5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (January 31 - Results & Review)

Downs...

4. Match Was Mostly Just There

Deonna Purrazzo Tyra Valkyrie
AEW

The good news is that Deonna Purrazzo Vs. Tyra Valkyrie wasn't too sludgy.

It wasn't a great match, but it was competently worked, and while Purrazzo may have given Valkyrie too much, her Venus de Milo finish is so excellent that it always leaves a strong and definitive lasting impression. She needed the win, now that the rankings system is back in effect, and this is preferable to the stat-padding that used to go on on Dark - but logical and sensible storytelling is no guarantee of a great time.

Hikaru Shida has had her day as the division ace, is forever over, and can always be reheated as and when AEW requires - wouldn't she have made for a more high quality and slightly more unpredictable match-up?

On a show dominated by utterly predictable pairings, Deonna and Tyra had no chance in what is already a death slot, and in general, in this rebooted rankings era, AEW could do with one match per show that is not a complete formality.

Toni Storm was a riot, again, on commentary - especially the line about Tyra needing no invitation to her trademark command of "t*ts out!"

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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!