8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (1 May - Results & Review)
Ups...
8. Samoa Joe Vs Isiah Kassidy
AEW
Though far from a boom-to-bust trajectory, it’s hard to know what exactly to do with former AEW Champion Samoa Joe now his extended transitional reign is over.
‘The Samoan Submission Machine’ has the sort of aura generations of talents have never been able to summon, and this predictably magnificent and hilarious squash win over Isiah Kassidy exemplified why so much latitude will be extended to him as the years pass.
All screams and splats, Kassidy takes a beating better than most on the roster, and within three minutes, any sting from the Swerve Strickland defeat was erased by a man still capable of looking like wrestling’s coolest ever star. Clues of future directions for either man? Zero. Cares? Even less.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
