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

2. A Big Disappointment

25 4 Swerve Strickland
AEW

Jon Moxley Vs. Powerhouse Hobbs was flat.

It told a logical enough story, but there was zero tension, suspense, or ultra-violent energy. Mox should have wrestled from underneath as a bloody mess struggling to survive against a bad and mean monster. The sense of peril should have felt alarming. And then, much like he did against Mr. Brodie Lee, Mox should have unleashed a frantic, relentless ass-kicking at the finish, putting across the idea that he had to burn through 100% of his stamina in one burst, otherwise he was doomed.

This shouldn't have resembled an outright copy of the Double Or Nothing 2020 semi-main, but the energy of that much really should have been harnessed here. None of that happened and really, very little did.

This was a slow and frankly dull dissection of match, one that Mox won, in an anticlimactic finish with no drama, after trapping Powerhouse in the Bulldog choke. Hobbs looked to have suffered a real injury - and best wishes to him if so - but the match wasn't trending in a strong direction regardless.

A real disappointment.

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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!