8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (24 May - Review)

7. Mark Briscoe's Role Comes Into View

Mark Briscoe
AEW

Last week's angle was better, but the FTR Vs. Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett feud continues to be a great bit of business.

Dax Harwood went big on full-on go-home mode, burying Jarrett's history with TNA and his "bitch" wife. Mark Briscoe walked out, asked what the hell was with the piledriver last week, and, when Dax mentioned that he shouldn't be dumb enough to allow Lethal and Jarrett to manipulate him, he slapped Dax in the face. Hard. Afterwards, he shoved Sonjay Dutt and Karen Jarrett out of the way and slapped Jeff. Jeff's reaction was priceless. He is so good at being a dumbsh*t with no inkling whatsoever that anybody could find fault with him. Basic, yes, but it established that Briscoe is a credible guest referee, and he remains excellent in this AEW role.

He's more funny and charming than anybody on the roster, but within less than one second, with that slap, he reminded everybody that he's one of the hardest.

I'm usually pedantic and think that music-backed entrances should be kept special, but this loses points for a lack of BREE WOO.

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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!