Dynamite – October 2, 2024: There Should Be Cake

Dynamite
Date: October 2, 2024
Location: Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

It’s the fifth anniversary of Dynamite and the big story is a new broadcast rights deal was announced earlier today, with the show staying on TBS/TNT as well as being simulcast on Max. That is going to lead to some changes in the future, but for now, we are ten days away from WrestleDream and Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson for the World Title. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Jon Moxley and company talk about how they have plans for Wheeler Yuta, with Moxley promising to take out Bryan Danielson and take the World Title. War and casualties are promised.

Apparently Taz has been attacked and is out for tonight, with Nigel McGuinness taking his place.

International Title: Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay

Ricochet is challenging and in the back, Kyle Fletcher (in a WHITE SOX jersey, which isn’t a great look right now) and Don Callis wish him luck before leaving. Feeling out process to start before they go into their signature stereo backflips exchange into the double pose. Ricochet sends him outside, where Ospreay takes too long going onto the barricade and gets taken down with a snap hurricanrana.

Back in and Ricochet hits a springboard flip splash for two but Ospreay kicks him down. The Phenomenal Forearm gets two on Ricochet but he’s back with a kick to the head. Ospreay’s Spanish Fly gets two more but the Oscutter is broken up. They go to the apron to trade strikes to the head until Ospreay hits a superkick. The Oscutter connects this time and they crash out to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Ricochet kicking him down again but missing the 450. The Hidden Blade is countered into a backslide bomb (that was cool) and a piledriver gets two. Ospreay is back with another Hidden Blade attempt but has to roll through, setting up a Styles Clash for two on Ricochet. Now the Oscutter connects for two more but the Hidden Blade is blocked again.

Ricochet’s shooting star press gets two, only for Ospreay to counter vertigo into a poisonrana. Ricochet hits one of his own but Ospreay hits the Hidden Blade….for a double pin with all four shoulders down at 15:55. Hold on though as both of them want five more minutes and Tony Khan approves the match continuing. They trade kicks to the head until Ospreay hits the Hidden Blade….and Konosuke Takeshita runs in and decks Ospreay for the DQ at 18:59.

Rating: B. I’m guessing that’s to set up either a three way or Ospreay vs. Takeshita at WrestleDream, but it’s not exactly an exciting way to wrap up the big opener. I do get the idea of not wanting either of them to lose here, but the ending still felt flat. For now, I can go for a match with two guys doing a bunch of big moves to each other, though a better ending would have been nice.

Takeshita wipes both of them out and poses with the title.

Mercedes Mone, with Kamille, is excited over the fifth anniversary and we get a package on her time on Dynamite. Mone brags about her success and MVP comes in to offer his business card. There appears to be some interest.

The Gunns are ready to see Juice Robinson vs. Hangman Page when Page runs in to take them out with a chair.

Here is the Learning Tree for TV Time with Chris Jericho. Big Bill hypes up how much Jericho has done for him before giving him the introduction. Jericho takes credit for the new TV deal and the Learning Tree demands a THANK YOU CHRIS chant. In addition to five years of Dynamite, it is also 34 years since his debut as a pro wrestler. He went from a small town in Canada to right here in Philad….Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!

Last week he pinned Mark Briscoe and this week he’s challenging Briscoe for the Ring Of Honor World Title at WrestleDream. Briscoe, with the Conglomeration, comes to the ring and everyone stays on the floor because this is between the two of them. Papa Briscoe taught him to not make excuses, so while Big Bill helped Jericho beat Briscoe last week, he isn’t going to make that excuse because it was a tornado tag team match.

Briscoe would love to face Jericho, because the word of the day is consequentially, because he…is cut off by Jericho, who doesn’t think Briscoe can beat him. Jericho: “Maybe your brother Jay could have.” Everyone knows Mark will never be as good as Jay, which earns Jericho a shot to the face. Mark tells Jericho to keep his brother’s name out of his mouth and accepts the challenge. Briscoe sold his part really strong, but Jericho getting another title shot and everything that happens on Ring Of Honor meaning nothing when it comes to the World Title isn’t helping.

