Dynamite
Date: November 20, 2024
Location: Santander Arena, Reading, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Matt Menard

It’s the last Dynamite before Full Gear and that means we’re likely getting some more matches set for the pay per view. Other than that, it’s likely the final big showdown between Orange Cassidy and Jon Moxley. That should be enough, but we might even get the November Rain video again. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

We open with a Full Gear preview, set to Guns N Roses’ November Rain.

Ricochet/Powerhouse Hobbs/Will Ospreay/Mark Davis vs. Don Callis Family

It’s a big brawl on the floor to start until Takeshita and Davis go inside to get things going. Davis’ shoulders don’t get him very far so he backdrops Takeshita down, leaving Ricochet to hit a dive. Hobbs catches Fletcher on top but Cage crushes Hobbs’ leg against the steps. Back in and Ricochet slips out of the Blackout and headscissors Archer down. The villains clear the ring though and we take a break.

Back with Ricochet rolling Takeshita up for two and it’s back to Fletcher to pick up the pace. Davis holds Takeshita up for an assisted cutter but Cage and Archer give Davis an assisted DDT. Cue the hobbling Hobbs (who was apparently taken to the back due to his leg) to clean house, including a double clothesline to Cage and Archer. Davis piledrives Takeshita for two and it’s time for the brawl with Fletcher. We hit the parade of knockdowns until Ospreay and Fletcher get to strike it out. Ospreay accidentally elbows Davis in the face though and Takeshita’s running knee finishes Davis off at 14:33.

Rating: B. Well I don’t think there was any secret as to why Davis was in there. It was billed as an All Star match and Davis being the non-All Star made him the perfect choice for the one to take the fall. The action was good and Hobbs looked good, though the villains needed to win here, especially given some of the upcoming matches.

Jon Moxley swears that Wheeler Yuta is going to destroy Orange Cassidy.

Darby Allin is ready to take out Claudio Castagnoli.

Video on the Continental Classic.

The Hurt Syndicate arrives to announce that Bobby Lashley will be wrestling tonight. Cue Swerve Strickland with to drop Lashley with a chain.

Here is a very orange Adam Cole for a chat. Cole isn’t going to get to face MJF on Saturday but he’s happy that Roderick Strong will. Cue Kyle O’Reilly to interrupt and talk about their history around here. O’Reilly knows him better than anyone and that means he needs to be the one to tell Cole to end the crusade against MJF. Cole doesn’t know how to take this but O’Reilly says MJF is manipulating everything. O’Reilly won’t shake his hand and leaves.

Orange Cassidy is ready to fight Jon Moxley on Saturday and he wants to do it alone. The Conglomeration is ready to fight with him but Cassidy gets serious and says he wants to do this on his own. The team agrees, knowing it’s going to be 5-1.

Kris Statlander vs. Hikaru Shida

They go with the grappling to start with Statlander elbowing her in the face but getting caught with a running knee in the corner. Statlander shrugs that off and cranks on both arms before being reversed into a cross arm choke. A middle rope dropkick drops Statlander and the running knee sends her to the floor as we take a break. Back with Statlander snapping off a powerslam and getting two off a Falcon Arrow. Shida is back with another knee to the face but still can’t bring herself to fire the Katana. Shida’s Falcon Arrow gets two more but another Katana is countered into the Staturday Night Fever for the win at 9:19.

Rating: C+. Shida is someeone who can put over just about anyone and make them look better, which is what we got here with Statlander. That’s a good thing with Statlander on her way to losing to Mercedes Mone in the TBS Title match. This was a nice step for Statlander and it didn’t overstay its welcome so it could have been far worse.

Post match Mercedes Mone and Kamille (in a sling) come out to mock Philadelphia and Statlander. Mone sends Kamille after Statlander, who beats her up with Shida’s help. Mone’s interference is cut off as well and Statlander drops her quick.

The Hurt Syndicate beat up someone wearing Swerve Strickland’s coat.

Video on Jay White vs. Hangman Page.

Bobby Lashley vs. Joe Keys/Cheeseburger

Dominator to Cheeseburger, spear and Hurt Lock to Keys for the win at 2:03. There’s an “I can has cheeseburgers” joke in there somewhere.

Post match here is Swerve Strickland to take out the Hurt Syndicate with the chain. Swerve bails into the crowd as the team gets up. This was an excellent way to make Swerve look like a threat to Lashley and one of the better segments he’s one in a good while.

Mariah May, with Marina Shirakawa, are ready to team together before their champagne celebration at Full Gear. They dance.

Darby Allin vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Allin’s grappling can’t get him very far to start but a springboard armdrag works a bit better. Castagnoli can’t get the Swing so Allin sends him outside, where a dive is cut off. A running uppercut sends Allin over the barricade as Tony is calling the match “phenomenal” just over two minutes in. Castagnoli grabs a suplex and walks him up the steps for the toss back inside (which Tony has somehow never seen).

We take a break and come back with Allin hitting a dive, only to get caught with a gutwrench superplex. Castagnoli unloads in the corner and takes it outside for the Swing into the steps. The announcers’ table is loaded up and Allin is launched into the timekeeper’s area for the huge crash. Allin dives back in to beat the count at nine, where is is promptly clotheslined and pinned at 13:45.

Rating: C+. This was pretty squashtastic with Castagnoli smashing his way through Allin, who only got in a few shots here and there. In theory this is knocking Allin down to rock bottom before he fights back to get a future title shot against Moxley. That’s a path that has been taken before, but I’m not sure how smart it is to have one of your bigger stars beaten up this badly.

Private Party is ready for Full Gear when the Costco guys interrupt, saying they have a big announcement. I’m sure the Costco guys have a fan base but I have no idea who they are so this isn’t exactly for me.

MJF throws money to make a homeless person leave. Then he sits on his car and talks about Roderick Strong’s poor childhood, which is why Strong and Adam Cole are friends. MJF doesn’t like either of them and he’s ready to beat Strong on Saturday to send him back to the trailer park. Then Strong will wish his mother had shot him instead of his father. That’s a story I believe I’ve heard before in a vignette, but I don’t think it was in AEW. They might want to work on that.

The Costco guys are ready for their match against QT Marshall. Apparently the bigger one is a former wrestler and Marshall insulted some cookies. The announcement: the kid’s friend the Rizzler will be guest timekeeper. I have no idea what any of that means.

Here are Roderick Strong and the Undisputed Era, with Strong ranting about MJF and the story about Strong’s parents. That story made him realize he had to earn it while MJF had to be spoon fed everything. Strong promises to hurt MJF and beat some humility into him. Unless I’ve blocked it out, this story about Strong’s parents has not been mentioned on AEW TV during the build to his match with MJF (if ever). That’s a heck of a lot to drop in our laps three days before their match.

On Collision, Daniel Garcia and Matt Menard attacked Jack Perry and tied him to the front of his Scapegoat van. We get some footage of Perry still kidnapped, with Garcia yelling at him and talking about taking power. Perry talks about right and wrong and sacrifice but Garcia cuts him off and laughs. Then Garcia beats on the van with a crowbar. Perry: “That’s it?” I have no idea who approved any of this, but they shouldn’t have a job in wrestling.

We go to the locker room for the contract signing between Chris Jericho and Tomohiro Ishii for the Ring Of Honor World Title match. Jericho takes it to his legal team before he signs, with Ishii slowly stalking him. Some obstacles in his way don’t slow things down as they go up some steps and then into the concourse, with the slow motion “chase” continuing.

They go into the arena and then in the ring, where Ishii has a pen so Jericho signs. The Learning Tree comes in to beat Ishii down but Mark Briscoe and Rocky Romero run in for the save. The Conglomeration cleans house and Ishii signs too. That chase was so dumb that it was almost funny. Almost.

Jamie Hayter isn’t sure why Julia Hart interrupted her last week…and we get another Hart vignette. She shoots arrows and we see some clips of her with an arrow in her chest. Then she hits a bull’s eye.

Orange Cassidy vs. Wheeler Yuta

Yuta dropkicks him before the bell but Cassidy is back with a backslide for two. The Stundog Millionaire sends Yuta outside for the dive, where Yuta brainbusters him onto the barricade. Yuta adds a DDT onto the apron and we take a break. Back with Cassidy winning a slugout and kicking him in the head, followed by a suplex (called a brainbuster) getting two.

Yuta comes back with a clothesline and the Angle Slam before hitting the elbows to the face. Cassidy pops up with a Michinoku driver for two more but Yuta ties up his legs and hits a Tombstone for another near fall. Cattle Mutilation sends Cassidy to the ropes so Yuta grabs a chair and misses. Cassidy grabs a quick rollup for the pin at 12:14.

Rating: C+. So Cassidy is three days away from headlining a pay per view for the World Title against the monster champion and needed 12 minutes to beat the lowest member of the champion’s team. That’s not how you make a challenger strong for their title match, but I guess Yuta had to be protected. Why I’m not sure, but that’s how AEW tends to work.

Post match the Death Riders run in and duct tape Yuta down for a huge beating. The Death Riders leave and the Conglomeration come out to cut Cassidy free. Cassidy puts on his sunglasses and puts his hands into his pockets to end the show. Have your money ready for Saturday people!

Overall Rating: C. This is the most AEW show I can remember in a long time. The wrestling was fine to good, but my goodness I am so uninterested in almost every story going on. Between Kamille being treated as a stupid lackey to MJF’s latest “you’re trash” to O’Reilly and Cole having issues from 14 years ago to the Death Riders being the latest NWO monster heel stable, there was almost nothing on here I would want to see. Other than Swerve vs. the Hurt Syndicate, the storytelling is not getting anywhere for me and Full Gear is sounding like the most uninteresting pay per view AEW has presented to date.

Results
Don Callis Family b. Will Osprey/Mark Davis/Powerhouse Hobbs/Ricochet – Running knee to Davis
Kris Statlander b. Hikaru Shida – Staturday Night Fever
Bobby Lashley b. Joe Keys/Cheeseburger – Hurt Lock to Keys
Claudio Castagnoli b. Darby Allin – Clothesline
Orange Cassidy b. Wheeler Yuta – Rollup

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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Dynamite
Date: November 13, 2024
Location: Total Mortgage Arena, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

We’re closing in on Full Gear and the big story continues to be the Death Riders taking over everything. That changed a bit last weekend though as Orange Cassidy and friends stood up to the villains, with Cassidy himself scaring Jon Moxley off. The rest of the show could use some time of their own though so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Christian Cage/Hangman Page vs. Bang Bang Gang

Cage has the Patriarchy here with him. White backs Page up against the ropes to start and elbows him in the face but Cage tags himself in. Robinson comes in as well and flips Cage off but Cage manages to send him outside. Nick Wayne gets in a cheap shot on the floor and the slow beating continues. Cue Hook to choke Wayne over the barricade and drag him into the crowd though, allowing Robinson to hit a reverse DDT on the floor. Back in and the tag brings in White for a reverse DDT on Cage, plus a suplex into the corner to Page.

Everything breaks down and Robinson gets crotched on top, followed by a triangle clothesline to White. A super all away slam brings Robinson down for two but White is back in. Cage’s spear is countered into the Blade Runner but White has to duck the Buckshot Lariat. Back to back suplexes put the villains down and the Blade Runner sends Cage into the barricade. Back in and Robinson slugs away at Page, who gets sunset flipped for two. Kip Sabian gets in a contract shot to Robinson though and the Deadeye finishes at 12:33.

Rating: B-. Good opener here with something that felt a little bit different. Throwing something like Page and Cage together is an interesting way to go and the Gang was protected with the interference. I like this kind of thing every so often and it was a nice way to go for a change.

