ECW legend Tommy Dreamer came away impressed by this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, praising the company’s recent storytelling and declaring that AEW is currently “very, very hot.”
Speaking on Busted Open After Dark, Dreamer reviewed Wednesday night’s show from Boston and said what stood out most was how heavily the episode leaned into character development and storyline progression rather than relying solely on in-ring action.
“What drew me in tonight was something way different for AEW, and that was a lot of the aftermaths and a lot of the promos, and I gotta say I feel AEW is very, very hot right now,” Dreamer said.
Dreamer explained that his assessment was based largely on the audience’s reactions throughout the show. “By hot, because you listen to these crowds, and when the wrestlers are walking out, some are getting very, very big reactions, and I hate to say this, for AEW, superstar reactions,” Dreamer said. “I say that because superstar is a WWE term, but the AEW audience really loves a lot of their performers, and then their next level people, that when they show up, you’re like, those are our people.”
One of the night’s biggest highlights for Dreamer was the opening AEW World Tag Team Championship match featuring champions Cope and Christian Cage against the Death Riders, along with the post-match involvement of the Bang Bang Gang.
He praised AEW for allowing the story to unfold naturally through the performers’ actions rather than relying on lengthy promos. “They have done an amazing job telling stories without really telling the story on a microphone,” Dreamer said. “It’s storytelling. It’s body language. It’s the fans chanting, hug it out. We all want to see you all together, and Christian not trusting the guy when, by the way, none of us ever want to trust Christian.”
Dreamer also applauded AEW for resisting the temptation to immediately resolve the storyline. “They’re telling a wonderful story through the chaos. The bad guys beat up the good guys, and then here come the good guys to even the odds. And now we have turmoil, and we’re waiting to see what happens next,” Dreamer said. “And when nothing happens next, we’re gonna wait till next week, and that’s how you tell stories.”
Dreamer also singled out Kenny Omega’s championship celebration, where the newly crowned AEW World Champion attempted to convince Kevin Knight to distance himself from Don Callis by reflecting on his own past.
“Kenny being the voice of reason, the guy who’s been there pretty much the longest. He’s also your champion. He’s also overcome so, so much to be there, and wants to do good, because when he won his title, he wasn’t in that same mindset, and he’s trying to tell people don’t live the way I lived, which is beautiful theater,” Dreamer said.
According to Dreamer, what made the episode stand out was that every segment felt meaningful and helped move stories forward.
“They didn’t feel like backstage vignettes. They didn’t feel like backstage interviews. They didn’t feel like another run-in. It felt like different chapters of a book that I have to continue to watch,” Dreamer said. “I feel like tonight AEW is in the movie making business.”
Dreamer believes AEW has found a strong balance between high-level wrestling and compelling storytelling, something he feels will help sustain the promotion’s momentum.
“This is a great mix for AEW, because this is what they need to continue this momentum and to continue to have people wanting to see this product,” Dreamer said. “You know you’re going to see great wrestling, but when you have all these intertwined things, and they also gave them time.”
He concluded by saying AEW has matured significantly since its early years. “I feel like all the growing pains are gone. Yes, you’re going to have some. No show is ever perfect, but tonight’s show is really, really interesting for a whole other different reasons than your normal AEW shows,” Dreamer said.
This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite, which emanated from the MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston, also finalized two major matches for AEW Redemption on July 26 at Montreal’s Bell Centre. Kenny Omega will defend the AEW World Championship against Kevin Knight after Knight struck him with a microphone during the celebration, while Chris Jericho will resurrect his Painmaker persona to face Tommaso Ciampa.
