5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (20 April)

3. A Necessary Turn, But...

Tay Conti Sammy Guevara
AEW

Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti going heel was a necessary and welcome move. Swimming against the tide of crowd reactions isn't something AEW typically does, so the promotion leaning into the increased levels of negativity thrown at Tay and Sammy in recent weeks was to be expected. Here, they were total heels, with Guevara dressed ostentatiously, the "be mad" catchphrase for their haters, and continued effort at rubbing their relationship in the fans' faces.

Unfortunately, the rivalry with American Top Team is still yielding rough television - and will continue to do so until it is resolved.

Dan Lambert has become a de facto babyface in a promotion he is supposed to be the antithesis of. It happened with Brandi Rhodes, and it has happened again here, with Ethan Page, Scorpio Sky, and the ATT chief forced into an ill-fitting box to facilitate the Guevara program. Fortunately, this looks like it will culminate in next week's TNT Title ladder match and the mixed tag featuring Paige VanZant.

It should be impossible for audiences to cheer Lambert and his crew. His values are the complete opposite of what AEW stands for, while his charges, the Men of the Year, fit the bill as flashy, WWE-style heels. Yet here we are.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.