4 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dynamite (15 Feb - Review)

2. "Main Event" Is A Big Self-Own

Toni Storm Dr Britt Baker
AEW

If you're going to satirise WWE, sharpen your blade.

The ongoing "homegrowns" versus ex-WWE imports story was advanced in a dire, contrived and heatless way last night via the Toni Storm Vs. Dr. Britt Baker Vs. Ruby Soho three-way match. If the idea is to poke fun at WWE's self-perception of superiority, then don't book a bad cliché of a WWE match; otherwise, it's humiliating.

When Ruby Soho with exaggerated sub-NXT inner conflict wasn't worried about whom to target - "anybody" is the answer; this is the wins and losses matter promotion - two women worked spots as the other took their turn to sell for far longer than they would in the singles context.

This was deeply contrived, and the premise was rancid. Toni Storm voluntarily left WWE because she was booked as a geek who didn't care that she was being embarrassed. Having her play the 'Stand Up For WWE" character is woefully unconvincing, and Soho wondering aloud whose side she's on felt just as fake. The finish somehow scanned as a shock to everybody else.

Soho won a match!

That's what she's supposed to do!

She's the only character with a credible motive, and it took her far too long to arrive at an intelligent decision. The homegrowns and the imports are both self-serving heel characters. What are we doing here?

This feels more like elaborate, indirect punishment booking of Miro and Andrade than a story and mystery that the fans (and indeed the characters) actually care about.

Here's something terrifying: Vince Russo booked women's wrestling better in 2007 than Tony Khan and Triple H are booking it in 2023.

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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!