9 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (June 15)

Ups...

9. Hair Vs. Hair Is A White Hot Opener

The Chris Jericho Vs. Ortiz Hair Vs. Hair match was a fantastic opener. The nature of the stakes, combined with the desperation driving the fan reaction, elicited a furnace of an atmosphere.

This was just as much Chris Jericho Vs. Ortiz as it was Chris Jericho Vs. His Sense of Self-Awareness. Had he realised, as most men must, that time calls for the chop at some point or other?

The thrilling prospect of Jericho, one of the most arrogant wrestlers in the history of the industry, suffering the most profound humiliation, was electrifying. This was as loud a an AEW TV match as you'll ever see, and because Jericho's hairline has seen better days, that prospect was far from remote. Jericho's arrogance was earned here, because he and Ortiz were smart enough to craft a hugely suspenseful and fast-paced match around the stipulation.

There was no stalling, no prolonged control sequence; this was an urgent, dramatic contest that pitched its near-falls perfectly and never lost sight of the fact that the Jericho and Ortiz characters despise one another. A seamless brawl/match fusion, the trimmed-down Jericho was in frankly miraculous athletic form, too. In a great spot of continuity - one that made you realise that Tony Khan does in fact know what he's doing - Sammy Guevara, who had appeared to have forgotten about his role in the Inner Circle, cosplayed as Fuego Del Sol to decide the match in Jericho's favour. Ortiz got the chop, went all in, and looked like he was out for blood when he maniacally did the job himself.

Just exquisite episodic pro wrestling television.