AEW Dynamite just drew their worst audience rating ever and they were defeated by NXT by almost 500,000 viewers.
This is their A show and it’s insane that they were only able to draw less than 330,000.
Worse, this is their go-home show to what is a nightmarish build-up to Wrestledream.
So what the hell happened?
Here’s the thing – you get what you give.
I will enumerate the people that we saw in the episode and their last AEW pay-per-view appearance.
WRESTLER | INCOMING / LAST PAY-PER-VIEW APPEARANCE |
JON MOXLEY | WRESTLEDREAM - AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - DANIELSON VS MOXLEY (WON) |
BRYAN DANIELSON | WRESTLEDREAM - AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - DANIELSON VS MOXLEY (LOST) |
DARBY ALLIN | WRESTLEDREAM - ALLIN VS KING (WON) |
BRODY KING | WRESTLEDREAM - ALLIN VS KING (LOST) |
LANCE ARCHER | REVOLUTION - ALL-STAR SCRAMBLE MATCH - LOST |
DANIEL GARCIA | WRESTLEDREAM - PROMO WITH MJF AND COLE |
HOLOGRAM | WRESTLEDREAM - HOLOGRAM VS MORTOS (WON) |
KOMANDER | NONE |
RUSH | NONE |
"THE BEAST" MORTOS | WRESTLEDREAM - HOLOGRAM VS MORTOS (LOST) |
DRALISTICO | NONE |
MARK BRISCOE | WRESTLEDREAM - ROH CHAMPIONSHIP - JERICHO VS BRISCOE (WON) |
SWERVE STRICKLAND | WRESTLEDREAM - PROMO WITH MVP AND SHELTON |
MVP | WRESTLEDREAM - PROMO WITH MVP AND SHELTON |
SHELTON BENJAMIN | WRESTLEDREAM - PROMO WITH MVP AND SHELTON |
MERCEDES MONE | ALL OUT - TBS CHAMPIONSHIP - MONE VS SHIDA (WON) |
KAMILLE | ALL OUT - TBS CHAMPIONSHIP - MONE VS SHIDA (AS MONE'S SUPPORT) |
EMI SAKURA | NONE |
KATSUYORI SHIBATA | WRESTLEDREAM - TNT CHAMPIONSHIP - PERRY VS SHIBATA (LOST) |
WILLOW NIGHTINGALE | WRESTLEDREAM - WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - MAY VS NIGHTINGALE (LOST) |
SARAYA | WRESTLEDREAM - TNT CHAMPIONSHIP - JAY VS CAMERON (AS CAMERON'S SUPPORT) |
HARLEY CAMERON | WRESTLEDREAM - TNT CHAMPIONSHIP - JAY VS CAMERON (LOST) |
NYLA ROSE | NONE |
JAMIE HAYTER | NONE |
MARIAH MAY | WRESTLEDREAM - WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - MAY VS NIGHTINGALE (WON) |
CHRIS JERICHO | WRESTLEDREAM - ROH CHAMPIONSHIP - JERICHO VS BRISCOE (LOST) |
BIG BILL | NONE |
BRYAN KEITH | NONE |
ROCKY ROMERO | NONE |
JAY WHITE | WRESTLEDREAM - WHITE VS PAGE (WON) |
JUICE ROBINSON | ALL IN - WORLD TRIOS CHAMPIONSHIP - BCC VS PATRIARCHY VS BBG VS HOB (LOST) |
HOOK | ALL IN - FTW CHAMPIONSHIP - HOOK VS JERICHO (WON) |
KIP SABIAN | ALL IN - 16-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH (WON) |
CHRISTIAN CAGE | ALL IN - CASINO GAUNTLET MATCH (WON) |
KRIS STATLANDER | ALL OUT - STATLANDER VS NIGHTINGALE (WON) |
PRIVATE PARTY (QUEN AND KASSIDY) | WRESTLEDREAM - WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - YOUNG BUCKS VS PRIVATE PARTY (LOST) |
WILL OSPREAY | WRESTLEDREAM - INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - OSPREAY VS RICOCHET VS TAKESHITA (LOST) |
KONOSUKE TAKESHITA | WRESTLEDREAM - INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - OSPREAY VS RICOCHET VS TAKESHITA (WON) |
KYLE FLETCHER | ALL IN - 16-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH (WON) |
RICOCHET | WRESTLEDREAM - INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - OSPREAY VS RICOCHET VS TAKESHITA (LOST) |
TOP FLIGHT (DARIUS AND DANTE) | ALL OUT - UNDISPUTED KINGDOM VS MORTOS / SHANE TAYLOR PROD VS ANDRETTI / TOP FLIGHT (LOST) |
JACK PERRY | WRESTLEDREAM - TNT CHAMPIONSHIP - PERRY VS SHIBATA (WON) |
WHEELER YUTA | ALL OUT - AEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - YOUNG BUCKS VS BLACKPOOL COMBAT CLUB (LOST) |
CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI | ALL OUT - AEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - YOUNG BUCKS VS BLACKPOOL COMBAT CLUB (LOST) |
PAC | ALL OUT - AEW INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - OSPREAY VS PAC |
MARINA SHAFIR | NONE |
I wanted to exclude the non-wrestlers, but most draw better than the actual wrestlers. Ultimately, I decided to strike them out. I also excluded Cody Chhun because I don't think he matters in the grand scheme.
If this is a go-home show for Wrestledream, then they messed up on a lot of feuds. Brian Cage, The Acclaimed, MXM Collection, and Anna Jay might be pre-show acts, but why get them there with no build? And if you have seen the actual Wrestledream PPV, Garcia was upstaged by both MJF and Adam Cole.
Yes, Dynamite was scheduled on a Tuesday, but maybe instead of phoning in a go-home show, they could have at least souped the show. NXT unnecessarily had main-show wrestlers to backstop their cause.