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

4. Best Friends Brush With Greatness

Cash Wheeler Trent
AEW

It matters little, but AEW had previously produced a graphic advertising Best Friends vs. FTR as a 20-Minute Brush With Greatness, per Tully Blanchard's recent rule change. On Dynamite, Justin Roberts announced a 60-minute time limit. Inconsistencies like this don't ruin anything, though it'd be good to see them stamped out.

Chuck Taylor and Trent are the perfect guys to have FTR fell in a television defence as they're a great tandem capable of giving anyone a good match, but their names aren't so big that AEW is burning a potential pay-per-view bout. That isn't to say they couldn't be built to that level, as this may have been possible with a longer story arc, but the booking made sense - and the bout delivered.

Trent was ground down throughout the first act, building to Chuck's hot tag. Best Friends came back into it thereafter, scoring a number of close, believable nearfalls, including a Strong Zero that Cash Wheeler had to break by literally launching himself head-first at Trent. By the end, Best Friends' longest boy was undone by persistent knee work. He was so hampered by the damage that he collapsed as FTR tried to whip him for the Goodnight Express, so Taylor was whacked with the belt for the finish instead, with Rick Knox's attention elsewhere having dived out of the wrestlers' way.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. 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.