6 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (July 5 - Review)

4. An Intriguing New Direction Develops At The Ideal Time

Chris Jericho
AEW

The timing of this segment was so good that it's hard to believe that Chris Jericho may well have politicked himself into Blood & Guts with Bryan Danielson injured. Is that why he was drawn together with Don Callis in the narrative?

In any event, story beats flowed into one another quite brilliantly here. Jericho addressed the Edmonton crowd and acknowledged that he has become a perennial loser and is at a career crossroads, and hoped that soaking in the sights of his first territory run might rejuvenate him. What a location in which to cut this promo. Jericho created a great effect of serendipity here.

In another strong use of timing, Don Callis smelled Jericho's lack of confidence in the back and crept out to the ring to take advantage. He asked Jercho to join his family, after which both men took credit for once revitalising the other's career. Callis, who really did have a big say in the transformative Alpha Vs. Omega, said he could repeat the trick. Jericho said maybe, and will mull it over.

One plot hole aside - Kenny Omega brought Don in through the backdoor in storylines, so why Jericho insisted he himself did it is anybody's guess - this was excellent.

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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!