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

6 - Isn't The Women's Division Bad?

Riho Emi Sakura
FITE TV

The AEW Women’s Division isn’t just inferior to NXT’s; it’s actually bad, on its own terms, the one indisputable flaw even the biggest “marks” cannot ignore.

This week’s episode followed last week’s upturn by delivering a very good match featuring some promising and talented new faces. Jamie Hayter is a great heel. She’s so nasty as to be repulsive, has a star presence, she can go, and she delivers an authentic-looking beating. Shanna is a polished, very solid performer with keen babyface instincts.

But the exchanges between Emi Sakura and Riho made for an awesome advert ahead of Sunday: slick and vile, between the rolling mat exchanges and Sakura tossing Riho around by the hair, years and years of history inform a very astute booking decision.

The nature of the finish needs to be addressed, because yes, it’s something WWE is ritually buried for.

This works if not overdone—that maxim is true of all things wrestling—and it worked here because not just because Emi Sakura is challenging Riho on Saturday. Sakura trained Riho. She knows everything about her.

This in turn creates a neat dramatic crux ahead of Full Gear.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK 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 AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE 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!