Dynamite
Date: July 8, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

It’s the second night of Fyter Fest and that means we could be in for a big show. The card is certainly stacked but I’m curious to see how they handle the lack of the World Title match in the main event. Instead of Jon Moxley defending the title against Brian Cage, we will be seeing Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy in a grudge match. Let’s get to it.

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

Tag Team Titles: Kenny Omega/Hangman Page vs. Private Party

Private Party, with Matt Hardy, is challenging but first we need a note from Britt Baker, saying that Page’s pyro gave her third degree burns in another conspiracy to keep her out of the Women’s Title picture. Quen shoulders Omega down to start but a standing moonsault only hits knees. The champs start chopping away at Quen before it’s Page coming in for two off a tabletop suplex.

Quen blocks the Kitaro Crusher with a handstand though and it’s a dropkick to stagger Omega. The Silly String hits Omega so Page powerbombs Quen into the fans. A dropkick to the back sends Page after him though, leaving Omega to take an enziguri to the back of the head. Page comes back in to kick Quen in the face and Omega tosses Quen into a German suplex from Page. Quen is right back up for half of a double Spanish Fly for two on Omega as things settle back down a bit.

It’s Omega and Kassidy slugging it out until something like an Orton backbreaker gives Kassidy two. Page comes back in to powerbomb Kassidy onto Quen for two but a powerslam is broken up. Some quick strikes to the head put Page down and Kassidy dives down onto Omega. Quen has to bail out of the 450 to Page so Kassidy hits a rolling DDT to put Page onto the ramp. Back in and the great shooting star gets two on Page with Omega making the save. Omega’s V Trigger breaks up Gin N Juice though and it’s a superbomb to drop Quen. The Last Call retains the titles at 10:34.

Rating: B. Omega and Page continue to be able to do no wrong in the ring and they kept Private Party reeled in a bit more here. I’m curious to see where things are going with them, as there are more than a few teams who could take the titles. Granted it would be almost insane to imagine it being anyone other than FTR, but AEW has figured out how to make it seem possible, which is really hard to do.

Here’s what else is coming on the show.

Joey Janela vs. Lance Archer

Jake Roberts, with the big bag, is here with Archer as usual and Lance carries the unconscious Sonny Kiss to the ring. They go straight to the floor to start with Archer sending him into various hard objects. Janela gets inside and manages a dropkick through the ropes to stagger Archer, setting up the big dive off the top. Janela tries to go up top with a chair but the referee takes it away, allowing Archer to shove him off the top.

A hard whip into the corner has Jake rather pleased and it’s a big forearm to the chest to put Janela down again. Back from a break with Archer shrugging off Janela’s comeback bid but getting distracted by Kiss. A discus forearm rocks Archer so Janela kicks at the leg for little avail. The Black Out is countered with a clothesline for two so Jake gets on the apron. The distraction lets Kiss hit a 450 but Archer is right back with a Black Out off the middle rope through a table at ringside for the easy pin at 11:11.

Rating: C. This could have been worse, but it also could have been shorter. I know Janela is something of a name but he probably shouldn’t have lasted this long against a monster like Archer. They need to rebuild Archer a bit after losing to Cody and taking this long to beat Janela didn’t do all that much good. It wasn’t a bad match or anything but it isn’t quite the right solution.

Darby Allin does a Coffin Drop from a really high (as in multiple stories) platform.

Here are Taz and Brian Cage for a chat. Taz is glad Tony Schiavone is here because he has been a part of so many iconic moments. That is the case again tonight as Taz has a bag. In the back is the FTW World Title (Taz’s custom title from ECW) because Cage needs a title on his way into Fight For The Fallen. Next week, Cage is taking the World Title.

Butcher and Blade/Lucha Bros vs. FTR/Young Bucks

The villains come in with FTR’s stolen truck. Nick and Pentagon start things off with the latter throwing his glove at FTR. There’s no contact so it’s off to Harwood instead, with a quickly broken hammerlock on Pentagon. A shoulder works a bit better and Harwood drops a leg before handing it off to Wheeler. Fenix comes in for some rapid fire top rope kicks to Harwood’s ribs but Wheeler makes the save.

Harwood runs Fenix over without much effort though and it’s Matt coming in for a clothesline. Fenix rolls away though and makes the tag to Butcher. A double dropkick takes Butcher down so Blade comes in to kick Nick in the face. The gutbuster into a gutwrench sitout powerbomb gives Butcher two and it’s back to Pentagon. A reverse powerbomb into a Rock Bottom from Butcher gets two more as Nick is in even more trouble. Fenix and Nick go to the middle rope with Nick jumping to the top for the super hurricanrana.

Wheeler tags himself in and Nick superkicks Fenix into a dragon suplex for two. Everything breaks down and we take a break. Back with Harwood fighting out of a chinlock and making the hot tag to Matt. House is cleaned in a hurry, including a double dropkick through the ropes. The top rope elbow gets two on Fenix and Harwood hits the DDT on Blade. Butcher comes back in to clean house but Wheeler and Nick combine to hit the Goodnight Express on Fenix.

