5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (April 24 - Results & Review)

Tony Khan crosses the final frontier on the same night he books a baffling, divisive show.

by Michael Sidgwick
25 4 Willow Nightingale
AEW

The line-up looked strong, the vibes in Daily's Place are always lush. The ugly LED barricades threatened to diminish the iconic aesthetic, but there's something about the unique architecture of AEW's spiritual home and the open air environment that captures the freedom of expression and unique creative vision at the heart of the promotion.

Jon Moxley was set to defend his IWGP World Heavyweight title against Powerhouse Hobbs. A fondly-remembered and wickedly brutal giant-slaying was promoted in the very same venue in 2020. That was the template.

New AEW World champion Swerve Strickland, meanwhile, was set to wrestle Kyle Fletcher in an Eliminator. This was basic, yes - a predictable reminder that AEW is "Where The Best Wrestle" - but on week one, well before the next pay-per-view cycle, a bit of acclaim wasn't going to do him any harm. Did the match generate it?

Chris Jericho was scheduled to appear in a live segment. The best he could hope for was a callous rejection loud enough for it to be perversely entertaining. How sad.

The best episodes of US cable TV deliver a trifecta of matches, angles and promos. As daft as it seemed, a segment in which Chuck Taylor had to pick his best friend between Orange Cassidy and Trent did promise some affecting drama. The Best Friends stable often deliver memorable moments at the checkpoints of their big programmes.

AEW almost always produces seminal pay-per-views. The TV has felt lacking in recent weeks.

Did last night reverse the trend...?

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!