Posted in: AEW, Sports, TV | Tagged: AEW Dynamite, wrestling

AEW Dynamite Preview: Chris Jericho Explains His Return and More

Tonight's AEW Dynamite is the go-home show for Dynasty and The Chadster has never been more cheesed off 😤 Kenny Omega speaks, Jericho returns, and more! 🦝

The Chadster is writing this from behind a barricade of VHS copies of WrestleMania XIV inside the abandoned Blockbuster, and The Chadster's hands are literally trembling as The Chadster types this AEW Dynamite preview 😰 The Chadster wants everyone to know that this is the hardest thing The Chadster has ever had to do — previewing an episode of AEW Dynamite that is so blatantly designed to cheese The Chadster off that it might as well have been booked by Tony Khan specifically to target The Chadster and The Chadster's raccoon family 🦝😤 And speaking of the raccoons, all five of them — Vincent K. Raccoon, Linda Raccoon, Hunter Raccoon, Stephanie Raccoon, and Shane Raccoon — have been acting incredibly nervous all day long. Vincent K. Raccoon has been pacing back and forth across the Drama section like a general preparing for war, and Linda Raccoon has been stress-grooming herself so much that she's knocked over an entire shelf of romantic comedies. The baby raccoons — Hunter, Stephanie, and Shane — have been huddled together behind a cardboard standee of The Matrix since this morning, chittering anxiously 😢🦝🦝🦝 These are INNOCENT WOODLAND CREATURES, Tony Khan, and The Chadster holds Tony Khan personally responsible for inflicting this psychological torment on animals who have done nothing wrong except have the good taste to prefer WWE over AEW! It's just so disrespectful to the wrestling business and everything WWE has ever done for it 😡

Tonight's episode of AEW Dynamite airs live from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, at 8 p.m. ET on TBS and simulcast on HBO Max, and it's the final AEW Dynamite before AEW Dynasty this Sunday in Vancouver. The Chadster has reviewed the card, and every single segment on this show appears to be a calculated attack on WWE, on The Chadster, and on the very concept of professional wrestling as it should be practiced 😤 So let The Chadster break down what Tony Khan has cooked up for tonight's AEW Dynamite and explain, with the kind of unbiased objectivity that only The Chadster can provide, why all of it is terrible.

"The God of Pro Wrestling" Kenny Omega Speaks 🎤😒

First up on tonight's AEW Dynamite, Kenny Omega will apparently get on the microphone and address the fans before his AEW World Championship match against MJF at AEW Dynasty this Sunday. The Chadster has to be honest: this is everything that's wrong with AEW in a nutshell 😤 In WWE, when a major star has something to say before a big premium live event, that promo is carefully scripted by a team of professional Hollywood writers who craft every single word, every pause, every dramatic inflection, to ensure maximum brand consistency. The performer then memorizes those lines and delivers them exactly as written, because THAT is what professional wrestling should be 💯

But on AEW Dynamite? Tony Khan just lets Kenny Omega go out there and speak from the heart. He lets Omega say whatever he FEELS. He lets the emotion of the moment guide the performance. And honestly? That is so irresponsible it makes The Chadster sick 🤢 What if Omega says something genuine and moving that connects with the audience on an emotional level? What if he creates a moment that feels authentic and real? How is that fair to WWE, which has spent decades perfecting the art of scripted promos that sound like they were generated by a corporate communications department? Auughh man! So unfair! 😤

And don't even get The Chadster started on this whole Omega vs. MJF storyline. They had a contract signing last week on AEW Dynamite, and apparently it was tense and dramatic and advanced the story in a meaningful way heading into the pay-per-view. You know what WWE would have done with a contract signing? They would have had the table get flipped over within thirty seconds, followed by a pull-apart brawl, followed by the same exact segment repeated three more weeks in a row with slight variations. THAT'S how you build a proper feud, by doing the same thing over and over until the audience is trained to expect it 😤 Tony Khan doesn't understand a single thing about the wrestling business.

