AEW Dynamite

My primary takeaway from this episode of Dynamite was the organized feel to the first segment of the night, and how this reflects AEW’s organizational culture. The segment was so impressive because the company successfully incorporated several different storylines into one organized segment. Over the years, I have seen many different companies try to advance multiple storylines forward in the span of about 15 or 20 minutes and fail miserably. The entire segment normally feels disjointed and fans are left feeling very confused by what they’ve just seen.

Quite the opposite happened on Wednesday Night and it felt very refreshing. First of all, Cody had a great match with Ortiz of The Inner Circle and got a much-needed victory. Lance Archer also showed up with Jake The Snake Roberts, establishing who Cody’s next feud will be with. Matt and Nick Jackson also furthered their animosity with Hangman Adam Page. Lastly, Chris Jericho is establishing the fact that his losing the AEW World Championship is a big deal and he looks more dangerous than ever.

The fluid feel to this opening segment reflects the organizational culture of AEW. One can obviously see that all the employees within the company are on the same page. They work towards the same objective which is putting on the best show possible and not worrying about the success or failure of their competition. They are instead simply immersed in what they all love, and that fosters an extremely successful, healthy organization. This is a prime example of why I believe this company will do great things – and maintain a presence in the professional wrestling world for years to come.

The Inner Circle Stands Tall

Chris Jericho will always be Le Champion, belt or not. He has over 30 years of earned credibility. It takes a supreme amount of confidence to be the face of a brand-new wrestling company, but if anyone could do it, Jericho’s the man. However, I need to support my fellow Cincinnati man Jon Moxley, who is thriving with this newfound sense of creative freedom. He will be the man for at least the next several years. He looks like he’s enjoying his ride on the train of life more than ever, and that’s what the experience on this earth is intended to be – enjoyable.

Jake The Snake Roberts makes a Surprise Appearance

Jake said that he got tired of hearing Cody whine about his situation with MJF. Roberts also told Cody that he had a new client to take on The American Nightmare in his next feud after Cody successfully made Maxwell Jacob Friedman into a budding superstar in AEW. My prediction is that The Snake’s new client will be Lance Archer, who has been advertised to be debuting for the last few weeks. He was even advertised to be debuting this week, so it’s almost guaranteed, the way I see it, that Lance Archer will be the next wrestler Cody will make an effort to turn into a bigtime star.

Now that I think about it more, there’s also a possibility that Jake The Snake’s client would be Brodie Lee who will debut in a few weeks.

It is clearly the intention of the entire company to create as many new stars as possible, and everyone seems to be fully on-board with that. This is exactly how successful new companies operate – every employee from the top down works towards the same vision, and they all believe in it 100%. This is the exact reason why AEW will be successful.

MJF is so Entitled and Unlikable

As unlikable as this kid is, everyone needs to admit that there’s a certain quality to his presence that captivates audiences. He will be a star for many years to come. Although I don’t see how he could ever be a babyface, since he is so brash that he doesn’t hesitate to give the middle finger to 7-year-old kids. Talk about never breaking character.

Hangman Page cannot Turn Heel

The AEW audience loves and resonates with Adam Page and his Boy ways too much. His somewhat nonchalant attitude meshes perfectly with the values of the company of challenging the status quo. Since Page is involved in a storyline with The Elite, a good option would be to potentially turn The Young Bucks and/or Kenny Omega heel and keep Hangman in the money-making role of a beloved babyface. This would make a whole lot of storyline sense because The Bucks have shown a much more aggressive side to their personalities as of late, most notably at Revolution.

Nick Jackson was absent as he is home awaiting the birth of his child.

It looks like Pac and The Lucha Brothers will dominate the middcard scene for the foreseeable future with the formation of Death Triangle. They will feud with Best Friends and Orange Cassidy. The latter of these two trios is gaining momentum every week because they don’t take anything too seriously. A loss to Pac at Revolution did absolutely nothing to the momentum of Freshly Squeezed Orange Cassidy – quite the opposite!

AEW fans should be on the lookout for Pac to get elevated to the level of an AEW World Championship match against Jon Moxley in the coming months.

Jon Moxley wins the AEW World Championship from Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho wisely and unselfishly wasted no time in putting over a new star and face of the company in Jon Moxley. It’s occasionally frustrating when WWE appears at times to be reluctant to give certain superstars the nod to carry the company into the future. It’s nice to see AEW provide a change of pace by decisively giving that platform to Moxley.

