7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Dec 7 - Review)

5. Darby Allin Vs. Samoa Joe Is What AEW Was And Should Be

Samoa Joe Darby Allin
AEW

The optics here didn't look great: ex-WWE star, past his prime, beats homegrown project that fans have been asked to invest in for over three years. The execution of the story here was so fantastic, though, that it was impossible to think less of Darby Allin for losing clean.

If anything, as a result of this return to bold, decisive, meaningful booking, Darby looked like a badass for nearly surviving the challenge and going out the honourable way. It didn't matter that Joe, soaked in sweat and sucking air, looked past his best. Allin was such an effective victim here that Joe still has something of the old aura, even if he's more of a Hinox these days as far as monsters go.

This was a gruesome glorified handicap match in which Allin took on the combined forces of Samoa Joe and concrete, first after Joe noped Darby's shotgun blast of a lopé, and then when Joe slammed him into it himself. A smart (and very brave) match layout does infinitely more to protect a wrestler than a sh*tty cop-out finish, and this was a beautifully violent reminder of that.

Joe being gassed actually lent the hope spot and the size discrepancy a certain credibility; he took the Coffin drop to the outside credibly by falling, exhausted, onto his back.

An all-star clash with a clean yet flattering result: this is was the original high-stakes vision of AEW restored.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!