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I've been reviewing pro wrestling for years now, and haven't been this excited about where this art form can go, as I am at the end of this week's episode of AEW Dynamite, ladies, and gentlemen. I've been brutally honest about the shortcomings of the company thus far in my reviews, and I know that you would expect nothing else as a highly valued reader of our platform.
But let me be honest and say that the only reason I've picked out the two 'worsts' that I did in this week's article is that it's a 'Best and Worst' column. This was as close to perfect as an episode of weekly television can honestly be.
AEW did the smartest thing ever this week by putting heels on one side of the ring and the faces on the other side. It was a basic trick and did not make the empty arena seem empty.
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Special marks to Chris Jericho for the Queensryche reference while he was on commentary.
#1 Best: The Exalted One is revealed
Once upon a time, you knew him as Luke Harper, a follower in Bray Wyatt's faction- The Wyatt Family. Well, times have changed and he is a leader now and will be known as The Exalted One, going forward.
I genuinely think that he is one of the best big men in the business right now and his skills were overshadowed in WWE. He has a chance to break out and deliver as a member of The Dark Order and can guide his faction into the light because fans haven't really taken to them as the company had initially assumed.
The only question on everyone's mind is whether he can deliver as a leader and not a follower, and I'm excited to go along for the ride and find out.
#1 Worst: Shots fired at Vince McMahon
Brodie Lee's promo was well made and it created the necessary impact. However, what really disappointed me was the fact that AEW needed to take a shot at Vince McMahon and WWE during the course of the same.
Brodie Lee said the following line to Christopher Daniels- 'You are not the first out of touch, old man, to not believe in me'. And this has been All Elite Wrestling's biggest problem since the promotion really started, the fact that they have tried far too hard to deride WWE.
Salman Rushdie once said, and I paraphrase, that there is a place for more than one kind of book on the bookshelf and this is a truth that applies to the world of pro wrestling as well. What the former Harper does not need to do is harp on is his past, and walk into the company with a clean slate to chart a brand new course.
That aside, I thought that everything about Brodie Lee's debut was pure gold.
#2 Best: Matt Hardy is now All Elite
We had all heard the rumblings but after Brodie Lee showed up this week, we naturally assumed that Matt Hardy wasn't going to be a part of AEW. Or at least, he wasn't going to be revealed as a part of All Elite Wrestling on this one particular night. But there he was at the end of the night, aligning himself as a part of The Elite.
Matt Hardy is one of the most creative minds in the history of wrestling and he just wasn't used to his fullest potential in WWE. Even though he did have a run as a 'Woken' warrior, it just seemed like his creative vision and WWE's approach were always at odds. I just think that he will be a lot more at home in All Elite Wrestling, where he won't have to defend Edge after Randy Orton pulverizes him.
I try to be as impartial as I can in my reviews, but I have a soft spot for Broken Matt Hardy and I can't wait to see what the future holds.
#2 Worst: Missing the live pop
I loved the way that All Elite Wrestling chose to present the debut of Matt Hardy this week because it was absolutely fantastic. Vanguard 1, his trusty aide and camera drone flew over The Inner Circle and had it happened in front of a live crowd, the audience would have popped in a really big way, I'm sure. I genuinely thought that this was, by far, the biggest missed opportunity from this week's show.
Hornswoggle and Brodie Lee would have received similar reactions had they debuted in front of a live crowd, but what can one do when we look at the world that's around us, right? I have to commend AEW for putting on a show for the ages even when it seemed like that was absolutely out of the question at times. And yet, I can't help but think that these debuts would have worked so much better before a crowd that was present live.
Oh well, AEW had their backs to the wall and yet they delivered.
#3 Best: Jake Roberts has still got the gift
Growing up, Jake Roberts was never one of my favorite pro wrestling superstars and I never got his hype. But ever since I started writing about pro wrestling for a living, I've gone back and rewatched a lot of his matches and promos, and he is, maybe aside from Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair, my favorite pro wrestler ever.
There are a lot of good promos in All Elite Wrestling, but Jake Roberts is very different from the pack and it shows. In his trademark, haunting raspy voice, he delivers threats that feel real and feel chilling.
All in all, pro wrestling has never been hotter and I am glad to have a voice here at Sportskeeda to review the shows and bring readers like you my opinion, and even be paid to do so. It's the greatest honor and privilege of my life, and I have to thank All Elite Wrestling for allowing me to earn a living, even as the world crumbles all around us.
If you haven't watched this show, please do so at the earliest.