Jericho still definitely has a lot left in the tank despite already being a legend. He still needs to be featured on Dynamite every week in a prominent role so he and The Inner Circle can continue to help younger talent in launching their careers. Moxley will also put over another wrestler in a major way whenever the company decides to book someone to beat him. It’s still perfectly reasonable however for Jericho to take an occasional hiatus due to his somewhat advanced age, just to give his body a break.

Kenny Omega and Adam Page defeat The Young Bucks to retain their AEW Tag Team Titles

The Revolution PPV was definitive proof that the company is prioritizing its tag team division every bit as much as its singles division. This match was an absolute roller coaster of emotions from start to finish, and the possibility of Hangman Page’s heel turn any week now will keep fans turning in to Dynamite every week.

MJF defeats Cody

Maxwell Jacob Friedman has solidified his status as the most hated heel in all of wrestling. He most likely did not need the victory here, but this win will springboard his career into superstardom. No one likes him, but as we have learned from Roman Reigns it doesn’t necessarily matter if fans love you or hate you, it just matters that they feel strongly one way or the other.

Jon Moxley was utterly fascinating on AEW’s new Unrestricted podcast hosted by AEW referee Aubrey Edwards and commentator Tony Schiavone. He opened up about topics like the dynamic between him and his wife Renee Young – with her being in WWE and working separately from Jon, how his name originated, and when he felt he hit rock bottom as far as character direction with WWE.

AEW fans would be reasonable to anticipate Moxley winning the AEW World Championship from Chris Jericho at Revolution, and if not, he should get the nod at “All In” in May. He is simply over and beloved by fans all over the world too much to ignore. His regular appearances in Japan have him embraced all over the world.

Cody defeats Wardlow in All Elite Wrestling’s first-ever Steel Cage Match

Cody has officially fulfilled all three of MJF’s stipulations – not touching him, taking 10 lashings from MJF with a leather belt, and defeating his sidekick Wardlow inside a steel cage. The match between Cody and Maxwell Jacob Friedman at Revolution will now officially happen – as if that was ever in much doubt.

As far as the match itself goes, since this was the first steel cage match in AEW, it was a little bit of an experiment in that no one really knew what to expect audience-wise. It made total sense to put the EVP in this match to get a feel for reactions to a steel cage match. I personally ended up loving the idea of making the cage a little bigger – not quite as big as the Hell in a Cell cage in WWE, but it was big enough, so the wrestlers were not hindered by the cage. They had plenty of room to work.

Cody’s moonsault off the top of the cage was utterly fantastic. The steel cages in AEW are significantly taller than they are in WWE. One other interesting facet to this story is that AEW is essentially doing away with The Nightmare Collective because it wasn’t getting over very well. This was totally the right call. They were more annoying than anything. The company is instead opting to use Brandi Rhodes in a more human sense to gain more sympathy for Cody. She is being portrayed as a loving wife – and she is playing the role very well.

AEW’s Tag Team Division is one of the Primary Strengths of the Company

It’s obvious The Young Bucks are executives in AEW because the Tag Team Division is clearly a focal point. It is being portrayed at a main event level. The Bucks won the tag team battle royal to begin the show, earning a tag team championship match against Kenny Omega and Hangman Page. This should come as no surprise because The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega are members of The Elite, and Hangman Page’s disassociation from the group and his imminent heel turn has been rather apparent in the last several weeks.

The Bucks have also been unnecessarily thrown into this storyline, which makes it even more apparent that Page will complete his heel turn at Revolution. The next challenge for the company regarding this will be managing and responding to the reaction of fans. It may be tough to maintain Hangman’s heel persona for very long before turning him face again because he is such a fan favorite.

The pattern of his character may go similar to that of The Fiend in WWE. Even though Bray Wyatt is technically a heel, he still gets pops from the crowds like a babyface because fans are so enthralled with his character. Page may end up carving a similar path during his time as a heel in AEW.

The Tag Team Championship match between Omega and Page vs. Lucha Brothers was easily the best match on the night. It reiterated that the Lucha Brothers are one of the best tag teams in the world. AEW’s tag team division may very well be the best in the world.

