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Overall, I had fewer complaints with this week's episode of AEW Dynamite as compared to the multitude I have every single week. I just thought that while the show was good, there were certain aspects that could certainly be improved.
So, here is my 'best and worst' of this week, served hot and fresh for your reading pleasure. Bear in mind that this is just one person's opinion and if you wish to differ, you have the freedom to do so in the comments section below.
I know that fans of All Elite Wrestling tend to be passionate and tend to read every word I write with a magnifying glass, feeling offended at any criticism of their show. Let me just state at the outset that like you, I'm also a fan of All Elite Wrestling and I really do want the company to succeed.
But it's my job to separate the good from the bad, and that's exactly what I'm going to do in this article.
#1 Best: The sheer drama in Cody vs. Kip Sabian
Cody Rhodes may just be the most over babyface in wrestling right now not named Edge. I loved every moment of his match with Kip Sabian, including all the drama that accompanied the contest.
Arn Anderson getting involved with the referee and being sent backstage was a really good touch. I even loved the sight of Penelope Ford pretending to be hurt and Cody Rhodes coming to her rescue, only to realize that she had been playing possum to help her man win the match.
And I also loved unbridled, untethered Cody Rhodes at the end, destroying Kip Sabian with three consecutive finishers. When he celebrated with the crowd, the whole arena showered their love upon Mr. AEW!
#1 Worst: More botches from Jim Ross
I hate to be so critical towards JR, considering he's following his passion and doing what he loves at his age. And when he is on fire, he is better than anyone else in the business when it comes to painting a picture and telling a story about what's happening in the ring.
The main issue with Jim Ross is his inability to remember names and it's reached a point where it's a real issue. I mean when MJF joined Jim Ross, Excalibur, and Tony Schiavone on commentary, JR referred to him as 'Matthew' Jacob Friedman and MJF corrected him in typical heel fashion, which was a little uncomfortable to watch live.
Perhaps the most embarrassing moment of the night came in the main event when Jim Ross referred to Isiah Kassidy as 'Kennedy'. You can give the man who's dubbed the voice of professional wrestling a pass per show, but he didn't make just one botch.
In fact, his inability to get names right was even made part of a promo that I will touch upon later.
#2 Best: The whole Moxley vs. Jericho feud
I loved the fact that Jon Moxley entered through the crowd, as always this week, but then delivered a fired-up promo to kickstart the show, and honestly, officially begin his Championship feud with Chris Jericho on AEW Dynamite. Jon Moxley clearly has the support of the people, and while he may not be nearly as over as Cody Rhodes at this time, there's an outlaw vibe to him that seems to connect with the people. And Chris Jericho played the audience like a fiddle, calling them stupid even as they sang his theme song, together, in unison.
In some ways, with Moxley using the baseball bat as a weapon, it reminds me of Sting taking out the nWo. There are certainly elements of the nWo in The Inner Circle, especially with such a vast contingent of the current AEW roster hailing from WCW. I'm excited about the next chapter of the feud and I can say with certainty that Jon Moxley would make for a very cool AEW Champion if the company does decide to take that route.
#2 Worst (but better than last week): Britt Baker
Britt Baker had some amazing material this week, just like she did last week. But something in her delivery just does not connect in the same manner that a heel like Chris Jericho or MJF does. Had she said what she said with more conviction, her promo would have certainly been the segment of the night, in my opinion.
I hate picking on the AEW women's division every week, but so many All Elite Wrestling Superstars clearly haven't been through the NXT system and the WWE Performance Center, which lends you a certain degree of professionalism and a finishing touch that a lot of the AEW's roster, male and female, do not possess. Britt Baker just comes across as a really nice person and unless a switch in her goes off where she's able to connect with the heel within her, I can't see the turn working.
It was very hilarious indeed that Britt Baker actually took a shot at Jim Ross for getting names wrong though.
#3 Best: Hangman Page
I love the fact that Hangman Page and Kenny Omega are the tag team champions and yet, one is a babyface and the other is quickly becoming a heel. This kind of dynamic is something you don't often get to see, and especially in AEW, where a lot of the wrestlers aren't really pure babyfaces or pure heels.
Perhaps the best spot of the night came from Hangman Page who asked Matt Jackson to hold his beer as you can see in the clip that's been linked above. Even the Sportskeeda staff that was on NXT duty saw a clip of this online and commented on the same during the course of the show.
I'm very excited to see the prospect of Kenny Omega and Hangman Page teaming up to take on The Young Bucks down the line. This is clearly the route that they're heading on at the moment and I'm pumped to see what kind of match these guys are able to put on.
Was this your moment of the night or the GIF below?
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