7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (December 20 - Results & Review)

6. Good Match, Yet Another Bad Devil-Related Promo

Roderick Strong defeated Komander in a brief, good match that presumably existed to remind you that he will interact with MJF in a major way at some point. Then again, he's been at this thing for months, and the only thing he's done is rise out of his wheelchair.

In what was either a great moment of improvisation or serendipity, Komander lost his footing flipping over Strong, but he lured him into the ropes after stumbling backwards. Whether intended or not, the match felt like a good, convincing struggle in that moment. Tony Khan remains a very good matchmaker, and he likely suspected that Komander would take a quite incredible End of Heartache.

The reason for the match revealed itself when Komander flip-rotated before jarring his spine across Strong's knee in a wonderful EoH variation. Awesome finish.

In a post-match promo, Strong ranted and raved about MJF being the Devil in his comedy voice, screaming every other word. It wasn't funny, and part of the problem with this entire main event storyline is that it's so frivolous. The Masked Men look like sh*t, and the Strong subplot is played for pure comedy. It's as if AEW is actively doing everything in their power, like their very lives depended on it, to make the Devil - this character is named after Satan himself! - not feel remotely intimidating.

It's a shame because, as will be covered shortly, the actual plotting isn't half-bad...

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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!