‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jan 18th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: AEW All-Atlantic Championship Match – Orange Cassidy def. Jay Lethal
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
It was announced that if Sonjay Dutt, Satnam Singh, and Jeff Jarrett were to interfere, Sonjay Dutt would be fired. Before the match began, they walked down the arena steps, kicked fans out of ringside seats, and then claimed them as their own. Danhausen was dressed as an usher and checked on their tickets. Danhausen signaled for Trent and Chuck Taylor to sit at ringside and take the seats. Trent and Chuck walked over holding cold beverages and popcorn. Lethal sent Orange Cassidy tumbling out to the floor. Jay Lethal slammed Orange’s spine into the edge of the ring and then whipped him into the ring post. Lethal tried for the figure four but Orange kicked him away. Orange hit a diving cross body press and followed up with the stundog millionaire. Orange jumped off the top rope but Lethal countered with the Lethal Combination. Lethal ducked the Orange Punch and nailed Orange with the Lethal Injection. Orange rolled out of the ring, as an act of self-preservation. As the ref was distracted, Jarrett tried to hand off his guitar to Lethal. Danhausen intercepted the guitar. In the chaos, Cassidy connected with the Orange Punch and pinned Jay Lethal!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #2: Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) def. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Nick reversed a wrist lock from Dante, and Dante matched Nick’s counter with one of his own. Nick shoved Dante away and Dante fired back with a roundhouse kick. Matt tagged in and Top Flight employed rapid tags, using tandem offense on the Bucks. But the Bucks were there to answer with their own patented elite level tag team maneuvers. Darius hit a diving cross body on Matt for a near fall. Darius cracked Matt with a forearm. Nick tagged in and rocked Darius with a superkick. Dante was double-teamed by the Bucks. But Top Flight responded with double team offense on the Bucks. Top Flight spiked Matt with the powerbomb/nosedive combination until Nick Jackson made the save! Nick jumped over the top with a destroyer on Darius for a two-count. The Bucks smashed Darius with the Briscoes’ Doomsday Device. Dante broke up the pin. Dante hit a springboard but the Bucks countered with stereo superkicks. The Bucks attempted the BTE Trigger on Darius but Darius dodged it. Darius scored the pin with a massive upset!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #3: Ricky Starks def. Jake Hager
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ricky grabbed a wrist lock and Hager’s bucket hat! Starks’ sliding dropkick was intercepted. Jake smashed Ricky with a giant boot. Parker and Menard set up a table outside the ring. Starks wiped out Parker and Menard and then hit a springboard crossbody on Hager. Hager attempted the Hager Bomb but Starks had it scouted. He stuck Hager with a DDT for a near fall. Starks blasted Hager with a spear and then pinned him!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Bryan Danielson def. Bandido
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
They chain wrestled to begin the match, with Bryan grappling Bandido to the mat. Danielson captured Bandido’s arms into a pinning predicament but Bandido escaped. Bandido applied the Romero Special but Bryan transitioned into his own Romero Special, then stomped on Bandido’s legs. Danielson tried for a sunset flip but Bandido rolled through. Bandido was looking for Blue Panther’s finisher but Danielson headbutted his way out. Bandido hoisted up Danielson for a delayed vertical suplex. Bandido tried for the frog splash but Danielson got his knees up and then transitioned into the LeBell Lock. Bandido pivoted and reached the ropes with his boot, forcing the ref to break the hold. Bryan walloped Bandido with roundhouse kicks. Bandido intercepted the last kick and backed up Bryan. Bandido lifted up Danielson and dropped him directly into a knee strike. Bandido went for the 21-plex but Danielson countered it. Bandido used a single leg trip and cradled Danielson for a near fall! Danielson clobbered Bandido with a jumping knee. Bandido brought Danielson back into the ring with a flipping fallaway slam and followed up with the 21-plex for a near fall! Bandido rocked Bryan with a thrust kick. Bryan Danielson countered a brainbuster from Bandido with the LeBell Lock. Bandido powered Danielson up but Danielson fired back with the running knee, enough to pin Bandido!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #5: Toni Storm def. Willow Nightingale
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Willow suplexed Toni and followed up with the crossbody. Willow extended her hand to shake Toni’s but Toni slapped Willow. Hikaru Shida came down to the ring with her kendo stick. After the running hip attack, Toni spiked Willow with a DDT for a near fall. Willow walloped Toni with the pounce! Willow smashed Toni with a running cannonball in the corner. Saraya jumped up on the apron and distracted Willow. Toni rolled up Willow and scored the pin. Saraya blindsided Willow with an attack after the match! Ruby Soho ran down to the ring to even up the odds for Willow!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: TNT Championship Open Challenge Match – Darby Allin def. Kushida
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Darby was looking for the arm bar but Kushida countered. Darby grabbed the bottom rope to force the ref to distance Kushida from him. Kushida grabbed a single on Darby. Kushida blasted Darby with a dropkick. Kushida kicked at Darby’s arm. Kushida continued to work over the limb, trying to separate the shoulder. Darby hit a Coffin Splash in the corner. Darby connected with the Code Red for a near fall. Darby cannonballed to the outside and wiped-out members of the LA Dojo. Kushida grabbed Darby’s arm and rammed Darby’s shoulder into the thin mat on the arena floor. Darby tried to mount a comeback with forearms to Kushida’s face. Kushida rocked Darby with the Pele kick! Darby intercepted Kushida with a Scorpion Death Drop. Kushida dropped a diving knee onto Darby’s shoulder. Darby went over the top with a stunner on Kushida right on the apron. Darby grabbed a steel chair. Darby blasted Kushida with forearms. Darby jumped off the top turnbuckle but Kushida moved off the chair! After Darby crashed onto the arena floor, Kushida applied an arm bar to Darby. Kushida brought Darby into the ring hard, grabbing the Hoverboard Lock! The LA Dojo members offered the towel to Sting, implying he throw the towel in. Sting had no intentions of throwing the towel in to end the match. Darby blocked Kushida’s attempt at the Hoverboard Lock and grabbed the pin with the Last Supper!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
What a weird show this week’s Dynamite was! Not one but THREE four-star matches on one show, but interspersed with 2-star matches, two of which focused on more comedy than wrestling. of the 4-star matches, well what else can be said but… BANGERS! Good god they were good matches, with Top Flight and The Young Bucks delivering everything you wanted from a spot-fest tag match; Bryan Danielson and Bandido delivering a pure wrestling experience; and Kushida killing it against Darby Allin – who did his typical “underdog only just scrapes a win”, thing that works each and every time. Of the other matches, well the All-Atlantic title match opener was, frankly, terrible and focused far too much on shenanigans than the wrestling; the Ricky Starks/Jake Hager match was, unfortunately, forgettable. Starks deserves much more than this type of gimmicky, comedy, match – and Jake Hager deserves more than a shitty hat gimmick, even if it is making him more relevant than he has been since aligning with Jericho. As for the women’s match… WTF was that Saraya interference about? A heel turn already? OK. Whatever. Yeah, definitely an odd episode of Dynamite, that’s for sure!