Butcher is sent over the barricade and the good guys make a bunch of tags to set up a double superplex into a frog splash into a Swanton to crush Blade but Fenix dives in for a rather late save. We settle down to Pentagon kicking at Matt but Nick is back in with a forearm to Pentagon’s head. Nick gets caught on the ropes and Fenix hits a running Canadian Destroyer onto the big pile at ringside for your insane and not exactly safe spot of the match. Nick superkicks Harwood by mistake and it’s a spike Pentagon Driver to finish Nick at 16:43.

Rating: B+. This was the insane, wild brawl that fans were expecting and that’s a fine way to go. The Lucha Bros continue to be one of the most entertaining teams around and thank goodness they didn’t have FTR take the fall here. I know we’re building towards FTR vs. the Bucks, even if it is going to take some time to get to a show worthy of that match. Anyway, really entertaining stuff here, as you knew it would be.

Big Swole is just arriving but isn’t allowed in due to being suspended, thanks to some requests from Britt Baker. Swole: “YOU EVER HEARD OF A FAX MACHINE???”

Nyla Rose vs. KiLynn King/Kenzie Paige

King is willing to let Paige start and it’s a running clothesline to put Paige down to start. The big legdrop hits Paige and some shoulders in the ribs make it worse. Paige is sent into the corner and it’s King coming in to pound away on the back. King’s choke doesn’t do any good and it’s a spear to take Paige down again. Rose throws Paige at King and powerbombs Paige onto her for the double pin at 2:24. What is this, Rose’s third big push?

Post match Rose says actions speak louder than words and now she has a manager. She won’t be telling us who it is right now but whoever it is will make her champion.

Colt Cabana has a huge bruise on his ribs but he can wrestle tonight. Brody Lee comes in to say the Dark Order won’t let it happen again. Lee helps the very ginger Cabana up.

Dark Order/Colt Cabana vs. SCU

It’s Brody Lee and Stu Grayson for the Dark Order with the rest of the team watching from the stage. Daniels works on Grayson’s arm to start but gets taken down with some power. That’s fine with Kazarian and Sky, who come in for a double shoulder to Grayson. A Pele takes Sky down though and it’s Cabana coming in while still favoring his side. Cabana crawls through Sky’s legs but gets kneed in the face to send him into the corner.

A Dark Order distraction cuts the rest of SCU off though and Lee comes in to snap off a suplex to drop Sky. We take a break and come back with Sky hitting a neckbreaker on Cabana, allowing the double tag to bring in Kazarian and Lee. Everything breaks down and Lee is finally knocked outside, only to have Grayson hit a fireman’s carry faceplant on Sky.

Lee comes back in for the spinning Boss Man Slam on Kazarian but Daniels knocks Lee outside for the suicide dive. A release Rock Bottom drops Grayson and the Best Moonsault Ever gets two with Cabana making the save. Back in and Lee clotheslines Daniels’ head off but lets Cabana get the pin at 12:10.

Rating: C+. The will he/won’t he story continues and that’s a good way to go with Cabana. You can only do so much with someone who is so comedy based and having him possibly turn to the dark side is an interesting way to go. I’m not sure I believe that’s where they’re going long term, but it’s a good mini mystery for the people involved. As usual, SCU can take a loss like this without losing anything of note, which is a valuable asset to have.

Post match Cabana wants to celebrate but Lee glares at him.

Here’s what’s coming next week, including FTR vs. Lucha Bros and the Elite vs. Jurassic Express, plus the TNT Title open challenge and the World Title match.

Big Swole tries to get to Britt Baker and throws some trash at Rebel, who accidentally brushes Baker in the face. Baker freaks out and claims a broken nose. Tony: “She needs a doctor!” JR: “SHE IS A DOCTOR!”

Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy

No Best Friends here but Santana and Ortiz, with orange juice, are at ringside. Cassidy puts the hands in his pockets to start and ducks a clothesline, setting up a dropkick to the floor. The suicide dive connects but Jericho takes it back inside and grabs the Walls of Jericho in a hurry. The rope is grabbed so Jericho knocks him down again without much effort. There’s a backbreaker but Cassidy grabs three straight rollups for three straight near falls. Jericho sends him hard to the floor again though and we take a break.

Back with Jericho grabbing an abdominal stretch, plus the rope for a bonus. Cassidy fights out and they trade shots to the face, only to have Cassidy sent outside again. Back in and Cassidy fights up, puts his hands in his pockets for the slow motion kicks, and then hits a full speed superkick for two. Jericho is back up and tries a superplex but Cassidy shoves him off and hits a top rope splash for two. It’s Jericho heading outside again and Cassidy hits a big dive to the floor onto all of the Inner Circle.

Back in and a top rope DDT gets two but Cassidy takes a long time to set up the Superman Punch. Jericho counters into the Walls but Cassidy reverses into a small package for two. Santana and Ortiz get involved with the orange juice so here are the Best Friends to cut him off. A bat shot to the face sets up the Codebreaker for….two. Ok points for a good near fall there.

Jericho elbows him down but misses the Lionsault, allowing Cassidy to hit a Michinoku Driver for his own two. They slug it out from their knees and Cassidy reverses a suplex into the Stundog Millionaire. The tornado DDT plants Jericho for two, with Aubrey in the orange juice on the two count. The Superman Punch is loaded up but it’s the Judas Effect to give Jericho the pin at 18:31.

