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

2. The Stakes Were Too Low

Dax Harwood
AEW

AEW should have spent more time putting over the gravity of FTR potentially being forced out of AEW.

After a fortnight of elegant show-long storytelling, with the exception of one neat bit of dovetailing, the show felt compartmentalised, and when FTR emerged for a 14 minute main event that had barely been spoken about, the drama barely existed. AEW is still shockingly useless at this sort of thing nearly four years into its run, which is strange.

The fanbase should have been tormented with the idea that this could have been FTR's last night. AEW career highlights should have been shown in video packages. An interview should have been conducted in which FTR thanked the fans, in case this was the last time they had the chance to do it. Something, anything to lay the tension and anxiety on thick.

This didn't happen, and as a result, the match under-delivered...

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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!