12 Ups & 0 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Nov 6)

Ups...

1 - PAC Is Elite

AEW PAC
Twitter (AEWrestling)

PAC is amazing. He looked like such a legitimate pro wrestler here.

This was his best performance in AEW thus far, if not his best match, but as far as TV matches go—an important distinction—this was perfect for its purpose.

He looked like a killer, rattling Trent’s skeleton by just crushing it against the guardrail, and the use of the guardrail is itself inspired. It doesn’t look like a separation of stage and audience, but a safety measure that cannot contain the intentions of the monstrous Geordie.

PAC’s heat spot wasn’t too deliberate. The fans were drawn into the action, and Trent’s plight, whose glass-eyed selling really put over the onslaught and, in turn, his guts; the comeback, which PAC bumped for incredibly, brought the house down.

The Orange Cassidy spot worked very well here, too. PAC was profoundly unpopular for kicking his face in, and it didn’t feel like a heel move, because PAC was flagrantly breaking the rules throughout.

The finish was such a shame, but not worthy of a Down, because it wasn’t a deliberately bad choice. It was a botch, and a glaring, deflating one, but thank f*ck Bryce Remsburg blew the count. Trent didn’t kick out. The Black Arrow, the most protected move in all of wrestling, remains protected.

AEW must make this clear immediately. The story and meaning behind the move is too significant.

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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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!