The first episode of AEW Dynamite is officially history, after TNT aired its first wrestling program in almost two decades. Familiar names like Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes and Dustin Rhodes provided a short introduction to new fans before the company even debuted on television. This was perhaps the most important night of wrestling in decades, with AEW premiering against a live episode of NXT on the WWE Network.
Time will tell how Dynamite performs in the ratings, but the show itself can be dissected. We will look at what went right for AEW, along with some things they need to improve on moving forward. Let's take a look at just what happened on episode one!
10 Did right: Kept the show unpredictable
The format of AEW Dynamite surprised fans quite a few times. WWE has conditioned audiences to know when all the wrestlers are going to appear, or if they’re even in the building. Chris Jericho attacked Cody Rhodes following the opening match to start things off in chaotic fashion.
Jon Moxley attacked Kenny Omega during the main event in the middle of the match, in a moment no-one saw coming. Even a small appearance, like Kenny Omega coming out to protect the AEW Women’s Champion Riho from Nyla Jax post-match, showed that small surprises may come to keep it fresh.
9 Must improve: Awkward celebrity involvement
WWE often shoehorns celebrities into segments that don’t make sense. AEW unfortunately followed the same format when trying to interview Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes.
Chris Jericho appearing in the upcoming movie did give them a connection, but the segment was not entertaining. AEW tried mixing in some wrestlers to get involved as well. It just didn’t work out and they must find a way to improve segments like that if they continue with them.
8 Did right: Wins and losses already matter
The level of competition involved in some of the matches made the result feel more important. Adam Page and PAC went at it with a lot of intensity. PAC stealing the victory gave him more heat, after using a low blow to get the advantage.
Riho becoming the first AEW Women’s Champion also provided excitement, as her match with Nyla Rose set up an important ending. Even the MJF win over Brandon Cutler made him the dominant competitor, with the competition still strong.
7 Must improve: Commercial breaks
The picture-in-picture feature for AEW would showcase goings-on during the commercial break. However, it was not used that effectively for some of their segments. WWE did this with SmackDown to continue showing the action in the ring as commercials aired.
However, the first instance of this for AEW came following Chris Jericho’s attack on Cody. Jericho just slowly plotted around the ring looking for weapons during the commercial break. The action started back up once the break ended, but the picture-in-picture feature was a bit of a waste.
6 Did right: Fun commentary team
The commentary team of AEW made their debut, as Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone and Excalibur called the action. Schiavone made his return to TNT for the first time since WCW went out of business and did a great job.
The experience of Ross and Schiavone provided familiar voices for fans to enjoy. Excalibur, however, may be the most valuable voice, since he was the one to introduce the new talents to viewers by explaining their stories. AEW has a chance to boast the best commentary team in wrestling.
5 Must improve: Introducing new talents
AEW tried to introduce new talents subtly in a few segments that didn’t completely connect. Angelico and Jack Evans interrupted the segment featuring Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, without any real explanation regarding their backstory or intent moving forward.
Another new tag team, Private Party, was in the crowd defending the celebrities, but we weren't given any information about them either. The tag team promo segment on the stage between SCU and the Lucha Brothers could have gone better too.
4 Did right: Starting off with a hot match
The crowd was red-hot at the start of AEW Dynamite to watch Cody Rhodes face off against Sammy Guevara. Cody is obviously one of the most popular stars in the company and was the right choice to start this new era for the company on national television.
The match had the crowd invested from start to finish. WWE often hurts the momentum of a show by having a promo or dull match start the event. AEW must continue to start their show off with exciting action each week, both to keep fans entertained and win over new ones.
3 Must improve: Weak SCU skit
SCU's comedic skit was intended to introduce their gimmick of declaring every town the worst they’ve ever been in if it’s not Southern California. Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky are great together, but this segment was a bit out of place.
SCU would be better off being reintroduced prior to their first match. A new feud with the Lucha Brothers should also give them some time to continue moving forward, until the match eventually does happen.
2 Did right: Different promo segments from WWE
WWE’s backstage pre-recorded promos have become quite stale, making the shows feel stagnant and predictable. AEW moved their interview segments to different locations in front of the live crowd.
The celebrities sitting in the crowd were interviewed while in their seats. SCU and the Lucha Brothers had their segment on the stage; fans reacted louder watching it in person. Even the in-ring attempt of interviews with Riho and Cody led to huge moments. The promo segments of AEW already feel much more important.
1 Must improve: Former WWE flops getting huge pushes
TNA and other wrestling promotions have failed badly when delivering big surprises for the sake of it. The lackluster former WWE names joining TNA lost momentum every single time they hoped to get more success on a national stage.
Jack Swagger (aka Jake Hager) had a disappointing run in WWE and fans remember him as a mid-carder at best. AEW investing this much in Hager is a bit disappointing, given how deep the roster is and how many names were out there. Hager did not look terrible, but AEW should probably be very selective about the former WWE names they add in main event angles.