The Perfect AEW Debut, Breaking Up Inner Circle, Dolph Ziggler, More Quick Takes

All Elite Wrestling promised an eventful evening Wednesday night, and Dynamite delivered.

The episode was highlighted by the highly anticipated arrival of Keith Lee, who had one of the better AEW debuts there's been. It also saw New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Jay White make his presence felt, Adam Page successfully defend his AEW World Championship in a thrilling affair and Inner Circle come as close as they have to parting ways.

WWE wasn't without its standout moments as well, most notably with Naomi looking fantastic in her defeat against SmackDown Women's champion Charlotte Flair. Their show-stealer was further proof that Naomi has been a top talent along and only now WWE is starting to realize it.

In NXT, Dolph Ziggler shocked the world when he surfaced on the former black-and-gold brand Tuesday night and indicated he could be a fixture on the show for the foreseeable future. It's an interesting move that could end up benefiting both NXT 2.0 and his career in the long haul.

This installment of Quick Takes will tackle Ziggler's upcoming NXT stint, who should fill the final spot in the women's Elimination Chamber match, why it's imperative Inner Circle is broken up and more.

Keith Lee's Strong AEW Debut Provides Fans with Hope for a Bright Future

It was in the previous edition of Quick Takes in which we discussed the skepticism surrounding Keith Lee's pending AEW debut and how there is a real chance he is lost in the shuffle among the other high-profile pickups who have since lost steam.

Of course, there's still a danger that happens as AEW continues to load up its roster with more top-tier talent. However, his strong debut Wednesday night gave fans faith he will be just fine, with owner Tony Khan apparently seeing Lee for the star that he is.

Hopes were high going into the episode, with Khan heavily hyping a hot free agent's arrival via social media. Lee was the most likely choice, so while it wasn't surprising, he couldn't have been booked better on his first night.

His complete destruction of Isiah Kassidy had shades of his dominant run in WWE NXT. It was only after he moved to the main roster in WWE that the company lost its way with him, but he's off to a stellar start in AEW, having qualified for the Face of the Revolution Ladder match.

Lee's ceiling for success in AEW is limitless. Now the pressure is on for the follow-up to be equally excellent and for Khan to ensure Lee is a fixture toward the top of the card—where he belongs.

Naomi Is Doing Some of Her Strongest Work Right Now

It's safe to say Naomi has received more television time during her heated feud with Sonya Deville over the past six months than she has at any other point in her WWE career—and she's making the most of it.

She received her fair share of title shots in her early years on the main roster, but her awe inspiring agility and innovation in the ring was rarely showcased. Even after she became SmackDown women's champion twice in 2017, she was hardly the focal point of the division and didn't have many memorable matches.

As repetitive as her rivalry with Deville has become, she's been able to adopt an all-new aggressive edge to her character. She's also been having her best bouts to date, starting with Deville on the go-home show before the Royal Rumble and again with Charlotte Flair on Friday's SmackDown.

Naomi took Flair to the limit in what turned out to be an outstanding affair. The outcome wasn't too much in doubt going in, with Flair vs. Ronda Rousey already announced for WrestleMania 38, but that didn't stop the crowd from buying into every exciting near-fall down the stretch.

All roads should lead to Naomi giving Deville her comeuppance in a one-on-one match at 'Mania. Now that she's reminded everyone of what she's capable of, she should be back in championship contention sooner rather than later.

Dolph Ziggler's Move to NXT 2.0 Could Benefit Both the Brand and His Own Career

Dolph Ziggler would have stuck out like a sore thumb in the old NXT and paled in comparison to the organically over and established stars the brand was doing such a good job of producing at the time.

With the show now being built around youth and inexperience, a Superstar such as Ziggler can be incredibly useful. That was evident during his debut on Tuesday's show when he engaged in a war of words with Bron Breakker and exchanged blows with Tommaso Ciampa.

The Showoff has been so badly booked on the main roster for so many years that nothing he will do will shake the feeling that he's a stepping stone for practically everyone else. It's wise of WWE to embrace that by putting him on the one show where it makes sense for him to lose to the talent of tomorrow.

Breakker and Carmelo Hayes are well on their way to breaking out, but they first need to beat credible competitors. Seasoned veterans are becoming hard to come by in NXT these days, but Ziggler is the perfect person to fill that void, have quality matches with the entire roster and elevate as many people as possible.

Above all else, NXT 2.0 needs some serious star power and, love him or loathe him, Ziggler is a notable name. He's someone whose absence from Raw and SmackDown won't make much of a difference, and he will be able to play a pivotal role on NXT instead.

Elimination Chamber Should Mark the Long-Awaited Return of Asuka

Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship is all but guaranteed for WrestleMania 38. Thus, Belair outlasting everyone in the upcoming Elimination Chamber match to earn that title shot is a formality.

That doesn't mean WWE can't have some fun with the Chamber, though. Several other stars will be involved as well, and Rhea Ripley poses a legitimate threat to Belair's chances of winning. The mystery sixth woman shouldn't be counted out, either.

No one makes more sense to fill that spot than the returning Asuka.

The Empress of Tomorrow has been missing from WWE TV since July's Money in the Bank pay-per-view. The latest update from Fightful Select suggested that she'll be back in February (h/t James Holder of Inside the Ropes), so it would be surprising if that spot in the Chamber went to anyone else.

Asuka vs. Lynch has been done several times over the past three years and there's nothing to gain from revisiting that rivalry, but she should have a strong showing if she does compete in Saudi Arabia to re-establish herself as a dominant force in Raw's women's division.

The Time Has Come for Inner Circle to Go Their Separate Ways

Inner Circle has been one of AEW's biggest staples dating back to the first episode of Dynamite in October 2019, but the faction ran its course a while back and its members would benefit from its demise.

Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana and Ortiz were all excellent people to have in Chris Jericho's corner during his entertaining reign as AEW world champion. Once that was over, no one seemed to benefit from Inner Circle as much as Jericho, at least until Guevara branched out and won the AEW TNT Championship in September 2021.

Santana and Ortiz, on the other hand, have been overshadowed while with Jericho and have been largely booked like henchmen. Their tremendous promos on the latest Dynamite proved that they are more than capable of flying solo and finding success, hence their ties to Jericho should be severed soon.

It would be foolish for all of this tension to be teased and for the group to get back to being on the same page. If Santana and Ortiz are going to be aligned with anyone, Eddie Kingston would be a far more natural fit given their history dating back to their days in Impact Wrestling.

Inner Circle has served a purpose, but the time has come for the faction to break up so that everyone involved can move on to bigger and better things, specifically Santana and Ortiz.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.