6 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (15 Mar - Review)

by Michael Sidgwick

1. Even Better Show-Closing Cliffhanger

The Elite Hangman Page BCC
AEW

The fanbase is split on when AEW was at its very best.

The build to Full Gear '19? The comeback that drove the seminal build to Revolution '20? The white-hot summer of '21, in which fans returned and virtually every Dynamite was an incandescent party? The build to Revolution '22, during which the very best of CM Punk realised a pipe dream seven years in the making?

Three quarters of the time, when AEW was never better, the Elite were at the narrative epicentre of the promotion. Last night's show-closing angle brought those times back to unreal effect.

After the Trios title match, the backstage brawl between the BCC and Dark Order spilt into the ringside area. With the same elegant plotting that drove the big matches at Full Gear '19 forward, Hangman Page "found himself" between Jon Moxley and the Elite. The very idea of a reformed Elite sent the Winnipeg fans into a frenzy, but this was no full reunion, not yet.

The events of Full Gear '21 have yet to be resolved, and the impeccable framing of the scene mirrored the masterpiece that was the Revolution '20 post-match. Again, Page was separate to the core Elite trio, but the difference is that he's closer to finally standing by their side.

It won't be that simple - unlike the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega seems reluctant to embrace his old partner, because Page had bested him - but the future direction of the Elite is fascinating. In a nostalgic echo and intriguing cliffhanger, the real best story in all of wrestling crept back into AEW canon.

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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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!