Another Wednesday, another head-scratcher from AEW
Look, I love wrestling almost as much as I love a cold beer during a title change, but this week’s AEW Dynamite in Rio Rancho had me questioning if the bookers are allergic to logical progression. We rolled into the Rio Rancho Events Center on June 24th, 2026, and instead of a tight, narrative-driven show, we got the usual buffet of disjointed segments.
The Death Riders—Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, and Jon Moxley—are currently the most aggressive presence on the brand, yet their placement on the card felt like an afterthought. You have world-class workers sitting in the mid-card doldrums while the main event picture remains as clear as mud. It’s like watching a Ferrari sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
The obsession with the scramble
When you look at the matches featured on Wednesday night, it’s all the same frantic style. High spots, dive-to-the-outside, kick-out at two, repeat. Is it athletic? Sure. Is it storytelling? Hardly. At some point, you have to realize that constant noise just creates a headache.
The fans in New Mexico were there for a payoff, not just a collection of spots taped for clips. They want a reason to scream, but when the booking is this flat, even a 450-splash looks like a mundane day at the office. We are past the point where “great in-ring action” can save a show that forgets to build a reason for me to care.
Missing the mark on star power
The AEW Dynamite results really highlight a roster bloat issue that Tony Khan refuses to address. You have an ensemble cast so massive that nobody actually feels like a needle-mover.
Claudio is a genetic freak of nature who should be tearing through opponents like a wrecking ball every single week. Instead, he’s caught in these weird faction wars that lead nowhere. It’s like owning a Lamborghini and using it to deliver pizzas in a hurricane. You aren't getting the value out of the asset, and the engine is eventually going to blow.
Stop playing it safe
Listen, I get it. The ratings game is tough. But playing it safe with the same formula week after week isn’t going to win back the casuals who drifted away when the plot got lost in the weeds. We need risks. We need long-term feuds that don’t rely on a random tweet or a backstage brawl to stay relevant.
If the plan for the next month is more of this disjointed booking, they can keep their HBO Max subscriptions. I want stakes. I want someone to actually lose a feud and face real consequences, not just disappear into the catering area for three weeks before returning for an random tag match. It shouldn't be this hard to make wrestling feel important.
