6 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (26 April - Review)

Ups...

6. Opener Is Hot And Very Good (If Flawed)

Orange Cassidy Vs. Bandido wasn't without its awkward moments, particularly near the finish.

The idea that Cassidy's hand isn't at full strength - preventing him from hitting the Orange Punch as snugly - was under-baked here. Also, while the fans did get up for the match at its various, thrilling peaks, it was hard to escape the feeling that there weren't too many people in too big an arena. It didn't feel packed to the rafters, bursting with vigour. Still, this was a very good opener, flaws aside, and that in part is because Orange Cassidy always gets you.

For a while here, it felt as though he was leaning too heavily on his shtick. It felt less like the strategy that it actually is until, in an incredible moment that deserved a bigger pop, Cassidy outwitted Bandido by somehow conspiring to hit a hurricanrana with his hands in his pockets. That was one of his best ever chess moves. The level of deceit and athletic working ability to execute that was astonishing.

This wasn't the only incredible spot - Bandido's one-armed superplex was outrageous - but that's more or less what the match was: a collection of very impression moments lacking in connective tissue. That is unusual for Cassidy, who has told one long elegant story with this reign. The anticlimactic finish brought that into focus. Cassidy won suddenly despite the worked hand injury.

Structurally disjointed, the action itself was hot enough to warrant an 'Up' here.