5 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dynamite (18 May)

3. A Hurried, Unsatisfying Main Event

Adam Cole and Jeff Hardy may have been shorted for time last night. Their main event ran only seven minutes and gave the impression of a shortcutted, rushed plan, as they struggled to tell the story of Jeff labouring through injuries incurred in last week's destructive Darby Allin match adequately. The wrestlers are therefore entitled to a pass. If they were forced to condense, that's a difficult situation - and one that should be acknowledged.

But the viewing experience was still subpar. Marred, in particular, by a plodding heat segment following the opening flurry (Cole attacked Hardy on the ramp), as well as some sluggish selling from Jeff, the bout struggled to click into gear despite the performers' best efforts.

Lowering the Boom after rolling away from a Swanton Bomb gave Cole the victory. Afterwards, a post-match beatdown featuring both Hardys, reDRagon, and The Young Bucks set the path for Matt and Jeff vs. Nick and Matt at the pay-per-view. Earlier, the two teams further their rivalry through the Bucks' concern-trolling over Jeff's seemingly injured state.