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

2. Monster Hunter

Few could have predicted relative unknowns Riho and Nyla Rose would be in this spot when AEW announced plans to crown their first Women's World Champion on Dynamite's TNT debut. Names like Britt Baker, the now-absent Kylie Rae, and Bea Priestley may have come to mind, so credit to All Elite for going with the 'Native Beast' and the diminutive joshi prodigy, and credit to them for building on the Fyter Fest hook of Riho's shock roll-up pin of Rose.

This turned out to be the best match on the show. Really, the only major downer was Baker's inexpressive, colour-less performance as a guest commentator, with the good doctor invoking the spirit of the banished Alex Marvez. There were a couple of sloppy moments too, but Riho and Nyla worked hard to overcome them, and in the end, the bout had too much good about it to nitpick.

While both have plenty still to learn, they're both excellent at nailing the things that make their character tick. For Riho, the undersized underdog, that means selling, bumping, and showing fire from beneath. For Nyla, it's brute force and impeccable monster heel timing. See the moment when Rose effortlessly caught the flying Riho on the outside before dropping her with a backbreaker for evidence of both.

Excellent spot-to-spot escalation culminated with Riho somehow nailing an avalanche Northern Lights Suplex towards the end. A spectacular moment, and she eventually put Rose away with a double stomp to become the first AEW Women's World Champion, having weathered a deadly storm to do so. A much more interesting story than the big scary monster getting her win back.