‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Apr 19th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Jamie Hayter & Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. def. The Outcasts (Ruby Soho & Toni Storm)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Both teams brawled to start the match! Toni and Jamie paired up, while Britt and Ruby slugged it out. Hayter hit a double shoulder tackle on Soho and Storm. Hayter double suplexed them! Saraya grabbed Hayter’s ankle. Storm tried for a DDT on the outside but Hayter pumped the brakes. Back in the ring, Storm blasted Jamie with a forearm and followed up with a hip attack. Baker attempted a Panama Sunrise but it was countered. Soho used a back heel trip on Baker on the floor. Back in the ring, Baker cleaned house on the Outcasts. Baker blasted Storm with a sling blade. She followed up with a neck breaker on Ruby. Storm grabbed a German suplex. Baker fired back with an Air Raid Crash. Baker and Hayter sandwiched Toni with rip cord lariats. Saraya used Hayter’s belt and whacked Baker in the head with it. Storm covered Baker but Baker kicked out at two! Baker planted Soho with the Panama Sunrise for a near fall! Baker curb stomped Soho for another near fall! Baker applied the Lockjaw and forced Ruby to tap out!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: TNT Championship Match – Wardlow def. Powerhouse Hobbs
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Wardlow charged forward and drove his shoulder into Hobbs! Powerhouse fired back with three belly-to-belly suplexes. Wardlow whipped Hobbs into the barricade outside the ring. Wardlow hurled Hobbs back over the barricade. Powerhouse Hobbs imposed his will and rallied back against Wardlow. Hobbs was looking for a superplex but Wardlow shoved him away. Wardlow followed up with a senton bomb. Hobbs clubbed Wardlow with shots. Wardlow took down the champion with a German suplex. And then another German suplex! Wardlow headbutted Hobbs and rocked Hobbs with a lariat. QTV’s Harley jumped on the apron to distract Wardlow. QT nailed Wardlow with a cutter while everyone had their attention diverted. The ref ejected QT Marshall. As Marshall was leaving, Penta El Zero Miedo walked down the ramp. QT tried to avoid Penta and jumped back into the ring, only to eat a DDT from Arn Anderson. Wardlow powerbombed Hobbs three times and pinned him!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Jay White def. Komander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shawn Spears was watching the match from the front row. Komander staggered Jay White with a back heel kick. Komander walked the ropes and took down White with a hurracanrana. Komander moonsaulted off the second turnbuckle but Jay White countered it, planting Komander on the apron. Jay White clocked Komander with a running clothesline. Jay White dug his finger into the eye of Komander but Komander countered with a kick. Jay White crashed to the arena floor. Komander walked the ropes and took to the skies, landing on White! Komander connected with a rope walk shooting star press for a near fall. He followed up with a springboard phoenix splash for a two-count. Jay White smashed Komander with a cutthroat suplex. White spiked Komander with the Blade Runner and pinned Komander. Shawn Spears was not impressed with Jay White. Juice Robinson pulled Spears over the barricade. They swarmed Spears until “Absolute” Ricky Starks sprinted down to even up the odds. Starks speared Juice! Jay White and Juice Robinson retreated.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) & Billy Gunn def. The Jericho Appreciation Society (Angelo Parker, Matt Menard & Jake Hager)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
If the Acclaimed lose, they’ll have to join the JAS until Double or Nothing. Bowens dropped Scissor Me Timbers on Angelo Parker. Billy Gunn tagged in and cleaned house with clotheslines. Hager came back with a big double leg takedown for a near fall. Angelo Parker laid out Bowens, using something he had hidden in his hands. He tried again but Bowens ducked and Parker accidentally hit Hager. Daddy Ass was behind Parker and pulled the loaded comb out of Parker’s hand. Bowens smashed Parker with the Arrival while Bowens finished things off with the Mic Drop, pinning Parker.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Four Pillars Tournament – Sammy Guevara def. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The winner faces Darby Allin next week in the Four Pillars Tournament on Dynamite. Jack Perry hit a shotgun dropkick and then a tope on Sammy! Sammy came back, jumping over the top rope onto Jack Perry outside the ring. And Jack fired back with a hurracanrana to the floor. Sammy retaliated with a Spanish fly. Darby Allin was watching from up in the rafters. Sammy and Jack traded strikes on the apron. Sammy connected with a rising knee strike. Sammy wiped out Jack Perry with a Spanish fly off the apron and onto the arena floor. AEW World Heavyweight Champion MJF was watching on a monitor backstage. Jack Perry powerbombed Sammy on the edge of the apron. Jack rocked Sammy with a destroyer off the ropes for a near fall. Sammy came back with a cutter on Jack Perry. Sammy followed up with an implant DDT for a two-count! Sammy picked up Jack for the GTH but Jack countered and hit a reverse hurracanrana. Sammy nailed Jack with a poisonrana. Jack Perry connected with a thrust kick and then put Sammy in the Snare Trap! Sammy crawled and grabbed the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the hold. Sammy dropkicked Jack Perry and Perry went crashing off the ropes and onto the timekeeper’s table! Jack Perry tried to crawl back to the ring before the 10-count. Sammy grabbed the ref to distract him while MJF jumped over the barricade and cracked Jack Perry with the Dynamite diamond ring! Jack Perry was counted out! MJF and Sammy celebrated in the ring afterwards.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
A bit of an off week for Dynamite with some terrible promos taking up far too much TV time (sorry folks but some people in AEW need to go back to promo school). Thankfully we also got a cracking match between Jay White and Komander and a main event that managed to make up for Guevara and Perry’s terrible opening promo – though some of the blame for THAT promo also has to go to Darby Allin too! But hey, the Pittsburgh crowd enjoyed everything and that helped the show a lot – making the whole thing more exciting than it probably really was. Question though… What the hell is going on with the TNT Championship? AEW are playing hot potato with the title so much that it’s lost all the lustre it once had.
