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

Ups...

6. Willow Nightingale Could Be So Much More, And Yet...

Hikaru Shida Willow Nightingale
AEW

Willow Nightingale and Hikaru Shida displayed thrilling glimpses of the great and significant match they could one day have.

The work looked fiery, snug, tight, accomplished. They balanced a precarious dynamic fairly well, working an all-babyface match and drawing duelling chants - chants louder than the staggeringly questionable matchmaking warranted.

It is very easy to split and lose the crowd in a match like this, but Shida and Nightingale assembled an entertaining shoot-out that developed a powerful level of drama and didn't allow either woman to appear weak or callous. As well put-together as it was, it was almost annoying, if you're of a pessimistic disposition. Imagine how over Willow Nightingale would be if her booking wasn't abject, thoughtless rubbish. She could be a veritable sensation.

She has lost a title match and the opportunity to be in a title match across the last three weeks. Fans should almost be resentful of the character at this point, and they love her. Imagine if AEW put in a tenth of the effort into her arc as they did Hangman Page's.

Something very special would have unfolded by now.

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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!