7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (11 May)

4. Storm Zero'd

Toni Storm Jamie Hayter
AEW

Jamie Hayter and Toni Storm worked a great, compact television match in the opening round of the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament, making the most of their eight minutes with the calibre of work you'd expect from two of the best in the division.

The finish was particularly impactful. Toni landed the Storm Zero out of a backslide, pulling the move off so suddenly, and so jarringly that it looked impossibly brutal. There was so little distance between Hayter's head and the ground that the impact needed to be sharp and snapping. It was - and the execution was the right kind of ugly.

Elsewhere, Hayter backbreaker that registered only as skim across the knee was sold as such by the aggressor, who immediately adjusted and sold the joint, having attempted to drive Storm's back across her thigh. This came following a spirited, clean comeback from Toni following an effective heat segment that came around through Hayter's established power advantage.

This is the kind of bout the women's division would benefit from hosting more often, albeit on a grander scale.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.