8 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (5 April - Review)

3. A Fun Sprint (Just About)

Sammy Guevara Komander
AEW

There was nothing overtly wrong with Sammy Guevara Vs. Komander, but equally, it wasn't exactly the super-charged, breathless athletic action one would reasonably expect from the pairing.

Yes, the story was that an eager-to-impress Komander relied too heavily on his rope-walk offence, which was his undoing, but at times he looked less enthusiastic and more dumb. Still, the action was hot in patches, and the shot of his gorgeous rope-walk dive to the outside was NJPW production tier - neat work from Michael Mansury, whose presence in the production unit is quietly being felt. It didn't help either that Komander and Guevara lifted two spots wholesale from the Kenny Omega Vs. El Hijo del Vikingo classic. This felt like a diminished return of a superior match.

Guevara's post-match promo was a bit weird too. As a heel, it wasn't "off" that he came across as a bit of a moaner, referencing the tainted win MJF has over him. But he benefits from cheating all of the time. Again, he's a heel, so the hypocrisy wasn't stupid, but it was also just...strange. He spoke with conviction, as if he actually believed his bullsh*t. A Chris Jericho-like "You'd never catch me doing something like that!" would have helped.

A generous 'Up', but an Up nonetheless.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!