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It is Wednesday and AEW Dynamite is coming from the Chartway Arena in Norfolk VA. Our commentary team is Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone.
New kind of opening with Excalibur and Tony going over some of the main storylines leading into the show. I like this idea, as it’s always good to bring people up to date when you have continued stories. As the Jericho Appreciation Society comes to the ring, they go over what is going on with Jericho and his team, another way to get people updated on the stories.
Wheeler Yuta and Claudia Castagnoli vs Chris Jericho and Daniel Garcia
William Regal is back to flirting with Excalbur, calling him a creme brulee he’d like to crack.
The match starts off with Garcia working with first Claudio and then Yuta. The crowd is cheering for Yura over Claudio, and it feels like Yuta has become a home grown star for AEW. They also work a more mat based style, a distinct change from how Dynamite used to start with high flying super fast style, but now matches and now come as more traditional wrestling.
When Claudio and Yuta have Jericho and Yuta in danger in the middle of the ring, Hager distracts the ref to allow Angelo Parker and Matt Menard to rescue them. NIce bit where Mandard is hugging Garcia after the rescue. Claudio gets to be in peril through the commercial. Claudio has a massive show of strength by taking Garcia from being on his back to pulling him over and into a stalling vertical suplex.
He then catches Jericho in the middle of Codebreaker. The strength he shows every week is incredible. Claudio finally gets the hot tag and Yuta does a good job of exploding on the heels. Claudio tags in and he and Claudio go for a move where Claudio springs off the ropes into a Codebreaker that gets a camera cut in the middle so it doesn’t look so bad.
Claudio does the bit where he has Garcia on his back and does the big swing with Jericho. Claudio then takes out the entire JAS at ringside, which looked good. Claudio gets the win with the neutralizer.
Winners: Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta
A good opening match to get the crowd hyped and keep this feud going. Claudio and Yuta look strong.
Bryan Danielson is with Renee in the back and he goes over how frustrated he is with everything that has happened over the last few weeks. He’s about to take on the man with the most punchable face in wrestling, Sammy Guevara. Yuta shows up and says it’s about time that Banielson got mad. They start to have words, and Claudio steps in and tells them they will discuss it as adults.
And there we go, a video about The Elite where we see them vanishing. Looks like the investigation is over.
Mike Johnson said that signs were that Punk wouldn’t be back, and with The Elite getting promo videos, that feels like another sign. I am a fan of both Punk AND Kenny Omega, and with Punk, as a fan, I just want him to be happy with whatever he chooses to do. I also know that Kenny feels like he still has mountains to climb. It’s a messy situation, and as a fan, I just feel bad it happened and hope things are better for everyone from here on out.
Tony is with the Jericho Appreciation Society who are mad that Claudio and Yuta cheated because there was a baseball bat in the middle of the ring. Jericho says he issues a title to any former Ring of Honor champion, and the JAS will get all of the titles.
Swerve in Our Glory vs FTR
The Acclaimed come out to watch the match.
Cash and Swerve take some time to lock up and jockey for position before doing so. Another little thing that elevates a match.
They are highlighting the Gunn Club dressed as FTR at ringside. I rethink they need to get some promo time to push that feud as more than just something at ringside.
When Lee is tagged in, he takes his time and gives Swerve a long dirty look. Lee and FTR run the ropes and Lee is able to leap over them before hitting a crossbody on the two of them. During the picture in picture, Lee gets in a lot of action, almost a spotlight to get people ready for when he is a solo act.
Dax finally gets tagged in and Swerve is the legal man, so he takes most of the attack. Lee eventually comes over to help and Dax chops him down as well. Dax and Swerve trade near falls, and it's followed by Cash tagging in and the double team Swerve.
Swerve hasn’t done much of his high flying and speedy changes, working old school heel and not giving the crowd what they want. Swerve accidentally nails Lee when getting a flying kick on Cash. Swerve tries for the Swerve stomp, he and Dax trade control until Dax gets the slingshot power bomb for a two count.
Lee is able to tag in and take over, working on Cash. They work in FTR’s corner and Dax tags in and they both work over Lee. As they fight on the top, Cash tags Dax. He runs to the other corner and they get a superplex with Cash landing from the top for a two count. After a bit of double team work from Swerve in Our Glory not working, FTR gets the Big Rig onLee, broken up by Swerve.
Lee accidentally nails Swerve, and then gets rolled up for two. Swerve hits a low blow on Dax from the outside and neither Lee nor the ref see it. The Gunns hold Cash so he can’t break it up, and Lee hits a slam and pins Cas for the three.
Winners and now Number One Contenders: Swerve in Our Glory
Surprising that they won and the breakup continues. I was sure they would lose and that would be the breakup, but they’ll keep things going.
After the match, the Gunn Club attacks FTR. The Acclaimed run to the ring to drive off the Gunns
Saraya is with Renee in the back. Britt Baker shows and starts arguing with Saraya. Renee says that she won’t deal with this and if they want to talk, it has to be controlled.
Renee is on the ramp to talk to MJF. So, that won’t lead to him saying anything crude about her.
He is getting HUGE cheers from the crowd. Renee asks about fighting Jon Moxley.
MJF does a mocking impression of Moxley that’s not half bad. He then goes after William Regal. MJF keeps going to the crowd for cheers. Great promo as usual, but the crowd has turned him whether he likes it or not. He even says he not fighting Mox, he is fighting everyone who said he wasn’t good enough,.