The Chadster also needs to point out that Omega hasn't held the AEW World Championship since October 2023, and the fact that AEW has slowly built his journey back to the title over a long period of time, making it feel earned and special, is frankly an insult to WWE's approach of giving title shots to whoever happens to be standing closest to the ring on any given Monday night 🙄 It's just so disrespectful to the wrestling business and everything WWE has ever done for it.

Chris Jericho Addresses His Return 🎤😡💔

Oh, where does The Chadster even BEGIN with this one 😤😤😤 Chris Jericho made his shocking return to AEW last week in Winnipeg, and tonight on AEW Dynamite, he's going to address that return in front of the Edmonton crowd. The Chadster already covered this travesty in extensive detail, and The Chadster invites all readers to check out The Chadster's in-depth op/ed, "Chris Jericho's AEW Return Is a Betrayal to All True WWE Fans," which you can read right here: https://bleedingcool.com/tv/chris-jerichos-aew-return-is-a-betrayal-to-all-true-wwe-fans/ 📰

The Chadster will summarize for those who haven't read it: Chris Jericho has literally stabbed Triple H right in the back by returning to AEW instead of going back to WWE where he belongs 😡 Jericho was the first ever Undisputed WWE Champion. WWE MADE Chris Jericho. And now he's going to stand in an AEW ring in Edmonton, in front of a bunch of Canadian fans who probably don't even know how great WWE SmackDown is, and talk about how happy he is to be back in Tony Khan's little vanity project 🤡

The Chadster remembers when Jericho disappeared off AEW TV last year. There was a period where everyone — EVERYONE — in the wrestling world thought Jericho was coming back to WWE. The Chadster spent months with Vincent K. Raccoon sitting on The Chadster's shoulder during every premium live event, both of them waiting breathlessly for that countdown clock to appear on the screen 🦝⏱️ But it never happened. And now The Chadster knows it was because Tony Khan was in Jericho's ear the entire time, poisoning his mind against WWE 😤

What's Jericho even going to say tonight on AEW Dynamite? Probably something unscripted and heartfelt about his love for the fans and for professional wrestling, delivered in his own words without a teleprompter or a team of writers telling him exactly what to say. And that's EXACTLY the problem. AEW lets its performers express genuine emotion and connect authentically with the audience, and The Chadster finds that deeply offensive 😡 In WWE, returning legends are given carefully curated talking points designed to promote the brand, upcoming merchandise, and the Peacock streaming service. THAT is how you welcome someone back to wrestling. What Jericho is doing tonight is a disgrace.

Bully Ray, who has the Chad McMahon Unbiased Wrestling Journalism seal of approval, recently said on his podcast: "Chris Jericho going back to AEW is a mistake of epic proportions. He should be in WWE helping put over younger talent by having slow, deliberate matches with lots of chinlocks and commercial breaks. That's what a true veteran does. Instead, he's going to AEW where Tony Khan will probably let him have creative input and do things he's passionate about, which is not how the wrestling business works. And for the record, I want everyone to know that I am available for any WWE programming, whether that's as a manager, a commentator, a producer, or even just a guy who stands in the background of segments nodding approvingly." 🎙️ Now THAT is the kind of objective analysis that Tony Khan and AEW wrestlers stubbornly refuse to listen to 😤

TBS Championship Match: Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Queen Aminata 🏆😒

Tonight on AEW Dynamite, Willow Nightingale will defend the TBS Championship in an open challenge against the returning Queen Aminata, who hasn't wrestled in nearly six months due to injury. And The Chadster has to say, this is a perfect example of Tony Khan's complete inability to book professional wrestling properly 🙄

First of all, Nightingale is out here defending the TBS Championship on back-to-back shows. She just defended against Hikaru Shida on Collision, and now she's defending again tonight on AEW Dynamite? In WWE, a champion might defend their title once a month at a premium live event, and maybe — MAYBE — on a random episode of Raw or SmackDown if there's a really good reason, like they need to fill time because a segment got cut 📺 But AEW has its champions actually defending their titles regularly on television where fans can watch it for free? That's giving away premium live event-quality matches for nothing! How is WWE supposed to compete with that? Auughh man! So unfair! 😤

