Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s weekly review of "AEW Dynamite," the show so unpredictable it's sometimes on a Tuesday! Yes, it was the 2024 edition of "AEW Dynamite: Title Tuesday" this week, and if you think that means the show is all about people defending titles, you would be wrong. Only one person defended her title and we're not even going to talk about her here. Instead, with AEW WrestleDream upon us this Saturday and Tuesday's offering serving as a de facto go-home show, the WINC staff's feelings were largely caught by WrestleDream centric angles and matches this week. Darby Allin had a promo segment with BrodyKing ahead of their match on Saturday; the rift between WillOspreay and Konosuke Takeshita deepened in a major way as they prepare to fight each other and Ricochet for the International title in Tacoma; Willow Nightingale vs. Mariah May and Jay White vs. Adam Page were added to the PPV card, and Bryan Danielson competed in what was suggested might be his last "Dynamite" performance before he goes to WrestleDream to face his potential doom in the form of JonMoxley. Oh, andDaniel Garcia re-signed with AEW.
Advertisement
That's a lot to digest from one two-hour program, and there's still a bunch of stuff we're leaving out, but we trust you can find your way over to our "Dynamite" results page if you're desperate to know what happened when Hologram fought Komander. This column restricts itself to the things that gave us the strongest opinions.These are three things we hated and three things we loved about the 10/8/24 episode of "AEW Dynamite."
In professional wrestling, just as any other sports or entertainment medium, there are roles that fit some like a glove and others that would be better given to others. There are, on occasion, those who wield the jack of all trades trait while also being the master of none, and even rarer are those with Midas' touch no matter the role they are given. In AEW, you can look no further than Darby Allin to put on the wildest (for better or worse dependent on taste) stunt-laden performances inside and outside the ring, or even anywhere else in the venue with space to stand, fall, or jump from. In the ring, he and Brody King have both proven to be complementary opponents, the perfect blend of size and speed capturing the essence of David vs. Goliath.
Advertisement
However, at no point in time has Allin ever really been a good promo; if you have heard a few after a while, you will start to notice very little difference in their content. And the way it is presented, especially this week, is in the form of a screaming rant about how he was someone who never could have made it if it wasn't for AEW, and whomever he is in the ring with at the time also couldn't do what they're doing without AEW, before reeling off the history he has with the competitor in question and admitting they had a tough fight but he would win if they did it again.
It's just formulaic and worse still when the formula itself is bad. That was just one of a litany of issues with the promo segment between Allin and King tonight, hitting the not-so-greatest hits to the "Big Bad" House of Black member dressed in his street clothes and thus killing whatever was left of that faction's mystique. It all felt lacklustre, designed to pit Allin against someone he has faced numerously before as was pointed out ad nauseam just weeks after he was beaten out of a world title shot. When all was said and done the segment was best characterized by Allin literally barking at King to goad him into a fight. Seriously, what are we doing here?
Advertisement
Allin as a wrestler is perfectly fine, if nothing amazing. But since Sting has retired what is his purpose? There is no conceivable character arc from Allin except he has a death wish that Tony Khan is more than willing to cash in on. He just pops up all the time, treated as a franchise player purely because he is an example of a wrestler that wouldn't get a push anywhere else (seriously, that is what Allin himself pushes every week), and sets up another match which will remind people there might be something more to be peeled away at, only for the cycle to continue and we get nowhere. His character has not changed at all since he first started getting pushed in 2020, and that's a lack of progression that just compels me to believe he is just taking a spot better served to someone else.
Written by Max Everett
In an ironic twist of fate that can sometimes only happen in an industry like professional wrestling, the "bidding war of 2024" ended up happening with the man Maxwell Jacob Friedman feuded with rather than the former AEW World Champion himself.
Advertisement
Daniel Garcia hadn't been seen since All Out and the amount of reports that came out about him was staggering. One day he was staying, the next he was leaving, then he was staying but not signed, then he might leave but everyone thought he was staying, and so on. It got exhausting real quick, so you can imagine my relief when I see Garcia's face pop up on my screen as we were finally going to get an answer regarding his future.
Truth be told, as soon as he arrives at the arena, you know what's coming; he's staying. Tony Khan isn't going to put one of his brightest stars out on TV to say "yeah remember when I said I was for the sickos, yeah I'm actually leaving so bye" is he? However, what Garcia said really hit home for me on this one. He has been "lil bro'd" countless times in AEW, he was brought in just to be a fall guy for the top stars, and he did get to the position he is in right now by being such a fantastic in-ring performer, everything he said in his promo was true and you can get behind someone when you can tell they're being genuine.
