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Honestly, this show felt like it was beginning to drag until the very last segment came along, in my opinion, at least. There were flashes of brilliance, but none of it was exciting until the very end.
It just feels like Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho are at a different league when compared to the rest of the roster in AEW, maybe with the exception of Cody Rhodes. When the two of them are in the ring, you notice them, and when they are not, your attention starts to waver.
I guess that working at the highest level under some of the best names in the business certainly does have its perks. The rest of the roster is very talented indeed, but it'll take them a while to reach the same level, in my personal opinion.
So, with that said let's survey the show for the best and the worst.
#1 Best: The swerve at the end
The end of this week's episode of AEW Dynamite felt like we've taken a trip back in time and gone all the way back to the 90s, with Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Moxley pulled off the ultimate swerve as he teased joining the Inner Circle, and he did so believably as well, before hitting Chris Jericho in the head with a champagne bottle.
It was poetic justice in a way to see Chris Jericho go down, to a little bit of the bubbly. It is clear that power does not motivate Jon Moxley and neither does money, and he'll keep going until he becomes the All Elite Wrestling World Champion.
Did it also remind you guys of Mitch The Potted Plant from the segment with Moxley and Jericho from back when they did a program in WWE?
#1 Worst: DDP plugs in all his projects
DDP is in great shape for his age and he really seemed like he could kick some rear end in the ring when he strode out this week. But that is before he started plugging in his yoga, his Twitter handle, and other social media accounts too.
It almost seemed like DDP was thrilled that he had some air time so instead of saying what he needed to say, he kept plugging in his very many projects. MJF rolling his eyes during the segment was exactly what I felt as well because it was almost like DDP cared more about his branding than the story being told in the ring.
MJF thankfully brought it home again and the segment was salvaged, but it could have been so much more, in my opinion. I did pop for all of the Diamond Cutters though. The man has still got it when he's focused!
#2 Best: A slow heel turn
The opening contest between Adam Page and Kenny Omega against Private Party was honestly, a very good match. It wasn't in the same league as Kenny Omega's contests against Kazuchika Okada, for instance, but it told the story that needed to be told, I felt. The story of miscommunication between two men that used to be best friends.
I thought that Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross did a commendable job on commentary elaborating on the fact that Page was at the bottom of The Elite food chain, at the lowest rank in the hierarchy. And because of the same reason, he felt like his friends are much higher up on the food chain than he currently is.
It all came to a head when PAC attacked Michael Nakazawa in the back and while Kenny Omega rushed to the rescue at once, Page was in no hurry to join him, enjoying a cold one.
#2 Worst: Riho still remains the Champion
I just think that while Riho is great, the AEW Women's Division needs more stars and they had a big opportunity to create a new top superstar in Kris Statlander. Riho has pretty much run through the division now and there doesn't seem to be anyone left for her to compete with, honestly. Maybe The Bunny could get into the ring with her next or even Awesome Kong, but it feels like a one-woman division.
While this may be an unpopular opinion, I just thought that the appearance of Luther did nothing for me. And it didn't seem to do much for the fans in attendance either, because nobody seemed to really know who he was. While I can see her receiving a lot of flak online, I actually thought that Brandi Rhodes was great on commentary.
The AEW Women's Division needs some new players, and they need these women to come in, very soon indeed!
#3 Best/Worst: Orange Cassidy
Maybe I've been watching pro wrestling for far too long and I'm too old to enjoy Orange Cassidy. Somehow, his presence in any match just changes the tone of the contest from a serious one to a comedy contest, and I'm not sure that I'm a fan of the same, honestly.
I mean WWE has R-Truth do the 24/7 Championship stuff with people who are lower down in the card. You wouldn't see Brock Lesnar or Seth Rollins suddenly involved in the 24/7 Championship picture, but AEW clearly does not make the distinction.
However, the crowd certainly likes him and isn't that the whole purpose of pro wrestling? All Elite Wrestling gives the fans what they want and hence, I'm not sure that I can slot him as a worst.
So, in conclusion, would you say this week's episode was a home run, or would you call it a dud?
