6 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (11 Jan - Review)

5. A Wonderful And Very Clever Moment

Adam Cole Return
AEW

Adam Cole's AEW return was a wonderful moment in and of itself, and like the excellent worker that he is, his good news/bad news ruse elevated it to something special as a segment of television.

This is what people rave about when they rave about AEW; when Tony Schiavone said that it gave him no pleasure to introduce his next guest, it was easy to picture the 'We Hear From The Jericho Appreciation Society' graphic. Schiavone deadpanned Jericho's ROH run with his "systematic cheating" runner. He also loathes MJF.

He was instead, with a lovely wink-and-nudge, referring to his storyline heat with Adam Cole.

Cole - about the one wrestler you're allowed to think actually is a phenomenal human being - looked ecstatic to be out there. And he still pulled off the "The bad news isn't for me" bait and switch, because that's how talented an orator he is. Cole is back, cleared, and radiated as much superstar charisma as charm. Encouragingly, he acknowledged that his first run could have gone better and vowed to explore every last bit of his potential.

Part of the issue is that, by the end of his NXT run, fans were desperate to cheer him. A babyface turn was long overdue. In AEW, already overcrowded, he turned up as the same Cole fans had seen over the last five years.

This was so powerful that if he isn't actually turning, he should.

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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!