7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (June 5 - Results & Review)

4. All-Action Four-Way Is Welcome Surprise

5 6 Rey Fenix
AEW

In a rare development, the winner of an AEW television match wasn't all but guaranteed.

Fénix, Kyle O'Reilly, and Orange Cassidy all competed for the opportunity to pin Jay Lethal in a four-way held to determine the #1 contender to the International title. In that respect, the finish was obvious, but the three babyfaces all held a claim.

O'Reilly is one more near-miss away from potentially turning heel; Cassidy is always in the mix and a sequel against Will Ospreay could have functioned as a way of reminding the audience about the magic of Forbidden Door; Fénix has just returned from a lengthy layoff and was the dream match pick.

Fénix won, which was the correct choice. The prospect of a TV Match of the Year contender next week is thrilling.

It was O'Reilly who was the star of the match, however; his venus fly trap submission game worked wonderfully here as he shifted the momentum and scored several near-falls by ensnaring the various flying bodies raining down on him. The action was paced brilliantly in a short-ish match that didn't muck about; in one scorching sequence, Fénix dove feet-first onto Kyle the second that he'd applied an arm-bar.

A very good sprint with a promise of something mind-blowing next week.

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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!