14 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (16 Oct)

2. Painmaker Vs. Hogtied Skater

Chris Jericho promised to bring his 'Painmaker' persona to Dynamite this week, so it was no surprise when he came out for his match with Darby Allin in full gimmick, with the facepaint, hat, spiked jacket, and everything else. A fitting aesthetic, given he was facing a man who clarts half his face in white corpse paint.

The Street Fight stipulation was smart. It hid any flaws in the ageing Jericho's work while allowing him to indulge in his floor-brawling tendencies, which has become one of his strong suits in recent years. The AEW World Champion is great as a grimy, scuzzy fighter who wails on sympathetic figures all over ringside, and he did that here, crushing Allin's larynx under the barricade, beating the piss out of him, and just straight-up abusing under undersized opponent during the break.

Allin came through with all kinds of propulsive comebacks, with the most exciting coming after Jericho had taped his hands behind his back. Hogtied but far from helpless, Darby was slapped around before firing back, hitting a hands-free Lionsault, dropkick, and stunning Tope con Hilo. An incredible top-rope dive followed. The underdog was alive... until he wasn't. Jake Hager bludgeoned Allin as he went to the top one more time. The heat through the roof, and the Walls of Jericho forced a verbal submission.

This was everything you expected it to be when Allin beat Jimmy Havoc the other week, with the tape spot giving it a big, big hook. Allin fell, but was enhanced in victory. He feels like a much bigger deal for showing such spirited against a guy like Jericho.