Darby Allin is in what looks to be a park and talks about riding a bus in Washington. One day three guys took turns spitting at the back of his head. Allin tried to keep calm but eventually he got in their faces and wasn’t scared of the knife the guy was holding. It was broken up, but that’s what he was thinking about when Jon Moxley said Allin wasn’t ready o be the face of AEW. Now he needs to fight back, so at WrestleDream, it’s an open challenge. That could go in a lot of directions.

Hangman Page vs. Juice Robinson

They brawl on the stage to start with Robinson sending him off the stage, only to get punched out of the air. Page whips him with a belt and they fight into the crowd, with Page being hit with a beer and a bucket of popcorn. The fight actually goes into the ring for the opening bell, with Robinson choking with the bell for a four count. Page fights back up and takes over as we take an early break.

Back with Robinson’s top rope superplex leaving them both down again. Robinson punches him out to the floor but gets sent into the barricade. A spinebuster sends Page into the apron and a running shot sends Page through the barricade. They get back in with Robinson hitting a powerbomb for two and being shocked at the kickout. The Juice Is Loose is blocked though and Page kicks him low. The Buckshot Lariat finishes for Page at 9:56.
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Rating: B-. This is another good example of “it shouldn’t take this long for the star to win”. Page took nearly ten minutes (not counting the brawl before the bell) to beat a guy who is mainly known as part of a six man team. They could have easily done this, even with the same cheating finish, in less than half the time. Robinson can look good in defeat and get cheated out of a win without having Page take this long to beat him. That’s been an issue for AEW for a long time and it’s continuing here.­

Post match Page goes for the choking with the belt but the returning Jay White runs in for the save. White spears him through a well placed table in the crowd.

Jack Perry arrives and Katsuyori Shibata pops in to challenge him for the TNT Title at WrestleDream. Perry says he’ll think about it and jumps him before accepting. Maybe, I don’t know, show the clip from Collision that set that up so it’s not so out of nowhere?

Bryan Danielson can’t get the phrase “F*** JON MOXLEY” out of his head because this is the AEW World Title, not Moxley’s. That’s why he’s challenged Kazuchika Okada tonight, title for title, because they’re 1-1 and need to break the tie. This is for AEW.

Serena Deeb vs. Britt Baker

Baker is the hometown girl. They go with the grappling to start with Deeb going for the arm but having to escape a Lockjaw attempt. Mariah May is watching as they fight over a headlock/headscissors. Back up and Deeb hits a hard clothesline, followed by a hammerlock lariat as we take an early break.

We come back with Baker hitting some clotheslines of her own, setting up a discus forearm. Baker hits a Sling Blade into a fisherman’s neckbreaker for two, giving us a frustrated look. They trade shots to the face until an Air Raid Crash gives Baker two. Baker catches her up top with a super Air Raid Crash for two, setting up the Lockjaw for the tap at 11:12.

Rating: C. This was similar to the Page vs. Robinson match in that Baker could have put her away a lot faster and gotten the same result. Instead, the match dragged on with Deeb going move for move with Baker. That’s fine on one hand as Deeb is far more polished in the ring, but if the end game is Baker vs. May, it didn’t exactly make Baker look like a star.

Post match Deeb jumps her again until Queen Aminata makes the save.

Hook swears revenge on whomever attacked Taz.

Christian Cage promises to be the next World Champion.

Mariah May doesn’t think much of Willow Nightingale, who storms in to start the fight, which is quickly broken up.

Private Party vs. Iron Savages

It’s a brawl to start with a double dropkick….kind of connecting to put Boulder down. Bronson is sent to the floor and a messy Gin & Juice finishes at 1:13. I don’t think Private Party hit one move clean in that whole match.

Post match Private Party say they want the Tag Team Titles and call out the Young Bucks. Cue the Bucks, who say they’re not wasting their limited dates on this kind of town so it’s not happening. Jack Perry runs in to beat Private Party down but Katsuyori Shibata makes the save. Christopher Daniels comes in to make a six man tag for Rampage. The fact that Private Party has nothing else to talk about in the five years since they beat the Bucks tells you a lot about what is wrong with AEW.