Here’s what’s coming at Full Gear and later tonight.

Mercedes Mone blames Kamille for the car issues last week and tells her to take care of her jacket. Then Kris Statlander shows up for a brawl, with Statlander driving Mone through a wall and onto Kamille. As the destruction of Kamille continues.

Here is Will Ospreay, who gets straight to the point by calling out Kyle Fletcher. Cue Fletcher, who threatens violence and then asks what Ospreay wants to talk about. Ospreay doesn’t buy this and tells Fletcher to drop whatever weapons he has because this is just for a talk. Fletcher throws a screwdriver down before Ospreay talks about their history together.

Fletcher knows everything about him, down to where his kids go to school, so why is all of this happening? That sends Fletcher into a rant about how Ospreay was selfish over the years and turned on a bunch of people, which is why Ospreay would have done the same thing in Fletcher’s spot. Ospreay asks what Fletcher has done, and he doesn’t mean Aussie Open. Fletcher wants a match at Full Gear, which sends Ospreay into a rant about how he’s Mr. PPV around here. He’s fought all kinds of champions on pay per view and stolen the show each time (yet he’s not like, in the title picture at the moment).

The match is set, with Lance Archer and Brian Cage coming in. Ospreay has friends of his own with Mark Davis and Powerhouse Hobbs so the fight is on. Cue Roderick Strong to go after Archer for their scheduled (falls count anywhere) match and we’re ready to go. Other than that, this was another long segment built around things that happened years ago and mostly not in AEW, which happens rather frequently around here.

Roderick Strong vs. Lance Archer

Falls count Anywhere and Archer sends him through some things as we take an early break. Back with Archer missing a charge into the barricade but Brian cage pops up to try a powerbomb. The Undisputed Kingdom makes the save but Archer is back up with a chokeslam to send Matt Taven into security. Strong comes back with a chair to the face and a jumping knee for the pin at 6:42.

Rating: C+. What do you say about something like this? It was a big brawl with a bunch of interference and a good chunk of it was spent in the break. Strong gets another win on the way to the MJF match and Archer loses again, which tends to be the case in any match that matters. Not much to see here, as the falls count anywhere aspect was little more than a way to have a bunch of interference.

Post match Strong promises to come after MJF (as he has not secured his match with his third win) but cue Konosuke Takeshita to jump him from behind. Cue Adam Cole for his scheduled match with Takeshita.

Adam Cole vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Non-title. Cole knocks him out to the floor to start while the theme song is still going, only for Takeshita to come in side and take over as we take a break. Back with Cole hitting the fireman’s carry backbreaker for two but Takeshita hits a Blue Thunder Bomb. Back up and Cole hits him in the face, only to miss the Boom. A brainbuster onto the knee gives Cole two but Takeshita is back with his modified Tombstone into a wheelbarrow suplex.

The big lariat gets two but another is cut off by Cole’s superkick. The Panama Sunrise connects, only for Takeshita to roll outside before the Boom. Takeshita whips out the Dynamite Diamond Ring and the referee turns away for the sake of plot convenience. The big shot to the head gives Takeshita the pin at 9:29.

Rating: C+. Well the ending did surprise me, and thankfully we won’t be getting a triple threat match with Cole, Strong and MJF. If nothing else, I’m not sure why Cole was getting a chance to equal Strong’s three wins but it wound up not mattering. Not a great match, which shouldn’t be a surprise given that it’s Cole, but at least the right person won.

Post match the beatdown is on but Kyle O’Reilly runs in for the save, with Ricochet coming out to fight Takeshita to the back. Cole and Strong shake hands but O’Reilly walks away.

The Hurt Syndicate is ready for Bobby Lashley to make an example out of Swerve Strickland.

Here are the Death Riders beating up JD Drake. Jon Moxley hijacks a cameraman and talks about what he has done to Orange Cassidy’s friends. Chuck Taylor is drinking through a straw and Wheeler Yuta believes in Moxley because Cassidy couldn’t save him. Cassidy is going to learn a lesson and the Death Riders have the power. Cue Cassidy to interrupt, with Rocky Romero and Mark Briscoe joining him.

Cassidy talks about how the World Title gives Moxley power so they’re going to wrestle for the title at Full Gear, where Cassidy will beat him. First though, he has to take out some pawns, like Wheeler Yuta, who he’ll face next week, before he can take down the king. The villains go to leave but Darby Allin dives off the balcony onto them. The Riders try to leave again (leaving Yuta behind) but Allin dives onto the back of their truck. Claudio Castagnoli swings him into a garage door and Yuta dives into the back of the truck to escape. That was a lot in one segment, though Cassidy still feels like his loss is just a formality.

Chris Jericho, with the Learning Tree, talks about Tomohiro Ishii being a young boy thirty years ago and having to wash Jericho’s back in the shower. Jericho accepts Ishii’s challenge and the match is n for two weeks.

Britt Baker vs. Penelope Ford

They fight over wrist control to start until Ford kicks her out to the floor as we take an early break. Back with Ford hitting a handspring elbow in the corner, only to get caught with a discus lariat. Ford Matrixes away from a clothesline and tries a….well commentary calls it a cutter but I’m not sure they made contact. Baker kicks her down and loads up the Lockjaw but takes too much time. Ford pulls her into the Muta Lock, which is reversed into the Lockjaw to finish Ford at 8:55.

Rating: C. Baker feels like she is just going through the motions here and that has been the case for a good while. She just doesn’t feel like she is doing anything overly good these days. At the end of the day, she has just stopped evolving and the rest of the division has, which doesn’t work out well. Ford is trying rather hard and while it’s not exactly getting her anywhere, it’s definitely noticeable.

Post match Serena Deeb comes out for a staredown with Baker.

Mina Shirakawa is back and read for a champagne celebration with Mariah May. Cue Harley Cameron, who says Shirakawa is called the Harley Cameron of Japan. Cameron: “Well welcome to the Harley Cameron of Harley Cameron!” They get into a chest shaking contest until Renee Paquette yells at them to stop.

Lio Rush vs. Swerve Strickland

They take turns flipping away from each other to start before going out to the floor. Rush rakes the eyes and yells a lot but gets sent ribs first into the apron. Rush sends him into the announcers’ table though and we take a break. Back with Swerve kicking him in the head on the apron and adding a suplex for two. Rush is back with a cutter for two of his own, followed by the Final Hour for another near fall. Rush’s rollup with ropes doesn’t work so he hits a rolling kick to the head. Strickland has had enough of this and hits the JML Driver for the pin at 10:06.

Rating: B-. Nice match here, as we get our required Rush appearance. Swerve had to fight through some adversity to win as Rush continues to try and get the Hurt Syndicate’s attention. Swerve having some issues with Rush made sense and it went the way it should have without hurting Swerve in any way.

Post match Swerve calls out Bobby Lashley for the brawl (saying we’re in Stamford, Connecticut). Cue Lashley and MVP and, after a THIS IS BRIDGEPORT chant, MVP says they have the numbers advantage and here is Shelton Benjamin to jump Swerve from behind. Prince Nana has to watch as Swerve is taken out. Lashley beats up Nana for a bonus.

Jamie Hayter is coming after one thing. Then the lights go out and we get a Julia Hart vignette, showing her recovering from being shot with an arrow in another vignette. Brody King calls her and says it’s time to come back. Then she seems to have a mental breakdown and screams a lot. Then she is handed a crossbow and puts on a hat.

Kings Of The Black Throne vs. FTR

For a spot in the Tag Team Title match at Full Gear, meaning Private Party is watching. Wheeler tries to pick up the pace against King to start but gets backdropped down hard. Black comes in to strike away at Harwood, who misses a right hand so Black drops down to the mat. Black kicks Harwood to the floor, where FTR gets in a shot of their own to take over. We take a break and come back with Black fighting his way out of trouble, allowing the tag back to King. Wheeler catches King on top though and a powerbomb/top rope clothesline combination gets two.

Black moonsaults onto Wheeler on the floor as King powerbombs Harwood for two back inside. King gets taken up top again but he gets knees up to block the PowerPlex. Black’s top rope double stomp hits Harwood for two and the Shatter Machine gets the same with Black making the save. A spike piledriver onto the apron plants Black but King is there with a dive. Back in and a pair of lariats into a sleeper finish Harwood at 13:28.

Rating: B. Another hard hitting match here and I like the result. FTR has been done to death in the title picture and it will add at least a little spice when they turn on the Outrunners at the show. The Kings Of The Black Throne needed a win to give them some momentum, even if it’s hard to buy that they are going to win the titles at Full Gear.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I’m not sure what to make of this show. It was absolutely not boring, but the biggest thing is I’m not really overly interested in Full Gear. A lot of the matches feel like things we have to get through on the way to whatever is next and that’s not a great feeling to have. All of the run-ins and people interfering here didn’t really boost my interest as much as it made me want the show to calm down. It certainly felt like they were trying something different, though I’m not sure how well it worked.

Results
Hangman Page/Christian Cage b. Bang Bang Gang – Deadeye to Robinson
Roderick Strong b. Lance Archer – Jumping knee
Konosuke Takeshita b. Adam Cole – Punch with the Dynamite Diamond Ring
Britt Baker b. Penelope Ford – Lockjaw
Swerve Strickland b. Lio Rush – JML Driver
Kings Of The Black Throne b. FTR – Sleeper to Harwood

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Dynamite
Date: November 6, 2024
Location: SNHU Arena, Manchester, New Hampshire
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

This is coming off of a pretty strong show last week and that is a good sign with a few weeks to go before we get to Full Gear. The main event is now set, with Orange Cassidy challenging Jon Moxley for the World Title. The rest of the show needs to be set up and we might get some of that this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Here is the Hurt Syndicate to get things going. MVP gets rid of Tony Schiavone and introduces the team. Their business card is like your golden ticket, but if you reject it, it can ruin your career. We look at the team taking out Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana last week and here they are, only to be held back. Swerve gets to the point and issues the challenge for Full Gear with MVP accepting for Lashley.

We look at Orange Cassidy standing up and challenging Jon Moxley, setting up their Full Gear title match.

Death Riders vs. Orange Cassidy/Darby Allin

The Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli/Pac in this case) are the former Blackpool Combat Club. They go after Cassidy in the aisle to start but Allin dives off the set for the save as the brawl starts. The brawl keeps going on the floor until Cassidy and Pac get inside for the opening bell. Pac kicks away, including a boot in the corner to cut Cassidy off. The top rope superplex is broken up though and Cassidy hits the top rope DDT for two. Castagnoli makes the save with some backbreakers and we take an early break.

Back with an over the shoulder backbreaker giving Castagnoli two but he misses a charge into the post. Allin comes in to clean house, including getting out of a giant swing. Instead a big backdrop puts Allin down and another backbreaker gets two as Castagnoli does his best Roderick Strong impression.

Pac’s brainbuster gets two and a super brainbuster gets the same with Cassidy making the save. That’s enough for Allin to get up and dive over for the tag as everything breaks down. Cassidy hits a tornado DDT but cue Marina Shafir to kick the referee to the floor. Jon Moxley runs in to choke Cassidy and Wheeler Yuta adds a skateboard to Allin’s back for the DQ at 13:33.

Rating: C+. This was starting to cook when the rest of the Death Riders came in. It’s almost weird to see AEW use a DQ but they have been happening more and more often lately. It still fits what they’re doing here though, as you can’t have the villains lose but you also don’t want either Cassidy or Allin taking a fall at this point.

Post match the fight is on with Allin getting the skateboard to fight back…but the Death Riders take them out again. The Conglomeration runs in for the real save. Now that’s more like it with giving the villains some actual opposition. The Conglomeration isn’t going to be the ones to stop them, but they’re a heck of a lot more interesting than the Dark Order and Top Flight.

