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

4. More Very Necessary Steps

Orange Cassidy September 6
AEW

For a long, long time now, fans - at least those who don't go ****1/4 for every Rampage match - have criticised AEW for neglecting too many acts they had been told to invest in. That defeats the point entirely.

While this is bare minimum stuff, the execution of the various narrative follow-ups and character development was sublime. AEW didn't do this just to do it: they nailed it.

"It", as an example, was a superb sit-down with Roderick Strong, whose character is now that bit more layered. He revealed that he was all but abandoned by his parents as a child, which makes his new arc resonate with more heft. It's still funny, but it's no longer one-dimensional and more main event-level in scope. "T*ts out" Toni Storm continues to dazzle.

Ricky Starks cut an awesome, impassioned promo devoting his career to making it at the top. Orange Cassidy opened the show. While it was cynical but all too easy to expect Konosuke Takeshita not to appear this week, he did, and revealed that he has a new target in mind next week. A mini-cliffhanger!

Something to anticipate!

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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!