12 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Feb 5)
2. Where Was The DQ? Where Was The Heat?
There was plenty of objectively decent stuff about Kip Sabian vs. Joey Janela. The match had a well-defined face vs. heel dynamic, a functional storyline with Penelope Ford, and the work was mostly solid. Parts of it were totally fine.
But it didn't get over. The crowd were only into it for fleeting moments. We got a muted "Joey! Joey! Joey!" chant here and there, but not a whole lot else, and if an entertainer's goal is to engage their audience, this has to be a Down.
Besides, Sabian should've been disqualified. One really sloppy moment saw Ford ram Janela's head into the ring steps while the referee was right beside her! A third party put their hands on a wrestler, which is as clear a disqualification as you'll see, yet the bout rumbled on and Kip ended up winning with a handful of tights.
The feud rolls on. Here's hoping the follow-up has more heat and sharper officiating.