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

Ups...

5. Opener Is Passable

Jeff Hardy Jon Moxley
AEW

Jon Moxley, perhaps being readied to work a debuting WillI Ospreay or Kazuchika Okada at Revolution, went over Jeff Hardy in the opener.

After a halfway spirited brawl early, the match, unfolding against a quiet and small crowd so self-consciously lit that they looked ink black, the heat sequence felt like it lasted 10 minutes - not ideal for the hot opener slot.

It went on and on, but after wittily cutting off a comeback by punching Jeff as he flew off the steps, Mox drew inspiration from Randy Orton by working the hole in Jeff Hardy's ear. In a really cool idea, leading the match an improvised feel, he didn't retrieve it from under the ring but rather stole it from Excalibur's hand. When he warms up, Jeff Hardy is of value. He can actually move, for a start, and he can still draw a reaction. Given his poor form since arriving in AEW, in recent weeks, he's looked positively, shockingly dynamic.

After the pen spot, the match lacked any real identity or true deep-in-the-soul emotion - they took it home, as most wrestlers these days do, after an apron spot and an extended finisher reversal sequence - but Jeff's inherent star power and renewed motivation carried this one, albeit narrowly, over the line of the "gentleman's three".

Advertisement
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!