8 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (4 October - Results & Review)

2. A Great, Subverted Opener

Truthfully, ahead of it actually happening, Nick Jackson Vs. Fénix felt like a better prospect in 2019 than 2023.

It's not as if their work together isn't outstanding, or that they haven't comprised some of the better tag team matches in history, but neither man has scaled the heights of 2021 since. This ran the risk of feeling like a colder, diminished return of a style that no longer feels as spectacular as it did a few years ago.

It was foolish to be cynical, because this excellent opener was so much more elegant and textured than their classic fireworks fire-fight of 2019. Fénix did an excellent - broad, but excellent - job of selling his back. As much as the "Can I hurt my opponent?" trope has infested wrestling this year, it made a nice sort of sense here. A mutual respect has developed between both men. In this context, the match was something of a friendly exhibition, but Nick soon targeted the back.

The back-end was loaded with stunning back-and-forth sequences and gorgeous hybrid lucha, but a real sense of struggle anchored the match and allowed it a certain emotional heft. A well-timed botch, oxymoronic as that may read, actually deepened that feeling. Fenix caught himself up in the ropes - and if it was worked, bravo - before Nick's genius instincts saw him crack Fenix with a Backstabber.

To equalise the story, Nick "hurt" his ankle and sold it to incredible effect. Each man attempted moves but couldn’t grit through the pain; that way, when the Destroyers and poison 'ranas happened, they scanned as triumphant moments of resolve.

Bonus points too for those awesome bumps where it looked like they'd broken their necks. These two wrestlers do incredible things with their bodies, but the space between those moves was just as impressive here.