La Zona Muerta

It’s rare that I would say this… but it almost doesn’t matter what I feel about Dynamite (or Collision); this upcoming AEW pay per view is shaping up to be a best ever, full of big time singles matches with natural, logical builds while the other guys are counting on a weird promo, seemingly fueled by illicit drugs, to be the big draw. That being said, last night’s Dyna was another really strong one, and even if I don’t like or get some of the stuff going on, the programs I AM interested in are gonna be a BIG deal. I mean, you’re gonna have Kyle Fletcher and Will Ospreay in a cage… Konosuke Takeshita versus Kenny Omega, Ricochet versus Swerve Strickland… Hangman Adam Page versus MJF… holy cats! AEW isn’t fooling around with this show… it’s pretty much wall to wall big matches with actual stakes, and that’s all I really want.

While there were at least two excellent matches on Dynamite this week (maybe three if you felt strongly about the trios match), there were also several excellent promo segments that really carried things forward. Listen, I never bought that MJF got that dumb, ugly “bet on yourself” tattoo for real, anyway, so the thing where he was getting it supposedly lasered off was a bit of a shrug (I also don’t think that’s exactly how the laser deal works but I dunno); but the passion, the intensity that MJF used to have was BACK here in the pretape. THIS is the MJF I used to love. Hangman killed poor perennial enhancement guy Aaron Solo and just took a seat in the middle of the ring, splaying himself open like Al Bundy at rest, exuding ALPHA MALE ENERGY (or whatever) until MJF came out. MJF slowly revealing that he’d taken out Christopher Daniels earlier in the back since Hanger was late to the show was pitch perfect (despite the camera catching CD punching himself in the blade wound… they can never quite get out of their own way, can they?). I’m not sure if I’ve opined about this here or not but I fervently believe, as Hangman continues his journey back to babyface-dom, that he needs to maintain THIS character, the angry, quick to violence loose cannon. He’s infinitely more interesting this way than he was as the insecure “aw,shucks” guy. This was the Hanger we got during the Moxley feud, too… just a dangerous man lost in a shitty world.

Then, we have Chris Jericho revealing that he had got back in bed with a snake like Don Callis, and it made sense (even if the way AEW showed made it seem as though Callis teleported from a box in the crowd, did business with Jericho and then teleported back… they can never quite get out of their own way, can they?) and while I dislike Jericho and think he’s on TV too damn much… the seriousness creeping back into his character is good… Swerve and Prince Nana coming out and explaining that Ricochet was a stepping stone on the way back to the AEW World Heavyweight Title and then Nana saying that if Swerve couldn’t get back the robe that he might not be able to continue being Swerve’s manager… this was all pretty darn good stuff. Better than good. These stories are legitimately great and AEW has built them organically. They all seem to be peaking at the right time (something AEW traditionally doesn’t always nail). and the good stories are gonna climax with great matches. THE DEBATE IS STUPID. THIS IS HOW WRESTLING IS SUPPOSED TO WORK.

Add to that the physicality of Will Ospreay versus Bryan Keith… listen. Ospreay is a generous performer and gave Keith a LOT here, but DAMN if Keith didn’t seize this opportunity by the goddamned BALLS.

The quicker picker upper

Keith more than rose to the occasion here, cutting off Ospreay with a VICIOUS KNEE out of the Hidden Blade setup and just exchanging nasty chops and counters with Will throughout the match. If you’re good, Ospreay will find ways to make sure you look AMAZING on TV and this was Keith’s best performance in AEW to date.

Side note: Ospreay has been teasing something for awhile by using the Styles Clash… but we also had him use the PHENOMENAL FOREARM quite blatantly, as well. I’m not one of these people that flips out about the t-shirts the wrestlers wear or the tunnels they enter and exit from as being big storytelling elements but Ospreay is all but TELLING US something, here. Now, whether what he’s telling us is something I want to hear is an entirely different matter… if it were five years ago, sure I would have wanted AJ Styles… but he’s been Fed-pilled for 10 years and his body is probably a wreck. I dunno.

The other terrific match was the main event… and look. Obviously YOU know I feel Konosuke Takeshita is the literal best wrestler in the world… but Orange Cassidy should be praised more. He’s possibly the greatest babyface underdog wrestler outside of a Ricky Morton and still fun and silly, combining cutting edge ring work with a terrific persona. People that don’t get him or can’t see past the gimmick are nuts. His work is immaculate. Then, you add the antics of my personal MVP (no, not Montavious V. Porter), Don Callis. The schtick he does… deliberately not knowing the name of the referee, cowering from the ref later, playing with Takeshita and Orange’s glasses… this man is our Bobby Heenan, the highest possible compliment I could give a manager… and this company has all time great managers in it (like Prince Nana, Stokely Hathaway… Jacked Jameson… okay, not him)! He is a performer of his craft at the highest possible level.

Look, I still think the neverending Edge / Death Riders drama is bad (and about the only acceptable outcome for that stuff is Jay White stabbing Edge in the back so hard he’s off of TV for six months). I don’t care for Mercedes Moné and her brutally bad WWE-esque bullshit segments. Harley Cameron is over but she’s still not much fun to watch in ring. Not everything is clicking for me… but the stuff that IS clicking is GREAT and leaves me feeling better about AEW than I have in quite awhile.