AEW went heavy on video packages for a (welcome) change on last night's Dynamite, and it was pleasing to see the company reaping some of what they've been sowing with a women's division in a vastly superior position than it was 12 months ago.
Aside from the tournament semi final and every development that came with it, the company effectively promoted Britt Baker Vs Riho, Serena Deeb Vs Hikaru Shida and Penelope Ford & The Bunny Vs Tay Conti & Anna Jay, and all with highlights of the work that's been done. Yes, the latter contests are just the latest in a long series of rematches, but in the case of Deeb/Shida it's at very least something the majority of fans still want to see.
The systemic dudebro energy is still too strong for its own good on a show that theoretically aims to be progressive, but to assert that AEW aren't doing enough by the bulk of the female roster would now be grossly unfair.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
