Just one week to go to the kick off of the summer with AEW Forbidden Door! AEW Dynamite 6/19/24 did remind me of prime era WWF and WCW … it was the feeling of excited anticipation throughout the show. AEW Dynamite 6/19/24 kicks off el fuego with MJF defeating RUSH in one hell of a match. MJF is back, baby! Working very well together they taunt each other, challenge each other’s strength, and ultimately who can outsmart the other. Hard hitting match sees MJF “barely” scrape the win, but this is more a testament to how damn good RUSH is. MJF using both a Heatseeker and then a Brainbuster as finishers looked damn good.
After the match, the Gates of Agony reveal MJF will face Hechicero at Forbidden Door.
Holy $***!
Next up Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland offer up some cutthroat words during their in-ring promo segment. Wow. Ospreay takes a swipe at “hit row’ while Swerve shades towards his more sinister persona by talking about Will’s family. Poor Prince Nana who tries valiantly to keep the peace… But there’s just way too much tension and it boils over to a near-brawl.
VERY well done. This match could be one talked about for the next few months.
Backstage: Team Briscoe are with Renee Paquette and boy oh boy Mark Briscoe cuts a bizarrely funny promo. The best part comes from Kyle O’Reilly, at the end walking away he just shouts: “I WOULD FOLLOW THIS MAN ANYWHERE!”
Treasures. All of them.
Team Briscoe (Briscoe, O’Reilly, Cassidy, and Dante Martin) defeated Kyle Fletcher, Roderick Strong, Takeshita, and Zack Sabre Jr.
What a fun match this was. Everyone just going bonkers with wrestling moves, dives, powerbombs, and gosh golly gee couldn’t help but feel thrilled with this one. Tons of enjoyable action which culminates when Orange Cassidy plants a Superman Punch on Roddy for the win.
This match could have gone either way and still all looked great doing it. The ending confrontation between ZSJ and OC was fun as well.
These are the matches which WWF and WCW did years ago and everyone could agree these were fun. Nowadays, fickle fans have to freakin’ nitpick every little thing about matches like this.
The Acclaimed defeated The EVPs in a Championship Eliminator Match
Prior to the match, Max Caster’s microphone got cut while he attempted his rap. Turns out, Okada was working the back and “accidentally” blew the sound. He’s so sad… NOT!!!
Heel/comedy Okada is a thing I never knew I needed.
Holy crap. Someone won an eliminator. I don’t think it’s ever happened. Has it? HAS IT?
The Jacksons dominated most of the match, but holy freakin’ cow this match MADE Bowens. No doubt about it, we’re looking at future singles main eventer. I’m calling it now. Bowens did it all. Sold injury, continued to wrestle. Kicks out of near-falls, gains crowd sympathy. Emotional comeback and manages with Max Caster to tandem hit finishers for the win.
This is the sort of match you get invested in. Here’s where AEW pulled the trigger and it worked. Everyone is used to the Bucks winning, or no one ever winning an “eliminator” match. This time around, we got shocked and thanks to Bowens, we loved every minute of it.
Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa with Mariah May having their contract signing. Oh these ladies are just too much. The over-the-top stuff delivers. Things turn tense as Mina gets a bit harsh with May, but Storm comes to her defense. Before a brawl breaks out, Saraya, Cameron, and Anna Jay(?!) come out and ruin it all by attacking everyone.
I guess it gives Anna Jay something to do. Guessing trios match where Storm, Shirakawa, and May will team together against the heels.
Kris Statlander defeated Nyla Rose in an Owen Hart tournament qualifier.
Pretty good match with a lot of strength and powerhouse tactics were used. Kris wins with a tombstone piledriver. Not a bad bout at all. Post-match, Swerve taunted everyone, but Willow appears on the big screen to give a very dire warning to her former friends.
Daniel Garcia squashed Rhett Titus
Man, this guy was a Ring of Honor champion, and now he’s jobbing. Bet half the live crowd didn’t know Titus anyway. Ah well. Curious why this match took place, but we certainly learned fast. The Gates of Agony were shown beating up Matt Minard. But then, a wild MJF appears! He rushes the ring but it’s not enough! Wait… An insane Will Ospreay rushes the ring and helps clean the house… until it’s him and MJF bumping into each other. The following Holy $*** chant from the live crowd was to be expected.
Could we see MJF vs. Ospreay in the near future?
Primus I hope so.
Main Event: PAC defeated Claudio Castignoli to advance in the Owen Hart Memorial Tournament.
Damn, what a bout to close the show. A superb wrestling match. Wrestling match. Two of the best wrestlers in the world put on a clinic long after the 10pm hour. It was truly difficult to anticipate who would win, but the tease of Claudio vs. Danielson again was very tempting. However after numerous pinfall combinations and subsequent counters, PAC rolls up Claudio for the pinfall. Post-match it seemed there would be a show of respect, but Castignoli dismissed it. He even shouts off at Danielson.
Could the BCC be in trouble?
AEW Dynamite 6/19/24 was a fast episode, meaning, everything went at a solid to fast pace which benefited everyone. Things felt fluid, no major mishaps. Everything looked great tonight. I just can’t wait for next Sunday.
