Dynamite – December 11, 2024: It Had To Slow Down

Dynamite
Date: December 11, 2024
Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness

It’s Winter Is Coming and that means we should be in for a bigger than usual show. This show has had some moments over the years and if they keep the tradition going, this should make for a nice addition to the series. It’s also another week in the Continental Classic so we should have some good action. Let’s get to it.Death Riders vs. Jay White/Orange Cassidy

White and Cassidy jump them before the bell and the fight goes outside, with Cassidy giving a young fan a fist bump (I love that kind of thing as it makes fans for life). Cassidy gets sent into the announcers’ table though and they head inside for the opening bell. The brawl heads back outside as the Patriarchy is shown watching in a sky box. Cassidy fights up and kicks Moxley in the chest, allowing the tag off to White. A pair of DDTs sends the Riders out to the floor and we take an early break.

Back with Moxley holding White in a chinlock as Christian Cage sends the Patriarchy to do something. White gets out of a chinlock but Pac kicks him in the chest to keep him in trouble. A quick knockdown gives White a breather though and it’s Cassidy coming back in to slug away. Cassidy drops Moxley but gets pulled into a rear naked choke. That’s broken up and Cassidy hits a spinning DDT on Moxley. White suplexes Pac and the Beach Break to Moxley gets two more. Wheeler Yuta’s distraction doesn’t work so Cassidy loads up the Orange Punch….but Hangman Page runs in to jump Moxley for the DQ at 13:34.

Rating: B-. Nice match to start the show here, though the ending feels like it’s designed to set up a four way match or a triple threat #1 contenders match. In theory they didn’t want Cassidy or White to get an upper hand on their way to World’s End, but that’s still quite the disappointing ending. You can’t have Yuta in there to take a fall instead of Pac?

Post match Page hammers on Moxley but Cassidy pulls him off. The two of them start fighting with White accidentally taking a shot and getting caught in the brawl. The Death Riders beat all of them down and leave.

We get another old west style vignette for the returning Bandido, this time with him riding in on a horse, with a posse waiting on him. Bandido beats all of them up without much trouble. These things have been rather cool.

Jon Moxley talks about being a marked man and that means living with a knife to your throat. He wouldn’t have it any other way and now there are a bunch of people saying they want the title shot. The challenge is on for the four way title shot at Worlds End. That doesn’t exactly make me want to boo him.

Christian Cage, still in the sky box, doesn’t like this four way because he doesn’t like anyone involved. He promises to jump anyone, including Jon Moxley, who he will send back to rehab. As Cage goes to leave, Hook breaks into the box and chokes Cage out. Age fights out of being thrown out of a balcony. The fight is on and some glass is broken (make your own jokes) until the Patriarchy makes the save.

Continental Classic Gold League: Claudio Castagnoli (6 points) vs. Will Ospreay (3 points)

Ospreay hits him in the face for two ten seconds in and Castagnoli is sent outside for a big running flip dive. A Phenomenal Forearm looks to set up the Oscutter but Castagnoli uppercuts him out of the air. Ospreay kicks him in the face and they’re both down. They go outside with Ospreay dropkicking the steps into Castagnoli’s legs. Castagnoli pulls him out of the air though and swings Ospreay into the steps for a big crash. Ospreay’s arm is stomped in the steps and we take a break.

Back with Ospreay grabbing a springboard hurricanrana and kicking Castagnoli in the face for a double down. Castagnoli goes to the arm to block a suplex attempt but Ospreay gets him up anyway. The standing sky twister press gets two but the Hidden Blade is blocked. The Riccola Bomb is countered into Ospreay’s octopus hold, only for Castagnoli to go back to the arm.

Castagnoli gutwrench suplexes him down and catches Ospreay up top but gets knocked back down. A regular sky twister press misses so Castagnoli kicks him in the face. The slugout sets up the Oscutter but Ospreay’s arm is banged up. A pop up uppercut and a big clothesline give Castagnoli two…but Ospreay rolls him up for the fluke pin at 13:28.

Rating: B. This was a lot of Ospreay fighting from underneath and that is where he often shines. Castagnoli overpowered him for most of the match but got caught in the end. It’s weird to see the Death Riders lose, but how else are we going to get Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher II? That has to happen of course because Ospreay is eternally tied to the Don Callis Family and therefore it has to happen again. Good match here, which shouldn’t surprise you.

Gold League Standings

Will Ospreay – 6 points (3 matches remaining)
Claudio Castagnoli – 6 points (2 matches remaining)
Darby Allin – 3 points (3 matches remaining)
Ricochet – 3 points (3 matches remaining
Brody King – 3 points (3 matches remaining)
Komander – 0 points (2 matches remaining)

Post match Castagnoli jumps Ospreay again but Darby Allin makes the save.

Ricochet says he’s here for matches like the one he has tonight against Brody King. Even though King is a monster, he’s not Ricochet. He pulls out MVP’s business card and says he’s holding all of the cards.

MJF is back.

Matt Cardona is ready to face Chris Jericho at Final Battle but he’ll face Bryan Keith at Rampage.

Kyle O’Reilly is ready to face Adam Cole but the Kingdom comes in to say they’re still family. O’Reilly says they should have remembered that before one of them got hurt.

Kyle O’Reilly vs. Adam Cole

For the shot at MJF at World’s End. Feeling out process to start with Cole trying an early rollup for two. The threat of a kick to the face sends him to the floor, where O’Reilly strikes away again to take over. We take a break and come back with O’Reilly striking away but missing a top rope knee drop.

Cole knees him in the face and they’re both down. O’Reilly grabs a brainbuster into an ankle lock, sending Cole over to the ropes. Cole is back up with the Panama Sunrise but he takes too long to follow up and gets his ankle locked. That’s broken up and Cole drops O’Reilly on the floor. Cue MJF for a distraction but Cole superkicks him down and small packages O’Reilly for the pin at 11:04.

