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

2. A Generous Up

Julia Hart Anna Jay AS
AEW

Anna Jay and Julia Hart grafted very hard to get their match over.

They worked it with a sense of real commitment and animosity, slapping the piss out of one another to establish the tone before arriving at the violent set-pieces - the execution of which was mixed. Hart ate a face-full of chairs on the outside, but Jay missed everything when the tables were turned deeper into the match. That flattened what little atmosphere the match generated. Given that Jay and Hart between them have worked very few matches, though, they should be proud of this effort - but the placement worked against it.

The fans didn't really get up for it, sensing that a far more violent match was about to take place just minutes later. The sequencing of the show meant that it was always going to suffer in comparison. The women deserved more.

This should have been pre-empted by a week, but if nothing else, their stock was raised here: while it was difficult to lose it over the action, it was impossible not to respect it.

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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!