8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Nov 30 - Review)

Ups...

8. A Wild, Unexpected Start

If there's one pedantic complaint to be had over the best Dynamites, it's that the show can feel regimented. You literally know what you're in for, given that every match and promo segment is announced in advance (as it should be). If this makes any sense, if something unexpected happens, you know when to expect it.

A true bolt from the blue rarely happens.

For example, were the Elite to have returned at any point after All Out, it was going to unfold when Death Triangle were onscreen. If Death Triangle weren't booked on a particular Dynamite, the Elite were not going to appear on it. Massive shocks have occurred - KENTA first opening the Forbidden Door is a great example of that - but that trope is now overdone. Khan needed to reframe his approach to the surprise, and he did with a superb, unexpected angle that was made even better deeper in the show.

Hangman Page returned, interrupted Mox's show-opening promo, and in a lovely and considerate detail on a night full of them, the audience was told that he's yet to be cleared. This enhanced the danger and excitement of a tremendously-worked brawl. Mox again hinted at the awesome prospect of a heel run by burying Page for suffering a concussion, which incited a wild scene that disrupted the format wonderfully.

This is why the format exists; it makes sense within the context of an emulated sports broadcast, and when Khan does play with it, it means something. It really does feel like a proper, heated conflict that cannot be contained.