AEW Dynamite 4/19/2023 Match Ratings and Commentary
(Credit-AEW)
Here’s how we rated this week’s Dynamite from Brittsburgh. Curious how we rank matches? We’ve got a rubric for that.
AEW Dynamite - 4/19/2023
Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. and Jamie Hayter def. Ruby Soho and Toni Storm: ★★
Wardlow def. Powerhouse Hobbs to win the AEW TNT Championship: ★★★
Jay White def. Komander: ★★★
The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn def. JAS: ★
Sammy Guevara def. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry: ★★
(Credit-AEW)
Show Highlight—
Jay White vs. Komander. I can appreciate people wanting to see Jay White come in with the same status as an IWGP Champion and steamroll his first competitor, but there’s not a spot for him on top with the programs currently in process, so I have no problem with seeing a competitive dream match (well, of sorts, kinda). Simple stuff, like Jay distancing himself or attempting to delay Komander’s flippy shit off the ropes. Fine match, and Komander is All Elite, so that’s cool, too.
What Worked—
Arn Anderson’s promo. Even as Arn moseyed into frame to mumble a cliched line about playing checkers vs. chess it was done with more believability and authenticity than 3/4’s of the Pillars.
Takeshita’s involvement. As intended, he seems like a bigger deal by virtue of being included into the Elite/BCC angle. It’s where someone of his in-ring talent belongs.
MJF’s antics. Max coming up to Sammy saying, “Arriba!” got me. I’m also just a sucker for anytime he has to pretend to be friends with someone knowing that they know that he know’s he’s disingenuous. Also appreciate him acknowledging the interloping camera.
What Didn’t Work—
The Pillars promo. Just brutal again. You’d think they’d be so careful and intentional in their execution after the last time they whined at each other in Canada but this was worse. More snarky, smart fan, worked-shoot shit that landed with silence. It’s like how when Bret and Shawn went at it in 1997, with so many personal shots at each other’s “real” character it left you not only with nobody to root for but the suspicion that maybe they were shitty people. Same here.
This is going so poorly the idea of the Pillars in general is blowing up in AEW’s face where the inclusion of half of them needs to be re-evaluated. The creation of the Pillars was one of protection and they were all given it unearned in that they were hand-picked. So waving their fingers at each other over who does or doesn’t deserve it more is such a murky, unlikeable mess. Nobody watched this segment and then wanted to see four athletes compete; you wanted the teenagers to stop talking.
If I’m MJF, in real life I’m covertly loving this. He’s not going to get the blame if the PPV buyrate goes poorly as the Pillars is a company initiative and he’s clearly outpaced the guys he was supposed to be at the same growth rate with.
Arn Anderson as Wardlow’s manager. Wasn’t a point of contention during the Pillars’ previous catfighting was each protected guy having a Daddy? So why give Wardlow one? Why was Arn getting physical again in the ring with all the grandpa moments he had being mobile when he was with Cody? And his pop pretty much equaled or surpassed Wardlow’s! And Jesus, think of where we are as a country where it’s not in bad taste to do the Glock hand gesture because gun violence is so prevalent (this week!) that we’re just numb to it all?
TNT Title. If the TNT Title is equal to the Intercontinental, I can appreciate the aim to think exchanging belts between guys can elevate both men in the program. Think Warrior/Rude in ’89, The Rock/Triple H in ’98, and Jericho/Benoit in ’00. Just didn’t happen here. It’s not bad, it wasn’t a mess, it just didn’t land like a big enough deal with so much hot potato preceding this.
And whomever laid out this segment ought to have known better that Wardlow needed this moment to shine, and he couldn’t even celebrate without his next challenger interrupting him. Great that you want to keep the pace of the show up and give Wardlow a next challenger but let some things breathe when a guy needs to get his footing still.
Omega salon. It’s like Kenny went in and asked for the eyebrows that growl Goddamn, Pal!
Show Cringe—
Everyone is everywhere and nowhere. I get having a few weeks of heels beating up babyfaces as it’s a company that builds on heat and pays it off on PPVs. Great. But if all the babyfaces are friendless or stupid they’ll still be a loser when they win. Where was Jamie Hayter for Britt? Or even Rebel? Now that Adam Cole has fulfilled his McManifest Destiny as Keith Lee’s manager, where was Keith? Where was Hangman for The Elite? Wouldn’t Adam Cole come out and help them, he’s still friends with them, right? Not a bad idea to have The Outcasts help Jericho humiliate Cole and Britt, but where was Tay and Anna JAS (although the meta-irony is not lost that when you think logically the feud with Britt and Jamie vs. The Outcasts should be over, they get paired up with Jericho of all people to keep this going past All Out probably). FTR runs around to help their buddy Mark Briscoe, so where’s the sense of urgency from these other friends?
Then on the flip side of all that, Wardlow needed the focus for the TNT title match, but he’s not only fighting for time and importance with Hobbs, but also QT, not Stacy Keibler, Arn Anderson, Christian, and Luchasauras. In the Jay White match, Jay needs the focus as he’s the new, big main eventer, but we have to keep cutting to Spears and then Starks comes out to serve that master.
My point is, a roster split is actually not that bad of an idea. The fighting over valuable minutes is resulting in the show being so crammed with performers that the booking is more about finding ways to serve so many masters than telling the best story. I’m dying for clean finishes where it’s one on one, or tag teams with no bullshit. The alternative to WWE is getting so big in roster size that they’re doing some of Vince’s creative team’s worst tendencies.
Wardlow wins TNT Title (Credit-AEW)
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