8 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (29 March - Review)

7. Great, Unique Build With Vast Potential For More

Jack Perry MJF
AEW

MJF emerged to build Perry up in the post-match as one of his next opponents in a long, but ultimately effective (and over) promo duel.

It was an interesting and more organic means of building a four-way match than usual. It would seem that AEW is layering and paying attention to each individual sub-plot to make every last showdown in the Pillars match matter. Something like this with Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara is likely over the coming weeks. Sammy incidentally should win a match over Allin, really. They have rich and excellent history together, but it's very one-sided.

MJF revealed that he had met his match and that Jungle Boy had earned his respect after their undercard show-stealer at Double Or Nothing 2020. This was a great detail. Firstly, everything that has happened matters in this company. The fictional world is very immersive. Secondly, the match was structured around that very idea with its various mirror sequences. Thirdly, the match was incredible. MJF put him over here with real credibility.

MJF even thought they could partner up after the fact. Perry refused Max's advice at the time. He didn't want to become a piece of sh*t just to get in the title picture. His fire and moral scruples here got a major response from the crowd, which of course set MJF off. MJF tried to bait Perry, insinuating that he was better at burying Christian than he is at burying the bone in Anna Jay, and Perry sent him scurrying. This felt major league as a singles match build, but that isn't the direction.

This Four-Way deal has a lot of potential, provided AEW can in fact multiply this level of quality and deepen the heft of every sub-plot. If over the next several weeks every permutation of the match can feel as important as this, the Pillars match really will feel like an exhilarating battle for both the present and the future of the company.

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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!