AEW Dynamite - Spring Breakthru: 3 Things We Loved And 3 We Hated

AEW World Champion MJF did not have a lot of time to bask in his victory over Kenny Omega, as just days later, he was dethroned as champion by Darby Allin. But enough about what happened on "AEW Dynamite Spring Breakthru," that's already been covered on the results page.

Instead, it is once again that time to break down the good, the bad, and the downright ugly from the AEW flagship show. The crew was split on Darby's big win, making for interesting discourse. There were highs like Tommaso Ciampa not being satisfied with the TNT Title division, and there were tremendous lows, like whatever the hell is going on with Willow Nightingale.

Enough of my introducing, though, let's get into the loving and the hating from the post-Dynasty Dynamite.

Technically, this segment appeared to be filmed on Sunday, but it was included as part of Wednesday's show, seeing Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay join one another in a "Look at us. Who would have thought it?" moment in the medical room. Fresh off their defeats to MJF and Jon Moxley for the World and Continental titles, respectively, a dejected Omega commiserated with Ospreay as both walked away empty-handed. Ospreay was a little more positive, counter-balancing the lamenting of Omega, who believed he was beyond being the top guy again.

He reminded Omega that he was the man who shouldered NJPW in its last boom period, that he was the blueprint for guys like him to follow, and said he believed Omega would make good on his next opportunity. On the other hand, Omega pretty much anointed Ospreay as the future, saying he would be the World Champion sooner rather than later. But he wasn't too convinced by the praise coming his way.

It was cool to see, after their many battles and jibes, Omega and Ospreay not only bury the hatchet but tell one another what they had been clamoring to be told during all that fighting. Ospreay acknowledged Omega as the man, the trailblazer, and his hero. Omega acknowledged Ospreay as the man to take the baton forward, having begrudged him that for much of their feud. And when all was said and done, it was that interaction that convinced Omega he could still have it in him. Just a small talking segment with no fancy production or grandiose scheme, organic and conducive to the future.

This could evolve into something much more with Ospreay and Omega's joint pursuit of the World Championship further down the line, or it could just be left alone as a proverbial passing of the torch. It works in either capacity, and got this writer's eyes peeled for the next interaction, should it come.

Written by Max Everett.

I'm not entirely sure what the original plan for FTR's segment on "Dynamite" was supposed to be, but if it was always the plan for them to come out, putter around, and then do a bad riff on Cope and Christian's "5-second pose," then they should've just scrapped it.

The segment was a waste of valuable time, and had me begging for Copeland or Christian to come out and clean house. Things are dire if I'm hoping to see Copeland huff-and-puff his way to the ring, folks, but I was desperate.

The whole segment just felt flat on a show that was supposed to be a big deal. FTR are incredible wrestlers, but their promo instincts feel incredibly hackneyed. They've seemingly convinced themselves that they are best and most badass when they're off the cuff, but they always stammer through something half-baked and embarrassing instead. I might be the first person to say this in a non-political context, but they need to just shut up and wrestle.

Written by Ross Berman

I went into Dynasty fully convinced that Tommaso Ciampa was winning back the TNT Championship in the Casino Gauntlet match after Kyle Fletcher was forced to vacate the gold. Though I wasn't upset that Kevin Knight got the victory, it left me wondering what was next for the "Psycho Killer" after he had such a hot, albeit short, streak when he first jumped over to the company. Thankfully, it didn't take long for him to tell everyone his next move.

After he defeated Dezmond Xavier in a solid match, Ciampa got on the microphone to basically remind everyone who the hell he is. He said he was sick of waiting, and he wants it all. He explained he came to AEW because it's "where the best wrestle," and honestly, when former WWE guys say that in promos when they are some of the best wrestlers who were misused over there, I don't mind it at all.

He even spelled it out that if he wasn't making himself clear enough, whoever won between MJF and Darby Allin, he was coming for the AEW World Championship. The entire promo took less than 45 seconds, and it was short, sweet, and to the point. When I was theorizing who I thought was in the top title for the AEW World Championship a few weeks ago, I had Ciampa on my list, though I wasn't sure he would get to this point so quickly.

Now that Allin is holding the title, it will be excellent to see him take on Ciampa in what's certain to be one hard-hitting bout. Granted, Allin is definitely going to be fighting off MJF, probably until Double or Nothing, where he loses the gold again, but AEW can certainly fit in a title match against Ciampa there somewhere. Sure, Ciampa might lose, but it will prove what he can do, and that he should be hovering around that scene constantly like an MJF, "Hangman" Adam Page, or Swerve Strickland.

