The practises of AEW Dynamite was scrutinised by Rob Van Dam during its episode aired on 19 March. The critique happened during the “1 Of A Kind” podcast recently hosted by the WWE Hall of Famer.
In the critical spotlight, was the brutal spiked bat incident from the AEW World Title Street Fight match between Cope and Jon Moxley. Multiple interferences happened in the match, including help from Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, and Wheeler Yuta for Moxley to bounce back after being suplexed onto a spike by Cope, causing it to embed in his back.
The podcast had several notable insights which are highlighted below:
Moxley’s use of nailed broom: “The broom of nails was a notable moment. Personally, I don’t find it fascinating or reflective of the essence of wrestling, but it eventually hints at the individual’s sacrifice for the business. There’s no denying that. However, seeing more of such elements in AEW makes me lean towards WWE as an association. A few years back, the narrative was different with AEW making considerable progress and experimentation. It did give off the impression of inmates running the prison. Initially, this was perceived positively, with a sense of camaraderie amongst the boys. However, instances like these make you question if it’s a good idea after all.
“Such displays are a form of wrestling no doubt. It resembles the light bulb matches, death matches where people impulsively dive off trucks into light bulb heaps. It’s a niche appeal, not something I resonate with. Such stunts when executed wrong could lead to serious injuries or paralysis. And that’s exactly what makes it unappealing to me.”
AEW distinguishing itself from WWE: “The continual move towards this style of wrestling by AEW clearly distinguishes itself from WWE, in terms of the roads they’re taking in the industry. It gives an impression that it may turn into something similar to Japan’s FMW, with their exploding piranha matches. I am not in favor of it though. The level of danger involved is alarming. Although, I don’t want to undermine their liberty of expression. This might be intriguing to them which would explain why it passed the idea phase. Hence, kudos for executing such a high-risk stunt, pushing the boundaries of the game. Whether it will spike ratings? People might be intrigued as to what they might pull off next. But, I won’t be tuning in, for certain.”