8 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (10 May - Review)
Ups...
8. That's More Like It
AEW went back to basics with a signature excellent opener here, which, when you think about it, is insanely impressive. AEW's standard operating procedure is to begin its flagship broadcast with the sort of match that, had it taken place a few years ago, would have won match of the year awards. It's difficult to maintain that perspective at times.
Rey Fenix Vs. Claudio Castagnoli was a sensational reminder even if, in the briefest of moments quickly forgotten, it felt like both men were working out how to work with one another with a certain hesitation. The execution of every sequence however was incredible, ultimately, even if the set-ups weren't 100% clean.
Claudio was an awesome base for Rey's mind-blowing arsenal; in one of several highlight reel moments, Claudio caught Fenix's dive to the outside and cracked him ribs-first against the barricade. This was deeply impressive, given that Fenix explodes out of the ring like a bullet. Fenix slipped out of Claudio's attempt to carry him back into the ring, found himself hurled into the seating area, and exploded back into the action by sprinting across the barricade and kicking Claudio in the face. This was all very well done.
Fenix's best crowd-pleasing spot was tweaked and earned here. He didn't do it to show off; he adapted the rope walk in order to neutralise Claudio's major strength advantage. It was more hasty mid-match strategy than an excuse to pop the crowd, and this sense of immersion carried over into the hot finishing stretch.
Dynamite needed a blow-away fixture of an opening match. This delivered.