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

3. A Fun Main Event, Nothing More

Rob Van Dam Swerve Strickland
AEW

Early in the Dealer's Choice match, Hangman Page appeared on the big screen to advise Swerve Strickland that he should have read the paperwork: Page was able to select both the opponent and the stipulation. He selected, as was all but confirmed, Rob Van Dam. The Hardcore match was an unexpected bonus announced at the perfect time.

Until the shortcuts were withdrawn from under the ring, though, Van Dam looked constantly on the verge of falling over when when launching Swerve into the guardrail to create movement for him. Happily, instinct took over when Van Dam ran through his crowd-pleasing spots, and he can still reach impressive distances with his guardrail leg lariat. There was a boggy quality to the match at points, but the crowd's nostalgic affection for RVD helped carry it before some inspired and well-executed set-pieces. It was quite tame by AEW's standards.

Or perhaps that standard no longer exists, at least on television: you can stop making those sh*t Jon Moxley jokes, because the days of Dynamite being soaked in blood are, sadly, over. An almost generic LED sheen has blanketed the promotion, and this match, fun as it was in spots, typified that. Where was the blood?

Also, this was the second consecutive week, in which no match approached great, headlined by the sort of novelty affair that felt more charming a few years ago. RVD doing RVD things is cool, but he's already done it in AEW after doing it full-time for decades. Skippable table-setting for next week's show, all in all. A fitting main event - a crowd-pleaser, but nothing that would capture the imagination of the wider audience.

Dynamite was slightly better than expected, but was hardly the sort of show that will make you rush to AEWTix dot com.

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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!