7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (19 Jan)

3. Spears Gets Squashed

CM Punk scarf
AEW

What a riot this was.

Uber goober Shawn Spears was so excited for his match with CM Punk. Unwavering in his certainty that he was going to succeed where Wardlow has waved, he waved over to MJF in the commentary booth like "look, dad, I'm gonna get him!" then charged straight into the woodchipper. A single Go To Sleep was all it took to put him down, with the match ending in complete and utter humiliation for a character that exists primarily for scenarios like this. His extreme enthusiasm leading to an immediate death must've drawn a chuckle from even the most curmudgeonly viewers.

Punk foiled MJF in the post-match confrontation, too, catching his rival before he could strike him, then leaving with his scarf. All of this came after a backstage promo in which MJF negged Wardlow hard, docking his pay and putting Spears over.

This makes Wardlow completely outclassing Spears in his own Punk match even better.

It's the best story in the company, this. Every beat has been where it needs to be. The various moving pieces couldn't have been utilised better and while Punk vs. MJF is the endgame, it'll be interesting to see if the company has another roadblock in mind for Punk.

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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.