7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (June 12 - Results & Review)

3. Dustin Rhodes Does Indeed "Still Got It"

Jack Perry Dustin Rhodes

AEW

Kenny Omega is a special pro wrestler.

You could make the argument that he is the best of all-time, certainly in the context of the big match. In the final of the 2022 G1 Climax, Will Ospreay used Omega's signature arsenal against Kazuchika Okada. The fans were so moved by this evocation that they exploded and involuntarily broke the no-cheering protocols that remained in place. On last night's Dynamite, Jack Perry also evoked Omega by motioning to blast Dustin Rhodes in the face with the V-Trigger.

Fans, still anxious over Omega's in-ring status, let Perry have it. This savvy heel work worked in beautiful harmony with Dustin's babyface magic - literally, in this case, when Rhodes countered the V-Trigger with a gorgeous, crisp scoop slam. A blood-drenched Dustin was then cheated out of the ass-kicking he promised on Collision in his excellent promo. Jack Perry - who struggled to withdraw something from his boot in the only awkward part of an otherwise effective and engaging babyface versus heel affair - had exposed a turnbuckle earlier in the match. He was able to win it by luring Rhodes into it down the stretch.

Perry was great here, far better than he was in the programme against HOOK last year. The notoriety attached to him helps, as did Dustin's timeless brilliance, but he exudes a more assured presence and wrestles, quite brilliantly, like a little punk rat bastard. In the end, Perry did use (and win via) the V-Trigger. Rhodes flipped him off before the killshot. This was excellent. Perry won. He's good. But he's still a prick.

AEW will miss Dustin when he's gone.

He probably shouldn't have been used so sparingly in recent years.

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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!