9 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (6 Oct)

7. Heat Without Shortcuts

Paige VanZant
AEW

Dan Lambert drew monster heat in Philadelphia. The crowd was so loud that he was barely audible as he cut his promo, struggling to make himself heard as he challenged The Inner Circle's Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, and Sammy Guevara to match on American Top Team's home soil next week - and he did this without uttering a single "millennial" or adjacent insult.

With his shtick drawing "what?!" chants last week (a universal sign of rejection in wrestling, Steve Austin appearances aside), this is further proof that Lambert should drop the alt. right grandstander schtick and present himself as more of a Cornettian curmudgeon. Objectively, the other material wasn't working. This stuff can.

Jericho and Hager running out to save Sammy Guevara with Judas still playing was contrived, but served a greater purpose. Lambert getting increasingly annoyed by the fans still signing Fozzy while he was trying to speak was key to his heat. Now, he'll lead the Men of the Year and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos against The Inner Circle in Miami, with Jorge Masvidal in ATT's corner, surely setting up the blow-off singles match with Jericho.

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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.