If you liked AEW Dynamite from two weeks ago, you’ll enjoy the AEW Dynamite 9/30 episode as well. A fast-paced run of wrestling matches with some pretty in-depth storytelling filled a fast two-hour program. I couldn’t believe it when it was main event time already. Yet somehow so much transpired without feeling drained or overloaded.
While many panned the main event as predictable and an exercise in lazy booking, I feel the match was well done. Mox isn’t the mat-based lock-up wrestler you knew in WWE, he’s back to his roughhousing stiff-shot self from earlier years. His battle with Mr. Monocle, the Butcher. Was it a great match? No. it was to guys in a bar-brawl, but that’s what I’ve come to expect from Butcher. He’s not a cruiserweight or the next Dean Malenko by longshot. The guy is a bruiser and his long evil bushy mustache says so.
I agree, title matches like this make the outcome predictable, and many feel is a “WWE cop-out move.” Again, I agree. When Eddie Kingston was named as opponent last week for Mox, I was excited, but when it was made as a championship bout, my gut reaction was “oh… well.” It meant it would either end in DQ, count out, or Mox gets the pinfall or submission. Sure, they are running with the “I never tapped out” which is fine, continues a feud.
Let’s roll onto the rest of the show.
Darby Allin defeated Ricky Starks
Allin getting the win was 100% absolutely the right call. I’m sure some felt a loss would build up the feud, but Starks taking the loss shows Allin is serious about revenge on Taz. I really would love to see Taz back in the ring, but he’s just not in the ring shape anymore, at all. But Allin’s win was important as he’s been a bit of a losing run, not Ws and Ls but in terms of segment of nearly being murdered on live television. Big hype for the young star.
Starks is a star. He looks like a smaller Dwanye Johnson, but Starks can be his own man with his own style.
Cody is baaaaaaaaack
He chats up with Dasha about where he’s been. Admits to taking the offer to be a host on a new reality game show. But in the end, on a panel of stars, he’s “The Guy Who Lost in Three Minutes.” Plays up the emotional aspect of being mauled and squashed for a title he cherished as head of the company. Initially he teases a “NO” somewhat citing the corporate “optics” of his role … but then quickly turned it into an emphatic war cry of revenge. This brought out Brodie Lee and I can’t remember the last time I watched two guys in really funky and expensive looking suits brawl all over the place. Good lord Brodie Lee is main event material. He didn’t say a word, his actions during the brawl spoke for themselves.
Great segment, the women somehow got involved, Nyla Rose beat up a bunch of women as a side note.
I felt it ran a bit long, but mission accomplished.
FTR retained the AEW Tag Team Championships against SCU (Scorpio and Kazarian)
Holy Moses this was a great match. If you love tag team wrestling, this is it. My only disappointment was it not going the full 20-minute time-limit. Probably had two-to-three minutes left. Tully Blanchard would be the deciding factor in this stalemate of a match. We all knew FTR wouldn’t lose the titles so fast, but damn Scorpio and Kazarian made me believe they could have.
More taunting between FTR and Best Friends backstage, with Chuckie T and Trent? Flinching out FTR, resulting in a VICIOUS TAUNT from Orange Cassidy… “Weeines.”
Chris Jericho defeated Isiah Kassidy
Good for everyone. This was a match which exceeded my expectations. Jericho easily put over the young man, and Isiah, should he ever go solo, would definitely stand out as a future star. Something which stood out was a sudden altercation between Luther and Jericho at ringside. It was mentioned by Excalibur there is a history from Jericho’s early days in Japan. I did not know that. In any case, the match retained a fast pace, with some surprised of Isiah hitting a second-rope Lionsault of his own and even a codebreak. He also squashed Jericho with a top rope swanton, landing right on top, no roll-off onto the mat. Ouch. Match came to a shattering conclusion when Isiah took another leap, but slam-smack right into the Judas Effect.
Post match – Jericho brawled with Luther again, with his Chaos Project tag partner Serpentico in the fray as well. Setting up for next week, Chris Jericho and Jake Hager vs. Chaos Project.
Orange Cassidy defeated “10” of the Dark Order
Good match, Cassidy, despite the loss the week before looks strong. This “10” guy is pretty good himself, I hope eventually some Dark Order members get to break out beyond jobber status. The way Cassidy does his finish, it’s a release Air Raid Crash, but just looks so good.
Only gripe, does every heel have to try to pull off his sunglasses?
Dr. Britt Baker defeated Red Velvet
Short match, bringing the doctor back into the ring. Relatively short. Baker did not use the Lockjaw finisher, but after the match Rebel brought a solid black glove in for her to do it. Smart, but given the predicament we find ourselves in, we get the point. Not needed.
Jon Moxley defeated The Butcher
I love Eddie Kingston on the mic. He’s embodies the “Mad King” gimmick so well, it’s a matter of time before he takes some other wrestlers under his wing. Teasing either Rey Fenix or Pentagon El Zero M (name change?), instead Butcher arrives. As I said earlier, I thought the match was fine. If anything, shows how Butcher can stand on his own in a singles match. This matches serves to continue a feud between Mox and Mad King further down the road. The use of the “Bulldog Choke” as a new finisher by Mox drives the point he is not into finesse, just dirty deeds.
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