12 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Feb 5)

Cody's 10 lashings highlight Dynamite's awesome return to form.

MJF Cody
AEW

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...

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.