Jon Moxley defeats Jeff Cobb; and Darby Allin returns to Help Out

Moxley has gone through every obstacle The Inner Circle has put in his way on the road to his AEW World Championship match with Chris Jericho. Allin is without a doubt a major star in the making. All he needs to cement his megastar status is to take a couple of victories against credible opponents. I can’t even begin to describe how impressive it is for him to have that level of presence about him and bring so much energy to an arena this early in his career.

Tazz did an excellent job calling the match as a special guest commentator. He is bringing the same vibe to AEW as he did with WWE in the early 2000s during the Ruthless Aggression Era.

AEW Forbes Summary Review

Dynamite Continues to Win the Wednesday Night Wars in 2020

AEW Dynamite is establishing a regular routine in 2020 of garnering over 900,000 viewers each week on TNT, while NXT on the USA Network is averaging about 150,000 less viewers per week. Even though WWE is currently losing the Wednesday Night Wars, NXT’s move to the USA Network is still considered by most to everyone in WWE to be largely successful.

Jon Moxley defeats Santana and is Immediately Attacked by The Inner Circle and their Mercenary, Jeff Cobb

This beatdown accomplished its intent of getting as much sympathy as possible for Moxley before his title match with Chris Jericho at Revolution. AEW’s newest signee, Jeff Cobb, will be a major acquisition because of his versatility, which is virtually a prerequisite in this era of professional wrestling.

The 2004 Olympian has been around in the pro wrestling business since 2009, competing for PWG (Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, which Excalibur helped found), Lucha Underground, ROH (Ring of Honor) and NJPW, as well as multiple other independent promotions. Cobb could wind up joining The Inner Circle, but then again maybe not because that would essentially eliminate the need for Jake Hager. Both men would fill basically the same role, and two of the same almost never works in wrestling.

Cobb should be given the freedom to carve his own path in AEW. The Hawaiian will be unstoppable if he is allowed to be what he naturally is – a no-nonsense, nose-to-the-grindstone athlete.

Nyla Rose wins the AEW Women’s World Championship from Riho

This was a great match from Riho, showcasing strength on multiple occasions to lift a woman literally twice her size. She just might not have the level of raw charisma required to carry the AEW Women’s Division. There is no shortage of talent with Asian wrestlers – they just don’t talk, so it’s hard to connect with them and get insight into what is going through their minds. Nyla Rose, however, will create the aura the Women’s Division desperately needs of a dominant and intimidating champion everyone fears.

The Story between Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page got a Chance to Breathe

There was a successful title defense. The segment was largely building toward the number one contender’s battle royal next week on Dynamite.

MJF (Maxwell Jacob Friedman) Defeats Jungle Boy Jack Perry, Wardlow Attacks him after the Match

People like these two guys are the future of AEW since they are all in their early 20s. It makes sense for MJF to build up as much heal heat as possible leading into his match at Revolution with Cody (which I fully assume Cody will win and close the book on this chapter of his career). MJF doesn’t need a victory of this magnitude yet at this stage in his career because, while he is on the right track, he hasn’t reached the level of true superstardom.

Dustin Rhodes defeats Sammy Guevara and Challenges Jake Hager to a Match at Revolution

Very solid match. No complaints about the execution or the result considering it was in Rhodes’ hometown. Sammy comes across as being very entitled and annoying, but he is excellent in the ring – that’s what makes him so effective as a heel. It’ll be nice to see Jake Hager finally do something other than stand around as protection for Jericho – and it will be so easy to root for the 30-year veteran Dustin (who is still surprisingly athletic). Darby Allin should have a fantastic match with Guevara at Revolution.

Dr. Britt Baker’s Feud with Tony Schiavone

It will be interesting to see if anything comes of Baker constantly knit picking at Tony. I find myself almost feeling bad for him because he just sits there and takes all the Starbucks criticisms so convincingly. Maybe he will eventually choose a woman to represent him and face Baker, but it’s very entertaining for now.

AEW Dynamite is establishing a regular routine in 2020 of garnering over 900,000 viewers each week on TNT, while NXT on the USA Network is averaging about 150,000 less viewers per week. Even though WWE is currently losing the Wednesday Night Wars, NXT’s move to the USA Network is still considered by most to everyone in WWE to be largely successful.

AEW isn’t quite as kid-friendly as WWE, which probably helps the company get higher TV ratings in the 18-34-year-old demographic group. The final segment of the night was a perfect example of this: WWE would never allow for one superstar to lash someone 10 times with a leather belt, but AEW did and it’s awesome.

