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

1. Good Business Across The Board

Great business across the board from the MJF vs. CM Punk storyline, which continues to be the best thing on AEW television at the moment. The duo are totally locked into what they're doing, the beats are spot on, and most important of all, the pacing is exactly what it needs to be.

AEW are neither rushing nor dragging their heels. Everything is coming at the right time, which will lead to a greater payoff in the end.

Wardlow came out of the Punk match looking great. The big man dominated for long, long stretches, putting the more decorated wrestler through the wringer, critically faring better when he was operating on his own than when MJF was in his ear. It was when Maxwell started trying to conduct his bodyguard's symphony that things started going wrong. While MJF and Shawn Spears typically scoff at the powerbombs, Max wanted maximum punishment here, as he still wants nothing to do with Punk in a fair fight. The problem was that he went too far. Wardlow, beholden to MJF as his literal employee, only lost when he was distracted by his boss' orders.

The crowd erupted when Wardlow and MJF got heated after the bell, teasing their impending explosion. Spears emerged, cooling the situation off, before MJF played a fantastic, gotten-to hand later on, promising the audience was about to get the match it was waiting for.

Punk... versus Spears.

Tremendous stuff across the board from what has become AEW's flagship storyline in the early weeks of 2022. MJF, in particular, is playing his role to perfection, while the crowd investment here suggests Wardlow eventually turning on him is going to be huge. All going well, AEW will have emerged from this storyline having minted two megastars.

If MJF isn't one already.