After a week away, I’ve caught up on last week’s Dynamite and the discord. Is there a correlation between the continual (insidious) criticism and what might be AEW’s best PPV build of 2024?
Two weeks away from All In, we have six confirmed matches for the main card and one for Zero Hour. More will be confirmed.
Has everything been perfect in the build? No.
However, the general consistency and clarity of the top PPV matches have been strong. Has some of the controversy online been valid?
As I’ll discuss with the AEW World Tag Team Championship match, to an extent, yes. Regardless of any negativity, All In and Dynamite this week are looking stacked.
Beyond the excellent in-ring action that is AEW’s bread and butter, there is potential in all the announced matches for storyline progression. Five confirmed matched and several big segments, there are questions that need answers, with fresh questions left for the following weeks.
I won’t be able to preview all of them in detail. But optimistically, if the wrestling gods are on my side, I’d expect Swerve Strickland to beat Wheeler Yuta into a pulp.
Would a callback to Wheeler’s tenacity from his series with Jon Moxley be too much to ask for? Only for Strickland to put Yuta down.
Thus ensuring Yuta’s mentor, Bryan Danielson, understands how his career might end at All In.
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Roderick Strong might be a show-stealer. Claudio Castagnoli and Kazuchika Okada might surprise fans when they meet in-ring.
Okada will have more for Castagnoli than just “b*tch”. Folks who say Okada has been reduced to just comedy will likely forget that once the bell rings.
Anyway, the fuse is lit. Pop!
AEW Dynamite Announced Card Thus Far:
Matches announced:
- AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks vs. The Acclaimed
- TBS Championship: Mercedes Moné Hikaru Shida
- AEW World Champion, Swerve Strickland vs. Wheeler Yuta
- “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Jay Lethal
- 3-way for the #1 spot in the casino gauntlet at All In: Kyle O’Reilly vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Roderick Strong
Other segments announced:
- A film by Mariah May
- Kazuchika Okada and Claudio Castagnoli meet in-ring
Speculation:
- More All In matches made
- Further build towards All In
- A recap of MJF’s AEW American Championship defense from RevPro this past weekend
- A clearer sense of the AEW World Tag Team Championship match for All In
The Ace vs. The CEO
When challenging Dr Britt Baker, DMD several weeks ago, Hikaru Shida believed she deserved a TBS Championship shot. Shida lost to Baker in the dentist’s first match back in AEW since her injury.
However, partly what cost the Ace was indecision of whether or not to use the kendo stick. Many fans are ready and willing to see a heel/Yakuza-inspired version of Shida.
However, against Mercedes Mone, Shida will be the sentimental favorite. A representation of the foundation of AEW’s women’s division.
Noticeably, in the build to All In, Moné has beaten Nyla Rose, another former AEW original. Subtle storytelling of Mercedes trying to establish her supremacy over the AEW originals? Could a match with Riho be next?
Some fans online have been frustrated that this match is being put on Dynamite without much build. There has been a one-sided build from Shida.
Yet, I can understand the frustration. Partly because, as AEW fans, we feel Shida deserves more.
This feels like it could be a bigger contest than what we are getting.
When evaluating Mone’s opponents in AEW (“Following the Moné”), I ranked Shida as a deserving long-term prospect. If a match between them was rushed, it would harm the division.
Differently from when I wrote this insight, the women’s division is in a stronger place. This match doesn’t have to be a one-and-done.
It could, with the right storyline elements, be revisited for a fuller feud later. Shida is going through her own story arc that will eventually lead to her turning heel.
It feels inevitable that Mone will win. With some help perhaps from Kamille at ringside to keep Shida strong.
Or maybe fresh from suspension, Baker’s interference costs Shida?
The Hangman to Administer the Lethal Injection?
Jay Lethal’s reputation in AEW as a designated pinfall-taker is not likely to change on Wednesday. Lethal will be the sacrificial lamb to “Hangman” Adam Page, but the intrigue comes in terms of the storytelling and how Page continues to break bad.
Hangman showed no mercy in his match with Jeff Jarrett. Against Danielson, Page’s focus on inflicting hurt and addressing past issues with The American Dragon cost him.
Likewise, against Darby Allin, Page lost again because this darkness really isn’t him. In this side-step away from his desire to take everything from Strickland, by seeking vengeance on Jeff Jarrett, Page may unleash more brutality.
In each of the previous encounters discussed, there has been a consistent attempt by Page to show and not tell the struggle the character is experiencing. It’s a diversion from feuding with Strickland, but that fire will be stoked again soon.
Some fans are keen for Page to face Strickland sooner rather than later. Yet, perhaps they haven’t considered the possible mirroring of Page’s road to redemption from his first arc.
Last week, I shared two articles discussing the overarching theme of mental health in Page’s arcs. The first on his first arc to becoming the AEW World Champion.
This focused on imposter syndrome at the core of his anxiety (here). The second on this current arc is where I argue the character is relapsing and regressing rather than moving forward (here).
How many buckshots or deadeyes is Lethal likely to receive? How low will Page sink?
And what will this mean perhaps for All In? It’s clear throughout his AEW run, Jarrett can thrive still in hardcore stipulation matches.
The idea that, like a Western, the Cowboy taking out The Last Outlaw could be cinematic.
20 Years of The Young Bucks – Proving Ground
Last week, The Young Bucks celebrated twenty years of being in the wrestling business and, of course, discord followed. Recently, discussion around the creative and the lack of championship defenses by the EVPs has rightly been discussed.
With news of the potential loss of The Lucha Brothers and a reduction in the status of the AEW tag team scene, the Bucks have become both scapegoats and reasons for problems. Already experiencing a controversial summer due to the mixed results of The (Corporate) Elite takeover and the expectation that The Bucks would be featured more regularly on TV in matches has made this a valid conversation.
As characters, The Bucks negging on their haters throughout this heel run have walked a tightrope as thick as dental floss. It’s fair to say some AEW fans have been alienated by this approach to addressing their critics (a full analysis can be found here).
The prospect of either The Bucks vs. FTR or/and The Acclaimed at All In does not seem as inspired as it might have been a year ago. And yet… The Young Bucks have shown already this year that they can still recapture that magic.
The Bucks when they have been in action, as characters and wrestlers in-ring still prove they can be great, if inconsistent and not performing to the standards many want them to be performing on a weekly basis. In their first eliminator match against The Acclaimed, the EVPs made the former tag team and trios champions seem like a credible threat again.
The Acclaimed’s promo work in recent weeks has shown a fire that’s been missing. For both teams, this match is the opportunity to address criticism and put tag wrestling back into AEW’s USP.
Prove themselves ahead of AEW’s biggest summer show.
Looking for an AEW Deep Dive?
James has also written a series that takes a deep dive into AEW’s short but impactful history. In part 1, James discussed how AEW changed the wrestling industry (here). In Part 2, James discussed how AEW’s continued existence benefits wrestlers and fans alike (here).
Part 3 has been divided into two articles. One discusses the differences between in-ring action and storytelling (here). The other excellent in-ring action is compensating for wider issues in AEW creative (here). The final part will discuss AEW’s future. Including discussing the problems that AEW faces and questions Tony Khan will have to address. In a bonus article, James evaluates the criticism levelled at the company on social media and podcasters as well as the company’s response (here). In the final upcoming part, James examines how for AEW’s future Tony Khan can compete with WWE beyond just in the ring (here).
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – AEW – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday night. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube.
