‘All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite’ Review (Dec 18th 2019)

Welcome to this week’s All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have some big matches here, so shut up and enjoy. Is that too abrasive? You’re right. I’ll never say enjoy again.

Match #1: Lucha Bros defeated Kenny Omega & Adam Page

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Fenix and Omega squared off first, with dueling chants from the crowd. Omega took out Fenix’s feet and tried for the One Winged Angel twice at just three minutes into the match, but Fenix escaped both attempts. Fenix tagged in his brother, Pentagon, and Omega tagged in his Elite partner, Page. Fenix and Page face-palmed each other, and then exchanged chops to the chest. “Chop O’ Mania!” said Jim Ross. Omega was tagged in and he and Page double-teamed Fenix with knife-edged chops. Omega flew over the top rope and took out both members of the opposition. “Big time offense!” exclaimed J.R. There was a quick change in momentum with the Lucha Bros. taking the edge. Fenix hit a stomp off the top rope onto the back of Page’s neck. Page managed to tag in his partner, and Omega hit the Polish hammer on Fenix, and then tried for a moonsault on Pentagon, but Pentagon countered by raising his knees. It became a two-on-one situation as Fenix used a tope suicida on Omega. Fenix nailed a hook kick on Omega, but Omega planted Fenix with a powerbomb and then the running knee! Fenix diverted the attention of ref Aubrey Edwards, and again, the Lucha Bros. took control of the match. Page got the hot tag and hit topes on both Fenix and Pentagon, and then clotheslined both members, who were in opposite corners of the ring. Fenix rolled through with a facebuster, and Page kicked out at two! The Lucha Bros. hit a series of combos on Page. Omega tried to tag in, but Pentagon neutralized him with a thrust kick on the apron. Omega finally got the tag and with a rush of adrenaline, he powerbombed Fenix onto Pentagon. Omega hit a pop up into a spinebuster, and Pentagon kicked out at two. All four competitors were dazed from the battle. Omega was in the wrong place at the wrong time as Page connected with a lariat on his own partner! The Lucha Bros. were quick to capitalize with their patented package piledriver-foot stomp combo, with Omega suffering the pin fall.

My Opinion: 4 out of 5 – This was a hell of an opener. I really enjoyed…ooooops. How insensitive of me? I really kabukalamjanahaded the match and everything they stuffed into a nearly twenty minute match. They went from move to move at a steady pace and delivered something that Dynamite hasn’t had in the past few weeks: great wrestling. It’s about damn time.

Match #2: Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin defeated The Butcher & The Blade

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

The Butcher and Darby locked up, and the Butcher tossed Darby like a sack of potatoes. The Blade was tagged in, and Darby, showing his speed and agility, kicked Butcher to the outside and used an arm drag on the Blade. Cody tried a single leg takedown on the Butcher, but he was out powered, and then knocked inside out with a clothesline. Cody began to get some momentum and again, the Butcher outmuscled the competition. The Blade was brought in for some impressive tandem offense on Cody. The Butcher and the Blade were running roughshod on Cody! Darby was pacing on the ring apron, as Cody tried for a tag, only to be stopped in his tracks by the Butcher. Finally Cody got the tag to Darby, and he hit a Code Red on Blade, but Butcher was the legal man, so the ref couldn’t count the pin fall. The Butcher had a Texas cloverleaf locked in on Darby. Darby slithered away and went over the top, hitting a stunner on the Butcher! Cody was tagged in and hit his CrossRhodes on the Butcher, but the Bunny distracted the ref, preventing the pin fall attempt! Darby and Cody, frustrated, his stereo topes on the Butcher and the Blade! Cody hit the Disaster Kick on the Butcher! Darby hit the Coffin Drop on the Butcher, and Cody nailed the Cody Cuter on the Blade for the victory!

My Opinion: 3.3 out of 5 – This was fine for the ten minutes, but it lacked the oomph of the opener.

Match #3: Awesome Kong defeated Miranda Alicea

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Kong planted Alicea with the double under hook facebuster for the quick and decisive victory. Then the Nightmare Collective removed some of Alicea’s hair as a trophy.

My Opinion: .2 out of 5 – Squash matches suck.

