With less than two weeks to go, AEW presents a big edition of Dynamite loaded with matches and confrontational interview segments. The show kicks off with a big trios match featuring United Empire (Ospreay, Akira, Henare) defeating Don Callis Family members Brian Cage, Lance Archer, and Rocky Romero.
An excellent way to kick off the show and to electrify the live crowd. Archer and Henare were the standouts, brutalizing each other with vicious chops, strikes, and anything they could throw. Francesco Akira added massive energy which kept the crowd hot. Ospreay gets the pinfall on Rocky. United Empire presented a solid cohesive team, working double and triple team moves throughout.
Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega had an interesting interview segment. Renee questions how each views the other. Omega appeared to take a condescending approach towards Ospreay. Omega went as far as to say Ospreay wasn’t enough to sell tickets for WrestleKingdom while Omega was needed to make money for the company. The interview takes a turn where Ospreay stands up for the legacy of NJPW and Omega touts his success in AEW. Ospreay and Omega start tearing into each other, bringing up Don Callis and how their matches resulted in unclean wins against the other. Things get tense about injuries, respect, ruthlessness, and dedication to the sport.
Renee brought up Kenny’s diverticulitis and Omega just snapped. It was great. Omega made sure to mention how Excalibur or Taz always have to bring it up.
This was an intense segment. Probably one of the most intense, cutthroat promos I’ve seen from Kenny Omega. He seemed to embrace a darker, yet blunt, approach. Omega did put over Ospreay as a future world champion and the future of the business, but callously tossed in a line about Ospreay’s son having a new role model after All In..
Excellent. Excellent. This sold the match. Ospreay has something to prove while Omega sits back and welcomes the challenge.
Backstage: Renee talks to Okada about the AEW International Championship match. Okada pushes his narrative that the championship will stay with the family, but Kyle Fletcher should be ready to accept Okada as the new champion should it come down to it. It certainly seems that Okada wants that title under the guise of family unity. He makes no hesitation in trash-talking Takeshita.
In the ring, Tony Schiavone talks with Kyle Fletcher, who responds saying that the championship will stay in the family and will stay right on his shoulder. He cautions Okada to do the right thing. He also makes no hesitation in running down his disdain for Takeshita, which seems to be the only thing that Okada and Fletcher agree on. This prompts Takeshita to hit the ring and fight with Fletcher. Takeshita seemingly trounces the champion, perhaps a bad omen for the family heading into Wembley Stadium.
Maya World retains the TBS Championship in a Four Way against Persephone, Hikaru Shida, and Kris Statlander
All four women looked amazing. Statlander and Persephone came out looking the toughest and the strongest. I’d take a singles match between them anytime. Statlander, surprisingly, took the pinfall from Maya. The champ continues to improve her ring work to match the in-ring persona. She’s got this feisty fire when she overpowers her challengers. I like Shida as this cunning heel. Hopefully they all get spots at All In.
Backstage Promo: The Brawling Birds get feisty as well, promising a big ol’ British Beatdown of the tag champions.
Jon Moxley defeated Jay White to advance in the Continental Cup Tournament
This could have easily main evented any pay-per-view, and by the final bell, could have been believably the tournament final at AEW All In. John and Jay participated in an easy contender for Match of the Year. Initially a hard-hitting contest, it soon became a bona fide wrestling match, featuring slams, suplexes, submissions, and a plethora of fast-paced counters and reversals. Jay White’s reversal and counter game was at its peak. Added in were an incredible number of believable near falls which could have gone in either man’s direction. Mox sold every one of Jay White’s strikes and holds, typically something we don’t see very often from Moxley. It seemed as though White had the match in hand after repeatedly foiling Moxley’s signature moves, but ultimately fell prey to a massive skull-crushing Death Rider. Despite kicking out at 2.99999, White eventually passed out to the bulldog choke.
It seems pretty clear that MOX will go all the way to the finals at AEW All In, it remains to be seen who could be his believable challenger. Claudio would be interesting, to see two members of the Death Riders challenging for the championship. Or, Mox versus Nigel McGuiness, giving the Challenger the hometown reception and home field advantage. However Mox and Kyle O’Reilly have a storied history and another match in their rivalry would be most welcome. Lastly, there is the very long-term story between the champion and Eddie Kingston. One time friends turned rivals, this could also considerably be a high stakes main event.
After the match, Clark Connors, David Finlay, and Gabe Kidd stormed the ring to beat up Jay White. With no Bang Bang Gang in sight, it’s up to The Conglomeration to try to save the day, but the numbers are overwhelming until Brodido and Adam Page arrive. The AEW World Trios champions have a score to settle with everyone, including the interrupting presence of The Demand. Page lays out a challenge for any trios team to face them for the belts.
This was wild. The sudden inclusion of the Trios Championships felt a bit out of place, however, it could spark a multi-team match with members of the Death Riders, The Dogs, and The Demand.
Backstage: Someone else was listening, and Swerve Strickland says he will challenge for the World Trios Championships.
Jon Cruz came out as MJF’s Spanish-speaking Spokesman in order to antagonize Andrade El Idolo. Apparently this was the precursor to a match, which Andrade squashed Cruz in a minute. He calls out MJF who instead graces us via satellite at his glorious mansion.
MJF vs. Andrade is the feud we didn’t know we needed, but damn happy to see it. They will collide in the gauntlet, but it remains to be seen if either one of them wins it.
Backstage: Renee interviews AEW Women’s World Champion Willow Nightingale and Mercedes Mone from separate locations. Mone is sick of Willow’s smiling and happy-go-lucky antics. They tear into each other verbally until Willow decides to make it physical. They brawl with each other backstage until out to the ring where security breaks it up. Very well produced.
Radiating tension and true dramatic rivalry. This could steal the show at Wembley.
Nigel McGuiness defeated Hechicero to advance in the Continental Cup Tournament.Â
Originally a story for Nigel to have perhaps one last run at AEW All In at Wembley Stadium in front of his home country, now it becomes a story of whether he can compete while suffering through an injury as the ultimate underdog. Hechicero seemed to work easy with Nigel, given the circumstances one could understand. The match played out with Nigel mostly on the defensive, ending with the CMLL World Champion making a big mistake, allowing Nigel to lock in a guillotine choke for the win.
It is well past the 10 p.m. hour, and we are getting more promos. Kevin Knight calls out Darby Allin, and wouldn’t you know it? It was a crafty trap by Knight to rig the pyro to go off, burning and blinding him. Knight then assaulted his AEW All In challenger, capping it off with a Coast to Coast landing, with a chair wrapped around Darby’s head.
Knight’s promo was exponentially better than in recent memory. He’s embracing and adjusting to being a heel very well. Also of note, Steve Borden, the Son of Sting was at ringside tending to Darby.
Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks defeated Jake Doyle, Mark Davis, and El Clon
Fun final match of the night. Lots of spots. The Bucks are back to what they do best: razzle-dazzle the crowd and interact with them to get them hyped. Omega working like The Cleaner. A bit more aggressive, some showboating, but all menace. To try and lock down El Clon—insanity. He’s great. After Omega pinned Doyle, everyone rushed the ring for a brawl. Soon, the Don Callis Family ran in, only to be met in force by Cage and Cope. Unfortunately some mistiming caused Cage and Cope to get floored and start the infighting with the Young Bucks.
Leaving Omega in the ring alone, Ospreay rushed out with his own words, ultimately ending with Omega putting Ospreay through a table over chairs. Everyone is out of their damn minds.
