‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Mar 10th 2021)

Welcome to this weeks review of AEW: Dynamite, the first post-PPV show on TNT and the first before AEW’s expansion with AEW Dark: Elevation on Monday. Speaking of which, a special one-off match giving us a taste of what to expect from the new show aired on YouTube before this weeks Dynamite. Let us know what you thought of Elevation AND tonight’s Dynamite in the comments below!

Match #1: Rey Fenix def. Matt Jackson

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

They locked up and after fighting for wrist control, Rey Fenix hit a dropkick on Matt Jackson. Rey Fenix used a big overhand chop on Matt and then a hurracanrana off the apron onto Matt! Rey Fenix applied body scissors to Matt Jackson and then changed levels with a thrust kick to the back of Matt’s head. They battled on top of the turnbuckles and Matt countered with a powerbomb! Matt punished Rey Fenix’s back with a double sledgehammer and then a stomp. Rey Fenix got back up to the vertical position just long enough for Matt to flatten him for a two-count! Rey Fenix reversed a powerbomb attempt from Matt but Matt countered it with a sharpshooter! Rey Fenix got the upper hand again with a springboard up off the middle and then hitting a pinpoint accurate dropkick off the top rope to Matt! Rey Fenix rolled through into a cutter onto Matt! It was clear both wrestlers were still feeling the pain from their respective matches this past Sunday at REVOLUTION. Rey Fenix went for the tightrope walk penalty kick but Matt dodged it and surprised Rey Fenix with a destroyer! He followed it up with a destroyer on the arena floor! Matt blasted Rey Fenix with a Randy Savage-like elbow drop off the top for a near fall on Rey Fenix! SCU were watching in the stands and were clearly impressed with what they saw. Matt Jackson applied the sharpshooter again and Rey Fenix barely made it to the ropes. Rey Fenix attempted to dropkick Matt but hit Nick Jackson instead. Matt Jackson evened it up by superkicking PAC on the outside. Rey Fenix tried for a release German suplex but Matt landed on his feet and returned fire with a superkick! They traded offense and counters until both were knocked to the mat! They started dishing out chops, forearms, and then kicks to one another. Rey Fenix planted Matt Jackson with a piledriver and pinned him.

My score: 3.5 out of 5 – A great start to tonight’s Dynamite, Jackson and Fenix really put on a thrilling wrestling match. Fast-paced and fun this was the perfect pallet cleanser after Revolution.

Match #2: Cody Rhodes def. Seth Gargis!

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Cody’s left shoulder was taped up. Cody lifted Gargis and planted him with a running powerslam. Cody applied the figure four and forced Gargis to tap!

My score: 1 out of 5 – A goddamn squash from Cody!

Match #3: “All Ego” Ethan Page def. Lee Johnson

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Ethan Page shoulder blocked Lee to the mat and lifted his arms up to show off. Page had a flurry of offense punishing Lee’s page. Lee used a hanging neck breaker and then a blue thunder bomb for a near fall! Lee Johnson took Ethan Page to the top turnbuckle but Page body slammed him from up there. Page used a cutter for a two-count! Johnson attempted a leap frog and landed wrong on his knee. Ethan Page didn’t wait as the ref was checking on Lee Johnson, rocking Lee with a pump kick! Ethan Page hurled Lee Johnson half way across the ring with the Ego’s Edge and pinned Lee Johnson! Ethan Page continued to attack Lee Johnson after the match until Dustin Rhodes ran down to chase Ethan Page away. QT Marshall never intervened and then simply walked off.

My score: 2.5 out of 5 – Ethan Page got a good, if not great debut against Johnson. External issues may have affected this match for some but that didn’t stop Page really shining in his heel persona.

