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

7. The Extra Effort

MJF brother that is not a great facial expression
AEW

The extra effort AEW put into hyping Cody's lashings was very much appreciated, particularly as they didn't really need to do anything here. This was already Dynamite's biggest selling point. It didn't require any extra build-up, but the promotion chose to do so anyway, giving the whole thing a little extra sizzle with a couple of quick, effective segments.

The first saw MJF claim that Cody wouldn't make it to 10 lashings before Taz showed up, saying that the ritual humiliation showed how much 'The American Nightmare' wants to face MJF. Later, we got a heavy, sombre interview from Dustin Rhodes, who said that while he felt uncomfortable thinking about what was going to happen, MJF would soon find out that Cody is tougher than he thinks.

Pro-wrestling is all about hype. Here, AEW did a good job of amping things up in only a couple of minutes, making for a very economical use of TV time.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. 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.