5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite: Blood & Guts 2023 (Review)

1. The Bad Of Blood & Guts

Konosuke Takeshita
AEW

Blood & Guts III was mostly excellent, but it was by no means perfect.

The constant anxiety over Ibushi's state was a less than ideal plot thread, but that wasn't the only issue with the match. Firstly, the West Side Story stand-off. Even if it wasn't contrived and hokey, it is at this point years and years out of date. It's a grabby attempt to get fans to chant "Fight Forever" and the very fake-feeling of the blocking undermines the idea that these men are going to war. They're not going to war; they are going to the set.

Why is it mandatory?

Because it gets that reaction, sadly.

Also: why couldn't Blood & Guts simply be a match fought between two seats of teams who despise one another? Tony Khan needed a main event for Death Before Dishonor, yes, but setting up PAC and Claudio Castagnoli by having them argue opened up a plot hole. Technically, PAC surrendered. In addition to that, Konosuke Takeshita noped the match by the finish. Why? Why create a scene where the babyfaces win with a two-man advantage?

Also, it took a long time for anybody to bleed, and too few of the wrestlers did - which, following reports of new safety measures, meant that for a few too many minutes, the threat of a Blood & Guts match with no blood lingered.

Beyond that, it was fantastic.

Read on...

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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!