‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jan 6th 2021)
Welcome to this week’s AEW Dynamite review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and the psychos finally took over the Capitol of America. What a bunch of ass-holes. I’m glad we don’t have that problem in wres… Bunch Of Ass-Holes: AEW! AEW! AEW! AEW! AEW! AEW! Me: Oh f—.
Match #1: The Young Bucks—Matt & Nick Jackson, & SCU—“Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian def. The Hybrid2—Angelico & Jack Evans, & The Acclaimed—“The Five-Tool Player” Anthony Bowens & “Platinum” Max Caster
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
“It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!” said Jim Ross, welcoming viewers to the very first DYNAMITE of 2021! The Bucks and SCU were wearing t-shirts that had the phrase: “Your rap is crap!” The match broke down into a Pier 6 brawl right from the get-go! The Bucks took down Jack Evans! Nick Jackson then his an escalara and took out the opposition on the outside, landing on his feet! “Jack Evans is really underrated,” said Tony Schiavone, as Evans connected with a kick to Daniels. Angelico tagged himself in and continued to work over Daniels. Evans tagged in and dropped a double-foot stomp onto “The Fallen Angel,” but Daniels kicked out at two! Excalibur reminded us that with the start of 2021, the rankings have also started over for the year. Evans smashed Daniels with a Phoenix splash off the middle rope. Angelico tagged in and applied a submission hold to Daniels, but CD was able to reach the ropes to get the ref to break it. Bowens rattled Daniels with a back elbow, but Daniels followed up with a blue thunder bomb and was able to tag in Frankie Kazarian! Kazarian used a German suplex on Evans for a near fall! Evans dropped Kazarian with a kick across the chest and then a standing twister sky press for a near fall! Frankie tagged in Matt Jackson, and he took down Caster and Angelico with a double Northern lights suplex! “Matt has no fear, I can tell you that,” said Jim Ross, as Matt Jackson cleaned house on the opposition. Nick and Matt hit Risky Business on Bowens but Bowens managed to kick out! Kazarian helped Nick Jackson hit the BTE Trigger on Bowens but it was broken up. Evans attempted a 630 senton but Nick managed to get his knees up in time! Matt and Nick invited the opposition to a superkick party and they had plenty of invitations to go around! They were looking for the Meltzer Driver but Evans bridged out after some interference and scored a near fall on Matt! Chris Daniels executed his Best Moonsault Ever as Matt Jackson dropped Evans with the Meltzer Driver—the two teams working together flawlessly! This was more than enough for Matt Jackson to pin Jack Evans!
My Opinion: 3.3 out of 5
Match #2: Wardlow def. Jake Hager
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
“Wardlow can be a franchise player. Look at him! Wardlow,” said Jim Ross. The Inner Circle were watching the match from the top of the ramp. Wardlow and Hager locked up like two big rams! Hager took down Wardlow but Wardlow used leg scissors on Hager. They both grappled and then stood back up. Wardlow got a waist lock but Hager fired a back elbow at him. Wardlow used forearms on Hager. This was a true hoss fight! “That’s Wardlow’s best chance—his striking,” said Jim Ross. Wardlow clotheslined Hager and both men spilled to the outside! “Godzilla versus King Kong!” said Chris Jericho. Wardlow lifted Hager and planted him! He picked up Hager and chucked him across the ring, not once, but twice! Hager kicked out at the two-count! Wardlow was looking for the F10 but Hager escaped and rammed Wardlow with a running splash into the corner! Hager suplexed Wardlow and tried for a pin but Hager kicked out at two! Hager went for the Hager Bomb but Wardlow had it scouted! Hager tried instead for an ankle lock but Wardlow escaped and ran into Hager, blasting him off the apron into the steel barricade! Wardlow hit a release German suplex on Hager but Hager kicked out! Wardlow climbed to the top rope and nailed Hager with the senton atomico! Hager rolled through and countered with the head and arm triangle, but Wardlow grabbed the rope for the ref break! The climbed to the second turnbuckle, with Hager having Wardlow in the head and arm triangle again! Wardlow countered by dropping down and he followed up with the F10! Wardlow pinned Hager after that giant F10! “All it took was one small miscalculation by Hager for Wardlow to get the victory,” said Excalibur.
