‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (May 17th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Orange Cassidy & Darby Allin def. Big Bill & Lee Moriarty
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lee put a full nelson on Orange. Orange escaped and tried for a sunset flip cover. Lee transitioned into a pinning predicament of his own on Orange. Darby tagged in, as did Big Bill. Big Bill and Darby locked up, but Big Bill hurled Darby around the ring like a rag doll. Darby and Orange used tandem offense on Bill and Lee, flying out of the ring with tope suicidas. Back in the ring, Darby wiped out both members of the opposition with fiery offense. Big Bill splatted Darby with the Bossman Slam. Lee tagged in and was propped onto the top rope by Orange. Darby and Orange superplexed Lee off the top rope. Orange tried for a Stun Dog Millionaire, but Big Bill tried fighting it off. Darby gave the assist with a Code Red! Darby won the match with a Coffin Drop on Lee, sending a message to AEW World Champion MJF with a side headlock takedown.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Sammy Guevara def. Exodus Prime
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Sammy connected with a mean knee strike and then finished off his opponent with the GTH
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: The Outcasts (Ruby Soho & Toni Storm) def. Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. & Hikaru Shida
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shida blasted Ruby with strikes. Ruby countered a suplex attempt with a knee. Toni tagged in and Baker cracked Toni with forearms. Saraya tripped up Baker from outside the ring and then Storm came in with the hip attack. Saraya attacked Baker outside the ring and said it was “my house.” Ruby used the No Future kick on Britt Baker. Toni tagged in, but Baker blasted her with the Air Raid Crash and then the Code Red. Saraya passed something to Toni—spray paint! As the ref was distracted, Toni sprayed Baker in the eyes. Toni Storm pinned Baker after spiking her with the piledriver.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Roderick Strong def. Chris Jericho
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Adam Cole and the Jericho Appreciation Society are banned from the building. Roddy battered Chris Jericho with repeated shots and chops! Jericho and Strong began to exchange chops. Jericho knocked Strong over the top rope with a lariat. Strong planted Jericho on the apron and then went for the pin on the arena floor. Jericho kicked out. Jericho fired back, sending Strong face first into the timekeeper’s table. Strong countered a Code Breaker but then Jericho sat down in the Lion Tamer. Strong crawled his way to the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the hold. Jericho and Strong began to brawl throughout the fans, up the arena steps. Strong dropped Jericho across a handrail, pinning him for a two-count. Jericho suplexed Strong through a table. Roderick smeared ice cream in Jericho’s face. They continued to brawl throughout the concourse, with Jericho throwing a trash can at Strong. The brawl spilled outside the arena! Adam Cole was outside, waiting for Jericho. Adam Cole lowered the boom with a knee strike on Jericho. Strong finished off Jericho and then pinned Jericho in the dirt!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry def. Rush
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Rush whipped Jack Perry into the barricades. Jose dropped TV cable on the arena floor near Rush. Rush rammed Jack Perry’s head into the steel barricade. Jack Perry’s head was split open, his forehead gushing blood. Rush headbutted Jungle Boy. Jack and Rush traded chops on the top rope. Jack took down Rush with a hurracanrana! Jungle Boy charged at Rush but Rush suplexed him, using his own momentum, and sending Jungle Boy crash landing down onto the arena floor. Back in the ring, Rush shoved the ref away. As Rush’s back was turned, Jack Perry rolled him up and scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Jay White def. Ricky Starks (DQ)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jay White bailed to the outside and taunted Ricky, playing a bit of a cat-and-mouse game. Starks rammed White into the guardrail. Back in the ring, White dropped Starks throat first across the top rope. Starks DDT’ed Jay White for a near fall. White fired back with a DDT, turning this around. White blasted Starks with a running uppercut. Starks escaped a Blade Runner attempt from White. Starks hammered White with elbows. White heaved Starks over the top rope. Ricky nailed White with a swinging neck breaker. Starks speared Jay White in the center of the ring. Starks lifted up Jay White for the Roshambo but White gouged Ricky’s eyes. Juice Robinson ran in with a steel chair as the ref was admonishing White. Starks grabbed the chair and smacked Juice Robinson with it. The ref turned around and saw Ricky with the steel chair and disqualified Ricky.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This week was a huge one for AEW but not for this week’s Dynamite it seems. This was billed as a loaded show but it ultimately felt like one long set-up for the forthcoming Double or Nothing pay-per-view, with plenty of matches set up, announced and teased. But as a standalone show, this episode was only slightly more than average – mainly thanks to the opening tag match and the main event. Even if said main event had a dusty finish!
