Biased Thoughts: AEW Dynamite #181
Cable Dahmer Arena, Independence. Missouri. 3,7k Tickets Sold. March 22nd 2023
A cold open with Elite lore and it was a great way to start the show, this angle pay offed in the end of this episode.
Sting, Darby Allin & Orange Cassidy vs Kip Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade (***1/2) What TV wrestling should always be, a character driven match with Sting having the best moments. I liked that a house show match has impact on the TV shows.
Then we had a videopackage showing the pillars will be feuding for the AEW World Championship and probably that four way will be at Double Or Nothing, I think the main event should be a singles match and I also think Darby Allin could be in that spot.
The Gunns vs Top Flight for the AEW World Tag Team Championships (**3/4) Fine match with the always excellent bumping from The Gunns. After the match FTR challenged The Gunns but Austin accepted with one condition, if FTR don´t win they will have to leave AEW. In my opinion FTR will win and The Gunns were the transitional champions to not have a babyface vs babyface confrontation between The Acclaimed and FTR. The Gunns are a fine as a midcard heel but their matches don´t get to the level other teams had when they were champions.
Hook vs Stokely Hathaway in a Non Title No DQ match (***1/4) This wasn´t a workrate classic but a very fun payoff for this storyline. I think Hook just by this streak and aura can easily be the #1 contender for MJF´s World Championship and would be great to see it. Would be his biggest test though so I would understand if they wait a bit more.
Adam Cole did his promo to hype up his return match but Daniel Garcia interrupted him and I didn´t see it coming but this is very inspiring booking because eventhough Garcia is not like a top guy he is really protected and had beaten major names. Garcia beat Danielson in Bryan´s returned after injury.
Jon Moxley vs Stu Grayson (***1/4) This match was weird but it got good after some minutes, Dark Order has been great in this role of been the valiant fighters that aren´t capable of winning but always get the people rooting for him BUT is time to left this DO vs BCC feud behind and let the two stables don´t have a match between them for a while.
QTV is not for me, I don´t enjoy this kind of segments often and maybe there´s some funny jokes here and there but I think keeping this geeks surrounding Hobbs is just weird. QT is fine as his manager (Eventhought Hobbs can talk by himself) but this stuff isn´t doing it for me.
Toni Storm vs Skye Blue (NR) I didn´t rate this match because I just pan out, the matches are “Blue has potential but at this point we aren´t there” and the post match has been the same for almost a month, this storyline went from the drizzling shits to something unironically interesting (Specially with Ruby heel turn that added a lot) but is time to advance this storyline with either Saraya, Toni or Ruby having a Championship match soon.
Powerhouse Hobbs vs Penta sounds great, if you have seen closely they are jobbing out a lot of people that is working ROH as well, hopefully they will have divided rosters for AEW and ROH something that is great for the freshness of this territories in the long term.
Kenny Omega vs El Hijo del Vikingo (****1/4) This was a showcase for Vikingo and another match that proofs that Kenny Omega is one of the best wrestlers in history. Insane spots are an understatement. One of the best matches in AEW TV history. The post match even if I think they lost the peak they still got a great reaction and was such a great angle with Hangman saving Omega but Callis been the rat he is saw the scene and acted quick in a way like only a true manipulator could. Sensational latter half of the show that progressed the main storyline of this show.
Rating of the Show: 8/10
This show had A LOT of storyline advancement in a lot of places in the card, some more interesting than others but the main ones are really compelling and with a ton of possibilities and scenarios that makes you excited of talking about the show with friends. The low points you can see them easily and is either a new experiment or lazy booking, the positives specially in this episode outweighted the negatives. Callis is a son of a b*tch!!!
Extra Notes:
- The Elite vs BCC has officially started but there´s still a lot of questions that will be answered in the coming weeks. Takeshita, Omega and Bryan aren´t really in at the moment but I bet they will be vital for this storyline
- A very youth focused show and storylines made to get more people over.
- QTV needs to be stopped.
- The tag division in AEW is very deep even when you don´t take into account the people that are ROH bound (Lucha Bros and Top Flight). House of Black, JAS and BCC have a mix of teams that can have fresh matches as well of the Bucks, Acclaimed and FTR.