Rating: B. It was better than I was expecting and Cassidy got to showcase himself well, but I never bought Cassidy as a threat to win. That being said, this was never intended to be the main event so while it didn’t feel like a main event match, it wasn’t supposed to be. What we got was rather good and that’s a nice thing to have in a spot like this.

Overall Rating: A-. This was another great show with nothing really close to bad (Janela vs. Archer, the worst match of the night, was perfectly serviceable) and a surprisingly good main event. I’m not sure how well it is going to do against the mega match that NXT put out there, but it was an awesome night and another great effort from AEW when the lights are on their brightest.

Results

Hangman Page/Kenny Omega b. Private Party – Last Call to Kassidy

Lance Archer b. Joey Janela – Black Out through a table

Butcher and Blade/Lucha Bros b. FTR/Young Bucks – Spike Pentagon Driver to Nick

Nyla Rose b. KiLynn King/Kenzie Page – Powerbomb to Paige

Chris Jericho b. Orange Cassidy – Judas Effect

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

Dynamite
Date: June 24, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

It’s a week before Fyter Fest but things might be shaken up a bit as World Champion Jon Moxley is missing this week due to Coronavirus fears. I’m not sure what that is going to mean for the future but we’ll worry about that if something else develops. I’m not sure what else to expect this week but they have a good enough track record to give me hope. Let’s get to it.

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

Wardlow vs. Luchasaurus

Lumberjack match with MJF here with Wardlow and the rest of Jurassic Express with Luchasaurus. They collide to start and Wardlow heads outside for some yelling at the lumberjacks. Back in and Wardlow hits a running shoulder to the ribs to send Luchasaurus outside. After a beating from the lumberjacks, Luchasaurus is fine enough to escape a suplex and fire some kicks to the ribs.

A suplex takes him down and it’s time to rip at the mask a bit. Luchasaurus comes back with a legsweep and the standing moonsault for two before heading up top. Wardlow is right there with him for a top rope superplex for his own two. A knee to the face doesn’t do much to Wardlow, who is right back with a running hurricanrana. That just earns him a Spanish fly and they’re both down.

Wardlow rolls to the ramp and Luchasaurus follows, where he is planted with a powerslam. Jungle Boy tries to interfere and gets throws into the pile of lumberjacks. Stunt dives onto everyone for going after Boy as Wardlow and Luchasaurus fight up the ramp. Brandon Cutler tries to get involved but gets tossed off the stage. Stunt does the same and gets the same result, followed by a Tail Whip to knock Wardlow onto the pile.

Luchasaurus shooting stars onto everyone as JR wonders when someone is going to try to win the match. Back in and Luchasaurus hits a chokeslam but MJF offers a distraction. Jungle Boy spears him through the ropes to the floor, allowing Wardlow to get in a low blow. The F10 finishes Luchasaurus 9:16.

Rating: C+. The spots were entertaining enough but there was only so much you can do with the focus being on the lumberjacks for some fairly long stretches. The ending keeps Luchasaurus safe and makes Wardlow look like a monster, but this was there for the sake of two monsters doing big spots on each other. That worked well enough and it was entertaining while it lasted.

Taz breaks down how Brian Cage does the Drill Claw. Hint: it involves being really strong.

After a rundown of what is to come tonight, Britt Baker sends Tony a note, asking for a diagnosis of Luchasaurus’ green tongue. She also now has a branded Plexiglas case around her special chair.

Hikaru Shida vs. Red Velvet

Non-title and Shida gets in an argument with Penelope Ford on the way to the ring. Ford gets in a slap but the referee won’t let Shida cane her. Running knee and Falcon Arrow finish Velvet at 13 seconds.

Post match Shida goes after Ford and the brawl is on. Shida even knocks down Kip Sabian and they’re finally broken up.

Earlier today, Cody and his very, very large entourage had a press conference for his TNT Title defense against Jake Hager. Arn Anderson talks about how Jake Hager wasn’t the right opponent for Cody at the moment but he wanted to fight him anyway. Cody is going to be ready to fight the tough monster. As for Cody, he sees the TNT Title as hope and talks about how he doesn’t like cosplay wrestling. Cody talks about the title not being complete and Hager finally arrives. They pose and who I believe is Hager’s wife throws water in Cody’s face. They’re done, after the completely realistic press conference.

Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss stop at a gas station where Joey goes inside to get food. Some guys bother Kiss and try to get in a fight with him, causing Joey, with Lunchables purchased, to come out for the save. They both could get used to this.

Sonny Kiss/Joey Janela vs. Brodie Lee/Colt Cabana

Kiss snaps off an early headscissors and handsprings into a slap in the corner. Lee runs him over though and beats up Janela as well. Cabana comes in gets caught in a Hart Attack. Lee breaks up something close to a Muta Lock and the rest of the Dark Order offers a distraction. The confused Cabana adds a splash for two on Kiss and we take a break. Back with Janela getting the hot tag and Death Valley Drivering Cabana.

Kiss and Janela hit moonsaults off the top to take out Lee and Cabana. Back in and Cabana gets hit with a top rope splash from Janela, plus a 450 from Kiss. Lee makes the save but gets sent to the floor. Cabana reverse a Doomsday Device into a victory roll for two so Kiss dives onto the rest of the Dark Order. Lee kicks Kiss in the face but can’t quite catch Janela’s suicide dive. Back in and the discus lariat blasts Janela, allowing Cabana to get the pin at 9:11.

