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

3. Let It Play Out

Wardlow Jim Ross
AEW

On a night on which Revolution badly needed some juice, a cold programme was heated up unexpectedly. The trust that AEW will eventually deliver, and that you need to let things play out, felt crucial.

In an earnest sit-down interview, the meaning behind Samoa Joe cutting off Wardlow's top knot was revealed. Wardlow, who badly needed character development and was humanised here, talked of his complex relationship with his father. He wasn't always there for him, and just as Wardlow embarked on his wrestling career, his father passed from stage four cancer. Wardlow grew his hair out in tribute, and he shared that story with Samoa Joe when they teamed together. Joe knew exactly what he was doing, and to great dramatic effect, via this delayed revelation, the audience knows too.

The plotting here was superb; had we known about this tribute before Joe cut his hair off, it would have felt contrived and cheap. Instead, the pathos elicited here was so effective. At its best, AEW can draw pathos from an out-of-date hairstyle.

That's the expected standard.

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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!