8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite: Winter Is Coming (15 Dec)
Page and Danielson bring the heat in winter, MJF retakes the ring, Deeb and Shida settle their beef.
Garland, Texas played host to what will be remembered as one of 2021's greatest episodes of wrestling television last night, as AEW presented its second annual Winter Is Coming special to around 6,000 live fans.
Highlighted by comfortably the longest match in company history, this supercharged Dynamite wasn't as newsworthy as its 2020 equivalent. How could it be, though? Sting's debut, Kenny Omega's World Title win, Don Callis' swerve, and the Forbidden Door swinging open to IMPACT Wrestling made for a one-off night - and a rollercoaster ride that may never be replicated.
One year later, AEW played a simpler hand. 'Hangman' Adam Page and Bryan Danielson's World Championship fight occupied more than half the runtime. For the most part, the promotion relied on pure wrestling to carry a show that needs to pop a nice rating. Swinging back towards the 0.40 Dynamite hit on its first week following the west coast time change is vital if AEW is to regain its incredible late-summer buzz.
Elsewhere, Dante Martin and MJF contested the Dynamite Diamond Ring, Hikaru Shida and Serena Deeb settled their rivalry and completed their trilogy, and poor Matt Sydal was tasked with surviving a rampaging Wardlow.
Let's light the fuse...