AEW Dynamite 5/24/2023 Match Ratings and Commentary
MJF on another level (Credit-AEW)
Here’s how we rated this week’s go-home Dynamite from Vegas. Curious how we rank matches? We’ve got a rubric for that.
AEW Dynamite - 5/24/2023
Orange Cassidy def. Kyle Fletcher to retain the AEW International Championship: ★★★
House of Black def. Blake Christian, AR Fox, and Metalik to retain the AEW World Trios Championship: ★★
Taya Valkyrie def. Lady Frost: ★
Roderick Strong def. Daniel Garcia: ★★
Lucha Bros def. Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship: ★★★
#All Elite (Credit-AEW)
Show Highlight—
MJF is still a genius. In one promo he was able to tell the story for the other pillars better than they could for a month. The lines about Sammy sticking his tongue out like an asshole and torturing Jungle Boy by making him listen to himself were all-timers. Loved the pants from the Al Czervik collection, too. He hadn’t brought up the threat of going to WWE in months, which got played out and annoying, but here it added logic to his feeling like Tony Khan is trying to screw him in storyline. And well, he’s not gonna let CM Punk get all the smart fan oxygen in the room. Again, as stated before on the site and podcast, this whole angle feeling a bit of a letdown (and the PPV buy rate possibly being a letdown) is not on MJF’s shoulders.
What Worked—
OC vs. Kyle Fletcher. I gotta share something so goddamn mind-bogglingly stupid: After the sequence where Orange Cassidy took a tombstone and spinning tombstone and then the driver off the top rope, I actually wrote in my notes, “Lacks believability!” ABOUT A FUCKING ORANGE CASSIDY MATCH!!!
Whatever, per usual for OC, hot opener, got the crowd sucked in, and crazy near-falls. Kyle Fletcher was never going to win but it successfully continued the story of Orange Cassidy being beat-up from this gauntlet of defenses heading into Sunday’s PPV.
Aussie Open are All Elite. That was a huge surprise! I’m shocked New Japan put BOTH tag belts on them knowing they were in limbo contractually. Makes you wonder if there’s going to be any heat between the two offices if AEW keeps signing guys from NJPW.
Less wrestling. Whatever, I’m paranoid that there’s gonna be more injuries before Forbidden Door. I’d normally be aghast to see AEW going the sports entertainment route, but before a PPV and during injury season, totally makes sense.
AEW Collision promo. I liked the Mark Romanek style that these were shot in. Not sure if that was an agency or some division of WBD but that’s a look that hopefully will be brought to their weekly shows, if not promos for big events and PPVs. And totally forgot about Scorpio Sky!
Willow Nightingale. She has been doing a fantastic job on ROH and is so over with the crowd. A real breakout star in the making if handled right. Now that she’s lost to Athena and Jade a couple of times, she can be rebuilt for a big challenge and match down the line. And seeing Mercedes on AEW TV, albeit in a very carefully, edited highlighted form, is still crazy.
What Didn’t Work—
ROH Jobs. It’s not the end of the world and it’s not like they’re never be able to regain momentum, but Lady Frost, AR Fox, and Blake Christian have all been doing very great shit over on ROH and you hate to see them positioned, seemingly, as an afterthought. The ROH brand doesn’t need to be viewed with any more Rampage-y stench as it’s already getting downgraded in many fans eyes by virtue of the double-whammy of not being on Turner TV and being taped.
Sabu. I love how the second he debuts it’s all of Wrestling Twitter just shitting unmercifully on crazy ass Bobby Fish. Sabu looks as sturdy walking as Sheiky Baby. Remember that thread reposted on various wrestling websites re: stories of deplorable wrestler dirt and there was that (obviously fake—let’s hope) yarn of how Sabu, wearing a shirt that read, “I love cats!” threw a cat carrier down a flight of stairs? But gee whiz, what are the odds that something sordid comes out about Sabu?!?
Show Cringe—
WWE camera work. When I watch the NFL, NCAA, the UFC, PGA, fucking Curling, I never wonder if the people operating the cameras and production truck went to film school. Why is professional wrestling shot so poorly? I’ll never understand how they think the camera needs to move and be noticed, too. After all the noise that’s on Twitter and Squared Circle that you know TK has read about Kevin Dunn, it’s inexcusable. That Adam Cole/Jericho signing segment was so hard to watch from their terribly unsteady camera operators in the corners. You have Steadicams!
Immersive HOB (Credit-Scott Lesh)
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