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COMPLETE AEW DYNAMITE WINTER IS COMING 2023 BLOG

It is Wednesday and this week Dynamite is at the College Park Center in Arlington, TX and it is the Winter is Coming show. The commentary team is Tony Schiavone, Taz, and Excalibur.

The first Winter is Coming was a tie-in to Game of Thrones and had Sting arrive, but since then, they have pretty much just been typical episodes of Dynamite. I really wish they would let us know why this episode is one of the Special Dynamite episodes. 

And Samoa Joe is on his way to the ring as we start. He is here for answers, and he promised MJF he would keep him whole until World’s End. Last week, he failed as MJF was laid out in the back during Dynamite. He says that the beer bottle used on MJF, it was the same kind of beer Hangman Adam Page drinks. 

So we hear Page’s music. Page says he doesn't care about the guessing game about who is the Devil. Joe says he’s not a detective, he’s an executioner. They are interrupted by Roderick Strong and The Kingdom, and he says Joe needs to listen to Page, since he is his Young Boy. Roddy then lays out his reason why he thinks the Devil is MJF. 

Page then nails Roddy who rolls out of the ring and a referee gets between Joe and Page.  Roddy attacks Page from behind and the bell rings.

Roderick Strong vs Adam Page

Page stomps down Roddy and dominates through the first part of the match. Any time Roddy starts to get offence, Page cuts him off.  The match involves a lot of punching and kicking.  Before we go to picture in picture, The Kingdom help Roddy by interfering and distracting the referee. 

When they come back from picture in picture, they go back to Page beating down Roddy. As the match goes on, it almost feels like a squash match, which is a shame, since Roddy’s new character should be a lot stronger in a match like this. Page moves to a series of big moves and near falls. Right as I type that, Roddy gets a Tiger Driver into a boston crab. This is followed by Page fighting off The Kingdom AND Roddy. Page gets the deadeye and the pin.

Winner: Adam Page

The announcers say this is a return to form for Page.

Brody King vs Andrade El Idolo is a Continental Classid Match

They are having some of the Blue League matches on Dynamite because they are coming up to the end of the tournament quickly, and the tournament seems to be getting ratings if the Saturday Collision are going up because of it.  

Andrade is able to grab a side headlock to start the match and they work it for a little while as Andrade slows Brody down. From there it becomes a Hoss Fight, and while it is still a lot of punching and kicking instead of wrestling holds, it is different from the Roddy/Page match because they work it as Big Men while also using a lot of long holds that look painful. Andrade looks as if he’s able to work over Brody, which not a lot of people have been able to pull off.

When they get to the near falls, Andrade is able to go toe to toe with Brody, and its done in such a way as to make both men look stronger. Andrade is able to drop Brody’s head on the top fo the turnbuckle, and follows up with a Hammerlock DDT for the pin and the win.

Winner and getting three points:  Andrade El Idolo

I liked this match a lot. A good hoss fight that felt different from their other matches. It made Andrade look dangerous without taking anything away from Brody.

Renee Paquette is in the back with Kevin Von Erich and his sons Ross and Marshall.  Orange Cassidy, Danhousen, and Trent Beretta, and Orange asks if the Von Erich’s will have his back. Danhausen and Trent are a little upset, but Orange says it’s Texas, you need a Von Erich.

Kenny Omega is on his way to the ring in street clothes. Jericho comes to the ring during the commercial break.

Jericho says Big Bill and Ricky Starks put him out for three weeks. He then calls for Big Bill and Starks to come to the ring.

They oblige him. 

Bill says that if Jericho would attack Omega for no reason, no one would be shocked. Omega says he doesn’t trust Jericho and Jericho knows it. Omega reminds him about The Firm with MJF and how it was a failure and kind of soft.

Or was is sawft?

Starks says he’s already beaten Jericho twice, and he accepts their challenge for a match at World’s End. Starks says they don't have a name, and Jericho starts testing out names, the first one being bleeps. The second one is bleeped. Jericho then tries to get a chant started for Big Billy Starks. Jericho then says that Starks is a better dressed, less charismatic version on Enzo. 

