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Over the last few weeks, I have been accused of being an AEW mark because allegedly, I write only complimentary things about All Elite Wrestling, and on the other hand, when I review WWE, I do so with a very critical eye. Well, I do believe that the outpouring of hate will continue this week too, because I thought this was as good as a show can be, ahead of Fyter Fest.
So, with that said, let's look at what worked ahead of AEW Fyter Fest and the stuff that did not, as well. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know if you thought that this week's episode was as good as I thought it was, and if you think there's room for development in the product.
If you think that the 'worsts' that I've mentioned in this article is basically 'nitpicking', then you're not far off the mark.
#1 Best: Wardlow and Luchasaurus start AEW Dynamite with a bang
Man, there is no better sight than two athletic big men tearing it up to open the show. The only question after that is how you can potentially top that madness.
We all knew that Luchasaurus was great but this week Wardlow showcased to us that he can be much more than a sidekick in the AEW roster as he had one of the best matches on the card.
Speaking of big men, Brian Cage absolutely decimated his opponent on AEW Dynamite. And all of this bodes well for the future because the criticism of AEW performers being too small can technically be offset with all the big men who've been mentioned, in addition to Lance Archer and of course, Mr. Brodie Lee.
Is AEW the new 'land of the giants'?
#1 Best/Worst: Making The Young Bucks and FTR team up at AEW Fyter Fest
I thought SCU and FTR had a LIT match this week on AEW Dynamite. But that's a given and the promo that followed from FTR also showcased why these men needed more mic time back when they were a part of WWE. Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone seemed thrilled to be calling a classic tag team match. The two teams worked great with one another and I would love to see them mix it up again on AEW Dynamite, somewhere down the line.
I was also thrilled to see The Lucha Bros return to AEW although the whole Death Triangle storyline seems to have been nixed because of the current circumstances. What I did not particularly care for is the fact that The Young Bucks and FTR will be teaming up at Fyter Fest. Do we really need to show that the teams are chummy before they turn on one another? It's one of those predictable angles that wasn't really needed.
#2 Best: Chris Jericho creates a new, serious star on AEW Dynamite
I have been absolutely critical of the angle between Orange Cassidy and Chris Jericho on AEW Dynamite until now, but this changed when Chris Jericho cut the best promo of his AEW career in the closing segment of this week's show.
I did not care much for Orange Cassidy getting busted open with oranges in the past, but Chris Jericho's promo brought forth a serious side to him that we hadn't seen until now. And the brawl that ensued in the closing moments of AEW Dynamite across the arena pretty much made Orange Cassidy seem like a star at par with Le Champion.
One of my major concerns was about AEW building towards the Chris Jericho vs. Mike Tyson feud down the line with Orange Cassidy reducing any semblance of seriousness after the pull-apart brawl that made headlines across the world recently.
But if this is the Orange Cassidy we're going to see on AEW Dynamite, then I can safely report that Jericho vs. Cassidy is a feud I'm interested in.
#2 Worst: Lack of resources available to AEW currently
In a lot of ways, this section should be entitled 'best' instead of worst, because AEW has been making the most of limited resources, but I can't help but worry about the product after AEW Fyter Fest is done. Dr. Britt Baker has been doing some exceptional character work on AEW television lately but the fact that she cannot get physical with Big Swole just affects the AEW women's division adversely. With the injury to Kris Statlander, the women's division is in need of some heavy hitters and new AEW signings.
AEW is a very responsible and professional company and because of various reasons Jon Moxley, QT Marshall, and Sammy Guevara were not on this week's show (kudos and definite props to the company for that) and I can't help but wonder if the show would have been even better had they been on. While this cannot be slotted as a worst, one has to wonder if the unavailability of PAC has nixed the Death Triangle angle for good.
Current events have seriously impacted the whole wrestling world adversely.
#3 Best/Worst: The press conference for the AEW TNT Championship
Cody Rhodes has to be the best promo of the modern era, not just in AEW but maybe in the whole professional wrestling world. I genuinely thought that his delivery was on point and Arn Anderson too built up the upcoming match in the best way that he could.
Unfortunately, Jake Hager's arrival in the vicinity just brought down the whole thing. Hager is a monstrous human being and excels when he's with his AEW compadres 'The Inner Circle' as a unit, but I can't help but think that when he's not being portrayed as the muscle of the collective, he just comes across as awkward and stiff.
In closing, we invite you to check out a little tribute that our video team has made for the heart and soul of AEW- Le Champion Chris Jericho. Do let us know what you think and when you can, do subscribe to our channel for similar content.
AEW Fyter Fest, no pun intended, should be a Dynamite show.
