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Disclaimer: Despite the title, the article doesn't contain an actual "worst" for tonight's AEW Dynamite and we have a few reasons for it as well. Firstly, we feel it would be in bad taste to find the worst in the latest AEW Dynamite - one that was so beautifully put together.
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It was a tough episode to get through, but an incredible one nonetheless. This was unchartered territory for AEW since they never had to do Tribute Shows to a superstar who was active until recently.
We've seen some incredible Tribute Shows in WWE, but in one show, AEW may have had the best one yet. This week's AEW Dynamite was purely a tribute to the late, great Brodie Lee.
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Storylines were seemingly suspended and we had a solid set of tag team matches that filled what turned into an incredible card and show as a whole. It ended with a fitting tribute to Brodie Lee.
While it might seem odd to not have any worst from AEW Dynamite, there legitimately were none. It was all so well put together, so let's start.
#5 Best: Everything about the AEW Dynamite main event
While we've seen Sting and Darby Allin tease an alliance, this seemed like it was the actual start of it. The main event, chosen by Brodie Lee Jr., saw Cody Rhodes team up with Orange Cassidy and Dark Order's "Ten" to take on Brian Cage, Ricky Starks, and Powerhouse Hobbes - aka team Taz.
It was a solid match on AEW Dynamite, and 10 put on an incredible performance keeping Dark Order's incredible streak on the show alive. Naturally, it was only expected that Dark Order would be going over, but it was nice to see that 10 got such a good showing in such an important spot.
There was a post-match attack from the heels after 10 picked up the win, and Darby Allin came to the rescue.
Just as the lights went out for the second time, Sting appeared and the two entered the ring - one with a skateboard and the other with a baseball bat. Sting is set to take Darby Allin as his protege on AEW Dynamite. The heels fled from the ring, and we're likely to witness an interesting Sting-Darby Allin alliance on AEW Dynamite.
We also loved the fact that Brodie Lee Jr. (or -1) was called into the ring and given an entrance. Tony Khan declared (with all due respect to Cody Rhodes) that Brodie Lee was the greatest TNT Champion in AEW history, and that Jr. will be the Champion for life.
It was a great gesture to the family, along with the fact that Brodie Lee's son chose the main event. The main event, while odd on paper, delivered big, and everything was done right on AEW Dynamite.
#4 Best: Some progress in the Women's division on AEW Dynamite
Among all the great matches, we had a solid Women's Tag Team bout on AEW Dynamite. Anna Jay teamed up with Tay Conti to face Dr. Britt Baker and Penelope Ford. While all four did great, it was none other than The Dark Order's own Anna Jay who stood out.
She took it to the next level and won the match with the Queen Slayer. It continued Dark Order's great winning streak for the night. Conti and Jay had a great moment together, and we truly believe that Anna Jay has the biggest claim of becoming the next leader of The Dark Order.
It certainly would be interesting, but that can wait. There's no rush to fill the spot immediately. As for Britt Baker, she was furious, calling Tony Schiavone and telling him that "it's all rigged".
Tay Conti and Anna Jay had a great showing on AEW Dynamite - especially the latter. As mentioned, there isn't any rush, but if she keeps improving at this rate, Championships and other big roles await her in the future.
#3 Best: Dark Order's big win on AEW Dynamite
Dark Order's winning run on AEW Dynamite kicked off with a multi-person tag team match. Alongside Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson) was Lance Archer, who was dressed as Brodie Lee did with his white vest.
They took on The Butcher, Blade, and Eddie Kingston. Naturally, Eddie Kingston was the one protected on AEW Dynamite, and it was hardly about him. He didn't have too impressive a showing, but his role on AEW Dynamite was clear - to be the heel to get Dark Order over.
And that's exactly what happened. Lance Archer and Dark Order defeated the trio and emerged victoriously. It was a good showing for them, and Dark Order was among the biggest highlights of an incredible tribute show on AEW Dynamite. Even Jake "The Snake" Roberts had a role to play on the show.
We're not sure what it means for the future of Dark Order, but even if it was their last night together (which it isn't), they did the best they could with what they had on AEW Dynamite.
#2 Best: The opening match of AEW Dynamite and the overall tribute
The Young Bucks and Colt Cabana opened the show on AEW Dynamite after the initial tribute, beating Matt Hardy and The Private Party in the process. AEW Dynamite started with the traditional 10-bell salute, and everyone watching knew that the show was going to be gripping and emotional.
The Young Bucks and Colt Cabana proved perfect for it, and every move and gesture on AEW Dynamite was dedicated to the late, great Brodie Lee. It wasn't just the incredible opening match, but all the major promos - starting from former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley paying tribute.
The entire show saw various superstars pay their respects to Brodie Lee and everything about him. AEW truly did a fantastic job on Dynamite and it will go down as one of, if not the best tribute show in wrestling history.
Brodie Lee would have been proud to see every single superstar on AEW Dynamite step up to the plate. His presence in AEW and the wrestling world will be truly missed.
#1 Best: Erick Rowan on AEW Dynamite
It was an unexpected one, but Brodie Lee's longtime tag team partner,Erick Rowan made his debut/a surprise appearance on AEW Dynamite. The original match on AEW Dynamite saw Adam 'Hangman' Page team up with John Silver and Alex Reynolds to take on MJF, and Santana & Ortiz.
It was another great match that saw Erick Rowan interject, allowing the babyfaces to pick up the victory. Perhaps the most satisfying spot of the entire AEW Dynamite show was when MJF went up to Brodie Lee Jr. and took off his mask, only for the young one to smack his head with a kendo stick.
It was a fun bit of storytelling and you could see that MJF was more than happy to do it. Erick Rowan's appearance at AEW Dynamite came as a big surprise, but we're not sure yet whether that was an official debut or just a one-off.
He held up a sign post-match saying "Goodbye, for now, my Brother", and embraced Page, Silver, and Reynolds. It was an extremely emotional moment for everyone, and it was perfectly in-tune with the theme of the show.
Next week will be the first of two nights of the AEW "New Year Smash", featuring several great matches, including an appearance from Snoop Dogg, and the return of Jon Moxley.
It will be great to watch, but until then, we pay our respects to Brodie Lee one more time after an emotional episode of AEW Dynamite.