Starks then spits fire at them, but it doesn't quite land. 

Bit of a misfire by everyone. I don't know if the material wasn’t great, or their timing was off, but not the best work by everyone involved. 

We then get a recap of Shana Wayne attacking Adam Copeland.

Timeless Toni Storm joins commentary.  So I’m happy about that.

Ruby Soho vs Riho

Riho had a return last week, and Ruby Soho and Saraya have had issues.  Toni asks if she should do Color commentary or play by play. Riho has a new look and more athletic gear as she comes to the ring.

Soho starts in control, but after Riho gets a bridge out of a pin, Riho takes control with hsi face paced work. 

Toni’s commentary is hilarious. The match itself is OK, but it’s all worth it for Toni’s comments like “That’s not Ruby Soho, Ruby has green hair. I don't know who that person is.”

When we come back from picture in picture, the match is still moving fast. It also works because both women are petite, so the moves feel like they do more damage. Riho wins with running double knees for the pin and the win.

Winner: Riho

 

We get a promo from Wardlow where he puts himself over and he will take out MJF.

Rush vs Jay Lethal in the Continental Classic

They start off fast, and thai is another hard hitting matchy between two men who know each other well. They start with a lot of their normal moves. Lots of chops and suplexes as well, with Rush going right up to the line of breaking the rules. Rush is able to block a Lethal Injection and locks on a sleeper for the win in the shortest match in the tournament. 

Winner and getting three points: Rush

Jay White vs Jay Briscoe in a Continental Classic match

The announcers say that if Jay White and Swerve Strickland keep winning, they will be the ones to face off in the finals. 

Mark goes right at White and White is able to get a surprise rollup for two. The crowd is loudly in the corner of Mark. They brawl on the floor after Mark gets a Froggie Bo. Mark is in control as they return to reign and White is able to suplex Mark out of the ring, and Mark’s shoulder hits the apron, which I hear is the hardest part of the ring.

This match is super fast and a lot of fun. It has the 100 mph of early AEW matches without tons of leaps and dives. Just two great wrestlers who know how to put a match together. 

I just realized that we are an hour and forty minutes into the show.  It’s pretty much all been Continental Classic, but if you like a show that is pretty much all wrestling, this one will work for you. After they hit each other with a series of big moves, Jay White gets his knees up when Mark comes off the top and hits the Blade Runner for the pin and the win.

Winner: Jay White

We get a video promoting the Blackpool Combat Club vs FTR and Mark Bricoe at Final Battle Friday.

Which is probably why they haven’t done any promo for Rampage, which is on at the same time.

Swerve Strickland vs Jon Moxley in a Continental Classic match.

As seems to be the pattern, Swerve gets a big pop when his music hits. 

They take a LONG time to lock up. They start off with mat work, going hold for hold. The big thing they have done in the Continental Classic is try to have matches with a different style on each show. Even with both of these guys have big violent matches in their repertoire, they go with the “human chess” style.

Swerve tosses Mox from the ring with tejaris, and then taunts him to come back into the ring.  Nice touch there.

Swerve is able to stop Mox from a leap off the ropes after kicking his ankles and then hits a DDT on him leaping to the second rope and bringing Mox down. That looked brutal. They move to brawling on the floor and this is Mox’s territory where he works over Swerve. After the picture in picture, Swerve is fighting from underneath, and it becomes more of a brawl in the ring. Swerve is doing more of his high flying attacks while Mox is doing more of his brawling violence. 

As they move to near falls, the crowd is completely hooked and counting along with each pin and getting loud when a submission hold is on. Mox is able to kick out at two after the Swerve Stomp and grab a surprise rollup for the pin and the win.

Winner and getting three points: Jon Moxley

The announcers say that Mox grabbed the tights and Swerve had a shoulder up, but the ref couldn’t see it. 

In the back Adam Page is attacked by the Minions and The Devil comes out of a limo to direct traffic as the goons slam Page into the windshield.

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