Ricochet has a mystery partner against the Don Callis Family tonight but he’s keeping it under his hat. The Hurt Syndicate comes in and likes his suit, but seem to have their eye on him for later.

Conglomeration vs. Learning Tree

Fight Without Honor, meaning a street fight. It’s a brawl to start with Briscoe having to escape an early chokeslam attempt. Jericho escapes a Jay Driller from the apron through a table but Bill is there with the big boots. Briscoe hits a heck of a step up flip dive from the apron to the floor before O’Reilly and Keith go through a table at ringside. Bill chokeslams Briscoe through a ladder and we take an early break.

Back with Briscoe and Jericho having a chair duel with Briscoe getting the better of things. Bill breaks that up as well so O’Reilly and Ishii double team him down. Jericho’s Liontamer attempt is broken up and it’s an electric chair/superplex combination to put Jericho and Keith down. Bill and O’Reilly brawl up near an entrance, where O’Reilly grabs a guillotine choke to pull him through some tables for a big crash. Back in and the Jay Driller hits Jericho, setting up a Froggy Bow from a ladder through a table with Keith making the save. Ishii hits the sliding lariat into the brainbuster to pin Jericho at 13:29.

Rating: C+. Remember back in September when Jericho pinned the Ring Of Honor World Champion in a six man match where there were no tags and it set up a title match? One might think they might wait three months before doing the same thing again yet here we are, likely with Ishii getting a title shot. I would certainly hope they have something better than that for Final Battle, as Ishii does not feel like a top challenger.

Jon Moxley says Wheeler Yuta is not Orange Cassidy’s friend no matter how their past went. Yuta is Moxley’s soldier and it is time to show that he is not playing.

Adam Cole vs. Malakai Black

They trade takedowns to start before Black blocks Cole’s superkick attempt. Black takes him with a wristlock but an armdrag gets Cole out of trouble. Black sends him outside and tries a dive off the apron, only to have Cole hit a superkick as we take a break. Back with a Panama Sunrise connecting for Cole but Black knees him down for two.

Cole gets in another superkick and the brainbuster onto the knee, only for Black to hit the End for a rather near fall. Another Panama Sunrise and another superkick put Black down so he hits there and tells Cole to do it. That’s enough for Cole to hit the Boom for the pin at 12:42.

Rating: C+. Commentary was hyping up this being the first time that Cole had ever beaten Black and while that is a big deal, I’m more interested in the fact that Cole kicked out of the End. If anyone has ever kicked out of that, it isn’t something that happens very often and I’m not wild on having it just happen here. Cole is piling up some wins, but it’s only getting him so far. At least the fans weren’t cheering for the villain this time.

Respect is shown post match. Black leaves and that means it’s Storytime With Adam Cole (Catchphrase). Cole puts Black over and says he and Roderick Strong are going to get their three wins to get their hands on MJF. If they both get the three wins, it’s a triple threat at Full Gear, with violence being promised.

MJF calls someone and says he wants that person to pay someone a visit.

Jay White is ready for Hangman Page, showing that White was not ready for Page. The fight is on with Page crushing White’s leg in the barricade. Juice Robinson comes in with a chair for the save and White is up. Page runs into the crowd and White promises to beat him at Page, maybe even by submission.

Mercedes Mone and Kamille (driving) try to hit Kris Statlander with a car but can’t make it work. Mone yells at Kamille but Statlander slams Mone onto the hood of the car.

Here is the Patriarchy for a chat. Kip Sabian is officially part of the team because he is a fatherless person looking for some guidance. Sabian saved him from cashing in his World Title contract because Sabian knew interference would cost him the title, which is more than Cage’s other sons have ever done. Cue Hook, with Cage saying Hook has crazy eyes and Cage needs a son like him. Yes Cage attacked Taz because he wanted Hook to be a wrestler like him instead of an announcer. Cage wishes Taz was dead so Hook charges the ring and beats up security.

Video on Lance Archer/Brian Cage.

Don Callis is given an envelope and a ring, plus a phone message from MJF (from the call earlier).

Penelope Ford vs. Jamie Hayter

Hayter wastes no time in starting the beatdown but Ford is back with a handspring elbow in the corner. Ford’s kick to the ribs cuts off a charge but a moonsault misses. A brainbuster drops Ford, who is right back up with a kick to the head for two. What looks like a Go To Sleep is countered into the Hayterade to give Hayter the pin at 4:36.

Rating: C. This was short and to the point and that’s all it needed to be. There was no reason to think that this was going to be some kind of epic feud as Ford is just not on Hayter’s level. Hayter is someone who should be on the way to a title picture sooner than later and she has now cleared Ford out with no issue.

Mina Shirakawa is back next week.

Video on Kazuchika Okada, who is defending the Continental Title in the Continental Classic.

Don Callis Family vs. Ricochet/???

Ricochet says that he did some digging and found out that someone’s contract with the Don Callis Family expired in October. No one seemed to notice and that man is now upset. Cue Powerhouse Hobbs and the brawl is quickly on. Hobbs runs them over with a double shoulder and the fight heads outside in a hurry. We settle down to Hobbs suplexing Fletcher before it’s off to Ricochet, who gets caught with a hanging DDT.

We take a break and come back with Hobbs coming in to clean house off the clotheslines. A super powerslam gets two on Fletcher and the straps come down, setting up the Takeshita vs. Hobbs slugout. Fletcher is back in with a sitout powerbomb to Ricochet, who gets caught with a Doomsday Device for two. Hobbs gets caught in a German suplex but Ricochet snaps off a hurricanrana for two. The shooting star press gives Ricochet two more and the running elbow finishes Takeshita at 14:34.

Rating: B-. This was a fast paced match but it was a little messy at times, with almost nothing resembling a regular match for large portions. Ricochet’s win should continue setting up his title shot, likely at Full Gear, which should be a heck of a showdown. For now though, it was a good enough match, even if it’s the second tag match on the show that ends with the likely challenger pinning the champion.

Post match Fletcher chairs Ricochet and loads up a tiger driver 91 but Mark Davis makes the save. The Don Callis Family beats him down so here is Adam Cole to go after Takeshita. Will Ospreay makes his big return but Fletcher gets away from the Hidden Blade to end the show. Bringing out Ospreay for the superhero return is a nice feel good moment that has been lacking a lot in recent weeks.

Overall Rating: B-. The best thing about this show is that there were some hope spots. The Death Riders stuff is still not doing anything for me, but at least they have some bigger name stars coming aafter them for a change. That’s what AEW has been needing to do and while Full Gear still feels like little more than a pit stop for the big stories, it’s better than what we have been doing in recent weeks. Overall, a good enough week, with just enough bright spots to keep me interested.

Results
Orange Cassidy/Darby Allin b. Death Riders via DQ when Wheeler Yuta interfered
Conglomeration b. Learning Tree – Brainbuster to Jericho
Adam Cole b. Malakai Black – The End
Jamie Hayter b. Penelope Ford – Hayterade
Ricochet/Powerhouse Hobbs b. Don Callis Family – Running elbow to Takeshita

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Dynamite
Date: October 30, 2024
Location: Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard

It’s Fright Night Dynamite as we have the Halloween episode. The big story tonight is the Tag Team Titles are on the line with the Young Bucks defending against Private Party (again) with Private Party’s career as a team also being defended. Other than that, Orange Cassidy is doing to do something about Jon Moxley so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We get a special video previewing tonight, with something of a spooky/horror theme.

We get a video on the Blackpool Combat Club, talking about how Jon Moxley built this company but Orange Cassidy says cut it off. Cue Cassidy to say this isn’t who he is, but last week he saw his best friend’s neck crushed by a steel chair. He was surrounded by people who shouldn’t have been there. Those people were very young because he was surrounded by the future of AEW. They were in danger because of people like Jon Moxley. See, Moxley doesn’t need AEW, but Cassidy certainly does.

Without him, there is none of this, so now he knows what he needs to do, meaning he has to cut his head off the snake to make sure no one else gets hurt. The sunglasses come off and Cassidy issues the title challenge. Let him know, because he isn’t hard to find. He’s Freshly Squeezed Orange Cassidy, he’s the next AEW World Champion, and he still doesn’t need a catchphrase. That ending was a bit too goofy, but this was exactly what the promo needed to be and gives Moxley a good first challenger, albeit one who has very little chance of winning.

Mercedes Mone says Kamille isn’t going to need luck against Kris Statlander tonight.

Adam Cole vs. Buddy Matthews

Feeling out process to start with the much bigger Matthews slowly powering him into the corner. A shoulder takes Cole down as he seems a bit ginger. Matthews knocks him outside where Cole limps around a bit and has to stretch the ankle out a bit. The distraction lets Matthews hit a big kick off the apron as we take a break.

Back with Matthews hitting a superplex but Cole snaps off a neckbreaker. A DDT onto the apron drops Matthews and leaves them both on the floor. Matthews is back with a hard shot to the ankle, which is sent into the steps. The medic comes out to check on him and Cole teases leaving, but Matthews laughs at the “new” Cole for leaving like a little b****.

That brings Cole back to the ring and they slug it out, with Cole hitting back to back superkicks. The leg gives out on the running knee though and Matthews hits a Stomp for two. Cole knees him in the face a few times for two but Matthews buckle bombs him and hits another Stomp for one. A superkick and a pair of Panama Sunrises, including one on the floor, set up the Boom for the pin at 15:30.

Rating: B-. Well that was certainly a Cole match, with a bunch of superkicks, Panama Sunrises and silly kickouts. He’s such a weird case as he has star power and feels like he should be a star but then it doesn’t exactly work out that way in the ring. Maybe it’s that he feels like the Modern Style Greatest Hits guy, but this wasn’t exactly great.

Post match we get a handshake but the lights go out. They come back up and Cole is shaking hands with Malakai Black instead.

Christopher Daniels is with Private Party, who are risking everything for the Tag Team Titles tonight, for a pep talk. They’ve got this.

Adam Cole is in the trainer’s room with the Undisputed Kingdom. Cole says his ankle is fine and he’s ready for Malakai Black. He goes on a rant about how MJF has betrayed a bunch of people but Cole needs the fans, while MJF only cares about himself. That was almost the same promo Cassidy did half an hour ago.

Here is Don Callis to bring out Kyle Fletcher for a chat. Fletcher calls out Will Ospreay, who isn’t here because he’s a coward. Instead here is Mark Davis, Fletcher’s long injured partner, to ask what Fletcher has been doing. They were part of an empire but Fletcher betrayed everyone. Fletcher says Davis is going to have to make a decision, but Fletcher has no problem cutting out the past. I mean…points for acknowledging it but Davis could have been completely forgotten and very little would have been lost.

Hangman Page talks about his history with Jay White and how they have fought each other so many times. We know what White is going to do, but Page could do anything in their match at Full Gear. Maybe he’ll even burn White’s house down.

Here is the Blackpool Combat Club, with Jon Moxley saying he challenged Orange Cassidy last year because he wanted to hurt Cassidy. Moxley accepts the challenge, saying he’ll fight Cassidy in the valley, which is where Cassidy will die. We get an example, with the Club jumping Yuta and wrapping a chair around his neck.

Cassidy makes the save, with Yuta jumping him, only or the Dark Order to come out and get beaten up again. Darby Allin repels from the ceiling for the brawl, with Top flight and Action Andretti running in for the real save. The Young Bucks come out and the scheduled title match is right now. This was another case of the villains being chased off by a group more than twice their size, which doesn’t exactly make AEW look great.

Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks vs. Private Party

The Bucks are defending and Private Party has to split up if they lose. A springboard dropkick takes Quen down to start but Kassidy is in to send the Bucks outside. Some dives to the floor have the Bucks in trouble so Matt grabs the ring bell. Quen takes it away…and knocks Kassidy silly by mistake. Nick uses the distraction to kick Quen in the face and we settle back down inside.

The already busted open Kassidy is sent into the steps, followed by a falcon Arrow off of those steps. A superplex gets two on Quen and we take a break. Back with Kassidy coming in to clean house as everything breaks down. The Bucks clear Quen out and Risky Business gets two on Quen.

Private Party hit some dives but the Bucks fight back and drag Quen up to the stage….where Kazuchika Okada gives him a Tombstone. The Bucks hit Gin & Juice for two on Kassidy and the shoes are pumped up for the Superkick Party and two more. The EVP Trigger is loaded up but Kassidy falls down, only for the second attempt to have them ram knees. A small package gets two on Nick and now the EVP Trigger connects for a near fall. The V rigger int a One Winged Angle gets two as Quen dives back in for the save. Kassidy crotched Nick on top and a poisonrana int Gin & Juice is good for the pin and the titles at 18:06.

Rating: B+. My issues with Private Party aside, this was a heck of a match and the title change felt like a big moment. AEW needed to do something like this and that’s exactly what they gave us. It had emotion and came at the right time, and even though I have zero reason to buy Private Party as a top level team, it was an awesome moment and one of the best things AEW has done in a good while.

Post match the Bucks hand over the titles and Private Party celebrates in the crowd. That’s the start of the Bucks’ face turn isn’t it?

Moxley vs. Cassidy is set for Full Gear.

Jamie Hayter and Penelope Ford have agreed to not get physical before their match next week. Ford says people have forgotten who she is (A decent at best star who was never close to the top of the division?) but Hayter says this is all over something that happened two years ago. Hayter is fine with beating her up next week.

Here is the Learning Tree to brag about Chris Jericho’s win last week. Jericho brags about winning the title and getting four stars in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, plus for carrying Terrifier 3 to the top of the box office. So just sit back and enjoy the Nueve’s title reign. I really could go for never hearing about Dave Meltzer or the Observer in a wrestling promo again.

Video on Anna Jay.

Daniel Garcia yells at Jack Perry over being entitled. Perry goes to the Elite’s locker room where the Young Bucks are shredding documents.

Kamille vs. Kris Statlander

Mercedes Mone is here with Kamille and gets her own entrance. Kamille runs her over to start but Statlander nips up for a dropkick. A hard clothesline drops Statlander again and we take an early break. Back with Statlander dropping her for a change but missing a 450. Kamille’s torture rack powerbomb gets two but Statlander is right back with Wednesday Night Fever for the pin at 6:25. Not enough shown to rate, but that’s a really fast first loss for Kamille.

Post match Mercedes Mone yells at Kamille and takes out Statlander.

Video on Kip Sabian seemingly joining the Patriarchy.

Christian Cage promises to deal with Hook.

Mark Briscoe, with the Conglomeration, is upset at losing the Ring Of Honor World Title, but he isn’t sure why Chris Jericho doesn’t care about his own health. The word of the day is instability because Jericho brought up Jay Briscoe again. The challenge is on for a six man Fight Without Honor for next week, because I guess we’re having an ROH match on AEW TV.

The Young Bucks leave, despite Christopher Daniels’ protests. The place is too violent and chaotic so they’re out. Brandon Cutler, carrying a box, tries to catch up, but gets beaten down by the Blackpool Combat Club. Daniels has to watch as Claudio Castagnoli uses a hammer to crush….something about four inches away from Cutler’s hand. That looked TERRIBLE and made me laugh at how terrible they screwed it up. I get that you can’t actually crush his hand, but put the camera in a better place.

Swerve Strickland vs. Shelton Benjamin

Prince Nana and MVP are here too. Swerve makes the mistake of trying to wrestle Benjamin to start so they’re quickly on the floor. Benjamin can’t manage to post him so Swerve cranks on the arm in the ropes. A kick of the apron is cut off and Swerve is tripped down, followed by a toss back to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Swerve hitting a kick to the back and getting in his dance, setting up the middle rope elbow to the back of the neck. Benjamin grabs a Kimura but Swerve slips out, only to get caught with a DDT for two. Swerve drops him for a 450 but Benjamin sends him flying with a German suplex. The rolling Downward Spiral hits Benjamin, who pops up to run the corner and catch Swerve on top. Swerve slips through the legs though and hits the Swerve Stomp for the pin at 14:38.

Rating: B. Another solid back and forth match here with Swerve getting a win over someone with a reputation. Swerve needed something like this to get back on top and Benjamin’s first loss coming to a former World Champion isn’t going to hurt him. Granted this is pretty clearly setting up the next big opponent for Swerve so it only means so much.

Post match MVP calls someone…and Bobby Lashley is here. The staredown is on and Benjamin’s distraction lets Lashley beat Swerve down. Nana gets taken out as well and, after being loudly told THIRTY SECONDS LEFT, MVP says look who’s back in business to end the show. This is one of those situations where it was clear what was going to happen and that’s not a bad thing.

Overall Rating: B+. This show started a bit slow but got better as it kept going, with some stuff that makes me want to see what happens next. It had some problems, but there were enough things on here that kept my interest along with action to back it up. Pretty easily the best Dynamite in a good while and certainly something they needed. Unfortunately the show is likely going to get smashed in the ratings because of baseball, but they needed this show after some lackluster weeks.

Results
Adam Cole b. Buddy Matthews – Boom
Private Party b. Young Bucks – Gin & Juice to Nick
Kris Statlander b. Kamille – Tuesday Night Fever
Swerve Strickland b. Shelton Benjamin – Swerve Stomp

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Dynamite
Date: October 23, 2024
Location: Maverik Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard

We’re a month away from Full Gear so that means it’s time for a ladder match with a title on the line. In this case it’s the Ring Of Honor World Title with Chris Jericho challenging Mark Briscoe, who beat Jericho clean at WrestleDream. Other than that, Jon Moxley and company are still all tough and violent and such. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of the Blackpool Combat Club being all mega evil.

Jon Moxley is in the desert and saying it’s for the greater good when the rest of the Club pulls up in a truck to take him away.

Mark Briscoe fires up a bunch of low level stars who are ready for the Club to arrive.

Here is Hangman Page to brag about how awesome he is but here is Colten Gunn to jump him for attacking Austin Gunn last week. Jay White and Juice Robinson run in to clear Page out. White talks about having Page’s number and all of the violence that Page loves isn’t hiding the fact that he’s not as good as the Switchblade. They’ll see each other again.

Video on Shelton Benjamin vs. Sammy Guevara.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Sammy Guevara

MVP is here with Benjamin, who wastes no time in launching Guevara into the air for a backdrop. Some hard knees set up a snap suplex to keep Guevara in trouble but he’s right back with a dropkick. Benjamin cuts off a suicide dive and hits an overhead belly to belly as we take a break.

Back with Benjamin snapping off another German suplex but Guevara hits some superkicks. Guevara hits a big running flip dive to the floor, followed by a pop up cutter for one back inside. Benjamin staggers up but manages to superkick Guevara out of the air (I wonder where he learned that…). A knee to the face and the exploder finish for Benjamin at 10:07.

Rating: B-. See, this is something that made a lot more sense than the Lio Rush match last week. Guevara is a far more established name around here and him giving Benjamin trouble fits perfectly. That’s the kind of win that actually builds Benjamin up rather than making him look like he’s needing to try too hard to beat someone who hasn’t accomplished much. Far better situation for everyone here.

Mariah May throws Anna Jay’s stuff out of the locker room so the brawl is on. It’s broken up in about three seconds, but it was on.

Video on Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher. They were friends, mainly in other promotions, but then Fletcher turned on him at WrestleDream and now we need an explanation.

Here is Fletcher, with Don Callis, for his explanation. For eleven days, Will Ospreay has been in a hospital bed while fans are wondering why. When Fletcher arrived in AEW, people thought he was the next big thing (Who thought that?) but then Ospreay got here. That made people call him the next Will Ospreay, because people said he looked and sounded like Ospreay. Fletcher is better than him in every single way but the fans don’t seem interested.

Don’t worry though because Don Callis has bought him all the TV time he needs so you will listen to him! Anyway, we move on to Kazuchika Okada, who brought Will Ospreay into New Japan (as we go back years and halfway around the world to another promotion to explain this story), who Ospreay stabbed in the back. Then Ospreay did the same thing to Kenny Omega. Fletcher turned on Ospreay because it’s what Ospreay did to people, so Fletcher is giving him one chance to save face.

They can face each other next week and Fletcher will give him tiger driver after tiger driver. For now though, he will be nothing like Ospreay. Then he shaves his own hair. So we have a feud between one of the company’s superheroes and a mostly midcard star over something that happened years ago in another promotion in Japan as the Don Callis Family/Will Osprey Saga is now going on for….how many months? Fletcher is getting a bit of a boost out of it, but if this is the best they have for Ospreay, I have no idea what to think of how screwy this place is.

We look at Ricochet showing up at Maple Leaf Pro over the weekend to go after Konosuke Takeshita.

Ricochet isn’t done with Takeshita, but MVP (who compliments his suit) and Shelton Benjamin come in. MVP leaves him with a business card and Ricochet doesn’t say no.

Lance Archer/Brian Cage vs. Pillars Of Destiny

Powerbomb/chokeslam combination finishes for Cage at 1:01.

Chuck Taylor tells the army outside that Mark Briscoe’s match is up next. Taylor holds Orange Cassidy back and says Cassidy can beat the villains so it’s time to step up.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Chris Jericho vs. Mark Briscoe

Briscoe is defending in a Ladder War and slugs away to start fast. Jericho is knocked off the apron and through some tables and Briscoe beats him around ringside. A suplex gets Jericho out of trouble but Briscoe hits him in the face with a ladder. Briscoe’s big running flip dive only hits ladder and Jericho hits him in the face with another ladder as we take a break.

Back with Briscoe hitting a Death Valley Driver through a ladder in the corner before throwing in a fresh one. They go up the ladder with Jericho going for the belt but Briscoe shoves the ladder over for the crash. The Froggy Bow through the table is loaded up but Bryan Keith comes in to break it up.

Rocky Romero runs in and hits Keith with a kendo stick, setting up the Froggy Boy to crush Jericho. It’s such a crash that Briscoe is on his feet eight seconds later and the Jay Driller connects but here is Big Bill to send Briscoe through a table. Jericho gets the title back at 15:46.

Rating: B-. Of course he did. You could feel the title change coming when Jericho said he wanted a rematch, because I’m sure we now need to set something up where Jericho allegedly puts someone over before moving on to something bigger. That’s just what the Ring Of Honor Title is about, as we now get to see which non-Ring Of Honor wrestler gets the shot at Final Battle in about two months. The match was pretty run of the mill ladder showdown, but another heel champion around here isn’t exactly appealing right now.

Post match Tomohiro Ishii returns with Rocky Romero. Gee man. Thanks for coming out and helping with Big Bill!

Video on Kamille vs. Kris Statlander, featuring both of them being rather strong.

Here is Adam Cole for a chat but the Undisputed Kingdom cuts him off. They don’t like MJF either, but they did check on Cole while he was healing up. The team does great things when they are together and agree to go after MJF. Cue MJF on the Titantron, getting a massage, who says either Roderick Strong or Cole has to win three matches in a row to get a match with him at Full Gear.

