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This week's episode of AEW Dynamite was newsworthy as the company pulled off massive swerves on the road to Revolution pay-per-view. The so-called 'Forbidden Door' was flung open, which resulted in multiple stars making their debuts tonight.
Overall, the flagship show ticked all the boxes from in-ring action and storyline perspective. But as usual, the episode had its equal share of positive and negative takeaways, which we'll be discussing below.
If you disagree with the reviewer's analysis, feel free to pen down your thoughts in the comments section.
#5 Best: Three huge debuts went down on AEW Dynamite
Tonight, we witnessed not one but three shocking arrivals in Keith Lee, Jay White, and AQA, which undoubtedly became the highlight of AEW Dynamite.
It all kickstarted with the Bullet Club star, who walked through the forbidden door to assist The Young Bucks and Adam Cole in assaulting Roppongi Vice (Trent and Rocky Romera) backstage. The Switchblade aiding Superkliq appeared strange since he had a long-standing feud with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega during their days in Japan.
But at the same time, White also had issues with the CHAOS faction in the past. Since there are some puzzling questions left hanging after his appearance on Wednesday night, it will be interesting to see how the entire saga shapes up in the weeks to come.
Meanwhile, Tony Khan's free-agent signing turned out to be none other than "The Limitless" Keith Lee. The latter returned to his old persona and in-ring gear, defeating Isiah Kassidy comprehensively to earn a spot in the Face of the Revolution ladder match next month.
Lee displayed a blend of strength and agility, which prompted us to reminisce about his days in NXT. The 37-year-old star is a welcoming addition to the roster and will help bring more eyeballs to the product.
And last but not least, AQA, who used to go by Zayda Ramier in NXT, made her in-ring debut this week. She unsuccessfully challenged Jade Cargill for the TBS Championship.
Despite coming up short, she pushed Cargill to her limits and brought the best out of her. Although the match was short, the two women enthralled the audience with their performances.
#4 Worst: Sammy Guevara leaving The Inner Circle again on AEW Dynamite
The growing tension between The Inner Circle members reached a whole new level on AEW Dynamite this week. After seeing Chris Jericho and Santana & Ortiz falling out, Sammy Guevara decided to leave the group.
The entire playoff to this segment felt absurd, as it isn't the first time we've seen The Spanish God departing from The Inner Circle. On top of that, he's not the focal point of this storyline. Hence, the company shouldn't have booked this angle in the first place.
It is almost a foregone conclusion that the group is on the verge of breaking up. Jericho and Hager will now be facing Proud & Powerful next week, which seems like prolonging the inevitable.
Keeping that in mind, having Jericho and his men expel Proud and Powerful from their group this week could have made the feud far more captivating than it is in actuality.
# Best: CM Punk and Jon Moxley teaming up on AEW Dynamite
CM Punk earned a rematch against MJF on AEW Dynamite this week. The latter dared The Straight Edge Superstar to defeat FTR in a tag team match on the show, where he could not choose Sting or Darby Allin as his partner.
But Friedman must have forgotten that Punk has made some great connections in the wrestling business over the years. One of them turned out to be Jon Moxley, who helped CM Punk defeat FTR in a grueling tag team match. The company's decision to put Mox and Punk together was a ratings ploy, as it grabbed the attention of both the live audience and television viewers.
Although the outcome was predictable, the dream pairing of Mox and Punk in weekly programming was something fans might not have anticipated this week.
Meanwhile, the stage for chapter II between CM Punk and MJF appears to be set for Revolution pay-per-view. The storyline continues to evolve and has generated much hype heading into their next clash.
#2 Worst: Wardlow's booking on AEW Dynamite
Wardlow's booking on AEW programming is becoming questionable these days. The Conductor of Violence returned to winning ways as he defeated The Blade in a short yet entertaining match.
Aside from this victory, his storyline with MJF seems to have taken a backseat, thanks to Friedman's ongoing rivalry with CM Punk. Although the company teased Mr. Mayhem leaving The Pinnacle, like they've been doing the past few months, the storyline buzz appears to be fading away.
The company's best option at this point would be to insert Wardlow into the Face of the Revolution ladder match, which will keep him engaged in something meaningful until Friedman finishes off his feud with Punk.
#1 Best/Worst: Real Reason why Lance Archer lost to Hangman Adam Page on AEW Dynamite
'Hangman' Adam Page successfully retained his AEW World Championship tonight after he and Lance Archer had a grueling bloodbath in their Texas Death Match.
The two foes started the contest, knowing that no weapons would be off-limits throughout the bout. Archer and Page left no stone unturned in keeping fans on the edge of their seats during the main event. But as expected, The Cowboy emerged victorious.
The Murderhawk Monster was a great opponent for Page ahead of the AEW Revolution. Dave Meltzer also noted that the company is planning a potential Cole vs. Page match down the road. It looks like the rumors were true as The Panama City Playboy confronted The Cowboy to stake his claim to the title at the end of the show tonight.
Although fans will be excited to see this dream match transpire soon, Archer was again used as a stepping stone and booked to lose another high-profile bout.
