Charleston Coliseum, WV
Commentary – Tony Schiavone, Taz, Excalibur
This weeks Dynamite was highly anticipated from AEW promoting it to feature the backstage footage of the altercation between CM Punk and Jack Perry at “All In” at Wembley Stadium in the UK last year with The Young Bucks discussing it for the first time.
This comes after CM Punk talked about this in a recent interview with Aerial Helwani.
It’s really strange that they will now bring this up on the show given the fact that both CM Punk and Jack Perry don’t work for AEW anymore.
Not sure what kind of business you can achieve when they don’t work for the company anymore but we will see where this goes and what angle they try to go for.
World Title Eliminator Match
Samoa Joe vs “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes
Before this match could happen Swerve Strickland attacked Joe on the ramp which culminated in Swerve spearing Joe through a table.
Officials got Swerve out of the picture and sent him to the back, looks like this match is off or it could restart later in the show as Joe was back on his feet.
Good start to the show with the World Title match at Revolution being the main focus starting proceedings.
A package played of the events that took place last week with Trent Beretta Turing on Orange Cassidy.
Renee is backstage outside of Orange Cassidy’s dressing room.
She says that Orange Cassidy will have a match and address this on Rampage.
TNT Championship Match
Adam Copeland (c) vs Penta El Zero Meido (with Alex Abrahantes)
Two very different styles in this match which made for interesting viewing, when I say interesting I mean in the actual match and how these guys would work together, I don’t think there was any doubt Copeland was going to retain.
Copeland pulled out some Luchadore signature moves in this match which we have never seen him do in his entire career.
Penta benefitted a lot by wrestling the veteran Copeland as sometimes Penta’s matches become very repetitive and you feel like you have seen it all before when he is constantly wrestling other high flyers.
He slowed his style down at the right moments with the match being a lot more cohesive because of this.
Copeland locked in a crossface with Penta getting to the rope with the feet as it looked like he was going to have to tap out.
Both man were teetering on the outside ring apron, Penta went for his piledriver and I’m relieved Copeland didn’t take it given his neck issues, instead Copeland power slammed Penta on this hard part of the ring.
I have to say I laughed and kind of enjoyed it when on the outside Copeland missed a spear and hit Penta’s manger Alex Abrahantes, I find him quite annoying so this was funny.
Penta hit a Code Red off the top rope on Copeland which almost got the three count with Copeland kicking out.
Penta went for a flying move off the rope but was met with a spear from Copeland who got the three count to retain his TNT championship.
Winner – Adam Copeland
During this match there was a count down timer telling the viewer that the Young Bucks segment was coming up in less the 20 minutes, I applaud this as no matter how bad or good this footage and segment ends up being at least they are hyping it to try and keep the viewership.
The crowd were hot for this contest and I have to admit I enjoyed it even though it was pretty obvious of the result.
After the match Julia Heart and Brody King appeared and attacked Copeland, Willow Nightingale came down to make the save attacking Julia Heart which allowed Copeland to fight off King.
Rene was backstage with Hook, Chris Jericho and Katsuyori Shibata
Chris Jericho took on the interview and told Hook and Shibata that they will sit under the Chris Jericho learning tree they will succeed tonight.
Jericho left the scene and Shibata used his Google translator to ask what’s up with him? referring to Jericho.
This is the first time we are seeing Jericho act maybe a little egotistical signaling that there is maybe something more to this Jericho and Hook team.
Renee is with Marc Briscoe and Eddie Kingston , they talked about beating the hell out of each other at the ROH PPV which Marc ended up winning the ROH World Heavyweight title from Kingston.
Adam Copeland and Willow Nightingale came in the scene with Copeland gassed and breathing heavy, this seemed a little odd as enough time has passed where it seemed out of place.
Copeland and Willow agree to team up next week in a tag match against Brody King and Julia Heart, Copeland continued talking to Marc Briscoe but the scene was cut off and it went to the announce team who said they were going to The Young Bucks.
This production was executed poorly here, not sure what was going on but it came accross clunky.
The Young Bucks come on the screen sitting down with a monitor to show the footage at All In 2023.
To sum up the segment, The Young Bucks are basically using the “incident” involving CM Punk and Jack Perry as an excuse to why they lost that night at Wembley Stadium to FTR as it happened right before their match and they had to put their VP hats on and were taken out of their game.
They didn’t shake FTR’s hands that night as they are friends with CM Punk.
To sum up the footage I think it does a good job in confirming what CM Punk said in the Aerial Helwani interview being accurate.
To make an angle with FTR out of this footage really seems a strange avenue to go down, unless Jack Perry turns up next week on Dynamite to continue this I think this is a bad take in trying to respond to CM Punk doing an interview.
FTR comes out to the ring to respond to The Young Bucks. Cash Wheeler asks why are we bringing up stuff from 8 months ago and that he is sick of talking about this.
He said everybody has moved on from this and showing the footage is just an excuse why they lost.
Dax Harwood grabs the mic and cuts a baby face promo about building AEW for the men and women in the back and those fans who buy a ticket.
He said this isn’t about “All In” it’s about Dynasty
A Bryan Danielson package plays before.
Rene calls out Will Ospreay to the top of the ramp for an interview.
Ospreay asked Tony Kahn for the time to speak and was granted 5 minutes.
