5 things AEW subtly told us on Dynamite this week: Massive heel turn in works for ex-WWE star; top wrestler brings Jon Moxley as backup; dream match teased again?
Welcome to this week's column on things AEW subtly told us during the latest edition of Dynamite last night.
The show emanated from the USB Arena in Long Island, New York, which once again proved to be the most hated wrestling site for the fan-favorite CM Punk.
Much to our surprise, even Wardlow received a chorus of boos against the hometown hero MJF, who was massively over with fans. Now jumping back into the episode, it was no less than a pay-per-view caliber.
Almost every match or segment on the show served its purpose of building a compelling storyline heading into Double or Nothing 2022.
We'll now dive into five subtle things that enthusiasts have probably overlooked from Wednesday night's programme.
#5 AEW star Christian Cage's impending heel turn on Jungle Boy?
Jungle Boy's hard luck in singles competition continued when he failed to dethrone Ricky Starks for the FTW Championship.
The bout saw interference from Swerve Strickland, who intended to distract his rival Starks but accidentally cost Boy a chance to become a double champion. Christian Cage was visibly upset, though he hugged his protege.
A few weeks ago, Captain Charisma shut Jungle Boy down when the latter tried to give an excuse for his defeat against Kyle O'Reilly in the Owen Hart Tournament.
A potential student vs. teacher rivalry could be in the works. Cage might soon turn heel to cost Jurassic Express' their tag team titles, most likely at Double or Nothing, to kickstart the feud.
#4 AEW's Eddie Kingston has a backup in the form of The Blackpool Combat Club
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After being outnumbered throughout his feud against Chris Jericho, Eddie Kingston finally brought Jon Moxley and The Blackpool Combat Club as his backup to fight against JAS on Dynamite this week.
Fans witnessed a massive brawl between BCC and JAS, with William Regal laying his hands on Le Champion to send a stern warning to his group.
With a face-off between the latter veterans announced for next week, it's almost a foregone conclusion that The Jericho Appreciation Society might face The Blackpool Combat Club on May 29th.
The payoff to this storyline could see Kingston finally taking the ultimate retaliation from Jericho. This angle could also kickstart a long-running feud between the two factions, possibly culminating in gimmick matches like The Blood and Guts.
#3 Jeff Hardy vs. Adam Cole next week could act as a catalyst for The Hardys vs. The Young Bucks
Jeff Hardy and Adam Cole advance to the semifinals of the Owen Hart tournament this Wednesday night. The two men defeated Darby Allin and Dax Harwood respectively to set up a dream clash with each other next week.
With The Undisputed Elite in his corner, Cole is the favorite to hand The Charismatic Enigma his first defeat in AEW. In a nutshell, the bout is likely to kill two birds with one stone.
Not only will The Panama City Playboy advance into the finals, but any interference from Nick and Matt Jackson could also set up a much-awaited feud with The Hardys. The two teams have recently reignited their rivalry on BTE episodes.
The company could look to pull the trigger on this blockbuster rivalry ahead of Double or Nothing.
#2 AEW star Dax Harwood's experiment as a singles competition was a success
Dax Harwood ran out of luck on Wednesday night when he came up short against Adam Cole in the quarterfinals of the Owen Hart tournament.
The former vowed to win the cup as a tribute to The Hart Family, whom he and Cash Wheeler idolized. Regardless, Harwood left no stone unturned in fulfilling his quest.
His memorable matches against CM Punk and Cash Wheeler showcased his credentials as a singles competitor.
His sudden push in singles matches was a testament to how well he did in the solo division as well, and he may have ticked all the boxes required.
While Dax and Wheeler may shift their focus towards Double or Nothing, this doesn't mean the company will not push the former as a singles competitor.
#1 Danhausen will most likely be a comical on-screen character rather than a wrestler in AEW programming
On AEW Dynamite this week, Danhausen finally made his in-ring debut against Tony Nese.
This wasn't the ideal start The Very Nice Very Evil star might have wanted in his AEW career. Nese squashed him inside a minute via a slight distraction from Mark Sterling.
While the entire angle was a playout to the highly-anticipated alliance between Hook and Danhausen, a.k.a Hookhausen, it may have suggested that the latter will likely be used more as an on-screen character than a wrestler.
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