SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Coming off a fantastic episode of Dynamite last week, I did not expect the same level of “awesomeness” that we saw a week ago, but what I was hoping for going into the show was building on what they did, and keeping most, if not all, of the momentum I felt was gained. Let’s see how they did.
HITS
STAR-STUDDED OPENING SEGMENT
And I’m not talking about Master P, though I am old enough to remember his appearances on WCW Nitro!
All kidding aside, Master P is loved in New Orleans and the crowd was certainly hot for him. They made a good choice in only having him say a few words before getting to the wrestlers and you can never go wrong with starting out a show with Samoa Joe. Joe makes people pay attention and he did not disappoint.
What followed was a paint-by-numbers set up for what will be an “Anarchy in the Arena” or “Blood and Guts” match with all the wrestlers we saw, but it was very cool to see Swerve Strickland and Kenny Omega join up with The Opps giving the segment a big boost.
By the way, Shane McMahon called and wanted to let Master P know his punches looked a little weak.
I felt it was a very solid start to the show, but it could have been so much better had they not made the same mistake they make 9 out of 10 shows. See below for that.
RICOCHET VS. MARK BRISCOE
I knew going into the match it was going to be a good one as both performers give it their all week after week. They had great chemistry and were able to go back and forth from an athletic standpoint as well as a physical one. The main reason I put this as a “Hit” is the fact that Briscoe won! This was a match I saw on the card where I said to myself that it was going to be good, but Ricochet will win and we’ll move on. Having Briscoe win not only helps his character moving forward but goes against the predictable nature the show falls into far too often.
THE BUCKS VS. BAILEY & KNIGHT
Wow. This was fantastic. Only J.R. on commentary would have been grumpy watching this one. Yes, the ref turns his brain off and fans kind of have to do the same if you care about tagging your partner in, or who the legal man was. For pure entertainment, this was great.
I loved the sequence in the middle with the kicks between all four competitors as well as the “chicken fight” spots. The athleticism was off the charts and for a couple moments I was able to get lost in the action and not think about how the Bucks were going to win… because, they WERE going to win.
Having the earlier inclusion of Kevin Knight at the end of the Ricochet match come back to haunt him was a nice touch and gave the babyfaces an out while setting up what should be a great feud between Knight and Ricochet.
It was a nice touch having Nick Jackson mouth “Thank you, Ricochet” afterwards.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
HAYTER VS. STATLANDER
I wish the fans would have been more into this, but it was one of the better women’s matches we’ve seen this year from AEW. Having two experienced and talented wrestlers that have chemistry go at it like that was a joy to watch. Plus, while I would have predicted Hayter was going to win, I wasn’t sure which direction they would go, so it kept me on the edge of my seat in the final minutes.
QUICK HITS
– I’m intrigued with Stokley Hathaway’s involvement in the FTR story. I’ve always been a fan of Stokley as a mouthpiece and I’m interested to see how he is used moving forward. FTR’s message and how they deliver it is a little stale, but Stokely can add something to make them even more unlikable.
– I enjoyed the MJF/Hurt Syndicate segment, but I’m ready for them to choose one way or another. MJF is really in his element and I like this as a less serious diversion from the rest of the show. There is humor, but it’s not all slapstick or ridiculous like the MJF/Adam Cole stuff from a couple of years ago. I fully expect it to get serious very soon, so bring it on!
– I also enjoyed the MJF-“Hangman” Page foreshadowing. They are doing a good job getting fans interested and fired up for something down the line.
– I like the now-completed Callis Family and, while there are weak links, they can move forward and become the dominant force that the Death Riders were supposed to be, if they have a good plan moving forward. The Will Ospreay & Brody King vs. Konsuke Takeshita & Josh Alexander match was also solid with a mix of athleticism and hard-hitting violence.
MISSES
NO FOLLOW UP!!!
I know I sound like a broken record with this, but it drives me crazy week after week. After using all the star-power in the first segment of the show, you did not see any of those guys the rest of the two hours (outside of the Bucks in their match). It makes no sense to me to do that. Especially with the short attention span of today, keep reminding us of what happened with, at the very least, a replay of it later in the show.
It would be better to have Renee talk with one or more of the participants to keep the narrative going. This is something that really needs to be fixed.
So, it wasn’t as good as last week, but I thought it was a solid episode of Dynamite that set up some stories for the next couple of weeks. Speaking of the next couple of weeks, hey Tony Khan! — I’m going to Dynamite in Detroit on May 7. Don’t let us down. Give us some good stuff man!!
Don’t forget to check out the weekly free podcast I’m part of, “The All Elite Conversation Club” that typically drops on Fridays the PWTorch Dailycast lineup. Joel Dehnel and I have a great time breaking down all things AEW! Search “pwtorch” on your podcast app to subscribe. Send questions and comments to [email protected].
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