8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (8 Dec)
1. Bucks & CHAOS Take Their Time
The Young Bucks vs. Chaos was well-worked - but not well-paced.
16 minutes was too long for a bout that took ages to get to its point. Struggling for dynamism, the wrestlers cruised their way through stodgy opening exchanges that led to a second act that dragged and dragged and dragged while the Bucks worked the heat. They got there in the end, with the closing stretch's momentum swings drawing more energy from the crowd at the right moments, but the action would've been a lot more satisfying had the fatty mid-section been trimmed.
Nick Jackson sold the ankle for much of this bout, continuing to put over the hellish impact of Full Gear's falls count anywhere bout. That was appreciated, as was Rocky's fire towards the end, but the wrestlers waiting around without weaving an in-ring story compelling enough to compensate for the bloat wasn't much fun at all.
As for the comeback? More on that later.