6 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (7 June - Review)
1. Abrupt Main Event Under-Delivers
The main event was good, not great. Good isn't good enough.
AEW has failed to optimise the impact of Jay White, and this chapter of a sludgy, non-committal storyline did not help. Is Jay White considered a star or not? How much should we care about and expect from him? This confusion hung over the atmosphere of a lukewarm main event. White, who has a disgusting amount of potential, isn't a game-changer in the narrative. Tony Khan understands his potential, but doesn't want to beat Ricky Starks cleanly. The stakes felt low, the atmosphere almost cynical, as a result. The work while not enormously effective was very good. In patches.
Ricky Stark emotes like few others. White is great, Christian Cage-like, at setting traps and playing bastard's tricks. This should have created an absorbing dynamic, of the impulsive babyface trying to overcome the composed heel, but it just hasn't clicked. Is it a chemistry issue? Did the fans suspect the carny finish? The Gunns joined Bullet Club in a telegraphed angle - not everybody was banned from ringside - following the sort of ref bump spot that feels ancient. Is this good/effective because they're brats who have undermined the sanctity of the sport?
No.
The original Bullet Club worked in the context of early 2010s New Japan because interference was an actual transgression. The fans were legitimately disgusted. In AEW in 2023, it's the norm, and it's impossible for most heels to get heat for it. Jay White feels like a cliché, and it's all a bit bleak. He is far too good.
Needs a major rethink, all of this.