Is Danielson already a hit on commentary? Was MJF going for cheers? Plus messy production and muddled face-heel dynamic

SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

We are just 10 days away from All Out, which makes this episode of Dynamite a very important one. The card for the PPV is good, not great. It needs to be great. There were some happenings on Collision last week that set up some intriguing matchups that I hope are followed up on this show. Let’s see how they did.

HITS

BRYAN DANIELSON JOINS BROADCAST CREW

Smart. Smart. Smart. Danielson has done a great job over the past month when he joined the broadcast crew and kudos to Tony Khan for asking and to Danielson for accepting because he is a welcome addition. As I’ve stated in this column previously, Danielson understands the role and furthers the narrative while giving fresh takes on the matches. Being able to use his personal experiences with many of the performers adds to his analysis.

HANGMAN VS. JOSH ALEXANDER

This was a well-wrestled match featuring the World Champ and a solid challenger in front of 1,000 adoring fans. The two guys put on a show and it was great seeing Hangman thwart the interference plans of Callis and his fam. What made it even better to watch was the commentary. Bryan Danielson and Don Callis were going back and forth adding some wonderful context for the match as it was going on, but also including other storylines including Kyle Fletcher’s attack on Kenny Omega.

Speaking of Fletcher, he looks more and more like a star every time he comes out. His presentation has come such a long way. He and Hangman had a fantastic in-ring promo. They were clear in their intentions. They played off the crowd. They both looked and acted so confident. Hangman also continued to be a smart babyface champion in making Fletcher agree to face him without the Callis family. Now the family likely won’t listen, but the point was made. Fletcher is stepping up bigtime and this should be a great main event.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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RICOCHET (AND SHELTON)

I LOVED this match between Ricochet and Shelton Benjamin. What a performance by Ricochet selling and making Shelton look like a million bucks. The chemistry between the two was off the charts and when the fans weren’t entertaining themselves with bald chants, they really showed appreciation for what they were seeing.

The babyface/heel dynamic is still a little muddled with both sides here as Ricochet has a legitimate reason to feel disrespected and the Hurt Syndicate is in “tweener-land.” However, as far as the entertainment value went, this was a home run.

TONI STORM AND SKYE BLUE

Toni had me at the Sandman tribute. I noted this as a hit before the bell even rang. And it got more wild from there. Oh, the staples. What can you say? That combined with the commentary made this an absolute blast to watch. They both paid homage to ECW in so many ways which was cool to see. This was a perfect TV match to entertain those in attendance and watching on their couch.

QUICK HITS

– I’m so torn when it comes to MJF. His backstage promo after Collision was fantastic, but outside of calling his new wife “Toots” and “Bitch,” it was a performance that will elicit more cheers than boos from most crowds, and quite possibly all cheers from a crowd in Philly. He’s really really good, but is also too likable if you are hoping Mark Briscoe will be the clear fan favorite at All Out.

– “Staple-ass Jones” – Taz is the best.

– The main event served its purpose to give viewers a star-studded match with a lot of athleticism. I assume The Bucks pinning Bandido means we are getting a tag title match between those two and that’s something I’m looking forward to seeing. As for the ending segment, it was clearly time for Danny Garcia to change up his character and joining the Death Riders is interesting to me as long as he does not become the next Yuta when it comes to winning and losing. If Garcia is the one taking all the pins for them, this won’t go anywhere. I am interested in the dynamic between Yuta and Garcia as we move forward.

MISSES

Was it “Earlier today” or was it “Live” with the Young Bucks backstage looking for a place to eat?? My producer brain hurts!!

If you are having a mini-tournament for the Unified Championship, perhaps don’t throw up a graphic and rush through it in 20 seconds. Why not come to the announce desk and make it a big deal by giving it at least a minute or two to explain what they are doing and reveal the bracket?

THE FTR ASSAULT

This segment did not do it for me. I don’t think spewing obscenities in the ring then threatening fans and ultimately beating up the cameraman gets me fired up to see them in a match. If it were my call, I would have played the video package and waited until next week to have a final showdown between the two teams to get everyone excited for the match. This was too cliche and I feel the time would have been better spent on other storylines.

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