Hey! I know, it’s Wednesday and there’s AEW Dynamite tonight (thanks to the NBA it moves to tomorrow), so instead we’re running back our thoughts on AEW Saturday Night Dynamite. Being this episode moved to Saturday Night to be nice to the NBA, would the program quality be affected?
NOPE!
Kicking of the show saw FTR defeat Private Party in a non-stop fun-filled festival of… fun. It was fun to watch. Reminded me of good tag team wrestling in the early 90s from NWA and WCW. Tully Blanchard now manages Cash and Dax, sporting an FTR ring jacket. Yep, we’re doing this ol’ school. Quen and Kassidy continue to kill it in the ring, and FTR pulls out the wrestling they were allowed on NXT but for whatever reason, not allowed on RAW or SmackDown. It was like watching, yes, the Brain Busters vs. The Rockers… or something.
This is a clear nod to a Brainbusters/Horsemen vs. Rock N Roll Express-like encounter with FTR and the Young Bucks.
I can wait, because I want the build to be awesome.
MJF cuts a promo and his hot-shot lawyer shows a contract banning The Paradigm Shift finisher. I’m not really a fan of these “ban the finishing move” because we’ve already seen Mox put people away by other means.
The crazy tag action continues with Jurassic Express and the Natural Nightmares defeating Lucha Brothers, Butcher, and Blade. Wow, another fast-paced wrestling match. I’m amazed how they could shift so fast from the high-flying agility moves to the mat-based holds, and back again. The Lucha Bros stole the show, and would have the match if their side didn’t have a communications breakdown. I was very surprised and intrigued at the sudden appearance of Eddie Kingston who seemed to rally them up and possibly build a stable of his own. Oh boy. We’re in for some good stuff.
Butcher and Blade have stagnated for a bit, so perhaps a gimmick change will be healthy for them.
Orange Cassidy speaks… Or did he?
Nope.
Chris Jericho appearing slightly drunk, wobbles out to his typical putting over while still berating the up-and-comer routine, which leads to a Mimosa Mayhem Match. This match ends when someone is dumped in a vat of OJ and Champagne. I think it’s funny. They made the Stadium Stampede a work of art, this will result is some Joker-like new origin tale for someone.
The Elite (Matt, Nick, Omega) defeated the Dark Order (Angels, Silver, Reynolds).
Not bad again from the Dark Order crew. Definitely solid improvement, but yet another loss for the DO and another win for the Elite. I wasn’t surprised at the result, I was a bit disappointed though. I thought a win for the underdog members would be better story material, considering after the match Kenny O. was about to go HouseCleaner with a steel chair. He keeps losing his cool and appearing to be talking to some voices in la-la land.
After the match, FTR went the mindgames route with Hangman Page. Hmm…
Darby Allin defeated Will Hobbs
Hobbs definitely has a cult following, and I can see why. He’s big, and he can be brutal. But he is no Keith Lee. He’s got potential, but a lot of training in his future. This was a good show for Allin to show off how he dispatches of big guys. After the match was over showed the real reason for Allin’s appearance. Taz introduces a new member… But it’s just Ricky Starks dressed as Darby Allin. Weird. The distraction allows Brian Cage to somehow sneak up on Darby. Insult to injury sees Starks nail Darby with his own Coffin Drop.
Sammy Guevara comes out with his sign antics but is rudely interrupted and nearly murdered on live television by a Rampaging Matt Hardy. Holy crap, this one might end in a Japanese Barb-wire Exploding Time Bomb Death Match.
NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa arrives and calls out a challenge to AEW Women’s Champion, Hikaru Shida. I need to watch some Thunder Rosa matches, but something tells me this could be great.
The Finals of the AEW Women’s Tag Team Tournament Cup sees Diamante and Ivelisse defeat Allie and Brandie. Sorry, I wasn’t a fan of the Nightmare Sisters even making it past the first round. Had they won, there would be legit internet rage. Neither one are great in the ring, and both Diamante and Ivelisse, while no ring legends, are lightyears past the manager/wrestler duo in terms of ring skills. I’m glad the right team won, but much like early stages of AEW, this sadly shows the Women’s division needs more work. They have great foundations, just time to keep on improving.
The Main Event: TNT Championship – Brodie Lee challenges Cody Rhodes
AND THEN MURDERS HIM IN FIVE MINUTES (maybe six?)
Big Bad Brodie bulldozed Cody, putting the now-former titleholder, on a four-wheeled roller. Stretchered away Cody signaled with the “Thumbs Up – I’m OK,” only for the new TNT Champion, to clobber poor Cody until they took him away for hospitalization.
I write poetry. But some of you knew I did this once before…
In all seriousness, no one expected this. No one. I have never seen Brodie being given such an opportunity to be as brutal and dominant as this match. Cody, still using the “Prince of Pro Wrestling” moniker is now on his path towards to be off TV for a while, as suggested by the announce team for five straight weeks in a row that Cody overburdened himself, and will likely return in HEEL MODE!
What a way to cap off the show. Dark Order is #1 now. I don’t think we saw this coming and that my friends, is a very good thing in the wrestling business.
