14 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (20 Nov)

Downs...

1. Proud & Ponderous

Proud and Powerful vs. Private Party was a good, solid tag team match that could and should have been a ripper. That's why it's a Down. Few things are more disappointing than when a potentially eyeball-popping bout doesn't live up to expectations and while the quartet's attempt at a slower, more measured pace atypical of AEW's tag scene so far was appreciated, Santana and Ortiz vs. The Young Bucks this was not.

Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy found room for their big spots but weren't particularly compelling while working from beneath. They're branching out with layouts like this and their match vs. Best Friends on Dark, and it's exposing their greenness. That's fine, because they're far from the finished article, but it isn't always exciting viewing at the moment. Private Party are much more compelling in their cocaine comfort zone.

This *** bout that should've been ****+ concluded with Nick Jackson interfering, yanking P&P's baseball-filled sock away, making enough of a scene to facilitate the Gin and Juice. Having Ortiz and Santana lose is questionable, though the bookers have earned our faith that they're still heading in the right direction.

Nice to hear the referee shouting "tag rope!" to Ortiz at the bell, though. These sloppy rules do need to be enforced more often in AEW.