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It is Wednesday and this week Dynamite is at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. The commentary team is Tony Schiavone, Taz, and Excalibur.
Adam Copeland comes to the ring to start the show. Adam says there has been a lot of negative crap this week but he’s feeling positive. He says he loves professional wrestling and watched all of it when he was a kid. He says that AEW is where he needs to end his career because it is a murderer’s row of talent. It’s a real rah rah, go team speech, which, to be blunt, AEW needs more of to define what the company is going forward.
He then introduces Will Ospreay.
Will Ospreay vs Powerhouse Hobbs
Don Callis joins commentary.
This is another “members of the Don Callis Family against each other” match even though Don Callis hasn’t been anywhere near Ospreay since the first couple of weeks Ospreay came into the company. It’s framed as a big man against high flier, but Ospreay doesn’t look much smaller than Hobbs, other than Hobbs looking like a powerlifter. As they brawl around ringside, we get some interesting camera angles of Hobbs that make him look monstrously huge.
After the commercial break, Ospreay starts the high flying and shows of his more spectacular moves. The momentum swings back to Hobbs who then does his power moves. Ospreay wins with the sky twister followed by the hidden blade.
Winner: Will Opsreay.
As Ospreay’s run continues, I am looking at what they are doing as a positive. Rather than having him come in and go right for a title, they are having his go against people who are considered bigger stars, in different kinds of matches to get the people who don’t know him to see he can be more than the crazy spot guy we saw on the Pay Per View and in his first match on Collision. The idea seems to be to build him for the people who don’t know him, while still giving the people who do the kind of matches they want to see.
Don Callis comes to the ring and raises Ospreay’s hand, but Hobbs is NOT happy about it and gets in Ospreay’s face.
Danielson comes to the ring before Ospreay and they have words as they pass each other.
Bryan Danielson vs Lance Archer
They way they use Archer is a mystery to me. The guy is huge, cuts a great promo, works well and he comes in, loses to a bunch of people and then goes away for a while. He needs serious rehab by way of a dominating series of matches or a title run to be more than “Big guy who loses to big stars”.
Archer attacks before the bell and stomps down Bryan. After withstanding the opening flurry, Bryan goes after Archer’s legs. His intensity really works as they highlight the fact that Archer is almost a foot taller than Bryan. As they brawl on the outside of the ring, Archer bodyslams a ringside crew member onto Bryan. One would hope they explain why Archer didn’t just get fined or suspended.
I can hope all day, I guess, but I won’t get that explanation.
As the match goes on, Archer continues to dominate Bryan, making a good showing for himself. Bryan is able to grab the Labell lock almost out of nowhere, and Archer has to tell the ref to get out of his way as he goes for the ropes. As the match keeps going, Bryan is on the back foot, and we rarely get to see that unless Bryan is selling an injury. As they are building toward Bryan vs Ospreay, a match like this puts some doubt in the minds of the people who see Bryan as a easy winner.
Bryan is finally able to win with three kicks to the head of Archer, and Bryan hits the psycho knee for the win.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
Solid match that did its job for the build.
The show has started with two big deal matches that were entertaining and build toward the PPV matches. A nice 45 minutes of wrestling.
They go over the card, and when Jericho is on the screen with “Jericho calls out Hook” the crowd boos. Jericho’s face turn doesn’t seem to be working with this crowd.
Renee Paquette is on the stage and she calls out Jericho, who comes out to the Lionheart music instead of Judas. Jericho calls Hook out saying that he offered to be Hook’s mentor. Jericho says that Hook said “I know who you are” and Jericho says that, yes, he has gotten into a fight with everyone he’s teamed with. He says it is because things happen when you play on a higher level.
Hook says that he believes in Jericho and he got them a match on Collision Saturday and he will be keeping his eye on him.
We then hear from Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty, and they are going after Hook and Jericho.
Jay White VS. Billy Gunn
Gunn attacks White during his entrance and beats him all the way down to the ring. As they get in the ring, the bell rings and White chops Gunn, who ignores it and then nails White, knocking him out of the ring.
One of the criticisms I have of AEW is when people have a blood feud, they get in the ring and wrestle. Gunn KNOWS this is stupid. White broke into Gunn’s home last week, so Gunn is just beating the tar out of him. White tries to escape through the crowd, and Gunn floors him. They brawl through the crowd. When the Ref tries to stop Gunn, White hides behind a security guard. They fight back to ringside and Gunn just beats White all around ringside while jawing with the crowd.
