5 observations from this week's AEW Dynamite (February 10th, 2021)
After last week's episode of AEW felt like it lasted an extra hour, the latest edition of Dynamite seemed to start out in fifth gear, and just kept hitting the accelator. It started out fast, and only got more furious from there.
The two-hour program seemingly flew by this Wednesday night, continuing several running storylines and focusing on the budding partnerships with IMPACT and New Japan Pro Wrestling. It also included the surprise appearance of a second generation wrestler at ringside.
Here are five quick observations of what we saw from AEW Dynamite this week.
#1 Joey Janela and Darby Allin opened the show hot, and flashed a lot more technical wrestling than most AEW fans would have expected
Janela has never been a ring wizard, and Allin has always been known as more of a daredevil than a scientific genius. However, this match featured a lot of quick action, highlighted by several counters and smooth transitions.
Allin continues to be an emerging star within AEW and he's the perfect guy to make week-in and week-out appearances with the TNT Championship. While AEW has been criticized at times for signing other promotions' stars and not focusing on homegrown talent, Darby Allin is definitely a diamond that they've discovered in the rough.
#2 Brock Anderson has long been preparing to make his debut, and he should do a great job in carrying on the Anderson family name in AEW
Arn Anderson's son has been quietly training for months now in North Carolina with former WCW wrestler Lodi, and his father and handlers have been very cautious not to rush him into the ring. Once he was ready, it was time to highlight him on this week's edition of AEW's signature show as a hint of what the future may hold.
And while we have yet to see the younger Anderson in the ring, all accounts are that he is the real deal, and will likely adopt a lot of his dad's signature style.
This is another positive for AEW, as they continue to be home to a lot of second generation athletes. It further reinforces their desire to continue to go back to some form of tradition, while still booking a modern style of television.
#3 Sammy Guevara has always been popular as a heel, but he has the chance to be a real star as a babyface in AEW
With Guevara marching to the ring to calmly inform Chris Jericho that he's "done" with the Inner Circle, expect him to get a mega-push from here. That likely (and hopefully) starts with a long, drawn-out feud with MJF and an all-out war with his former faction.
Both MJF and Guevara have been two of the young stars that AEW has invested a lot of time in. They could become synonymous with one another if given the chance to have some classic battles.
Sammy Guevara told Alex Marvez that he needed some time away from AEW for a while, but you can be sure that when he returns, he will have a huge target on his back by Jericho and his crew.
#4 Despite their best efforts, AEW continues to have a lackluster women's division
This isn't new information. Except for a few names like Dr. Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa, the action on the ladies' side of the card has yet to really capture the attention of the broader audience.
This giant, international tournament isn't helping, either. Mostly because the vast majority of names involved are virtually unknown to the American audience. While this will definitely help to forge the relationship with New Japan by incorporating international wrestlers, there just isn't enough star power there to make this tourney interesting.
AEW really needs to look to raid other companies for some "name" talent in terms of its women's division. With all due respect to its current roster, they only have a handful of girls who are nearly as intriguing as the female performers in IMPACT, Ring of Honor, or (especially) WWE.
#5 Seeing KENTA in an AEW ring makes fans speculate how many more NJPW stars might show up
The main event was a great street fight and all-out battle, and KENTA certainly didn't disappoint.
All hell broke down by the end of this match, and the action was non-stop from the opening bell. While obviously the fisticuffs between KENTA and Jon Moxley is more to set up their battle for the IWGP United States Championship, it definitely has to give AEW fans hope that more performers from the Land of the Rising Sun can make their way to TNT on Wednesday nights.
Given all the AEW stars that have ties to the Japanese promotion, the different combination of dream matches that could take place in this Trans-Pacific partnership.
Another high octane, high energy episode of AEW Dynamite has come and gone, and this week's show certainly helped advance some of the more intriguing storylines in the company right now.
Cross-promotional feuds, a shakeup of the Inner Circle, and a hard-hitting main event took center stage this week, but the overall production and arcing flow of the show continue to set AEW apart.
One can only speculate on how these swirling storylines will shake out in the weeks to come.