‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Oct 7th 2020)
Welcome to this week’s AEW: Dynamite review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have Chris Jericho’s 30th Anniversary show for this card, so get ready for a whole lotta mullet! We’ve got some great matches to take in, so let’s get right to it.
Match #1: Brian Cage def. Will Hobbs – FTW Championship Match
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
They started with a slugfest! Cage took Hobbs off his feet with a back elbow but Hobbs got right back up! Hobbs connected with a crossbody block! Cage kicked Hobbs in the face but didn’t go for the cover. Cage did a standing moonsault but Hobbs kicked out at two. Cage went in for a headlock but Hobbs countered with a backdrop. Hobbs followed up with two consecutive clotheslines and then a shoulder tackle. He powerslammed Cage for a near fall. It was reminiscent of the late, great Buzz Sawyer, said Jim Ross. Cage grabbed Hobbs with a pump handle face-first slam! It was an arrogant cover and Cage paid for it as Hobbs kicked out. Cage followed up with a German suplex but Hobbs popped right back up and hit Cage with a German suplex of his own. Hobbs ducked a discus lariat and used the Last Will and Testament spinebuster on Cage for a near fall! Hobbs went to the top rope for a frog splash but Cage moved out of the way. Cage finished off Hobbs with the Drill Claw for the pin! Taz got on the microphone and said Hobbs was impressive. Starks jumped into the ring. Taz said Hobbs had two options now: “Option A—Be part of Team Taz. Option B—you say ‘no’ to Option A and Starks and Cage will beat the hell out of you! What’s it gonna be?” asked Taz. Darby Allin’s music hit and he came to the ring with his skateboard. Starks and Cage left and Taz said Darby would live to regret it!
My Opinion: 3.6 out of 5 – This had a lot of hard-hitting action, but not a lot of psychology. They hit the hell out of each other like it was Minor League Baseball in Havana. Cage was big and burly here. Hobbs has got some talent, but he needs to get a mean-streak going to feel like a main-event player. To be honest, there just wasn’t enough wrestling in this match for my liking. That being said, there was enough action in here to get my attention and I think that will be the case with you as well.
Match #2: FTR def. The Hybrid2 – AEW World Tag Team Championship Match
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
TH2 are on a three-match win streak. The Young Bucks were seen watching monitors backstage. Jack Evans rolled up Dax twice as the match started for two consecutive near falls. Angelico tagged in and connected with a high crossbody! Harwood and Wheeler collected their thoughts outside the ring with manager Tully Blanchard. Angelico went for a crossbody but FTR caught him, so Jack Evans flew off the top rope and landed on FTR (and his own partner)! Evans put Dax back in the ring and went right for the pin but Dax kicked out. While Tully distracted ref Aubrey Edwards, Cash knocked Evans off the top rope. They dropped Evans’ knee on the steel barricade, and then rammed it into the ring post! FTR continued to punish the knee of Jack Evans, with Dax using a dragon screw leg whip. Finally Angelico got the hot tag and used to educated feet to take down Dax and Cash! He applied a double submission on FTR but Tully helped FTR by pushing the bottom rope closer so they could reach it. The ref then had to break the submission. After an assisted 450 splash from TH2, Cash kicked out at two! FTR executed a series of tandem offense to change the momentum of this match again! Jim Ross was very impressed with TH2’s resiliency and thought that perhaps FTR took them too lightly going into the match. Evans hit a front flipping ax kick on Dax, but Dax plowed through with a lariat and then a tiger driver—but Evans kicked out at two! Dax superplexed Evans and then Cash followed up with a splash off the top, and it was good enough to pin Evans!
The Bucks were shown again backstage watching the match off the monitor. They saw the cameraman filming them and superkicked him! Best Friends—Chuck Taylor and Trent—walked out taunting FTR. They were wearing shirts that featured FTR dressed as hot dogs. “As comedy backyard wrestlers, what we’re trying to say, is that you guys are weenies,” said Trent. “But what’s not a joke, is that we are the number one contenders,” said Trent. It was announced that Best Friends would be challenging for FTR’s gold next week, per Tony Khan!
