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

3 - Candidate For Babyface Promo Of The Decade

I’m writing this part in the first person because I’ve written literally countless slides in countless articles straight up begging for the return of the fire, unscripted promo in the major arena to capture the furnace heat and get pro wrestlers over.

This was that. This is what has been missing from mainstream pro wrestling for f*cking decades, and it lived up to the near-mythical status the “unscripted promo” has taken on.

Tony Schiavone acted as interviewer. Even that detail was just lovely. This wasn’t a rehearsed, affected soliloquy. It was an interview in the context of a live sports event, and you could believe in it.

You could believe in everything.

This was an intensely passionate promo that drew, respectfully, on the history of the pro wrestling business, reconciled Cody’s corporate and babyface roles, put over the promotion, and the latest stipulation for a World Championship match that felt big on Tuesday, and now, on Thursday, feels enormous.

He stared down the lens. He created a catchphrase. And, of course, a t-shirt. He created a sense of totally believable animosity. His voice cracked because everything he’s ever done in his career has led him to this point, and how can you not admire that?

He’s the best babyface in the business, and this was an all-time great babyface promo.