7 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite: Anniversary Edition (Oct 14)

2. Tag Team Tombola

FTR tag team tombola
AEW

Wins and losses matter in AEW. This isn't just a fancy marketing slogan: we know it's true because the numbers align. For the most part, wins propel wrestlers up the card, losses send them down, and opportunities are earned.

So it was galling to see the company determine the participants of next week's Tag Team Title number one contender's bout via literal tombola, as FTR and Tully Blancard drew names from a barrel, leaving everything to chance.

One could pass this off as a product of FTR's characters, citing their disdain for everyone else in the division and disregard for whoever they face next. This doesn't nullify the concern, however. Not every title shot needs to be earned via the rankings system, as pro-wrestling requires a level of dramatic flexibility, but this was pure luck-of-the-draw stuff.

The Butcher and The Blade, Private Party, Alex Reynolds and John Silver, and The Young Bucks will contest the bout. Mark the Bucks vs. FTR on your calendars for 7 November, then.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.