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It is Wednesday and it’s time for AEW Dynamite, which is coming from the Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. Our commentary team is Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone.
We start with Jericho and Sammy Guevara out early, and Daniel Garcia comes out with them.
Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara vs Action Andretti and Ricky Starks
The presentation of the show is still improving, with more closeups and reaction shops as the match goes on. I really like when they do medium shots from the hard camera, since they keep the house lights up, and the people in the stands really pop off the screen. The match itself has been built over the last few weeks, and Andretti is now someone the crowd knows well and wants to see. It would be nice if we knew more about him that “he’s the babyface who beat Jericho.” Where did he come from, who is he, and why should we care?
Andretti has the stage for the nearly entire first segment with him and Sammy working. When Starks is tagged in, Jericho is tagged in as well, and the crowd was cheering for Starks for about a minute before he tagged in. Starks has a bit now where he struts on the top rope while holding onto the hand of an opponent. The crowd loves it, but it strikes me as too contrived, especially when he does it every match.
Andretti comes in off the hot tag, and shows off his high flying spot stuff, and that is when it should be used instead of at every moment in the match. We then get Starks in off a hot tag, and I like his move where he gets a Liger Bomb when Jericho tries for a Codebreaker. Just shows a lot of strength. The match ends with Garcia nailing Andretti with a bat while the ref is distracted, and Sammy gets the GTH for the pin and the win.
Winners: Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara
Surprised it didn’t go through to a second segment, but they have a loaded card tonight and lots of matches to get through. This one didn’t end the feud either, so it can keep going.
We then get a moving and well done video tribute to Jay Briscoe.
Darby Allin (TNT Champion) vs Buddy Matthews w/Julia Hart
Buddy has similar face paint to Darby. The announcers put over the Buddy is bigger and stronger than Darby, so it will probably be another match where Darby is tossed around for most of the match. We also have Darby's leg being wrapped to add to that idea. After a few minutes, the lights go out, and when they come back on, Brody King and Malakai Black are there. We also have Ortiz and Sting and they brawl outside the ring as the match keeps going on.
They brawl to the back during the picture in picture. Darby gets a Poisonrana where both he and Buddy have full extension and it was an impressive spot. The match has been more 50/50 than I thought it would be, and Darby is selling the leg injury where he can’t put any weight on it. When they move to near falls, Buddy does get a few reversals with Darby seemingly going for all of the big moves. Darby wins with a coffin drop with Buddy draped on the second rope, which looked a bit contrived.
Winner and still TNT Champion: Darby Allin
An OK match to keep the different feuds going with Sting and The House of Black as well as Ortiz. I smell a six man tag in our future.
Tony Schiavone is in the ring to talk to Darby about the matches Darby has had over the last few weeks. Before Darby can respond, we have Samoa Joe on the big screen to let him know he is coming to take his title back.
Adam Cole gives an update so we know he’s still there.
Matt Hardy’s Music starts and Ethan Page makes them cut it off. They then have a bit where Stokely Hathaway mocks Isiah Kassidy.
Ethan Page and Matt Hardy w/Stokely Hathaway and Isiah Kassidy vs Jungle Boy and Hook w/Hook’s Unfortunate Hair
Early on in the match, Page slaps Hook and then bails, leaving Matt to be attacked by JB and Hook. It’s pretty clear this is going to be a storyline match about how Matt and Kassidy are under the control of Hathaway and looking to break free. It’s a shame that Page is being used like this when he could be pushed as a powerhouse.
He’s got great heel charisma in this storyline, but the storyline also makes him to be kind for a coward, with having Matt do all of the heavy lifting. JB plays the babyface in peril until Hook tags in and cleans house. Storyline kicks in when Matt is about to hit the twist of fate to beat JB, and Page tells him to tag out. Matt tags out and JB escapes the move and locks ont he snare trap until Page has to tap out.
Winners: Jungle Boy and Hook
It’s time for the Family Therapy session with The Gunns, The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn. It’s just a setup for a match between the two teams. At least it wasn't bad comedy, but it really was a nothing segment.
