5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (August 9 - Review)
Ups…
5. The Main Event, The Showstoppers, The Icons
Hikaru Shida's first title defence against Anna Jay didn't really deliver a stirring main event, but that's not a reason not to go again with the AEW Women's Championship in the closing spot next week. More than a fair share of male wrestlers up and down the roster have had second, third and fourth chances that aren't typically afforded to their female counterparts. To make changes, you have to actually make changes, and shooting for some parity is a healthy start.
Going back-to-back with women's title headliners was a first in 201 episodes for Dynamite, and it's this sort of commitment (if continued) that will eventually start to have the intended effect of elevating a perpetually under-thought and underwritten division. If they did it next week, there'd be two women's matches on the show for the first time since February 2022 too - helping erase another common and wholly justified complaint.
A final note on the All In four-way too - with the TBS Championship also sure to feature on the Wembley card, that will at least open spots up for a minimum of six stars on the roster. Not enough, and short on story, but history will be kind to the event it continues this movement to fix what's been badly broken.