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It is Wednesday and this week Dynamite is at the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK. The commentary team is Tony Schiavone, Taz, and Excalibur.
Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli vs FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler)
Mox and Wheeler start off and I realize that FTR has been a cornerstone of Collision since that show started, so this is kind of a return to Dynamite. Harwood and Castagnoli work for a short time and they have set the tone that this will be a hard hitting match. When the match goes onto the floor, it highlights that this is just going to be a fight between the two teams.
The match moves at a good pace, and it avoids a lot of the rote sequences like having one of the team members in the ring with the other team working them over. Instead, they keep the pace quick and make the moves look and feel like they are solid with top notch reactions to each big blow.
They do finally have Dax as the babyface in peril through the commercial break, making it less obvious to the TV viewer. When they move to the near falls, it just feels like these two teams work well together because they both feel like wrestling should look like a fight. FTR puts together a great Electric Chair on Mox as the announcers let us know there are only 5 minutes left.
All four men are int he ring fighting with each other for the last few minutes of the match, so the ref has completely given up any semblance of keeping order. They keep going for finishers as the bell rings and time runs out.
Time limit draw
They crowd chants for five more minutes, and the two teams keep fighting and it’s a pull apart brawl.
Good opener for the show and I like that they are just building this feud since these teams are great together.
In the back, Renee Paquette is with Orange Cassidy and she goes over all that he has been up to over the last month. Cassidy says that he will need to check with the doctor, who says he is barely medically cleared, so Cassidy says he will be wrestling Mike Bennett later tonight.
Alex Marvez is with FTR and they call for a match at Revolution when Mox and Castagnoli show and they are held apart by officials.
Orange Cassidy (AEW International Champion) vs Mike Bennett
Before the match, Cassidy charges up the ramp and hits Matt Taven with an Orange Punch, and then he and Bennett fight into the ring. Cassidy’s character has been a slacker who doesn’t get upset, so the build they have done with Roderick Strong and the Undisputed Kingdom has been all about pushing Cassidy beyond his limits.
As the match goes on, once Cassidy fends off a flurry from Bennett, Strong comes out to get on the apron. The ref calls for him to be removed, and as the ref is dealing with that, Bennett gets a low blow in for a two count as we go to picture in picture. When they come back, Bennett has things well in hand so he grabs a headset to mock Cassidy. Cassidy is able to use that time to recover and they brawl around the ring.
When they return to the ring, they put over that Cassidy is having trouble keeping up, but because Cassidy won’t quit, he gets an opportunity for the beach break, into the pin and the win.
Winner and still AEW International Champion: Orange Cassidy
As soon as the match is over, Matt Taven attacks Cassidy and Roddy shows up to take Cassidy out and Cassidy is saved by…
Jake Hager?
We’re gonna need an explanation for that, but it will have to wait because Renee is in the back with Angelo Parker to ask him about his upcoming date with Ruby Soho. Ruby shows and Renee leaves. A white limo pulls up and it’s not for the date, it’s time for Ric Flair to show.
Apologies as my laptop died. Orange Cassidy scores the pin with Beach Break. Matt Taven and Roderick Strong attack and Jake Hager makes the save,
Renee PAquette is with Angelo Parker and Ruby Soho as they go on their date. Ric Flair pulls up in a limosine.
Renee with with Flair. Ric is disappointed that he hasn't had a bigger role. Not necessarily with Sting but with the whole situation. Ric goes into Matthew and Nicholas Jacksons dressing room.
Renee stops Flair to talk to him about his thoughts about Sting’s final match. Flair says he wishes he would have been a bigger part of the build to the match and he hasn’t been around the last few weeks. Flair says he will be exploring some options. Flair then knocks on the door of the Young Bucks’s office and goes in.
Tony Schiavone is in the ring and he’s there to talk to Daniel Garcia. Tony lets us know Garica gets a TNT title shot at Revolution against Christian Cage. Garcia gives an impassioned promo about how every time he got down the fans picked him up. He then says that if his match with Adam Copeland had gone on longer, he would have made Adam tap out, and the next time they meet, he will be holding the TNT title.