MVP is about to make an announcement but Prince Nana interrupts. Nana threatens to beat up MVP, who says he doesn’t handle complaints. Instead, he introduces the head of the complaint department: Shelton Benjamin, who gets a big reaction and takes Nana’s coffee. I’ve heard worse ideas.

AEW World Title/Continental Title: Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada

This is title for title but the Continental Title is only on the line for the first twenty minutes and this was announced on two days’ notice because AEW. They fight over a lockup to start and Danielson backs him into the ropes for an early break, both for them and us. Back with Okada hitting some clotheslines but Danielson fires off some uppercuts. Danielson goes up and knocks Okada down, setting up a missed Swan Dive.

The cobra clutch has Danielson in more trouble as the neck cranking ensues. Danielson fights to his feet but misses a charge, allowing Okada to dropkick him out to the floor. Back in and Danielson knocks him to the floor for a suicide dive, followed by the YES Kicks. The big one is countered into a rollup for two but Danielson pulls him into a triangle choke with elbows to the head. The LeBell Lock goes on and Danielson cranks back, only for Okada to make the ropes. Danielson hits the running knee to send Okada outside as we hit the 20:00 mark, meaning the match continues, but ONLY Danielson’s title is on the line.

AEW World Title: Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada

Danielson is defending and hits a top rope flip dive to hit Okada on the floor. A running charge is cut off though and Okada hits a Tombstone onto a chair on the floor as we take another break. Back again with Danielson (who was on his feet 1:42 after the Tombstone, with a hanging DDT onto the floor in between) getting dropkicked before they grab hands to trade strikes.

Danielson gets the better of it and loads up the running knee, only to charge into the Rainmaker for the double knockdown. They strike it out again until Danielson takes over, only to get caught with a running knee for two. Danielson hits his own Rainmaker for two and it’s time to fire off the elbows. Okada strikes away but here are Claudio Castagnoli and Pac to glare menacingly. Danielson gets a backslide for the pin out of nowhere at 31:42.

Rating: B. I guess the thinking was Okada wanted to burn the clock in the first twenty minutes to protect his own title and then get to the second half where he had nothing to lose. That makes sense from a planning standpoint but it made for a pretty dry first…is the term match or fall? Either way, it picked up in the second half and you knew this was going to be at least good based on the people involved. I still could have gone for building this up more than two days in advance, but that’s another issue entirely.

Post match Okada Rainmakers Danielson and leaves, with Castagnoli and Pac coming in to pick the pieces. Jon Moxley gets in the ring (with Marina Shafir choking Danielson) and talks about how this isn’t about him because no one will fight for AEW like he will. If this was about Danielson, he would have done this a long time ago.

Wheeler Yuta runs in with a hammer for the save. Moxley dares Yuta to hit him with the hammer but Danielson is up to go after Moxley. The fight is on with Yuta and Danielson clearing the ring. Yuta says if Pac and Castagnoli want Danielson, they’ll have to go through Yuta too. Danielson issues the challenge for the tag match (Yuta might have slipped up with the wording and Danielson had to save it), which is officially on to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. I liked the show, but I’m not sure how well it came off as a major milestone event. There was nothing on here that really felt big or majorly important (remember that the TV deal was announced before the show went on the air). The big matches went well enough, but it was coming after Grand Slam (which felt bigger) and is right before WrestleDream (which will feel bigger) and comes just before Title Tuesday and eventually Battle Of The Belts. AEW might want to cool it on the big shows and just have some regular stuff, but this did still work well enough.

Results
Will Ospreay b. Ricochet via DQ when Konosuke Takeshita interfered
Hangman Page b. Juice Robinson – Buckshot Lariat
Britt Baker b. Serena Deeb – Lockjaw
Private Party b. Iron Savages – Gin & Juice to Boulder
Bryan Danielson b. Kazuchika Okada – Backslide

 

 

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