Performance Review – AEW Dynamite (12/16/20)

Overall Evaluation and Achieved Goals

Hold on. Is this the #1 wrestling company now? No? Ah. Has the show found a groove and does it FEEL like the #1 wrestling company? Kind of does.

Quieter show this week considering the last couple but it was still packed with forward movement and a set of characters that can easily make up for a quieter show.

Rather than throw in the towel for the holidays too, I appreciate AEW going all in (oh) next week with not just a HOLIDAY BASH but a guaranteed awesome Omega/Fenix match setup by no less than simple “he never lost!” logic.

Performance: 3.5 / 5.0 (VERY GOOD)

Areas of Excellence Within Performance

Between the demos and Stings and quarter hours, I appreciate how in between ALL of this AEW is committing to shifting a long-held approach to American TV wrestling. ”Wins and losses matter” – oh, Tony. You decide which one. Reminders like that, when not overused, make all this that much better.

Cody Rhodes beat Angelico with a 2nd-tier finish as Darby Allin looked on then Taz and Ricky Starks (the dude) cut promos until Sting appeared – that’s a SEGMENT!

Spare a dad during COVID not following Impact Wrestling, but AEW Champion Kenny Omega on Dynamite managed by pro wrestling success story and ultimate carnival barker Don Callis, announced to the ring flanked by tone deaf cheerleaders sweeping brooms with notes that he’s held the AEW for 14 days and raised Impact’s audience 33%, just feels like everything falling into the right place. Sweet main event with Joey Janela too.

Remember when Orange Cassidy proved so many people wrong? So good.

The Inner Circle vs. Best Friends, Top Flight & Varsity Blondes 12-man made for an excellent TV visual, while 20-second snippets is definitely the best way to use newbies and Jake Hager alike. The Jericho/Pillman Jr. exchange was cool too.

Good night for the new kids: both Top Flight and The Acclaimed got showcased, and Big Swole got a big win. Jungle Boy will hopefully be around more again too.

Big Swole/Serena Deeb vs. Ivelisse/Diamanté was one of the better AEW women’s tags – less complicated and more physical, and a new star showcased with Swole now using the Texas Cloverleaf.

AEW theme music has grown on me: first Cody and Jericho had me as good basic jams; now MJF and Omega have me as great character pieces.

I’m liking the different vibe the Eddie Kingston & Fam vs. Lance Archer & Death Triangle story brings to the show, like it’s satisfying the ECW or even Abby/Brody quota. This week’s brawl was a little busy, but all these acts involved make what could be otherwise cold segments a I lot more fun.

Suggested Areas of Improvement

The fuck is Miro doing? How do you follow up last week’s show close with this week’s interview?

The Acclaimed’s big week had some drawbacks: Kazarian rapping back at Castor before their match was a 2006 DX-level heat-sucker, and a 3-week Dynamite run of debut then reveal as heels then Tag Titles match with the Young Bucks is impressive but a WHOLE LOT at once.

I’ll allow one act saying “bitch” on your show especially when they are legitimately like 19 and providing an actual youthful vibe to the show that I may not always understand but will absolutely try and appreciate but you can’t have two saying it and especially back-to-back. CHILL.

Have more cool and recognizable themes.

My Favorite Things

3. When Tony Schiavone called MJF “the rat”
2. Trent’s running knee to Sammy Guevera
1. Scott Dawson’s delivery of “…a grown man dressed up in a dinosaur costume… THAT DONT SET WELL WITH ME” HAHAHAHAHA