Advertisement
The question now is will AEW actually follow through on making Garcia a future star? One of AEW's problems over the past two or three years is they have relied heavily on bringing in established names to bolster their roster, leaving no room for the younger stars to grow and become main event players themselves. Lee Moriarty, Private Party, even HOOK to an extent, they are either in the same spots they were when they arrived or a minimal step forward, and Garcia worked his way out of that spot and has pledged his loyalty to AEW through being that damn good. Garcia has all the potential in the world, and instead of waiting for the future of AEW to arrive, why don't they pull it towards themselves now. Daniel Garcia is here to stay, and if AEW gets it right, he could be one of the biggest stars in the entire company.
Written bySam Palmer
I wish I had the words to properly convey how baffling it is that an episode of "AEW Dynamite" in late 2024 devoted so much of its runtime to segments involving the Don Callis Family. It's legitimately embarrassing. How is this faction still going? Do its members care that it's been actual years since any of them were relevant? There isn't a single person in AEW who's joined up with Callis and seen a career boost, it's all downhill from the moment you sign on the dotted line. So what's the point? And if there's no point, why are they suddenly getting such a massive portion of the show devoted to them?
Advertisement
Let's get the first part out of the way here: I didn't realize managers could trade wrestlers to each other and Lance Archer isn't moving any needles no matter who stands in his corner, but I would like see Jake Roberts on TV more often so hopefully him trading Archer to Callis in exchange for Rush (who you'd be forgiven for not remembering was in the Family) and taking on the new La Faccion Ingobernable will lead to that. On the other hand, the fact that there's a new LFI in general is utterly hilarious, as is the overall manner in which Rush conducts his career. There are already numerous factions inAEW that drain wrestlers of years of their careers like thirsty relevancy vampires, and now even the one they managed to get rid of is back, presumably because Rush threw a tantrum about it. RIP The Beast Mortos, we'll always remember you.
Advertisement
But if the reformation of LFI is funny, the story of WillOspreay and Don Callis is just sad. One of Tony Khan's biggest problems as a booker is that he often waits too long to pay off the things he's set up, so when we first started waiting for the Family to turn on Ospreay in November 2023 and they finally turn on him in October 2024, it doesn't really carry much impact. It never made any sense for Ospreay to suddenly be a babyface upon signing with AEW, much less to then keep him in the Family for a year while various seeds of potential dissent kept getting planted and never going anywhere. A year ago Don Callis was one of the hottest heels in the company and Konosuke Takeshita had just beaten KennyOmega; feuding them against Ospreay back then would have meant something. Now it just feels like an obligation, like finally paying an old bill because they send you the red notice this time. The only thing worse than the unbelievably weak final reason for their split (Ospreay failed to win the tag titles, as though any other member of the Family is holding or has ever held AEW gold) is the sad puppy "will he or won't he" Kyle Fletcher storyline we have coming our way now.Joy.
Written by Miles Schneiderman
Advertisement
Before I say anything, everyone here wishes Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. the best as she missed Title Tuesday due to illness. She hasn't had a lot of luck this year and she looked to be getting back on track with her match with Serena Deeb last week, so let's hope she makes a speedy recovery.
Advertisement
With Baker out of action, this allowed Willow Nightingale to remind everyone why she should at some point be the face of the AEW women's division. She was the MVP of the four way anything goes match, which isn't easy when you've got someone like Jamie Hayter fresh off returning standing across the ring from you ready to swing a chair as hard as she can. Nyla Rose sadly didn't really feature in the bout outside of getting the plunder ready for everyone, Hayter didn't get to do much once Penelope Ford showed up (amazing to see her by the way after everything she's been through), and Saraya was also there.
After losing to Kris Statlander at All Out, putting Willow in the world title picture didn't make sense to a lot of people, but ask yourself, where else would you put her? She is so ready to be a main event player, and stacking both Saraya and Harley Cameron for the win was one of the baddest moments the women's division has seen all year (yes they were next to each other but you get the idea). A great way to make Willow into a credible threat once again.
Advertisement
The showdown on the ramp with Mariah May was fun, if a little clunky, but Willow pouncing May out of frame in the backstage segment immediately afterwards was fantastic, May sold it as if she got hit by the happiest bus in the state of Washington. Willow saying that she is ready to be the AEW Women's World Champion, that's something that we can all get behind, and even if I don't see her winning at WrestleDream as I don't think it's the right time to dethrone May, keeping Willow in amongst the title picture will only be a benefit, especially considering the champion's aimless direction since winning the title at Wembley Stadium. Out of everyone on the AEW roster who performed at Title Tuesday, I'd go as far as saying that Willow Nightingale came out of the night looking the strongest, and smiling as she did it.