Rating: D+. The sloppiness was hard to ignore here with some spots clearly missing and other moments where someone was just standing there so someone could do something. Cabana having some success thanks to the Dark Order is interesting, but I’m not sure I can imagine him doing a full heel turn.

Post match the Dark Order leaves so here’s Lance Archer to jump Janela and Kiss. Jake Roberts says save it for someone more important.

We look at Shawn Spears using a loaded glove to win last night on Dark.

SCU vs. FTR

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian for SCU here and it’s Harwood working on Kazarian’s arm to start. Wheeler comes in to stay on the arm and everything breaks down in a hurry. Everyone falls out to the floor and we take a break. Back with Kazarian making the hot tag off to Daniels but Harwood cuts him off and suplexes Daniels onto Kazarian. The slingshot suplex, and a Four Horsemen pose, drop Daniels again. Kazarian grabs Daniels’ hands to block a sunset flip but Wheeler breaks it up. Wheeler keeps going by turning over a small package to give Harwood two.

Back up and Kazarian hits an Unprettier for two on Wheeler but Celebrity Rehab is countered into a catapult to send Daniels into the corner. The Veg O Matic gets two on Daniels but Kazarian is back in for the powerbomb/neckbreaker combination for two on Harwood. Daniels hits a jumping knee to put Harwood on the floor but walks into the Goodnight Express for the pin at 12:33.

Rating: B-. There’s something interesting about FTR being billed as this old school tag team but mainly doing more old tag team spots here in the middle of the usual lack of tags chaos. It was still entertaining, but I’m hoping we get some more of the actual, you know, tagging involved in a tag match. Good enough match though and FTR getting another win is a good thing.

Post match FTR talks about all the teams that they want to face in AEW, with the Young Bucks at the top of the list. Cue Butcher and Blade in FTR’s truck but here are the Lucha Bros behind them. Butcher and Blade issue a challenge for an eight man tag at Fyter Fest with the Bucks joining FTR and the match is accepted. The Bros beat FTR down with the Bucks make the save. Butcher and Blade and the Bros steal the truck.

Video on Kenny Omega and Hangman Page being oddballs. The Best Friends don’t know how Page and Omega can be best friends when they don’t even drink the same. Omega and Page aren’t best friends, but they’re a great team and that’s what matters. Page: “Them boys are good. I mean, we’re gonna whip their a**, but they’re good.”

Video on Brian Cage vs. Jon Moxley.

Brian Cage vs. Joe Cruz

Tazz is on commentary as Cage throws Cruz around to start and then curls the guy in his arms. There’s an overhead belly to belly as JR makes sure to get Cruz’s name in in case his family is watching. A toss powerbomb from the ramp to the ring plants Cruz again and the Drill Claw finishes at 1:23.

Post match Taz grabs his mic and asks where Moxley is. He finds him in the camera and yells about how Moxley his hiding at home with some fake excuse. Cage is taking the title at Fyter Fest and is more dangerous than anything Moxley has. Can Moxley stop the path of Cage? Taz got a little tongue tied in there a few times but he got the point across.

Cabana and Lee are happy with their win as Lee tells him how important it is to bounce back. Lee wants one more chance to show him what it means when they face SCU at Fyter Fest. Colt isn’t sure about that but seems to go along with the idea.

We run down the Fyter Fest card.

Baker sends Schiavone a note about Big Swole putting her in a dumpster for NINE AND A HALF HOURS but Swole is still the biggest piece of trash in AEW> Swole comes in but Baker laughs her off and has an appletini. Baker tells her to go steal someone else’s star power so Swole climbs onto the truck and pours trash onto Baker.

Santana vs. Matt Hardy

Ortiz is here with Santana. Moxley and QT Marshall missing the show due to the Coronavirus has been mentioned but there is no explanation for why Santana is taking Sammy Guevara’s place. It’s Broken Matt here, complete with Neo1. Santana drives Matt into the corner to start and actually gives us a clean break. As Baker is throwing trash at commentary (much to Tony’s annoyance), Santana gets backdropped to the floor. Matt presses Santana’s head against the post and literally opens his eye before whipping him into the barricade. Back in and Santana gets in a cheap shot and we take a break.

We come back with Santana flipping out of a side Effect and planting Matt with a spinning Rock Bottom. A Lionsault gives Santana two but he misses the frog splash (which would have missed even if Matt hadn’t moved), allowing Matt to send him into all of the buckles. The Side Effect gets one on Santana, with Ortiz shouting that Matt “WANTS YOUR FOOD!”. Another Side Effect gets two but Santana is back with a running Samoan driver. Santana cradles Matt for two but he reverses into a cradle to put Santana away at 10:54.

Rating: C+. Matt is another good example of someone who is a lot better when he drops the insanity and just wrestles. He does a lot of interesting stuff but he is still more interesting when he is himself. It worked for a long time and while I get that he wants to be creative, sometimes it’s better to just be yourself.

Post match Ortiz helps Santana beat Matt down until Private Party makes the save.

