8 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (6 July)

3. Rush & Penta Kill Each Other

Rush AEW
AEW

You'll watch hundreds of matches cleaner than Penta Oscuro vs. Rush this year. Having a crisp, fluid encounter was never the intended goal here, however, and though there were a couple of slightly uncoordinated moments between the two, this clash had starch and heat.

Rush and Penta clobbered the tar out of each other. A chop battle unfolded early on before Penta planted a thrust kick on Rush's chin, leading to an evasive sequence on the outside, with Rush on the backfoot. A brawl erupting between the two wrestlers' assorted seconds really kicked things off. Following this, Penta and Rush really laid into each other without getting over the top with it. The leaping knee strike that sent both men down selling was particularly gnarly.

La Faccion Ingobernable's mask-snatching continued on the finish. Penta had his veil ripped away when Bryce's back was turned, allowing Rush to score the pinfall, putting further heat on him and Andrade.

Great intensity often compensates when the other elements of a bout feel undercooked. This was the case here. Here's hoping Rey Fenix isn't so badly hurt that the Lucha Brothers vs. LFI tag team match has to be shelved for a while.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.