SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
HITS
FLETCHER VS. BENJAMIN OPENER
I loved the crowd participation in this one. It makes such a difference when they get involved with chants. The commentary was on point as well. Don Callis was entertaining as were the three mainstays. They discussed strategy and were able to bust each other’s chops without taking away from the match. As for the match itself, it was two great performers putting on a show and telling a great story. It was so smart for Fletcher to take advantage of the worst wrestling referee in history, Rick Knox, to get the pin with the help of the ropes. I enjoyed the match so much because while I expected Fletcher to win, I wasn’t completely sure and that’s exactly what I want in a match.
SWERVE SQUASHES CASTER
Now this is some smart booking. Max Caster calling himself the best wrestler alive is laughable and instead of having him come out there and go toe to toe with Swerve Strickland, they pretty much made this a beatdown with just a flash of offense from the loudmouth rapper. Swerve made a statement at his expense and it was much needed. The crowd was super behind Swerve and loved every minute of this match and his post-match stomp.
JAY WHITE VS. PAC
I’ll say it as simply as I can. You don’t get these kinds of wrestling matches on TV other than on AEW TV. This was a wrestling clinic and another match on this show where I wasn’t exactly sure who was going to win. Sure, it made sense that White would win, but they’ve booked him to lose other times (see Billy Gunn) that you weren’t sure. It went back and forth and White was able to overcome the interference from Wheeler Yuta to pick up a win and when the crowd gives the loud 1-2-3 count, you know you just did a great job. Kudos to both of these wrestlers for that performance.
I also loved the post-match with Hangman Page coming out and Orange Cassidy returning to go after Jon Moxley. The unlikely threesome of OC, White and Hangman is very intriguing and the crowd’s reaction backed that up. It’s nice that you have legitimate top of the card wrestlers now coming together to fight against the Death Riders.
THE CROWD
Well done Fishers, Indiana! According to reports there were about 3,000 fans in the building but it sounded like more than double that. They were loud and they were well lit due to the layout of the arena. These fans made the show better with their enthusiasm and if AEW can get those kinds of fans week to week, it will vastly improve the look of their weekly shows. Great job Fishers!!
QUICK HITS
– You don’t get post-match reactions very often in AEW, so seeing MVP light up Shelton Benjamin after his loss was a highlight for me. And after that ‘tough love’ lesson, you had to feel bad for the “security” who happened to be in the vicinity!
– I did actually yell “Evil Uno baby!” to myself during the Battle Royale. Many of the crowd did as well…. and then he was eliminated!
– My goodness, Prince Nana looked like a NASCAR driver.
– I liked MJF’s promo setting up the Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly match but I’ll say again, he should be in the buildings. AEW is desperate for their stars to show up and if MJF was not going to be available for a bit while filming a movie, then they should not have had him in a program until he was able to show up to the arenas. Plus it’s hard to argue against anything Max said, so that kind of hurts Cole.
– I loved the short video packages that preceded many of the matches on the show. This adds so much to remind viewers the history behind the match and why they are important.
– The main event was very good but I’d prefer not to have two finishes with cheating involved in one episode, especially in the tournament.
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
MISSES
THE BATTLE ROYALE
One of the things that drives me crazy about AEW is the lack of transparency when it comes to rules and how they seem to change them week to week. At first, it wasn’t made clear if MJF was going to be a part of this Battle Royale. Then, it was assumed the winner would face MJF, and then when the match started it’s announced the final two left in the ring would face off next week for the right to take on MJF at World’s End. So why should I watch this match now that it has been set up for weeks that it’ll be Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly that will come out on top? Were there some fun moments in the match? Yes, but the whole thing was anticlimactic.
WHY KOMANDER?
I know this is not a Dynamite storyline on this night, but I was dumbfounded to read that Komander was replacing Juice Robinson in the CC. This is nothing against Komander the performer, who I think is extremely talented, but the way he has been booked for years makes this a ridiculous decision by a booker who continues to not understand what it will take to get AEW back to where it once was. While unfortunate for Juice, this was an opportunity to put a bigger name into the tournament. I understand Juice was likely to lose most of his matches, but why not add some intrigue and pivot a bit in telling the story of the tournament. Now, every fan expects Komander to put up a good fight and lose just like nearly every match he is in. Sure, they may throw in a surprise draw or maybe one fluke victory, but it does very little to put him in this tournament. Perhaps try building him up for a few months and then he’d be taken seriously in something like this.
Outside of the Battle Royale, I really enjoyed this episode of Dynamite and I thought they took some positive steps forward. Many of the matches were not predictable and the flow of the show was an improvement. The key remains if they can be consistent with this type of episode moving forward. Many times they end up taking steps back after showing some promise, so I’ll continue to hope they understand all the things they did right on this show and continue to do those things moving forward.
Don’t forget to check out the weekly free podcast I’m part of, “The All Elite Conversation Club” that typically drops on Fridays the PWTorch Dailycast lineup. Joel Dehnel and I have a great time breaking down all things AEW! Search “pwtorch” on your podcast app to subscribe. Send questions and comments to allelitecc@gmail.com.
Stay right here and keep the flow going. We think you’ll like to read this next…
RECOMMENDED NEXT: AEW Dynamite rating for the Thanksgiving Eve edition
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s AEW Dynamite Hit List: Kyle Fletcher vs. Shelton Benjamin and Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brody King in Continental Classic matches, Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale
(You can always reach PWTorch editor Wade Keller at kellerwade@gmail.com. You can also send live event results and news tips to pwtorch@gmail.com. Also, we’re always looking for volunteer contributors to help us round out of coverage of the pro wrestling scene.)
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.