4 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (12 April - Review)
1. A Drab Main Event
The main event was a real struggle, albeit with some cute ideas studded into it.
Chris Jericho's knees-up counter to Keith Lee's moonsault proved fruitless in an amusing sight gag, and he took an incredible powerbomb that required an awe-inspiring feat of strength to set-up, but elsewhere, the match was glacial in its pacing and regulation in its content. Every time Lee threatened to do something spectacular, Daniel Garcia prevented him from doing it, which is fine, a necessary story beat given Lee's physical limitations, but every spot was telegraphed beyond belief.
A wrestler is meant to pretend to do the thing they are ultimately prevented from doing more slowly than usual in order to make the crowd feel disappointed and get the heat on the heel. The issue is that Lee is so slow in the singles context, and Jericho isn't especially dynamic these days, that it was beyond obvious. The sense of expectation replaced the deflated sigh, flattening the atmosphere.
Keith Lee still has immense value in AEW. He was great in Swerve In Our Glory, when he was able to demonstrate his prowess in short, electrifying bursts. As a singles player, he looks laboured, and Jericho was not his ideal opponent. His wacky facials and attempts at slapstick selling couldn't compensate for how ultimately flat and boring this was as a viewing experience. Lee needs dynamic opponents to convey his power effectively.
His style is a source of very simple but potent joy, but it only works when his opponents look like they are careening to their doom. This was a rare failure of matchmaking on Tony Khan's part, and for what? It's good that Khan embraces the continuity of all wrestling, but why prop up pandemic "black and gold" NXT?
In fairness, Cole and Lee might make for a fun, temporary tag team.
Lee lost as a result of Swerve's interference. That feud feels cold at the moment, but Lee bealing Prince Nana should heat it back up.