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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Here we go. It’s All In week and Dynamite was in Wales with their go-home show for the biggest show of the year. The top of the card is stacked for Wembley and it has been one of the better builds in recent years for AEW. There are big time stakes for these matches so they should not only deliver in the ring, but in the storyline as well. Let’s see how they did to hype the event on Dynamite.
HITS
MERCEDES-BAKER CONTRACT SIGNING
The buildup to this match has had some speed bumps along the way, but the two of them crushed it in the contract signing. Mercedes was the best she’s been on the mic since joining AEW and came across as a smug, confident heel. Britt was matter-of-fact and had some solid one-liners. It was quick and effective and the crowd was into all of it. It was a fitting preview to what is expected to be one of the bigger matches on the card on Sunday.
OSPREAY AND MJF
I got chills watching the reaction Will Ospreay got coming out with the fans erupting and singing along to his theme. More on the crowd below, but the Ospreay chants followed by the immediate boos for MJF combined with the look on Ospreay’s face and his joy was priceless. This is what I love about pro wrestling.
Ospreay owned the crowd speaking like a real person and not a “performer.” He referenced the British sitcom “Gavin & Stacey,” which I only knew about because it was what put former late night host James Corden on the map. He followed that up with a reference to a commercial in the UK for a cleaning spray with the tagline “Bang! And the dirt is gone!” — It took ten seconds to Google that and I was in on the joke. Ospreay was super-confident and was great at calling out what went wrong last year with babyface MJF and Adam Cole “sports entertaining” us all summer. Ospreay wasn’t done with the truth bombs, either. Tony Khan “has got 3,000 people signed back there” and he’s calling him. All good stuff.
MJF was great as well. He didn’t rant and rave and try to be clever. He was a straightforward heel and then lost his cool for one moment where you saw the insecurities come out, and that my friends is good storytelling because once he showed weakness he decided to go even lower and bring up Ospreay’s family and his wife to get under his skin. We all know he’s not losing over $100,000, but it was a good bit to start the pull apart brawl and subsequent beatdown.
This entire segment was gold.
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro to stream Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
SWERVE AND DANIELSON
This was another stellar segment to preview the main event for Sunday. Swerve has been amazing during this build and his intensity was once again off the charts. He continued to speak like a champion who doesn’t just want to win, but to cement his own legacy at the expense of Danielson’s.
And then there was the Danielson we were all waiting for. Not the one who was wishy-washy about the match and his possible retirement, but the fired up and intense Danielson we saw in the ring speak for three minutes and get the crowd so fired up it looked like the final moments of WrestleMania 30.
This match is going to be epic. And it’s not the only one. Bring on Sunday!!
UK CROWDS
I love the UK crowds. There are some great cities in the United States that you can always count on for passion and excitement, but nothing compares to crowds in the UK at big wrestling shows. I love the chants, I love the singing, and I love their dedication to having a great time. It’s a joy to watch a show with fans like those in attendance.
QUICK HITS
– Jericho’s subtle “Cardiff, England” mention to get heat from the crowd was well done.
– Unhinged Hangman beating down Evil Uno and dragging his suitcase over him was great stuff. I can’t wait for unhinged Hangman coming to an arena near you this fall!
– Kazuchika Okada vs. Claudio Castagnoli was a very enjoyable match that showcased how good Okada can be, but I did not make it a full “Hit” because I think Okada needed to win this one to elevate him further. Claudio can take a loss and be fine.
– Matt Jackson’s pearl necklace. So ridiculous.
MISSES
Look, I know I’m supposed to come up with things I didn’t like on the show and, even though I’m more positive about AEW than most, I do fill up the “Misses” section every week. But this week, there was nothing I would call a “Miss.” Sure, I could nitpick something, but if I was truthful, I would tell you flatout that this was a fantastic go-home show and set up All In wonderfully.
Every segment had a purpose and every segment had a story that will culminate on Sunday. I can’t wait for the show and look forward to previewing it this Friday on The All Elite Conversation Club on the PWTorch Dailycast podcast lineup. Joel Dehnel and I will breakdown the latest news, Dynamite and preview All In. Please check it out and contribute by writing us at allelitecc@gmail.com.
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s AEW Dynamite Hit List: Swerve Strickland and Bryan Danielson, MJF and Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada vs. Claudio Castagnoli for the AEW Continental Title
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