Here are Orange Cassidy and Chris Jericho for a showdown. Jericho asks why the chicken crossed the road. To get to the other side of course. That’s a joke that people have heard before and while it was amusing at first, it becomes more and more annoying over time. Orange Cassidy is the chicken crossing the road joke and it’s ticking Jericho off (this sounds vaguely familiar but I can’t quite place it).

Jericho has watched some of Cassidy’s stuff and yes there is a unique presentation and like Brian Pillman said, you have to be different to make it in wrestling. Then Cassidy got out of his lane and messed with Le Champion. He better be the best Orange Cassidy he can be at Fyter Fest, and if he tries those kicks to the shin, Jericho will knock him out in thirty seconds. Cassidy better reach into his pockets and pull out a man sized miracle because Jericho is knocking the juice out of him at Fyter Fest. Jericho: “Now that’s a funny joke.”

Cassidy takes the mic, thinks about saying something, and lays it down. Now we get the slow motion shin kicks and the hands in the pockets. Jericho breaks Cassidy’s sunglasses and the fight is on with the two of them heading outside. They go into the stands and slug it out until Jericho swings a camera into his face. Cassidy fights back though and Superman Punches Jericho off a railing through a table to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This wasn’t as good of a show as they’ve been doing lately but as I’ve said before: if this is their bad show, they’re going to be just fine. They were focusing on some rapid fire build towards Fyter Fest here but with the top of the cards set, going through the undercard this fast isn’t a problem. The wrestling wasn’t as good this week, though that wasn’t the point either. Not a bad show at all, and I did get a chuckle out of Jericho thinking the same way I do. I guess IAmJericho? Anyway good enough show this week.

Results

Wardlow b. Luchasaurus – F10

Hikaru Shida b. Red Velvet – Falcon Arrow

Brodie Lee/Colt Cabana b. Joey Janela/Sonny Kiss – Discus lariat to Janela

FTR b. SCU – Goodnight Express to Daniels

Brian Cage b. Joe Cruz – Drill Claw

Matt Hardy b. Santana – Rollup

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

Dynamite
Date: June 10, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Chris Jericho

We’re still in Jacksonville and this time around we’re going to be seeing the TNT Title on the line again, as Cody defends against Marq Quen. Other than that the countdown is on until Fyter Fest with the big showdown between Jon Moxley and Brian cage for the World Title. That has gone well so far so hopefully it does again. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Chris Jericho joins commentary.

FTR vs. Butcher and the Blade

It’s FTR’s (the Revival, who drive their truck to the ring) debut and Dax Harwood (Scott Dawson) takes Blade into the corner to start. A headlock on the mat has Blade in trouble and Harwood small packages him for two. The headlock takeover puts Blade down again and it’s off to Cash Wheeler (Dash Wilder) to work on the arm. Hardwood’s northern lights suplex gets two and it’s a four way standoff.

The fans get behind FTR and we settle down to Wheeler vs. Butcher. Wheeler bangs his shoulder but it’s some goldbricking to set up a cradle for two. Butcher gets in some choking in the corner and Blade knocks him down for a bonus. After Harwood is knocked off the apron, Wheeler gets in a powerslam and the hot tag brings Harwood in. Everything breaks down and it’s a brainbuster to Blade.

A double hanging DDT plants Butcher and it’s a Power Plex for two. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard are watching from the crowd (with Shawn Spears watching Tully) as Butcher takes Harwood down. Wheeler makes a save and the Goodnight Express (Shatter Machine, though a really bad looking one) sets up the Mind Breaker (spike piledriver) for the pin on Blade at 10:20.

Rating: C+. The Shatter Machine botch (not FTR’s fault) was a problem but they made a rather nice debut. They looked as polished as you can look out there and they beat up a midcard(ish) tag team. It’s a good debut and they didn’t overstay their welcome, plus the spike piledriver can be a big time finisher when necessary. Not too bad at all.

Post match the Young Bucks come out to say FTR haven’t introduced themselves. They’re the Young Bucks and they’ve been carrying tag team wrestling for the last fifteen years. They’re the best tag team in AEW….and here are Butcher and Blade, Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc to jump the Bucks and FTR. Kenny Omega and Hangman Page (with drink) make the save.

The Natural Nightmares are getting a Tag Team Title shot next week but Brandi Rhodes isn’t happy with Allie wearing a Rhodes family jacket. Dustin Rhodes tells QT Marshall to get his head in the game because next week Allie won’t be at ringside.

Penelope Ford/Nyla Rose vs. Kris Stadtlander/Hikaru Shida

Nyla jumps Stadtlander from behind to start and the brawl is on in a hurry. Stadtlander ducks a double clothesline and sends Rose into Ford but Rose blasts her with a clothesline. Back from a break with Stadtlander fighting out of a chinlock and taking Rose down. It’s off to Shida to kick Ford in the corner, setting up a running knee for a bonus. A suplex drops Ford as JR gets in a quick tribute to Mr. Wrestling II.

