Thoughts on Wednesday Night Dynamite - 7/29

I was unable to watch the live broadcast of Wednesday Night Dynamite, but I really wanted to see the follow-up to the lackluster Redemption PPV. AEW is in Detroit, Michigan, which has caused expectations for the return of the Motor City Machine Guns, who ultimately did not make their return during this show. I've heard through the grapevine that the MCMG may not want to sign long-term contracts, which makes sense; but, more than that, these guys chose WWE over AEW for whatever reason, and I don't think they should immediately be handed full-time AEW contracts. 

Anyways, let's get to it:

Dynamite opens with Excalibur running down the card, followed by a VIDEO RECAP from the Redemption main event. I don't have any particularly strong feelings about video packages, but I hate when they lead off a broadcast. I'd rather Dynamite open with the recap followed by the card rundown and into the first match. It's a minor critique, but I think it helps the show flow better. 

The video recap transitions to a live shot of Renee Paquette outside the arena. Will Ospreay is immediately confronted by the Death Riders, with Daniel Garcia getting leveled with a forearm. Ospreay has opted to turn in his Death Riders wings (people don't leave gangs, Will!). He's intercepted by "Hangman" Page, who offers Ospreay his support and guidance. Ospreay is leery of Hangman because of his association with Kenny Omega. Is Hangman a friend or a foe? For now, Hangman insists it's the former. Let's see. 

The segment itself was inoffensive, but very corny. I know there are AEW Sickos who saw this segment and immediately brushed it off as WWE Bullshit, and I can see their overall point. Ospreay should've been much more aggressive and angry; instead, he has to act angry but also contemplative and hesitant during his exchanges with Moxley and Hangman. Ospreay comes across as gullible. Right idea, wrong execution. These tiny decisions are how you further differentiate yourself from WWE, who would absolutely do a segment just like this one. Let's spice things up. 

Three-way bout for AEW National Championship: Jack Perry vs. Nick Wayne vs. Andrade El Idolo (c)

I don't love that Andrade's first title defense is a three-way bout against two individuals who lost their ladder match at Redemption. Why are they both receiving a title shot? This is something Tony Khan used to avoid if he could, and I hope he starts giving it more consideration. How about Andrade, man? WWE had this man doing that Speed title bullshit. Insanity. The match itself was really entertaining with some hard-hitting spots that ignited this white-hot crowd. I thought Perry was particularly good in this one. Really fun match and I'm genuinely glad to see Andrade getting over. Let's see more of Wayne, too. 

I enjoyed the in-ring interview between Tony Schiavone and Andrade. I've read a lot of criticisms about Andrade's "How you know?" chant, specifically being compared to the Uso who "Yeets," and I don't share those sentiments quite yet. Andrade is a vastly superior wrestler with plenty of natural charisma, something the Yeeting Uso most definitely lacks. 

I enjoyed the intensity of the Brawling Birds interview. They're so fun.

It feels like we're at the beginning of the Don Callis Family implosion. Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight are going to have an incredible AEW World Championship match one day, right? Okada seems to be eyeing another International Championship reign, too—something to keep an eye on. 

Six-Man Tag: Kyle Fletcher, Jake Doyle, & Brian Cage vs. Speedball Mike Bailey & Brodido

A fun, hard-hitting match between six legitimately awesome competitors. How great is Doyle? I'm glad to see him getting consistent ring time because he's a blast to watch, and Cage seems to have found his niche as his partner. Great stuff from all involved, and I'm really looking forward to Fletcher vs. Bailey at Grand Slam Mexico. 

Renee's sit-down interview with Cage & Cope and The Young Bucks was tremendous in presentation and execution. We didn't have to endure an in-ring confrontation or a long, rambling monologue from Copeland; Cage didn't try to bait them into mentioning their father, and the Bucks came across confident yet very much aware of how big of a match this will be in their careers. This is how you start a build between competitors of this caliber. It's that simple. Good stuff.

TBS Championship Match - Maya World (c) vs. Persophone

A solid championship match. Listen, Maya is clearly green, but I do think something is there. It's not going to be a 1:1 comparison, but I think she's already better than Jade Cargill was during her AEW run. She will get better the more she wrestles, and I'm rooting for her. I think it's smart to continue the feud with Shida and re-introduce Kris Statlander. Shida and Persophone vs. Statlander and Maya World? 

Mark Davis vs. Will Ospreay at Arena Mexico is going to fucking rule. 

OH MY GOD A PERSON IN A SHARK SUIT WWE BULLSHIT AHHHHH

I hate corny ass Championship Celebration segments. THIS is WWE bullshit; however, a championship celebration fits Willow's character quite well. She's so damn great, and should be considered one of the company's top babyfaces. I appreciate keeping the celebration to a minimum, too. She was given streamers, but they kept the other hokey bullshit - like having a cake or other celebratory props - and that's what made this segment so effective. Mercedes Moné was also quite good in her face-to-face confrontation. Willow using Mercedes' chest to sign the contract was great, too, and I dug the sneak attack from Divine Dominion. See, Tony? SIMPLE IS BETTER. Great stuff.

Continental Championship Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Komander

Again, why is Komander getting a title shot? He just lost the ladder match to be the #1 contender for the National title, a title of lesser significance than the Continental. I'll try not to complain, though, because Komander rules. Anyways, another fun match. Komander is going to make a nice career as a weekly TV wrestler, because he can go against any style. He's so valuable. Moxley looked great, too—really good TV action. 

Mick Foley interviewing the Bang Bang Gang was pretty cutesy, eh? 

AEW World Trios Championship Match: The Conglomeration vs. The Demand

I'm tired of The Conglomeration, so I was very happy to see them drop the Trios titles to The Demand. It's well-deserved—good, hard-hitting action. I hope the Conglomeration gets some reboot here. Let's utilize O'Reilly and Strong in the tag division, for one. I'm also totally on board with The Lethal Twist being aligned with The Demand. Solid stuff, and appreciated the babyfaces running down to make the save. This is an opportunity for The Demand to make these Trios titles their own. 

Really good promo from Moxley. 

I found the Omega/Ospreay face-to-face to be solid. Again, I'm not into the melodramatics here. We've heard all of this before. We know what Kenny and Will have been through, and what awaits them. I enjoyed the conclusion, particularly Kenny's spiel. This will be one of the best matches in the company's history, but I wish the journey had been different. 

I thought this was a great episode of Dynamite. Great matches, good promos, simple storytelling... that's pro wrestling TV 101. All In is shaping up to be one hell of a card, too. 

Great rebound, TK. Keep it up, and remember: simple is better.