8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (6 September - Review)

Downs...

2. Is This The New Normal?

Roderick Strong Trent Beretta
AEW

As was underscored on an otherwise very good and promising Dynamite, the problems in AEW did not begin and end with CM Punk.

Domestic business is soft. WWE is doing incredible business, which only brings into focus that AEW isn't. Last night's show was only set up for 3,174 punters, and, per WrestleTix's last count, just 2,899 of them filed in. More worryingly still, at time of writing, a paltry 5,818 tickets have been sold for Grand Slam, which is under two weeks away. That is a staggering decline of around 75% from the debut 2021 show, which opened with Kenny Omega Vs. Bryan Danielson when the summer balls-hot promotion was bathed in a dreamlike glow.

The atmosphere in the Indiana Farmers Coliseum was tepid, mostly, beyond two notable segments. As a promotion, when not running awesome pay-per-view events, AEW has rarely felt colder. Smaller.

It is closer to TNA than WWE , or even its own spellbinding autumn of 2021. The quality of the show isn't immaterial against this new backdrop, but it can't be all that electrifying, either.

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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!