‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Apr 12th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Darby Allin def. Swerve Strickland
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Darby hit a stunner right out of the gate and followed up with a tope suicida! Darby climbed up to the top and jumped onto Swerve on the arena floor again. Outside the ring, Swerve scooped up Darby and slammed him. Swerve climbed the guardrail but Darby dropkicked it, knocking Swerve down. Darby charged Swerve and squashed him against the barricade with a coffin splash. Swerve swept out Darby’s legs as Darby was on top of the steel ring steps. Swerve smashed the heel of his boot against Darby’s jaw. Swerve pulled off Darby’s belt and whipped him with it. Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti were shown watching the match on a monitor. Darby tripped up Swerve and grounded and pounded him. Swerve dodged a coffin splash with a big, leaping heel kick for a near fall. Darby’s mouth was busted open. Swerve connected with another switch kick to Darby. Swerve used a double foot stomp on Darby, who was dangling by his boots and the bottom rope. Swerve tweaked his foot when he landed. Darby saw an opening and removed Swerve’s boot and then bit down on Swerve’s injured foot. Darby grabbed a knee bar but Swerve escaped. Swerve used Darby’s momentum and hit a German suplex. Darby nailed Swerve with a reverse hurracanrana off the apron and onto the arena floor! Darby smashed Swerve with the Coffin Drop. Prince Nana snuck down to the ring and put Swerve’s foot on the ropes to break up the pin. “The Machine” Brian Cage came down the ramp. Darby jumped back into the ring but Swerve was there with a kick and a big stomp off the top rope for a two-count. Brian Cage swept out the legs of Darby. Ref Aubrey Edwards ejected Cage and Prince Nana from ringside. Darby finished off Swerve with the Last Supper!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: TNT Championship Open Challenge – Powerhouse Hobbs def. Silas Young
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hobbs blasted Silas with a spinebuster. Hobbs hoisted up Silas Young in a backbreaker and then planted Young! Powerhouse Hobbs pinned Silas!
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: AEW International Championship Match – Orange Cassidy def. Buddy Matthews
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Orange dropkicked Buddy and followed up with a tope to the outside. Orange attempted a diving crossbody but Buddy Matthews caught him. Orange countered with a DDT and then blasted Buddy with the Orange Punch! Cassidy immediately grabbed his hand. Doc Sampson came over to check on Orange Cassidy’s hand. Buddy Matthews came over and stomped on Orange’s injured hand! Buddy grabbed Orange’s hand and smashed it on top of the steel ring steps. Buddy hit a thrust kick on the ring apron. Orange served up a thrust kick of his own. Orange was looking for a DDT but Buddy countered with a massive knee strike! Cassidy surprised Buddy with a Beach Break on the apron. Orange and Buddy exchanged strikes in the center of the ring. Buddy stomped on Orange’s hand and then stood on it with all of his weight. Buddy Matthews cracked Orange with a knee strike. Orange fired back with the Stun Dog Millionaire. Both men battled on top of the top turnbuckle when Orange smashed Buddy with a DDT! And then a diving DDT to Buddy for a near fall! Orange landed the Orange Punch—right on target! Matthews dared Orange to hit him again. Orange tried but Matthews blocked the punch! Buddy connected with the curb stomp for a two-count! Orange managed to grab Buddy with the mouse trap and squeak out the win!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #4: The Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley) def. Brandon Cutler & Michael Nakazawa
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The BCC pounced at Cutler and Nakazawa as they made their entrance. Claudio rammed Nakazawa’s head into the apron repeatedly until Nak was busted open. Nakazawa staggered Claudio with chops. Claudio shut him down with a lariat! Claudio twirled Nakazawa around the ring with the Giant Swing! Moxley tagged in, as did Brandon Cutler. Moxley headbutted Cutler and then bit his nose. Mox decimated Cutler with the King Kong Lariat and then the Death Rider. Nakazawa saved Cutler from the bulldog choke. Mox kept stomping on Cutler until the ref stopped the match.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: The Outcasts (Ruby Soho & Toni Storm) def. Riho & Skye Blue
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Toni Storm jumped Skye Blue but Blue brought down Storm. Blue tagged Riho. Ruby tagged in and tried for a trip on Riho but Riho avoided it. Riho dropkicked Ruby Soho. Riho climbed to the top rope and hit a cross body press down onto the Outcasts on the arena floor. Skye Blue had momentum and used a leaping cross body press on Toni. Ruby was there to break up the pin attempt. Toni Storm threw Skye with a German Suplex and then a hip attack! After the Storm Zero on Skye, Toni pinned Skye Blue! Riho jumped back into the fray but the numbers were against her. The Outcasts spraypainted Riho and then powerbombed her!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: Chris Jericho def. Keith Lee
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jericho chopped at Keith Lee but Keith Lee didn’t budge. Lee shoved Jericho down and then chopped at Jericho. Jericho fought out of the corner with chops but Lee answered with a massive overhead chop. Jericho went down in a heap. Keith Lee splashed Jericho in the turnbuckles. Keith Lee scoop slammed Jericho. Garcia jumped on the apron and distracted Keith Lee. Jericho connected with a springboard dropkick. Jericho dropkicked Lee off the turnbuckles and followed up with a lionsault. Keith Lee leveled Jericho with a lariat and then splashed Jericho in the corner. Garcia grabbed Keith Lee’s boot. Jericho came in for a lariat but Keith Lee picked up Jericho with a bear hug. Jericho escaped but Keith Lee pounced Jericho. Keith Lee went for a moonsault press but Jericho raised his knees to counter. Keith Lee chokeslammed Jericho for a near fall. Jericho escaped a powerbomb attempt from Keith Lee and locked in the Walls of Jericho! Keith Lee grabbed the bottom rope to force the ref to break the hold. Keith Lee hurled Jericho across the ring! Garcia tried to distract Keith Lee and Lee threw Garcia into the ring! Keith Lee steamrolled both of them. Keith Lee powerbombed Jericho. Garcia distracted the ref and then Swerve Strickland rocked Keith Lee with a foreign object out of nowhere! Jericho capitalized and pinned Keith Lee.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
A superb episode of Dynamite this week. It opened super-strong with an instant classic, everyone’s promos were on point, and even the lesser matches worked. Unlike some folk out there, I really dug the BCC versus Cutler and Nakazawa match – it told a great story and despite them getting pummeled, both Cutler and Nakazawa came out of this match looking stronger than they did going in, ESPECIALLY Nakazawa! That Sting promo was interesting right..?
