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This week's episode of AEW Dynamite wasn't bad, but I don't think we can say that it wasn't particularly good either. There were some good moments and AEW built nicely to Double or Nothing, but honestly speaking, there was nothing on the show to make me sit up and take note.
In any case, I thought there were only a few talking points from this week's show, so let me get straight to them. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know if you echo my sentiment or if you think that I'm completely off the mark with my AEW review.
For what it is worth, let me just say that Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, and Excalibur's commentary was on fire this week, and I would go so far as to say that they probably trump any commentary trio in WWE at the moment.
#1 Best: AEW ropes in Mike Tyson
I have conducted over a hundred interviews during my tenure in Sportskeeda and I have been star struck many times (my Ricky Steamboat and Jake Roberts interview immediately come to mind) but never more so than the day I interviewed Mike Tyson. He is not merely a boxer but a pop culture icon, and I do think that it's a huge coup for AEW, getting him on board to present the TNT Championship at Double or Nothing.
Those of you that got into wrestling in the 90s as I did probably remember how Mike Tyson was responsible for tipping the scales in the favor of WWE against WCW back in the 90s. And now, he has a chance to do the same for AEW as well, in their battle against NXT.
I hope that AEW works an angle between Mike Tyson and Lance Archer.
#1 Worst: AEW and its tendency for goofiness
I understand that pro wrestling is silly at its very core and I had no issue with the main event of Money in the Bank as well as the Boneyard Match at WrestleMania (I did think that the Firefly Fun House Match was a bit much though). However, the whole segment on AEW Dynamite this week, with Vanguard one flying to the middle of the ring and getting taken down by Chris Jericho and Floyd was way too silly.
Last week's AEW Dynamite main event was great, in my opinion, because despite the silliness of the golf cart and everything else that happened, it was still a fight. The idea of a baseball bat named Floyd as a new Inner Circle member may be too ridiculous for people who're not necessarily AEW fans to fathom.
Chris Jericho managed to get a list over and Matt Hardy did the same with a drone, so if anyone can make a baseball bat famous, I would have to say that it would be one of these two men. But this was still very weird.
#2 Best: AEW stars clash in a tag team match
Matt Hardy and Kenny Omega in the same team on AEW Dynamite. Who would have thought that could have happened back when Hardy made his big return at WrestleMania with his brother Jeff and then went on to team up with Bray Wyatt as well for a brief spell? But not only do the two men work well together, but they did not need drones or baseball bats to have a match with Santana and Ortiz.
it is a shame that this is a team that will only last for the duration of time that Hangman Page is on the sidelines but I do have a feeling that Matt Hardy and Kenny Omega can be a formidable pair at some point down the line. Omega can do the bulk of the heavy lifting and Hardy looks to be in far better shape right now than he was during his WWE run. Also, Santana and Ortiz will make great AEW Tag Team Champions someday soon enough.
#2 Best/Worst: AEW star Kris Statlander and botches
Let me start off by saying that in the past I've been a little critical of the AEW Women's Division and honestly, at that point, they did deserve the flak because their characters hadn't been established and their work wasn't particularly good. And by the same token, they also deserve a lot of praise because honestly, they have stepped up their game and they are putting on some great matches. The women of AEW aren't an albatross around the neck of the company anymore but instead, they are a significant part of the overall product in my opinion.
While Hikaru Shida earned a well-deserved shot at Nyla Rose, I would have to say that Kris Statlander was the biggest disappointment to come out of this week's contest by a very long shot. Not only is her gimmick of being an alien a little too unbelievable in 2020, but she also made a significant botch as you can see in the link that I have shared above.
Maybe she can dial it down in her match against Dr. Britt Baker at Double or Nothing.
#3 Best/Worst: The AEW Dynamite main event
Of course, Christopher Daniels and Brodie Lee are two of the best in the pro wrestling business at the moment but I just didn't think that the main event match was very exciting on paper and when it happened, it wasn't all that exciting in reality either. It was a solid match between two solid performers but it was just another AEW match, and possibly not even the most exciting clash on the AEW Dynamite card this week.
When Jon Moxley entered the proceedings, things did pick up but I am still not as excited about this clash as I was when Moxley and Jericho had their feud. Maybe it's just the cynic in me, but AEW has confused us a bit when it comes to the Dark Order. I have trouble understanding what their gimmick really is.
In any case, I have to sign out at this point, but in case you're still in a mood for more AEW content, check out our exclusive interview with Jim Ross, the voice of All Elite Wrestling in the link I've shared here.
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