MJF won’t be around until then, which might be enough time to realize that this is the third time MJF has forced someone to beat a string of opponents to face him. Second, the Undisputed Kingdom is working for MJF right? It’s the most logical way for all of this to go. Otherwise, this is the second “group of good guys bands together to fight the villain” story going at the moment.

Video on Penelope Ford vs. Jamie Hayter.

Hayter talks about how hard she has worked to get here and she’s ready for a fight, but Ford isn’t here. How about they fight in two weeks?

House Of Black vs. Jaden Monroe/Kevin Koa/Pirata de la Muerte

The House beats up Monroe, sends Koa bailing into the corner, and hits the Cannonball/dropkicks combination to Muerte. The toss powerbomb into Murphy’s stomp finishes Monroe at 1:59. That team was squashed flatter than something that is very flat.

Post match, Matthews challenges Adam Cole for next week. We cut to Cole in the back, who walks up to Matthews and wonders what’s up with that. The match seems set.

Kamille vs. Queen Aminata

Mercedes Mone is here with Kamille, who powers Aminata down to start. A short arm lariat gives Kamille two but Aminata is back with a running headscissors. Aminata rolls her up for two but gets dropped as we take an early break. Back with Aminata hitting a running elbow and grabbing a neckbreaker. A running shot against the ropes gets two on Kamille and Aminata grabs a full nelson with her legs. Kamille’s powerbomb attempt is countered into a hurricanrana for two but Kamille is back with a torture rack spun into a powerbomb for two of her own. The reverse spinning DDT finishes for Kamille at 8:16.

Rating: C. Of course. Of course you have a monster like Kamille in her fifth match in AEW and of course it takes her eight minutes to beat someone who is best known in AEW for not winning a match for months when she got there (What else is she known for?). This made Aminata, who isn’t set for a big showdown with Kris Statlander, look like someone who could go somewhere while Kamille, the new monster, looked like she had trouble beating someone who hasn’t won anything of note around here. “But AEW doesn’t squash it’s own stars!” Then don’t book the match. Really not that complicated.

Post match Kris Statlander comes out for the staredown. With Kamille. Who just struggled to beat Queen Aminata. Kamille and Mone lay her out.

The Patriarchy arrives and the army is looking for them. The Patriarchy backs off, but chases Kip Sabian away, because THE KIP SABIAN/PATRIARCHY STORY IS STILL A THING.

After commentary talks a bit, the Patriarchy chases Sabian into the ring but Hook shows up on the screen, saying that the people in the ring took out his dad. Hook storms the ring and goes after Nick Wayne before trying to Choke Christian Cage. Sabian saves Cage, who tells Sabian to get in that corner to be dealt with later. The Patriarchy takes out Hook, with Cage calling him “Tyler” and says “it’s not what it seems” (I think). Well thank goodness Kip Sabian is getting something to do. Now I can stop losing sleep over him lack of direction.

Elite vs. Private Party/Daniel Garcia

The Elite gets taken out before the bell…and then the bell rings a second later. Garcia stomps on Perry in the corner before it’s off to Kassidy to hammer on Matt. A quadruple clothesline gives us a quadruple nip up until Garcia comes in to take out villains. We see the army still waiting outside as the Bucks take over on Quen.

We take a break and come back with Stokely Hathaway watching in the front row as Nick accidentally kicks Matt in the face. The big tag is cut off and Garcia is sent into the timekeeper’s area. Risky Business gets two on Kassidy but a headscissors/wristdrag gets him out of trouble. Quen comes in to clean house but gets caught in the powerbomb/stereo enziguris in the corner. Garcia cuts off something on the apron, with Quen breaking up the TK Driver. Silly String is enough to pin Matt at 11:11.

Rating: B-. For those of you keeping track, this is now the fourth match between Private Party and the Bucks which has been set up by that one time Private Party beat them five years ago. They weren’t interesting challengers at WrestleDream and they aren’t going to be interesting challenges whenever they get their next title shot, but this is what we’re getting until whomever is ready to fight the Bucks next.

Post match, Private Party says they want another title shot and put their future as a team on the line. The Bucks are down and the match is made. Oh no. What ever would we do if a team who was apart for over a year is apart for good? Anyway, the Blackpool Combat Club’s truck arrives in the back but it’s just Marina Shafir. The men sneak in from behind and take out Private Party with Chairs. Jon Moxley throws Chuck Taylor inside to Pillmanize his neck. A bunch of people, including Orange Cassidy, run in to clear them out. The Elite watch on as commentary is DISGUSTED to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. I liked most of the wrestling tonight, but I do not remember being so bored, uninterested and uninvested in an AEW (or most anywhere else) show in a LONG time. The stories they are telling are a mixture of far more complicated than they need to be, illogical, and flat out dull. Right now, in 2024, the biggest good guy champion in AEW/ROH is Dustin Rhodes. That’s what we have to cheer for at the moment.

Other than that, you have the BCC not only dominating everyone but making them look like idiots, because NO ONE THOUGHT TO GUARD THE OTHER DOOR. It’s astounding how dumb the heroes in this promotion are presented as being and it’s not making an already annoying show that much worse. Between insisting on Kyle Fletcher getting Will Ospreay’s attention, Chris Jericho winning ANOTHER title, whatever Adam Cole/MJF are doing now and their insistence on making sure that people like Queen Aminata are kept strong, this place has its priorities in a really weird place.

I’m sure I’m just watching it wrong or I’m not bright enough to get the subtle nuances of “Private Party could TOTALLY win this time and you should care that they might split up even though they’ve won one thing that matters in five years”, but dang I haven’t been this down on AEW since its inception.

Results
Shelton Benjamin b. Sammy Guevara – Exploder
Lance Archer/Brian Cage b. Pillars Of Destiny – Powerbomb/chokeslam combination
Chris Jericho b. Mark Briscoe – Jericho pulled down the title
House Of Black b. Jaden Monroe/Kevin Koa/Pirata de la Muerte – Stomp to Monroe
Kamille b. Queen Aminata – Reverse spinning DDT
Daniel Garcia/Private Party b. Elite – Silly String to Matt

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Dynamite
Date: October 16, 2024
Location: SAP Center, San Jose, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

We’re done with WrestleDream and the big story is Jon Moxley is the new World Champion, having kind of retired Bryan Danielson. It seems we are going to need some saviors to fight for the company and maybe we find that out tonight. Other than that, Adam Cole and MJF are both back and don’t like each other. Let’s get to it.

Here is WrestleDream if you need a recap.

The opening video features Jon Moxley and friends in the back of a truck with Moxley talking about how there are so many wrestlers on the roster who get paid and then do nothing. He hates what AEW has become because there is no need for all of the dancing and partying. He’ll burn down the forest and do what has to be done because they can see a better future.

If you want to come with them you can, but otherwise, run while you can. The new paradigm is you work for him now. Wheeler Yuta looks off into the darkness. This included shots of wrestlers being upset at what happened to Bryan Danielson, meaning we probably have some people ready to fight back. That being said, “Wah, they’re making too much money and are too soft but we’re all tough” isn’t exactly a thrilling story.

Here is Adam Cole for a chat. He loves his friends but he has to do this on his own. Cole wants to talk about the worst person in this company, MJF. After years of seeing him be this way, the only thing that Cole can say is that MJF is fake. Just look at his hair: it took two surgeries but that fake hair is on his head. MJF will act all tough and stoic on social media when fans insult him but then he’ll cry in his hotel room.

This place has the best talent roster in the world and there are a lot of hungry people who are ready to go around someone like MJF. He’ll act like he’s something special but the reality is everyone, including Cole, hates him. Cole hates everything about him, including his stupid face, so get out here for the fight they’re going to have right now.

MJF’s music plays but he pops up on screen to say he’s a multi millionaire at 28, but he knows what it’s like to be alone. Cole tried to be his friend but then MJF took it away, but now Cole is never going to get his revenge. MJF will always dangle the carrot of revenge and Cole can thank him for everything later. Cole swears vengeance anyway. This only worked to an extent, as the feud felt like it was over and Cole didn’t have much to say other than “I really hate you”.

Chris Jericho feels vindicated after his loss to Mark Briscoe because Briscoe cheated. Jericho wants a rematch to become the two time Ring Of Honor World Champion, just like Jay Briscoe.

Mark Briscoe doesn’t like Jericho bringing up his brother’s name again, so of course they can have a rematch. Next week. In a ladder war. Tonight though, FTR is going to take out Jericho’s Learning Tree. I appreciate the logic of Briscoe wanting to avenge his brother’s memory being tarnished, but if this is continuing, Briscoe shouldn’t have beaten Jericho clean on Saturday.

FTR vs. Learning Tree

Harwood takes over on Keith to start and hammers away before handing it off to Wheeler. Keith gets in a slam and a knee drop but Wheeler fights up. Bill comes in off a surprise though and it’s a Boss Man Slam to send us to a break. Back with Harwood hitting a clothesline on Keith but getting dropped by the same thing from Bill. The Shatter Machine is broken up and Wheeler takes Bill to the floor for a tornado DDT. Back in and Keith walks into the Shatter Machine for the pin at 8:20.

Rating: C+. As usual, there is only so much that can be done with a match that only gets eight minutes and includes a commercial break. Bill continues to look like a monster and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him do something better in the future. For now though, he’s part of a tag team where Keith is taking the fall, so at least Bill is being protected. At the same time, dang FTR feels like they’ve fallen a very, very long way in the last few months.

Post match the Outrunners come out to post with FTR.

Acclaimed and Billy Gunn are ready to head to the gym, with Billy going to get the car ready. They’re ready for more, but MVP and Shelton Benjamin come in. MVP offers a business card, with Bowens saying they don’t need anything from them. Caster slips the card into his pocket.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone vs. Queen Aminata

Mone, with Kamille, is defending. Mone tries to take her down but gets some swiveling hips to the face for her efforts. A victory roll gives Mone two but Aminata gives her a fall away slam to the floor. Kamille offers a quick distraction and Mone gets in a whip to the steps as we take a break. Back with Aminata hitting an Air Raid Crash for two and they both need a breather. A sunset flip gives Aminata one and a neckbreaker gets two, followed by a snap suplex to send Mone into the corner. Mone fights her way out of said corner and hits the Statement Maker for the pin at 8:41.

Rating: C+. Same problem with the match being cut off by the break as the previous one, which is quite the recurring issue in modern wrestling. Mone continues to be good in the ring but other than Britt Baker, she hasn’t had much in the way of competition. Aminata and Emi Sakura haven’t exactly done much in AEW but have gotten recent title shots. Find someone a bit more elevated to get the shot at her.

Private Party talks to the Young Bucks and wants another title shot. The Bucks admit that Private Party took them to the limit but that was their last shot. The Bucks are gone so Stokely Hathaway comes in to say the team has been here since the Obama administration and never gotten anywhere. If they lose next time, they should split up, because Kassidy is the singles star anyway. Not that that’s any of Hathaway’s business of course. I would certainly hope that’s it for the Bucks vs. Private Party, as it wasn’t exactly a big match in the first place.

The Elite talk about how important today is to the history of AEW. Today is Kenny Omega’s birthday and even though he’s had a bunch of his intestines taken out, they have a cake for him. Then they pour a bunch of fake intestines on it. Jack Perry: “Get well soon Kenny. Or die.” Kazuchika Okada throws in a b****. Teasing Omega’s return, even if it’s a bit off in the distance, is a good thing.

Elite vs. Conglomeration

Nick gets taken own by Cassidy to start and O’Reilly strikes away before they do the same to Matt. Romero comes in for a running hurricanrana to Okada and we take a break. Back with O’Reilly making Nick clothesline Matt but Okada comes back in for the save. The Rainmaker is broken up but Matt hits an elbow to give Okada two. Romero is back up with the Forever Clotheslines, only for Okada to break it up with the tombstone. The Bucks spend their time pumping up their shoes and Cassidy starts cleaning house….but Wheeler Yuta runs in to jump O’Reilly for the DQ at 9:21.

