AEW Dynamite Thread 2023

[Supremo]

Finally managed to finish this show. Spectacular main event. The fucking balls on these men. Anarchy in the Arena almost certainly pencilled in for the pay per view and they’re so confident in what they can deliver on that night that they rip the ring apart in the build up. Amazing. Pitch perfect finish, too. There was some real heat when Don turned, even if everyone knew it was coming.

Next two weeks seems nailed on for greatness. Don and Takeshita joining the Combat Club, debuting their fancy new jackets? And then the following week, when Omega - no longer corrupted by Don Callis- finally realises who his real friends are. And then Hangman Adam Page and Kota Ibushi ride out on the same horse, bare chested, saving the fucking day. Fuck yes.

But yeah. After what’s felt like decades of people pretending the camera man doesn’t exist in Cage, Hell in a Cell and Elimination Chamber matches, what a revelation when Moxley just uses the camera as a weapon. Inspired.

As an aside, I adore how Saturday Night Collision is quickly becoming the equivalent of when all the naughty kids got put into their own class in school. Andrade probably ordering new gear as we speak. Might as well draft Sammy Guevara to Saturdays, too. Really turn it into the backstage drama brand, with everyone bitching and fighting. Brawl for All probably booked for late Summer.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Supremo

[theringmaster]

I get the hunch Jungle Boy will end up a heel by Christmas. That 'bad attitude' story is still doing rounds (although from everything i read I think the kid just had jet lag, but, you know-Twitter!) and as mentioned his vignette this week actually seemed more suited to a heel.

[2Xtreme_lives]

1 hour ago, theringmaster said:

I get the hunch Jungle Boy will end up a heel by Christmas. That 'bad attitude' story is still doing rounds (although from everything i read I think the kid just had jet lag, but, you know-Twitter!) and as mentioned his vignette this week actually seemed more suited to a heel.

I think you kinda have to as well to progress his character onwards, there's only so long you have him a called Jack Perry moving slightly away from Tarzan Boy vibe while still have the ultra babyface theme. 

I think they need to do this to long run build him up

[Fatty Facesitter]

19 hours ago, Louch said:

Given a massive percentage of houses in America have a pool, and he’s the son of a Famous actor, they hardly had him doing Million Dollar man skits here. Nitpicky as you admit 

Absolutely, it's very nit-picky and he's earned the right to do what he likes with his dosh...personally I'd have bought a snooker table, but each to their own! You're absolutely right in that it's not a Ted Biase-esque presentation - but whilst nit-picky my point stands in that it did pose an awkward juxtaposition in the context of his verbiage...perhaps even subtle, intentional one. 

19 hours ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

To add to that I believe he lives in California which is almost a guarantee for there to be a pool. But I recognised it as where Luchasauraus filmed his skits a few years ago for BTE. Anyway, besides that agreed with almost all your review @Fatty Facesitter so well done on another cracking round up.

If I lived in California and had any money left over from having bought my snooker table and a new Hornby trainset, I'd probably use the left over money for a pool as well, or at the very least a hot tub. He can spend his cheddar on whatever he wants - it just felt like an odd background inclusion in the context of his promo. If it's a familiar location to BTE viewers then that makes a degree of sense. Perhaps some callbacks to older clips like that might have been a good addition to in that case. 

17 hours ago, Infinity Land said:

Honestly didn't mind this so much. There to tee up the announcement for the new show.  They've a string of "surprise" returns and NJPW arrivals still to come. And we've just seen the likes of Jay White and Roderick Strong debut to mixed reactions.

Miro got the desired reaction from me since he's been gone so long. Thunder Rosa felt more like balancing Miro out with some women's division representation. It was only at the weekend she was talking she might need surgery.

Jay White's debut was a really poor and wasted execution for my taste - it felt really lacklustre and it seems amazing to me that they haven't waited to insert him straight into the main event picture to some degree. Roderick Strong's debut I thought was well executed, but mixed reaction? He got a pretty tidy pop when he came out to assist his old comrade. Both Miro and Thunder Rosa's returns are worth far more than casually dropping by backstage to saunter off to a meeting room. There should vignettes to hype their first appearances back on screen, something in the main arena, basically anything but this. They got decent reactions and their 'proper' returns will still earn good receptions, but nothing would have been lost by having them not appear on screen here and the time being allocated to something else. 

18 hours ago, Nick James said:

All alternative lighting throughout matches is shit, regardless of the shade. 

Yep!

16 hours ago, LaGoosh said:

I absolutely love Daniel Garcia. The fact that he's only been in the business 4 years is pretty crazy. He's an excellent wrestler, doesn't have bad matches, is a better promo than you'd expect and absolutely understands character work and how to build that into matches. For all the talk of the Four Pillars I think Garcia actually has better long term potential than Allin, Jungle Boy and Guevara. He's only 24 but he gets it and the only way is up.

I've been up and down on Garcia up to now but I'm glad he's getting some love - I absolutely love his persona which is just so full of easily detestable shithousery. A proper weasel of a heel. World at his feet at 24. I'll still be posting about him on here when I get into my 50s if this site still exists and he continues at the rate he's going.  

