AEW Dynamite Review (9/15/22): Is AEW Good Again?
AEW Dynamite was a pretty good show. It seems like the company has been putting on a few good shows in a row since the drama following All Out. This episode of Dynamite featured two major matches that will determine the future AEW world champion. Since there was more on the line with the matches, the show felt like a big deal. It’s good to see AEW put on some better shows since fans have been critical of their work as of late. So, is AEW good again? Let’s find out in my review of AEW Dynamite.
Jon Moxley vs Sammy Guevara
This match was about as good as I expected it to be. Sammy Guevara seemingly gets a lot of hate online, but I think it’s undeserving. He’s fairly young and has a lot of talent in the ring. However, it did feel like every other match of his. At this point, a lot of Guevara’s matches do feel the exact same, with no growth really. This match was intriguing since Guevara and Moxley have such a contrast in wrestling styles. Both men got physical and dirty when they needed to. Even though they have such a difference in styles, I do think they had pretty good chemistry. However, the match did feel like it was lacking something. I can’t quite figure out what it was, but something was missing. Overall, the match was fine and served its purpose.
We Hear From MJF/The Firm
I really enjoyed this entire segment. When MJF appears on-screen, it is must-see television. Also, it was nice to hear from Stokely Hathaway and the newly named faction, The Firm. We heard from Hathaway about why he formed The Firm and what their motive is. To me, the group is very intriguing. They are going to go their separate ways until MJF needs them. I’ve never really heard of a team doing this before. MJF essentially warned Jon Moxley not to mess with him, which I enjoyed. MJF is so captivating on the mic and demands everyone’s attention. Overall, I enjoyed this segment and am very intrigued by everything that happened.
Jungle Boy vs Jay Lethal
I love both of these wrestlers. Jungle Boy is one of the pillars of AEW and Jay Lethal is a professional wrestling veteran. However, this match did not need to happen. It felt random and unnecessary. AEW is obviously waiting to do Luchasaurus vs Jungle Boy, so this match just felt like a filler. I would’ve liked to see another women’s match on the card since there was only one. I think there were quite a few different options to do instead, however, the match was pretty good. Jungle Boy got to showcase his skills along with Lethal showing everyone he can still go with the young guys. Overall, they should have given this spot to the women’s division, since they do lack television time every week.
Powerhouse Hobbs vs Matt DiMartino
As much as I hate these types of squash matches, it served its purpose. The match lasted about ten seconds, but what happened after was more important. First of all, I liked that Hobbs got to cut a little promo after his match. Also, I really enjoyed how Ricky Starks came out, didn’t say anything, and just beat the hell out of Hobbs. It was nice to this side of aggression from Starks. However, I do wish these two had more time on Dynamite to further the story. It’s one of the more intriguing storylines currently in AEW and it feels like they don’t get much television time. Overall, the match served its purpose and showed the feud between Hobbs and Starks is far from over.
AEW World Tag Team Championship Match
Lucha Bros vs Swerve in our Glory (c)
The match itself was really good and it may have been the match of the night. There were a ton of awesome spots including Rey Fenix hitting a Spanish fly on Swerve Strickland and Penta hitting a Canadian destroyer on Keith Lee. I do like Swerve in our Glory getting a good win over former AEW tag team champions and current AEW trios champions. The most important part was what happened after the match. Prior to the bout, AEW announced the winner of this match will defend the tag titles next week against The Acclaimed. After the match, The Acclaimed came out and were more serious than usual. Max Caster didn’t do his usual rap and showed some seriousness on the mic. It was nice to see this side of The Acclaimed and helped build the anticipation for next week.
Serena Deeb & Britt Baker vs Athena & Toni Storm (c)
This match was interesting because it involved Athena and Serena Deeb, who hasn’t been involved in this feud. Once again, the match itself was pretty good. Every week we get reminded just how talented the women’s division in AEW is — which is why I want to see them get more television time because their roster is stacked. The sole purpose of this match was to further the storyline between Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker — and it did just that. It was interesting how they showed Hayter was still aligned with Baker, but obviously, there was some tension between them. Furthermore, the fact that Serena Deeb pinned Toni Storm makes things very intriguing and gives her a reason to challenge for the title. Overall, I found this match to be excellent and it did what it was supposed to do.
Chris Jericho vs Bryan Danielson
These two put on an incredible match at All Out and this one was no different. It’s hard to believe that two guys who have barely wrestled each other can put on such good matches. The storytelling throughout this match was incredible. And there was a time that I was absolutely convinced that Jericho was going to win. I thought the ending was done incredibly well and really showed the heart of Danielson. Jericho looked strong as well and proved he can be one of the best professional wrestlers when he needs to be. The feud is tied at 1-1 now, so I can definitely see the rematch happening in the future. Now it’s going to be Jon Moxley vs Bryan Danielson to crown the new AEW world champion and I’m beyond excited for this match. Overall, this was the best match of the night and one everyone should watch.
So, is AEW good again? Well, they weren’t bad in the first place. Every company has areas where they can improve, and I think fans are finally starting to see those areas for AEW. It also doesn’t help that their top stars are fighting each other. Furthermore, WWE has been increasing the quality of their weekly shows, so it’s clear AEW needs to step it up.
