5 Biggest Takeaways from AEW Winter is Coming(December 15th, 2021)
I like to keep things as positive as possible.
I like WWE.
I like AEW.
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Winter has come and gone and for some, Christmas came early. The Dynamite special started off hot with the Hangman Page versus Bryan Danielson in what would end up taking up half the show. After that, the special would come across as more of the average weekly show with nothing spectacular happening, but nothing terrible either. Shida and Deeb had their rubber match that delivered like they always do and an 8 man tag & 10 man tag match were announced for Rampage this week. But as I said, due to the hour long match to start the show, there wasn’t much room for a lot to happen so we’ll jump right into the 5 biggest takeaways from this week’s Dynamite!
#5: The Dynasty
Maxwell Jacob Friedman has found himself in the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale every year. And after last night, he is now 3-0 when it comes to winning the DIamond Ring. In the sports world, this is what we refer to as a dynasty and MJF is only going to continue to add to this. When the time comes that MJF doesn’t win the ring, it’s going to be a big deal.
The match for the ring itself would be the main event, which allowed Dante Martin to have the spotlight on him in a big time match as somewhat of a test. The match itself was nothing special but it gave us multiple stories unfolding. MJF winning the ring, Wardlow not being there to help, CM Punk still breathing down his neck and Ricky Starks sticking his nose in Dante Martin’s business and eventually helping MJF get the victory over Martin. But that’s for another day and now we will wait around for another year to see if Max continues his Diamond Ring dominance or if somebody else will dethrone the dynasty.
#4: Varsity Problems
Last week, I was confused and disappointed in the idea of Malakai focusing his attention on Varsity Blondes. It seemed like another step backwards for one of the most interesting characters in AEW. This now has turned into a case of jumping the gun and not letting things play out, because this week the story took a turn that has made it far more interesting than I would ever thought it could be.
With Julia missing this week, Griff Garrison and Brian Pillman Jr. were cutting a backstage promo/interview. Griff was visibly angry and called out Malakai Black for what he did last week. Pillman, much more relaxed, tried to calm him down which led to a small shove and visible tension between the two. Black’s mission is to destroy from within and that is exactly what seems to be happening here. Will this lead to a Varsity Blondes split? My guess would be yes, but like always, we will have to wait and see. It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds and what paths Griff, Brian and Julia decide to take when they get to the eventual fork in the road.
#3: House of Black
Do you know what AEW needs more of? Factions! No, not really but in this case, I’m actually all for it and very intrigued. I don’t always know exactly what Malakai is saying during his promos but they are always captivating at the very least. He has been teasing a group for about a month now and it seems the ducks are falling in a row now as last night he inducted his first member. Who was it? We don’t know as of yet but with the news of Brody King signing with AEW, you can almost bet the house that that’s who the first member will be. Especially with the line about “being more than a King” that Malakai uttered towards the end. With Black going after a tag team, it only makes sense that he pairs up with a like minded individual to even the numbers. The biggest takeaway from this was the ending of the video. For the final initiation, Black spewed the black mist into the unknown member’s face. This is what Black has been doing to multiple people within AEW. Is this the tool used to turn members? If so, what does that mean for Julia Hart? And what about Cody Rhodes who has been moving ever so closer to that “heel turn” people have been clamoring for? With all the layers, this will make for a very interesting story that we can all be fully invested in.
#2: Going the Distance
Who had Hangman Page and Bryan Danielson going for the one hour time limit draw? Prior to the show, probably nobody. About 20 minutes into the match, it was becoming glaringly obvious that that’s where this match was headed. The story and action was there. Bryan Danielson, the seasoned veteran who was taking his time, picking his moments and executing them to perfection. Hangman Page, the newly crowned champion still looking to prove himself, taking every shot Danielson gave him and countered it with his own highly effective offensive of his own. As the match went on, you can see the confidence slip away from Bryan as it transferred over to Hangman. Bloodied and bruised, Page would continue to fight back and as the clock reached closer to the hour mark, the momentum was slowly swinging in his favor. The story unfolding through this match as it got deeper and deeper was absolutely brilliant. This match could have easily been a contender for match of the year had it not been for the annoyance of too many commercial breaks that would kill the vibe for viewers at home every time they slipped into the break. The draw isn’t a problem as it just means we are going to get more of what we saw at Winter is Coming. Was I personally a fan? No, but that has more to do with the commercials dampening the match for me but I’m not going to use that as an excuse to crap all over the match. The takeaway from this match though is that Hangman is still battling his own self confidence walking in but was able to build upon it, which should make him a much better champion moving forward.
#1: An Undisputed Christmas
Just a few weeks ago, the chatter across the internet wrestling community was that Adam Cole was being misused in AEW. Forget the idea of being patient and letting things play out, the “fans” were tired of seeing Adam Cole not be catapulted to the very top from the day he debuted at All Out. Well, that’s not usually how things work and they clearly had a plan. The plan now seems to be beginning to peel back the layers and showing itself to the world. Adam Cole has not forgotten what The Elite did to him all those years ago, and he has just been waiting for the opportunity to strike. With Bobby Fish by his side and the highly expected debut of Kyle O’Reilly coming soon, Adam will have the friends he has gone to battle with for the past 4 years at his side. With Kenny Omega gone, The Elite will be outnumbered. The formerly known Undisputed Era will be reunited and Cole will exact his revenge.
Now, is this a given? Absolutely not. But if AEW does one thing with their storylines, and that’s make them fairly obvious. The writing is all over every single wall in the building for Cole, Fish and O’Reilly to reform the alliance and catapult Adam Cole to the top yet again. He has mentioned time and time again, he has been at the very top of every place he has ever gone. AEW will not be an exception. Adam Cole promised the Young Bucks the best Christmas present of all time on next week’s Christmas edition of Dynamite. The present? An Undisputed beatdown!
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