My Opinion: 3.9 out of 5 – This was a damn good prize fight that made great use of both teams. Angelico really stood out here as the main star of the match. Angelico’s shift to submission grappling has really added some heft to his offense that just makes him more engaging. FTR worked hard to add all of the little nuances of tagging that makes their matches so addictive to watch. Everything here felt like it was happening in steps…pacing. It’s nice to see pacing in a match where it could go so wrong so quickly. This was a very measured match that gave you time to appreciate everything. I am the walrus (check the tusks) and this was another fabulous tag team prize fight.
Match #3: Cody [Rhodes] def. Brodie Lee – Dog Collar Match For The TNT Championship
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Greg “The Hammer” Valentine was sitting ringside to commemorate the most famous Dog Collar Match of all time—Valentine vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper! Brodie Lee and Cody were each connected by a steel chain and a dog collar. Cody got a shot into John Silver who was on ringside, busting Silver open! Cody got cracked hard early by Brodie. Cody went for a springboard cutter off the top turnbuckle but Brodie used the chain to pull him down to the mat! He pulled Cody outside and faceplanted him on the ring apron! Brodie Lee returned to the ring and used the chain to clothesline Cody! Brodie DDT’ed Cody’s head onto the steel chain, opening a wide laceration on Cody’s head! Anna Jay walked John Silver to the back, per Mr. Brodie Lee’s instructions. Cody used the chain for an assisted Russian leg sweep on Brodie! Cody hit a tope suicida, driving Mr. Brodie Lee into the steel guardrail. Brodie pulled back on the chain, rag dolling Cody into the barricade, and then over it onto the arena floor!
Brodie Lee pulled the timekeeper’s table closer to the ring, and then winged some steel chairs into the ring! Brodie was on the ring apron but Cody, with perfect timing, pulled the 16-foot steel chain, and Brodie along with it, straight into a cutter on the floor! Cody was sporting a “crimson mask” and cracked a smile after pulling off the move on the champ. Cody crashed Brodie through the table with a package piledriver, busting open Mr. Brodie Lee! Cody fired up and began whipping Mr. Brodie Lee with the chain! He wrapped the chain around his fist and began punching “The Exalted One” in the forehead! Cody wrapped the chain around the ring post and began to choke Mr. Brodie Lee! The tables were turned as Brodie launched Cody to the outside and pulled the chain, using leverage. Brodie followed up with the Bossman Slam for a near fall on Cody! Brodie Lee launched a chair at Arn Anderson’s head! John Silver of the Dark Order ran in and Arn took him out with a spinebuster. Brodie hit Anderson though, knocking him down. This outraged Cody, forcing him to turn up the heat on Mr. Brodie Lee! Cody wrapped the chain around Brodie’s neck and started chocking him again. He followed up with a moonsault off the top rope for a near fall on Brodie!
Mr. Brodie Lee hit a thrust kick but Cody followed up with Cross Rhodes! Mr. Brodie Lee kicked out to Cody’s surprise! Brodie connected with two thrust kicks and then powerbombed Cody onto the steel chain, and somehow Cody found the fighting spirit to kick out at two! Brodie Lee superplexed Cody off the top rope! Brodie used a release dragon suplex on Cody! Brodie attempted the discus lariat but Cody countered with the Final Cut. He wrapped the chain around Mr. Brodie’s entire face and hammered down with elbows! Cody hit Mr. Brodie Lee with CrossRhodes and pinned “The Exalted One!” Once again TNT Champion…”The American Nightmare Cody!
