9 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (31 Aug)

6. Shida Scores Pin Before All Out

Forgetting the sandbagging allegations for a moment, the protagonists of AEW's women's division beat the sh*t out of each other these days.

These matches are often stiff, nasty, and intense, which is to their benefit. Physicality is often an effective substitute in a division where crowd investment isn't always at a high, at no fault of the performers. Here, Toni Storm, Hikaru Shida, Britt Baker, and Jamie Hayter threw leather at each other in a tight, hard-hitting tag team match to preview All Out's Women's World Title fight.

Shida looked particularly motivated here, not only throwing herself at her opponents with full-bodied vigour but continually playing to the crowd as well, trying to raise their fire to her level. She would make a fine new champion should AEW choose to go back down that route. Hayter, meanwhile, continues to be one of the most well-rounded workers in the company. Perhaps informed by her experiences in Japan and the UK, her powerhouse style feels distinct in this division. A pay-per-view win would also open interesting storytelling possibilities with Baker. Don't rule it out.

Hikaru took the pre-PPV advantage, pinning Britt after nailing the Katana. This followed an awesome Storm sequence where she destroyed Baker with the hip attack then slid out of the ring, hopped from the apron, and DDT's Hayter, all in one fluid motion.

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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.