With AEW’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view in sight, tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite was tasked with kicking the build to some of those bigger matches into another gear. It did just that too, solidifying three of the bigger match-ups on the pay-per-view, but we also got the much-anticipated return of MJF to kick off the show. MJF wasted no time in calling out some names, including the World Champion and two of the company’s biggest signings. With Dynamite in the rear-view mirror, we’ve brought together some of the best and worst moments of the show in one place, so let’s not waste any more time and get right to it.
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Best Moments:
MJF Has Returned: In only the way he can, MJF got the show started with a mix of lighthearted humor and merchandise shilling and then pivoted to calling out some of the big names that have been in the spotlight during his absence. That included Swerve Strickland, Kazuchika Okada, and Will Ospreay, and he didn’t hold back on any of them. It was a welcome reminder of just how much of a void MJF’s absence left, and it’s great to have him back in the fold.
Daniel Garcia Gets Personal: Daniel Garcia has been looked at as one of AEW’s rising stars for a minute now and has consistently showcased his talents in the ring and his ability to get over with the fans. That said, his promo during tonight’s video package was on another level, and might just be the key ingredient to moving him to the next tier. Garcia going into his backstory and what he’s overcome felt genuine and more relatable than he’s ever been, and it’s difficult not to root for him even against someone like Will Ospreay. More of this can only be a good thing, and we could be seeing the beginning of a new era for the talented star.
Swerve vs Strong Delivers: On paper, Swerve Strickland vs Roderick Strong should have been a banger, and spoiler alert, it absolutely was. Tonight’s main event lived up to the expectations that accompanied it, and though the match’s result seemed undeniable, the sheer talent and skill of these two competitors managed to bypass that fact completely and still have me on the edge of my seat. If AEW wanted to run that back, I wouldn’t be mad in the least.
Worst Moments:
Too Much Learning Tree: To be clear up front, I actually enjoyed some of the moments in tonight’s collection of Learning Tree appearing, but that’s also part of the issue. Chris Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith are building chemistry quickly, and a few interactions definitely delivered some laughs. There’s just too much of it, at least in this particular episode, and there are other stories and feuds that could utilize that additional TV time to their benefit. It just felt off balance, so hopefully, AEW can find the right mix moving forward, because there is fun to be had.
EVP Confusion: I’ve come around on The Elite’s EVP tyrannical rule over AEW, seeing the potential the storyline has despite a rocky start. After Tony Khan’s return though, things are a little muddled. Christopher Daniels was supposed to be an authority figure speaking for Khan, but then Khan literally returned right after. Still, he can’t be everywhere, so cool, Daniels is in charge, but then how are The Bucks still making a bunch of decisions about Dynamite when Daniels is in the building and watching? He even came out to stop a brawl at one point, so he is paying attention. It’s just kind of messy and breaks up a pretty streamlined premise, so hopefully some clarity will be established as we move along to make that less clunky.
AEW Dynamite Results
- AEW International Championship #1 Contender 4-Way Match: Rey Fenix def. Orange Cassidy, Jay Lethal, and Kyle O’Reilly.
- Forbidden Door TNT Championship Ladder Match Qualifier: Mark Briscoe def. Brian Cage
- AEW’s Blackpool Combat Club (Wheeler Yuta, Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, & Jon Moxley) def. CMLL’s Volador Jr, Magnus, Rugido, & Esfinge
- Saraya def. Mariah May
- AEW World Championship Match: Swerve Strickland (C) def. Roderick Strong
Next Week on Dynamite:
- AEW International Championship Match: Will Ospreay (C) vs Rey Fenix
Updated AEW Forbidden Door Card:
- AEW Women’s World Championship Match: Toni Storm (C) vs Mina Shirakawa
- Title for Title Match: Mercedes Mone (AEW TBS Champion) vs Stephanie Vaquer (NJPW Strong Women’s Champion)
AEW Forbidden Door takes place on Sunday, June 30th.
What did you think of AEW Dynamite? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!
