Did AEW Dynamite deliver this week? Fans react as ratings suffer yet another drop

This week's AEW Dynamite ratings have been released, and fans have made their feelings clear on the matter.

AEW Dynamite this week featured six bouts, two of which had titles on the line. To kick off the show, world champion MJF faced Konosuke Takeshita in a championship contender's match.

If, by some miracle, Takeshita got the win, then he would have had a shot at the world title further down the line. That proved not to be the case, as after a slew of underhanded maneuvers, MJF scored the win via submission.

Last week's show drew 901,000 viewers, a major drop from the 1,003,000 produced a fortnight ago. The key 18-49 demo rating also dropped from 0.33 to 0.32 last week. This week's numbers experienced drops in both respects, drawing 899,000 in average viewership and a 0.30 key demo rating.

AEW Dynamite last night on TBS (8-10pm):899,000 viewersP18-49 rating: 0.30#5 cable original in P18-49📊 patreon.com/wrestlenomics https://t.co/Tt1lZA39l1

Fans have since reacted to the ratings, as is always the case when they drop. Some, like the user below, suggested that AEW World Champion MJF has been "losing steam," although it surely can't be fair to attribute everything to him.

@wrestlenomics NOT good!! Loaded show and I have sadly said this for months, MJF is losing steam and is not interesting anymore,

However, it was a prominent notion, with other users pointing out that his promos have been on the edgier side as of late. It was suggested that they may have turned the audience away.

@wrestlenomics @BrandonThurston I guess MJF cutting the most tryhard, edgelord promos possible didn't draw

@wrestlenomics Lmao 🤣 pathetic

@wrestlenomics @BrandonThurston Card looked weak, I ended up missing most of it

@wrestlenomics Almost like a load of pointless blood isn't attracting viewers.

@wrestlenomics Marks: AEW IS ON THEIR BEST RUN OF SHOWS SO FAR THIS YEARAudience: *lowest rating & demo since beginning of the year*

@wrestlenomics Mid numbers mid product

Others defended the show for its quality, pointing to the fact that this week's ratings don't fall too far from the show's average performance.

@wrestlenomics Stacked dynamite last night and still a great overall rating consistency is what matters

@wrestlenomics @BrandonThurston For what AEW is, their ratings range of 835k-950k is pretty good. Given how fragmented TV is, their broadcaster must be pleased with these numbers, despite the fact that AEW will probably never consistently hit above 1 million.

Fans cited a few other issues as potential reasons for the drop. Aspects of the program that some took issue with included the bloodshed and a "weak" preliminary card.

What else went down during this week's AEW Dynamite?

Dynamite this week featured another five bouts outside of MJF vs. Takeshita. Women's World Champion Jamie Hayter faced The Bunny in another contender's match, winning the match via pinfall to ensure there would be no rematch.

Ricky Starks had to run the 'Garcia-Guevara Gauntlet,' competing against three members of the Jericho Appreciation Society to earn a rematch against Chris Jericho. He pinned Angelo Parker and Matt Menard before losing to Daniel Garcia, albeit with ringside help from Jericho.

"You're not making it to March 5th!"#AEW World Champ @The_MJF is doing everything to make sure that @bryandanielson is in no state to fight at #AEWRevolution!Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS! https://t.co/HMvxZ94YXi

Bryan Danielson defeated former Ring of Honor Champion Rush, thus cementing his world title shot at the upcoming Revolution event. The Elite retained their Trios Tag Titles in a fast-paced battle with AR Fox & Top Flight. In the main event, The Gunns defeated The Acclaimed in shocking fashion, thus capturing the AEW tag titles.

What did you make of this week's show? Join the discussion in the comments section below.