6 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite: New Year's Smash (Dec 27 - Results & Review)
3. This Didn’t Do Much To Convince
Toni Storm is fighting an uphill battle on the same pay-per-view. Her mission, and she has no choice but to accept it, is to make Riho look like a credible threat to the Women's Title heading into Worlds End. That's tough, because the former champ popped back up out of nowhere to challenge for the gold.
Fans are audibly apathetic.
All Elite tried to present Riho as a physical match for Toni on Dynamite by having the diminutive worker run straight through Storm, Luther and Mariah May with ease. This is clutching at straws. Riho still doesn't have much character to speak of, and the women's game in AEW has moved on since she was leading the charge.
The short scuffle Tony booked on Wednesday did nothing to present the match as particularly must-see. Next to nobody buys the idea of Riho hoisting that strap high above her head at close of business on Saturday, let's be honest about it.