6 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (17 Aug)

2. A Lit Match In A Can Of Gasoline

Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk felt like the hottest match in wrestling from the moment the Interim AEW World Champion stuck a middle finger in his counterpart's face last week. Now, it resides on the surface of the sun.

Dynamite's show-opening promo worked not only because AEW hasn't worn this trope out like other American promotions, but because it sold the idea that CM Punk was so desperate to rip into Mox, he just couldn't wait. He was a prick here. At his cutting best, the World Champion straddled the alignment scale expertly, taking potshots at 'Hangman' Adam Page, Mox, and Eddie Kingston (the three most beloved people in the company), doing snow angels to mock Jon's long ring entrance, claiming his opponent was just the third best guy in his own stable, and more.

Mox's response was typically bellicose. The arena became a powderkeg when he joined Punk to trade verbal bombs. Talk doesn't mean sh*t to a guy like Punk who only came to AEW because he ran out of money, having long since run out of fighting spirit. Moxley is the heart and soul of the company - Punk is the dollars and sense.

A volcanic eruption followed in the form of an excellent pull-apart brawl that left both men frothing and neither satisfied. Moxley's furious attempts at getting to Punk were continually thwarted by a wall of human beings, prompting him to ambush Tony Nese mid-entrance later on. In the kind of segment that makes wrestling shows feel real, dangerous, and alive, a lit match was once again thrown into this gasoline can with the night's second chaotic brawl.

AEW has believably built a match that feels like it cannot be restrained here. Moxley and Punk will not be kept apart, leaving the promotion no choice but to book their unification match for next week, not All Out.

The company has put itself in the rare position of building to a match where an inconclusive finish would not only be forgivable, but might actually be the right choice. Punk and Moxley are 100% going to go too far. This was established through last night's electric angles - and may lead to them shredding the rulebook in Cleveland.