Renee is with Adam Cole and he talks about how the next thing he wants to do is to knock out Jon Moxley. Wheeler Yuta comes in and says that Mox accepts for a match in Ohio, but they will fight on Friday on Rampage.
Brian Danielson vs Brian Cage w/Prince Nana
When they get to the top of the hour, Excalibur gives a soft reintroduction for the show by naming the commentary team and recapping the match.
The match is set up as a classic big guy vs a smaller, speedier opponent, and as you would expect, Bryan makes Cage look like a monster. Cage can have tendencies to work as more of a flier, but in this one, he works as a late 80’s WWF Big Man. The announcers let us know that Cage has been paid to break Bryan’s arm, but Cage has really just been attacking and not going after the arm.
Bryan starts selling the shoulder as we get back from picture in picture. Danielson takes a lot of abuse from Cage and wins with THE MOST DEVASTATING MOVE IN ALL OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING the surprise rollup.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
After Bryan has had a string of amazing matches, this was an OK TV match.
Cage attacks after the match is over and MJF comes to the ring and brings in a chair. Cage uses the chair to go after Bryan’s arm, and the MJF comes in and beats Bryan down as well. He calls for Cage to wrap the chair around his arm and then goes to the top.
Takesita runs to the ring to save Bryan, and drives off the heels.
We come back to a recap of the last segment, and Renee is in the back with the doctor and Bryan Danielson. The doctor says he can’t wrestle and Bryan says he will wrestle. He says that MJF is scared of him. Bryan says when he beats him, he will show that behind MJF’s mask is a fraud.
Toni Storm vs Ruby Soho
Last week, Ruby saved Willow Nightingale. We get an inset where Storm says that Ruby shouldn’t have saved the homegrown idiots. Ruby then gets her own inset that she is with the homegrown women because they accepted her. So, they are going to go full on with this feud.
Storm has new gear and has gone full heel in this match. They engage in a lot of straight up brawling as the match goes forward, and both of them are working snug through the first segment. A good entertaining match as we go to picture in picture. When we come back from the break, Ruby is going for finishers, and gets a lot of near falls. Storm pulls the “fake an injury to attack the babyface showing concern”
As Toni is about to hit Storm Zero, Britt Baker’s music hits and she comes out onto the stage, allowing Ruby to get Destination Unknown for the pin and the win.
Winner: Ruby Soho
A match much better than the crowd reaction, and they are drawing lines for two groups of women.
MJF gets to address the crowd from the locker room. MJF tells Takeshida to stay out of his business. MJF then addresses Bryan and says he is obsessed with him. He then talks about how the belt makes him feel whole. He says that if Bryan keeps trying to take away his belt, he will start with the psychic pain. He then says Bryan’s next opponent is Timothy Thatcher. We then get Jamie Hayter talking about meeting Emi Sakura on Rampage to give that match a bit of heat.
Jay Lethal vs Mark Briscoe
Some matches are about storylines. Some are about setting things up for the future. Some are about paying off a feud.
This match is a tribute to Jay Briscoe.
These two men have been in the ring with each other a lot over the last 20 years, and they are both incredible professionals.
This match is emotional in a way that is hard for people who aren’t hard core fans can understand.
But I am so happy that AEW is allowed to let Mark on their program to do this tribute. It’s also the first time Mark will be able to show a nationwide audience what he can do.
Lethal looks incredibly emotional as the match begins. As the match starts, they break out the greatest hits. Brawling as well as hold/counter hold. When we come back from the picture in picture, they have moved on their bigger, flashier moves. As they keep going in the ring, Ian is doing a fantastic job of explaining the import and influence the Briscoes have had over the years.
Mark goes to the top when Lethal is on the time keeper’s table for a froggie bo. Mark wins with a Jay Driller, his brother’s finisher.
Winner: Mark Briscoe
The locker room is on the stage to show their love for Jay Briscoe.
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