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AEW Dynamite is doing the best it can with the limited resources available at this point in time and I have to say that they are doing a fine job, in my personal opinion. This week's show wasn't the best episode I've seen but it was definitely not a boring two hours.
In fact, I would say that it was even better than RAW after WrestleMania 36. I know that it is probably an unfair comparison to make considering that WWE has decided to not have fans at ringside, but Dynamite just seemed to flow a lot better than RAW.
So, with that said, let me separate the best from the worst for you, reader. You may choose to disagree with me and I invite you to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts and your views in the section right below.
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And so, without further ado, I present my weekly review.
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#1 Best: The Women's match
Sometimes, a legitimate injury adds a certain 'color' to your match that may not have existed previously. We saw this with Becky Lynch after a botched punch from Nia Jax caused blood to stream down her face and gave us an iconic image, creating a global star.
Britt Baker broke her nose during the course of the match and while I will not share the gory images here, you are welcome to check it out on AEW's twitter, who are unafraid to showcase some blood and guts. And even though Hikaru Shida won the match, I would say that this was Baker's night, because she really came into her own as a heel, hitting with more intensity and interacting with Tony Schiavone midway through the match, showing us heat-seeking abilities that the best in the business possess.
#1 Worst: Why are there referees present?
Referees exist for a reason and so do rules. So, when members of the audience grab on to the heel so that the babyface can get a few shots in, it makes no sense.
Not only did this happen during the match between Dr. Britt Baker and Hikaru Shida, but it happened in the main event too where Aubrey Edwards had to be portrayed as lax and let many such incidents go without the match actually being called off. It did not help that Chris Jericho called attention to each one of these moments, which should have resulted in a DQ, but did not because the match was designed to end with Cody Rhodes picking up a win with the Figure Four.
Speaking of which, what did you think of Shawn Spears losing to the Figure Four leglock? I mean, he kicked out of two Cross Rhodes, and then his shoulders were down in the Figure Four, causing a three count.
Also, were Arn and Tully missed in this match, especially if you consider the finish that happened?
#2 Best: All the video packages
I used to think that WWE had no competition when it came to video packages but I have to admit that AEW has really upped the ante with regard to the same. The 'Jon Moxley and Jake Hager' package was absolutely incredible and the only issue I had with it was that it showed a more human side to Hager, portraying him almost as a babyface. Moxley came across as the heel at times, because he is a little rough around the edges as compared to Hager with his beautiful wife.
Jake Roberts' promo at the top of the show was brilliant and the promo from Matt Hardy was pretty good too. I just think that the company is doing a solid job when it comes to telling stories and hyping matches up in a very organic fashion. And nobody can dispute the fact that Hardy is having the time of his life cutting his 'Broken' promos.
I just wonder how many people it is connecting with because of how ecletic it is.
#2 Worst: Key stars missing in action
Listen, as much as I enjoy just about any match that Kenny Omega is in, the fact is that he is the AEW Tag Team Champion. And because Hangman Page has been missing shows week after week has really impacted the whole tag team division. I think I can say the same about Nyla Rose and the women's division because it's been a while since she's been on.
Thankfully, the TNT Tournament provides a distraction but there will come a point where one will have to address the fact that one-half of the tag team champions cannot be on the show for the time being. Jim Ross and Excalibur are being missed too, even though Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone did a commendable job behind the commentary desk. And I have to say that, as has been mentioned before, it was criminal to not see an Arn Anderson vs. Tully Blanchard showdown during the Cody Rhodes vs. Shawn Spears match.
I know it's unfair to say these things during a global pandemic, but I'm certain that I'm not the only person thinking of all these things.
#3 Best: Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho may still have a good twenty years left in the pro wrestling business because of just how gifted he is as a commentator. Who would have ever thought that Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone would be a commentary duo all those years ago when Schiavone was calling all of Chris Jericho's matches.
The two men we know from WCW were brilliant and if there is one criticism I have of Jericho, it is that he came off as a babyface at times. But he was on fire for most of the night and absolutely hilarious.
We come across so many stars on a regular basis who don't know anything about the talent on the roster but Jericho is not one of them, with complete knowledge of everyone from the undercard to the main event picture. Honestly, when the world returns to normal, I wouldn't mind a week or two of him manning the booth on Dynamite.
I thought that this show was a very good effort, though far from perfect.
