31st Jan2025

‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jan 29th 2025)

by Phil Wheat

Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the VBC Probst Arena in Huntsville, AL. We’ve got Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone on commentary, so let’s get into the review!

Match #1: Will Ospreay def. Brian Cage

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Kenny Omega was backstage and had been assaulted! While Will was looking at the big screen, Brian Cage blindsided Ospreay. Will Ospreay wiped out Cage with a hurracanrana from the turnbuckles. Cage dropped Ospreay to the floor with a running shoulder block. Ospreay was looking for a flipping neck breaker off the barricade, but Cage caught him! Cage drove Will down with a suplex on the arena floor! Archer stomped Will as the referee was distracted by Brian Cage. Callis came in with cheap shots to Will, swarming Will. Brian Cage bashed Will into the turnbuckles. Will came back with a jaw breaker, but Cage crushed Will with two consecutive back breakers! Cage grounded and pounded Ospreay. Cage compressed Will’s ribs, applying a bear hug. Will escaped and Cage chopped Will. Will retaliated with a corkscrew kick, returning fire. Ospreay blasted Cage with a thrust kick and followed up with a springboard elbow strike for a near fall. Ospreay crashed onto Cage with a Sasuke Special to the floor! Archer distracted Will which allowed Cage time to clobber Will with a clothesline. Cage suplexed Will from outside the ring and brought Will back in the hard way. Ospreay caught Cage with a heel kick. Cage creamed Will with a discus lariat and then a sit out power bomb, but Ospreay kicked out at the two-count! Ospreay rocked Cage with a Styles Clash and scored the pin!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #2: Claudio Castagnoli def. Jeff Jarrett

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Jeff used an arm drag and a hip toss to take down Claudio. Claudio came back with a running lariat. Jarrett applied a figure four leg lock out of nowhere. Claudio reached the ropes to force the ref to break the hold. Wheeler Yuta came through the crowd and walked down to ringside. Claudio crushed Jeff with a double stomp to the chest. Jeff retaliated with a Russian Leg Sweep. Both men traded strikes. Jeff changed levels and kicked Claudio’s legs. Claudio grabbed Jarrett and whirled him around in the Giant Swing. Claudio’s knee gave out after all the damage done. Claudio applied the sharpshooter. Jarrett reversed the hold. Wheeler slipped a chair into the ring and then distracted the ref. Claudio swung the chair, but Jarrett ducked it. AEW World Champion Jon Moxley jumped into the ring and spiked Jeff with the Paradigm Shift. Claudio planted Jeff with the Neutralizer and pinned Jarrett.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #3: Ricochet def. AR Fox

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Ricochet used a side headlock takeover. Fox hit a stunner off the bottom rope and followed up with a corkscrew brain buster! Fox flew over the top rope and landed full force on Ricochet! Ricochet rocked AR Fox with a hip toss onto the ring apron. Ricochet landed a massive dropkick. Ricochet planted Fox with a spinebuster. Ricochet landed a standing moonsault press for a near fall. Both men went for crossbody presses and collided midair. AR Fox nailed Ricochet with a DDT. Fox rocked Ricochet with a cutter and followed up with a 450 press, but Ricochet kicked out at the two-count! Ricochet blasted Fox with the Spirit Gun and then finished off Fox with the Vertigo for the three-count!

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #4: Jay White def. Wheeler Yuta

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Jay White blistered Yuta’s chest with chops. He followed up with a back drop to Yuta. Wheeler dropkicked White in the knee and then used a drop toehold. Yuta went to work on White’s leg, stomping on Jay White’s knee. Yuta hit a fisherman’s suplex for a near fall on Jay White. Jay planted Yuta with a dragon screw. Jay White superplexed Yuta and covered Wheeler Yuta for a near fall. Yuta dodged a cutthroat suplex with a chop block. Yuta applied a single leg crab. Jay reached for the ropes and the ref broke the hold. Yuta hit Jay with the hammer and anvil strikes but Jay escaped and countered with a uranage. Wheeler escaped a Blade Runner attempt with a cradle for a near fall. Wheeler German Suplexed the Switchblade but Jay White escaped. Jay White countered a knee strike with the Blade Runner and pinned Wheeler Yuta!

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #5: TBS Championship Match – Mercedes Moné def. Yuka Sakazaki

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Mercedes hit a shoulder tackle. Yuka dodged an arm drag. Yuka cradled Mercedes for a near fall. Mercedes chopped Yuka Sakazaki. Yuka kicked Mercedes in the face. Mercedes shifted the momentum in her favor with a meteora. The champion rocked Yuka with a knee strike. Yuka countered a power bomb with a hurracanrana. Yuka fired off a missile dropkick. Yuka blasted Mercedes with a brain buster for a near fall. Yuka hit a sliding lariat. Mercedes turned things around with the three amigos suplexes. Yuka walloped Mercedes with a superplex, giving the champ a taste of her own medicine. Mercedes went for the Mone Maker, but Yuka escaped and hit a thrust kick. Yuka took the champ for a ride with the Merry Go Round, but Mercedes kicked out at the two count! Mercedes cracked Yuka with the back stabber. Yuka rolled up Mercedes for a near fall! Yuka drilled Mercedes with a German Suplex off the ropes. Yuka went for the Magical Girl Splash, but Mercedes raised her knees! Mercedes power bombed Yuka. Mercedes planted Yuka with the Mone Maker and scored the pin!

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Final Verdict: 3/5

This week’s Dynamite started off a bit rough, with two less-than-stellar matches but thankfully AR Fox and Ricochet managed to turn the trajectory of the show around. Though, to be fair, no one would’ve expected those two to deliver anything other than a great match! That match-up seemed to set the tone for the rest of the show, with White/Yuta upping their game and finally Mercedes Mone defending her title against (some would say unexpectedly) Yuk Sakazaki after the latter won a four-way match on Collision last weekend. Whilst we knew Mone wouldn’t be dropping the belt to Yuka, we still got a great women’s match and a great main event. All in all, this was a step-down, thanks to the two opening matches, from previous weeks but still, it all turned out good in the end!

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