8 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (May 13)

2. Ambitious Sprint Falls Apart

Kris Statlander Hikaru Shida
AEW

Hikaru Shida, so often the glue holding the AEW women's division together, was tremendous in the four-way with Penelope Ford, Kris Statlander, and Britt Baker, once again using superior poise and skill to shepherd less-experienced cohorts through a layout that proved too ambitious for its own good.

The foursome went for an all-action sprint and started brightly, establishing that this was going to be a bomb-fest within the first few minutes. It came apart after that. Baker and Ford, in particular, looked like they were working too fast, whiffing some shots and going too soft on others, resulting in another messy Dynamite clash. One particularly egregious moment saw Baker abandon going after the downed Statlander when she realised she wasn't in position for Ford. The much-improved Britt moved away from 'The Galaxy's Greatest Alien,' then stood in the ring, looking like a dope as she waited for Penelope's springboard move. Later, 'The Superbad Girl' and Statlander laboured through an awfully mistimed Poison 'Rana.

While the effort can't be denied, the execution wasn't there. At least the ending was strong. Shida punched her ticket for a Women's Title shot, pinning Ford following her running knee strike. Meanwhile, Baker had Statlander trapped in Lockjaw for an excessively long time on the outside, setting another match up.

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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.