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This week's AEW Dynamite was one of those episodes where it was genuinely tough to pick out the worsts. Dynamite was exceptionally solid from top to bottom.
No wrestling show is or has even been perfect, and the latest edition of AEW Dynamite also had a few flaws. The positives easily outshined the negatives, and as always, we do a rundown of all the bests and worsts from Dynamite.
The show had everything - a heel turn, a reunion, surprising cameo appearances, and some great in-ring action.
Buckle up, folks; this one will be good as we might have just witnessed one of the best Dynamite episodes of the year.
#1. Best - Will Hobbs turns heel and attacks Cody on AEW Dynamite
Now, that's what you call a surprise, Tony Khan!
Cody and Darby Allin teamed up to take on Ricky Starks and Brian Cage in the show's main event, and I felt that we'd see Jade Cargill or Shaquille O'Neil make their presence felt at the end of the show. The match would have surely ended up in the worsts' column had that happened, and thankfully, it didn't.
Instead, AEW pulled off a legitimate swerve by turning Will Hobbs heel.
AEW did the right thing by booking Brian Cage to pin Darby Allin, and the heels unleashed a typical post-match assault on the babyfaces.
Will Hobbs came out to be the equalizer but what happened next was a very well-executed turn. Hobbs picked up the FTW Championship and decked Cody in the face. The show ended with Hobbs being confirmed as the newest member of Team Taz.
Pro wrestling without the turns is stale, and both AEW and Will Hobbs needed a big moment like this to cap off a great episode. Team Taz now looks unstoppable with the arrival of Will Hobbs, and the next few weeks should be interesting to watch.
#2 Best - Top Flight prove they are the real deal
Daunte Martin (19) and Darius Martin (20) might very well be the 'young' Young Bucks. The talented high-flyers, as advertised, put on a breathtaking performance in the biggest match of their careers.
Top Flight had Young Bucks on the ropes in the early goings of the match as they kept up a frantic pace. The moves were innovative and extremely crisp for wrestlers who don't boast of the experience as their illustrious opponents.
Young Bucks expectedly picked up the win in a quintessential all-action Young Bucks match. The match might have seemed over-choreographed in phases, but AEW's efforts in showcasing talented indie wrestlers need to be commended, and on this occasion, it was a successful decision.
I'm just waiting for The Acclaimed to get featured prominently on AEW Dynamite as Anthony Bowens and Max Caster have been on a roll on AEW Dark.
Sportskeeda's Phil Lindsey caught up with Bowens for an interview with which the newly-signed AEW star and 'one of the best-kept secrets in pro wrestling' spoke on various topics.
#3. Worst - The Miro storyline on AEW Dynamite
It's safe to say that Miro's AEW run has been a massive letdown thus far. The former WWE Superstar arrived in AEW with a lot of promise as the fans expected to see his real talents showcased without any creative restrictions.
The creative direction for Miro, however, hasn't managed to catch up on the fans. Miro was on commentary on this week's Dynamite during Kip Sabian's match against Orange Cassidy, and the former US Champion wasn't even that impressed with the headsets on. We might be spoiled by the brilliance of Chris Jericho, but Miro could have done much better as a guest commentator. Eddie Kingston's performance later on in the night was a fine example.
The storyline between Kip Sabian & Miro and the Best Friends is following a predictable pattern, and it's doing no good for any of the wrestlers involved. The video-game loving, WarZone fanatic version of Miro contrasts the man who intends to destroy his opponents during matches. It's a mismatch and an odd one, to say the least.
Miro is supposed to be the 'Best Man' at everything, which is the long-term goal for his character. However, his AEW career is yet to truly kick-off. The positive takeaway from tonight was Miro's clothesline on Orange Cassidy, which would lead to a match between the two.
#4 Best - The Inner Circle's trip to Las Vegas, Hornswoggle and Konnan appear
Everything about The Inner Circle's Las Vegas segment on AEW Dynamite, along with new members MJF and Wardlow, was entertainment 101. Chris Jericho is the king of goofy segments in AEW, and he manages always to get it right. Club together MJF, and you have TV gold.
The Las Vegas trip had a few massive surprises. The LAX reunion with Konnan's surprise appearance brought about the biggest pop on my end.
