SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
I can’t believe it’s a go-home show already. While Revolution was a culmination of a bunch of long-term storylines, the build to Dynasty has been a bit different. There are still some very intriguing match-ups including a much better main event for the World Title, but it makes this episode of Dynamite very important in selling the PPV on Sunday. Let’s see how they did.
HITS
SWERVE’S STORY
Whether you like the Death Riders or not, Swerve’s narrative over the past 18 months has been well-crafted. The stories for the rest of the card for Dynasty are clearly rushed, but the main event is what they are hoping carries this event. Swerve has been great on the mic and has the crowd fully behind him.
The relationship with Prince Nana is compelling as anyone with a teen or early 20’s son or daughter can tell you. Nana is trying to convince Swerve not to let his emotions get the better of him and make everything personal. He sees how that limits Swerve and leads to failure. However, sometimes you can’t get that good advice through the young person’s head because they think they have everything under control.
That’s what led to Swerve getting beat down at the end of the show. BUT, you saw some cracks in that emotion when Hangman got involved. I loved the callbacks as these two sworn enemies are really the same when it comes to emotions. Hearing Swerve say for the first time that he deserved what happened to his house stopped Hangman in his tracks. Will this lead to a friendship? I’m hoping not, but it can lead to an understanding and perhaps a partnership of some sort way down the line. Either way, both wrestlers can leave this feud behind and move on to more success if they are able to let it go. That is great storytelling.
QUICK HITS
– While the opening tornado tag match had its ups and downs, the lasting image of Moxley attacking Willow was beautifully effective. The fans were on their feet cheering and after Mox took her out it was nearly complete silence before an “asshole” chant started. That was well done and on brand for Moxley.
– Taz’s subtle “I’ve heard that one before” when Dax jokingly told Paul Turner not to cash the check until Friday was gold. If you know, you know!
– I don’t love, but don’t hate the Men’s Owen Hart bracket. Does Kevin Knight belong? No, but with the injury to Jay White it makes sense I suppose. Other than that, they do have a lot of major stars in there and I’m curious who the wild card will be. It’s usually someone of note, so that should be interesting. As much as I like him, I would not have put Mark Briscoe in there due to his recent win/loss record. I would have loved to add MJF or Swerve to the mix, though Swerve may be Champion at that point. Joel Dehnel and I will have plenty to say about this on the podcast on Friday! (How’s that for a plug!)
– The Mercedes puppet is back! I like that they resisted making it a weekly appearance. It’s still funny to me in small doses.
– Toni Storm’s match was good with Penelope Ford and the spot they did on Collision where Ford kicked Toni out of the darkness was great stuff. The build for Megan Bayne has been okay. I’m hoping her push does not end after Sunday, however we need to, as Jon Lovitz said on a late 1980’s SNL sketch, “GET TO KNOW ME!!” or HER…. (Look it up on the YouTube!)
– Kevin Knight seems like a promising wrestler, but like Bayne, it would be nice to get a sit down interview with him, especially since he’s been put in the Owen Tournament. I know the announcers said he used to work in Japan, but I think the fans need more to get invested. You know it’s going to be a fun 10-12 minute match with Will Ospreay on Sunday and then Ospreay will win. Make it more compelling.
– Brody King and Adam Copeland’s wins were fine television matches. Good, but didn’t stand out to me in a huge way.
MISSES
THE WOMEN’S OWEN HART BRACKET
I just don’t get this one. First, Billie Starkz has wrestled two matches in AEW and gets a spot. Harley Cameron’s record is 3-and-“a lot” and she gets in there. And I’m utterly baffled why they are setting up a likely second round matchup between Mercedes and Athena when it makes the most sense for them to fight for the first time at a PPV, specifically All-In. There was a perfect storyline set up that many were begging for (like me!) and now I have no idea what they are doing.
It’s a shame that Jay White has a legit injury that needs surgery. I feel bad for him as he’s had some brutal luck the past couple of years. I hope he’s able to return soon and get a chance to be in the main event scene. It was smart they worked it into the storyline to put more heat on the Death Riders, though most fans are aware of this news so it’ll likely have a very small effect in adding that heat.
While Dynamite was a good show this week, I’m not sure it convinced anyone on the fence to order the PPV. I’m confident that it will be a great show on Sunday and, as a die hard fan, I’m always in, but this build lacked the time they had to build Revolution. This should be a lesson to just skip this event yearly and concentrate on Double or Nothing so things do not feel rushed. It makes for better storytelling.
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.
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