Ford counters a suplex with a knee to Stadtlander’s head for two but Stadtlander kicks Rose down. Ford is back with a Stunner, so Shida drops Ford and hits her with a superplex. Stadtlander’s ax kick gets two on Rose, who is back up to drape both of them over the top. A top rope knee to both of their backs drops them but Stadtlander pulls Ford off the ropes. Shida’s running knee sends Rose to the floor and now the Falcon Arrow gets two on Ford. Kip Sabian grabs Shida’s leg though, allowing Ford to get in a belt shot. The fisherman’s suplex pins Shida at 10:00.

Rating: C. That should set up Ford as the #1 contender and that’s not a bad way for Shida to get in her first title defense. Everyone was working hard in there and some of the near falls worked rather well. The women’s division has gotten a lot better in recent months and developing people like Ford is something that is going to help them out a good bit.

Darby Allin is hanging out with Tony Hawk and tries to skateboard off of a ladder.

Britt Baker talks about her existence making her a role model. She doesn’t like Big Swole’s struggles because Baker has more struggles than anyone. Like that time where she had an unexpected biology exam and had to ace it. These things continue to be great.

Santana and Ortiz/Jake Hager vs. Best Friends/Orange Cassidy

The Inner Circle jumps them to start and Hager throws Cassidy up the ramp. Hager heads back to the ring as Trent is beaten up, leaving Cassidy to roll back to the ring. Trent snaps off a suplex to take Santana down so here’s Ortiz to hammer him down again. A quick tag brings in Chuck for Soul Food into the German suplex. Everything breaks down and Chuck gets caught in the corner, with a Vader Bomb crushing him for two. Back from a break with Trent low bridging Santana to the floor and tornado DDTing Ortiz.

Cassidy gets the hot tag for the slow motion kicks to Hager and a double hurricanrana to Santana and Ortiz. A suicide dive sends Hager over the barricade and a big tornado DDT plants Ortiz. Hager hits a powerslam to cut Cassidy off with Trent and Chuck making the save. A heck of a cannonball hits Cassidy (Jericho: “Do you know what cannonball is in Spanish Excalibur?” Excalibur: “No I don’t. What is it?” Jericho: “I don’t know.”) but the Street Sweeper is broken up. Cassidy’s crucifix finishes Santana at 10:13.

Rating: C+. Dang I could go for something a little more serious for Santana and Ortiz, who are one of the best teams in the company today. Instead we’re getting the Best Friends getting a title shot because….I’m not sure why actually. Is there a rule that Cassidy and the Best Friends have to be on every show? I don’t remember the last time they missed making an appearance on more than two shows in a row. No one gets this much TV time in the company outside of maybe Brandi.

Post match Jericho runs to the ring to hit Cassidy with the bat. The Inner Circle pulls out a bag of oranges and hits the already bloody Cassidy in the head. Jericho: “As you can see, Orange Cassidy has just been juiced.”

Maxwell Jacob Friedman knows he is the best and is a great white shark in a locker room full of minnows. Billy Gunn pops up to call him a minnow, but MJF says Gunn needs to be trying to get one of his stupid sons a job. Gunn is ready to fight but Wardlow breaks that up.

We recap Colt Cabana’s recent losing, meaning the Dark Order wants him. Cole doesn’t seem interested.

Colt Cabana vs. Sammy Guevara

Sammy flips him off to start so Cabana leapfrogs him and shows off the double middle finger. The headscissors sets up an armbar to keep Guevara down. Sammy sends him outside though and it’s a big flip dive as we take a break. Back with Cabana kicking him away and hitting the Bionic Elbow. The Flying Apple into the double jump splash gets two on Guevara, followed by the moonsault for the same. Cabana slips on the Chicago Skyline though and it’s the GTH to give Sammy the pin at 7:32.

Rating: C. Cabana continues to be good for a match against almost anyone and Sammy is still one of the brightest stars around. He feels like he could do something good with just about anyone and that is the kind of thing you don’t get very often. Couple that with how much you want to punch him in the face and AEW has a star on its hands.

Post match the Dark Order comes out in full to stare at Cabana, with Brodie Lee helping him up. Cabana looks confused but slowly follows them down the tunnel.

With Colt gone, Sammy brags about his win but here’s Matt Hardy to interrupt. Matt sees a younger version of himself in Sammy because Sammy always gets back up. To realize his potential though, he has to get away from Chris Jericho. The fans approve, but Sammy doesn’t trust someone who tried to kill him twice. Matt likes the idea of a fact and we get the Matt selection screen, with Matt saying he is an excellent driver. With that, Matt ducks his head and becomes Broken. Matt promises to delete (x10) Sammy, who backs off.

Joey Janela is drinking in a bar and doesn’t know how he went from facing Jon Moxley in the main event to fading into the darkness. He leaves the bar and gets picked up by Sonny Kiss. To be continued.

Cabana goes into Brodie Lee’s dressing room.

Here’s what’s coming next week, including Billy Gunn vs. MJF and Le Sex Gods vs. the Best Friends with the Fyter Fest title shot on the line.

Jon Moxley is in the parking lot and is ready to destroy Brian Cage at Fyter Fest. Taz has been running his mouth for weeks so here’s Taz to get in Moxley’s face. Cue Cage to jump Moxley from behind and the beating is on. Moxley misses a pipe shot to hit a car window instead, allowing Cage to slam him into the back window of the same car. Taz gets Cage out of here.

Video on Cody wanting to prove that he can go week to week with the TNT Title defenses.

