8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (1 Feb - Review)

Jon Moxley, Hangman Page, Samoa Joe and Darby Allin bring back the Wednesday Night WARS...

by Michael Sidgwick
Jon Moxley Hangman Page
AEW

Was it greedy or entitled to expect stronger hints of (and accompanying angles for) the big matches at Revolution on Dynamite this week?

AEW, on a red-hot streak of cracking TV episodes, is still several weeks away from its next pay-per-view, and the intervening TV has done a sublime job of telling mini-stories and promoting high-end matches fit for the medium. Tony Khan, by promoting an excellent series between Jon Moxley and Hangman Page, has also addressed a complaint levelled against his promotion for much of 2022: where he was once a bit stingy, almost fearful of giving away big, unpredictable matches on TV, he has struck an almost ideal balance over the last few months.

A lot of people almost demanded editions of Dynamite of this calibre in the autumn, and we're getting them.

Still, this is a company that has raised expectation levels, and the superb angles on WWE TV of late have brought into focus that Wednesday nights might be a little too action-heavy in comparison. Outside of MJF Vs. Bryan Danielson, a tremendous slow-burn story of contrasts, what else is on store on March 5?

Are the Gunns, a fun prelim comedy act, really going to work the Acclaimed? Who is Adam Cole going to wrestle? Was the teased Elite Vs. House of Black Trios title match abandoned?

Did AEW answer these questions last night...?

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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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!