‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Oct 2nd 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was a special 5th Anniversary episode broadcast from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh. We’ve got Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness, and Tony Schiavone on commentary, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: AEW International Championship – Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet (No Contest/Draw)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Both men went move for move, countering one another, evenly matched. Ricochet nailed Will with a back breaker and followed up with a tope suicida. Ricochet took down Will with a hurracanrana off the guardrail! Ricochet followed up with a stalling senton back in the ring. Ospreay fired back with a springboard elbow strike. Ricochet countered an around-the-world kick with two lariats to Ospreay. Ospreay rocked Ricochet with a Spanish Fly for a near fall. Ricochet prevented the Os-Cutter by shoving Ospreay off the ropes. Ospreay connected with an Os-Cutter on the apron, though. Both champion and challenger jockeyed for position on the top rope. Ricochet went for a super hurracanrana, but Ospreay landed on his feet. Ricochet rallied back with an Os-Cutter! Ricochet kicked Will in the side of the head after Will flipped off Ricochet. Will went for the Hidden Blade, but Ricochet dodged it and spiked Ospreay with a backslide bomb and then a twisting piledriver for a near fall! Ospreay hit a Stundog Millionaire and then a Styles Clash but Ricochet kicked out at the two-count! Ospreay landed an Os-Cutter, but Ricochet kicked out, still alive and in the hunt. Will removed his elbow pad. Ricochet ducked the Hidden Blade and smacked Will with a Hidden Blade of his own. Ricochet connected with a shooting star press for a near fall on the champion! Ospreay countered the Vertigo with a reverse hurracanrana. Ricochet got to his feet and found a hurracanrana of his own! Ospreay unleashed a Hidden Blade and landed on top of Ricochet. The shoulders of both men were down, and the ref counted to three. The match was ruled a draw by referee Rick Knox.
Tony Khan informed Justin Roberts that the match would continue. Both men traded elbows, slugging it out in the center of the ring! Ospreay caught Ricochet with a Hidden Blade! Konosuke Takeshita jumped in the ring and grounded and pounded Ospreay! Takeshita wiped out Ospreay with a PowerDrive knee strike! Takeshita planted Ricochet with the Raging Fire! Takeshita grabbed the International Championship belt and held it high, calling his shot.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #2: “Hangman” Adam Page def. Juice Robinson
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The fighting started fast on the ramp! Juice whipped Page with a leather strap! Hangman grabbed the strap and began to use it on Juice’s back! Page propped a table against a guardrail. Juice countered a piledriver attempt with a backdrop to Page. They brawled up the stands and Page threatened referee Aubrey Edwards. They brawled back to the ring and the match finally began. Juice superplexed Hangman, both men feeling the aftermath of a rough landing. Juice softened up Hangman with left handed jabs. Hangman avoided the cannonball in the corner from Juice. Juice planted Hangman with a spinebuster on the apron. Juice clobbered Page with a cannonball, ramming Adam Page through the barricade. Page countered a cross body with a fall away slam into the bottom turnbuckle. Juice managed to power bomb Page and cover him, but Page kicked out at the two-count. Hangman grabbed the referee and hit Juice with a low blow, out of sight of Aubrey Edwards. Hangman blasted Juice with the buckshot lariat and stole the pin!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. def. Serena Deeb
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Britt tried to end it early, looking for the lock jaw, but Deeb slipped free. AEW Women’s World Champion “The Glamour” Mariah May was scouting the match from the front row. The Professor applied a single leg crab, but Baker reached the ropes. Baker used a neck breaker to take Deeb down. Deeb nailed Baker with a chop block and then a lariat. Baker served up a sling blade and then a fishermen neck breaker for a near fall. Deeb rallied back with a dragon screw and then a power bomb. Deeb drilled Baker with a German Suplex and then a lariat. Baker countered the Deeb Tox with an air raid crash in the center of the ring. Baker hit an avalanche air raid crash on Deeb, but Deeb showed tremendous toughness, kicking out at the two-count! Baker grabbed Deeb in the Lock Jaw and forced Deeb to tap out!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Private Party (Marq Quen and Zay) def. The Iron Savages (Bronson and Boulder)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Private Party hit a double dropkick on Boulder. Stokely Hathaway was watching the match backstage, clapping his hands in delight. Private Party ended things quickly with the Gin and Juice!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #5: Title vs. Title – AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson def. Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Continental Championship will be at stake for the first 20 minutes of the match. There was a stalemate early on. Okada was wrestling defensively, perhaps trying to run out the clock. Danielson dropkicked Okada through the ropes. Okada flap jacked Danielson onto the mat. Okada rolled out of the way of a diving headbutt from Danielson. Okada drilled Danielson with a DDT for a near fall. Okada connected with a dropkick, knocking Danielson off the top turnbuckle and out to the arena floor. Danielson whipped Okada into the barricade. Danielson followed up with a tope suicida. Danielson dropkicked Okada in the back at the 16 minute mark. Danielson and Okada traded open handed strikes. Okada dropkicked Danielson and then body slammed him. Okada hit an elbow drop from the top rope and Danielson clutched his forearm. Bryan countered the Rainmaker attempt with elbows to the crown of Okada’s head. Bryan Danielson applied the LeBell Lock at 19 minutes. Okada got his boot on the bottom rope. Danielson smashed into Okada with a running knee strike. Okada rolled out to the floor with 10 seconds remaining. 20 minutes had elapsed, and Okada’s championship was safe.
Danielson jumped from the top rope and flipped onto Okada. Okada grabbed Danielson and nailed Danielson with a piledriver on a steel chair. Back in the ring, Danielson clobbered Okada with kicks and chops. Okada hit another dropkick. Danielson secured Okada’s wrists and hammered Okada with heel shots to the jaw. Okada connected with the rainmaker clothesline. Okada had Danielson dazed after forearm strikes. Danielson got back to his feet and battered Okada with repeated shots and a rolling elbow strike. Okada nailed Danielson with a running knee strike for a near fall! Danielson clocked Okada with a rainmaker lariat of his own! Okada planted Danielson on his neck! Claudio Castagnoli and “The Bastard” Pac walked to the ringside area. Danielson managed to grab Okada in a backslide and score the pin!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
Well, THAT’s how you do a 5th Anniversary show! Kicking off with Ospreay and Ricochet started things off in a BIG way and as if that wasn’t good enough, the show ended with Danielson taking on Okada for over 30 minutes! Superb stuff.