7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (January 17 - Results & Review)
4. Could The Young Bucks Be Back?
It says something damning when the Young Bucks taking their jobs more seriously is the most shocking plot twist they've been involved in since 2021.
They - now going by Matthew and Nicholas, the disruptors now embracing a sort of corporate detachment - were interviewed in a sit-down by Renee Paquette, who was typically great at trying to suppress her inner despair with a veneer of professionalism. Matthew, touching on the events of Brawl Out, explained that while Sting himself is a stand-up pro, he represents a generation of "cancerous" wrestlers that AEW should have stamped out before the promotion lost its way. It was a strong verbal performance, even if the link between Sting and CM Punk was a bit tenuous.
Matthew was great at playing it sanctimoniously, reframing himself with an almost Christ-like selflessness for building a company that can give a cheque to someone like Renee beyond just the one viable major league. He told her she was welcome in a good bit of bastardry.
There's a danger here that AEW flirts with the WWE move of all WWE moves - the heel authority figure - but for the first time in a long time, "let it play out" can be applied here.
The Bucks are finally moving in a very intriguing and different direction.