Thank you to AEW. Providing my usual Wednesday night escape with two hours of fun wrestling. This is why the internet must hate me. I just think wrestling is fun and don’t care about ticket sales, ratings, attendance numbers or any of the stuff which makes no impact on what television I choose to watch.
RED HOT crowd from Atlanta for AEW Dynamite 2/5/25.
During the show Kenny Omega once again brings up “that feeling” which resurfaces when fans get nostalgic for the early days of AEW. Feels similar to the good old days of ECW and the early days of WCW where wrestling was wrestling and it was fun to watch. Mix of storyline wrestling and mix of wrestling matches for the sake of wrestling.
The show opens with Jay White doing a promo from the parking lot, only to be confronted by The Death Riders. However, Mox and crew unknowingly were being stalked from behind by White’s new buddies, Cope and FTR. A massive brawl breaks out, going from the parking lot into the arena where Mox and his cohorts flee the scene. Cope challenges Mox for a title match, but Mox rejects the proposal. However, Switchblade has an idea of his own, at Grand Slam, a tag match with White and Cope vs. Mox and Claudio.
Opening match featured Will Ospreay up against a mystery opponent, the newest member of the Don Callis Family – Mark Davis! Uh oh! United Empire now under the Callis banner? Fantastic match. Davis hit Ospreay with a jumping piledriver which looked devastating.
I can understand the confusion, previously Davis refused to align with Kyle Fletcher and Don Callis, but as explained by the announce team it seems Callis may have something on Davis to coerce into joining the stable. After the match, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay cut a promo in the ring, and it seemed as though Callis’ plans are beginning to unravel.
Backstage: Renee is with “Hangman” Adam Page who dodges questions about looking for Swerve. Renee brings up Christopher Daniels which sparks the evil side of Page. Simply put, no one walks away from a Texas Death Match with the Hangman.
That speaks volumes. Every deathmatch involving Adam Page has long standing consequences. This should be an ongoing thing for him. However, we hear verbal jibes from “Platinum” Max Caster who seems to be impatient for his turn at an interview. Page wants a fight and Caster nonchalantly suggests Page seek out Anthony Bowens or Billy Gunn to fulfil that. Instead, Page’s eyes narrow which sends Caster scurrying away. Page gives chase. Uh oh. Caster in big trouble now.
If Davis truly is the next member of the Family, I am surprised he was booked to lose. Had he won, it would have further cemented Callis as a conniving devil, but again the stable suffers yet another loss and I’m just not sure where Davis goes from here.
Up next, The Hurt Syndicate cut an in-ring promo putting over Private Party. However their promo is interrupted by the returning Gunns. It appears Austin and Colten have no issues or fear confronting Lashley and Benjamin.
Anyone else notice but there seems to be more focus on tag teams tonight? Established teams?
I also feel it is fantastic that Shelton Benjamin is clearly booked as Lashley’s equal. I bet many thought Lashley would be the standout while Benjamin is hired muscle. Nope. If anything, it looks like Benjamin is the real threat based on his recent matches. Win or lose, the guy looks like a freakin’ suplex machine.
Another funny bit between Harley Cameron, her puppet, and Mercedes Mone. This stuff is gold, except Mone can’t seem to come up with other material. Cameron is on fire with the ventriloquism, but then Mone interrupts and feels like the same promo from last time. We know Mone can do better, so let’s go!
Takeshita & Fletcher defeated The Hounds of Hell (Brody King & Buddy Matthews)
Five star match. Wow. Incredible tag match. Matthews and King get better and better as a tag team. It seems they are hitting their stride and the fans are hot for it. They weren’t likely intended to be booked as babyfaces, but sometimes you go with the crowd and let it happen naturally. Some tremendous wrestling and fast paced, hard hitting action throughout. Everyone looked like a winner. This match should happen again. Something unique here is that all four men are versatile enough to remain as tag teams or pursue singles matches should booking determine so. Brody and Buddy are insanely over.
Honestly, if there is one team who could believably defeat The Hurt Syndicate, it would be the Hounds of Hell.
MJF promo in the ring, and back to his standard of decimating people on the mic. After verbally running down Jeff Jarrett he turns his ire towards the live crowd, towards Mox and the AEW Championship… but suddenly MAX CASTER runs into the ring?! MJF is ready for murder but Caster says he’s running from… “Hangman” Adam Page! Page comes to the ring, has a brief stare down with Friedman, before again pursuing Caster into the crowd.
MJF gets flustered but before he can continue running down the older generation, a wild Dustin Rhodes appears!! We get a promo-off between two of the best mic workers in the business and boy is it glorious. Of course the personal history with demons and bad decisions come up, but Dustin verbalizes and expresses perfectly the tragedy of wrestlers from his generation but also the triumphs of those who overcome them. We get another brawl, one which sees MJF going eye-to-eye with Christopher Daniels.
MJF vs. Jarrett? MJF vs. Rhodes? MJF vs. Daniels? The possibilities are growing folks. Wow. MJF can feud with anyone at any time. I normally gripe about wrestlers being in multiple feuds, but this one just WORKS.
Backstage, Samoa Joe and Hook beat up Kip Sabian and Nick Wayne while Christian Cage and Mama Wayne hide.
In the Role of Mariah May, Toni Storm defeats Queen Aminata
Entertaining, action-filled. All boxes checked. Toni Storm continues to evolve her character into incredible lengths. Now she wrestles while “playing the role” of Mariah May, who at commentary is left speechless and spitting venom.
From mannerisms to moveset, Storm/May put on yet another performance of a lifetime. Aminata stands out as a future main eventer, and there is no doubt about it. She has the wrestling skills, the looks, the personality and can do it all. Let’s get some more wins for Aminata please, and not just on ROH TV.
In a live “New York Minute” segment, Chris Jericho offers a $200,000 bounty on Bandido. The “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith wants to be first to collect. Big Bill then promises to go after Hobbs yet again… EXCEPT HOBBS IS HERE!! Another wild brawl breaks out with Hobbs attacking all three of the Learning Tree, and then is assisted by the FREAKIN OUTRUNNERS!!!
I’m sorry if it sounds like I am marking out… But I am marking out. Hobbs + Outrunners is perfect pairing and PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING GOD AND HOLY CUT MORE ’80s STYLE PROMOS TOGETHER!!
This fantastic episode of Dynamite is capped off with a fantastic main event where Ricochet gets a questionable win over Swerve Strickland. Very enjoyable match which kept fans alive and I imagine at home on the edge of their seats. Swerve powerbombing Ricochet on the crowd barrier was one hell of a spot. There were fewer high flying and diving antics here as whether it was in or out of the ring, both displayed more viciousness and hate through each move and hold. Swerve appeared to have won the match more than once, however a Double Stomped seemed to go awry as Ricochet blocked… But caused a low blow at the same time! He scores with the Spirit Gun for the pinfall victory leaving us all rocked and shocked.
Ricochet fuels the hate even further by stealing the Embassy Robe from Prince Nana and wears it out in victory. Ricochet has entered uber-heel mode. It’s great.
Top to bottom, this Dynamite certainly picked up the pace. No doubt the same blabbermouths on the internet will continue to shower hate and venom on a show they secretly enjoy, but will crank out those infinite “AEW is Dying” videos to gain engagement and earn the 47 cents a day from wherever they stream.
Grade A show from All Elite Wrestling tonight, a well deserved honor.
Oh, just in case you thought I forgot. I still believe the one solution to the Death Rider problem is Eddie Kingston.
Just in case you thought I forgot. I didn’t. I won’t.
