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COMPLETE AEW DYNAMITE BLOG

It's Wednesday, we're in Daily's Place in Jacksonville Florida and it's time for Dynamite Homecoming. Our announcers are Jim Ross, Excalibur, and Tony Schiavone.

We start out with Labor number three of Chris Jericho. MJF is on commentary.

Chris Jericho must win with a move off the top rope vs Juventud Guerrera

Juventud looks good for not having been seen in a long time, but his first Rana did not work out all that well. Jericho also didn't help him look good as he leaped from the top into his arms as if Jericho was holding him. Jericho is all taped up from his match last week, and he's got unshaven scruff to look as if he's being worn down.

As the match goes on, it's clear that they are about a quarter of a step off. Jericho tears at Juvie's mask which is odd with him being the babyface in the match. MJF berates the ref, and is entertaining on the commentary as he just plays the old school heel, making this match more exiting as he plays his role to a T. For the finisher, Jericho hits a Judas Effect off the top turnbuckle and the match is over.

Your winner: Chris Jericho

This wasn't a good match, sloppy and a lot of botches and missed moves. Jericho did a good job of fighting from behind, but showing the wear and tear of the labors so far, so I get why he was a bit slower tonight, but Juvie just wasn't able to keep up. Instead of trying to have a fast paced, high flying match, it would have worked better if they had a more mat based match to fit with the fact that they are 23 years past their big match in 1998.

Wardlow come to the ring, beats down Jericho and hits Juvie with a F10 for failing. He then puts Jericho up on the top and hits him with the Casualty of War. MJF grabs a mic and says Wardlow will be his next opponent, and MJF will be the referee for that match.

In the back, it's supposed to be Death Triangle, but Pac didn't make it. Rey says it's suspicious that Pac's travel not messed up. Andrade and Chavo show to say that if they worked for him, their travel would have been first class. They tell hIm they don't work for anyone.

Backstage, Tony is with the Dark Order, and he says they have lost their tag time title show and before they can answer, Adap Page shows up and apologizes for losing the title show. He created their problems. They are upset he hadn't called them back all week. Page says he needs to go it alone so he's not looking over his shoulder to protect them.

Daniel Garcia, Matt Lee, and Jeff Parker (2.0) vs Darby Allin, Jon Moxley, and Eddie Kingston w/ Sting

2.0, formerly Ever Rise from NXT, give a promo about how they were underutilized and can go where ever they want and they are calling out whoever they want. Darby gets a HUGE pop, and Mox's is just about as loud.

Darby and Daniel start the match and have some fast hold for hold moves. I keep thinking that Darby could do some great work if he had more matches like this, and it would give his characater some more dimension. Eddie tag i9n and after some nice bits where he finds the attacks of Matt to be ineffective (and Eddie got a massive pop when he tagged in) he is the one who gets the beat down on the small screen. When we come back, 2.0 is working the ref to get to cause more damage to Eddie. After sdome outside the ring stuff, Mox tags in and gets to clean house and win the match by hitting the Paradigm Shift and Darby tags in to hit the coffin drop and the pin.

Your winners: Darby Allin, Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston.

A good spotlight match for Allin, Mox and Eddie, and the crowd loved it. Ever Rise didn't come across as all that much more than jobbers, so they've got some work to do if they are going to be a tag team to watch.

We then get a video package of the history between Ricky Starks and Brian Cage.

The Elite are messing around with a basketball and are happy that Dark Order is asking for a Impact Tag Team Title shot and they are happy to give them a beating. The Bucks then say that there is no one else to challenge them and they should retire their jerseys. I LOVE HEEL BUCKS. They come off as massive jerks. Kenny then says that Hangman had the crowd behind him, and he blew it. He has no friends, no match and the only thing left to do is cut down the net because there is no main event at the next Pay Per View.

Christian Cage vs Blade w/The Bunny

Cage meets Blade on the ramp and it's a brawl. When they get to the ring, Blade beats him down, rips off his shirt and the story of the match is going to be where are the brass knuckles. Bunny grabs Christian's leg when he's up top, and Layla Hirsch, her opponent later comes out and they brawl into the back. Blade throws Christian across the top rope, midsection hitting and it looks just brutal. They do it again on the small screen, and they work an abdominal hold through the commercials.

We come back to Blade in control, keeping him down. Blade is working stiff and Christian is making him look good through the beat down. Christian leaps onto the floor and lands flat footed and it looks like he tweaked his knee. Blade lets him get into the ring under his own power, and back in the ring, they go back to brawling. Blade starts to take off the turnbuckle and as the ref is trying to stop him and refasten it, Blade goes to another corner and pulls pout the brass knuckles, but when he turns around, he gets a spear from Christian, and Christian covers for the pin.

Your winner: Christian Cage

We get a video package of Santana and Ortiz talking about their match last week with FTW, who also answer them, and they put over how nasty the injury that Cash Wheeler got last week. Last week's match should have been a fight, and it wasn't, so they are making it seem as if the NEXT time they meet, it will finally be a war.

In the ring, Tony Schiavone is there to ask his one question of Britt Baker with Reba. And Reba's crutch. Which she still doesn't know how to use. Before she can answer, Red Velvet comes out. They have a great war of words, and will meet at the first episode of Rampage next Friday. Reba tries to hit Red with her crutch, but misses. This allows Britt to hit Red with a curb stomp.

In the back, Dasha is with Andrade and Chavo, Chavo says that while the Lucha Brothers may not work for him, but Fuego Del Sol is the new employee, and Chavo says to shine Andrade's shoes. Del Sol says that's not what the job was, and when he refuses, Andrade beats him down. Chavo then says if they keep working for Pac they will never be champions.