Written by Daisy Ruth

When I saw that Kamille made her return after 500-something days away from AEW on Sunday, all I could think was, "Oh, 'American Gladiators' is about to premiere, that checks out." I really disliked the fact that she went after TBS Champion Willow Nightingale, but I guess anything to get some promotion for the show, and she certainly wasn't going after Thekla and the AEW Women's World Championship. While it makes some kind of sense, that doesn't mean I have to like it.

I also don't think she impressed anyone in her title match against Nightingale tonight. I've never really thought she was impressive before, even when she was playing heavy to Mercedes Mone, and now that we have the likes of Megan Bayne in AEW, and even Marina Shafir doing more, I'm not entirely sure Kamille fits in anywhere on the roster.

In kayfabe, she couldn't even get the job done when Nightingale was struggling with an injured shoulder. She couldn't even get Kamille up for the Babe with Power Bomb, and won off a backslide after sending Kamille face-first into the turnbuckle. Now, I love Nightingale, and I didn't want Kamille to win the title here at all, but when you look at it from a kayfabe standpoint, she looks kinda weak.

I am, however, all for whatever is going on with Hikaru Shida and Kris Statlander backstage. I love that Shida is back and going after Nightingale, and bringing Statlander into it with her history with the TBS Champion is fun. I don't know or necessarily care what's next for Kamille, but there's always something exciting when it comes to Nightingale.

Written by Daisy Ruth

This feels egregious to write, considering I have been quite adamant in my desire not to see Darby Allin as AEW World Champion. A man who compels me only in his ability to run through literal walls and still not only finish a match, but come out victorious and somehow able to do the next crazy stunt the next week. But also someone that is quite hard to root for, both owing to outside-of-wrestling noise and the very fact that, death-defying stunts aside, he doesn't exactly come off as a worthy protagonist.

Even still, it has to be said that tonight saw Allin crowned World Champion in such a great way.

From the show kicking off with MJF, having told Renee Paquette on Sunday that he would be ditching social media until he's called upon again, learning that he will, in fact, be defending the title against Allin.

To the following segment with MJF seeming to weasel his way out of the match, only for Allin to cut a compelling teary-eyed promo about his need to be World Champion, and Bryan Danielson relaying Tony Khan's decision that MJF would get his wish to have time to prepare – and defend the title in the main event instead.

And finally to the main event of the show as MJF came out completely bricking it on such short notice, trying to rush into a cheating finish only to get c***-blocked himself and dropped five times both in the Scorpion Death and Coffin variety. When all was said and done, Allin won the title in mere minutes.

A man who climbed Mount Everest and planted the company flag on its summit finally reached the company's own summit. Complete with a Sting pep talk and appearance to embrace the new World Champion as the show went off air. That's a heck of a story.

Time will tell whether he turns out to be a champion to remember or goes down as a better chaser. But for the time being, taking the night and the moment for what it is, everything was done really well, and it made me, a proclaimed Allin detractor for all that is worth, actively root for and celebrate with Allin.

A special shout-out should be made for the loser on the night, MJF, coming off an exceptional bout with Kenny Omega on Sunday. Without his heel work and organic "What the f***?!" reaction to the whole defending the title ordeal, perhaps nothing about tonight feels as special as it does. He really is one of the best workers to root against, and that was definitely exemplified here.

Written by Max Everett

After winning at Dynasty and calling his shot for tonight's episode of Dynamite in his hometown, it started looking likely that Darby Allin was going to dethrone MJF. Then, AEW posted clips from an interview with Renee Paquette and Allin. During the opening segment, which planted more seeds that MJF would lose because he wasn't prepared, and possibly injured. Allin was nearly in tears the entire promo. To really drive the point home, Sting spoke to Allin backstage and told him it was his time. AEW went into overdrive trying to get the fans behind Allin becoming Men's World Champion.

Is he really someone you want as the face of your company? Allin was named during Speaking Out. At the time, he was a prominent fixture on the indie scene. AEW hired him anyway and put the TNT and tag team titles on him. Of course, Allin literally flew an AEW flag on Mt. Everest. Aside from the obvious reasons not to put the title on Allin, it feels like the time has passed. If AEW was going to put their biggest title on Allin, it should've been when he was feuding with Moxley.

Allin only recently started focusing on the World title again. You put the title on him over Kenny freaking Omega?! Ospreay is waiting in the wings and will almost certainly win at ALL IN. I, for one, am not clamoring for Ospreay vs. Allin in Wembley. Perhaps MJF complains that he lost due to being injured and/or not being prepared, and he gets a rematch at Double or Nothing and wins it back. They could have leaned into the AEW Pillars to build Allin versus MJF at Double or Nothing. It doesn't necessarily feel like hotshotting because I think this has been the plan for a while. But a quick win in his hometown doesn't help. It's almost as if AEW doesn't think Allin was a legitimate threat to MJF, so they went with the feel-good win in his hometown because they knew the crowd would be behind him.

Written by Samantha Schipman