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

3. A Division Is Forming

The Bucks were shown arriving late, mulling over the format sheet as if it mattered, since the show was already in progress. If you can stomach the leaning in, that was a good punchline.

In a potentially interesting bit of deft, dovetailing booking - the deep level of thought that once existed during the heyday of the promotion - it can't be a coincidence that the Young Bucks are trying with the notion of abusing their power at the exact same moment AEW itself returns to the meritocracy of the rankings system. Earnest heat could be drawn from this clash of ideas: people really do like the concept of the rankings system. This has potential, as does the Bucks outright pretending to do their jobs. A teased match against Top Flight is always a fun time, too. An actual tag team division is emerging on Dynamite, as opposed to the 25 minutes of acclaim bait FTR get on Collision every other week.

The Bucks watched on as Sting and Darby Allin cut a short, sweet and effective promo outlining their intention to win the World Tag Team titles - and in an argument that was almost three years out of date, correctly identified themselves as #1 contenders. On a night of few actual positives, Darby Allin proved again that he has quietly developed into a strong promo.

When Sting retires, Allin should be elevated all the way into the title picture.

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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!