AEW Dynamite 11/18 kicks off with their specialty, tag team wrestling!
The Dynamite-debuting Top Flight goes up against the AEW World Tag Team Champions, Young Bucks. While Top Flight came up short, the young duo of Darius and Dante Martin, age 21 and 19 respectively, were fantastic against the veteran champions. This was a great introduction for Top Flight, and while it may not have felt like “a match” and more of a showcase of a future main-eventing team, it still proved to wow audiences. Yes, lots of intended spots and a few slower ones due to communication. But overall, I enjoyed this.
In a backstage promo, AEW World Champion Mox reveals he will soon be a father, with wife Renee Paquette is expecting. He also is vehemently going to defend the AEW Championship against Kenny Omega as he has a new reason for holding the championship.
Orange Cassidy defeated Kip Sabian. Another solid match. Cassidy’s mix of goof and wrestling once again add to the fun, and Sabian is one hell of a worker. The guy can speed up or slow down a pace on a dime. Of course, despite the loss, Big Miro charges in to lay out Freshly Squeezed. Thankfully, Best Friends make the save, and as Excalibur eloquently puts it: “giving the people what they want!”
Contract Signing: Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley
Well, the signing for the AEW World Championship went nowhere, as Omega, decked in sunglasses and suit sat waiting for Mox. When the champion fails to arrive, we cut backstage where a bloodied Mox is being tended to. Omega shrugs it off, makes a comment of “first his elbow…” Not much of a response as he signs his part and walks off.
The segment didn’t really give a “whodunit” vibe and there wasn’t anything to make fans accuse Omega. Maybe the swerve is the culprit being Hangman Page?
The Bastard, PAC defeated The Blade. I have to give a ton of credit to Blade, really improving week after week and this was very impressive. He kept with PAC’s fast paced and both got “bowling show ugly” with some brawl tactics on the floor. A few scary moments with Blade looking to hang The Bastard over the ropes and nearly dropped him on his head. Later, a very delayed top rope superplex, which was later followed by what appeared, at least by me, was a hesitant PAC to hit a Shooting Star off the top. Maybe ring rust, or possible someone may have been hurt. Overall, excellent match.
Things get crazier. Eddie Kingston on commentary, which is always a plus. After the match, Butcher and Kingston overwhelm PAC. Rey Fenix rushes down to save, but is also overpowered. Just then, Penta El Zero M, chair in hand, comes down, and chooses his side by clearing the ring of Kingston’s Empire and reuniting with his brother and PAC to reform Death Triangle.
NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb retained against Thunder Rosa
This, could have been the main event of the evening. Deeb and Rose have an impeccable ring chemistry and know exactly how to work around the ring with each other. So well done. The whole match saw one series roll into the next, each one having their time on offense without one seeming to dominate more than the other. In other words, this was constructed to show how evenly matched they were. Just a great match. The wrench thrown in was the interference by Dr. Britt Baker which thankfully did not directly determine the outcome of the match. However, this seems to lean towards a feud with Thunder Rosa. I will be glad to see more of the Thunder on Dynamite.
Backstage: Jade Cargill appears to break the arm of Brandi Rhodes. Eh, I’m still not sold on Cargill. It does look like she will be aligned with Vicki Guerrero and Nyla Rose. This is a good thing and Vicki will have another person to handle talking duties for.
I did not neglect the Inner Circle fun time show in Vegas. It is what was expected. Insanity, drunkenness, Sammy threatening to cut his own hand off in a blood pact, and Hornswoggle crying like a baby, because he’s dressed like a baby. MJF gets inked on his face while other members of the Circle are all disheveled.
The Main Event: Team Taz defeated Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin
Once more with feeling, I’ll sing it, excellent match. The finish was insanely brutal, with Cage hitting Allin with a top rope Avalanche Drillclaw Driver. The rest of the match was fantastic, Cage moves so well with three smaller wrestlers it’s astonishing. Taz gets involved, Arn Anderson gets booted from ringside, this one was action packed.
After that sick finish, the fighting continued, but a wild Will Hobbs appeared! He clears the ring and snatches the TNT Championship from harm … only to attack Allin and Rhodes! Hobbs joins Team Taz! I expected and welcomed it. Hobbs too, needs a mic man, and he’s got the big burly brutish look which will go very far with Taz as his cornerman.
I expected a good wrestling show, and I was treated with a great one.
