6 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite: New Year's Smash (Dec 27 - Results & Review)
Strong Continental Classic business carries AEW's flagship through to Worlds End.
Dynamite was missing an agonised JR call slamming Samoa Joe for doing business "with The Devil himself", but AEW still managed to hammer home the point as cameras faded to black. On Saturday, Joe challenges MJF for the World Title at Worlds End. Here, he caused Max to lose the ROH Tag-Team Titles and laid him out with the belt.
It worked.
Not everything from Wednesday's flagship did. Some stories feel like they're totally dragging and a real chore, whilst others have resurfaced long past their sell-by-dates. All Elite also decided to reunite two wrestlers for the millionth time - that was a case of diminishing returns, and it rendered another union ultimately pointless.
Back on the plus side, the Continental Classic has been a blessing on company TV recently. Tony Khan will do well to find something else as fun to keep things ticking over on Dynamite, Rampage and Collision in the new year, put it that way. At least the final bout is set, and it has the potential to be a proper scorcher.
Here's all the good and bad from AEW's last major stop pre-Worlds End.