4 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (12 April - Review)

by Michael Sidgwick

1. The Elite Vs. BCC Advances Nicely

Young Bucks Jon Moxley
AEW

Before the Elite's "goons" marched nobly to their death, Kenny Omega cut a pre-taped promo. It was class; the idea of Omega as a serious main event-level proposition adjacent to his NJPW persona was riveting.

Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli Vs. Brandon Cutler and Michael Nakazawa was a fun squash. Cutler and Nakazawa were endearing as the hapless but brave fools who knew they were doomed, and Cutler bleeding profusely underneath his mask was an effective visual. Mox's match-winning stamps actually looked a bit sh*tty, in truth, but the bait-and-switch rescued that less than ideal finish.

Omega was actually in the arena, and he wasn't alone. The Young Bucks made their return, feeling like a prominent act for the first time in a while - as opposed to the guys preventing Omega from being a prominent act himself - and handed Omega a screwdriver with which to attack Mox.

In a great bit of episodic storytelling, he hesitated. He wanted to avenge the Bucks and Don Callis, but he didn't want to avenge Hangman Page - which the use of a screwdriver may have symbolised following the events of last week. This simultaneously allowed AEW to not give away a full-on Elite Vs. BCC brawl and prolonged the full-on Elite reunion. The faction is still reeling from the events of Full Gear '21.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!