AEW Dynamite Thread 2022

[Glenryck Pilchards]

It was great to see Booker T's protégé AQA make her debut. I look forward to seeing the debuts of the hot tag team City & Guilds and future star Ed Excel soon.

[WeeAl]

Dynamite was great this week. The best Dynamite since probably, September? August? 

The opening was brilliant. Worked really well I thought. I was convinced Wardlow was going to be Punk's partner though. Didn't see it being Moxley. What a match the four of them had as well. 

Main event was great fun as well. No complaints here about that, other than Adam Cole is shite so I hope Hangman dusts him off right and sharp. 

No getting away from it, weakest part of the show was the section after the big tag match and before the main event. Neither woman's match was going to do well, but then they weren't in a great position to do so either. I didn't mind the breather, but I'm not sure that was what either match was intended to be. 

Keith Lee. I was never dying about him in NXT. I'm not dying about him now either. However he can definitely be something different. I'd much prefer he continued to play up the big man tropes here, and only relies on the agility stuff now and again. He stands out as being big even more in AEW, so lean into that. 

As well as that though, he isn't as agile as he was or as fit as he was. I've heard a lot of criticism of Meltzer's and Keller's takes on Lee's debut. Plus a tonne of praise from fans. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. He can do flashy, athletic things obviously. However if he isn't in better cardio shape soon and continues trying them, I imagine there could be a problem there before long. Lee looked fucking knackered, and just about pulled off the flashy stuff and no more. Which is fair enough, he has been very sick as most reports suggest. So both sides have a point.

Getting back to his best physical fitness, should be the main priority, and I'm sure it is. Not because of how he looks, which is where Meltzer and Keller are coming off bad because they are looking at it from a weight perspective. But because of how he'll feel and be able to perform. He could lose weight and be no fitter, or he could stay the same size and get all that fitness back. Who knows. Here's hoping he can do that, and if not, then hopefully he just does the big man stuff with the occasional cross body now and again. 

Overall a tonne of praise for this show, I enjoyed the hell out of it. Couple of things I would like to say, some have been mentioned:

- Some more backstage 30 second promos (uninterrupted ones) right before the match. 'Heading down the tunnel' type of thing. 

- Shoot the building better. Even some shots of outside the building. Boardwalk Hall. A really distinctive place. You would have hardly known it. They can definitely improve on production in this area. 

I did like how the main event started surprisingly out if nowhere, and last week when the Ass Boys chucked Jungle Boy out in the snow. Some things that change the scenery of the arena a bit. So then when you are in a unique building or a different type of place, the show can look and feel a bit different. 

[Infinity Land]

Thing to remember that I don't feel many have emphasised enough is that he's been sat at home since October. In a way the way they're introducing him is going to let him get back into ring shape without having to do a ton. Between now and Revolution he can have some basic squash matches, then its a multi man ladder match. With a month back in the ring he'll hopefully be back in a groove for whatever a first fued will look like.

[Project Nim]

The lone chant of “Shane O Mac” when Punk referred to bringing friends really made me laugh. 

Keith Lee looked good. 

[LaGoosh]

Can confirm. My wife doesn't give a shit about wrestling but asks me to call her in when Jungle Boy has a match because he's her "favourite" because "he seems like a nice boy".

Edited February 13, 2022 by LaGoosh

[Guest]

And what’s the differences in 18-49 year old males who enjoy forums viewers due to the vicarious living through HOOK? 

[Infinity Land]

We now know that the Owen Hart Cups will run from May 11th to Double or Nothing (May 28 or 29) if they stick to Memorial Day weekend. Gives them 3 weeks to complete the tournaments.

[JimmyAnderson]

I was expecting Danielson to turn up after the Punk/Mox tag match and demand his answer from Mox - especially after a tag match. And Mox turn around and say something along the lines of "I'll team with you, if he does" and then AEW have a team of Moxley/Punk/Danielson or alternatively turn Danielson down saying he's found his tag team partner in Punk. Opening the door to Danielson finding someone new to team with and take on Mox/Punk. 

When Punk and Danielson debuted there was so much clamour for them to team up against the Bucks. Six months down the line, I don't think they've interacted with each other once on screen and because of their talents individually are still outshining most of the rest.

[Supremo]

With all the madness in wrestling at the moment I completely forgot it was a new episode of Dynamite tonight! Brilliant! Hopefully they keep the momentum going from last week. It’s a good looking card. Finally feels like we’re in PPV season.

Looking at that card though, with all those big names and interesting matches, do you know what I’m most excited about? Max Caster mentioning Cody in his rap.

[HobowithaShotgun]

And hopefully someone busting out a Cross Rhodes in a match.

[Duke]

Bet Red Velvet is giddy about her new upcoming match with Van Zant

[Guest]

Someone to smash the lift in the middle with a sledgehammer 

[The King Of Swing]

Send Eddie Kingston out to make fun of Cody's tattoo and steal his bus. 

[Guest]

They took the lift and centre thing away. Just have Been part of the divorce 

[RedRooster]

I thought that was an excellent show, and it's interesting that the only mention of Cody Rhodes was a positive one, from Excalibur. I would have put money on Max Caster saying something in his rap. 

Moxley's promo was absolutely masterful. People want to see the Moxley/Danielson team-up - there was a clear risk of Mox getting booed. Surely to get to a match, Moxley had to say "no" to Danielson's offer? Yet we've managed to (presumably) get to a match without that happening. 

Punk was also phenomenal, he's been such a great signing for AEW. I've really enjoyed the Punk/MJF feud, but once it's done, I really want to see Punk go up against Moxley. 

The face-off between Page and Cole was decent, although I wish they'd fuck off with the Bullet Club references. I had no idea that either of them were in that stable, and I don't know (or care) what their individual roles are. Then you had Jay White, someone I'm only vaguely aware of, talking about the Bullet Club and his role in it. I'd have much preferred a video package given a little bit of context about who White is, and what his motivations are in AEW. I realise that he may not be around for long, but that doesn't excuse the lack of context. 

The Face of the Revolution ladder match is shaping up to have quite an interesting line-up. As of yet, we don't have any high-flyers in there. Hobbs vs. Martin on Friday is intriguing, as I can't imagine them not having a ladder match without Martin in it; yet I'm not convinced they'll have Martin go over Hobbs. 

I wasn't mad about the cameo from the actor who plays John Kreese. His first appearance was fine, but I thought his second appearance, where Britt asked him for advice, was a stupid, and took away from the angle with Thunder Rosa. Was the idea here that it actually was John Kreese? Whatever the case, I didn't like it. Britt's title reign has been a huge disappointment, and I think they'd be better off having her drop the belt, and turn face. 

The line where Jungle Boy reference beating Christian in the Battle Royale filled me with hope that a split is on the horizon - I really want to see a feud between the two, and for Christian to turn heel. Christian has gone from being over-hyped to underutlised.