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Every time I watch Dynamite, I sense the disparity between the top stars in the company and those lower in the card. It is clear that while some stalwarts in AEW are carrying the company on their backs, others still have a long way to go in that regard.
With that said, while there were weaker moments through the course of AEW Dynamite, I have to say that overall, I thought that it was a pretty good show. The end, in particular, was pretty good when it erupted into an all-out brawl between the participants involved in this weekend's pay-per-view.
I'm going to eliminate a few factors from the best and worst column, like how good the crowd in Charlotte was and how much they added to the match, and how annoying it was that the Fite TV sync wasn't up to speed at all. I'm only going to focus on the show and the components that were presented to us during the course of the broadcast.
Let's begin with one of the best things about this week's show, by far...
#1 Best: Cody Rhodes' promo
Some people cannot make an unscripted promo work at all. Cody Rhodes is not 'some people'. This week, he cut a promo with passion, to the point where he almost teared up while doing so and the crowd lapped up every single word. There really is no better candidate to be the face of the promotion right now.
Almost as good if not better was the spoof that also featured Virgil who made a return, hopefully not for one night only. It was hilarious and the crowd was hooked on to every word as Chris Jericho made light of the emotion and passion that Cody Rhodes has brought into the title feud.
#1 Worst: The embarrassing botch
PAC took on Trent in the opening match of the night and I have to say that there was a lot that was wrong with it, to be quite honest. The very fact that PAC is in a featured match at the pay-per-view and had to go so deep with Trent was a mistake, in my personal opinion.
The fact that the referee saw Orange Cassidy in the middle of the ring, but did not do anything is indicative of how strange All Elite Wrestling's rules actually are. What really bothered me was the pin, that you can see here.
Was it a botch from the referee or the performers involved here? Whatever it was, it just deflated what had been an otherwise solid match, despite all of my reservations with the contest.
That said, PAC is a solid performer and he deserves all the praise in the world, that he never got during his WWE stint.
#2 Best: The brawl at the very end
I have to say that while AEW Full Gear is certainly a stacked card, it does not feel nearly as exciting as say, Survivor Series does. With the NXT invasion and everything else around it, Survivor Series now looks like it's going to be a very exciting show overall. I'm certain that those in AEW were aware of this and so they booked the perfect closing segment.
Almost all of the stars involved in the pay-per-view brawled it out at the end as the crowd cheered them on energetically. The fight included Jon Moxley with Negan's Lucille and Kenny Omega with a bootleg version of the baseball bat. It also involved a death-defying leap from Nick Jackson.
This was the perfect way to close out the show. Greg Bush, my friend, and colleague, who was in the arena, echoed my sentiments too.
Stay tuned for his exclusives, coming your way very soon!
#2 Worst: The women's title picture
There is no doubt at all that Emi Sakura can wrestle and wrestle well too! I just wish that they had built the rivalry between teacher and student into a compelling storyline because as it stands, this seems like a match that came out of nowhere with no real stakes at all.
Sure, Emi Sakura picked up a big win against Riho and Jim Ross did a commendable job in establishing the fact that there's nobody who knows a student better than a teacher. They also told this story well by countering each others' pinfall attempts.
But then again, it doesn't really seem as exciting as Chris Jericho vs. Cody Rhodes or even Moxley vs. Omega, by a long shot, in my opinion. And I'm certain that most of you feel the same way as well. When a non-title program is more exciting than the title feud, there's a problem.
#3 Best/Worst: What's happening with Brandi Rhodes?
I absolutely love what is happening with Brandi Rhodes in the vignettes we're seeing in the backstage area. Awesome Kong is a part of the promos too, and when the action actually comes to pass, we should be in for a real treat. I just wish that this kind of storytelling happened across the board in the AEW Women's Division.
As I have stated before, it just seems that the only real star in the whole division is Brandi and to an extent- Dr. Britt Baker too. As good as they are, a lot of the women, including Riho haven't had their backstory/the reasons for their feuds portrayed in the manner they should have had.
If every woman gets the level of attention Brandi Rhodes seems to be getting with her new gimmick, we should be in for quite the show. Until then, the AEW Women's Division is filler material.
In any case, click here and vote for your favorite matches of the week!