Match #4: AEW World Champion Chris Jericho (accompanied by Jake Hager) versus Jungle Boy (accompanied by Marko Stunt and Luchasaurus) – 10-minute Non Title Challenge Match (Draw)

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Jungle Boy immediately went for a rollup but Jericho kicked out. He hit an arm bar to take down Jericho, and then followed up with a rana for a two count! Jericho dropped Jungle Boy’s throat across the top rope, and then began chopping Jungle Boy in the corner of the ring. Jericho hit the double knees on Jungle Boy with 7:40 left in the challenge, and he began toying with Jungle Boy. Jake Hager tried to get in on the action, and Luchasaurus was there to neutralize Hager. With five minutes remaining, Jericho got overanxious. Jungle Boy hit three consecutive dives to the outside on Le Champion, and then a diving DDT. Jericho rolled out of the pin fall attempt at two! Jungle Boy hit the backstabber on Jericho for another near fall on Jericho. Jericho connected with an elbow, but Jungle Boy used a lionsault on Jericho for a two count! We were inside three minutes remaining, and Jericho walloped Jungle Boy with a lariat! Jericho catapulted Jungle Boy into the bottom rope, connecting on Jungle Boy’s windpipe. Jungle Boy started to rally back with some forearms on Jericho, but Jericho stopped it with a powerbomb and then the Walls of Jericho. With less than a minute remaining, Jungle Boy began crawling to the bottom rope, but Jericho sat down, putting his maneuver on even deeper. Ten seconds remained, and the crowd, on their feet, counted down 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1! And…Jungle Boy never tapped! Jungle Boy lasted the entire duration of the 10 Minute Challenge with Chris Jericho and never quit! Jericho was outraged and demanded five more minutes. Jungle Boy hit a crucifix and ref Aubrey Edwards counted two and Jericho kicked out. Jericho left the ring, grabbed his championship belt and retreated up the ramp.

My Opinion: 3.7 out of 5 – This was a hell of a ten minute sprint, but they should have given these guys nearly twenty for a title match instead.

Match #5: Kris Statlander defeated Britt Baker – #1 Contender’s Match

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Statlander began doing cartwheels in the ring. Statlander went for an axe kick but Baker had it scouted and dropped her. There was a strength disparity, with Statlander outweighing her opponent by approximately 50 pounds, according to Jim Ross. She used this to her advantage and muscled out before Baker could connect with her Lock Jaw submission. Statlander used a missile dropkick from the top turnbuckle, but she was unable to get the three count. Baker used the sling blade clothesline on Statlander. Baker hit a suplex from the top on Statlander. Baker’s hit a superkick and applied the Lock Jaw, but Statlander escaped and hoisted Baker up for the Big Bang Theory and the three-count victory over Dr. Britt Baker!

My Opinion: 3.2 out of 5 – This was less than ten minutes, but they made a fine little match that put over Kris as a big deal, so there ya f—— go.

Match #6: (Main Event) SCU defeated The Young Bucks – All Elite Wrestling World Tag Team Title Match

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

These teams are extremely familiar with one another, and the Bucks capitalized on SCU trying prematurely for their finisher in the early seconds of the match. The Bucks showed off their tandem offense on SCU. The pendulum then swung in favor of SCU, who countered with their own tandem offense. Nick and Sky were both perched on the ropes, but Nick used a hurracarana from the top, and then Matt managed an elbow drop from the top rope for the two count! Nick jumped from the top and wiped out Sky and Kazarian on the outside. The arena erupted with cheers! The Bucks used More Bang For Your Buck on Sky for a near fall! The Bucks were firing on all cylinders! Matt Jackson had Sky in the sharpshooter, but Kazarian ran in and impaled Matt with a DDT. Kazarian hit a double lariat and took down both members of the Bucks! Nick Jackson tried for a cutter from the top rope, but Sky caught him and applied a dragon sleeper on Nick. Matt suplexed Kazarian, who landed on Sky and Nick Jackson. Kazarian and Matt were slugging it out, but Kazarian threw Matt Jackson on the crown of his head with a suplex! Sky hit the TKO on Matt Jackson, and then they hit the SCU Later! Frankie Kazarian scored the pin on Matt Jackson. And still your AEW Tag Team Champions…SCU!

My Opinion: 3.9 out of 5 – This was a hell of a ten minute fight. I wish this had gone on a lot longer, but they made every second count here. The Young Bucks have got to go in the books as one of the best acts in wrestling by this point. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this one.

News Of The Night:

1. Shawn Spears is looking to get into tag team wrestling.
2. Brandi Rhodes (in an awful promo) said mean s— to Kris Statlander.
3. The Dark Order did a lousy beat-down angle on The Elite to close the show.

Final Verdict: 3.9/5

There was a lot of strong wrestling here, but it was too brief in most cases and felt secondary to the story-lines, which is what WWE does all the time. So much for trying to bring an alternative method to wrestling. Still, I’m happy this place exists, because they provide more work and they’ve broken many stereotypes of modern promotion in wrestling.