The match is almost a comedy match, with Gunn beating the crap out fo White, and White trying to get away at all costs. White is doing a great job as the cowardly heel who now has to face some consequences.
When Jay White gets a window to attack, White is just relentless with hsi attack, going at full speed to bring down Gunn. Gunn cuts him off and we see that The Acclaimed have been laid out backstage on the big screen. White takes advantage for a few moves, but again, Gunn cuts him off.
Gunn grabs a chair and when he hits the ring, The Gunn Brothers show up and protect White. White uses the distraction to deliver a low blow right in front of the ref.
Winner by DQ: Billy Gunn
The Acclaimed run to the ring as they knew there would be a post match beat down, and White trips as he tries to run away. Everyone brawls in the ring with Billy Gunn taking out White and the Gunns getting tossed. Billy tears the desk apart and set up the steps for Billy to give White to the Acclaimed. They start to suplex White, but the Guns save White.
Renee is back on the stage to talk to Willow Nightingale. Willow gives a rah rah speech for herself and does a “I worked hard and you people bought me to this moment.” Really good babyface speech, and to be blunt, I found out more about her from this short promo than we have learned about her since she showed up.
Stokely Hathaway puts her over as well.
He is cut off by Mercedes Mone.
Mone says whoever will be the TBS champion at Double of Nothing, they will face her.
Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) vs Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta in a Tag Team Title Tournament match.
Both Chuck Taylor and Sue come to the ring with Cassidy and Beretta.
These teams have faced each other a lot of times in the past, so the big change so that the Bucks are working a heel “non high flying” style and Cassidy is working more seriously. The announcers put over that this is the AEW Final Four to hype the NCAA Final Four.
Matt comes over and does the throw to picture in picture on a headset while mocking Excalibur.
Beretta is the babyface in peril for the commercial break. Cassidy tags in when we get back from break, and the Bucks shut him down quickly. The match is pretty much the Bucks dominating. They mock Cassidy’s soft kick, and then Cassidy is able to get a flurry of offense and the Bucks bounce around the ring for him. After Cassidy and Beretta give us the Big Hug, the Bucks unleash super kicks and ALMOST super kick Sue at ringside. Sue slaps him and that allows Cassidy to get a surprise Orange Punch.
From here we move to near falls, and the crowd wakes up. The Bucks get a catapult into an exposed turnbuckle on Beretta, and Nick rolls him up with a handful of tights with a handful of tights.
Winners and going onto the finals for the Tag Team titles: The Young Bucks
Beretta and Cassidy look dejected in the middle of the ring. Taylor calls of the big hug and when they go in, Beretta instead hits a psycho knee on Cassidy. Beretta walks out and goes to the back.
Mariah May w/Toni Storm and Luther vs Thunder Rosa in a number one contender’s match
Toni joins commentary.
Rosa and May go back and forth with neither getting a true upper hand. Tax, Tony, and Toni are gold on commentary. The story of the matchy is that Storm wants May to win and Rosa is fighting to get a shot at the title she never lost.
Storm welcomes us back to Dy-nam-i-tay. She then says that May reminds her of a younger Toni Storm and Rosa reminds her of an older Thunder Rosa. Storm then says she doesn’t remember if she put on undergarments, so she asks they be careful with camera angles.
The match itself is a good TV match, and well worked, but Storm’s commentary is the selling point for this and the crowd can’t hear it, so the match isn’t getting a huge reaction Rosa wins with a Tijuana bomb for the pin and the win.
Winner and getting a title shot at Dynasty: Thunder Rosa
Rosa gets in Storm face and wants a title shot now, and is held back by the referee. Storm looks utterly shocked as we go to a backstage promo from Jose the Assistance and Penta, and Penta challenges for the TNT Title.
Tony Schiavone is in the ring for the contract signing between Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe.
Joe leans back in his chair and Swerve paces around on his side of the table. Joe says Swerve has bad information. He says he will beat Swerve so hard he will be mentally scarred as if he left Diddy’s party too late. He tells Swerve to do the right thing.
The crowd is chanting for Swerve.
Swerve says he wanted this moment all of his life. He says that at Dynasty, he will show Joe that he is The Man, and he will turn AEW into Swerve’s house.
That is when they start to fight. Joe takes Swerve’s chain, wraps it around his fist and starts wailing on Swerve. When Swerve si busted open, Joe leaves the ring, and Swerve grabs a mic and says he loves this stuff and if that’s all he’s got, he will take the title from Joe. Swerve then signs the contract in his own blood. Joe returns to the ring and puts Swerve through the table.
Joe loom s over him with the title as we are desperately out fo time.
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