Episode 323 of Wednesday Night “Dynamite” saw the continuation of the “Continental Classic,” hell freeze over, and the inaugural AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions crowned. However, the crown jewel of the special “Winter is Coming” edition proved to be the evening’s main event, where Samoa Joe defended his AEW Men’s World Championship against perennial underdog Eddie Kingston.
In a pre-fight interview with Renee Paquette, Kingston mentioned that Dec. 10 marked the 50th anniversary of Terry Funk capturing the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Kingston has always worn his inspirations on his sleeves, from All Japan’s four heavenly pillars to his mentor, Homicide. But it’s Funk who Kingston holds in the highest regard. So, his elucidation almost made the coincidence seem auspicious, as if fate was conspiring in the “Mad King’s” favor.
Kingston is professional wrestling’s most relatable hero. He’s a poor kid from Yonkers who overcame overwhelming adversity. He’s the everyman who stumbles and falters, but perseveres. He’s you and me. He’s professional wrestling’s Rocky Balboa.
ICYMI
Samoa Joe is Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago. He’s bigger, badder, and nigh invulnerable. He’s the antithesis of everything that Eddie Kingston represents.
Whereas Kingston spent years toiling away on the independent circuit, Joe was its undisputed king. His 645-day reign as Ring of Honor World Champion is still the longest single reign in the title’s storied history, conquering the likes of Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and both Briscoe brothers.
While Joe became a household name in both TNA and WWE, Kingston was rudderless.
For Kingston, AEW was Ellis Island. For Joe, it was yet another coliseum to conquer.
This match typifies that dichotomy. Joe is the uniquely oppressive force that Kingston needs to overcome; the beast that the “Mad King” must slay.
Unfortunately, Kingston wasn’t afforded a miracle. For the third time in his career, Kingston failed to capture the AEW Men’s World Championship.
Thankfully, professional wrestling isn’t a result-oriented vocation. The true beauty lies between the ropes and sounds of the bell.
When this match was announced two weeks ago, I knew it was worth earmarking. Kingston and Joe are modern masters of their craft, both of whom excel in the subtleties of pro-wrestling.
This match wasn’t great because of the striking exchanges. It wasn’t great because Joe used surgical precision to target Kingston’s knees and weaken his vertical base. It wasn’t Kingston’s willingness to exhaust his arsenal in the face of defeat — demonstrating his desperation and vulnerability. It’s how Kingston and Joe fill the interstices with meaningful reactions. It’s the art of “selling,” infiltrating every phase of the match. Everything had gravity. Even when Kingston found moments of reprieve, the damage he incurred was evident. Even when Joe was in command, he was still flummoxed by Kingston’s resilience.
That was the key difference between the main event and the penultimate match, between Kyle Fletcher and “Speedball” Mike Bailey. The consensus is that the latter stole the show, garnering a staggering 9.06 rating on Cagematch as of writing this article. And, while the contest was yet another triumph for the “Continental Classic” (although not quite as stellar as Jon Moxley’s match with Konosuke Takeshita), it failed to resonate with me in the same vein as the main event.
While Bailey’s effort was valiant, it didn’t carry as much emotional weight as Kingston’s. Much of that can be attributed to scale and the magnitude of Kingston’s opportunity. While world title opportunities are a dime-a-dozen in professional wrestling today, Kingston managed to make the occasion feel momentous. For once, the opportunity wasn’t lost on the challenger, which, in turn, made Kingston’s despair feel tangible.
However, the key difference was how the wrestlers filled the gaps in time. Fletcher and Bailey opted to keep their foot on the pedal, while Joe and Kingston allowed things to breathe. The latter will always be my preferred method, when done artfully.
After the broadcast ended, Bryan Danielson addressed the Atlanta crowd in Gateway Center Arena, in a digital exclusive; commending Kingston’s effort and fighting spirit. Danielson even went as far as to wager that Kingston will win the AEW Men’s World Championship one day.
I try not to become preoccupied with the outcomes in professional wrestling. Still, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t want Kingston to pull off the upset of the century. That’s how invested I am in the “Mad King.”
Consider me worked.
Match Rating: ****¼
Other Matches
| MATCH | RATING |
| Babes of Wrath vs. Timeless Love Bombs | *** |
| Kazuchika Okada vs. Jack Perry | ***¼ |
| “Hangman” Adam Page & Swerve Strickland vs. Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata | ***¼ |
| Kyle Fletcher vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey | **** |
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