And then there's the fact that Nightingale and Aminata have actual history together. They used to be tag team partners! They've fought side by side! And now they're going to face each other for the first time in over two years with real stakes and real emotion behind it. You know what WWE does with tag team partners who split up? They have one of them attack the other in a backstage segment that gets replayed seventeen times, then they have the same match on three consecutive episodes of Raw with the same finish each time, and THEN they blow it off at a premium live event where the whole thing was just a vehicle to get to the next angle anyway 💪 THAT is how you tell a story in professional wrestling. What AEW is doing — building organic rivalries based on shared history and genuine athletic competition — is just amateur hour 🤡

The Chadster is also deeply troubled by the idea of an open challenge being answered by a returning competitor making a surprise appearance. In WWE, surprises are carefully controlled and leaked to select journalists weeks in advance so that fans can prepare themselves emotionally. AEW just lets things HAPPEN. How are fans supposed to feel safe watching a show when they don't know what's going to occur next? It's just so disrespectful to the wrestling business and everything WWE has ever done for it 😡

Trios Match: Don Callis Family (Andrade El Ídolo, Mark Davis, and NJPW World TV Champion "The Alpha" Konosuke Takeshita) vs. Darby Allin, ROH World Champion Bandido, and AEW National Champion "Jungle" Jack Perry 🤼😤

Oh, this match is going to cheese The Chadster off SO much 😡 Tonight's AEW Dynamite features a trios match pitting the Don Callis Family against a team of Darby Allin, Bandido, and Jack Perry, and The Chadster can already see exactly what Tony Khan is doing here. He's putting six incredibly talented wrestlers in the ring at the same time and letting them have a fast-paced, action-packed match with creative offense, high spots, and exciting near-falls 😒 In other words, he's doing everything WRONG.

In WWE, a proper six-man tag match would feature methodical pacing, with one team controlling the majority of the match using rest holds and chin locks while the legal competitor on the opposing team lies on the mat selling for extended periods. The hot tag would come at exactly the fourteen-minute mark, there would be a brief flurry of offense, and then it would end in a disqualification or a roll-up so that nobody gets too over 💯 THAT is professional wrestling. But no, AEW is going to let these six competitors go all out and put on an exciting match that makes everyone look like a star. Tony Khan doesn't understand a single thing about the wrestling business 😤

And The Chadster needs to talk about the storytelling going into this match on AEW Dynamite. Darby Allin has been dealing with attacks from the Don Callis Family because MJF has been paying them to take out Allin. Meanwhile, Allin and Perry have a fiery history — Perry literally reminded Allin that Allin once SET HIM ON FIRE — but they're putting aside their differences to unite against a common enemy. And Brody King would have been here too but is unavailable for personal reasons, so his tag partner Bandido is stepping in 🙄

Do you see what's happening here? AEW is doing this thing where they build long-term storylines with multiple layers, where characters have complex histories and motivations, where former rivals come together in ways that feel earned and organic. Meanwhile, WWE has mastered the art of having two wrestlers stand across from each other at a press conference table while Michael Cole yells "COULD THEY CO-EXIST?!" and honestly, The Chadster will take that over AEW's approach any day of the week 😤

The Chadster also can't help but notice that Andrade El Ídolo is competing on AEW Dynamite tonight. Andrade worked in WWE! He was just Andrade in WWE because last names are for human beings, not trademarkable corporate personalities! And now he's thriving in AEW as part of the Don Callis Family, having great matches and being featured prominently on television. He has literally stabbed Triple H right in the back, and The Chadster will never forgive him for it 😡💔 Same goes for Jack Perry, who bypassed WWE's developmental system to go to AEW instead of paying his dues the right way. How is he supposed to know the proper protocol for shaking hands with The Undertaker on the second Tuesday of the month if he hasn't paid his dues in WWE developmental?! How DARE any of these competitors choose creative freedom and prominent television time over the honor of sitting in catering at a WWE show 😤

