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

1. Another Tournament With More Strange Choices

Jeff Hardy
WWE

The Grand Slam Eliminator tournament is questionable.

52 weeks per-year episodic wrestling television is an inherently flawed model. A booker has to build and withhold certain developments even if it makes no real sense in the fiction. As an example, Konosuke Takeshita can't win the Eliminator, because Tony Khan doesn't want to beat him yet - neither in the tournament nor in a resulting match with MJF. But he just pinned Kenny Omega twice in seven days, and thus should be in the tournament. Fans are usually understanding of this balance, but the tournament is pushing it.

Darby Allin just lost a chance to win the TNT title, and is now failing upwards. Jeff Hardy recently lost a terrible corporate tie-in to of all people Jeff Jarrett, whose job it is to lose in a cathartic way. Penta El Zero Miedo lost to Orange Cassidy a week ago. Jay Lethal hasn't won a significant match in forever. Tony Khan loves tournaments too much elsewhere, which doesn't help.

For more than one reason, this latest one - while delivering to an extent on the night - doesn't feel special.

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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!