Mazel Tov! It’s a Re-Bar Mitzvah! Dynamite kicks off with my kind of party!!
We’ve got balloons! We’ve got music! We got MJF wearing a custom Tallis and Kippah! He even brings some of his buddies down with a chair in hand as they hoist the birthday boy high! I loved his opening promo, fully embracing and has no fear to cut a promo about his Jewish pride.
However, it was interrupted by Jungle Boy, Sammy Guevara, and Darby Allin who all simultaneously demand a world title match, all with the theme of working for their position, fighting for a spot, while MJF has been handed everything. Some highlights include Darby using the “just complain on Twitter” line, which was fantastic. He also had a line about being sick of the “War in 2024” bit. Jungle Boy says how he got saddled on Dark while MJF has never been on anything by Dynamite. However, MJF takes his turn to slander everyone just as mercilessly. The segment concludes with MJF getting knocked into his Bar-Mitzvah cake.
A segment with a lot to unpack. Everyone taking very realistic shots at each other using real-life events, reinforcing an original statement of “The Four Pillars of AEW” and the notion Max may not be as infallible as he thinks. Granted, he did send Bryan Danielson home for the time being, and we have three challengers who on paper may not have been on anyone’s bingo card for a 2023 title chase, but this could make the next few months very interesting.
We have four AEW originals, all in the main event title picture. We could get a series of one-on-one matches, with MJF defending against each, with a big Fatal-Four payoff match to conclude. This could be an ongoing arc for months, which would definitely give MJF a long reign as champion. It also gives fans a longer feud with multiple challengers. I like where this is going.
Footage of Chris Jericho getting the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal and announcing the street he grew up on is being named after him.
Blackpool Combat Club defeated The Dark Order and “Hangman” Adam Page
Oh man, this was a great match. Every time Stu Grayson hit the ring the crowd erupted for their hometown hero. I really wanted Dark Order to get the win, but it was clear this would be the match to push the BCC fully over the heel line. Imagine the crowd eruption had Dark Order won the match.
Having Grayson as the one to tap out earned the venom from the crowd. Mox holds the choke in until Alex Reynolds and John Silver rush down for the save. I do hope this eventually builds to a triumphant victory for Dark Order.
I know it’s all for the storyline, but this could have been an awesome moment for the Dark Order. Sometimes I feel like a company, WWE, AEW, whomever, should put gimmicks or story aside and just go with the unexpected, go with the babyface win to get the crowd to pop big.
Juice Robinson promo – He’s come to AEW to kick open the Forbidden Door, and in his sights is Ricky Starks.
Jade Cargill defeats Canadian Indy Legend Nicole Matthews
Squash.
A Wild Taya Valkyrie Appears! The rumors are true and Valkyrie arrives in AEW and stands face to face with Cargill. Leila Grey makes an attempt to interfere, but she eats Taya’s version of Jaded instead. The crowd pops huge, but Cargill doesn’t look scared at all.
Sigh. Hot take and likely an unlikable opinion, but I couldn’t get behind this. Mistake one is hyping up some “Canadian Challenge” only to throw the country’s favorite indy wrestler into a squash match with ZERO offense. At least have the match go a few minutes. Mistake two was not having Taya as the mystery opponent. Have it go short, with Grey somehow causing Taya to get counted out, showing Cargill may finally have a weakness. May have. Show a crack in the armor, something to put Taya as a credible threat.
It didn’t work for me.
Backstage: Ricky Starks says Bullet Club was cool in 2015, but in 2023 no one cares. Ouch.
Turns out, QTV is a weird version of TMZ, where Aaron Solo broke into Wardlow’s car to steal his stuff. Including his passport which is why he isn’t on Dynamite. Hobbs cuts a serious promo.
I thought this could have been better. I get the TMZ dig and the multiple digs at comparing Wardlow to many WWE wrestlers or gimmicks. Something tells me AEW has been paying attention to Jim Cornette’s podcasts lately. This segment didn’t work for me either.
It’s a loaded show tonight, so a segment like this was negligible.
Orange Cassidy defeated Jeff Jarrett to retain the AEW International Championship
I still don’t understand the “too many belts” complaints. WWE has more championships, and hell during the 2000s there were an insane number of championship titles running all over WWE and WCW with little-to-no-complaining. I don’t get it. This was a good match, nothing spectacular, but some high drama with Jay Lethal nearly cost Cassidy the title. I really thought we were in for a title change. Instead, Jarrett puts over Cassidy. Good call.
