“Hey, crazy story: I’m almost a quarter cosmoceratops on my mom’s side.” – Christian Cage
This was the last show of AEW’s extended run at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville.
For an extension mandated by what back in March 2020 was still being referred to as the novel coronavirus, I think AEW did just fine — at least as fine as you can when moving forward with a weekly TV show during a nightmarish year.
After a while, the virus wasn’t novel at all: there was dying and coping and more than anything it felt like people were just kind of being jerks, the big fad of 2020 seeming to be “I’ve got a take!” While people were dying. And coping.
AEW Dynamite went from a new wrestling TV show figuring out its’ tone to a genuine place of comfort on Wednesday nights, mostly because after a few awkward TV tapings AEW really did seem to figure out wrestling TV. Numerous characters got a chance to breathe life into themselves, leading to tight stories that were interesting to follow and compelling to watch payoff. It was a lot more of an escape than the Thunderdome, at least.
Team Taz and Britt Baker emerged which led to big matches with Sting and Thunder Rosa, while the Dark Order re-calculated and the EVP’s went off to their own projects whether that meant introducing Anthony Ogogo or cameos on Impact Wrestling. In addition to the best WarGames since WCW, there was a Street Fight in a Parking Lot and a Stampede in a Stadium.
Names ranging from KENTA and Shaq to Yuji Nagata and the freaking Big Show kept things interesting, while new names like Darby Allin, Eddie Kingston, Ethan Page, and Jade Cargill told you: keep watching; this is going to get even better.
Last year was not one I look back on with celebration, but AEW’s performance was commendable (including when they deftly handled the tragic death of Brodie Lee). Instead of killing time waiting for audiences to return, they built a product you want to root for. Dy-no-mite.
The World
Suddenly, a Road Rager. A Fyter Fest. Like ten wrestler homecomings. Nature may actually be past the point of healing, but AEW is back on the road and every show over the next couple months feels at least a little bit exciting — or maybe my standards have just changed.
The last match of the Daily’s Place run was MJF vs. Sammy Guevara, a main event billed as the future of AEW. It showcased what I continue to admire about AEW: they’ll usually pivot if something in the short-term isn’t working, but the long game has always been pretty clear. MJF and Sammy are the chosen dudes and barely wrestle on TV, so here they are in a match that feels important and keeps the TV interesting between the PPV’s.
Eddie Kingston & Penta el Zero Miedo opened the show with a win over The Young Bucks (+ fake mustaches) to get a title shot at The Young Bucks and The Dark Order is campaigning for their friend Adam Page to get a title shot, which is adorable.
It isn’t all roses. For instance, the Nyla Rose and Britt Baker feud is comprised of cheeseburgers, Vickie Guerrero, and now Rebel getting injured.
Darby Allin ripped up Ethan Page, Christian Cage and Matt Hardy continue to scrap, and Taz setup a Brian Cage vs. Ricky Starks match for Austin, Texas.
Miro is still preaching and winning, while the rest of the roster is chilling on YouTube until someone tells them otherwise.
The Wrestling
AEW Tag Team Title Eliminator: The Young Bucks vs. Eddie Kingston & Penta El Zero Miedo – The match didn’t get enough time or emphasis to really hit, but the boys brought a bunch of wild wrestling and the Bucks’ fake mustaches are an addition I can get behind. Penta’s run towards the end is especially cool.
Jungle Boy vs. Jack Evans – Jungle Boy Jack and Jack Evans had a fun one because they’re fun ones. Like last week, a hot opener followed a quick match of high-flyers.
TNT Title: Miro [c] vs. Brian Pillman Jr. – I’m a big fan of Miro’s TNT Title run right now… no open challenges, no main events, just purposeful squashes where he bullies guys around cause he’s a delusional prick. Brian Jr.’s brief comeback was awesome too, just wildly throwing himself at Miro before getting wrecked.
Dr. Britt Baker & Rebel vs. Nyla Rose & Vickie Guerrero – Aw. Why? Aw. Rebel got injured and Britt got powerbombed off the apron through a table. But why? Aw.
Sammy Guevara vs. MJF – The grappling and stand-offs early came off pretty weak, but it didn’t matter: these are MAIN EVENTERS, and soon they made you forget it with an absolute highlight reel: somersault plancha to the first row here, second-rope tombstone there. Sammy’s 630 to a begging MJF was tremendous, and then came the run-ins. All the run-ins. It wasn’t an epic, but it got time to breathe and ended with both guys looking even more like the future of the company — or at least the guys chosen to be that.
The Entertainment
I ache for the wrestling show that pops me with both angles and funny wrestling stuff, not just the latter. Fake facial hair, Penta and Alex A strutting out of the entrance tunnel, Elite Hunter Kazarian wrecking tracksuit Brandon Cutler on the floor with a clothesline… these things are fun, but can come off as dressing in search of a meal – if you know what I mean. I don’t expect you to.
The Darby Allin/Ethan Page feud is working because it’s a whole meal, and Page gets better on the mic week after week. Darby digging into his eyes was an awesome visual and angle, visceral revenge on the television.
Love MJF but his promo was a little too screamy.
My Favorite Things
- Frankie Kazarian bodies Brandon Cutler with a clothesline
- Sammy Guevara somersault dives into the front row
- Brian Pillman Jr. baseball slide dives through the ropes
Room for Improvement
- Can somebody remind the people of Anthony Ogogo please?
- Keep the fake mustaches, drop the cold spray.
- Heel, face, Alex A, Joker paint, Kingston team — someone has to explain Penta El Zero Miedo.
Daily’s Place MVP’s
- Darby Allin, for never wavering in his potential to be AEW’s best guy.
- Taz, for carrying weeks of TV on promos alone.
- Hikaru Shida, for being the hero of the women’s division.
- Miro, for messing with expectations then getting even better.
- Britt Baker, for coming into her own as a promo and wrestler.
- Eddie Kingston, for bursting on the scene and making a depressing summer and fall kind of bearable.
- The Young Bucks, for delivering fun tag match after fun tag match.
- Jon Moxley, for being the most reliable superstar on the roster.
- John Silver, for going from solid hand to top guy I want to see live and in person.
- Cody Rhodes, for being the least annoying guy in management until he Had a Dream.
Top 10 Dynamite Stars
- Miro (-)
- Kenny Omega (-)
- Hangman Page (-)
- Darby Allin (-)
- Britt Baker (-)
- Eddie Kingston (-)
- Ethan Page (10)
- The Young Bucks (NEW)
- MJF (NEW)
- Sammy Guevara (-)
5 to Keep an Eye on
- Wardlow
- Powerhouse Hobbs
- Tay Conti
- Adrian Alanis
- Colten Gunn