The two-part Las Vegas segment had more shenanigans than we can think of, and it was, as stressed above, thoroughly entertaining.
Former WWE Superstar Hornswoggle, aka Swoggle, appeared during the second part of the segment as the crying baby in one of the hotel rooms. Some moments were borderline cringeworthy, but wasn't that the whole point of the segment in the first place? Check it out for yourself, and have a few laughs while you're at it.
#5 Best - Serena Deeb and Thunder Rosa stole the show, multiple women's storylines on AEW Dynamite
The Women's Evolution is finally trickling over to AEW as the promotion is making concerted efforts to feature its female talent.
Serena Deeb and Thunder Rosa tore the house down tonight in the NWA World Women's Championship match. I loved the match and the technical aspects of the contest, and it proved that AEW's Women's division is, indeed, in safe hands. However, what pleased me the most was AEW kickstarting a feud between Thunder Rosa and Dr. Britt Baker.
Britt Baker attacked Rosa during the match while the referee was blindsided. Rosa might have lost the match, but she engaged in a brawl with Baker after the title contest.
The brawl was a teaser of what to expect, and it was brilliant as 'Let them fight' chants reverberated across the arena. There is some excellent chemistry between Rosa and Baker that could translate to a vital women's storyline on AEW Dynamite.
The AEW fanbase has been clamoring to see the women get more TV time, and the promotion is responding by booking multiple women's angles. Jade Cargill attacked Brandi Rhodes in a backstage segment, and we should get a follow-up angle next week.
Hikaru Shida will defend the AEW Women's title against Anna Jay in the next episode, and of course, Rosa and Baker should ideally continue their storyline.
AEW is listening to the fans, and that's a good start.
#6 Best - The Death Triangle reunites on AEW Dynamite
The reason why I enjoyed this week's AEW Dynamite a lot is because the promotion got a few classic pro wrestling basics absolutely on point. The heel turn was superbly done at the end of the show. However, reunions are just as pop-worthy as the turns, and this week had one.
AEW had been teasing the removal of Rey Fenix from Eddie Kingston's group for a few weeks, and quite frankly, it didn't make much sense until tonight.
PAC won his first AEW match in eight months against The Blade, and the post-match beatdown had to happen. Rey Fenix came out to make the save before Penta showed up with a chair. Eddie Kingston coaxed Penta to attack his brother, but he stuck with Fenix instead and went after Kingston.
The segment ended with PAC, Rey Fenix, and Penta reuniting the Death Triangle faction, and it sets things up perfectly for a highly-explosive feud against Eddie Kingston, The Butcher, and The Blade.
At this moment, PAC, Fenix, and Penta would do much better by being in one group than going off as solo stars, and the decision to get the faction back together seems right on paper.
#7. Best/ Worst - The Renee Paquette announcement; Anticlimactic end to the contract signing segment on AEW Dynamite
There are only a handful of performers who can nonchalantly announce that he will become a father for the first time and seem like he doesn't even care. Jon Moxley might top the list of men who can do that with his peculiar lazy swagger. The AEW World Champion revealed during a backstage promo that 'he had a pregnant wife at home' and it was one of the moments that forced almost every fan to rewind for a bit. Did Jon Moxley actually say that? Did he mean that? Yes, he did.
Tony Khan confirmed the news after the segment and Renee Paquette also reacted to it on social media. The reason why this features as a 'best' is due to the hype it can create for the show. Jon Moxley announcing that he will become a father live on AEW Dynamite did wonders for the show. It's better than a typical social media post. The show instantly trended, and Jon Moxley's segment will get solid numbers on YouTube.
While we congratulate the happy couple, there is another point that needs to be addressed before we let you go.
Moxley was involved in another segment later in the evening. The AEW World Champion didn't even make it to the contract signing segment as he was attacked by an unknown person (has to be Kenny Omega) before the segment. Omega showed up and signed the contract, but the whole angle felt anticlimactic as the #1 contender also didn't have much to say, which also surprised Tony Schiavone.
AEW still has a few weeks to go before the two men meet in the AEW World Championship match on December 2nd and business could and should pick up soon.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
