4 Ups & 6 Downs From AEW Dynamite (12 Jan)

2. Shida, Destroyed

Serena Deeb was just tremendous last night's Dynamite.

While fans may have expected a longer offering from her and Hikaru Shida in this, their fourth singles match, what we got was a lot more effective. Deeb destroyed Shida here, to the point that the former AEW Women's World Champion didn't stand a chance.

Deeb threw her entire body behind a chop block to Shida's injured knee as Hikaru was making her entrance. Bludgeoning the joint on the outside and dropping it across the ring steps, Deeb got into the ring, allowing the match to start, but Shida was screwed. Swarmed at the bell, she had her knee picked apart with ferocity and urgency, as blunt strikes, Dragon Screws, and other techniques rendered her barely able to move.

A single-leg crab finished Shida off at the referee's discretion. She didn't tap out, but Paul Turner made the right choice in deciding she was unable to continue.

The excellence continued after the bell, too, as Deeb needed to be restrained by an army of officials to prevent her from doing further damage. She is really hitting full gear with her salty, bitter veteran character, and this was the angle to put her over the top.