Stokely Hathway comes out as MJF is going into his catchphrases. He says he won't lay a hand on Mox sarcastically. MJF says he will cut Stokely some slack. He says that Mox needs to be at 110% so Stokely needs to avoid him or he’s fired. MJF then starts his catchphrase and the crowd finishes it.
The Kingdom is here and they have a pre-tape where Matt Taven gives his bonafides, and Wardlow and Samoa Joe respond.
And yes, Matt Taven calls people Melvins.
I don’t like when they have the new people coming in go for the title immediately, because they almost have to lose, which brands them as a loser. And Taven is too good to be a tomato can.
Sammy Guevara vs Bryan Danielson
Sammy gets the first blow with a knee strike and Sammy keps it up until he gets a springing cutter and a two count. The commentary team reminds us that Bryan is on a two match losing streak, and that’s when Danielson is able to take control. Sammy and Danielson have a hard hitting, stiff match, and I’ll be interested to see how Sammy does when he’s not high flying and doing daredevil stuff.
Sammy hits a huge moonsault from the top rope after leaping there from the apron as we go to break. Looks like he gets to be in charge through the picture in picture.
When we come back, Danielson slaps Sammy so hard he might be able to taste again by next week’s Dynamite. Daneilson takes control again and just makes it look like he’s beating the hell out of Sammy. Sammy cuts him off with a Spanish Fly, but takes too long to get to the top. They have a nice sequence where Danielson is able to roll out the way of Sammy’s leaps. Danielson goes for the Labell lock and Sammy gets to the ropes.
Sammy gets a Spanish Fly from the top for a two. Visually striking. Danielson fires up and brings the crowd with him and he gets the psycho knee, stomping Sammy’s face in and then the triangle choke for the win.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
Danielson had been moving toward Happy Bryan for a bit, but in this match, he was back to the angry facial expressions, and a brutal style.
Rey Fenix and Alex are with Renee to talk about Penta’s match with Mox later. Alex says that Fenix should be going for the All Atlantic Championship. Christina Cage and Luchasaurus say Luchasaurus should get the title shot.
Orange Cassidy asks if they are talking about him and his title and says they can all have a match next week.
Riho vs Jamie Hayter
I think Rebel has had her crutch longer than Cowboy Bob Orton has his cast.
Riho looks tiny against Hayer. Every time they lock up, Riho is just walked wherever Hayter wants her to go. Riho has to reposition a couple of times in the first few sequences of the match.
Hayter hits a pair of snap suplexes into a pin, and has a speed and a snap to them that heightens how brutal it looks. Riho tries a comeback after the picture in picture, and while the punches are no good, the kicks and other leg based attacks work. Riho is always best when throwing herself around the ring like a projectile. The problem with her moves that Hayter is supposed to be able to get out of, she seems tentative and nervous about.
Hayter gets a stalling vertical suplex for a two count. Any attack move Hayter does looks like they should finish Riho. Riho gets a Code Red for a two count and shows frustration when it doesn’t work. Hayter gets a back breaker, but Riho gets a dragon suplex for a two count. Hayter finally gets the ripcord lariat and covers for the win.
Winner: Jamie Hayter
Not a good match. I don't know if it was Riho being nervous being back in AEW or a communication or style mismatch, but it didn’t gel.
Toni Storm comes out to show the title to Hayter and Baker.
Renee is with Eddie Kingston. She asks if Eddie is OK after his friends talking to him last week. He says he’s great and says he wants to talk about Mox.
I like that the show has focused on the main event and the main event is a title match. It feels more important because they MAKE it seem important.
We get a video from Darby Allin that Sting hasn’t been around in a while, and he told Sting he wasn’t happy and wanted to disappear. Sting said he’s too good to disappear, so he needs to prove himself without Sting. He then says that Jay Lethal has an old friend who knows his biggest weakness. He says to Jay to bring that old friend to Dynamite next week.
Jay says not to worry about his old friend and to worry more about their match next week.
Jon Moxley (AEW Champion) vs Penta
They have done a good job of building this up through the show, even though there is not a prayer of Penta winning. I am just looking for a good, hard hitting match from these two.
The match starts with a chop fest, the forearms, and then they move to blocking takedowns. They trade quick mat moves and when Penta does his hand int he face bit, Mox answers with double birds. For all of the times different wrestlers have tries to emulate Steve Austin, Mox is the first one who really feels like an angry wrestler who is out for himself and loves to fight like Austin at his best.
After the picture in picture, Mox is selling his shoulder which took hits on the steel steps. They trade offense back and forth. Nothing fancy, just punches, kcis and clotheslines with an occasional big move to take the other down. Mox keeps going for an on mat submission, but Penta is able to work out for them each time.
Mox hits the stomps and Penta is able to actually work out of it and goes back to working Mox’s shoulder. Mox blocks a destroyer on the steel steps and instead hits a DDT on Penta on the same steps. Mox starts his finishing moves with the King Kong lariat for a two count. Penta gets Fear Factor for a two count. Mox gets the Paradigm Shift and a Death Rider for the three count and the win.
Winner and still AEW Champion: Jon Moxley
The Firm hits the ring and they start a beat down. Looks like Stokley is gonna get fired by MJF. Security shows up and in the back, the Blackpool Combat Club has been locking into their locker room.
MJF charges to the stage and then stops and struggles with if he should help or not. He then runs to the ring and pushes The Firm away from Mox and he fires Stokely.
So, the Firm beat the ever lovin’ crap out of him.
And no one comes to help MJF and No One Should.
MJF Takes an Ego’s Edge. He is then put through the timekeeper’s table and we are desperately out of time.
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