Rating: B-. Well at least they had a way to avoid either team losing here. The Conglomeration would be fine enough as the first people to stand up to the Club and some of that was already started at WrestleDream. There’s a good chance the Elite are the real ones to fight the villains of though and….egads that is going to take some incredible efforts. Or they’ll just make the Elite good again and forget everything about what has happened in the last six months with no major repercussions.

Post match the rest of Moxley’s friends, including Moxley, come in for the beatdown, with commentary calling Cassidy “the leader of AEW” which….no. Top Flight comes in for the failed save so the Dark Order runs in, passing by the Elite on the way and asking them to help. The Order is beaten down as well (including Pac beating people up with a briefcase, which may contain the World Title) and the violence continues as Moxley says this is just the cost of doing business. Excalibur: “There’s no rhyme or reason to what these people are doing here.”

Commentary is aghast.

The Elite, minus Okada, says that wasn’t their business but Daniel Garcia and Private Party come in. Perry and Garcia….kind of nuzzle a bit before the Elite leave.

We look at Swerve Strickland picking Prince Nana at WrestleDream.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Lio Rush

MVP and Leila Grey are here too. Rush dodges around to start and can’t get anywhere, so Benjamin drops him with a hard shot. Back up and Benjamin is sent outside, where he jumps up to the apron for a knee (MVP approves) and we take a break. We come back with Benjamin knocking him down again but Rush hits his springboard Stunner.

A cutter catches Benjamin again, followed by a rather spinning tornado DDT for two. Rush goes up top so Benjamin runs the corner for a belly to belly superplex. A release German suplex sends Rush flying and another one does it again. Benjamin superkicks the heck out of him and hits the exploder for the pin at 11:01.

Rating: C+. Benjamin looked great in his first feature match in a long time, but there was no reason or this to be eleven minutes. People know who Benjamin is and he has a long resume. There was no reason for Rush to get in this much offense, as Rush on his best day is nowhere near what Benjamin has done. This should have been WAY shorter, but that’s not how AEW works.

Post match MVP says he wants to keep this going with Swerve Strickland (MVP: “HOW CAN THIS BE SWERVE’s HOUSE WHEN SWERVE’S HOUSE WAS BURNED TO THE GROUND???”) because this is Strickland’s future.

Darby Allin isn’t here tonight, but we do see him talking about Tony Hawk….who isn’t with him. They are however selling signed photos of the two of them together for charity. Sure.

Swerve Strickland is ready for Shelton Benjamin and is ready for him anytime. Benjamin set a lot of records, which have been broken, but Strickland breaks bones.

Here is Don Callis, flanked by Lance Archer and Brian Cage, for a press conference. Since there is no press in wrestling though, he’ll answer the questions himself. First up, he wants the Tag Team Titles back, so these two are going to get them. With that out of the way, Callis brings out Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher.

Callis says Takeshita is defending the title all around the world, with Takeshita saying come take it. Fletcher is given the chance to explain why he turned on Will Ospreay….but he’s not going to say anything because the fans keep chanting for Ospreay. This could have been summed up as “Brian Cage is now on the team”.

Mariah May wants competition so here is Anna Jay to charge at her. Christopher Daniels tries to break it up and Jay hits him in the face. Nigel McGuinness is thrilled.

Ricochet is ready to show that he is the best in the world and doesn’t need the lackeys to do it for him like Konosuke Takeshita. The open challenge is on for Collision.

Jon Moxley and company are still beating up the Dark Order and Top Flight. The villains leave and Evil Uno rants about how Moxley and company are taking food off their plates. Darius Martin issues the challenge for Collision. If I’m supposed to care about the Dark Order and Top Flight as AEW’s saviors, AEW has a lot more work today.

Christian Cage vs. Jay White

A bunch of their friends are here too. They start slowly until White sends him into the corner a few times. White grabs something like an Indian deathlock as commentary does their inside jokes. Nick Wayne makes the referee believe the Bang Bang Gang used a chair so they’re ejected, but Wayne gets beaten up first. We take a break and come back with White fighting out of a chinlock.

White pulls the turtleneck over Cage’s face and hammering away in the corner, followed by the chops to the exposed chest (Nigel: “You sadist!”). Cage fights back and hits a reverse DDT onto the apron but cue Kip Sabian (because of course) for a distraction. White gets a rollup for two as Hangman Page is hiding on the floor (he might have shown up too early). Cage’s Killswitch gets two but Sabian offers another distraction, allowing Page to come in with the Buckshot Lariat so Cage can get the pin at 16:03.

Rating: B-. Oh someone botched the heck out of that interference, as Sabian and Page did the exact same thing twice about five minutes apart. That feels like it’s something the producer screwed up as the wrestlers were probably given the cue early. Other than that, it was a long main event with a bit of a story behind it (Cage put White out earlier this year) and it keeps White vs. Page going, which does fit after they had a quick one off match.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not sure what to make of this show. While it wasn’t bad, it absolutely did not feel like something coming off of what was supposedly a huge ending to a pay per view. Moxley and company are still all violent and beating people up, but now they’re beating up some of the lowest of the low around here. After everyone was so devastated by Bryan Danielson being taken out, you would think there would be bigger names than Dante Marin and Evil Uno ready to fight back.

Other than that, there was a lot of stuff that seems like it will be continuing from WrestleDream, which only felt so important coming in. That’s the theme of this show: stuff happened, but it didn’t feel like it matters that much. The big story is what people will focus on though and that’s….well it’s going to be a bit before we get to the meat of the matter. Until then, we have Battle Of The Belts, which had its first (and so far only) match announced with ten seconds left on the show: a non-title match between Anna Jay and Mariah May. That show, much like a lot of other things around here, is going to need some work.

Results
FTR b. Learning Tree – Shatter Machine to Keith
Mercedes Mone b. Queen Aminata – Statement Maker
Conglomeration b. Elite via DQ when the Blackpool Combat Club interfered
Shelton Benjamin b. Lio Rush – Exploder
Christian Cage b. Jay White – Buckshot Lariat

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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Dynamite
Date: October 8, 2024
Location: Spokane Arena, Spokane, Washington
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Jeff Jarrett

It’s Title Tuesday, this year featuring a grand total of one title match. Other than that, it’s also the last Dynamite before this weekend’s WrestleDream, which isn’t exactly looking great. The show could use a nice boost this week and the likely tag team main event will aim to do just that. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Jon Moxley talks about how no one wants to take Bryan Danielson out, so Moxley will have to do it himself. You have all of these people playing with their toys and living in a fantasy world. In the real world, Danielson being backed into a corner is a terrifying thing. With his world closing in around him, Danielson will accept his inner darkness but Moxley isn’t scared of anything. He hopes Danielson understands one day but for right now, the stakes are too high.

Danielson says tonight isn’t his last match on Dynamite and tonight he’s going to kick Claudio Castagnoli’s head in.

Here is Darby Allin for a chat and he wastes no time in calling out Brody King. Cue King, with Allin saying King could have accepted the challenge a bit more nicely. Allin goes on about how he got King a job here and King has done a lot of the same things he has done. They’ve both bought houses and let their fathers retire, but Allin is the face of the company. King snaps and rants about how Allin is too risky so Allin tells him to finish him off. The fight is on and Allin hits him in the face with a rock (yes a rock) and King is busted open before they’re separated.

Jake Roberts (hey he still works here) is in the back with Lance Archer when Don Callis comes in. Callis says he and Roberts have complete a talent exchange, with Archer now being part of the Don Callis Family. This seems to be cool with Archer, though Roberts won’t say who he got in exchange.

Daniel Garcia is back and will give us an update on his future in the ring.

Hologram vs. Komander

They fight over wrist control to start and trade armdrags and then come up to a standoff. Hologram sends him outside and hits a heck of a suicide dive for a drive into the barricade. Back in and Hologram kicks him down for two as commentary talks about Taz undergoing knee replacement surgery. A Muta lock is broken up and Hologram gets two off a snap suplex as we take a break.

Back with Komander hitting a rather springboardy hurricanrana, setting up a big running step up flip dive to the floor. They get back in with Hologram hitting a middle rope reverse Spanish Fly to leave them both down again. Hologram’s 450 hits knees so Komander tries the rope walk but has to reverse a hurricanrana into a powerbomb (that didn’t look great but they did a nice job with the save). Back up and Hologram grabs a poisonrana, followed by the torture rack helicopter bomb for the pin at 11:57.

Rating: B. This is pretty much what you get from Hologram most of the time but moving him over to Dynamite is a change of pace. It was an entertaining match and he has been undefeated for a few months now, but it is time for some kind of a feud to start up. You can only get so much out of this kind of match and he is pretty much at the end of the rope for what he has been doing.

Post match Jake Roberts is on the stage as Rush, Dralistico and The Beast Mortos come in to beat down Komander and Hologram. The trio raise a fist and Roberts does the same. So that’s the trade and…yeah Roberts got the much better end of the deal.

Mark Briscoe, being much more serious than usual, says Chris Jericho has gone too far. It’s not about the title at WrestleDream, because Briscoe is going to hurt him.

Here is Daniel Garcia for his big announcement. Garcia thanks Tony Khan for giving him the chance and now he is going to be sticking around on a new contract. This is the start of a new Garcia, which starts with him picking up some gold.

Video on Swerve Strickland, with MVP and Prince Nana fighting over getting to be his manager. Swerve will be back at WrestleDream, with MVP and Shelton Benjamin shown watching in the back.

Mercedes Mone and Kamille aren’t worried about Emi Sakura tonight.

Daniel Garcia celebrates with some people, including Katsuyori Shibata, who seems interested in giving Garcia a title shot after he wins the TNT Title.

Willow Nightingale vs. Saraya vs. Nyla Rose vs. Jamie Hayter

For a Women’s Title shot against Mariah May, on commentary, at WrestleDream, Harley Cameron is here with Saraya and Rose is replacing an ill Britt Baker. Saraya gets chased out to the floor to start, leaving Hayter to take out the other two inside. Rose is back up to wreck them for a bit, only to have Cameron and Saraya come back in to clear the ring. Rose goes up and dives onto everyone for the big crash as we take a break.

Back with Hayter hitting a backbreaker on Rose but Saraya breaks it up. It’s Hayter up first to slug away and suplexes the non-Sarayas at the same time. Saraya grabs a chair but Hayter takes it away and unloads on her. Cue the returning Penelope Ford to take the chair away as well and lure Hayter to the back (May: “Aww shucks.”). Rose goes up but Cameron shoves her down and it’s table time. Saraya Nightcaps Nightingale for two but Nightingale Death Valley Drivers her through a table for the pin at 11:25.

Rating: C+. It was going to be Nightingale or Baker in the first place so this is a logical way to go. That being said, there was WAY too much going on here with interference and a table and all that jazz and it hurt things a bit. At the same time, I was disappointed with May, who was sounding bored on commentary here. Compare it to her awesome time calling a match on Collision a week or so ago and it’s a night and day difference.

Post match May headbutts Nightingale down and beats on her with the belt.

The Learning Tree talks to Rocky Romero and suggest that he is just a lackey to the Conglomeration.

Jay White vs. Cody Chhun

Juice Robinson is here with White, who shoulders Chhun down but walks into a dropkick. A DDT gives Chhun two but White is back up with a hard clothesline. White suplexes him into the corner and hits a swinging Rock Bottom, followed by the Bladerunner for the fast pin at 2:52.

