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From MJF and Orange Cassidy's main event battle for the Dynamite Diamond Ring to Shaquille O'Neal's backstage segment, this week's edition of AEW Dynamite featured many contrasting moments.
The Winter is Coming special episode was stacked already, and AEW followed that up with another newsworthy show this week. It seems like a new era was born after what happened in the previous episode. And the latest edition of AEW Dynamite seemingly confirmed that big things are going to happen over the next few months.
How did NXT fare against AEW in terms of quality this week? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Here are the five biggest news stories from this week's episode of AEW Dynamite (December 9, 2020).
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#5: Kenny Omega and Don Callis flew into AEW Dynamite from a helicopter and explained their actions from the previous episode
After Kenny Omega and Don Callis plotted to dethrone Jon Moxley as the AEW World Champion from the Winter is Coming special, Callis and Omega arrived at this week's Dynamite from a helicopter, in style.
It's safe to say that Omega is now a megastar antagonist, judging by the way he has carried himself ever since he broke away from his former tag team partner, Hangman Page.
Callis explained that the swerve from Winter is Coming had been in the works for years.
Callis and Omega took credit for the creation of All Elite Wrestling. The duo stated that the Chris Jericho-Kenny Omega match that took place three years ago in New Japan indirectly served as an inspiration for Tony Khan to lay the groundwork for AEW.
Apparently, Callis and Omega have known each other for a long time, and they had planned their takeover for over a year, which resulted in Jon Moxley being robbed of his title last week.
It seems like there are still a few more surprises in store for viewers when it comes to Omega's reign as the top champion in AEW. But even after that grand entrance, Callis and Omega chose to keep the fans in the dark with that information, to some extent.
#4: AEW's Dark Order attempted to recruit Hangman Page and Dustin Rhodes via a throwback to Dustin's WCW gimmick
Without Brodie Lee, The Dark Order members have mostly been presented as buffoons, which may or may not work in different instances on AEW Dynamite.
As viewers of Being The Elite may know, John Silver's comedic chops are a treat to watch. Without Brodie Lee's presence, the sillier aspects of the Dark Order have taken center stage on AEW Dynamite.
Hangman Page doesn't want to join the Dark Order. However, no one else will team up with him in a six-man tag team match next week, which is why he accepted a one night only offer by teaming up with John Silver and Alex Reynolds of the Dark Order to face Matt Hardy and Private Party for the next episode.
The Dark Order also extended a recruitment offer to Dustin Rhodes after the latter defeated Pres10 Vance of the same faction. Dustin was offered a spot on the faction as 'seven,' which was a cool callback to his old WCW gimmick.
As expected, Dustin Rhodes declined the offer. Hangman Page seems a more likely possibility when it comes to joining the Dark Order, compared to someone like Dustin Rhodes, who is already a part of another group on AEW Dynamite.
#3: NBA Legend Shaquille O'Neal got splashed with a glass of water at the hands of Brandi Rhodes on AEW Dynamite
Shaquille O'Neal indirectly became a part of AEW programming when Jade Cargill name-dropped him a couple of weeks ago on AEW Dynamite.
Shaq sat down with Brandi Rhodes to clear the air in an interview with Tony Schiavone. Shaq said that he has known Cargill for a long time, but he didn't appreciate what she did to Brandi's arm.
He had the utmost respect for the Rhodes family, but Shaq was also interested in seeing Jade Cargill and Brandi Rhodes wrestle in the ring on AEW Dynamite.
Just when Brandi Rhodes was about to leave, she felt a hint of disrespect from Shaq's side, which led to Brandi tossing a glass of water on his face.
Now, Shaq's facial expressions have been the prime subject of several memes in the past. And pictures of a drenched Shaq began popping up across social media right after this segment was over.
The segment itself was executed in a manner that left many AEW fans in splits for different reasons.
It may not have been the best idea to imply a comedic tone during Shaq's first appearance on AEW Dynamite. Still, it will be interesting to see how exactly AEW will tackle this crossover angle and if Shaq will eventually choose to step into an AEW ring after how his segment ended on this week's Dynamite.
#2: The Inner Circle squashed away their inner-conflict; MJF won the Dynamite Diamond Ring as Miro looked like a beast at the end of this week's AEW Dynamite
MJF and Orange Cassidy faced-off in the main event of AEW Dynamite with the Dynamite Diamond Ring at stake.
Prior to this match, The Inner Circle managed to put aside their differences in an in-ring segment. So the faction came out to support MJF in the main event. There were plenty of shenanigans that occurred during the main event, and Best Friends (Chuckie T and Trent) had to bring out additional support for Orange Cassidy since The Inner Circle had out-numbered them near ringside.
But thanks to Miro's interference, MJF was finally able to win back the Dynamite Diamond Ring by successfully pinning Orange Cassidy.
AEW fans have been critical of Miro's booking so far, but The Best Man ended this week's episode on a defiant note. Not only did he wipe out Orange Cassidy, but Miro also took out a few security guards who only wanted to separate Kip Sabian and Miro from Best Friends.
The ending to last night's AEW Dynamite was an example of how effective Miro can be if they focus more on his beast-like tendencies instead of frequent segments that revolve around videogames.
#1: Sting reunited with Tony Schiavone and teased two major storylines with Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin on AEW Dynamite
One of the most enigmatic aspects of Sting's persona is that he sounds like a charismatic figure whenever he cuts a promo. But whenever he isn't cutting promos, Sting comes across as an ominous, larger-than-life personality.
Such was the case on this week's AEW Dynamite, where fans witnessed a heartwarming moment when Tony Schiavone and Sting greeted each other on TNT after so many years.
Sting looked genuinely excited to be there, as he made it clear that he planned to spend a long time in AEW. While Cody Rhodes had been waiting to share the ring with Sting for so many years, The Icon shifted his attention to Darby Allin, who was sitting in the rafters during this segment.
Cody was overshadowed by Sting throughout this exchange, and The Vigilante patted Cody on his back before leaving the ring, teasing that they may cross paths sometime down the road.
One can never know what to expect with Sting, as his immediate purpose in AEW remains somewhat of a mystery. But teasing a potential program with Darby Allin was received with huge cheers from the live audience.
Sting isn't getting younger, but Darby Allin is one of the youngest AEW stars on the roster who could carry The Vigilante through a match if the veteran decides to step back into the ring.
