6 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (26 April - Review)
3. A Slightly Better Week For The Four Pillars Storyline
The finish to Darby Allin Vs. Sammy Guevara was not ideal.
AEW is the promotion that will (mostly) refuse to do a count-out finish, even when a brawl around the arena lasts considerably longer than 10 seconds.
And that's fine!
There's an established narrative reason for it: AEW wants to deliver finishes and, as such, the officials show a bit of latitude. This has been touched upon by commentary countless times over the years. Again, consistency is the issue.
If a promotion takes that approach, it's a bit much to buy a ref disqualifying a wrestler for something they didn't see when the rules are broken in front of their very eyes all of the time. The match ended when MJF abandoned his commentary duties, handed Darby his skateboard, and Sammy pulled the old Eddie Guerrero trick. At least when AEW does something a bit daft, they still do it well: Guevara had foreshadowed the finish by mimicking Eddie's old favourites throughout. The match itself was fantastic too.
Darby's holds were so hermetically sealed that he wrestled Sammy as if glued to him. He anticipated every move Sammy made to roll out of the predicament. Sammy in turn needed to take the risk with that insane moonsault to the outside. He was getting killed, humiliated, on the mat. A high spot is so much better when it is earned in the context of the match, and Sammy and Darby did a fantastic job of justifying the insanity to follow.
Ultimately, though, the Pillars tournament was a waste of time.
All it accomplished, in the end, was burning through too many f*ck finish devices. The DQ and count-out no longer feel transgressive. For now, anyway. Still, the Darby and Jack Perry nonsense from last week was resolved with a respectful conversation earlier in the night, MJF and Sammy's chemistry was piss-funny in their own earlier promo segment, and while the decision to erase the tournament bordered uneasily on the dreaded action replay gimmick, this was a step in a less horrific direction.
Is that too generous?
Should AEW be held to a higher standard?
Yes, but MJF and Sammy kissing each on the forehead was amazing, so...