Ospreay used the time to take a jab at Triple H who recently made comments about the grind referring to Ospreay choosing AEW over WWE so he can go back to the UK weekly.
Ospreay said that he is in no position to talk to him about the grind as he “Triple H” grinded his way to his position of power on the bosses daughter”
Ospreay said he won’t get to call himself the best wrestler in the world until after he pins Bryan Danielson at Dynasty.
Interesting that Ospreay would resort to taking this jab at Triple H when it could potentially black ball him from ever wrestling in the WWE.
A Julia Heart vignette was next with some great visuals and camera work. This was well done and AEW should do way more of these style packages.
Six Man Tag Team Match
Hook, Chris Jericho and Katsuyori Shibata vs Shane Taylor, Lee Moriarty and Anthony OGogo
We have already seen Jericho and Hook beat Taylor and Moriarty in a tag, now we have a trios match but this felt like something was brewing after the backstage interview.
Shibata accidentally kicked Jericho off the ring apron, Shibata after fighting with Moriarty went to tag Hook but Jericho pulled Hook off the ring apron with Hook becoming enraged at Jericho.
The two argued on the outside while Shibata had Moriarty in a sleeper hold but Shane Taylor clocked Shibata which allowed Moriarty to get the pin.
Winner – Shane Taylor, Lee Moriarty and Anthony Agogo
I have been saying for a while that you can’t keep beating guys and expect them to be looked at as a threat but finally Shane Taylor Promotions got a win on AEW programming which in turn did buisness for everyone in the match as now we have an angle with Jericho and Hook as well as Shibata.
Hook told Jericho to leave the ring as he felt that Jericho cost them the match with Jericho acting very passive aggressive.
This feud and team hadn’t really been doing anything for me but after tonight it’s got my attention.
Renee is backstage with Dustin Rhodes who is pumped as his match tonight with Samoa Joe is back on.
Singles Match
Kazuchika Okada vs Christiano Argento
This was an enhancement match for Okada who made short work of Argento. Okada grabbed the mic and said he accepted PAC’s challenge and says he will see him at Dynasty.
PAC comes out and makes his way to the ring but before he could get there The Young Bucks attack him from behind throwing him in the ring with Okada.
FTR come down to make the save and knock the Young Bucks out of the ring.
Okada smashes FTR with a steel chair with The Bucks doing the EVP trigger to both of them. Okada then gave a chair shot to PAC with The Elite walking out the ring.
Jay White and The Guns have a promo back stage bragging about beating Darby Allin and crushing his ankle, retaining their ROH trios titles at ROH Supercard and Jay White delivering the biggest beating to Billy Gunn.
Renee conducts a segment calling out Thunder Rosa and Toni Storm.
Storm calls it a toast with champagne, she ends up throwing her drink in Thunder Rosa’s face, beating her up and smearing her makeup.
Dionna Purrazzo comes out to the aid of Thunder Rosa but Rosa pushes he away.
Toni Storm has the Champagne bottle and is drinking out of it as Mariah May comes out for her match, Storm offers a drink to Mariah May and gives some kisses to May which excites her as she has a pep in her step on the way to the ring.
Singles Match
Mariah May vs Anna Jay
Anna Jay has found herself in the role of putting others over lately and doesn’t have any storyline going on. I’ve said before that AEW should be doing a lot more with her.
This was a competitive contest with Mariah reversing into a sneaky pin over Anna Jay.
Winner – Mariah May
After the match Anna Jay became enraged with the loss and locked her “Queenslayer” submission on Mariah May.
Mina Shirakawa from Stardom who is a former partner of Mariah May came out to make the save, she got two champagne glasses and sat with May pouring it in her mouth, this was kinda sexual and Mina landed a kiss on Mariah May.
I didn’t really understand this segment but it’s all right by me.
A backstage interview with Alex Marvez interviewing Mercedes Mone was next.
Mone talked about herself as usual and there was some small talk about who she wants to face after the Dynasty PPV.
The lights went off and Mone was attacked as the lights came back on and she was on the floor grimacing.
World Title Eliminator Match
Samoa Joe vs “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes
Dustin Rhodes took advantage of Joe being banged up from his scuffle with Swerve Strickland early on in the night by attacking Joe as soon as the bell rang.
Both men took the fight to the outside with Joe bloodying the head of Dustin Rhodes.
Back in the ring these guys put on a great match, two veterans that really know how to put a match together to get the crowd emotionally invested.
Dustin grabbed the AEW World Heavyweight title with the intention to nail Joe with it, the referee talked him out of it by telling him he would be disqualified, Dustin hit the crossroads on Joe that almost got a three count.
Joe grabbed a chain he had in the corner but the referee grabbed it off him but when he was putting it out the ring Joe hit Dustin with the AEW world title and pinned him.
Winner – Samoa Joe
After the bell Joe put Dustin in the rear naked choke, Swerve Strickland made the save and smashed Joe with the chain knocking him out of the ring.
Joe looked disheveled as he stared into the ring to see Swerve Strickland with the AEW World Title.
Kev’s Thoughts –
This show had a lot less wrestling on it than usual and more of a focus on promos and shots towards the WWE, wether good or bad at least there was something to talk about this week and almost every segment was focused on feuds which I have to applaud.
AEW did a pretty decent show this week but I always find they have a problem with consistency, let’s see how they follow it up next week.
