6 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (February 21 - Results & Review)

1. Superb Opener Proves Wrestling Itself Is A Storytelling Vehicle

FTR Vs. Blackpool Combat Club was a fantastic, fantastic television match. It kicked all kinds of f*cking ass.

Cash Wheeler may well be the most underrated wrestler in the world, and he underscored how great he is here by entering an undeniable performance informed by vengeance. He was overwhelmed by the vile conduct of Jon Moxley, who last week endangered his partner Dax Harwood by cinching in the Bulldog choke long after Dax was out. In a rare good all-tweener affair, he even cheated in order to get his pound of flesh.

The thread of pure pissy hatred was never once dropped even when the match entered its most ostentatious stretch. The facials in this match were pitch-perfect. A feeling of testosterone pulsed through everything.

Deep into the dramatic shoot-out of the last five minutes, Dax applied a sharpshooter to Mox. Claudio applied his own to Cash. The enmity between Claudio and Dax was such that they each broke the hold and just started slapping each other, very hard, in the face. No betrayal brought the teams to this point. It's only slightly personal. This was pure machismo, I can piss further than you sh*t. Often that can feel off-putting in a try-hard way if the energy isn't there, but the energy was right. Mox bleeding the hard way will help to accomplish that.

Even in flashes, in the small moments, the feeling was palpable. Cash Wheeler through the urgency of his footwork alone deepened what was a glorious and distinct tone. His individual performance was fabulous, but so was the entire thing. God, this match had such a killer tone and emotion to it that was not grabby or desperate in the slightest.

The match ended in a time limit draw, just as FTR were about to execute the Shatter Machine, all but confirming a rematch under some stipulation at Revolution. This news is more than welcome.

FTR Vs. BCC is an instant hit of a combination.