3 Big takeaways from AEW Dynamite (May 4, 2022)
This week's AEW Dynamite emanated from the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore and featured plenty of solid action.
The show featured a Ring of Honor Women's Championship bout, an Owen Hart Cup qualifying match, and an appearance by a former WWE star. Anyone who misses this episode should go back and watch it. It answered some questions leading up to Double or Nothing 2022, adding a few short-term stories along the way.
Having said that, let's take a look at three things that really stuck on this week's episode of AEW Dynamite:
#3. William Regal cut a perfectly cold and calculated promo in a video that aired right before The Blackpool Combat Club's trios match
"You're going to remember us... because of the scars we left on you." - @RealKingRegal
No rest for the #BlackpoolCombatClub as they continue their campaign of violence! Tune in NOW to #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS! https://t.co/Hwyxl3M9hI
Regal is the perfect leader for this brutal band of brothers. He's realistically tough and a shooter. So, his reputation proceeds him.
His ability to go to the desk and provide stellar commentary during BCC's matches is also a bonus any time they appear on Dynamite or Rampage.
With a squad that includes Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, and Wheeler Yuta, Regal's stable has it all: A wild man, a shooter, and a young up-and-coming star. It's the Englishman's job to hold it all together, and so far, what he's built has been a symphony of violence.
Regal will always have a place in pro wrestling - as either an authority figure or a manager - because of his innate communication skills. His presence gives this group not just leadership but legitimacy.
#2. Wardlow is insanely over with the AEW audience and a bona fide star-in-the-making
Ok... this might be the best powerbomb yet from @RealWardlow #AEWDynamite https://t.co/7C1d6BkGAT
In a rather convincing victory over MJF's hired gun, IMPACT Wrestling star William Morrissey (formerly Big Cass in WWE) led to The Big Man finally getting the match he wanted.
After weeks of toiling through his labor to get to MJF, Wardlow will face off against his boss with the opportunity to finally be a free man. It's the only fitting way for this story to end.
The Salt of the Earth agreed to the match but said there would be stipulations to the contest. He also stated that the contract signing would take place in his hometown of Long Island, New York.
Wardlow is 100% a crowd favorite, and when he began dispatching multiple security guards, bodies were flying, and people were losing their minds. The longer he went and the more haymakers that he threw, the louder the response got. AEW has discovered a legitimate star in this powerhouse athlete.
#1. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Mercedes Martinez absolutely blows the 'forbidden door' to smithereens
The Undisputed #ROH Women’s Championship is on the line as @DeonnaPurrazzo (c) makes her #AEW debut to defend her Title against Interim Champion @RealMMartinez TOMORROW on #AEWDynamite LIVE at 8/7c on @TBSnetwork! https://t.co/TVqLlMmNrG
So the main event of the episode was an IMPACT Knockout facing an AEW star for the undisputed ROH Women's World Championship? It's more letters than you'd find in a can of alphabet soup.
It's also something that would have been unheard of just a few years ago. But out of both necessity and pure evolution of thought, these open-door policies have become a reality now.
Tony Khan has been the spearhead of this movement in modern professional wrestling. It appears he plans to continue to expand those horizons.
Martinez defeated Purrazzo to become the undisputed champion, fittingly in the ROH stronghold city of Baltimore. But that's not really the story here.
In the grand scheme of things, this bout is another excellent example of how anything seems possible in the industry in 2022. There are very few guardrails on talent outside WWE right now, and the fans are the ones who will truly benefit the most from that.
What did you think of this week's episode of AEW Dynamite? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.