8 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (March 20 - Results & Review)

6. Fair Enough, Chris Jericho

Fair is fair: Chris Jericho has of late been accused of sucking young blood and sucking sh*t in the ring, but he did a good job with HOOK.

Jericho took a long trip to suplex city throughout the first half of the match. They could have picked a different throw than the German, for the sake of originality as well as the unwelcome reminder of Brock Lesnar, but Jericho sold the barrage very well, like his neck was f*cked up and he had a splitting headache. He also took an awesome bump, by his 2024 form, when HOOK countered a flying ax handle into an overhead belly-to-belly.

Jericho eventually countered a German into a wheelbarrow before transitioning into a Liontamer attempt. HOOK escaped. Jericho escaped HOOK's RedRum towards the finish, which the crowd did not like, but they popped big when HOOK scored the sudden win the the inside cradle. It wasn't the most committed finish - that will surely come later - but it fit the story being told here. Jericho is trying to determine whether HOOK is a future World champion. In the match, HOOK added a different dimension to his game: he was the raw, athletic force of nature for which he's become known, but he was also savvy enough to outwit a veteran who knows every trick.

Nobody asked for this, and HOOK still needs an excursion yesterday, but this was smartly laid out for its stated aim.