This week’s special Tuesday edition of Dynamite will revive the Wednesday Night War between AEW and WWE’s NXT for one hour. Titled “Title Tuesday”, there is only one title match at the time of writing.
Although the other three matches announced either involve championships or wrestlers vying for the number one contendership, I would be lying to you and myself if I said that this week’s episode feels like the final push towards a monumental night at WrestleDream. Bryan Danielson’s career may end on Saturday.
The main event match is likely to be Danielson teaming with Wheeler Yuta. Yuta has not been the same since being held back after Jon Moxley’s heinous attack (violent splendor) on Danielson at All Out.
Questioning his allegiance to Blackpool Combat Club, Yuta stands with Danielson. Or will he?
Beyond the world championship picture and the confirmation of the new TV deal, some questionable booking decisions have lowered my expectations for this week’s Dynamite and WrestleDream. The frustrating thing sometimes about AEW, as I wrote about at the end of last week in my article AEW is not perfect and that’s fine, is when there are lapses in logic and consistency, especially when AEW fails to stick within the perimeters they set for themselves, it makes it hard to be emotionally invested.
For a Title Tuesday, there is a lack of meaningful title defenses. However, there’s always time for a crazy Tony Khan graphic drop.
On the night for the wrestlers to deliver the heart missing from the booking. It would not be a first.
Do it one more time!
AEW Dynamite Announced Card Thus Far:
Matches announced:
- Bryan Danielson and Wheeler Yuta vs. Claudio Castagnoli and PAC
- TBS Championship and NJPW Strong Women’s Championship: Mercedes Mone vs. Emi Sakura
- Winner gets an AEW Women’s World Championship shot at WrestleDream: Dr Britt Baker DMD vs. Willow Nightingale
- Komander vs. Hologram
Other segments announced:
- Darby Allin goes face-to-face with Brody King
- HOOK to call out who is responsible for attacking Taz
Speculation:
- More from MVP/The Hurt Syndicate
- More WrestleDream build
- More matches to be added to WrestleDream
Gambles of the Night: Two Women’s Matches
A perfect example of AEW’s current booking inconsistencies is this week’s two women’s matches. It’s very AEW to, on the one hand, give something that many fans have wanted.
For the longest time, I know many of us have wanted more women’s matches more frequently on the show. No women’s revolution in AEW will be met until this occurs.
And yet, since All Out there has been a general lack of direction in the division. This is best emphasized by the number one contendership match.
Both Dr. Britt Baker and Willow Nightingale lost recently on PPV. Baker has been moved from one title scene to another after a poor performance at All In.
One victory and she is back in title contention. Nightingale unfortunately suffers the same fate having lost a Chicago streetfight at All Out and then losing her CMLL World Women’s Championship at CMLL’s 91 Anversario show… Hang on!
Kris Statlander never got her CMLL World Women’s Championship shot after beating Nightingale in an eliminator match! Given the heights of where the women’s division has been this year, this challenger-of-the-week approach Mariah May finds herself in while Toni Storm is on excursion undermines the champion and challengers.
It’s ironically a reversion to the situation the AEW’s women’s locker room and their championships found themselves in last year. A conveyor belt system of low-stakes matches.
Noise during recent women’s matches has been muted. If someone can make the crowd clap, it’s Nightingale.
As for Mercedes Mone vs. Emi Sakura, the result might be clear but Emi knows how to give a convincing. Mones’ best recent matches have been against Joshi’s opponents.
A stiff match-up would help the CEO regain some form. I’d love nothing more than for the women to overdeliver.
Darby Allin and Brodie King Face-to-Face
The prospect of Darby Allin once again tangling with the man who once got a tattoo of Allin’s gravestone on his body is exciting. The chemistry between Allin and Brodie King is undeniable.
In the past, it resulted in some classic encounters between the Indies and AEW. Enough time has passed for this to feel fresh again.
However, part of me expected and still wanted Allin’s open challenge to be answered by another big man who could throw Allin around the ring like a human-sized shotput. Some are still to a degree vexed by how Allin seemed too ill-logically put his championship shot on the line at Grand Slam.
While the frustration I can get it, I think it myopically ignores (or perhaps needs clearer elaboration) that Allin’s attitude to wrestling and life is all or nothing. As highlighted with his promo last week, the larger story seems to be that Allin is not yet ready for the AEW World Championship.
The key word is yet. I’ve written elsewhere about how I can see this story developing here.
Allin, like Swerve Strickland last year, is growing in a role. Particularly with how he presents himself on the microphone and in his presence.
So, the idea of Allin confronting and stoking the hatred/flames of The House of Black’s “Big Bad” ahead of Saturday may serve as another brick in the foundations of what’s to come. Giving King more screen time and a chance to menace and forebode a sense of inevitable chaos and devastation will also help build this next match in their legacy feud.
However, given their violent history, I would not be surprised if this confrontation turns into an impromptu match. It would leave Allin to take a lashing on Saturday.
The Penultimate Match Before the Countdown Ends?
The fact that AEW is not playing up the fact this could be Danielson’s last full-time match feels like a missed opportunity. Last week’s 20-plus minutes against Kazuchika Okada either delivered or underwhelmed, depending on your perspective.
This tag match could be a strong conclusion, both from an in-ring action perspective and a story with his former BCC stablemates. The concept of Danielson’s Final Countdown was somewhat flawed.
Regardless of how much or little time Danielson has left, there was always going to be the issue of balancing the finale. The opportunity for those first-time dream matches, like Mark Briscoe and Darby Allin and others (who you can read about here) seems gone.
While I watched Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness twice just to assure myself of how fantastic it was, other rematches have not been revisited. With a short amount of time left, it was never going to be enough.
Unless expectations are subverted at WrestleDream. Yuta’s character development is a much-needed development for the former three-time ROH Pure champion.
His absence from the BCC and actions in the team’s Collision Trios Championship defense were clear storytelling. Although the story is flirting with sports entertainment-tainted melodrama, I like many others will be watching intently to see if Wheeler really has Danielson’s back.
That might feature in the finish. As for the body of the match, it’s likely going to be a bruising, technical, and bullying affair with former stablemates/training partners.
One in which, ahead of Saturday, Danielson is weakened further. For Yuta, this match could be another standout opportunity amidst three of the best in the world to elevate himself.
Let the technical terrier prove to his former mentors how far he has come.
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.