We come back to Tony in the ring with Adam Page for Tony's one question. He asks Adam to clarify what was going through his mind with the Dark Order and instead, The Elite come out. You have to hand it to the Bucks as they find outfits more obnoxious every week. That's a skill.

Adam says he has something to clear up with them, and Kenny says they will go into the ring to see what he wants. Kenny says that Page must be making a plea to rejoin the Elite. Page says he's not going to do that. Kenny heels him and the crowd as a Try Hard. Kenny says he MAY forgive his sins and look past his vices, but the Elite is better today than when he was a member. The Elitye doesn't have losers and failures in the group. He slaps Kenny and they attack him.

The Dark Order start to come to the ring, but Uno and Grayso keep them back because it's what Adam Page asked for. Page takes two BTE triggers and Frankie Kazarian comes to the ring and attacks, but he's is overwhelms by the numbers. Kenny says he will give Adam one more look at what he wants and nails him with the title belt.

We then get a promo from Dan Lambert who is upset that Lance Archer attacked him a few weeks ago. He says he will be back next week to tell the truth and he is bringing backup.

Just looked at the clock and we're over an hour into the show. As always, Dynamite has a fast pace and doesn't slow down. Even with my small issues, it's been an entertaining show.

Miro (TNT Champion) vs Lee Johnson w/Dustin Rhodes

Miro has new entrance music, and comes to the ring like a monster. His new presentation has worked to make him a new character over the last few months.

The crowd is cheering for Miro as he just destroys Lee which shows me that the crowd doesn't care much about heels and faces, they like the people they like. The fight goes into the commercial, and Lee is just shown to be ineffectual against Miro. Miro's reaction to all of Lee's moves has been a variation of “Are you kidding me with this?”

When we come back to the big screen, Miro has Lee in a bear hug, and then lets him go so that Lee can get his one big shot to stagger Miro. He works over Miro's ankle with drop kicks and then starts hitting him with Topes outside the ring. Lee gets a cross body and less than a one count with his cover. The crowd is into this match and so am I. Lee takes him down again with kicks. Miro turns the tide with a side kick and then locks in the Game Over for the win.

Your winner and still TNT champion: Miro

Really great match for both guys, making them both seem bigger now that it's over, and giving the crowd a good look at how he will be as a champion.

They let us know the announce booth will be Taz, Excalibur, Jericho and Mark Henry. A 4 man booth?

Tony now gets to ask Christian Cage a single question about what it's like to be the number one contender. He says it's great. Tony gets a SECOND question if he will be at ringside for Layla like she was for her, and he says that Layla has Best Friends. Cage then says he has come back to cement his legacy and he's going to win championships, and he's been known to stir up something that gets censored. And he's not the best at it. He's Elite.

Leyla Hirsch vs The Bunny winner fights for the NWA Women's championship

Leyla comes to the ring with the Best Friends, and I will admit I am a big fan of her style and her character. The story of the match is the she is just able to out power Bunny. Bunny gets to control the match and we get the Hardy Family on one side fo the ring and the Best Friend on the other.  Bunny dominates through the commercial and had to use heel tactics to get that control (hair pulling and the like). Bunny does a lot of the Crazy Person stuff before her moves and really has the facial expressions to sell the character down pat.

Back on the full screen Leyla has taken control back. We get some stare downs from Kris Statlander and Nyla Rose outside the ring. After dominating for a couple fo minutes, Leyla misses a moonsault from the top and Bunny hits a Death Valley Driver for a three count. Leyla puts on an arm bar and finally gets the win via tap out.

Your winner: Leyla Hirsch.

A good 50/50 match, not just a good wrestling match, but a character match. And I am glad they didn't have a big brawl outside the ring so that these two could do their work.

Kamille, the NWA champion comes to the ring to face off with Layla, who comes up to her chest.

We then get a promo from Jade Cargill and Smart Mark Sterling. I dozed off for a bit while it was on.

They give a rundown of next week's matches on both Dynamite and Rampage.

Cody Rhodes vs Malachi Black

The lights go out during Black's entrance and when they come up, he has a horn filled mask on. The guy has always has presence, and this entrance uses it to make him seem special.

We get commercials and with Cody's entrance, they aren't going to hook up until there are ten minutes left in the show. He comes out with Dustin and we don't see Arn with him. Tony then lets us know that QT won't apologize to him this week.

Black immediately goes to work on Cody's leg and Cody is on the defensive from the start fo the match. Black also goes after Cody's eyes, a great move to get the crowd to hate him. He locks on a leg hold that he doesn't break until the ref yells at him that it was a four of the five count. They then go to a spot where Cody goes to the top and Black kicks his leg and Cody falls through the timekeeper's table.

The crowd loves it.

Black then sits in the lotus position as Cody struggles to get into the ring. Every tiem Cody struggles to get up, Black drops him. Black finally hits him with a spinning heel kick and covers him for the three count.

Your winner: Malachi Black

This was a squash match, and it should have been. Black came off as a major superstar here, and it's the best “first match” for a guy jumping to AEW since they started.

Black goes to the back, and Tony goes to the ring to speak to Cody. The doc brings in a crutch for Cody and he takes a long time to answer Tony. He says when he got into wrestling, he just wanted the title they took away from his daddy in the Garden. Cody struggles to his feet, and says he's had so much fun. He then thanks Tony and he says he goal now was that he fired them, they didn't fire him. He says he talks about how he met Matt and Nick and how people laughed at them.

He's really making this seem like a retirement speech.

He says they are destination viewing now. He says for three years, he's face has been on everything. He says that Daily's Place is the AEW Amphitheater. And there is no better place than here and no better time than now. He says loves the crowd and takes off one of his boots. Black then sneaks into the ring and nails Cody with the crutch. The announcers ask if he rtetired Cody Rhodes and we're out fo time!

 

 

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