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Following their successful Double or Nothing event with a somewhat bland broadcast of Dynamite last week, AEW rebounded with their latest effort.
The last AEW episode was what is often called a 'maintenance show'. It was filled with promos, and punctuated by celebrations for Britt Baker and The Inner Circle. Both were all coming off big wins at the pay-per-view.
It also included another semi-flat Sting and Darby Allin segment, as well as a cast of others doing a whole lot of talking and not much actual wrestling. And when matches took place, they weren't exactly barn burners.
This week, however, the promotion bounced back with a lot more physicality. Still riding on the fumes of their biggest premium event of 2021 thus far, this latest Dynamite delivered a little bit of everything to the AEW fan base.
AEW delivered a fast-paced program, with a few twists and turns here and there. Let's take a look at five things that stuck out about this week's episode:
#1 Christian Cage continues to look like he's been drinking from the Fountain of Youth
Christian looks to be in the best shape he's been for a long time. And despite taking several years away from active competition, it looks like there's no ring rust on him at all.
At this point, fans and observers must be scratching their heads, wondering why he was kept away from performing in WWE for so long. His re-emergence in AEW looks to be a shot of adrenaline for the King of the Peeps.
Christian looks like he could still be one of the upper echelon members of the WWE roster. Instead they let him go, and their loss became AEW's gain.
Christian is not only a special athlete and a proven performer, he's also a wizard on the microphone. His ability to talk and wrestle can surely be a major asset, if he is put in a position to maintain his legendary status while still elevating younger AEW talents at the same time.
#2 Brock Anderson may be new to AEW, but he's been in training for a long time now.
Arn Anderson's son will team up with Cody Rhodes in an upcoming match, and he certainly looks the part. He favors The Enforcer, right down to the sly grin and the classic Anderson beard.
But Brock inherited more than a name and genetics from his legendary father. He also gained the work ethic that has made the kayfabe 'Anderson' name synonymous with greatness for 50 years now.
What many people don't know, nonetheless, is that Brock has been purposely brought along slowly. His father, as well as his trainer - former WCW star Lodi - took cautious steps in grooming the youngest Anderson for his debut. Much of his time in the gym in Georgia was kept under wraps, until he had proven to both of them that he was ready to be unleashed on AEW.
Hopefully, Brock Anderson will develop in the same way as many second and third generation stars before him, like Cody, Randy Orton, and Charlotte Flair. With great athlete ability and his dad's guidance, it will be interesting to see his evolution as an athlete.
# 3 It can never be said enough... The Inner Circle vs. The Pinnacle has been the best feud in the short history of AEW, thus far.
After a terrific battle in the Stadium Stampede match, Chris Jericho's band of merry men have the momentum right now over MJF and his cohorts.
The Pinnacle was wrapping up a terrific promo when Jericho appeared onscreen to show his boys destroying the heels' limousine. It all culminated with Jake Hager crashing a forklift into the already tattered and shattered vehicle.
Tony Khan and AEW need to ride this feud out for weeks - and possibly months - as long as the intensity level stays where it is right now. With so many interchangeable parts between the two factions, the possibility of mini-feuds and alternative storylines is ripe for the picking.
#4 Although Evil Uno really shouldn't be challenging for a singles title, it did provide another feel good story for AEW.
Following the shocking death of Brodie Lee, The Dark Order was suddenly thrust into a babyface spot on the card. After all, it's hard to root against a group that includes the young son of their fallen leader.
Having said that, Uno is known primarily in AEW as a tag team wrestler, and not even necessarily a successful one. Miro basically controlled the match and eventually tapped out his challenger.
So, while it was a nice moment in honor of their deceased comrade, let's hope that AEW keeps the Evil One away from singles competition and far from the TNT and World titles.
#5 Kenny Omega vs. Jungle Boy should be a great matchup on many levels.
The AEW world champion was on hand with Don Callis and immediately began to question the guts of their next challenger. It didn't take too long before the kid hit the ring with the audience singing along to his catchy entrance music.
Luke Perry's son then told Omega that he talked too much, before tearing into the AEW kingpin. The ensuing brawl helped build the heat for their upcoming showdown at a very special Saturday Night Dynamite in two weeks.
While it's most likely that Omega will retain his title, it will certainly elevate the younger performer by being in that spotlight. Jungle Boy is a future AEW star who is on the rise in the promotion.
This week's episode of AEW Dynamite went back to the show's roots. It was a much better mix of action and promos than their previous effort.
With the promotion's biggest event of the year - Double or Nothing - now completely behind them, it will be interesting to see what AEW has in store as they head toward the dog days of summer.
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