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Before I begin this week's review, I have a confession to make. Every week, I do my absolute best to bring you an unbiased AEW Dynamite 'Best and Worst' feature based on what I liked about the show and what, in my opinion, failed to hit the mark.
I have to admit that for most of this week's broadcast, my mind was elsewhere, especially if you consider what happened to most of WWE's talent roster only hours prior. A lot of good men and women lost their livelihood, and I couldn't enjoy the broadcast like I usually do.
So, I don't know if that was the reason or not, but I thought that this week's program just did not connect with me at all. And this is very surprising indeed considering that AEW Dynamite sets the bar very high when it comes to pro wrestling.
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For what it is worth, here is my 'Best and Worst' analysis.
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#1 Best: Lance Archer looks unstoppable
Lance Archer and Colt Cabana were billed as two undefeated stars who clashed in the middle of the ring this week, and thankfully the former squashed Cabana. And this is not a knock on Cabana who may definitely go on to have a great career in AEW, but it was necessary for Archer to squash Cabana to look like the monster he is.
Special marks to Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone on commentary who were great for the duration of the match and may just be the best commentary unit that All Elite Wrestling has had until now. Cabana's post-match promo following his devastating loss was pretty cool too and if you have not seen it yet, I urge you to do so at the link I'll post below.
#1 Worst: The main event match
I really thought that AEW did a great job in hyping up the match between Jake Hager and Jon Moxley in the main event, throughout the show. However, the actual match just went on for far too long and by the time that it was done, it had just bypassed the 'sweet spot' and left a bitter taste in every viewer's mouth.
And while I was glad to see Jim Ross return to the commentary desk for this match, he did his best without a partner present. One can argue that if Ross is the greatest announcer of all time, part of the reason for the same is that he's always had someone like Jerry Lawler by his side. A one-man booth just felt incomplete despite the fact that Ross was great in telling the story of the match.
Maybe it's the fact that we all knew the result before the bell even rang that made us not invest in the match at hand as we would have, under other circumstances.
#2 Best: Britt Baker and Shawn Spears both win
Sometimes you need a quick win or two, especially when you take losses the week prior to put other talents over. Britt Baker suffered a devastating loss to Hikaru Shida whereas Cody Rhodes defeated Shawn Spears in the first round of the TNT tournament. So, this brings us to this week's broadcast where both of last week's losers rebounded with big wins.
We all knew how great Shawn Spears was during his WWE run, and perhaps the 'ten' gimmick, as over as it was, weighed him down because it was limited. But Dr. Baker is doing a really commendable job as a heel and I loved her vignette on how to be a role model, even though it reminded me of the whole Sasha Banks and Bayley shtick, to a certain extent. I genuinely think that with her look, her gimmick, and the way that she's coming into her own as a heel, she will be the next breakout star for AEW.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the title on her very soon indeed.
#2 Worst: The absolute lack of a tag team division
If you ask me whether or not I enjoyed the match between Kip Sabian and Chuck Taylor, the answer would be a resounding yes. I thought that both men played their parts and so did Orange Cassidy and especially Penelope Ford, both of whom were very integral parts of the contest. However, I think the fact that Chuckie T is forced to compete in singles matches just hurts him immensely.
There is no tag team division at the moment and the fact that Hangman Page hasn't been on the show for a long time has put the whole division in the backseat, unfortunately. And this is why Kenny Omega is forced to team up with people who are not his tag team partner, essentially, derailing the fantastic story that was being told between him and Page. It's a real shame how much tag team wrestling has suffered under the current circumstances because it was one of the hallmarks of All Elite Wrestling.
Not AEW's fault, but very much a 'worst'.
#3 Best: Jake Roberts
Jake Roberts' promo that started the show this week was so good that anyone who's getting into the wrestling business should go back and watch it once more. His delivery is impeccable and it is so effective that even though we all know that pro wrestling is scripted, it sent shivers down my spine.
And yes, Roberts could not accompany Lance Archer down to the ring this week because of the current circumstances, but even the vignette did more to establish him as a threat before the bell rang than all his previous appearances in the ring could. I just have to say that it was probably the best thing on the show and it's a shame that it happened in the first few minutes.
If you have a minute, please take the time to check out Sportskeeda's own Darren Paltrowitz in conversation with the man who has defined wrestling over the years Jim Ross in this video uploaded exclusively to our YouTube channel, in which Ross takes us on an entertaining journey in his trademark, iconic voice.
