‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Nov 8th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. We’ve just got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary this week, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: AEW World Championship Match – MJF def. Daniel Garcia
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
MJF locked up with Garcia and then taunted Garcia by doing Garcia’s dance. Garcia grappled MJF to the mat. MJF offered his hand to Garcia as a sign of sportsmanship. Garcia slapped it away and MJF thumbed Garcia in the eyes. MJF began to work over Garcia’s arm, concentrating his offense there. Garcia fired back with a flurry of forearms and strikes. Garcia followed up with a high release German Suplex. Garcia nailed MJF with a brainbuster for a near fall. MJF double stomped on Garcia’s elbow. MJF rocked Garcia with a shoulder breaker. MJF stunned Garcia with a DDT for a near fall. Garcia dodged a Panama Sunrise from MJF and then chopped the champ down with kicks to the legs. Garcia spiked MJF with a piledriver for a near fall. Garcia locked in the Dragon Tamer! MJF countered and transitioned with the Salt of the Earth arm bar, forcing Garcia to tap out! MJF offered his hand to Garcia as a sign of respect. Garcia reached for it, but Angelo Parker and Matt Menard pulled Garcia away.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Darby Allin & Sting def. The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Outrunners double teamed Darby in their corner of the ring. Sting tagged in and he and Darby chopped Turbo Floyd. Sting knocked Turbo over the top with a lariat. Truth pulled Darby out of the ring and whipped him into the barricade. Sting clubbed the Outrunners with lariats. Sting applied the Scorpion Death Lock and won via tap out!
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Swerve Strickland def. Penta El Zero Miedo
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Swerve nailed Penta with a diving European uppercut. Swerve wrenched down on Penta’s fingers. Penta El Zero Miedo and Swerve traded chops. Swerve stomped on Penta’s fingers. Penta planted Swerve with a backstabber. Swerve rolled out of the ring, Penta ran for the tope suicida, but Swerve countered with a European Uppercut. Swerve dropped Penta on the steel ring steps. Penta jumped over the top rope with a tope con hiro on Swerve. Swerve blocked the Made in Japan. Swerve was looking for the JML Driver, but it was blocked. They knocked each other down with lariats, each man having the same idea! Penta hit two sling blades on Swerve. Penta hit a driver on Swerve for a two-count. Penta El Zero Miedo blasted Swerve with a destroyer on the apron! Penta connected with diving foot stomps for a two-count on Swerve. Swerve stomped Penta over the top rope, landing on Penta’s ribs! Swerve climbed to the top turnbuckle and attempted a 450 splash, but Penta dodged it. Penta snapped back on Swerve’s arm! Penta crushed Swerve with the Made in Japan but Swerve kicked out at two! Penta punted Swerve on the arm. Penta tried for the Fear Factor, but Swerve escaped. Swerve drove Swerve down hard and then stomped on Penta’s arm. Swerve stomped, crashing down on Penta and pinning him for the victory.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #4: ROH World TV Championship Match – Samoa Joe def. Keith Lee
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Samoa Joe and Keith Lee locked horns like two massive bulls. Samoa Joe took a side headlock on Keith Lee. Joe gouged Keith’s eyes and then dropped him with a running shoulder block. Keith Lee fired back with a shoulder tackle of his own. Keith Lee pounded Joe in the corner with big hooks. Samoa Joe chopped at Lee and then began to work over Lee’s body with jabs, pounding him down in the corner. Keith Lee came back with a cross body to Samoa Joe. The champ hoisted up Keith Lee and dropped Lee with a knee breaker. Samoa Joe began to stomp Keith Lee. Keith Lee got back up to his feet, but Samoa Joe took him down with a dragon screw leg whip. Joe followed up with a Manhattan drop. Keith Lee countered the senton with a German Suplex to Samoa Joe. Keith Lee blocked a lariat from Samoa Joe. Keith Lee smashed Samoa Joe with a pop up powerbomb for a near fall. Samoa Joe slipped behind Keith Lee, locked in the hooks for the rear naked choke, and the ref stopped the match. Samoa Joe was awarded the match as Keith Lee faded.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #5: The Gunns (Austin & Colten) def. The Bollywood Boyz
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Gunns quickly hit the 3:10 to Yuma and won the match, right out of the gates!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #6: Julia Hart def. Red Velvet
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Julia shoved Red Velvet into the turnbuckles. Red Velvet rolled up Julia Hart for a pin attempt. Red Velvet used an arm drag to take down Julia Hart. Red Velvet hammered Julia in the corner with body strikes. Red Velvet splashed Julia Hart with double knees and then a standing moonsault press for a two-count. Red Velvet pulled Julia off the top turnbuckle with an iconoclasm. Julia stomped on the ribs of Red Velvet. Julia smashed Red Velvet with a moonsault and pinned Red Velvet! Julia locked in Heartless after the bell.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #7: Jay White def. Mark Briscoe
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Full Gear 2023 title shot is on the line here. Mark Briscoe spiked Jay White with a side suplex. He followed up with a vertical suplex for a two-count on Jay White. Mark knocked Jay White out of the ring with his redneck kung fu. Mark jumped off the apron with a running elbow to Jay White on the arena floor. Juice Robinson diverted the attention of the ref while the Gunns grabbed Mark Briscoe’s boot. Jay White dodged Mark Briscoe and planted Mark with a DDT. Jay White pretended his knee was injured. The ref turned to check on Jay White while Bullet Club Gold stomped on Mark Briscoe outside the ring. Mark Briscoe tried to build some momentum with a dropkick off the top rope. Mark and Jay White traded shots in the center of the ring. Mark hammered away with chops and elbow strikes. Mark Briscoe nailed Jay White with a neck breaker for a near fall. Mark Briscoe hit a fishermen’s buster on Jay White for a two-count, Jay White just barely escaping. Jay White gouged at Mark’s eyes. Jay White connected with a dragon screw on Mark’s leg. Mark fired back with a Death Valley Driver. Mark climbed to the top for the froggy bow, smashed Jay, and covered him for a near fall! Jay White rocked Mark Briscoe with a uranage. Jay White planted Mark with the Kiwi Crusher for a two-count! Jay White chop blocked Mark Briscoe. Mark escaped the Blade Runner with an exploder suplex. Mark walloped Jay with a lariat. Mark called for the Jay Driller, but Jay White backdropped his way out of it. Jay White targeted the neck of Mark with a sleeper suplex. Jay spiked Mark with a brainbuster. Mark countered the Blade Runner with redneck kung fu. Jay served up with sleeper suplex and then spiked Mark! Jay White finished off Mark with the Blade Runner and pinned Mark Briscoe!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
News of the Night:
- Stardom’s Mariah May was introduced as the latest AEW signing.
Final Verdict: /5
Well well. The in-ring action on Dynamite was a MASSIVE improvement over recent weeks with FOUR fantastic matches – one of which was PPV quality for sure! Again the Gunns were the low point of the show with a terrible squash match, though Darby and Sting versus the Outrunners came a very close second. As for the rest of the show, well AEW seems to be intent on making Dynamite a clone of WWE-style storytelling, with far, far too many interviews and promos – all of which slowed down the show for me. Though the plus of all those interviews/promos? The introduction of Mariah May!
