AEW Dynamite Highlights 4-16-20

Lance Archer vs Colt Cabana

Colt has a great video package talking about his track record, he won me over, he’s a good speaker, AEW will use him well and take care of him.

A long match, a good match for both wrestlers, pretty much both of their debut matches. Archer just hasn’t impressed me. I think Colt outshined him and made him look kinda goofy. I know Colt is world class and kinda goofy himself but Archer just failed to grab and hold my attention during the match like Cabana did. Archer advances in the TNT tournament.

Dr. Baker vs Cassandra Golden

Britt Baker vignette is needed for her but her performances are missing something, can’t put my finger on what it is though. It was filmed at an odd angle and edited weird, it also had a bland script. What the hell was that match? Way too short, this division needs credible matches, not squashes.

Not a fan wrestlers putting their hands in people’s mouths ever, I don’t give a fuck what company you in; you should at least wear a glove. I was positive Britt Baker was going to wear one glove after her vignette too. Pick better jobbers to put the stars over and I’ll be more invested. I love Baker as a heel, she booked stronger but it needs quite a bit of polish. I’m watching though.

Sammy Guevara in a tune up match against Suge D

I guess Sammy is all tuned up now, Pineapple Pete had nothing for Guevara. This is a squash that Kip Sabian needed, not Sammy. Sammy has been booked very inconsistently in AEW, believe it or not it’s pretty forgivable from a certain perspective. As long as he is in the Inner Circle he is fine, the second he breaks from the group, the company will have to do an actual good job at booking and packaging him. Sammy cuts a rare post match promo. Darby Allin interrupts a post match beatdown.

Chuck Taylor vs Kip Sabian

It was a match, nothing special but certainly not bad. Kip Sabian has lost me, I just can’t get into him, probably because they don’t do anything meaningful with him. He could have been in the TNT tournament but for some reason they put others in it that they know they weren’t serious about winning it. Kip has done absolutely nothing in the company and that’s a shame, he had a weak feud with Joey Janela, now he’s in matches with tag team guys. Sure, Kip won but will it ultimately matter?

Shawn Spears vs Justin Law

Take note people, if this is where you go you will be losing to Cody then beating jobbers in a ridiculous cycle of mediocrity. This could be the same date as those involved in the mass exodus from WWE. The jobbers in “major league” pro wrestling companies(all of them)have to be better than this. Shawn Spears beat no ody and remains nobody until he somehow beats some babyface for the TNT Championship months down the line.

Moxley [c] vs Hager

JR was exceptionally terrible during this match. No holds barred is the perfect match to put these two guys in. It was well paced and some, maybe most will hate that. I would have preferred a non finish. Yes, I know they’re cheap but screwy finishes are meant to protect people and I think Hager somehow being robbed would have kept him strong as a credible threat to Jon Moxley.

Honorable mentions

1. Ariel Helwani was a different touch, I liked it, just not enough to think that it adds anything to the hype the same can be said against Mike Goldberg and Tazz especially Tazz, he was unnecessary.

2. The Bubbly Bunch… it’s a segment, they need segments to fill time, it was fine.

3. Still liking the Jake the Snake vignettes to start the show.

Final take

AEW has produced more content that keeps my interest and keeps me from changing the channel. Saying shit is getting old, not making the show cooler, they’ve been saying it so much it’s losing its effect. I was high on the product the first couple weeks of the stripped down shows, now it seems things have returned to normal. AEW has a long way to go to be the “major league” wrestling company they portray themselves to be and it shows every week. I really feel like there is no linear focus at times and that’s something I struggle with when watching the show. I’m going to keep watching though because I have faith that the few things I do like about it can be awesome if they get them right. I’m looking at about 3-5 years before I can see myself looking forward to watching the product every week but believe me when I say that’s a pretty good time table.

#SammyGuevara #ChrisJericho #LanceArcher #TNTtournament #AEWDynamite