TNT Title: Marq Quen vs. Cody

Matt Hardy and Isaiah Cassidy come out with Quen but leave before the match. Arn Anderson is here with Cody. Quen gets in a shot to the face to start so Cody takes him down by the leg. A running shoulder into a standing moonsault gives Quen one but Cody snaps off the drop down right hand. Quen dropkicks him out of the air for two though as Anderson isn’t sure what to make of this. Cody grabs a dragon sleeper and we take a quick break.

Back with Quen favoring his leg but insisting he can keep going. Cody kicks the leg out and hits a reverse belly superplex (Though Quen might have countered. It’s not entirely clear.). Quen reverses a suplex into a spinning DDT for two though. Cody is sent outside for a suicide dive, followed by the limping flip dive. Another flip dive takes Cody down for two back inside so Quen sends him to the ramp. A 450 onto the ramp crushes Cody but Quen can’t follow up because of the leg. Back in and the shooting star misses, allowing Cody to grab the ankle lock. A leglock makes Quen tap at 11:48.

Rating: B-. Good action, told a fine story and Quen looked like a future star. Quen has looked like the better of the team and hopefully he gets to showcase himself a little bit more in the future. Right now though he needs some ring time and experience, just for the sake of learning to tighten things up a bit.

Post match respect is shown and Quen leaves. Cue Jake Hager to go after Anderson before beating Cody up as well. Private Party and Matt Hardy make the save with some chairs. The rest of the Inner Circle comes in and the brawl is on. Cody gets back in with the chair and the good guys clear the ring. Cody knows what Hager wants so he can have a TNT Title shot at Fyter Fest. The staredown ends the show.

Overall Rating: B. More good stuff this week with everyone working well and nothing bad on the whole show. They’re getting Fyter Fest ready and it’s feeling like a big show. They have a long way to go to get there though and with a few weeks left, they still have time to fill those holes. Nothing spectacular here, but it did what it needed to.

Results

FTR b. Butcher and the Blade – Mind Breaker to Blade

Penelope Ford/Nyla Rose b. Kris Stadtlander/Hikaru Shida – Fisherman’s suplex to Shida

Best Friends/Orange Cassidy b. Santana and Ortiz/Jake Hager – Crucifix to Santana

Sammy Guevara b. Colt Cabana – GTH

Cody b. Marq Quen – Leglock

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

Dynamite
Date: June 3, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

It’s time for the title show as both the TNT Title and the Tag Team Titles are on the line. That is quite the stacked card for any show and hopefully the execution lives up to the hype. You never can tell for sure with something like this but AEW has a history of being able to pull off a big show. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a Black Lives Matter graphic.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

The announcers run down the card.

Tag Team Titles: Kenny Omega/Hangman Page vs. Kip Sabian/Jimmy Havoc

Havoc and Sabian, with Penelope Ford, are challenging. Ford grabs Omega’s leg to start and Havoc takes him down. It’s off to Sabian to keep Omega in the corner and it’s back to Havoc to work on the hand. With FTR watching from an empty part of the crowd, Omega fights his way to freedom and brings in Page to run over Havoc. The champs throw Sabian down and Page easily blocks Ford’s top rope hurricanrana. Since the referee say the whole thing and she didn’t turn him over, Ford is ejected.

In the distraction, Havoc hits both champs in the back with a wrench for two. Sabian dropkicks Page to the floor and Havoc pokes at the eyes but Page fights over to Omega for the tag. Omega starts cleaning house and plants Sabian for two before quickly bringing Page back in. The Kitaro Crusher from Omega gives Page two and Page takes out Sabian and Havoc back to back.

A big running clothesline gets two on Sabian with Havoc making the save. Havoc Death Valley Drivers Omega into Page in the corner and Sing the Sorrow gets two on Omega with Page making the save this time. The reverse hurricanrana drops Sabian on his head and there’s the snapdragon to Havoc. Omega hits a V Trigger on Sabian and it’s back to Page for the Last Call to finish Havoc at 13:38.

Rating: B-. It’s kind of amazing how much more entertaining Page is than Omega. He comes off like a more complete character and feels more explosive in the ring as well. I know Omega is going to get the praise and will likely be the top star in the company one day, but I like watching Page a good bit more. The match wasn’t exactly dramatic but it was nice to see the titles defended for a change.

Tully Blanchard yelled at Shawn Spears earlier today and asked what Spears wants his legacy to be. Later, Blanchard thought he had the missing piece for Spears: a single black glove.

We look at Mike Tyson vs. Chris Jericho from last week.

We look back at Brian Cage squashing a human last week.

Brian Cage vs. Shawn Dean

A bunch of suplexes set up the Drill Claw to end whatever is left of Dean at 1:38.

Post match Taz warns Jon Moxley to get serious before Cage kills him at Fyter Fest. Cue Moxley, who is still smiling to annoy Taz. Moxley is in this business for something like this and knows that Cage is impressive. Maybe Cage is a machine but Moxley is a human who can be beaten. It’s going to take Cage all night long though because taking the title from him is a different prospect entirely. The next time you want to bring his name up, remember who you’re talking about.

Lance Archer is beating up someone at what looks like a construction site as Jake Roberts looks on. Archer talks about how one loss isn’t changing him after twenty years in the business and he’ll take everything in AEW. Roberts looks impressed.

