AEW Dynamite kicks off with a Blind Tag Team Elimination Match – Darby Allin & Orange Cassidy defeating Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland. Within the first seven minutes Lee lobs Darby clear across the ring with a biel… which I’m not sure we can legally call it that, but holy crap folks! Later on, Lee trades chops with Cassdiy, and it’s pretty clear Lee wins that exchange. Fantastic, fun match to kick off Dynamite. We had some extremely unique spots, including one, which you have to see to believe. Darby, trapped underneath the ring stairs by Swerve. Cassidy brawls with Swerve and Lee on the outside, Cassidy leaps on Lee with a sleeper, but Lee, fighting carries him UP THE STAIRS WITH DARBY UNDERNEATH.
Darby Allin with nowhere to go!
Watch #AEWDynamite on TBS!@swerveconfident | @RealKeithLee | @orangecassidy | @DarbyAllin #BlindEliminatorTagTeamTournament pic.twitter.com/E4iJrbAGch
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) July 6, 2023
That was burned into my head and I will never be able to unsee it.
Keith Lee is awesome. Love to see him mauling and throwing people.
Promo package for Nick Wayne, narrated by Darby Allin. Very well done. He was given a contract at age 16, and now he’s turned 18.
Backstage: Tony Schiavone is present for the arrival of Jack Perry, who demands a match against Hook for the FTW Championship. Hook rushes Perry who jumps back in the car and drives off. Noticing a theme here. I don’t mind the feud, but don’t make a freshly turned-heel look weak out of the gate. However, this does resemble the antics of a former mentor. Wouldn’t shock me if Perry re-aligns with Christian Cage.
The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn defeated The Bollywood Boys & The Blade
Fun match, not too long. Pretty clear who would win, but still enjoyable. Again, it’s 2023 and “Daddy Ass” Billy Gunn gets over than half the roster. Post-match, the feud with QTV will appear to continue. Not the biggest fan of this, but if it doesn’t get drawn out too long it should be acceptable.
Video package showing Eddie Kingston’s championship victory, claiming the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship at New Japan Independence Day, defeating KENTA. The world erupted with pride for Eddie. Finally, the man has himself a championship, one from New Japan. I hope this is the beginning of many more title victories in his future. I can’t wait for him to show up on AEW television with the title over his shoulder. He deserves it!
Backstage: Roderick Strong says he’s fine, but Doc Sampson says otherwise. He questions Adam Cole’s decision to agree to “hang out” with MJF.
In the ring: Chris Jericho talks about his legacy, pride in Canada, but is interrupted by another Canadian, Don Callis. They trade barbs and lay claim to subtly making each other famous. Callus then drops the big bombshell, offering Jericho a spot in his stable, the Callis Family. After a lengthy tease, Jericho says… “Maybe.”
Despite Jericho always leading a faction, this time he considers joining one. Very interesting turn of events, with Callis trying to bolster his own ranks to go after The Elite.
Is “The Callis Family” supposed to take a page from “The Heenan Family” stable?
I just occurred to me, we have the BCC feuding with The Elite, which seems to include Don Callis and Konoske Takeshita, but now he is looking to form his own. Intriguing.
Video package featuring MJF and Adam Cole hanging out. This is comedy gold. This is how we get a babyface MJF. I love it. He’s in total goofball mode and it works. Later on, they have their Blind Tag Team Elimination match where they defeat The Butcher and Matt Minard. From MJF copying every motion Cole did during his intro to the surprise birthday party, I was laughing non-stop at their antics. Cole tries so hard to no-sell MJF’s goofball antics, but eventually caves in. This was gold.
Adam Cole & The #AEW World champion MJF take on Magic Meat RIGHT NOW!
Watch #AEWDynamite on TBS!@The_MJF | @AdamColePro | @theDaddyMagic | @andycomplains#BlindEliminatorTagTeamTournament pic.twitter.com/7wIiO6FPLy
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) July 6, 2023
The Butcher is a fricken beast. Give him a solid singles run. Doesn’t need to be after a championship, let the guy wreck people.
Backstage: Renee is with Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Daniel Garcia. They question Jericho’s motives, to which he tells them to be patient, but also reminding them he can’t mentor them forever. It’s also announced Garcia and Sammy will team together for this Blind Tag Team Tournament. These pairings are so strange. They don’t feel so “random.”
Ruby Soho defeated Dr. Britt Baker in a Quarterfinal match of the Owen Hart Memorial Tournament
Decent match with a few hiccups. It was one of the better women’s matches, however the inevitable constant interference from Saraya and Toni Storm would ruin it and give Soho the heel win. However, Skye Blue would come out to stare into the eyes of her opponent next week.
I am hopeful the additions of Skye Blue and other fresh faces will inject some enthusiasm and renewed interest in the Women’s Division. I’m getting tired of this repetitive nonsense from the Outcast stable, and I think many fans are too.
Kenny Omega defeated Wheeler Yuta
A fantastic wrestling bout to close the show. Neary 20 minutes of non-stop wrestling between two of the best in AEW. Yes, I said two of the best because Wheeler Yuta has 100% earned that title. So many crushing suplexes and moves reminding us of Kenny getting dropped with the Tiger Driver ‘91 at Forbidden Door. A back-and-forth contest where for more than one moment, I believed Yuta could have won it, and won clean.
However, Don Callis would run interference, allowing Konoske Takeshita to splatter Omega with a Blue Thunder Bomb, followed by a Yuta Splash off the top, but for only a two count. Despite this, Omega managed to crush Yuta with a One-Winged Angel, despite selling the neck and shoulder injury throughout the match, getting the pinfall win. Post match, Claudio Castignoli, Takeshita, and Yuta ganged up on Omega. The Young Bucks and Hangman Page rushed out with chairs to even the odds, but just as the show closed, The Dark Order stopped Page from walloping Claudio with a chair. Not sure if it was unfortunate timing or intentional to keep the fans at home guessing, but that was one hell of a way to close it. AEW uploaded footage on their social media pages, showing what happened after the show went off the air.
The Elite is out for the save!
Watch #AEWDynamite on TBS!@KennyOmegamanX | @youngbucks | #HangmanAdamPage pic.twitter.com/3ym2DU0HSJ
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) July 6, 2023
AEW has hit another stride in putting on solid shows. Between Dynamite and Collision, these shows have greatly improved. Even Rampage, known more as a throwaway program, has become another showcase for great matchups.