Post match White says Hangman Page is the first of two wrongs he needs to correct. After that, it’s time for the World Title, but he wants Page at WrestleDream.

Hook wants to know who attacked his father and runs into the Patriarchy. Christian Cage says they’re both family men and while Cage has lost Luchasaurus to a medical condition, he feels sorry for Hook losing his father.

Willow Nightingale jumps Mariah May and promises to win the Women’s Title on Saturday.

TBS Title/NJPW Women’s Strong Title: Mercedes Mone vs. Emi Sakura

Mone is defending and has Kamille in her corner. Mone takes her down to start and does her dance but gets thrown into the corner. Sakura gets sent into the corner as well but fires back with some rapid fire chops. A quick knockdown to the floor lets Mone hit some knees off the apron though and we take a break.

Back with Mone’s Backstabber connecting for two, followed by the running knees in the corner. Another Meteora off the apron misses though and Sakura hits a running splash against the barricade. Sakura crossbodies Mone and Kamille against the barricade, followed by a butterfly backbreaker back inside but Mone rolls to the apron. That’s enough for Kamille to get in a cheap shot, setting up the Statement Maker (as in the Bank Statement, which is FAR better than the Mone Maker) for the tap at 10:12.

Rating: C+. I’m well aware that Sakura is a legend (commentary made sure to tell us that over and over) but she’s never meant much of anything in AEW. She hasn’t wrestled a match here in almost six months and hasn’t won anything televised in about a year and a half. If you want her to be in this match and for her to feel like a serious challenger, you might try something more than “she won a match in Japan a week or so ago to get this shot”.

Post match the beatdown is on but Kris Statlander runs in for the save.

Stokely Hathaway offers his services to Private Party, who turn him down because they are on their own for the first time in five years. They’re ready for the Young Bucks too.

Tony Schiavone brings in Will Ospreay for a chat. Ospreay thinks Don Callis was behind Konosuke Takeshita interrupting his title match last week and wants a chat (his words). Cue Callis for a hug but Ospreay isn’t having that. Callis says last week was difficult for him emotionally and brings up some of their history together. Ospreay doesn’t want to hear that and point blank asks if Callis sent Takeshita to attack him. Callis: “You don’t need to know that!”

Eventually Callis admits that he sent Ospreay out to learn who is really in charge of the Family. Ospreay talks about how Callis keeps messing things up because he won’t leave people alone. Maybe Callis needs to throw Ospreay out of the Family (Wasn’t he out of the Family months ago?).

Ospreay says they’re done and goes after Callis but Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher run in for the save. Fletcher tries to talk Ospreay down and Takeshita grabs a suplex on Ospreay. Callis pulls out the screwdriver but Fletcher won’t do it. Instead Takeshita drops Ospreay again but here is Ricochet for the save. It’s good to make Callis a clear cut heel again, though I’m still not sure how you can throw someone off a team twice.

Top Flight is ticked off at not getting the Tag Team Title shot but Action Andretti yells at them for not being fired up enough. Leila Grey yells at Andretti, who says they don’t get it and walks away.

Jack Perry wants Katsuyori to be violent, so bring it at WrestleDream.

Bryan Danielson/Wheeler Yuta vs. Claudio Castagnoli/Pac

Danielson starts with Pac but kicks Castagnoli off the apron. Everything breaks down and the good guys hit stereo dives to the floor. Back in and Danielson holds Pac in place for a running dropkick from Yuta. Pac sends Danielson into the corner though and Castagnoli comes in to stomp away. That’s broken up and Danielson flips away, allowing Yuta to come in for a German suplex to Pac. Cattle Mutilation is broken up and the villains take over as we take a break.

Back with Yuta superkicking Pac out of the air to leave both of them down. Castagnoli cuts Yuta off and tries to yell at him, only to get his finger bitten as a result. Danielson comes in and strikes away in the corner before snapping off a super hurricanrana. Pac comes back in and gets taken down as well, with Danielson stomping away. A big kick to the head drops Castagnoli but cue Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir for a distraction. Castagnoli hits Swiss Death to set up Pac’s 450 for two. Yuta takes a hammer from Pac, allowing Danielson to pull him into the LeBell Lock for the tap at 15:19.

Rating: B. Other than Danielson looking a bit superheroish near the end, this was a solid main event tag match and Danielson gets a boost on the way to the title match. I’m not sure what this means for the Trios Titles, but points for not going with what felt like an obvious Yuta turn. As for Yuta, he still feels in over his head, but he does at least tie into this story.

Post match Moxley and Danielson fight to the back as the other three beat down Yuta. Castagnoli hits Yuta in the ribs with the hammer until Danielson beats Moxley into the ring. Danielson saves Yuta and poses to end the show. So Danielson just beat up Pac, Castagnoli and (a fresh) Moxley singlehandedly but he’s supposed to be in any kind of danger on Saturday?

Overall Rating: B. Lack of a focus on titles on a show called TITLE TUESDAY aside (there has been one Dynamite since the beginning of September with no title matches so it’s not even that special of a concept), this show did a nice job of boosting up WrestleDream. I’m still not wild on a lot of what they’re offering on Saturday, but they did focus on that show here, even adding some more stuff to the card. That’s a good way to go for this Dynamite and it was a pretty easy watch throughout. It’s not a show that you needed to watch, but it’s a show that WrestleDream needed and that’s more important.

Results
Hologram b. Komander – Torture rack helicopter bomb
Willow Nightingale b. Saraya, Nyla Rose and Jamie Hayter – Death Valley Driver to Saraya through a table
Jay White b. Cody Chhun – Bladerunner
Mercedes Mone b. Emi Sakura – Statement Maker
Bryan Danielson/Wheeler Yuta b. Pac/Claudio Castagnoli – LeBell Lock to Pac

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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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.
­
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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Dynamite
Date: September 25, 2024
Location: Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York City, New York
Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone

It’s the big show with grand Slam as we are at a tennis stadium in New York and we have a double main event. This show will see Bryan Danielson (probably) face Nigel McGuinness rather than the man who tried to murder him last month. Instead, the attempted murderer is getting a #1 contenders match because he wants the title of the champion he tried to smother. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson

Non-title and after two weeks of “will Danielson be able to wrestle”, he comes out with no real drama. They go technical to start before striking it out and fighting over wrist control. Danielson fires off a kick which might have been low before taking McGuinness to the mat. Danielson wins a fight over the LeBell Lock but McGuinness makes the rope. They head outside with McGuinness sending him into the steps and then ramming the arm into the post.

Back in and the London Dungeon (a seated armbar) stays on the arm but McGuinness takes him into the corner. That’s cut off with the running knee but McGuinness is back with his handstand in the corner. A flip away lets McGuinness hit a standing clothesline for two but Danielson moonsaults over him out of the corner, only for McGuinness to hit the rebound lariat for one.

Back up and a hammerlock lariat gives McGuinness two but Danielson kicks out of the London Dungeon. Instead it’s the Tower Of London (hanging Stunner out of the corner) for two and the London Dungeon goes back on. That’s broken up as well and they’re both down. Back up and McGuinness hits a heck of a clothesline for two, but his arm is down in the LeBell Lock. Danielson cranks back and, after a THANK YOU, McGuinness taps at 20:41.

Rating: B. It was a good fight though it never reached a top level. Granted there was only so much you could expect when McGuinness hasn’t been an active wrestler in well over ten years. I’m glad the match took place as they had set it up for so long on commentary but they made it such a mess with the Moxley stuff that it was a bit of a distraction. Still though, McGuinness looked good in what very well could be his last match so points for getting to do this.

Post match Christian Cage teases cashing in but Kip Sabian steals his pen. Cage runs off but gets stopped by Claudio Castagnoli and Pac.

FTW Title: Roderick Strong vs. Hook

Hook is defending and the Kingdom is here with Strong. They fight outside to start with Strong grabbing a kendo stick, which Hook takes away and uses on all three villains. A Russian legsweep with the stick sends Strong into the barricade but a Kingdom distraction lets Strong send him flying into the post as we take an early break.

Back with Hook throwing him around with suplexes, including a northern lights version out of the corner for two. Strong gets in a shot of his own and wedges a chair in the corner. Hook goes head first and a swinging belly to back faceplant gives Strong two. Strong gets sent through some chairs but he’s right back up with a gutbuster onto the open chair. Then Hook pulls him into Redrum for the win at 9:02.

Rating: C+. This was Hook in a hardcore match and that’s most of what we’ve seen from him for a long time now. Strong walking Hook through a twelve minute match could do a lot of good for Hook but instead it’s more of the same weapons stuff over and over. I get the idea of putting Hook on the show in New York but there was nothing special to see here.

Post match Strong and the Kingdom actually show respect. With the villains gone, Hook talk to Tony Schiavone and thanks the fans who have supported the FTW Title. Hook officially retires the title and hands it to Taz, who sheds a few tears. Thank goodness as there was no reason for the title to exist. Take away some of the clutter.

Tag Team Titles: Kyle Fletcher/Will Ospreay vs. Young Bucks

The Bucks are defending. Matt takes over on Ospreay to start but it’s off to Fletcher to kick Matt down. Ospreay uses Fletcher as a step up for a moonsault, setting up stereo moonsaults to take the champs out on the floor as we take a break. Back with Ospreay coming in with the Phenomenal Forearm to Matt, setting up the double Pele Kick. A standing skytwister press gets two on Matt but Ospreay gets caught in the flipping splash into the sitout powerbomb for two.

The EVP Trigger is countered into a double Oscutter for a rather delayed two before Matt is back up with an X Factor to Ospreay. Fletcher 450 Matt but Nick drops Fletcher for the quadruple down and a big reaction from the crowd. The Bucks are back up first with the TK Driver onto the apron but Fletcher beats the count back in. We take another break and come back again with Ospreay cutting off another TK Driver, setting up stereo Styles Clashes for two.

The Stormbreaker gets two on Matt with Nick making the save so Fletcher gets up and cleans house. A Tombstone is cut off by a superkick but another TK Driver is cut off with an Oscutter. A TK Driver hits Matt for two and Coriolis gets the same, followed by a super brainbuster with Nick making the save.

Fletcher sends Matt outside for a suicide dive int o the steps, so Don Callis gives Fletcher the screwdriver. Fletcher loads it up but Ospreay takes it away and hands it off to the referee. Ospreay yells at Callis and then Fletcher, allowing Matt to get in a belt shot. Another shot from Nick knocks Fletcher into a rollup for two. The EVP Trigger retains the titles at 19:30.

Rating: B+. This was the popcorn match of the night, with the Bucks getting in their usual ridiculous kickouts and getting to do their flips before retaining the titles again. The tag division is in a shambles these days and the Bucks are probably going to get to hold onto the titles for a good while. That’s how the division tends to go, as the Bucks get to keep padding their stats.

The Conglomeration welcomes Rocky Romero to the team and are ready for the Learning Tree on Collision. The word of the day is vociferous, which is what the crowd will be tonight and on Collision.

Here is Prince Nana, who says that Swerve Strickland is fighting hard to come back but isn’t cleared just yet. Cue MVP, who interrupts to say that Swerve is the most phenomenal talent to ever set foot in an AEW ring. MVP lists off the people Swerve has defeated and was rather impressed. Then he saw Swerve lose to Bryan Danielson and Hangman Page, so why are they allowed to walk around smiling? MVP blames Swerve’s management for that and gives Nana his card to give to Swerve, saying he’s ready to talk business.  That’s a big one and MVP is already one of the best talkers in the promotion.

Jack Perry is driving to the stadium for Collision.

