AEW Dynamite featured two wrestlers running someone over with a golf cart. It was perfect.
Wrestling is the best when it’s super weird, just like this.
James Dator and Hector Diaz love watching wrestling. Whether its a technical match or a weird bout that doesn’t even take place in a wrestling ring, they’ve probably watched their fair share of them. Here, they discuss their thoughts on this week’s All Elite Wrestling Dynamite and NXT.
James Dator: So, I kinda want to start with that main event on AEW last night. I know it’s weird to start with a main event — but I can’t stop thinking about it.
Hector Diaz: It was a chaotic mess in the best way. From the start, I was pleasantly surprised to see both Sammy Guevara and Kenny Omega commit to the street fight bit by wearing the proper attire for the stipulation — a t-shirt, jeans, and kneepads over those jeans.
JD: Agreed. The whole match just oozed character, which is perfect for what it was. At this point I think AEW know the strengths of Jericho and Matt Hardy are in their character work/moment building, so having Kenny and Sammy do the bulk of the work allowed the older guys to make big moments. Like stuffing Matt in the freezer, Jericho getting hit by Pineapple Pete and of course, RUNNING OVER SAMMY WITH A GOLF CART.
HD: One day, Sammy Guevara is going to be the unstoppable heel AEW Champion. But until then, I’m going to enjoy him getting beaten up for our entertainment. That whole segment with the golf cart was an example of pro wrestling being art. Just look at this screenshot. Omega’s eyes are bulging, Matt Hardy’s hair is menacingly waving in the air looking like he’s Dr. Robtonik from the Sonic the Hedgehog games, and all poor Sammy can do is look back and run away from the inevitable. If you showed this video to me with the Benny Hill song playing in the background, I would have just assumed that’s how it was intended to be viewed.
JD: Yes! Honestly, I’m looking forward to Sammy taking over — but I like they’re slow rolling him so far. No need to push him too fast too quickly at his age, but honestly I’m hoping all this means we get Darby vs. Sammy in that ladder match at their next pay-per-view, Double or Nothing. So if we assume the card so far is:
- Brodie Lee vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW Championship
- Cody vs. Lance Archer for the TNT Championship
- Chris Jericho vs. Matt Hardy in an Elite Deletion Match (please make it happen)
- Nyla Rose vs. TBD for the AEW Women’s Championship
- MJF vs. Jungle Boy
- Kenny Omega and Hangman Page vs. Evil Uno and Stu Grayson
- No. 1 contender ladder match
How do you feel about that card?
HD: I feel pretty good about it considering that most of these AEW Dynamite episodes have been taped and there’s only been a handful of storylines with the smaller crew. I’m looking forward to seeing what the TNT Championship looks like around Lance Archer’s waist, because there’s no chance Cody is winning that, right? The Murderhawk Monster is relatively new to AEW, but he’s supposed to be the new hoss. It would be a shame if he lost his first major match on pay-per-view.
I’m also looking forward to seeing who the No. 1 contender to the AEW Women’s Title will be. My guess is that Hikaru Shida will take on champ Nyla Rose. I do wish they built up more animosity for the women’s championship matches in the same way they’re building up the TNT championship. Having the match be solely about the championship is fine, but including some personal beef makes it even better.
Which match are you looking forward to the most?
JD: If the Jericho vs. Hardy match happens, it’s that by a mile. But, of the stuff we KNOW, it’ll be that ladder match. That is the wild card in all this for me. It really depends on who’s in it. I’m hoping for Darby Allin, Pac, or Sammy. But as far as rankings I know MJF is due as well. I’m just a little worried that style of match won’t suit him and it’ll make him look weaker than it should.
At this point we haven’t seen Lance Archer do much in terms of a long match either — so I’m hoping that he vs. Cody gives people a chance to see how good Archer is in the ring.
Cody has to win that match, right?
HD: We’ll have to agree to disagree on the Cody-Lance Archer match. But speaking of the ladder match, we haven’t seen the Lucha Bros, Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix, in a minute. They would definitely do some damage in that match, especially after what they did with The Young Bucks in the Escalera De La Muerte match at All Out last summer.
JD: It’s been kind of nice having a few Dynamites without the Bucks and Lucha Bros. A real “absence makes the heart grow fonder” situation. We had so many weeks seeing them in a row I’m craving seeing them have another big-time match.
HD: You can say that about most of the tag division too, with the exception of the Best Friends. SCU has been chilling at home in sunny Southern California and so have Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy of Jurassic Express. TH2 and Private Party have made appearances on The Young Bucks’ YouTube show, but we haven’t seen them in the ring either. I can’t wait to see what happens in the tag team division, especially after a certain tag team was released of their WWE contracts not too long ago.
JD: The tag division is SO STACKED. It makes me almost hope they introduce trios titles to break up the roadblock there. Give a place for guys like SCU, Jurassic Express, Private Party (maybe with Janela?) to shine away from the big tag teams.
HD: And we haven’t even mentioned the best tag team with the best name: DEATH TRIANGLE aka TRIANGULO DE LA MUERTE. I’m pumped.
JD: Yes! So last on AEW now: Does Pineapple Pete go over vs. Jericho next week?
HD: I hope so! And I hope it happens with the help of a 3,000-year-old Damascus interfering via the vessel of Matt Hardy. We need more absurd wrestling.
JD: So ... I have to admit I didn’t watch NXT yet. Did you?
HD: I have not, but I did see Karrion Kross’ amazing entrance. It’s already one of the best ones in WWE and I’m frightened every time Kross screams. Let’s hope that mystique sticks around.
JD: I’m so here for this. I love everything about it.