Written by Sam Palmer
So, I'm probably being a bit dramatic with my title here, but seriously, I've heard this said before, but what in the world did Jay White do to upset someone in AEW? Did he p*** in Tony Khan's cornflakes or something? Sure, having a match at WrestleDream, on a show that has the potential to be really big and historic, thanks to Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley, is cool, but against "Hangman" Adam Page, the guy who's coming off one of, if not the hottest feud in AEW right now? Sheesh. This really looks like a no-win for White at his first pay-per-view back since injury, and he wasn't looking too great before suffering an injury that left him off TV, either. Don't get me wrong, as I've said before, I love Page, and though I haven't gotten the opportunity to say as much, I do really enjoy White's work, when he's able to showcase what he can do in AEW. But, White's entering a feud that doesn't look like he'll win, at least on the surface, and even though Page has cooled off a bit since his dramatic, brutal unsanctioned cage match against Swerve Strickland at All Out, that's still all people remember when looking or thinking about him. I don't think White stands a snowball's chance here, and it's really disappointing.
Advertisement
His promo tonight was good, saying "Hangman" is one of two people to get in his way of becoming AEW World Champion, and he's the lucky number one to get his butt kicked first. He laid out the challenge for WrestleDream, having just returned last week to take out Page after Page's match with White's fellow Bang Bang Gang stablemate Juice Robinson. I understand where White's coming from and all, but with the way he's been booked in AEW since joining the company, with much fanfare, might I add, I don't have the slightest bit of confidence, especially with the way Page has been acting lately. White is going to have to go up against this "new" more brutal Page, and thankfully he's not in any kind of stipulation match with the cowboy, or he could end up with a needle in his mouth or his childhood home burned to the ground.
Advertisement
I also think it's pretty disappointing we didn't get a longer buildup to this match. Both of these guys are great in the ring and excellent storytellers. White has an excellent point, "Hangman" kept him from the championship, and of course, Page is going to be back to chasing the championship himself. It almost writes itself. These two contenders could build up a feud and have an even more excellent match at a pay-per-view further down the line. Page could get more unhinged and do scary things to White to entertain us, the audience. But, we're getting this rushed match, that White is bound to lose, and frankly, I simply just hate it.
Written byDaisy Ruth
As the possibility starts to truly sink in that this weekend may be the curtain call on Bryan Danielson's storied career as a full-time wrestler, the man himself appears to have no qualms with the fact that he is visibly fighting a losing battle. Throughout pop culture, from Zack Snyder's "300" to the Xbox video game title "Halo: Reach," stories are told from the perspective of a protagonist knowingly fighting until their last against insurmountable odds.
Advertisement
This appears to be the path that Danielson's feud with Jon Moxley and the Blackpool Combat Club is taking, heading into this weekend's WrestleDream, the event Danielson himself had earmarked as a worthy last stand long before winning the AEW World title. Against Moxley, he has an opponent he has been unable to defeat on the two occasions they have met since joining AEW, the most recent being one of Danielson's several world title attempts before succeeding at last in August. In the build to their first match at Revolution 2022, Danielson came to Moxley with the seed that has since grown into the very group that asphyxiated him. It seems almost poetic that Danielson himself had paved the way for his own demise, the group he had envisioned as an academy of the "American Dragon" has turned on its mentor entirely, and his naivete in putting his hand out has come back to bite him.
Advertisement
Even still, Danielson proved to be the last man standing on Wednesday night, beating his challenger senseless and providing that last act of defiance as he cleared the ring of the BCC to save his last loyal student, Wheeler Yuta. Yuta had not only stood against his fellow Trios Champions by teaming with Danielson tonight, but earned himself a beating orchestrated by Claudio Castagnoli with Castagnoli taking the lead by attacking his long-time junior partner with a hammer. It was reminiscent of the way Jey Uso was booked into The Bloodline, beaten and manipulated by Roman Reigns until it broke him and he acquiesced to his vision. And that could be the very making of Yuta much in the same way, an opportunity for him to show he is more than the young boy of the BCC. It looks increasingly likely that this could be Danielson's last ride, a valiant yet futile effort to sustain what was doomed from the start. Much as has been the case over the past few weeks, this week did a good job of positioning the different pieces on the board and provide an alley-oop to be dunked at WrestleDream. So if this is indeed the last time for a long time "Final Countdown" plays, it certainly seems like it is being done in a way that befits his character arc, specifically over the past three years of his career.
Advertisement
Written by Max Everett
