7 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (12 Oct)

3. Cowboy Shoot

Speaking of clearer skies ahead, a scintillating verbal showdown between Jon Moxley and Hangman Page may have been the standout moment from a show despite the awesome babyface triumph that sent fans home delirious.

Moxley was untouchable as usual, toasting the Toronto debut as a way to segue into bottling AEW's entire history into something he's had the tightest grip on since jump. Page was the perfect opponent to tee up with this specific rhetoric. His highs and lows have been baked into those of the organisation, as he explained without veering too much into exposition.

Moxley had dropped "anxious" into his opening salvo as a not-that-subtle knock at a man he'd otherwise shown respect to, but it was the last trait Page was willing to reveal as he steered into the hard sales pitch that cleverly doubled as a searing motivational speech for himself. Comparisons to one year ago were excuses to really soak in the gravity of all that's changed over the last 12 months, and MJF's lingering presence made him the ghost at this particular feast instead of The Elite and CM Punk.

This was the best, most believable and most relevant Page has felt in months, dating back to before he even lost the title. Beating Moxley was an impossible sell up until now, but with six days left before the battle, the two men located and nailed the crucial 1% doubt that will drive the emotional core of a major main event.