long-term thing.

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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.