12 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Oct 2)

AEW fires a strong opening salvo in the Wednesday Night Wars.

Jon Moxley Kenny Omega
AEW

So here we are.

13 months removed from All In, nine from AEW's grand Jacksonville unveiling, and a shade under five from the TNT/WarnerMedia announcement, the first episode of Dynamite has hit the airwaves. After all the hype, everything The Elite went through to get here, the WWE potshots, the highs (Double Or Nothing), the lows (the UK TV deal), and everything in between, it was time for Tony Khan, Cody, The Young Bucks, and co. to shut up and deliver.

How did they do? The numbers in the title tell the story. This was a very, very good pro-wrestling show, and likely an accurate reflection of what fans can expect from Dynamite going forward, but not the all-out banger many thought they needed on night one. Not by a longshot.

Though lacking that one huge, game-changing angle, Dynamite nonetheless delivered a cluster of good-to-great matches, a Lex Luger on Nitro moment, and one particularly nasty act of violence perpetrated by that rascal Jon Moxley. Elsewhere, the first AEW Women's Champion was crowned as Riho met Nyla Rose, Brandon Cutler fought for Dungeons & Dragons' honour against MJF, and Tony Schiavone joined the announce booth for the first time.

Let's dive into it...

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

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.