AEW Dynamite 11/2/2022 Match Ratings and Commentary
(Credit: AEW)
Here’s where we landed with this week’s chaotic Dynamite from Baltimore. Curious how we rank matches? We’ve got a rubric for that.
AEW Dynamite - 11/2/2022
Jay Lethal def. Darby Allin: ★★
Jon Moxley def. Lee Moriarty to retain the AEW World Championship: ★★
Chris Jericho def. Colt Cabana to retain the ROH World Championship: ★★
Orange Cassidy def. Rey Fenix and Luchasauras to retain the AEW All-Atlantic Championship: ★★
Jade Cargil def. Marina Shafir to retain the AEW TBS Championship: ★
Samoa Joe def. Brian Cage to retain the ROH TV Championship: ★★
Happy Birthday, Daddy Ass (Credit: AEW)
Show Highlight—
Shibata. WHAT THE FUCK?!?!? Nobody saw this surprise coming and this was a great one. Tony Khan has this pattern of having a surprise that’s not all too surprising before breaking out the big one and good God, this was surreal. It cannot be dismissed that this man was close to death and it was impossible to think he’d ever wrestle again, and while he did have an exhibition match he worked closer to his regular style, barring any memory oversight, the first match match he has is with Orange Cassidy?! It says something about OC that Shibata wants to wrestle him. According to the Wrestling Observer, Shibata chose Cassidy and Bryan Danielson. Rampage has been trending relatively upwards in the last few weeks and this is an undeniable must-see watch Friday night. WHAT. THE. FUCK.
What Worked—
Delete The Elite. Another great vignette. Nobody knows what and where this is going, and it feeds the portion of the audience that is obsessed with SHOOT, BRO shit. However, this feels like the good kind of inside reference shoot shit that they can turn into something substantial in front of the camera as opposed to being just reliant on smart fans steeped in backstage rumors.
Saraya and Renee sit-down. Again, Renee does such a fantastic job of appearing like a real announcer and television star. I love having the empty, lit arena as a backdrop for a change of pace, too.
Regal’s knuckles. A bit of foreshadowing that Regal was looking at his bare hands? Maybe some brass knucks or a Dynamite diamond ring will be on there come Full Gear? Also like that he addressed him as, “Dear Max” as if it’s in some email or something. Sprinkles of subtle brilliance all around. You can dislike the shit with Jeff Jarret or the kid in the Sting mask, but this right there is the small details and great storytelling that makes AEW, AEW.
Scissor Fingers. Good on them for doing the bleeding obvious and making foam scissors to sell. Eat shit, Hogan yellow finger!
Coincidental Colt. Well, Jericho gave Punk a dose of chemo for that cancer, didn’t he? People will debate if that’s an intended slap in the face and/or beneath AEW on wrestling Twitter, but it was a moment.
Luchasauras’s entrance. That tweaked entrance’s was great. They did a great job of making him look like a demon…a killing machine…a big red machine, you could say. Just try to refrain from twenty years from now making up lies that your community is being indoctrinated by drag queens in a transparent attempt to pander to shitkickers for votes.
Celebrities! Lamar Jackson in the front row, Rick Ross backstage, God was this ever the most Nitro not called Nitro. Rick Ross was particularly great, as shocker—he’s able to portray a persona—who woulda thunk it?
Black is back. Well at least we know their return is imminent. Hopefully they get/got time to recover and feel ready to return.
What Didn’t Work—
Colt Karter reveal. It was about time for a fake Sting but this landed like a shart on a first date. Granted, again, there is a pattern for how TK does reveals and surprises, the only thing that can hurt that methodology is what’s the answer to the question, “What’s next?” for the first guy? Being featured on TV a few times here and there, you get the sense TK sees something in Colt, and clearly no spark was being ignited in The Factory, but will there be any oxygen left in the room with the Lethal/Jarrett marriage?
BCC vs. JAS. At what fucking point does this angle end? If ROH gets the streaming deal, do they keep it up there? The lethargy could sandbag the show right from the start.
Jade vs. Marina. What the hell was that? What was the intended positive outcome that was supposed to result from that? There was no way these two could succeed in the slotting of the card, let alone with Vicky screeching over the mic to distract from the wrestling. Vicky is great in the right moments and packaging, but this is asking your audience to turn the TV. Marina needed to be set up to look good when she’s continuously getting venom online. It’s amazing how up and down AEW can be. There’s an attempt and it’s never boring, but it’s funny how some segments are so strong and others are just ideas born from bath salts.
Show Cringe—
J-E-Double F. Multiple things can be true at once. Jeff Jarrett can be born on 3rd, while being wrestling’s plucky Forrest Gump. He can be influential backstage while also being a detriment as well. Fair or not, AEW needs to have the widest berth possible from any association from TNA and bringing in Jarrett gives a permanent equivalence in the minds of fans with a man who’s brand is second place, again, fair or not. When you can squeeze FTR into your shows, let alone Ricky Starks and Miro and House of Black, giving Double J any TV time is objectively idiotic. There’s nothing innovative or innately compelling that comes with seeing him on television. Why on Earth does there need to be an anti-AEW heel when you need to build equity with your brand more now than ever? Did a program with Sting really need to be run back just one last time? Please.
…is All Elite (Credit: WWE)
Follow us on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/WrestleElitists