[Merzbow]

Garcia is gold, he's getting the little subtle reactions to things down so well right now. I actually miss the stuff between him and Sammy as that bromance was building up great.

 

[Chris B]

1 hour ago, Fatty Facesitter said:

If it's a familiar location to BTE viewers then that makes a degree of sense. Perhaps some callbacks to older clips like that might have been a good addition to in that case. 

I wouldn't go as far as to say it's familiar - it was used in a couple of skits around Luchasaurus trying to figure out doing a Canadian Destroyer (the simplest wrestling move after an armbar) IIRC, but it wasn't like a regular location or anything. It certainly wasn't an intentional callback.

[Hannibal Scorch]

1 hour ago, Chris B said:

I wouldn't go as far as to say it's familiar - it was used in a couple of skits around Luchasaurus trying to figure out doing a Canadian Destroyer (the simplest wrestling move after an armbar) IIRC, but it wasn't like a regular location or anything. It certainly wasn't an intentional callback.

Yeah, I wouldn't even say it's an Easter Egg really thinking about it.

[LaGoosh]

I absolutely loved this week's show from top to bottom except one moment. When OC was attacked and it was revealed to be that fucking nobody Kyle Fletcher. Classic AEW move of presenting a random guy whose barely been featured and expect you to care. Also why give this TV time to Fletcher? Imagine if the camera had panned up to reveal someone like Lance Archer or Rush instead...instant intrigue and way more exciting match-up.

[BrodyGraham]

5 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

I absolutely loved this week's show from top to bottom except one moment. When OC was attacked and it was revealed to be that fucking nobody Kyle Fletcher. Classic AEW move of presenting a random guy whose barely been featured and expect you to care. Also why give this TV time to Fletcher? Imagine if the camera had panned up to reveal someone like Lance Archer or Rush instead...instant intrigue and way more exciting match-up.

Probably building towards Cassidy Vs Ospreay 2. 

[Loki]

Really enjoyed the main event, but the impact of the whole thing would have been greater if Moxley hadn’t bled in every match this year so far, and if there weren’t colour every week.

The law of diminishing returns kicked in ages ago with AEW and blood.

 If I could do one thing to improve the product it would be to have a road agent with a board backstage which allocates which matches can have planchas, which can have blood, which can use piledrivers, and so on.  Not everything in every match, every week.  And they also make sure people don’t use other people’s finishers as transitions.

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Loki

[JLM]

1 hour ago, LaGoosh said:

I absolutely loved this week's show from top to bottom except one moment. When OC was attacked and it was revealed to be that fucking nobody Kyle Fletcher. Classic AEW move of presenting a random guy whose barely been featured and expect you to care. Also why give this TV time to Fletcher? Imagine if the camera had panned up to reveal someone like Lance Archer or Rush instead...instant intrigue and way more exciting match-up.

Oh god 100% this. I also cannot believe that Fletcher is still rocking that hair cut in 2023. His partner's is a sort of pseudo-mullet that looks like he did it himself in the dark, and I *still* think Fletcher looks worse. His entrance gear is also horrendous. That cape works for Ultimo Dragon, it doesn't if you look like you're from a z-list 90s boyband.  Match will be great, but I'm almost sad you name dropped both of those guys now as I want both of those so much more.

Also fully agreed on everyone's praise for OC in this thread. Took a pointless title and decided that would be his platform to become the best wrestler in the world for a bit. Amazing. 

I like the idea, at some point, of someone notifying him that the champion doesn't have to defend every week and him being flabbergasted by that revelation. It would amuse me greatly. 

 

[WyattSheepMask]

4 hours ago, LaGoosh said:

I absolutely loved this week's show from top to bottom except one moment. When OC was attacked and it was revealed to be that fucking nobody Kyle Fletcher. Classic AEW move of presenting a random guy whose barely been featured and expect you to care. Also why give this TV time to Fletcher? Imagine if the camera had panned up to reveal someone like Lance Archer or Rush instead...instant intrigue and way more exciting match-up.

I sure somebody else has probably suggested it, but I’d have had that be Miro’s return rather than him just going to TK’s office. That would’ve at least got a reaction

Edited May 12, 2023 by WyattSheepMask

[JGPuk84]

Adding to the love for Orange Cassidy - him telling Renee how tired he was was great.

I know it was mentioned about Orange Cassidy challenging MJF at All In. But I think that could end up with Max trying to make things to epic. I would prefer a 4 week mini feud ending on a random named Dynamite so it can have a bit of comedy.

It’s one of the issues I have with them trying to make MJF a special attraction, we miss out on some fun mini feuds.

Edited May 13, 2023 by JGPuk84

[The King Of Swing]

Honestly I'm pretty much over MJF and his shooty mcshooty bollocks.

[69MeDon]

Been away so only got to watch this week's show today.

I think this might be a top ten episode of Dynamite. I liked to loved everything, with the exception of Fletcher. Also: the production, camera work etc. was really, really good this week. Plus the hot crowd. Fuck, maybe we're going to have another hot AEW summer!