We're about a week and a half away from AEW's Full Gear PPV, and Dynamite was a good to great show for the fifth week in a row.
There has been some criticism about the AEW product online, although this is perhaps unfair as AEW is still very new to producing weekly television. With time and experience, they will potentially grow more into their own style, but the fact that they've given us a good show every week so far must be appreciated.
In this week's episode, the finals of the AEW Tag Team Classic took place as The Lucha Bros took on SCU. Things were made personal between the two teams when Lucha Bros attacked Christopher Daniels a few weeks ago, and the match delivered as expected. Meanwhile, The Elite took on Kip Sabian & The Hybrid2, who've barely been on TV so far, in a fun match. Jon Moxley finally got the opportunity to speak his mind on his upcoming match at the Full Gear PPV against Kenny Omega.
Cody and Chris Jericho also signed the contracts for their match at Full Gear and set things in motion. That said, let's look at three things AEW subtly told us on Dynamite.
#3. Building up the women's division
The AEW Women's division has arguably been one of the weak points of the show in the last five weeks. It doesn't feel like it's as important as other elements of the show and is potentially skippable without missing anything major. That's a problem that the company may need to address as the Women's Division roster is not exactly stacked right now, and they've been running the risk of diminishing fan interest in the division.
Until now, only Riho and Britt Baker have found any time to express themselves and connect with the fans. Nyla Rose has been absent ever since her title match against Riho for some reason. But things looked like they are going to change as this week's episode had a match between Hikaru Shida and Shanna. These two women got enough time to showcase themselves.
Neither Riho nor Britt Baker was on the show, which indicates that the company is looking to build other women as well. Besides that, Brandi Rhodes was backstage in a room with pictures of all women on the roster.
#2. Wrestlers will get promo time
Though AEW has produced stellar TV shows every week, the one major complaint they've got from fans is the lack of promo time and character development on the show. Other than Cody and Chris Jericho, no one has been allowed to talk and connect better with the crowd. Some guys are strong on the mic and could use the time to get themselves over with the fans. Therefore, it's been a little disappointing to see them not get the chance to talk.
However, the company likes feedback, and they appear to have listened to the fans as Jon Moxley got the opportunity to vent his thoughts. Following the announcement that his match against Kenny Omega will be Unsanctioned, Moxley cut a scathing promo that put AEW management on notice.
It was intense, to the point, and showed why promos are Moxley's strong suit. It didn't have to be a twenty-minute promo either. The fans loved it, and hopefully, the company will do more of these promos in the weeks to come.
#1. Cody vs. Jericho could potentially go 60 minutes
It's no secret that AEW wants to give a sports-like feel to their shows and matches. They announced a new tiebreaker stipulation for the AEW World Championship match between Chris Jericho and Cody at Full Gear. The match will likely be the main event of the PPV and have a 60-minute time limit.
In case there is no winner at the end of the time limit, a panel of three judges will vote for a winner. This makes sure that there will be a clear victor, and the match will not end in a draw. Jericho also cannot rely on the Inner Circle to help him, as the judges will be strict regarding that. The Inner Circle has been on Jericho's side and interfered when he's been in trouble. Therefore, this decision changes that and he will be forced to do things on his own.
Not only does it give it a sporty feel, but it also makes it feel important and must watch. Therefore, it is likely the match lasts the entire 60 minutes. However, there are some issues they should avoid, as such a long match could potentially bore the fans. They are taking some risks, but let's hope they pay off.