My Opinion: 4.1 out of 5 – This was not the smartest match, but it was a grueling spectacle that made Lee look evil and Cody tough-as-hell. There’s plenty of brawling here, but with ample use of the chain itself. Cody and Lee bled, which had that old-school feel to it that this match implied was to come. Buffalo Wild Wings gave me the burny-squirts, but this match gave me a reason to fear tripping over a leash. So much of this was just big shots and hard strikes, which isn’t always the best for the psychology, but does make for a mean match. Cody winning was likely a mistake, but Lee seemed to be champion just to give Cody a few weeks to film the game show he’s on. If you wanna see a Dog Collar match that is up there with the best, then this match ain’t a bad place to start.
Match #4: Big Swole def. Serena Deeb
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Deeb showed off her technical prowess by taking down Big Swole with arm drags and wrist locks. Deeb rolled up Big Swole but Swole escaped! Big Swole used her power and hit a back breaker on Deeb, but Deeb reached through with a vicious clothesline. Big Swole tweaked her knee after a dragon screw leg whip on the bottom rope from Deeb. Big Swole lined up several clothesline and then blasted Deeb with a headbutt to Deeb’s heart! Swole swiped at Deeb with a roundhouse kick! Swole missed a rolling elbow but charged in with an uppercut. Swole hit another headbutt to Deeb’s heart and then found the rolling elbow this time, pinning Deeb!
My Opinion: 3.4 out of 5 – Deeb carried Swole to a good match that had a lot of hard-hitting action, but not a lot of wrestling. Swole just feels a little too off the mark when she’s on offense, but Deeb is so damn good that I sometimes didn’t notice. Really, Deeb is the star here. Watch this for Deeb and that’s all you need to know.
Match #5: (Main Event) Chris Jericho and Jake Hager def. Chaos Project
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Before the match began, another video package aired of famous friends offering their congratulations to Chris Jericho, including: Lance Storm, Kevin Smith, Eli Roth, Gabriel Iglesias, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Steel Panther, Ultimo Dragon, Paul Stanley of KISS! Jericho blasted Serpentico with a forearm, but Serpentico followed up with a hurracanrana! Luther tagged in and he and Jericho traded chops to the chest! Luther took Jericho down with a big high boot and then a suplex! Serpentico and Luther worked over Jericho with quick tags in and out, utilizing tandem offense! Luther grabbed Jericho by the hair and smashed his head into the mat from the top rope! Luther ducked the Judas Effect and caught Jericho with a German suplex! Serpentico nailed Jericho with knees from the top. Jericho called for his baseball bat and Sammy tossed it in to Jericho but Luther caught it instead. Luther swung it at Jericho’s abdomen while the referee was distracted! Sammy Guevara jumped to the ring apron—Luther turned to look at Sammy—and while Luther was preoccupied, Jericho dropped Luther with the Judas Effect! Jericho pinned Luther!
My Opinion: 2.2 out of 5 – Jericho carried everybody through this, with Hager and Serpentico adding their nimble offense to Luther’s fighting spirit. Jericho and Luther have a long history, so much so that I wish that this had just been a Hardcore match between the two, if only to take advantage of Luther’s skills and give the match some bells-and-whistles to work with. Luther worked hard to give Jericho a bit more than he usually does and it worked, but the match was still dull overall. While this was no great bout, it was a touching moment between two old friends on one’s 30th anniversary.
News of The Night:
- Slash, Dennis Miller, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ted Irvine (Chris Jericho’s dad), Shaquille O’Neil, Gene Simmons, Don Callis, Lars Ulrich, Diamond Dallas Page, Lance Storm, Kevin Smith, Eli Roth, Steel Panther, Ultimo Dragon, Paul Stanley, Gabriel Iglesias and Chavo Guerrero Jr. all wished Chris Jericho a great 30th anniversary.
- MJF gave Chris Jericho a couple of stupid gifts to help set-up MJF possibly joining The Inner Circle, along with Chris and MJF’s love/hate friendship.
- Orange Cassidy will fight Cody for the TNT Title, next week.
- Jon Moxley cut another fabulous promo on fighting Lance Archer for the AEW World Title, which incidentally happens next week.
Final Verdict: 3.6/5
Two of these matches were really great and one was excellent, but this still felt like WWE-lite to me.