6 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (October 18 - Results & Review)

2. Penta El Zero Miedo Vs Jay White

There was a point during Penta Vs Jay White where ‘Switchblade’ attempted to tie his opponent’s mask to the ropes, only to be foiled by the knot being too loose and/or the mask itself being too flimsy to stay attached.

The spot not working played no part in the story, the finish nor even White’s period of control, but something about the way both the wrestlers and the prop conceded summed up the contest itself. Once one half an electrifying graphic drop any time he flew solo, Penta is now the guy that fights from underneath, has his mask targeted and usually loses. As he was here, in a predictable and uninspired outing that didn’t exactly provide a hot Texas crowd with a flying start. A ceremonial chop battle was too drawn out and delayed to feel authentic, and by the time the audience started coming up, the predictable interference finish put them right back down. Serviceable is fine and can even be good, but this was something less than an elite display from the Number One Contender.

The formality of the bout was recovered somewhat by another good post-match promo from The Bang Bang Gang on MJF (and more on that elsewhere), but the formula feels tired already in contrast to the side-splitting backstage salvos the group had been firing weeks earlier. Skits and bits can be great when they’re hot, though when they’re not…