Cody takes 10 lashes from MJF

Cody Rhodes took 10 lashes from MJF with Cody’s own belt in about the most dramatic way possible. Almost every wrestler in the back came out to get a look for themselves. Cody’s brother Dustin, along with his wife Brandi and his coach Arn Anderson, came out to console him while MJF and Wardlow did the deed. Because Cody has taken those 10 lashings and he hasn’t touched MJF, a match will be booked between them for Revolution. Revolution is AEW’s next PPV event, so long as Cody can defeat Wardlow (Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s sidekick) in a steel cage match in two weeks on Dynamite.

Jon Moxley defeats Ortiz and takes out Santana’s eye after the match to hurt the continuity of The Inner Circle

Jon Moxley had a singles match with Ortiz that went over surprisingly well, considering Ortiz hadn’t wrestled a singles match in well over a year. However, he can’t clearly hang with the best and has a very high level of charisma. Moxley got the win, as he should have heading into his AEW World Championship match with Chris Jericho. It was also genius to have him get some revenge on Ortiz’s tag team partner Santana, who cut a brilliant promo later in the night.

This might be why many wrestlers like AEW – even the top stars like Chris Jericho are unselfish and completely willing to put over younger people and give them opportunities to grow within the company rather than wanting to give all the glory to themselves.

The Lucha Bros and The Butcher and The Blade defeated Kenny Omega and Adam “Hangman” Page (Tag Team Champions) and The Young Bucks

The tag team match pitting was easily Pay-Per-View worthy (I know some people have complained about not knowing who the legal man is during these tag matches, but does it really matter – NO). It also progressed a couple of storylines. The first was that it elevated tension between The Elite and “Hangman” Page, which will most likely culminate in a heel turn for Page at Revolution on February 29. The status of The Butcher and The Blade will also be instantly elevated by being associated with a team as highly regarded as The Lucha Bros, particularly in a winning effort.

SCU gains momentum

So. Cal Uncensored picked up a victory over the Best Friends, with the always entertaining Freshly Squeezed Orange Cassidy of course, going into their AEW World Tag Team Championship match next week against Kenny Omega and Adam “Hangman” Page.

Kip Sabian defeats Joey Janela

On a positive note, Kip Sabian has been featured on Dynamite a few weeks in a row so executives are obviously planning to push him, but his gimmick may not be quite right for his personality because it feels a little forced. He is not horrible at it by any means, but it could be better. Maybe he just needs time to grow into it – many wrestlers’ gimmicks feel this way towards the beginning of their careers. Maybe I’m being a little too critical – that may very well be a possibility.

Britt Baker loses to Yuka Sakazaki and attacks her following the match

The Britt Baker segment must have been planned to get her moreover as a heel by going against her moniker as a dentist by forcibly pulling the talented Yuka Sakazaki’s teeth. It feels weird to book someone at that level to lose to a lower-level performer like Sakazaki, so there must be a bigger story with this match. It will be interesting to see the next step in Baker’s evolution as a performer.

Brodie Lee/Luke Harper Debut Impending

Luke Harper has finally been granted his release from WWE and he will make an appearance for AEW on the 3/28 episode of Dynamite in his hometown of Rochester, NY under the name Brodie Lee.

Finally, the woman who this company is built around is being pushed like it. She is executing her de facto heel turn surprisingly well. Since she is the company’s first signee on the female side, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see her as AEW Women’s Champion sooner rather than later (probably by summertime).

Jon Moxley may want to consider keeping his eye patch for the foreseeable future because it provides a distinctive look for him and it’s as aesthetically pleasing. Adam “Hangman” Page’s alcoholism issue is being capitalized on by the AEW marketing team in a brilliantly fun manner as well.

Cody Rhodes may be the best talker -and have the best music – in all of professional wrestling. He has such a deep understanding of ring psychology and how to work a crowd -meaning when to do certain things to get a particular reaction. He most likely got this sixth sense from his late great father Dusty as well as his brother Dustin.

We should see some new champions crowned at AEW’s next pay-per-view – Revolution on February 29, with Jon Moxley ending Chris Jericho’s reign as the first-ever AEW World Champion, and Nyla Rose probably taking the AEW Women’s World Championship from the largely absent champion as of late Riho.