Bully Ray Would Have Booked Totally Different Outcome For AEW Dynamite Main Event

This main event of last week's "AEW Dynamite" pitted the Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona) against Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland, the latter of which are slated to face each other at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door. Despite their ongoing rivalry, Ospreay and Strickland were able to coexist long enough to score the win after Ospreay struck Liona with a Hidden Blade. In assessing this tag bout on "Busted Open After Dark," WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray noted that while he enjoyed it overall, it may have been better served with a different finish.

"I would have, without a doubt, put the Gates of Agony over. Why? Because it would have been shocking," Ray said. "Do you really think it would have hurt Will Ospreay or Swerve Strickland to do a quick favor like a roll-up one, two, three? They did a couple of misdirection spots. What if one of those misdirection spots led to one of the Gates of Agony getting the quick one? I'm not talking about the Gates of Agony hitting a double team finish or a singles finish, or a finish where Swerve or Ospreay had to lay there dead. I'm talking about one, two, three, kick [out] at three-and-a-half. Complete shock."

After the Gates of Agony secured the hypothetical win on "Dynamite," Ray noted that the focus would then pivot to a disdain-ridden Strickland and Ospreay, who eventually start brawling with one another. As such, members of the AEW locker room would rush down to the ring in an attempt to pull the two apart. "You go off the air with just chaos," Ray said.

In the actual closing scene, Ospreay smugly grabbed the AEW World Championship from Strickland's hand, to which Strickland responded by nailing Ospreay with a House Call. Strickland then stood tall, AEW World Championship in hand, as "Dynamite" went off the air.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit ""Busted Open After Dark" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.