Women’s Title: Mariah May vs. Yuka Sakazaki

Sakazaki is challenging and dives onto May during her entrance. A 619 on the apron has May down on the floor and they head inside with the bell ringing and Sakazaki getting two. May sends her outside for a running dropkick, followed by a spinning side slam back inside. Sakazaki manages a choke in the corner, followed by some spinning rollups for two each. The Merry Go Round is broken up though and May hits a nasty German suplex for two of her own. Sakazaki is back with the northern lights bomb but the Magical Girl Splash hits raised knees. The running knee into Storm Zero retains the title at 6:11.

Rating: B-. Sakazaki never felt like a big time challenger to May, though for now there isn’t much of anyone to be that challenger. I know Mina Shirakawa is probably next up for her at Wrestledream, but that’s not exactly a top AEW name. Other than that though, it might just be waiting around for Toni Storm again.

Post match May loads up the belt but Willow Nightingale runs in for the save. Mina Shirakawa comes out and distracts Nightingale so May can get in a belt shot, which doesn’t seem to have been Shirakawa’s intention.

Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley

For the Wrestledream World Title shot and Marina Shafir is here with Moxley. Feeling out process to start until Moxley hits him in the face. Allin is busted open early on and gets whipped hard out to the floor for a nasty crash (going through the middle ropes). Allin rakes the back on the floor though and hits a running dropkick, only to get planted back onto the floor. They get back to the apron where Allin ties the arm into the post (which has a hole on top) until Shafir makes the save.

Allin hits a big Coffin Drop off the top to the floor, setting up the big flipping suicide dive. A chair is set up but Shafir gets in Allin’s way and adds in a cheap shot. Moxley ties the arm around the post and we take a break. Back with Moxley elbowing away but Allin fights back up. Moxley heads to the floor and has a seat in the chair, with Allin dropkicking him out in a big crash. Back up and Moxley knocks him hard to the floor again. Shafir does as Moxley says and rips off the floor mats, revealing a rather hard surface.

Moxley can’t hit the Death Rider on the floor but he can avoid a dive to send Allin into the floor. A suplex drop onto the steps gives Moxley a nine count, where Allin gets a quick rollup for two. The Coffin Drop goes flying into Moxley’s rear naked choke but Allin fights up, foams at the mouth, and makes the rope. Moxley takes him up top but Allin strikes away and bites the head. Shafir gets on the apron for a distraction though and super Death Driver gives Moxley the title shot at 18:45.

Rating: B. This was one of those matches where the result was kind of obvious, as losing the title shot he didn’t have to defend is a rather Allin thing to do. The match itself was the usual AEW brawl, with a bunch of stuff happening and the referee just sort of going with it. It was still a total mess to get here, but Moxley is clearly the bigger deal right now and Allin can have his title shot later.

Post match Bryan Danielson runs in with a neck tie to choke Moxley. Shafir runs in for the save but here are Claudio Castagnoli and Pac to pull Danielson off instead. Private Party and Komander make the save. Moxley is pulled away from the running knee so Danielson threatens a hard head kicking at Wrestledream to end the show. If your backup is Private Party and Komander, just give Moxley the title now.

Overall Rating: B+. The big matches worked well and set up the right match for Wrestledream and thankfully the ending got to the point it should have been at a long time ago. For a free television show, this did feel big, and that’s the best thing that can be said about a show like this. The middle part of the show wasn’t as strong, but the opener and main event were good enough to carry this show rather far.

Results
Bryan Danielson b. Nigel McGuinness – LeBell Lock
Hook b. Roderick Strong – Redrum
Young Bucks b. Will Ospreay/Kyle Fletcher – EVP Trigger to Fletcher
Mariah May b. Yuka Sakazaki – Storm Zero
Jon Moxley b. Darby Allin – Super Death Rider

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Dynamite
Date: September 18, 2024
Location: Mohegan Sun Arena, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re a week away from Grand Slam and the big story is a change to the World Title match, in that we won’t be having one. Instead we might be seeing Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness, plus the #1 contendership will be on the line as Darby Allin faces Jon Moxley. That should be enough to make for a big build this week so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy

The Learning Tree and the Conglomeration are here too. They all get in and slug it out with the non-participants going to the floor, where Cassidy hits a big springboard flip dive. Jericho teases a dive but Cassidy comes back in with the Orange Punch for two. A middle rope hurricanrana is countered into the Walls but Cassidy reverses into a small package for two. Jericho’s running powerslam gets two more and they go outside, where Jericho commandeers a camera and stomps away.

Back in and the Lionsault gives Jericho two but Cassidy is back with the Stundog Millionaire. Jericho is sent outside but the dive is sent into the barricade. A belly to back suplex through a table has Cassidy in more trouble and we take a break. Back with a slugout leaving both of them down until Cassidy knocks him into the corner for some stomping. Jericho scores with a clothesline before countering the tornado DDT into the Walls.

Cassidy gets the Walls but here is Big Bill to kick him in the face. Kyle O’Reilly kicks him to the back, leaving Jericho to hit a Death Valley Driver for two. The tornado DDT and diving DDT give Cassidy two but the Orange Punch is countered into the Codebreaker for two more. Cassidy hits the Beach Break for two but cue Mark Briscoe and Bryan Keith for the brawling distraction. That’s enough for Jericho to pull out a roll of quarters, which Cassidy takes away for the Orange Punch for the pin at 19:30.

Rating: B. The match was a long, back and forth fight with Jericho doing as well as can be expected of him these days. I’m still not sure why we needed to go back to this story with the jacket after years away, but the bigger problem is the story continuing long after it needs to. If this is it for Jericho and Cassidy then it’s fine, but that doesn’t tend to be Jericho’s style.

Last week, Pac and Claudio Castagnoli were unhappy with Wheeler Yuta for not talking to them since All out. Jon Moxley, with Marina Shafir, comes in to say Yuta needs to decide what kind of man he needs to be.

Yuta isn’t sure what to do but he’s willing to fight at WrestleDream (it’s at Grand Slam, because Yuta’s mind isn’t clear) and he even forgot his title in the locker room.

Hook vs. JD Ink

Non-title. Suplexes and crossfaces set up the Redrum for the tap (from Ink) at 1:01.

Komander and Private Party are accepting the open challenge for a Trios Title shot next week.

Christian Cage is ready to win the World Title and wants Nick Wayne to win a title as well. Kip Sabian interrupts and Cage threatens to kill him.

Serena Deeb/Mariah May vs. Yuka Sakazaki/Queen Aminata

Deeb shoulders Sakazaki down to start and they trade covers for two each. Sakazaki is back up with a kick to the face so it’s off to Aminata, whose leg is dragon screwed in the ropes. May comes in for a running dropkick of her own and we take a break. Back with Sakazaki coming in to slam both of them down, followed by an exchange of German suplexes. Sakazaki hits a bit dive out to the floor, setting up the Magical Girl Splash but May breaks it up with the belt for the DQ at 8:04.

Rating: C. Ignoring that it was another eight minute match with a break because that needs to be a thing, Sakazaki is just the next person coming after May. She has been gone for five months but her first match back saw May on commentary mocking her. I’m not sure what lets her jump the line, but it’s a bit difficult to be interested when she was hardly featured before her injury earlier this year.

Post match May whips Sakazaki with the belt and kisses her on the cheek.

Mina Shirakawa is back, just like Mariah May wants. This might mean more if she hadn’t wrestled twice on Rampage in the last month.

Video on Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson (which airs after some technical difficulties).

The Blackpool Combat Club comes into the arena but get jumped by Private Party. That means the beatdown is on, with Private Party getting wrecked. Komander comes in but Castagnoli cuts him off. Moxley whips out a hammer and yells about Private Party being in the same place they’ve been in since the beginning. Then he crushes Kassidy’s hand with the hammer. Cue Darby Allin to go after Moxley, who bails from the threat of the skateboard. Allin promises to run through him at Grand Slam and go on to WrestleDream.

Video on Jack Perry since All Out.

Ricochet vs. The Beast Mortos

Ricochet slugs away to start but gets knocked into the corner for a shot to the face. Mortos’ running knee misses though and he crashes out to the floor, where Ricochet hits a big dive. The running shooting star press gives Ricochet two and they trade armdrags. Ricochet sends him into the ropes and out to the floor, where a big flip dive is countered into an apron bomb.

We take a break and come back with Ricochet fighting out of a chinlock but getting caught in a pop up Samoan Drop for two more. Mortos’ running monkey flip doesn’t work as he crashes out to the floor, where Ricochet grabs a Code Red. Back in and a springboard 450 gives Ricochet two but Mortos gives him a super gorilla press for two of his own. Ricochet is right back with the ax kick (which didn’t appear to connect) and Vertigo for the pin at 11:31.

Rating: B. This was a very simple formula and it is something that will pretty much always work. Ricochet is someone who flies around and uses his special set of skills to take out a monster like Mortos. It worked well here and Ricochet looked good in the match that was designed to make him look good. They had a layup of an idea here and it worked well.

Video on Hangman Page’s recent actions.

We look at FTR beating the Grizzled Young Veterans on Dynamite.

Here is Hangman Page for a chat. Page has promised to hurt anyone who held him back from getting revenge on Swerve Strickland. While he was suspended, he heard Tony Schiavone cheering for Strickland, but here is Jeff Jarrett for the save. The fight is on with security breaking it up. Jarrett promises to take Page out.

Ricochet comes up to see Will Ospreay, who will face him at the anniversary show on October 2.

Will Ospreay/Kyle Fletcher/Konosuke Takeshita vs. Elite

Fletcher runs Matt over to start and Ospreay comes in for some double kicks, sending Matt bailing to the corner. Okada comes in and shoulders Ospreay down so Takeshita tags himself in, which doesn’t sit well with Ospreay. The Elite are sent outside for stereo dropkicks through the ropes and stereo slingshot dives as we take a break.

Back with Fletcher hitting a double clothesline on the Bucks and a brainbuster for two on Matt. A Michinoku Driver plants Okada and it’s Takeshita coming in for a middle rope backsplash. The Bucks come in for the save but get sent outside, leaving Okada to get triple dropkicked for two. Okada is back up with his own dropkick to Takeshita for a breather as we take another break.

Back again with the Bucks taking over on Takeshita, setting up the triple middle finger. The EVP Trigger is blocked though and a double German suplex drops the Bucks. Okada is back in and the Bucks hit a double stomp to the back into a sitout powerbomb for two on Ospreay. The Bucks superkick Ospreay down but Fletcher is back in for an assisted middle rope cutter. Takeshita hits a big running flip dive on Okada but Nick gets in his slingshot X Factor and moonsault from the apron. Fletcher hits the spinning Tombstone though and Ospreay adds the Hidden Blade, setting up the Coriolis for the pin on Matt at 19:35.

Rating: B+. This is where AEW tends to shine, as they had a bunch of people out there going nuts until one of them got pinned. It’s something they have done since the beginning and it worked well again here. Takeshita vs. Okada is coming and Fletcher/Ospreay vs. the Bucks is already set and both stories looked good here. Awesome main event, with some nice Grand Slam implications.

Overall Rating: A-. They went with the wrestling heavy show this week and the big important show is all set up. This week was the kind of show that makes AEW feel entertaining and it went well, with nothing bad, an outstanding main event and two other strong matches throughout. Throw in the lack of anything bad and this was a big upgrade over last week.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Chris Jericho – Orange Punch with a roll of quarters
Hook b. JD Ink – Redrum
Yuka Sakazaki/Queen Aminata b. Serena Deeb/Mariah May via DQ when May used the title
Ricochet b. The Beast Mortos – Vertigo
Will Ospreay/Kyle Fletcher/Konosuke Takeshita b. Elite – Coriolis to Matt

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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