6 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Late Night Dynamite (Sep 22)

Downs...

1. Confused Narrative Stifles Jay Vs. Rhodes

Anna Jay vs. Brandi Rhodes suffered not for a lack of effort, as both wrestlers worked hard through the six minutes they were given, but because Brandi's role in their storyline is all over the place.

Getting choked out after selflessly leaping to her fallen husband's aid should have babyfaced Rhodes instantly. Instead, Brandi has barely shifted her Nightmare Sisters heel character, having become increasingly villainous throughout her unlikely allegiance with Allie. Here, she was heelish throughout. Her facials, trash talk, and projected cockiness told you, definitively, that you cannot root for this person, despite her opponent.

This was particularly problematic when it came to the finish, which saw Evil Uno and Stu Grayson distract the referee before Jay kicked out of a pump kick and scored the submission via her Queen Slayer choke. The story here is that Brandi had Jay beaten until The Dark Order intervened. This is a fine way to put further sympathy on a babyface, but it doesn't work here. At all.

Jay continues to stand out as a wrestler far above her experience level, with her performance skills particularly impressive and her control segment well-worked. It'll be a while before she's anywhere close to the finished article, of course, but she looked good last night - in spite of everything.