Acclaimed Music Video. Gotta hand it to Max Caster. He’s good.
The Outcasts – Saraya, Ruby Soho, and Toni Storm cut an anti-AEW originals promo. I the future, just let Soho and Storm do the talking. I am astonished how out of pace Saraya is. She still can’t cut a better promo than “this is my house” and “I started the women’s revolution” which now includes “I created AEW’s women’s wrestling.” Yeesh. Dr. Britt Baker, DMD and Jamie Hayter storm the ring for a brawl, and are backed up by Riho, Willow Nightingale, and Skye Blue.
My wife was not a fan of this segment, and I will admit the initial promo was off-key. However, I do appreciate the rebuild towards an AEW Originals vs. Outcast main event down the line.
Backstage: The former 2point0 are still upset, The Acclaimed refuse to join the JAS since they are “entertainers” but will try again soon.
Also Backstage: Rey Fenix answers an open challenge for the TNT Championship on Rampage this coming Friday night.
AEW Dynamite 3/15 MAIN EVENT TIME!! The House of Black retain the AEW Trios Championships against The Elite and The Jericho Appreciation Society
Fantastic match. Just fantastic. Such a fun match. One of the things I appreciate about AEW matches is to sometimes throw away storylines and simply enjoy wrestling. I know there will be those who may yell at me and say this was some hokey outlaw indy darling mudshow, but this was FUN. F-U-N. They did a few Jericho vs. Omega teases before delivering. Brody King mauling everyone and then taking some unbelievable bumps as well. Sammy Guevara, as hated as he is, does not fail to pull off some death-defying launches. That’s his thing, and it’s OK.
Danny Garcia, who I still think needs to go on a solo run, did well in both offensive and defensive positions. The action picked up towards the end, with some enjoyable spots with Omega and Jericho teaming up, and hell, Buddy Matthews with a wrestling onslaught at one point could have won it all on his own. We got a sequence of superkick party, the always painful-to-watch-but-can’t-turn-away series of Kenny Omega cracking off those Snap Dragon Suplexes on everyone. The end came with a House of Black combo of finishers, which yes, we have to admit something appeared to look off, but still did not change the outcome. Again, this was fun and enjoyable.
Oh, but we aren’t done. A brawl between Dark Order and Blackpool Combat Club spilled out to the ring, and wouldn’t you know it, we have The Elite backing up “Hangman” Adam Page to close the show.
Well, this makes things very interesting.
Very much enjoyed AEW Dynamite tonight. Unfortunately the women’s segments were the weakest. I believe they can do much better with the AEW Originals vs. the Outcasts angle. The only hitch is the need to increase the heel stable a bit, and get some more star power on the side of the babyfaces. Hayter, Dr. Baker, Willow, and Riho are a good start, but perhaps bringing in Hikaru Shida who was a mainstay during the pandemic era. I could see a surprise return and heel turn by Thunder Rosa at some point. Hell, you could throw Nyla Rose in with the heels just to have someone serve as a turncoat. Of course we can’t forget about Kris Statlander whom we have been waiting a very long time to see back in the ring.
It’s also good to see the BCC go full-fledged heel. This is needed. It is tough when there is the gray area and storylines can often stall because the wrong side is being cheered. However, I really and truly hope this somehow gets the Dark Order the ultimate babyface win it so very much needs.
Overall, AEW Dynamite 3/15 was a great show. The few hiccups were short and in no way hindered the rest of the show. The highlights of the opening and closing segments pumped the live crowd full of fire, and being in Canada, showcasing their hometown wrestlers was the right call.
AEW needs to re-sign Stu Grayson.
This probably isn’t the place for any religious commentary, but as a Jewish individual, I am happy to see a Jewish wrestler proudly being open about his heritage. While I may not agree with the style of Bar-Mitzvah he had, MJF doesn’t shy away, whether on TV or on social media, from acknowledging his Jewish upbringing. There are photos online of a (I presume to be a) Chabad Rabbi putting Tefillin on Max earlier in the day. That’s a special thing. Mostly Orthodox individuals participate in this practice, however the Chabad movement has made this special by showing that any individual, regardless of how observant they are, can participate. It’s a Mitzvah. It’s doing something good. Anyone, from any faith can take a few minutes out of their day to do something good.
