8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (8 Dec)

by Andy H Murray

1. Team Taz Done Dirty By Dante

MJF Dante Martin
AEW

Between Team Taz's drama with Lio Rush and Dante Martin, the Pinnacle dynamic, and more, last night's Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal had lots of storytelling potential.

It ended up being far from the cleanest thing on the lineup, but that didn't matter. This was more of a series of good angles than anything else.

On top of MJF expertly straddling the face/heel line, we got a further development in the slow-burning Wardlow babyface turn, as Max bundled him out while Rush and Lee Johnson were teaming up on the big man. This came after a well-received beefy showdown between Wardlow and Powerhouse Hobbs. The big man has extra reason to be p*ssed with Max, now, and with Shawn Spears saving MJF from elimination several times, it doesn't take a genius to figure out who MJF is going to favour here.

AEW also pulled the trigger on the Team Taz swerve, as Martin turned on Ricky Starks to eliminate him and punch a ticket for next week's Dynamite Diamond Ring bout. Stories like this, where one side has infiltrated another, lose believability the longer they are dragged out. It was therefore a smart move to pull the trigger immediately. Martin entered Team Taz for an opportunity in the battle royal, got it, and executed.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.