7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash (21 Dec - Review)

1. Hikaru Shida Vs. Jamie Hayter

One of the best women's matches in AEW history played out in the slot it deserved: the main event.

Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida felt like both a step forward for the women's division and an acknowledgement of the bruising progress it has made in 2022. There's still work to be done (it would be nice, for example, to see more than one of these bouts on a Wednesday night), though the scene's stylistic shift towards a harder style of wrestling, driven by such fights as Hayter and Shida, has benefitted it immensely. It helps, too, that with these two, Serena Deeb, Toni Storm, and many more, the skill level is now higher than ever before.

But yes, Shida vs. Hayter ruled. Two wrestlers who have never had a problem with taking lumps and giving them back fought with fury. There was a palpable nastiness behind each shot, escalating as the match progressed, much like the drama.

The pace was heartstopping. Nearfalls for the Haytbreaker raised the roof while Shida's subversion of the heel interference spot by simply beating the snot out of Britt Baker popped. Moments later, a bona fide standing ovation was earned by Hayter's powerbomb, which came from multiple counters before the best near-fall of the night.

Until the new best near-fall of the night came following a killer lariat.

Hikaru was finished soon after by a Hayterade so vicious it may have sent the former champion's skull into orbit. An excellent, attritional battle between two fantastic pro wrestlers given an opportunity to shine in the perfect spotlight, followed by Toni Storm and Saraya hitting the ring to clear it of the heels.