4 Ups & 6 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Sept 28)

1. Are You Not Entertained?

Well, are you not?

There were a number of moments that could generously be classified as storyline developments on this edition of Dynamite, but so many of them were so creatively middling that all beauty will be in the eyes of individual beholders. This article has forever divided things into Ups and Downs, because it's better to be good or bad than boring. Especially for an otherwise-dynamic product like AEW.

Darby Allin and Jay Lethal cut promos to set up a match that somehow conspired to feel like a forced fixture for both. The match could have existed because this is a wrestling company and wrestling is their job, not because they had to invent a beef. Lethal wanting to go it alone was a hook tossed out, but can anybody really be bothered to take the bait? Ricky Starks got all of 45 seconds plus his entrance to build on his Rampage win over Powerhouse Hobbs. Elsewhere, Jungle Boy swore revenge on Luchasaurus and Christian Cage, again, and it's a good job he's got some beef with the former as the latter can't be there any time soon.

Subjective and petty gripes perhaps, but more egregious was the tacked on Hangman Page/Jon Moxley face-off. A showdown of the two top guns in town this badly, badly was not. Where was it really going before MJF broke them up, other than to an ad break. And why, for that matter did MJF break them up? Doesn't it benefit him to have anybody near that belt be a knackered wreck for when he cashes his chip?

Wrestling shows are easy to book. Booking them well is the hard part, and only now are some of Tony Khan's favourite tricks showing their age.

More's the pity, because elsewhere...