5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (4 May)

3. An Unnecessary Jericho Appreciation Society Win

Santana middle fingers
AEW

The problem with last night's Santana vs. Chris Jericho match wasn't its quality, as the match largely delivered on its promise as a heated singles brawl in the midst of a grander multi-person feud, but that it felt inessential.

Nothing new happened here. It's always nice to see Santana in singles action, but AEW has already established the Jericho Appreciation Society's numerical advantage as a key theme in this feud. The promotion didn't need to spend another nine minutes on an interference-influenced heel victory based on an identical premise.

The babyfaces were even more shorthanded this week. With Eddie Kingston fireballed off television for the time being, Santana had only Ortiz to back him up, making the tandem easy pickings for the JAS to pick apart.

It's time for this rivalry to evolve. The core story of two divergent factions with vastly different wrestling philosophies squaring off is a good one, but we are essentially getting weekly repeats of the same angle dressed in different clothes at the moment.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.