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

4. Gentle 'Up' For Very Good But Very Familiar Action

Wheeler YUTA Daniel Garcia
AEW

Strictly, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler YUTA Vs. Jake Hager and Daniel Garcia was a good to very good match that generated a hot crowd response.

The spot in which Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler YUTA put their arms over one another's shoulders before launching a stereo big boot is neat babyface stable work, Jake Hager always looks so much more like the dynamic monster Jim Ross insists that he is in a tag team context, and the YUTA/Daniel Garcia exchanges did far more than the apathetic booking to get fans hyped on the prospect of their clash at Final Battle. That last bit of praise is especially glowing, since it feels like the opposite of a rubber match; yes, it is the deciding encounter, but it's far from the most highly anticipated.

The thing is, this was expected to be good. It had to fail dismally to be bad, given the sheer level of talent involved, and that does include Hager, terrifying botch aside.

The babyfaces prevailed, which ignited hope over the conclusion of the overdone Jericho Appreciation Society Vs. Blackpool Combat Club saga - of which this hardly the most captivating chapter.

And that's not all...

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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!