AEW Dynamite 3/1 aka the go-home show for Revolution kicks off with Orange Cassidy retaining the All-Atlantic Championship against Big Bill. I still hate this name. Cassidy did a lot to get Morrisey to be a convincing big bad, but there was no chance in hell there would be a title change. Chokeslam spot looked good, and Danhausen’s appearance was good, not taking away from the match.
Stokley Hathaway is a modern day Clarence Mason
Promo supposedly following last week’s main event, a bloody Mox is ready to throw it all away to do what he loves most, bleed and fight.
The Elite are on stage for their segment, but the lights go out, and you know what that means! Lights on to reveal House of Black standing above the fallen bodies of Kenny Omega and the Jackson brothers, holding the AEW Trios Championships in hand.
Backstage, it is announced Trent Barretta and Chucky T are not medically cleared, so Danhausen offers himself and Orange Cassidy to take their place.
Powerhouse Hobbs win the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match
It was good, but I have mixed feelings about it. Eddie Kingston and Ortiz brawled to the back immediately when the bell rang. No return. That was very disappointing. However, the rest of the match was fun to watch. Hobbs winning in his hometown was the right call. I’ve wanted to see a Hobbs/Joe feud. Takeshita, Kommander, AR Fox, Andretti, and Sammy all fulfilled their high flying crazy obligations.
Is it just me, or does the ring look right out of a fan-favorite video game. One might say the winner was Sonic the HedgeHobbs.
(That’s for you Evi.)
Post match, as Hobbs approaches Samoa Joe who was on commentary, Wardlow bum rushes Joe. Possible three-way rematch for the TNT Championship?
Chris Jericho defeated Peter Avalon
Peter got his shots in, but unfortunately not enough to pose much of a threat. I will say, I dig Avalon’s modern look. I was hoping this could be the start of a push, but perhaps not.
Pre-tape promo from Hangman Page, he is also ready to throw his life away to beat Mox. It’s TEXAS DEATH!
In the ring, Christian Cage speaks with Renee Paquette, cutting a scathing promo on Jungle Boy, running him down for foolishly wanting to become a singles champion, then transitioning to a utter decimation of Luke Perry’s legacy and degrading Jack to levels of evil I couldn’t fathom. However, the lights go out, and it’s not House of Black, but the big screen showing Jack Perry digging a very large hole with a montage of conchair-to shots… revealing a headstone with Christian Cage’s name on it. Revolution will feature Jack Perry vs. Christian Cage in a No DQ match.
Hook retains the FTW Championship against Matt Hardy
This was a good match, nothing spectacular needed. A few close calls teasing a title change, even with Stokley’s cast used as a weapon. Hook counters a twist of fate attempt into the Tazmission for the win. Apparently this means Hook gets Stokely one-on-one in the future.
Riho defeated Toni Storm
Another good match, nothing crazy, straightforward, and had a solid finish with Dr. Britt Baker using some slick tactics of distraction of her own to distract Storm, allowing Riho to roll her up for the win. Post match, Ruby Soho rushes down and we get a brawl.
Casino Battle Royale – Won by Danhausen and Orange Cassidy
Dark Order and BCC fight all over the ringside area before the match even begins. I will rejoice greatly for a BCC / Dark Order feud. Maria ate double superkicks by her own duo. In a crazy twist, Danhausen and Cassidy wind up cleaning house with the eliminations, last eliminating Butcher and Blade for the win. Post match a fight broke out with the four participating teams in the tag team championship match for Sunday.
This is going to be a very strange championship match. That’s for sure.
Final Segment of AEW 3/1 Dynamite: Bryan Danielson and MJF come Face-to-Face
Danielson makes the champ shut up right out of the gate. Danielson verbally decimates MJF to a point where the champion doesn’t say a word but instead storms off with venom.
Solid show tonight. Was it a “spectacular” or “fantastic” show? No, and it didn’t need to be. The past few weeks have all been hyped for the purpose of pushing Revolution and this was the final week to do so. While some may feel it was a lackluster show, keep in mind how much action and storytelling they managed to fit in, solidly, without forcing anything unnaturally within two hours.
I’m looking forward to Revolution. My gut tells me while this may feel like a low-key PPV, something quite unexpected is going to happen.
