7 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (May 22 - Results & Review)

6. As Basic And Uninspiring As It Gets...But...

22 5 Jon Moxley Konosuke Takeshita
AEW

The IWGP World Title Eliminator match at Double Or Nothing underscores the core AEW problem. There are too many stars AEW feels the need to protect, and too many prospects Tony Khan attempts to book at once. A predictable match featuring two wrestlers who should be focused upon more ensues.

Jon Moxley Vs. Konosuke Takeshita will be awesome - they worked one of the best matches in Rampage history in late 2022 - but is it really necessary? Doesn't it feel like these two wrestlers just needed to be on the card in some capacity?

This segment really wasn't bad in and of itself, just uninspired and insulting in that customary US wrestling TV way. Hang on, guys...if Konosuke Takeshita was so dominant on Wednesday...that means...he might beat Jon Moxley on Sunday!

Yes, form is a very real sporting concept and it's not AEW's fault that WWE bastardised it with its lazy "momentum" trope, but AEW's television show is desperate for more promos, and it's not as if they don't have countless great talkers - Mox among them - on that bloated roster. Take defeated Matt Sydal in a squash (the one time a predictable lengthy back-and-forth would have justified itself...).

Afterwards, in an awesome spot, Take feigned to shake Sydal's hand. Take then yanked him, seamlessly, into a dead-lift German suplex. This was amazing. Sydal looked like Yoshihiko, Take is that strong. Mox made the save, laid Takeshita out, and said he'd see him on Sunday.

TL;DR - the most basic AEW go-home angle you'll ever see, but because Takeshita was involved, it looked incredible.

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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!