7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (January 17 - Results & Review)

2. Exquisite CRAFT

Christian Cage Vs. Dustin Rhodes was a gripping opener brimming with an utterly refreshing sense of craft.

At first, the match didn't suggest a vintage Dynamite opening "banger" - but by the finish, Rhodes and Cage generated two near-falls that will likely last longer in the memory than most. That is the hallmark of two old masters.

Cage's diamond-sharp mind was again on display. He was very tentative in locking up with Dustin early, selling his opponent's strength advantage and the idea that he was destined to lose a fair fight. The fight, as a result, was not fair: Nick Wayne and Killswitch made their presence felt and cheated at various, well-timed moments. Building the drama with an assured sense of pacing, this was worked with a classic sensibility - the sort of match that looks boring written down on paper but was performed to near-perfection. They're just great goddamn wrestlers. You see dives every week. You see too many dives every week. The ageing Dustin scanning the crowd, silently asking them if he can do it, getting that reassurance and dialling up the volume: that's the crowd interaction nous of a master, and Cage choosing that moment to shift the momentum is the work of a genius heel.

It's no wonder the crowd later screamed - they were white-hot for the final third - when Dustin threatened to kick Cage in the balls. He did everything to earn it, the performer and the character. In an exquisite near-fall, Rhodes struck Cage with the Cross Rhodes. The positioning on that spot was incredible. The impact was close enough to the ropes to wrong-foot the crowd into thinking they'd do a rope break, but Cage was revealed to be too far away during the count and at that point a shock title switch felt certain. His 2.99er was also as great as anybody's in that moment.

They got the crowd again with Cage's first, unsuccessful Killswitch attempt - particularly since Dustin looked out on his feet after eating a turnbuckle and selling it in the way it was meant to be sold.

Elegant, disciplined, chop-free, slow-burn pro wrestling action that underscored that less is more: more of this everywhere please.