Match #4: Hikaru Shida, Ryo Mizunami and Thunder Rosa def. Nyla Rose, Maki Itoh, and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

The fight began as Maki Itoh continued to sing her own theme on the entrance ramp! She didn’t want her performance interrupted! Itoh charged Shida but Shida used her power to force Itoh to the mat. Ryo tagged in and splashed Itoh in the corner. Thunder Rosa and Nyla Rose both tagged in for their respective teams. Vickie Guerrero distracted Thunder Rosa and Nyla Rose walloped Thunder Rosa from behind! Shida connected with a running knee to Britt Baker for a near fall. Itoh ran in and hammered Shida with her hard headbutt! Thunder Rosa clubbed Baker with back elbows and forearms. Thunder Rosa climbed to the top rope and launched herself, taking down everyone with the Cancun tornado! Itoh spiked Thunder Rosa with a swinging DDT. Rebel tried to get involved and interfere while the ref was distracted. Instead Thunder Rosa spiked Itoh and pinned her. After the match, Vickie, Nyla Rose and Rebel interfered, allowing Britt Baker to apply the lockjaw on Thunder Rosa!

My score: 3 out of 5 – A fantastic trios match that further cemented the feud between Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa AND one that showed audiences just how “out there” Maki Itoh is! After seeing this match I’d like to see Shida and Mizunami team more often too.

Match #5: Darby Allin def. Scorpio Sky (TNT Championship Match)

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Allin & Sky fist bumped one another to start the match as a sign of mutual respect. Darby took Sky down with a side headlock. Darby applied a tight hammerlock. Darby rolled up Sky twice but Sky avoided the pin both times. Darby grappled Sky on the mat until Sky grabbed a rope. He pushed Darby away, showing a bit of a temper flare up. Darby tried to flip off Scorpio Sky’s back and tweaked his ankle. Sky covered Darby, trying to put a quick end to the match, but Darby kicked out. Scorpio Sky smashed Darby with a back breaker across his knee! Darby escaped an abdominal stretch but he walked into a powerful right hand shot from Scorpio Sky. Sky tried for another but Darby dodged it and countered with a stunner for a near fall. He followed up with a Code Red on Sky for another two-count! Darby charged at Sky but Sky nailed him with a big boot! Sky blasted Darby with the three amigos, the third and final suplex sending Darby’s neck against the turnbuckle! Darby rallied back though and tried for a tope suicida but Sky blocked it with a stunner on the arena floor! Sky hooked Darby after a brainbuster but Darby kicked out in the nick of time! Sky hoisted Darby onto the top rope but Darby knocked Sky off with an elbow. Darby went for the coffin drop but Sky anticipated it and caught him with a powerbomb! Sky lifted Darby for the TKO but Darby cradled him and retained the championship by the skin of his teeth. After the match Scorpio Sky locked on a heel hook on Darby until the referees ran down to pull him off the champ! Scorpio Sky looked down at his hands and then smiled.

My score: 4 out of 5 – A superb match between two of AEW’s finest. A shame this didn’t close the show in place of the stupid (and predictable) Inner Circle “War Council” promo that followed.

New of the Night:

1. Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston cut a promo about the end of AEW’s Revolution PPV. With Kingston blaming his “selling” of events as (essentially) PTSD from his time in jail!
2. Penta El Zero Miedo interrupted Cody Rhodes, threatening him post-match setting up a new feud between the two.
3. Lance Archer and Jake “The Snake” Roberts interrupted Sting’s chat with Tony Schiavone setting up a new feud between the two. I see a theme occurring here…
4. QT Marshall’s heel turn continued tonight, as he left fellow Nightmare Family member Lee Johnson to take a beating from Ethan Page.
5. Christian Cage helped Jon Moxely and Eddie Kingston after a brawl broke out between them and the Good Brothers & Kenny Omega; setting up a new feud between Cage and Omega.
6. Matt Hardy announced that he has added The Butcher and The Blade (with The Bunny) to his “stable”.
7. Scorpio Sky turned heel after his match with Darby Allin.
8. MJF (and Wardlow) finally turned on the Inner Circle, teaming with FTR, Tully Blanchard and Shawn Spears to put Jericho out of commission.

Final Verdict: 3.5/5

Only five matches in tonight’s show which was disappointing. I get stories need to be told but this was WWE levels of promo… Hopefully this isn’t a sign of things to come now we have three AEW shows each week. Although to be fair, the matches – apart from Cody’s weird squash – were all great; plus on the flip side, this weeks episode set up a LOT of new feuds – feuds which I’m very excited to see going forward.