Last week, I wrote that I loved the concept of the “Dealer’s Choice” matches where “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland would choose each other’s opponents. Page and Strickland are two of my favorites in the company right now, and I love how they’re competing with each other to get a shot at Samoa Joe’s AEW World Championship. I will admit, that one opponent, once revealed, didn’t 100% thrill me. Page’s match with Toa Liona was perfectly acceptable, but I don’t think it really put butts in seats when it comes to drawing power for ticket sales in New Orleans. But I digress, the match I really loved, my favorite match on tonight’s “Dynamite,” was Swerve versus Rob Van Dam. What can I say – I’m a sucker for a good legend appearance, ESPECIALLY when that legend can still go. Like the chants in the crowd said, RVD has still got it.

What really got me for this main event was the fact “Hangman” pulled a swerve on Swerve and let him know on the jumbotron that he didn’t just choose the opponent — he chose the match stipulation. And boy, am I a sucker for a good hardcore match, and you’re telling me you’re putting an ECW guy in one? Sign me up. Yes, please. On a show that was pretty darn lackluster in my humble opinion, a surprise hardcore match did a lot of good. From chairs, to tables, to even a little interference with Brian Cage and Hook, it really had it all. I also thought RVD and Swerve worked extremely well together.

Page coming out after the match to settle things with Strickland logistically, for lack of a better term, was also what “Dynamite” needed. Strickland had a good point that he has already beaten Page twice, but Page countered with the fact it took the entire Mogul Embassy to take him out. Strickland said he’d give Page one more shot at him, and it will officially be happening next week on “Dynamite.” As a newer “Dynamite” viewer, when exciting things get set up a week in advance, it makes me very happy to have something to look forward to. The winner of that match will then go on to face Joe at Revolution, thus wrapping all of this up in a nice little bow ahead of AEW’s next pay-per-view. It was a 10/10 match and following segment, in my book.

Written by Daisy Ruth