‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (May 31st 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Viejas Arena in San Diego, California. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: The Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta) def. The Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) and Bandido
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The BCC immediately began their beatdown on their opponents. Moxley used his Death Jitsu on Penta El Zero Miedo. Yuta stomped Bandido in the ring, and the match was officially underway. Yuta sat out with a senton on Bandido for a near fall. Bandido rallied back with a delayed vertical suplex on Wheeler Yuta while the Lucha Bros held off Claudio and Moxley. Penta blasted Claudio with a backstabber. Yuta dodged a diving crossbody press from Bandido. Claudio and Moxley spiked Bandido on the arena floor with a piledriver. Back in the ring Bandido took out Moxley with a tornillo. Rey Fenix tagged in, as did Claudio. Fenix fired off a thrust kick to Claudio. Penta El Zero Miedo came in with a Sling Blade lariat on Claudio and then a DDT on Moxley. Bandido nailed Yuta with a massive cutter. Penta and Fenix jumped out of the ring with topes on Claudio and Mox. Bandido crashed down on Yuta with a frog splash for a near fall. Yuta got rocked with a knee strike. After interference and a ref distraction, Yuta rocked Bandido with hammer and anvil elbows, tied up Bandido with the Seat Belt, and pinned him!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Swerve Strickland def. Big Bill and Trent Baretta
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Big Bill splashed Swerve in the corner, then splashed Trent! Big Bill rocked Trent Baretta with a massive boot to the face! Big Bill hurled Swerve high into the air and planted him on the ramp. Swerve and Trent battled it out on the ring apron. Big Bill kicked Swerve off the apron, but Trent followed up with a dropkick to Big Bill. Trent followed up with a moonsault off the middle turnbuckle to Big Bill on the arena floor. Trent and Swerve worked together, double teaming Big Bill and superplexing him. Big Bill waffled Trent with the Bossman Slam. Swerve connected with a Flatliner to Trent. But Baretta rallied back with a piledriver on Swerve. Big Bill choke slammed Trent, but Swerve swooped in and stole the pin on Trent.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Orange Cassidy & Darby Allin def. Gates of Agony (Kaun & Toa Liona)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Toa tossed Orange with a belly-to-belly suplex. Darby tagged in but Toa wiped him out with a running tackle. Prince Nana, Brian Cage, and Swerve walked out onto the ramp to watch the match. Toa crushed Darby in the corner with a splash. Darby kicked up but then Kaun pulled Darby off the apron and whipped him into the guardrail. Darby chopped at both members of the Gates of Agony. Orange Cassidy made a tag to Darby. Cassidy nailed Kaun with a DDT for a near fall. Kaun ducked an Orange Punch and then the Gates double teamed Cassidy. Luckily Darby was there to break the pin attempt. Orange used a double hurracanrana on the Gates and tagged out to Darby. Kaun rocked Orange with a running back elbow, but Orange fired back with the Stun Dog Millionaire. Darby nailed Kaun with the Coffin Drop and pinned him! Prince Nana, Brian Cage, and Swerve surrounded Orange and Darby. Sting’s music hit and Sting came to the ring to even up the odds and be by Darby’s side!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: TBS Championship Open Challenge – Kris Statlander def. Nyla Rose
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kris knocked down Nyla with a shotgun dropkick. Nyla bodyslammed the champ. Statlander applied body scissors, but Nyla reached the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the submission. Taya Valkyrie was watching the match on a monitor backstage. Statlander pummeled Nyla with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Nyla swept out Kris’ legs as Kris was on the top turnbuckle. Nyla followed up with a cannonball off the apron and onto Kris on the arena floor. Nyla hit another cannonball on Kris, this time against the barricade. Statlander smashed Nyla with a jawbreaker. Statlander found her footing and finished off Nyla with the 450 Splash, pinning the “Native Beast”!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Mixed Tag Grudge Match – Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. & Adam Cole def. Chris Jericho & Saraya
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cole and Jericho slugged it out. Jericho backed Cole into the corner with chops. Jericho poked Cole in the eyes. Jericho whipped Cole into the barricade outside the ring. Back in the ring, Cole rallied back with a running lariat. Jericho tagged Saraya. Baker tagged in and she hit Saraya with a Sling Blade. When the ref was distracted, Jericho tripped Britt. Saraya seized the opportunity and stomped on Baker. Saraya suplexed Britt Baker. Saraya signaled for the Outcasts. Toni and Ruby ran down, but Shida followed with a kendo stick, swinging it at the Outcasts. Adam Cole cracked Jericho with hammer fists. Jericho dodged a dropkick and followed up with a lionsault for a two-count on Cole. Britt Baker shoved Saraya off the top turnbuckle. Jericho covered Saraya, acting as a human shield, but Baker splashed them both. Cole came in with a backstabber on Jericho. Cole attempted the Panama Sunrise, but Jericho countered with the Lion Tamer. Britt Baker put on her surgical glove and applied the Lock Jaw to Jericho. Saraya jumped in and broke up the Lock Jaw. Jericho caught Cole with a Code Breaker for a near fall. Britt and Saraya exchanged a flurry of elbow strikes. Saraya spiked Britt with a DDT. Jericho grabbed his baseball bat but ate a superkick from Adam Cole. Adam Cole dropped his knee pad and then delivered the knee strike, pinning Jericho!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
Let’s be honest, aside from the opening match, this was AEW on cruise control. Most of the show was given over to promos, interview segments et al. and that, for me, hurt the show. As did some of the totally average matches! But hey, at least the Jericho/Cole mixed tag match had an actual end – a legitimate end that is. Big Bill had a good showing (for once) in what was a forgettable match; whilst Gated of Agony put on some great competition for Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy; in fact this was probably their best match since their early AEW YouTube appearances!