Rating: C+. The story continues and that pre-match promo makes me wonder if the Kingdom won’t be joining MJF at World’s End to screw over Cole. This feud hasn’t done much for me and I’m not sure how many people have been interested in it either. It’s gone on too long and there is a good chance that it is going to continue into the new year. The match wasn’t exactly great either, which isn’t making the bigger problem any better.

Post match the Kingdom comes out but O’Reilly leaves without shaking hands with Cole.

FTR is ready to help rebuild Asheville, North Carolina with Fight For The Fallen on January 1. They want to be in a big match and they’ve had some issues with the Death Riders, so come talk to them.

Chris Jericho has a New York Minute and accepts the challenge for Matt Cardona vs. Bryan Keith on Rampage. Tomorrow on Ring Of Honor, there will be a contract signing for Jericho vs. Cardona at Final Battle.

We recap the Continental Classic matches from Rampage and Collision.

Earlier today, Darby Allin talked about how he waned to stop the Death Riders after they attacked Bryan Danielson. He is fighting for people who are here because they are getting a chance in AEW. Allin hits himself in the mouth to draw some blood and talks about how he has to win the Continental Classic to prove himself, even if there will be collateral damage along the way.

Continental Classic Gold League: Ricochet (3 points) vs. Brody King (3 points)

Ricochet begs off a bit to start and gets powered out to the floor without much trouble. A spring off the barricade lets Ricochet kick him in the face but King hits a powerbomb onto the apron. Ricochet misses a crossbody into the barricade and we take a break. Back with King winning a strike off but getting knocked out to the floor.

Ricochet hits a springboard 450 for a short one count but King blasts him with a clothesline for two. The Ganso Bomb is broken up and Ricochet knees him in the face a few times. King knocks him into the corner for a Cannonball but Ricochet turns a superplex attempt into a sunset bomb (with the turnbuckle pad being ripped off in the process).

The shooting star press connects…and King grabs him by the throat before the cover. Ricochet has to climb out of a choke and is promptly chopped down onto the apron. Back up and Ricochet manages a DDT onto the exposed buckle and Ricochet kicks him down onto the steel again. The Spirit Gun finishes for Ricochet at 12:51.

Rating: B-. Now this has me curious because Ricochet was definitely acting more heelish for a change. He’s someone who could use a change of pace because he hasn’t evolved much at all in the last several years. Maybe this is the chance that he needs, but at least it seems that they are trying something new with him. Seeing King lose is annoying, but Ricochet could get a nice boost out of a fresh style.

Gold League Standings

Will Ospreay – 6 points (3 matches remaining)
Claudio Castagnoli – 6 points (2 matches remaining)
Ricochet – 6 points (2 matches remaining
Darby Allin – 3 points (3 matches remaining)
Brody King – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Komander – 0 points (2 matches remaining)

Lio Rush and Action Andretti interrupt Private Party. Rush an Andretti want a title shot but Top Flight come in to ask how many matches Rush and Andretti have won. Private Party suggests a #1 contenders match and it seems to be on.

Mercedes Mone and Anna Jay have a staredown but we need to talk about Mone defending her New Japan Strong Women’s Title this weekend. Mone shifts over to Jay, who is 26 years old and just getting started. That makes Mone chuckle because when she was 26, she was already a five time champion. Jay cuts her off from leaving and says that all she needs is one mistake from Mone to become champion. Yeah I’m not quite buying her chances.

We recap Mariah May defending the Women’s Title against Mina Shirakawa. They were friends and partners in Japan bu May has attacked her for the sake of bringing out Shirakawa’s best side. Shirakawa wants things to be back to normal and now we have the title match.

Women’s Title: Mariah May vs. Mina Shirakawa

Shirakawa is challenging. They slug it out to start with Shirakawa slapping her in the face to take over and kick away at the leg. A figure four sends May rolling over to the ropes but they roll outside with the hold still on. Thunder Rosa pops up in the crowd with a sign shouting about how May is NOT HER CHAMPION as May sends Shirakawa into the barricade. Shirakawa is back on the leg though and grabs a Figure Four around the post as we take a break.

Back with Shirakawa fighting out of a chinlock and starting an exchange of forearms. A hanging neckbreaker gives Shirakawa two but May kicks her in the face. May Day gets an arrogant cover for two but another May Day is broken up. The Glamorous Driver gives Shirakawa two, only for a quick Storm Zero to retain the title at 11:49

Rating: C+. The match was ok, but it showcases the bigger issue with May’s title reign: the whole thing is built around waiting for Toni Storm to return. She ties into this feud and May is still using Storm’s finisher. You can only get so far with that kind of specter hanging over them and that was the issue here. Not a terrible match, but it felt like something else that had to be done before we get to the big match.

Post match Toni Storm (no longer Timeless) is back. May is stunned (Rosa has a “WTF!” sign) and Storm stares her down to end the show. Well there’s the answer to the big question about May’s reign and it should make for a solid rematch, thankfully with enough of a twist to keep it interesting.

Overall Rating: B-. I wasn’t feeling this one as much as some previous Continental Classic shows. There was more of a focus on getting things ready for World’s End and while that helped, it wasn’t as engaging as some of the tournament focused events. You can see a lot of what is coming at the pay per view and it’s only so interesting, but they still have time to boost that up well enough.

Results
Death Riders b. Orange Cassidy/Jay White via DQ when Hangman Page interfered
Will Ospreay b. Claudio Castagnoli – Rollup
Adam Cole b. Kyle O’Reilly – Small package
Ricochet b. Brody King – Spirit Gun
Mariah May b. Mina Shirakawa – Storm Zero

 

 

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