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AEW Dynamite emanated from Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, and there was a 'West Penn' kind of energy in the house. With a live crowd and a stacked card, All Elite Wrestling put on a very solid show.
There are several positives (and a few negatives) that can be used to measure this week's edition of Dynamite, but here are five quick and simple observations coming out of the August 11th broadcast of broadcast.
#1 Malakai Black appears to have found a home in AEW
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Coming off his impressive victory over Cody Rhodes in his AEW in-ring debut, Malakai Black was featured in a spooky cool vignette. So far, so good for the former WWE star, who has come off as the same character he was before, but with a fresher edge.
If handled properly, AEW could turn Black into a household name. It appears that is the plan. His convincing victory over Cody was like a welcome mat to the franchise.
Black has the skills, the substance, and (most of all) the style to capture the attention of a broader audience. AEW should push him to the moon.
#2 There's absolutely NO chance that Christian Cage will win the AEW World Heavyweight title
With all due respect to Christian, who is one of the most underrated grapplers ever, no scenario in the universe points to him unseating Kenny Omega. At least not in AEW.
Due to his past with TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, there is an outside shot that he might take that belt from Omega and deliver it back to his old company. Considering the two title bouts have been separated, this could be considered a possible scenario.
But as far as the AEW title is concerned? Christian is just a conduit. Their match at All Out 2021 is simply a bridge to whoever Kenny Omega's next really big opponent will be. The one to challenge Omega after Christian will likely capture the gold from The Best Bout Machine.
#3 Watching Britt Baker's homecoming was a sight to behold
Britt Baker has always been one of those AEW heels who garners cheers just based on her personality. But standing in her own backyard, delivering one of the best promos she's ever given, Baker had the crowd in the palm of her hands.
The AEW Women's Champion did everything right, sporting the Steel Town black and gold and referencing Pittsburgh as much as possible. No one on the card was over with the crowd as Dr. Baker was on Wednesday night.
It was pretty clear the audience didn't care that she's the bad girl. All that mattered to them was that she was 'their girl'.
#4 It was great to see Paul Wight back in action, even if it was for just one chokeslam
Another promo segment went really well, with the former Big Show coming to the rescue of the Schiavone family. It's long been rumored that Paul Wight would make selective appearances in terms of in-ring action in AEW, and this appears to be the precursor to his first match.
While he may be a bit older, he still has the presence of a true giant and is still incredibly over with the crowd. If Wight can contribute a few great in-ring moments like this - along with his great job in commentary - he will turn out to be a great investment for Tony Khan and AEW.
#5 The Chris Jericho vs MJF blow-off match MUST be excellent, or the entire build-up has been wasted
With Jericho surviving his first 'four labors', he will finally get his shot at MJF. As usual, Friedman stacked the deck against the former WWE legend, stipulating that he couldn't use the Judas Effect in their upcoming showdown.
This rivalry has to come down to an epic match, one like AEW has never seen before. This story has carried on for so long now that the only conceivable way it can end is with a showdown for the ages - one that justifies this long, slow build.
It only makes sense that Jericho wins this war and teaches the young, up-and-comer his due lesson. Then they can both finally move on to newer, fresher storylines.
As AEW heads toward the debut of Rampage, they have done a great job of interweaving several storylines and characters. This week's episode featured a little bit of everything but was mostly centered on continuing feuds and building more heat going into Friday.
As summer rolls on, things are getting hotter in AEW. It will be interesting to see where it all goes from here.
Check out Sportskeeda Wrestling's review of this week's AEW Dynamite as well as WWE NXT in the video below:
