8 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (10 May - Review)

Kenny Omega is a madman and Christian Cage is an evil genius as Dynamite returns to form. Mostly...

by Michael Sidgwick
Kenny Omega Jon Moxley Steel Cage
AEW

This episode of AEW Dynamite felt like Tony Khan had something to prove. A more cynical way of putting it is that - on paper - this episode of AEW Dynamite felt like Tony Khan apologising for a not great stretch of television in recent weeks.

The Four Pillars programme has simply not connected at a main event level, possibly because Darby Allin and Jack Perry have treated it like they've just discovered something cool and edgy called a "worked shoot promo". Even the peak - MJF and Sammy Guevara's wonderfully obnoxious tag team double act - felt like something they'd have done when on the cusp of breaking through into a top spot. Not when they were actually there.

Also: it's weird and probably not ideal that the fans seem to like Sammy Guevara more than the two babyfaces here. Imagine writing that even a month ago.

Elsewhere, Dynamite has felt flat and cold, rushed and small, almost like TNA doing an impression of WWE, not merely WWE-lite.

This week's Dynamite promised so much more: a massive match in a continuation of the promotion's oldest and most violent story. Another very compelling Orange Cassidy International title defence. A match between Rey Fénix and Claudio Castagnoli that would be a disappointment if it had the temerity to dip below ****. A women's match that didn't feature either Jade Cargill or one of the Outcasts - Tony, are you feeling OK?!

Did it deliver...?

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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!