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

5. CM Punk Beats Penta Oscuro, Climbs The Ladder

Penta Oscuro's recent run of disappointing form continued opposite CM Punk, who carried a middling match well enough for it to finish on the positive side of the ledger.

A top rope botch was expertly turned into part of the story by Punk, proving that slip-ups need not derail a bout. With both men jostling on the turnbuckles, Punk slipped, forcing Penta back down to the mat himself. Immediately, Punk worked this into the match's existing story. Having tweaked his knee on a suicide dive earlier on, the would-be AEW World Title contender styled the error out as a product of his damaged limb, reaffirming his industry-best mental sharpness and ability to adjust on the fly.

Penta's disjointed offensive spells aside, the match was at least competitive and attritional. Punk was made to work hard for the GTS and, after failing to hit it through conventional set-ups, had to improvise, catching Penta out of a springboard and drilling him for the pinfall.

Serving as an effective ladder-climber for Punk (Penta was ranked fourth before this, with Punk fifth), if nothing else, this had the crowd hooked. Penta needs a rethink, though. The Oscuro gimmick is hokey - and the work isn't compensating.