9 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite (5 Jan - Review)

4. Ricky Starks vs. Chris Jericho

AEW's tendency to cool hot acts down as they are gaining power is worthy of criticism, though this doesn't appear to be an issue with Ricky Starks, whose popularity remains organic and special.

Starks commanded some of the loudest reactions of the night against Chris Jericho. Wrestling in the opening spot, the duo built a great television wrestling match built on big move counters rather than big move kickouts, with the wrestlers continually avoiding their opposite number's biggest bombs to generate excitement. Jericho did hit a Codebreaker, though not at a spot that made it feel like the finish - and when Ricky finally landed a Spear after several Roshambeaux attempts, it was enough to seal the deal.

Ricky had the entire building willing him back to life after almost dying in the Walls of Jericho, having been struck by a baseball bat-wielding Daddy Magic. An incredible fire-up spot then built to the end.

The Jericho Appreciation Society attacked afterwards. Action Andretti and his steel chair cleared the field before Tay Conti and Anna Jay neutralised him too, before Starks was powerbombed through a table by Jake Hager. The worry with these Jericho feuds is that they drag on for too long and ultimately hinder the babyface (see: Kingston, Eddie), so AEW will need to be careful with where things go from here. Nonetheless, a hot angle following a hot match.