We look back at Matt Hardy helping Marc Quen out after an injury last week.

Hardy comes in to see Private Party, where Quen’s knee is fine. They remind him of the bond he and his brother had, which is quite the thrill for the team. If they ever need anything, let him know. Hardy leaves and runs into Sammy Guevara, who he respects, before leaving. Sammy is confused.

We recap Cody winning the TNT Title, the open challenge, and Jungle Boy becoming the #1 contender last week.

Colt Cabana vs. Chris Jericho

Fallout from Cabana arguing with Jericho after last week’s brawl with Tyson. Jake Hager and Sammy Guevara are here with Jericho and Sammy sings Judas for a bonus. Cabana starts fast and knocks Jericho to the floor, setting up an Asai moonsault to take out both Jericho and Hager. Jericho knocks Cabana out of the air back inside though and we take a break.

Back with Jericho elbowing him in the face for two but Cabana slugs away. The Bionic Elbow sets up the Flying Apple into the middle rope splash for two. Cabana rolls up the Superman Pin but Jericho reverses into the Walls of Jericho. The rope is grabbed for the save and Cabana hits a corner clotheslines. A super hurricanrana gives Cabana two but he slips coming out of the corner and walks into the Judas Effect to give Jericho the pin at 9:50.

Rating: C+. I know Cabana is mainly a comedy wrestler but this is the kind of match where he can turn it off and wrestle straight when he has to. That makes Cabana a lot easier to watch and it was the case here. Jericho getting a clean win is good for him at this point, even if it’s over a midcarder. Not too bad here and Cabana was trying.

Videos on the matches announced for Fyter Fest.

Video on Britt Baker’s Road to Recovery with Tony Schiavone and the doctor looking on. She’s a little uh, over the top with things, though calling her wheelchair Role’s Royce is a great touch.

Nyla Rose vs. Big Swole

Swole headlocks her down to start but Rose fights up without much trouble. A shoulder doesn’t work on Rose so Swole sends her outside. That just lets Rose trip her up, sending Swole face first into the apron. Back from a break with Swole hitting a kick to the head and a headbutt, followed by a springboard cutter for two. Swole starts going after the knee but Rose spears her down. The Beast Bomb is countered into a sunset flip for two but Dirty Dancing is countered into a spinebuster/powerbomb to finish Swole at 9:48.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here as Swole isn’t all that interesting and Rose was getting back on the winning path. Part of the problem with any monster like Rose is that once she loses, the luster is gone in a hurry. I’m not sure where she can go next, but one off squashes could be best for her for the time being.

Post match Swole talks about having the fans behind her but Britt Baker rolls over, only to have Swole chase her off with a chair.

Darby Allin is injured but promises revenge on Brian Cage and Taz.

We get a sitdown interview with FTR, who say their name stands for anything they want it to. They’re ready for a bunch of teams, including the Young Bucks, who Dave Meltzer has praised as the next Midnight Express. They know they’re better than the Young Bucks and they don’t want any excuses for when they beat the Bucks in their first match. Tony thanks them for the interview but here are Butcher and Blade to interrupt. Other wrestlers and security break it up and a match is set for next week.

We run down next week’s show, including Marc Quen challenging for the TNT Title.

Colt Cabana is annoyed at his losses so here’s Brodie Lee to say it’s about how you respond to the losing. Lee can help him, so think about it.

TNT Title: Cody vs. Jungle Boy

Cody, with Arn Anderson, is defending and Jungle Boy is on his own here. They start with the rollups early on before Cody wins a slugout in the corner. The Figure Four goes on in a hurry but Boy is out in a hurry. A slingshot DDT gets two on Cody and he bails outside. Cody sends Boy over the barricade and we take a break. Back with Cody headbutting a wall by mistake but Boy stops to yell at MJF.

Cody is busted open so Boy hammers on the cut, only to get knocked down in a hurry. Boy heads up top and gets caught with a dropkick, setting up a delayed superplex. The Figure Four is broken up so Cody goes up top, right above a well placed table. Boy follows him up and they both fall through the table in a big crash. Back in and Boy counters a sunset flip into a rollup for two but Cody snaps off Cross Rhodes to retain at 12:48.

Rating: B. They had my attention here and Boy looked good in a losing effort. It’s a case where he’s a star of the future and that’s a good sign for where this company could be going. I’m curious to see how things are going to go for him and Cody could help a lot of people in matches like this. Good stuff, even if it started to feel like one of those patented forced Cody epics.

Post match all of Cody’s friends come in for the celebration as he shows respect to Boy to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. I had a good time with this one and it was a rather good show, without reaching the next level. What mattered here was having nothing bad and almost everything looking good up and down the card. They’re on the way to Fyter Fest and you can see a lot of the matches from here. Nice stuff here, with a solid show to keep up some momentum.

Results

Kenny Omega/Hangman Page b. Kip Sabian/Jimmy Havoc – Last Call to Havoc

Brian Cage b. Shawn Dean – Drill Claw

Chris Jericho b. Colt Cabana – Judas Effect

Nyla Rose b. Big Swole – Powerbomb

Cody b. Jungle Boy – Cross Rhodes

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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