6 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (21 June - Review)

3. The Story In The Body Of The Match Was Great, At Least

Katsuyori Shibata
AEW

This match was such a treat.

As covered elsewhere, the post-match was as fake as it gets in AEW, but the action itself sold the upcoming Forbidden Door four-way as a potentially exceptional undercard show-stealer. Zack Sabre, Jr. and Katsuyori Shibata could wrestle all day, not take a bump, and create drama through the most intricate of chess match limb work. They are phenomenal in an understated way rarely witnessed in a major promotion. Their exchange was fantastic.

Daniel Garcia, sharing a ring with two of the best in the field that he knows is his destiny, doubled down on his hilarious bullsh*t, entering hyper-denial mode. Cassidy unsettled him easily, but he had a trickier time with Zack Sabre, Jr., who was cast effectively as a potential spoiler on Sunday. Shibata's work was the emotional thrust of the match.

He remains beloved, and is otherworldly at chain wrestling, but he seems more happy to play the detached, wiser old pro keeping the young young'uns in check. Not here.

In an electrifying exchange near the finish, Shibata, tested by Garcia - who had started to take everything more seriously - fired up. This was amazing. Shibata fans haven't seen this level of emotion since a welcome (if a bit weird) return. This was a really, really well-told story until the finish.

ZSJ is at the top of his game.

Garcia by the end couldn't suppress his hunger to get there.

Shibata, finally, seems to resent the idea that he's a different wrestler.

And now Cassidy must find a way to beat them all.

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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!