‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Oct 25th 2023)

Welcome to this week’s review of AEW Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia. We’ve just got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary this week, so let’s get into the review!

Match #1: Dynamite Diamond Ring Match – MJF def. Juice Robinson

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

A very motivated MJF took down Juice Robinson and then stomped him in the corner! MJF whipped Juice into the steel guardrails. MJF flipped Juice over the timekeeper’s table. MJF charged at Juice and nailed him with a knee strike. MJF smacked Juice’s head into the steel ring steps. Juice was busted wide open! The Gunns distracted MJF and Juice pulled MJF headfirst into the ring steps. Colten distracted the ref, so Juice was able to choke MJF with MJF’s scarf. MJF hit a lariat on Juice and followed up with a body slam. MJF chomped down on Juice’s head. MJF rocked Juice Robinson with the kangaroo kick! The Gunns swept out the legs of MJF and Juice cracked MJF with a leg lariat to the jaw. MJF poked Robinson in the eyes. Juice spat at MJF and then cracked MJF with the Left Hand of God! Juice powerbombed MJF for a near fall! MJF tried for the Heat Seeker, but Juice blocked it. Juice charged after MJF, but MJF tied up Juice in the ring apron. As MJF was getting back into the ring, Juice kicked the ropes and then nailed MJF with the Juice Is Loose for a near fall! The Gunns were distracting the ref while Juice put on his fake ring. In the meantime, MJF put his Dynamite Diamond Ring on. Juice swung but MJF ducked it and countered with a loaded shot of his own, knocking Juice to the mat! MJF smashed Juice with the Heat Seeker and pinned him.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #2: HOOK & Rob Van Dam def. The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds & John Silver)

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Hook grappled Reynolds to the mat and then applied a side headlock. RVD tagged in and used a nice deep arm drag on Reynolds. Dark Order ambushed RVD with cheap shots. RVD monkey flipped John Silver. Hook flipped Reynolds with a fireman’s carry. Hook tossed Silver with a Northern Lights. RVD blasted Silver with a leaping leg drop. RVD crushed Silver with the Rolling Thunder for a near fall. Hook was looking for Red Rum on Silver, but Reynolds ran in to break it up. RVD leveled Reynolds with a kick. RVD smashed Reynolds with the five star frog splash Hook grabbed Silver in the Red Rum and forced him to tap out!

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #3: ROH World Six-Man Championship Match – The Elite (“Hangman” Adam Page & The Young Bucks – Matt and Nick Jackson) def. The Hardys (Jeff & Matt) & Brother Zay

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Nick knocked down Zay with a shoulder tackle. Nick nailed Zay with a neck breaker. Hatman hit a forearm off the top rope to Brother Zay. Matt Jackson tagged in and slapped Adam Page in the face. Matt Jackson and Matt Hardy shoved one another. Matt Hardy hit the Side Effect after a blind side knee from Jeff Hardy to Matt Jackson. Brother Zay wiped out Page and Nick Jackson with a tornillo. Matt Jackson threw Matt Hardy and Brother Zay overhead with a Northern Lights Suplex. Hangman tagged in and cleaned house. Hangman hit the Death Valley Driver on Zay for a near fall. Brother Zay spiked Page with a DDT after an assisted Silly String from Jeff Hardy. Matt Hardy rocked Matt Jackson with the Twist of Fate. Jeff splashed Matt Jackson with the Swanton Bomb, but Nick was there to break up the pin attempt! Hangman stunned Zay with the Buckshot Lariat. The Elite finished off Zay with the BTE Trigger and Matt Jackson pinned Brother Zay!

My Score: 1 out of 5

Match #4: AEW Women’s World Championship Match – Hikaru Shida def. Ruby Soho

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Ruby chopped at Shida. The champ hit a crossbody and then slammed Ruby. Soho connected with a back heel kick. Shida blasted Soho with a missile dropkick. Soho caught Shida with the No Future outside the ring. Shida landed an elbow strike. She hoisted up Soho in a torture rack. Shida followed up with a sliding elbow for a near fall on Ruby Soho. Ruby pulled the middle turnbuckle pad off. The ref pulled it away from her, but Ruby grabbed the can of spray paint and tossed it to Shida, setting her up for when the ref turned back around. Ruby acted like she’d been sprayed in the eyes. Ruby jumped back into the ring with the title belt, but Shida went to defend herself by spraying the paint, but instead she sprayed the title belt! The ref took the belt away and as she had her back turned, Ruby unwrapped her wrist tape, choked Shida, and then stunned her with Destination Unknown! Shida was able to kick out at two! Shida fired back with the katana kick. Ruby kicked out! Shida nailed Ruby with a knee strike and then the Falcon Arrow! Shida went to cover Ruby, but Ruby reversed it for a pin attempt. Shida shoved her away, sending Ruby right into the exposed turnbuckle! Shida finished off Ruby with the katana and pinned her!

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #5: Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli) def. Orange Cassidy & Kazuchika Okada

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Danielson had wrist control on Orange Cassidy. Claudio tagged in and body slammed Orange. Okada tagged in and locked up with Claudio. Okada and Claudio exchanged forearms and uppercuts in the center of the ring. Orange tagged in and splashed Claudio from the top rope. Danielson tagged in and dropped a knee on Orange for a near fall. Claudio’s gut wrench was countered by Orange with a DDT. Okada and Danielson tagged in for their respective teams. Danielson and Claudio traded chops. Danielson connected with round kicks. Okada came back with a running back elbow and then he spiked Danielson with a DDT for a near fall. Danielson applied the Le Bell Lock to Okada, but Okada escaped. Danielson countered the rainmaker with chops. Orange tagged in and went for a DDT on Claudio, but Claudio countered, but then Orange countered with a Stundog Millionaire and then a DDT. Claudio put Orange in the Giant Swing! Claudio sat back in the Scorpion Death Lock. Okada jumped in to break it up. Okada slammed Claudio and then smashed Claudio with an elbow drop from the top rope. Okada and Orange hugged but Danielson jumped from the top with a dropkick to them both. Okada cracked Danielson with a dropkick. Cassidy hit the Orange Punch and Okada followed up with the Rainmaker to Danielson! Claudio entered the fray with a diving European Uppercut to Okada. Claudio dished out an uppercut to Orange Cassidy and pinned him!

My Score: 4 out of 5

Final Verdict: 2.5/5

Good god this week’s episode of Dynamite was a struggle. It opened strong and then went downhill fast. Once again far too many promos, interviews etc. and I couldn’t give two shits about Ric Flair. Each and every week it feels like AEW is falling further and further into Tony Khan’s weird fanboy world of wrestling… References to WCW, references to Curb Your Enthusiasm, references, references, references. Just give us good wrestling. And give us good wrestling from the people who made All Elite Wrestling what it was. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I miss the days of Dark and Elevation, where we got ACTUAL VARIETY in both wrestlers and wrestling styles. OK, so the main event was fantastic but sitting through 2 hours of TV to get two good matches. What is this, the WWE? Can someone tell me if I need to subscribe to Honor Club to get the kind of wrestling AEW used to be in its early days? Because I’m not getting that from Dynamite these days.