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It's time for AEW Dynasty coming from the Chaifetz Arena in St Louis, MO.
The show starts with Zero Hour which uses a lot of the footage from the YouTube hype special. It’s hosted by Renee Paquette and RJ City. It’s odd that we didn’t get the hype special on TNT, but since Rampage didn’t start until 9 pm Central last night, they just may not have had time in the schedule.
The first match of Zero Hour starts at 6 CT. Excalibur and Taz are the commentary team.
Matt Sydal vs Trent Beretta
Trent seems to have inherited the Best Friends theme.
Trent starts with an attack, and when Matt starts to rev up, Matt goes to the floor to regroup. Matt follows him with leaping attacks from the apron, and Matt is talking a lot, most of it is “How could you do this?” about turning on Orange Cassidy. The crowd chants for Sue, Trent’s mom, who he also turned on by ignoring her when he walked out on Cassidy, so this is a crowd that is into the storylines.
As the match goes on, Trent will take shortcuts and then take time afterward as if he is thinking about what he's done. Taz pushes that Trent is conflicted. Trent gets the win with a choke against his shin and Matt has to tap out.
Winner: Trent Beretta
After the match, Trent doesn’t release the hold, and when Matt’s brother gets in the ring, Trent attacks him as well. Chuck Taylor hits the ring and runs him off. Trnt grabs a mic and says Chuck hasn’t been responding to him and Chuck has until Wednesday to tell him where he stands.
Orange Cassidy’s music hits and he saunters out of the entrance tunnel. When Shibata’s music starts, Trent leaves through a different way.
Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata vs Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty
Anthony Agogo joins commentary and there is no sign of Chuck Taylor.
We get a really nice long sequence of Moriarty and Shibata. Just some great mat work between the two of them. When Taylor tags in, they just start shots and Shibata is able to hang with Taylor. When Cassidy tags in, he spends a lot of time working on Moriarty with shots. Agogo looks to attack Cassidy and Shibata stops him, which means he is distracted when Taylor takes out Shibata on the floor. In the ring, Taylor and Moriarty work over Cassidy and Agogo rejoins commentary.
Agogo is good at commentary, lots of technical talk like Taz, and does a good job putting over Taylor’s team. He desont’ trash Cassidy’s team, just alks about how good his team is. Shibata is able to get the hot tag and they take over the match. In the end, Cassidy gets the Orange Punch on Moriarty for the pin and the win.
Winners: Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata
The Bang Bang Gang (Jay White, Colton and Austin Gunn) Ring of Honor 6 Man Champions vs The Acclaimed (Max Caster and Anthony Bowens) and Billy Gunn AEW Trios Chmapions
How has everyone involved in this fallen to the pre-show?
Caster’s rap is pretty much “R” rated.
Tony Schiavone joins commentary.
This is another case where they have built this up to be a blood feud and they get in the ring and wrestle. As the match goes, Gunn wants a piece of White, and he plays the cowardly heel who won’t attack until Gunn has been beaten around a bit. The Acclaimed get in their big moves on the Gunns, and they then go back and forth.
These two teams have worked together a lot, and the match itself is solid, entertaining and well worked, but that’s the problem. It feels lik either standard “house show” style match instead of something they have built up to with a home invasion and a betrayal. As the match moves toward the end, White uses Sting’s bat on Gunn and the Gunns his 3:10 to Yuma, and he kicks out at two.
Big near falls with multiple moves leading to them and the crowd is into this match. In the end, Jay White hits the Blade Runner for the pin and the win.
Winners and Unified Ring of Honor and AEW Trios Champions: The Bang Bang Gang.
Note: Due to an issue with my stream, I missed the first match. Here is Anthony Pires' coverage!
AEW Continental Championship: Kazuchika Okada vs. PAC
Go behind takedown by Pac. Okada to hs feet. Drop toe hold by Okada. Pac with an arm twist into a side headlock takeover. Okada with a 2 count rollup. Pac maintains the headlock. Okada throws him off. Rana by Pac. Corkscrew moonsault to the floor by Pac. Pac sends Okada into the rail. Running uppercut by Pac. Superplex brainbuster by Pac for 2.
Spin kick by Pac. Dropkick by Okada, Pac to the floor. Okada sens him into the rails. Action goes back into the ring. Snap mare by Okada and a running knee. Head kicks by Okada. Forearms by Pac, uppercut by Pac. Big dropkick by Okada. Action back to the floor and a big DDT by Okada. Pac beats the count. DDT by Okada for 2.
Rear chinlock by Okada. Pac escapes and sends Okada to the floor. Kick and moonsault by Pac, both men are down on the floor. This time it’s Okada needing to beat the count. Pac fires away. Lariat by Pac. Shotgun dropkick by Pac for 2. Spin kicks by Pac. Uppercut by Okada, snap German by Pac and a shotgun dropkick by Okada. Neckbreaker for 2 by Okada. Slam by Okada. Elbow off the top by Okada. Small package for 2 by Pac.
Back elbow by Okada. Superkick and Lariat by Pac. Deadlift German by Pac for 2. Running boot by Pac. He misses the corkscrew. Tombstone by Okada. Pac blocks a Rainmaker and scores a 2. Brutalizer by Pac. Eye rake by Okada. Tombstone by Pac. Okada grabs the ref. Stomps by Pac. Okada gets his knees up and blocks a corkscrew. Rainmaker and Okada scores the pin.
WINNER AND STILL CONTINENTAL CHAMPION KAZUCHIKA OKADA
***
We are now back with Cody's blog:
Adam Copeland, Eddie Kingston, and Mark Briscoe vs. The House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews)
House of Black are playing mental games with Adam, and once agains using King as a Monster. AEW has trouble with Monsters, but they are using King perfectly as the guy who just destroys people. We get a logn sequence of Eddie going at King, and King just stops him with a side slam. Everyone gets a chance to shine in this match. Lots of brawling all around the ring.
OK, if they told the Acclaimed/Bullet Club to tone it down to make this have more impact, I’m OK with it.
After a good five minutes of straight brawling, they return to the ring and highlight Briscoe and Black, while keeping Adam on the apron. Once Adam tags in, Buddy and Black drop off the apron and leave King to fight him. This leads to a nice sequence where Adan’s team gives everyone power slams. Then, all three members of Adam’s team hit finishers on King and only get a two count broken up by Buddy.
I really like how they are building King.
The other story of the match is hwo they keep Adam and Black apart via different methods. When Adam is finally able to go face to facd with Black, Black hits Adam with the mist, hits the spin kick, and covers for the pin and the win.
Winners: The House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews)
Coverage continues on Page 2!
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