5 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dynamite (30 August - Review)

4. Finally, Some Decent JAS Tension

Chris Jericho invited Sammy Guevara to the ring in order to smooth over the tension that lingered after the loss to Will Ospreay at All Out. This was strong.

The Jericho Appreciation Society melodrama bit has foundered when the underlings played the tension as a sympathy ploy because they are a one-dimensional gaggle of daft, clownish bastards. It's hard to buy that they feel actual emotions. Here, it worked, since the two heels were heels towards one another in what was a tense and entertaining exchange.

Escalating the insults as they each blamed the other for Jericho's loss - Sammy claimed that Jericho didn't hit Ospreay hard enough with the Judas Effect where Jericho negged Sammy for not hitting Ospreay hard enough with the baseball bat - this felt big even in the bleak, inexplicable context that was a quiet Chicago show. They have been tied together in storylines for four years.

It feels real, and the glacier slow burn makes sense for once. They'd obviously be reluctant to turn on one another, and that's what happened: they agreed to team with one another as Le Sex Gods and pursue the Tag Team titles. The split is happening, but not in a way that feels too rushed, and will be further explored through the most underrated tag team in AEW history.

Wins all around - until you consider the small matter that nobody is really clamouring for either man to play face.

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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!