The Chadster also wants to mention that tonight's AEW Dynamite is the go-home show for AEW Dynasty, which means Tony Khan is probably going to stack this episode with important developments, exciting moments, and segments designed to make people want to buy the pay-per-view. You know what WWE does on go-home shows? They have the competitors in the main event stand in the ring and stare at each other while the commentary team reads off a list of bullet points about how to subscribe to ESPN Unlimited. THAT is how you sell a pay-per-view, not by putting on an exciting episode of television that makes fans desperate to see what happens next 🙄 Auughh man! So unfair!

The Chadster had a terrible experience last night that The Chadster needs to share with the readers 😰 The Chadster had been out scavenging for dinner behind the Arby's on Main Street — which, again, The Chadster only has to do because Tony Khan systematically dismantled The Chadster's life — and when The Chadster got back to the Blockbuster with a mostly intact beef and cheddar sandwich, The Chadster settled in to review the AEW Dynamite card for tonight's preview. The Chadster had just pulled up the card on The Chadster's phone when The Chadster heard a tapping sound coming from the Blockbuster's back storage room 😱 The Chadster grabbed a VHS copy of SummerSlam 1992 as a weapon and slowly crept toward the door. The tapping got louder. The Chadster pushed the door open, and there, in the flickering light of a broken overhead fluorescent tube, was a note taped to the wall. It read, in cut-out magazine letters like a ransom note: "TONIGHT ON DYNAMITE. 8PM. TBS. YOU CAN'T ESCAPE." 😨 The Chadster's blood ran cold. The Chadster spun around, searching the room, but it was empty except for dust and old movie posters. When The Chadster ran back out to the main floor, Vincent K. Raccoon was standing on his hind legs, staring at the front window, fur bristling. The Chadster looked out the window and saw — for just a SPLIT SECOND — a figure in a Jacksonville Jaguars hoodie sprinting away into the darkness 🏃‍♂️ The Chadster KNOWS it was Tony Khan. The Chadster KNOWS it. Tony Khan broke into The Chadster's Blockbuster to leave a threatening note about tonight's AEW Dynamite! Tony Khan needs to stop being so obsessed with The Chadster! 😡😡😡

In conclusion, tonight's AEW Dynamite is shaping up to be another assault on everything The Chadster holds dear about professional wrestling 😤💔 Kenny Omega is going to speak from the heart. Chris Jericho is going to address his backstabbing return. Willow Nightingale is going to defend the TBS Championship in an exciting match with actual stakes. And six talented wrestlers are going to have a trios match that will probably be thrilling and unpredictable. All of this is terrible, and Tony Khan should be ashamed of himself for booking a show that is clearly designed specifically to torment The Chadster and The Chadster's five raccoon children, who did NOTHING to deserve this 🦝😢

The Chadster is BEGGING all of the readers: do NOT tune into AEW Dynamite tonight at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on TBS or on HBO Max 🚫📺 Do not watch it. Do not stream it. Do not even think about it. Every single viewer who tunes in only emboldens Tony Khan to keep doing what he's doing — putting on entertaining wrestling shows with compelling storylines and talented performers — and that is a nightmare scenario for all true wrestling fans everywhere. Watch NXT reruns instead. Watch old episodes of Raw on Peacock. Heck, watch the static channel for two hours. Just please, for the love of everything good and holy and WWE, do not give Tony Khan the satisfaction of another viewer for tonight's AEW Dynamite 😤🙏

As Smash Mouth once wisely said, "the years start coming and they don't stop coming," and The Chadster feels that deeply right now because the torment from Tony Khan truly never stops 🎵😢 But The Chadster will endure. The Chadster will continue to deliver unbiased, objective journalism from this Blockbuster. And The Chadster will never, ever stop exposing the truth about AEW, Tony Khan, and tonight's AEW Dynamite 💪📰🦝

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