He starts talking to Cage, who appears with NIck Wayne, Killswitch, and Mother Wayne. Cage says that Garcia has done a great job, but he doesn’t think he will wrestle him at Revolution because Garcia isn’t ready yet. Cage then says he knows that Garcia didn’t have a happy childhood and Garcia’s father…IS DEAD! Cage is such a perfect heel with these promos.
Cage then runs down Garcia’s father and says unlike Garcia’s father, he wants to help him. He says at Revolution he doesn't want to be his opponent, he wants to be his father.
Garcia says since Cage knows so much about his dead father, he should come to the ring and Garcia will put Cage int he ground next to him.
Nick Wayne is sent to the ring and is take out quickly. Killswitch comes to the ring and Matt Menard shows up with a chair and nails Killswitch before he can get in the ring.
In the back, Rbnnee is with Adam Page, Hook, and RVD. Page yells at RVD for not taking out Swerve Strickland and takes off. RVD and Hook fist bump after he leaves.
Toni Storm w/Luther and Mariah May vs the already in the ring Sydni Winnell
Toni wins quickly with a pile driver followed by Deonna Purrazzo’s Venus De Milo move.
Winner: Toni Storm
As Luther is starting to carry Toni to the back, Deonna comes to the ring. They have a quick staredown and it is still impressive that Toni’s half of the screen is black and white and Deonna’s side is in color.
Deonna Purrazzo vs Madison Rayne
I had forgotten that Madison was in AEW, since they use her so rarely. This highlights to me that they’ve got some great talent that hasn’t been used much such as Serena Deeb, Leyla Hirsch, and more. I know they get time on Ring of Honor, but we more than the requisite one match a show.
This is a match to show that Purrazzo is on a level with Storm, so Rayne does a great job of making her look good. At the end of the match, Deonna hits a scary looking face buster and then uses Toni’s “Break a leg” ankle lock and Rayne has to tap out.
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo
Storm hits the ring after the match and Storm is able to lock on the Break a Leg and the ref demands Luther assist with breaking the hold. Storm smears lipstick all over hi+er mouth as they stare each other down.
In the back Don Callis is with Renee and explains why Ospreay vs Takeshita will be a good match for them to show the power of the Callis Family. He then threatens Sammy Guevara.
It’s time for the Main event and if you dont’ think it ends with Page getting mad at his partners, you haven’t been paying attention.
Hook, Rob Van Dam, and Adam Page vs Swerve Strickland, Brian Cage, and Samoa Joe
We start off with Hook and Joe, echoing their previous match. Cage, who has a grudge against Hook as well, tags in and they fight for a bit before RVD is tagged in. This brings us Swerve and RVD, which is another match we’ve had in the past. If we would have had more promo time and build to this main event, there are a lot of stories they could have highlighted to make this feel bigger than just a whole bunch of guys in a match. Page is tagged in and they go at each other, pulled apart by their partners, and the crowd is cheering for Page as we go to picture in picture.
Hook gets to play the babyface in peril through the commercial and when we go back to full screen. RVD gets the hot tag and gets to show off his greatest hits. This is probably the best way to use RVD so that the crowd gets to say they saw him do his stuff, and he doesn’t have to carry things, since he’s not as young as he used to be. None of us are.
RVD is the babyface in peril through the second commercial break. The announcers let us know that the two teams are arguing among themselves. We need to SEE it. SHOW, DON’T TELL!
Cage and Page are tagged in and Page goes after Swerve before going at Cage. ASs everyone starts hitting finishers, Excalibur says no one gets higher than RVD, and Tax agrees, but Tony says Hook may have something to say about that.
Well then…
Cage and Swerve take out Hook, and Page hits a buckshot on Cage. This brings Joe into the ring and we get Joe, Swerve, and Page in the ring. Swerve and Page go at each other, and Joe joins in. Swerve tries a kick on Page but hits Joe instead, and then Page powerbombs Swerve through the commentary desk.
Page misses a buckshot on Joe and Joe hits the power slam on Page. Hook hits a surprise suplex on Joe, which is impressive. After Cage gets in some attacks, Joe gets the Coquina Clutch on RVD and Rob has to tap out.
Winners: Swerve Strickland, Brian Cage, and Samoa Joe
They went over about 7 minutes this time, so make sure to set that DVR correctly for the overflow.
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