My Opinion: 4.1 out of 5
Match #3: Cody Rhodes (with Snoop Dogg) def. Matt Sydal
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cody Rhodes came out to a Snoop Dogg-remixed version of his entrance theme! Sydal jumped off the middle rope with an arm drag on Cody. He followed up with running knees to Cody! Snoop was on the ramp coaching Cody. Sydal jumped off the top rope with double knees to Cody on the ramp, nearly taking out Snoop. Sydal hurt his own legs on the move, taking the brunt of it on his knees. Sydal and Cody fought on the outside of the ring, with Cody accidentally striking Serpentico with an errant shot! They returned to the ring and Cody applied the Scorpion Deathlock on Matt Sydal! Finally Sydal made it to the bottom rope to force the ref break. Cody nailed a reversed suplex from the turnbuckles on Matt Sydal for a near fall! Cody went back to the top rope for the moonsault but Sydal moved out of the way. Sydal followed up with the rising knee strike! Sydal attempted a shooting star press but Cody pulled up his knees. Cody grabbed Sydal with a reverse DDT! Sydal charged in with a cross face-like submission on Cody. After Cody escaped, he blasted Matt Sydal with a lariat, knocking both of them over the ropes to the arena floor! Cody missed a pump kick as Sydal timed it, but Cody followed up with a Disaster Kick! Sydal snatched Cody with a hurracanrana for two-count. Sydal planted Cody with a lightning spiral but Cody was able to kick out! Cody smashed Sydal with two Cross Rhodes and then pinned him!
My Opinion: 4 out of 5
Match #4: Hikaru Shida def. Abadon – AEW Women’s World Championship Match
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
“This has been building for months,” noted Jericho. Abandon ambushed Shida as Shida was making her entrance. Shida smacked her right in the forehead with her kendo stick! Abadon sat right up like it didn’t bother her! “The lunacy inside of Abadon makes her very dangerous,” said Jericho. Shida tried for the running knee lift but Abadon grabbed her and bit into Shida’s thigh. Abadon shrieked! “Abadon is an entity that lives it and breathes it,” said Jim Ross. Abadon pulled Shida under the ring, out of view from the referee and anyone else. Abadon crawled back out and there was blood spilling out of Abadon’s mouth, and it wasn’t hers! “She bit Shida’s neck again!” said Jericho. Shida finally crawled back out, clutching her neck, in intense pain! Abadon covered Shida and Shida was barely able to kick out! Abadon grabbed a fistful of Shida’s hair and began smashing her face first against the mat! Shida managed to take down Abadon with a frog splash off the second rope to the arena floor! Shida rammed Abadon’s head into the steel barricade and then superplexed Abadon back into the ring. “Fighting fire with fire,” said Tony Schiavone. Abadon bridged up in a freaky fashion and nailed Shida with a lariat. Shida powered through the pain and hit her running knee on Abadon, scoring the pin! “This is very clearly Shida’s toughest title defense yet,” noted Excalibur.
My Opinion: 2.9 out of 5
Match #5: (Main Event) Kenny Omega def. Rey Fenix – AEW World Championship Match
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
“This is electric,” said Chris Jericho, as the bell rang to start the match. Rey Fenix used a knee to Omega’s midsection and took him down, but Omega fought out and stepped on Rey Fenix’s leg with all his weight! Omega applied a deep hammerlock but Rey Fenix escaped it. But the momentum was short lived as Kenny spiked Rey Fenix with a hurracanrana! Rey Fenix followed up with a step up hurracanrana of his own, knocking Kenny to the outside! Rey Fenix quickly went back to the attack with another hurracanrana from the apron to the outside on Omega. Kenny connected with a swinging DDT on Rey Fenix, but Rey Fenix popped right out. Omega slapped him with a knife-edged chop! On the outside of the ring, Omega repeatedly rammed Rey Fenix into the barricade! Rey Fenix hopped over the steel barricade and then tried for a cutter on Omega, but Omega caught him and countered with a snap dragon suplex! Omega picked up Rey Fenix and then smashed him down on the ring apron! “He’s done, Kenny,” said Don Callis from the ringside area. Omega used a Kotaro crusher on Rey Fenix for a near fall. “Right now the match belongs to Kenny Omega,” said Jim Ross. Omega dropped Rey Fenix spine-first across his knee. This lit a fire in Rey Fenix, who popped up and began to trade strikes with the AEW World Champ. “Kenny is just punishing Rey Fenix’s back with those forearms,” said Chris Jericho. Rey Fenix surprised Kenny with a backwards springing headbutt! Rey Fenix, after displaying awesome agility, performed a double springboard into a dropkick onto Omega! He sprinted and blasted Omega with a tope con hiro! “They are beating the crap out of each other and they love it!” said Chris Jericho. Rey Fenix spring boarded off the middle rope, over Omega’s head, transitioning from a moonsault into a German suplex on Omega in a single uninterrupted sequence! The broadcast team was nearly speechless! Rey Fenix followed up with diving foot stomps to the back of Omega’s head! “Two of the highest skilled athletes in all of pro wrestling! It’s anybody’s ballgame,” said Jim Ross. Omega countered Rey Fenix’s tornillo with a rising knee, a powerbomb, and then a V-trigger! Rey Fenix kicked out! “Don Callis has a concerned look on his face! It’s his meal ticket in jeopardy,” said Jim Ross. Omega used another V-trigger and then tried for the One-Winged Angel, but Rey Fenix countered with a reverse hurracanrana! Don Callis distracted Rey Fenix for a moment and Omega used the opportunity to hit another V-trigger on Rey Fenix! They were both charged up with adrenaline, though, and Rey Fenix used an outside-in cutter to stun Omega, and then followed up with the thunder driver for a near fall on Omega! “The crowd is going crazy here,” said Jericho. “The challenger has taken over the momentum,” said Jim Ross. Rey Fenix tried the frog splash but after being warned by Don Callis, Omega lifted his knees up! Omega caught Rey Fenix and planted him with the Tiger Driver ’98! He followed up with the One-Winged Angel and pinned Rey Fenix! “What an absolute war!” said Excalibur.
