5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (January 31 - Results & Review)
Even the good stuff wasn't exactly great on a show stolen by Hangman Page...
AEW is in an uneasy place at present.
Tony Khan has recognised that the fanbase wasn't exactly enamoured with what became of his product in the latter half of 2023, and when those fans put their money where their f*cking mouths were, by ensuring the Continental Classic was a relative ratings success on Saturday nights, he set about "restoring the feeling". Roderick Strong, an NXT character in the "sports-oriented" promotion, was stripped of his dire comedy overtones. Samoa Joe - a wrestler nobody hates, an ultra-credible, über-respected safe pair of hands - was installed as AEW World champion. The return of the rankings system was announced. This felt like AEW, but also not: almost as if Khan was making moves to prevent criticism as opposed to inspiring rabid enthusiasm.
The thing is, you can't just say things are going to improve and magically reverse the rot and the stigma at the same time. AEW remains cold - a woolly mammoth entombed in permafrost cold - at the domestic box office. This week's Dynamite threatened a bleak and uninspiring experience.
WrestleTix revealed a bleak, TNA on Tour cap of 2,000 tickets sold. Sometimes, as with the latest Collision taping, this can work in AEW's favour. Oddly, sometimes, a small crop of fans are intent on making the best of it.
The card didn't promise much in the way of energy, though, which in grim tandem with a piss-poor gate, promised very little. Of the six announced four wrestlers in them - Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam and Tyra Valkyrie - seem like they move through treacle these days.
Ageing, over-exposed stars, novelty attractions, a predictable result in every single match: dread isn't quite the word, but Christ, the announced line-up was hardly consistent with Khan's "2024 is the new 2021" social media posturing.
Was the feeling AEW sought to restore utter apathy, or...?