8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (9 Feb)
5. Keith Lee's Exceptional Debut
Keith Lee looked like he had cryogenically frozen himself in 2017 or 2019 and only thawed last night. The Bearcat Lee abomination felt like a lifetime ago, if it even happened at all; his debut was so perfectly done across every intended target that it almost feels like an instance of the Mandela Effect now.
He looked ecstatic to be there without compromising his fictional character. He didn't wear a humiliating top. He looked quietly grateful for the opportunity, and he absolutely f*cking smashed it.
As predicted, Isiah Kassidy was an inspired opponent. His jaw-dropping leaping ability, combined with Lee's unreal strength, informed an all-timer of a yeet spot. From there, in a development that was as heartwarming as it was exhilarating, Lee showcased that his cardio is back after his major health scare. His leapfrog into an instant drop-down was as unbelievable as it ever was, and his incongruously great aerials harkened back to the old Keith Lee without giving the most astonishing bombs. The slingshot crossbody is something you do week one; the moonsault is something you save for the big match.
This was so perfect, it really is the only word.
Kassidy's squeal got the Ground Zero over as instant kill-shot, Lee's swatting away of a strike barrage put him over as invincible, and his catch of Marq Quen was a genuine how-the-f*ck-did-he-do-that moment.
Opponent, duration, careful glimpse of his repertoire.
Perfection.
Bask in his glory.