8 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynasty (Results & Review)

4. Swerve Is The Man...For Now

Dynasty Swerve Strickland Samoa Joe
AEW

Samoa Joe Vs, Swerve Strickland was a really strange one to gauge.

Ultimately, the big takeaway is that it was a resounding and impressive success. Swerve was super over in that building, and the heat of the match ranged from respectable to hot throughout, which was some feat: the St. Louis crowd had just witnessed an all-time classic followed by one of the most deranged ladder matches of all-time. It stood no chance; that it succeeded, and was a very worthy main event, underscored that Swerve, who was not as hot as he was after Full Gear last year, might actually be the man.

The succinct take on the match is that it executed a bad core idea very well, if that makes any sense at all. It could have been better. It might not crack the top 100 matches in company history (if even that). Still, it was all about the big moment, and the fans didn't tune out until they got it.

Elements of the match were fantastic. Swerve sensing Joe's nope spot and outsmarting him was a cool idea. The match peaked when Swerve took an appalling pasting fighting from underneath. The best sequence unfolded rather too early; Swerve, after connecting with a highlight reel Fosbury flop, took a nasty power slam on exposed concrete. Beyond that, Swerve actually took a great deal of the match, targeting Joe's arm, which flattened the atmosphere somewhat. There was little sense that he had to prevail against the ultimate threat to complete his destiny. This structure also made Joe's NXT Face after the failed Muscle Buster that bit more glaring. It shouldn't have come as that much of a shock. Swerve had his number throughout.

In the end - after more than one contrived set-up - Swerve finished Joe with the Swerve Stomp. They might have actually botched the first attempt; it looked as though Swerve was meant to drive Joe to the mat from the top turnbuckle but over-shot. Still, what a recovery: Swerve quickly sent him down with a powerbomb before making history.

The fans adored the finish, but it was impossible to watch Dynasty and not think Will Ospreay is the true Ace of the promotion. If Swerve can continue the trend, and follow whatever Ospreay does, the next few months will be incredible.

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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!