2019 Ongoing MOTY List: Darby vs. Moxley

92. Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley AEW Dynamite 11/20

ER: What a monster performance from Darby, really the only thing that could have made this better was Darby winning (and Darby most certainly should have won). This was not just a great Allin performance, but one of the best uses of "Allin's whole body is a weapon and sometimes that weapon is going to land, other times that weapon will miss its target and land terribly". Even before the bell we had Darby hitting a great bullet tope into Mox, Darby flying into the crowd attacking Mox, Darby getting smashed into the ringpost, and Darby eating a huge belly to belly on the floor. This was naturally worked with Moxley mostly destroying Allin, and Allin gets destroyed better than maybe anyone in 2019 wrestling. Allin flies off the top and bounces right off Moxley, we get a brutal spinning backbreaker, Allin flies into turnbuckles, a great beating. He starts making some inroads by going after Moxley's hand, and by the end of the match I was fairly convinced that Moxley had a messed up hand (if not, then I'm not sure I've ever seen Moxley sell an injury as well as he sold his hand after the match). We get some cool BS like Mox shoving Darby into the body bag that Allin brought out, plus more crazy Darby dives and a wicked Moxley lariat. The finish looked like it could have snapped Darby in half, and I love that Darby matches don't tend to end until something almost breaks him in half. Overall I think AEW has handled Allin fantastically and made him seem like a big deal, but this should have been his match to win. The fans want the Allin win, I want the Allin win, and if he keeps putting out showstoppers like this then it should be undeniable.

PAS This is my favorite Dynamite match so far, and they have really done a great job making Darby a star. I assume he will get a win at some point over a big name and it will be a huge moment. I was expecting some crazier shit when Darby brought out the body bag (Ethan Page really threw him around in a body bag in EVOLVE). I thought Moxley was pretty nasty on offense, although I would have liked to see him take a big bump or two. Allin is just a master at timing his comebacks and grabbing big near falls. The hand work was really cool too and a sensible way to give him a real chance to win.  I am excited to see where they go with Darby from here, I honestly think he should be the guy who beats Jericho, It would be a monster moment and really make a star.


2019 MOTY MASTER LIST