6 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (13 April)

2. Marina Shafir Gets Near-Silence

Skye Blue Marina Shafir
AEW

Marina Shafir's squash victory over Skye Blue got nothing from the live crowd last night, with the former MMA fighter's quickfire triumph playing out to near-silence.

Evidently, her act hasn't gotten over - and it isn't her fault. The scant effort put into building Shafir up as Jade Cargill's 30th AEW opponent is to blame here. While there might be some name recognition from her time in AEW, social media barbs and a 10-second Dark/Elevation highlight reel clearly haven't been enough.

There were a couple of awkward transitions in this short runtime, with Shafir taking the W via a variation of a triangle hold. Cuts to Red Velvet and Kiera Hogan in Jade's Baddie Section hint towards what could be a fun stable for the TBS Champion, whose latest challenger, despite her real-world credibility and stone-cold vibe, hasn't been well-built.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.