Performance Review – AEW Dynamite (5/20/20)

Overall Evaluation and Achieved Goals

Dynamite was pretty mediocre this week, a bunch of cool bits but a pretty lifeless last show before Double or Nothing. All first run pro wrestling right now is pretty lifeless, but I still found myself disappointed. Closing the show in-ring with Matt Hardy vs. Sammy Guevera going the length of a New Japan main event was pretty bad too.

Areas of Excellence Within Performance

The actual content of whatever Arn Anderson and Jake Roberts were verbally wrestling back-and-forth about was pretty dumb but those two promo legends brought it around to something compelling because how could they not?

Jake is interesting because his voice is so overly raspy now that he can’t rely on the quiet and understated delivery that made his famous. He’s raising his voice for it to be audible, so it’s still quality but definitely different. Either way, respect for there being a wrestling company around that let’s me see that evolution.

MJF vs. Marko Stunt started weird with MJF’s limp bearhug, but came around to pretty good with a good mix of MJF kicking ass and Marko doing the odd Dragonrana or something. Wardlow rules too.

PAC SENT IN A PROMO!!! I miss PAC. It was a good promo, like he was effectively doing whatever James McAvoy was trying to do in Split.

Orange Cassidy going toe-to-toe with Rey Fenix running the ropes was SO excellent.

Suggested Areas of Improvement

There were a lot of weird decisions made right before the pay-per-view, from a lame go-home promo by Jon Moxley to no go-home promo by Cody to both Britt Baker and Fenix getting injured in a pair of messy spots.

Keep the Brodie Lee promos short. Why is any of this happening?

Matt Hardy throws a great punch, Sammy Guevera is one of the most exciting young lions in wrestling – they didn’t need 15 minutes.

They probably should’ve smuggled a bunch of folks into Daily’s Place and risked an outbreak to get the pop for Hangman Page‘s return, if I’m being honest.

My Favorite Things

3. Wardlow’s One-Handed Choke on the Ropes: A subtle, wonderful heel manager move.
2. Marko Stunt’s Dragonrana: There’s an extra snap to that thing.
1. Orange Cassidy’s Superman Punch: It’s the signature move he needed.

Official Star Rating

2.5 out of 5 Stars

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