If you couldn’t already tell, I’m a child of the ’80s and ’90s. So wrestling during that era fit right along with the era of colorful characters and superheroes. With this, came fun and unexpected matches and spots which would get children to cheer and adults to pop over. I always felt this is what wrestling was about. As I got older wrestling evolved into more of a sport-portrayed feature. Matches involving wrestlers such as Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Kurt Angle became automatic main events, even if they were relegated to mid-cards.
What is my point? The point is, when AEW Dynamite opens with a “All-Star Tag” featuring eight great wrestlers and athletes who are these to wow fans young and old. Sure, there are some stories developing, but when you have Kevin Knight, Kenny Omega, Mike Bailey, and Mark Briscoe against Okada, Ricochet, Matt and Nick Jackon, it’s going to be a fast-paced spot-fest that’s over-the-top, have comedy spots, but nonetheless great entertaining action. This match reminds me of those fun assorted six and eight-man tag matches of the late eighties and early-nineties in WWF and WCW. Were there some “oh come on” spots, of course there were! But if you get angry over that, you probably get angry over a misshapen cornflake in your cereal. It’s not worth the venom, unless it’s intentional to get more views on your podcasts. Ricochet using Matt’s hair for his own was funny, getting paintbrush by his own teammate, also funny. The multiple missed elbow drops was right out of 1990 WWF. The multiple brainbusters with the shouting “brain-busssssstaaaaa” was a bit much, even I admit that. Okada got the pinfall by pinning Briscoe after a Rainmaker Lariat. I was bummed that Briscoe took the L. I know he doesn’t care (because he probably had that scripted himself), but I do.
It was fun. I had fun. The Decepticons had fun.
The show rolled right along, The Opps defeating Nick Comoroto, Rhett Titus, and Myles Hawkins. Comoroto is still a big bad beast. I am kicking myself for forgetting about him. Put this guy with Don Callis or become the “big man” in a stable with Stokley and FTR. Comoroto was able to withstand chops from Joe and Shibata, however once Powerhouse Hobbs entered, decimating all three opponents while Joe watched in amusing horror at the scene. Hobbs took the pin and win for the team.
I really like Hook, and he fit well in the trio. However, Hobbs appears to be a better fit for the time being, as the feud with the Death Riders continued. Speaking of whom, they ran out after the match, minus PAC. Joe began choking Mox out on the entrance ramp and unfortunately, not in time to save Shibata from eating a Neutralizer on the chair, much in the same fashion Hook was “injured” previously. After the carnage, Joe demands his world title match take place inside a Steel Cage.
Obviously, this is “made official” later in the show.
Joe vs. Mox is the match we need. The AEW World Championship picture had been stagnant until Swerve got involved, as he was the first legitimate contender. Now with Joe stepping up, we have yet another believable contender for the title.
“Timeless” Toni Storm defeated Miyu Yamashita
Fantastic match. Absolutely fantastic. I believe AEW’s Women’s division overall has been solid for the past year. Bringing the longest reigning Princess of Princesses Champion in Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling is a great move. She really showed out and was great for her offensive to be heavily featured during the match. She has a great, menacing look. Her facial expressions and no-sells reminds me of Tomohiro Ishii.
Since All In is some time off, and the finals of the Owen Memorial are down to Jamie Hayter and Mercedes Mone, perhaps some more overseas wrestlers should come down and challenge the champ.
Speaking of the Owen, Hayter and Mone had a staredown of their own after Storm’s match in which Mone ran away in the fashion of what Good Ol’ J.R. would call “like a scalded dog.” Storm comedically danced to close the segment.
Mone vs. Storm is a big match. I dread to think Mone could walk away with both the Owen Memorial and the AEW Women’s Championship. Mone is a good wrestler but this belt collecting thing has to end soon. Don’t these other promotions want their championships back?
Sorry, here comes a rant. The internet hated AEW for bringing in “wrestlers no one heard of,” when that really means “wrestlers WWE stans” never heard of. Or, I dunno, use f***ing Google and educating yourselves? Anytime WWE brings in someone unheard of that wrestler suddenly becomes trending on twitter and google searches. Notice how suddenly the internet trolls praise WWE for partnering with AAA and teasing bringing in their wrestlers? Let me guess, everyone knows EVERY WRESTLER in AAA now. Just stop with the hypocrisy.
MJF Fails to join the Hurt Syndicate
I’m not sure where this is truly going. MVP and Shelton gave the thumbs up, but MJF seemed to overstep, prompting Lashley to stand firm with a thumbs down, as indicated in the Hurt Syndicate Corporate Bylaws. MJF then lost his cool, which resulted in Lashley nearly taking the former world champ’s head off. Lashley in not-so-subtle language tells MJF he needs to prove he can hurt people.
As they walk off, the camera expertly catches MVP saying to MJF: “You just had to run your mouth.”
I’m 50/50 on this angle, I’m hoping it will pay off at some point in the future. I didn’t expect a Lashley/MJF feud, but it could lead to some unpredictable stuff.
Nick Wayne retains the ROH TV Championship against Jay Lethal
Backstage, Wayne is confronted by Lethal, but the champ tries to slyly back out claiming rest is needed for the Best of Super Juniors Tournament. However, the Patriarch, Christian Cage tells Wayne he will defend, because that’s the life of being a champion. In a decent match, Wayne defeated Lethal.
Jay Lethal is a good man and I’m sure does not take umbrage with putting someone over. Lethal jobbing just doesn’t sit well with me though, and this felt more like a job than putting someone over.
After the match, Christian teased withholding the belt again. We get it – a family feud is brewing.
Main Event: “Hangman” Adam Page defeated Kyle Fletcher to enter the finals of the Owen Hart Memorial, to face Will Ospreay at Double or Nothing.
A+, five-stars, whatever grade you want to give, give it all the grades. Fantastic match. One of the big draws is where it felt unpredictable, it felt like it could go either way. Sure, there was the hype of another Ospreay/Fletcher encounter, but the past few weeks have seen Hangman continue to show the championship persona which has been present ever since his initial heel turn.
The match featured some absolutely brutal suplexes, primarily brainbusters in some very dangerous locations, such as the ring apron and the arena floor. A throw into the barricade went so hard, it sliced Fletcher back clean open. Holy crap that was a jawdropper.
The ending sequence where Fletcher shoved the ref as Page came off with a Buckshot, stopping it with a punt to the groin. Right there, everyone thought Fletcher won it, but NO. Two count only and the live crowd lost it. Fletcher again tried to put down the cowboy, but a top rope buckshot followed by the slingshot got Page the three count. Boom, arena eruption.
The main matches delivered as advertised. The rest of the show felt like filler, but not meaningless filler. It was there to nudge the other storylines along appropriately.
It’s a slow build, and they have the time. Double or Nothing is not till the end of May, so AEW has plenty of time to build without the rush.
