8 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (16 Oct)

1. “What Are We Doing Here?”

Arn Anderson Cody Rhodes
AEW

Vignettes about Cody Rhodes getting the eye of the tiger back before going after Malakai Black again are fine. However, it's hardly believable that someone so experienced has lost this much of his edge, or that his training partners/students want to slap him and attack their mentor from behind constantly.

The story's main crux is all over the place too.

Arn Anderson showed Cody a pic of Dusty kicking the sh*t out of him in the 80s. Arn then explained that Rhodes did so because Anderson deserved it, and pointed out that kids weren't disgusted with 'Dream' for beating him up. Positioning Cody as somebody who won't retaliate against Black because he doesn't want to be a poor role model is...odd.

He's had barbaric matches against his own brother, for crying out loud. This isn't some scrub who's learning the ropes. Rhodes is a veteran who has went to dark places before, so this tale about being a hero doesn't wash.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.