5 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Dynamite (8 Mar - Review)

1. But Seriously. What Is Going On With This Show?

QT Marshall
AEW

This isn't the first time a post-Pay-Per-View edition of Dynamite hasn't managed to build on the tremendous momentum gained from yet another awesome Sunday show, but this might be the most egregious and poorly-timed misfire yet.

It wasn't as if there weren't developments. Jon Moxley's heel turn (more on that imminently), a light at the end of the tunnel for the tag division (more on that imminently) and yet another promo-of-the-year contender (absolutely positively loads more on that imminently) all served as examples of Tony Khan still knowing how to get all of this right and making Dynamite feel like the premiere destination for North American pro wrestling.

But that's a relatively low supply over two hours, and the Sacramento crowd never truly came unglued in the way several key matches and moments needed them to. Despite some exceptional in-ring in January, the consensus on AEW's flagship heading into Revolution was that it had nose-dived in spite of itself. The pay-per-view lifted spirits, but that already now scans as a false dawn rather than the start of a consistent upturn.

It's this prevailing feeling - one that as of this show extended beyond the online bubble and into the building itself - that will last longer than Sunday's euphoria if it's allowed to.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett