SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
•Dynamite Diamond Ring Battle Royal – HIT
A well executed and thoughtful battle royal. AEW has had a good record of putting together battle royals that are more than just tossing people over the top rope. They weave in storylines and setup feuds that make the eliminations more impactful. Orange Cassidy last eliminated Wardlow to set up his match next week against MJF. Cassidy didn’t feel like an undercard comedy act. He eliminated some major names and it felt warranted given his status on the card.
•Chris Jericho vs. Frankie Kazarian – HIT
A decent match that stalled at times. Chris Jericho has become a crowd favorite which makes up for his slowing in the ring. The finish setup more conflict within The Inner Circle. MJF was about to throw in the towel before Sammy Guevara stopped. This led to Jericho believing Guevara was going to stop the match. Jericho was upset with how the team responded and demanded that they learn to get along or disband. This wasn’t a smooth execution, but it was effective in moving the story forward.
•Britt Baker vs. Leyla Hirsch – MISS
A disappointing outing from these two. As Britt Baker gets integrated back into the active roster, some of her shortcomings have come back into focus. There were moments when both were on the same page, but too often the execution of moves was not where it needed to be. Thunder Rosa gave Britt her receipt in the post-match by attacking her to set up a tag match of Rosa and Leyla Hirsch vs. Britt Baker and Rebel.
•Sting Debut and Cody Rhodes & Darby Allin vs. Powerhouse Hobbs & Ricky Starks – HIT
A rushed, but satisfying matchup. Darby Allin got the pin over Ricky Starks with the Coffin Drop. After the match, a brawl broke out with Powerhouse Hobbs attacking Allin. Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson came out to help before the lights went out. Tony Schiavone nearly leapt out of his seat yelling, IT’S STING! Yes, Sting made his AEW debut in one of the most memorable moments in the promotion’s short history. The announcing, the music, the lights, the snow effect were all perfect. Sting looked great and stared down several wrestlers in the ring before standing face-to-face with Darby Allin. Sting is supposed to be a major part of Dynamite going forward, but does he wrestle? Is it even safe for him to do so?
•Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley – HIT
To cap off the biggest Dynamite main event ever, Kenny Omega won the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley. He stormed out of Daily’s Place alongside Impact Wrestling’s Don Callis. To see the follow-up to this angle, you’ll have to check your television provider to see if they carry AXS TV. That’s right, AEW has a partnership with Impact Wrestling. Regardless of how you feel about Impact and their history, this angle has wrestling fans talking and engaged. The follow-up is going to be key as invasion type angles don’t have a great record in recent history. Kenny Omega also officially turned heel hitting Moxley over the head with a microphone before hitting four V-Triggers and a One-Winged Angel. The finish leaves the door open for another rematch at some point.
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