6 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (November 1 - Results & Review)

1. Fun Main Event Needs Higher Stakes

The Acclaimed Austin Gunn
AEW

Is the MJF Vs. Jay White programme up there with the very best of AEW?

No.

Is it a World title programme that aims to sell a pay-per-view?

Yes, and there exists a curve against which to measure its quality. Standards are high, stratospheric even, and this whole business falls short.

MJF and the Acclaimed Vs. Bullet Club Gold was a fun main event, but it didn't help inject any real drama or importance to MJF/White. The Acclaimed's act is crowd-pleaser stuff that is overexposed and hasn't felt driven by any true emotion since they defended their World Tag Team titles against FTR. The act is broader now.

Also, BGC are flailing bratty midcard heels masquerading as a main event unit. They're fun, in an over-the-top way, but they're hardly the Four Horsemen. Combine all of that with MJF's crowd-conditioning gimmick, and there was no real heft to any of the Dynamite main, much as the fans in the arena wanted to see the faces get on the same page.

Jay White scored the pin on MJF, which in theory strengthens his title challenge (but also signposts that he's not going to do it twice). The Blade Runner should if nothing else create an incredible near-fall at Full Gear. This might be generous, but MJF took the pin and still thanked the Acclaimed for their efforts by scissoring them. If you're into this character arc, MJF made a friend that didn't do anything for him. Adam Cole has attempted to impart this lesson for a while now. That's progress!

It's not seminal main event material, but it's decent character work for an arc that, while divisive, is well thought-out on its own terms.

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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!