AEW produced a hell of an episode on Dynamite 4/8/24. Wow. Helps to have a hot crowd ready to roar. Adam Copeland hypes up the crowd prior to the opening match, featuring Orange Cassidy defeating Trent Barretta. The animosity and resentment were on full display as they tore into each other, wrestling in the ring, the brawling on the arena floor and in the crowd. With Don Callis at ringside adding an interesting perspective, Cassidy gets the win using some underhanded tactics, pulling off a turnbuckle pad for the advantage.
Trent hit Cassidy with multiple piledrivers during the match, and those looked devastating.
After the match was over, Trent hit another piledriver on the ring stairs, yet somehow Cassidy had enough left in the tank to grab a chair. It was the intervention of Don Callis holding back Freshly Squeezed and Kris Statlander holding back Trent.
You just know there will be some turns in the near future.
Kenny Omega update from a hospital
Kenny of course discusses the horrible actions from The Elite. Cutting right to the chase, he wants a big match at Double or Nothing, an “Anarchy in the Arena” match with The Bucks, Jack Perry, and Kazuchka Okada on one side, with FTR, and two others who will likely reveal themselves tonight.
Oh boy.
Following this promo is another promo segment from Serena Deeb. She sort of cuts a sympathetic promo about the long road to recovery from her injuries, and got serious by talking about her seizures. Unfortunately, the Canada crowd wanted more wrestling and less talking. However, when Toni Storm showed up, s-bombs got dropped and a brief tussle broke out which resulted in Deeb KO-ing Storm.
Eh. Decent segment, but likely did not go the way they probably wanted it.
We get two women’s segments in a row, as Mariah May defeated Harley Cameron. Good match, Mariah May looks better and better with each match. After the match she is saved by Mina Shirakawa. They tease another kiss but instead dance and drink champagne. Fun match.
Willow Nightingale cut one of her best promos yet. References her rise from indies to AEW, her reign as New Japan Strong Women’s Champion. I want her to win at Double or Nothing.
Following this we get another promo from the AEW World Champion, Swerve Strickland. He calls out Christian Cage and company and wants to fight. He’s pissed off about injuring Prince Nana and the attack last week. Cage is inclined to oblige, but promises to take things away from Swerve, dismantling everything he has, piece by piece. Before the brawl breaks out, Swerve tells his challenger he has friends of his own, and out comes The Embassy to even the odds.
Until Brian Cage decks Swerve. Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona join in and suddenly Swerve is powerbombed and then thrown through an announce table. Backstage, The EVPs celebrate the turn of events, as Cage and crew come back and shake hands, with Cage thanking the Bucks for their “great idea.”
“It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”
So the EVPs and The Patriarchy are working together. So, how does Jack Perry feel about that?
Jay White defeated Rocky Romero
In an earlier segment, Romero tells a recovering Cassidy if he wins, they get a title match for the Trios Championships. Romero suggests trying to patch things up with Trent which sets off OC.
It was a great match. No surprise, two NJPW mainstays have an excellent dance with each other. After the match Bullet Club Gold decide to inflict more damage, until The Bastard, PAC rushes the ring to chase BC Gold away.
That was fun.
Chris Jericho and Big Bill defeated two local guys
The locals got a nice pop from the crowd. Big Bill did most of the work.
I must point out how the commentary team talked about how Big Bill is a former champion and is no rookie, so they wonder why on Earth he needs to join with Jericho. Honestly, I’ve been asking that ever since this gimmick started. Jericho’s doing some over the top friendly, happy-go-lucky bit which I just can’t get behind.
We’re informed Hook is going to be back next week, but Jericho isn’t worried at all.
Jericho “accidentally” names the wrong location in his promo. The crowd fell for it, but clearly this was intentional.
Adam Copeland defeated Brody King
A bloody and brutal affair folks. I am astonished at what Copeland can do at this stage of his career. Unbelievable. I’ve said this multiple time, but I think everyone agrees, Brody King has what it takes to be a main event singles wrestler when the time comes.
A lot of jump-scare spots, thanks to Death Valley Drivers, Piledrivers, Powerbombs, and a spear through a table.
King must have bladed badly because blood coming out of his head looked very faucet-like at times. Scary.
After the match, Brody attempted revenge but was chased off by one Kyle O’Reilly.
AEW goes overtime as we get a few backstage promos. Mercedes Mone talks up her side of facing Willow, KOR challenges Copeland for the TNT Championship this weekend on Collision, and then the reveal of Team AEW as The Elite flaunt power and success.
FTR brings out Eddie Kingston and Bryan Danielson as their partners to represent Kenny Omega at Double or Nothing. They brawl to close the show.
I enjoyed Don Callis on commentary. Despite his default setting of behaving in a manner to make him universally despised, he calls a good commentary right down the middle. Overall a good show with a few bumps. The opening a closing matches were fantastic. Swerve and Willow cut the best promos tonight. The program was a bit more promo-heavy than others, which was unexpected. I still enjoyed it.
