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AEW Dynamite continues to be a good show and at no point did the show seem to drag, in my personal opinion. At the same time, this felt like a filler episode, the calm before the storm, prior to the tournament for the TNT Championship kicking off next week.
There were certain aspects of the show that were fine and very entertaining indeed and other components that did not resonate with me really. I will list the good and separate them from the bad in this week's 'Best and Worst' column.
Be sure to leave a comment and let me know if you agree or disagree with my opinion in the comments. Also, I had written an opinion piece about the whole AEW vs. WWE rivalry that has consumed the world and you can read all about it at this very location.
#1 Best: An absolutely perfect debut
Very few stars that make their big debut for a major promotion have the luxury of someone like Jake Roberts cutting a promo to signal their arrival into the big leagues. Lance Archer did and to his credit, he made full use of the opportunity as well coming across as an unstoppable monster through the course of the entire match.
Also, can we take a minute and give credit where it is due because Marko Stunt sold, bumped, flew around the ring, and generally made Lance Archer look like an extremely big deal at all points during the course of their contest. And now that Archer made a debut in the manner that he did, I have a feeling that he's going to be the man who's going to run through the gauntlet in the TNT tournament and become the very inaugural Champion.
#1 Worst: The Exalted One skits
Why would an enigmatic cult leader be a diluted version of Vince McMahon? Not only is this confusing for the casual audience who may not be in on the joke, but also it portrays AEW as a company filled with bitter ex-employees who have a bone to pick with their former boss.
Brodie Lee could have been a mysterious cult leader and taken a tip or two from Jake Roberts, who keeps things real, and tones down on the humor, ensuring that his client Lance Archer feels like a really big deal indeed. Because Brodie Lee's skits are essentially parodying what Vince McMahon does on a daily basis and popping the superstars in the back who've previously worked under him, you don't even take the Dark Order seriously, as a result, especially with the whole numerical system attached to them.
I loved the eventual version of the Exalted One who came out and power bombed his minions for not getting the job done but the skit did not work for me..
#2 Best: Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida?
No, I wasn't really sold on Dr. Britt Baker once upon a time, when she first went heel and started cutting all those promos. But she has really come into her own and as a smarmy, annoying doctor, she feels right at home on Dynamite. I also loved the fact that Tony Schiavone professed to have a friendship with her and was immediately questioned because he is a happily married man.
But clearly, the highlight this week was the match that Hikaru Shida had with Anna Jayy. Even though it was Jayy's first rodeo in Dynamite, she put on a great showing and I wouldn't be too surprised if AEW decided to sign her because she showed some real potential this week. All of it was leading to a face-off between Dr. Britt Baker and Hikaru Shida and this is a feud that I wouldn't really mind seeing.
Shida has the potential to become a breakout babyface in due time, who eventually topples Nyla Rose to become the next AEW Women's Champion.
#2 Worst: Cody Rhodes on commentary
Even during the height of WCW Nitro, when the company had the best Cruiserweight division in the world, featuring stars like Rey Mysterio and Dean Malenko, Tony Schiavone wasn't calling matches that were as faced paced as we see in the year 2020. And while he is fantastic on color, I do believe that if he is in the lead play-by-play role, he finds it a little difficult to keep track of everything that's happening. A clear case of the same happened in the final match where he named the wrong performer and Colt Cabana had to correct him.
But the biggest problem with this week's commentary was Cody Rhodes, who was on the ball with all of his thoughts and his observations but did not have the kind of tone and projection that is needed to call a wrestling match. He tried his best and did the best given the circumstances, but I prefer him in the ring, with a microphone in his hand.
So do you, I'm pretty sure.
#3 Best/Worst: Jericho in the 'Broken' universe
I want you guys to weigh in on this because I really don't know how much of a connection the 'Broken Universe' has with the wrestling fans at large. And while you, someone who probably lives and breathes wrestling may understand and appreciate Matt Hardy's creativity, does it have a place in pro wrestling?
We saw comments both for and against the same last week, and now that we see Chris Jericho talking to a drone and offering him a t-shirt, I wonder if the whole thing is a little too eclectic for a global television audience. I love Matt Hardy and the 'Broken' Universe but Chris Jericho has obviously decided to break the fourth wall and I wonder if that will impact his value once this whole deal is over and the feud is finally done and dusted.
But I cannot say that I was not entertained by everything that happened on this week's show and I have to admit that I did chuckle quite a fair bit.
#3 Best/Worst: Jon Moxley vs. Jake Hager
Since I'm admitting to chuckling and to levity, let me just admit that Jake Hager calling Jon Moxley an idiot and a fool did make me laugh out loud. At the same time, I wonder if that is the high point of the feud because this is not a program I am excited for, quite honestly.
We all know that AEW will not put the title around Jake Hager's waist and to pretend that this is a feud that can go either way is just misdirection from the men and women in charge of booking All Elite Wrestling's storylines. What AEW did well, however, is the video package used for the fight, that comprised of actual footage from Bellator reminding the world of what a monster Jake Hager is in the world of MMA.
In conclusion, can I just say that for all its faults, AEW Dynamite continues to be one of the most fun shows I watch on a weekly basis, and Dr. Britt Baker is quickly becoming one of my favorites!?
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