After last week ‘s program of AEW felt like it would last an hour longer, the latest edition of Dynamite apparently starting out in fifth gear, and just keeping hitting the accelator. It started quickly, and he only got more angry from it.
The program apparently flew two hours this Wednesday night, following several running stories and focusing on the new partnerships with IMPACT and New Japan Pro Wrestling. It also featured the stunning look of a second-generation keeper at the edge of a ring.
Here are five quick comments on what we saw from AEW Dynamite this week.
# 1 Joey Janela and Darby Allin opened the hot show, and became a lot more technically witty than most AEW fans would expect
Janela has never been a ring wizard, and Allin has always been known as more of a daredevil than a scientific genius. However, there was a lot of quick action in this game, marked by several counters and a smooth transition.
Allin continues to be a rising star inside AEW and is the good guy to feature week in and week out with the TNT Tournament. While AEW has been criticized at times for signing other promotional stars and not focusing on rural talent, Darby Allin is certainly the diamonds they have found out.
# 2 Brock Anderson has been preparing for his debut, and should do a good job bearing the Anderson family name in AEW
Arn Anderson’s son has been quietly training for months now in North Carolina with Lodi who was a WCW keeper, and his father and handlers have been very careful not to miss him. ripped into the ring. When it was ready, it was time to focus on this week ‘s edition of the AEW signature show as an idea of what the future might hold.
And while we haven’t yet seen the youngest Anderson in the ring, all accounts say he’s the real deal, and may have embraced much of his father’s signature style.
This is another positive for AEW, as they are still home to many second-generation athletes. It also reinforces the desire to continue going back to some form of tradition, while still retaining the style of modern television.
# 3 Sammy Guevara is as popular as heels, but has a chance to become a real baby star in AEW
With Guevara marching to the ring to calmly tell Chris Jericho that he is “done” with the inner circle, expect to get a mega-push from here. That appearance (and hope) begins with a long, heated controversy with MJF and an outside war with the previous fashion.
Both MJF and Guevara have been two of the young stars in whom AEW has spent a lot of time. They could be related if they get the chance to have a few classic battles.
Sammy Guevara told Alex Marvez that he will need some time away from AEW for a while, but you can be sure that when he returns, he will have a big target on his back with Jericho and his team.
# 4 Despite their best efforts, AEW still has a deficient women’s division
This is not new information. With the exception of a few names such as Dr Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa, the act on the women’s side of the card has yet to capture the attention of the general audience.
This big international competition doesn’t help, either. Mainly because most names are involved almost without the knowledge of the American audience. While this will certainly help forge the friendship with New Japan by bringing in international custodians, there is simply no star power to make this trip exciting.
AEW really needs to look at cracking down on other companies for some “name” talent in terms of its women’s division. With all due respect to their custom roster, they only have a handful of girls who are almost as interesting as the female actors in IMPACT, Ring of Honor, or (especially) WWE.
# 5 Seeing KENTA in an AEW ring prompts fans to estimate how many NJPW stars might appear
The main event was a big fight on the street and outdoors, and KENTA certainly did not disappoint.
All hell broke before the end of this game, and the action was non-stop from the opening bell. While it is clear that the fisticuffs between KENTA and Jon Moxley are more about setting the battle for the U.S. IWGP Championship, it certainly needs to give AEW fans hope that more actors from the Land of the Rising Sun made its way to TNT on Wednesday night.
Noting all the AEW stars who have ties to Japanese promotion, there is the different combination of dream games that could happen in this Trans-Pacific partnership.
Another high energy event of high energy Dynamite AEW away and away, and this week’s show has certainly helped bring forward some of the company’s most exciting stories right now.
Cross-promotion controversy, a shake-up of the inner circle, and a hard-hitting main event were at the heart of this week, but the show’s overall production and flow continue to set AEW apart.
He can only imagine how these funny stories will shake out in the coming weeks.
Published February 11, 2021, 09:27 IST