12 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Feb 5)
Cody's 10 lashings highlight Dynamite's awesome return to form.
Last week's Dynamite was a misstep.
It wasn't necessarily a bad show, but there wasn't a lot of sizzle to its steak. It lacked genuine highs. The best AEW shows take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and adrenaline; last week, the ebb and flow just weren't the same. A shame, but life goes on.
The follow-up episode came with plenty of promise. This was the week Cody would finally take 10 lashings from MJF as part of his former protégé's stipulations for their upcoming Revolution bout. It was a segment that promised drama from the moment was announced and boy, did it deliver.
Elsewhere, AEW had advertised Yuka Sakazaki's return for the first time since Fyter Fest as she faced Britt Baker one-on-one. Kenny Omega's Elite peacekeeping mission would continue as he teamed with Hangman Page and The Young Bucks to face The Butcher, The Blade, and The Lucha Brothers, while Jon Moxley wrestled The Inner Circle's Ortiz in the night's opener.
A triumph of storytelling, drama, and excitement, this tremendously effective episode of Dynamite was marred only by a handful of unfortunate nitpicks. Let's break them down...