My Opinion: 4.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4.1/5
We had five matches here and little in the way of silly AEW comedy. AEW Invaders/Bunch Of Assholes: AEW doesn’t do dumb comedy! That’s only in the WWE! Me: Le Dinner Debonair? Miro’s video game fetish? Jurassic Express? Everything else that The Inner Circle does? The Dark Order’s Exalted One vignettes? Big Swole and Britt Baker’s whole feud and cinematic wrestling match? The Rick and Morty costume thing? Invader #1: S…shut up! Me: The opener was a lot of good moves, but pretty slow on the wrestling part. The Young Bucks… Invader #17: The Young Bucks are the greatest! They never do just spots! Me: Yes they do. That being said, I still like their matches. Invader #17: Oh. Me: SCU is doing an angle where they can’t lose any-more, because Kazarian made it so? That’s kind of a weird angle to do out of the blue. Invader #44: It’s called nuance! The WWE would never do that! Me: Actually, even though I often object to how Vince books, he does let some layered story-lines happen every now and then. Also, no story-line can be really effective if it has no logical precedence, no matter what league is promoting it. Invader #44: …bitch. Invader #57: Hikaru Shida and Abadon was a real match! This was better than any WWE women’s match! Me: How so? This was a sloppy angle on a stick that I gave a decent rating to because the women tried, but failed as well. Abadon is just a gimmick at this point and she was allowed to just brazen her way through the whole match without doing much in the way of quality wrestling. Shida carried Abadon through the whole affair. It was essentially a WWE schlock-fest, but in AEW. Invader #57: You…actually watched the match. Me: Yes. Didn’t you? Invader #57: N…YES! Me: You know guys, AEW doesn’t have to be perfect for you to enjoy it. I like AEW, but it doesn’t always do what it claimed it was gonna do. This league promised sports-oriented programming and it largely promotes a simpler variation of the WWE song-and-dance formula of professional wrestling. Invader #78: Wardlow/Jake Hager was better than most WWE big-men matches. Me: I agree on that. AEW let Wardlow and Hager actually wrestle and take chances on what their offense would look like. I thought they had a great match. The main event was… Invader #99: The greatest match ever! Me: I thought it was great as well. I don’t know if it was the greatest, but it was free of the restraints that it would have had in the WWE. Some mistakes were made in the match, but the match itself held together in all the right places and that means a lot when the match is the focal point of the show. Invader #2000: Well, is sounds like you liked it as much as we did. Me: Yes, but there’s no reason to be a fanatic either. If AEW does some-thing wrong, then they did some-thing wrong. If AEW does some-thing right, then they did some-thing right. I may get pissed that Tony Khan keeps changing the rules of the game before you can even figure out how to play, but at least the players in the game are getting a chance to play at all. I had my issues with this show, but it was a lot of fun over-all and that’s okay with me. Invader Leader: Well…what about our revolution? Trump had those assholes take over Washington. We wanted to take over too. Me: You guys don’t wanna be like those pricks. They aren’t revolutionaries…they’re dumb-f—-. Invader Leader: …and that one dick had the antlers. Didn’t some of them die? Me: I think so. Invader Leader: Maybe this revolution was the wrong way to go. Me: Well, why you guys are here…wanna go to the…YMCA! Invaders and Me: YMCA! It’s fun to stay at the YMCA! Doin’ everything that a natural boy would always love and enjoy! YMCA! Invader #5069: Wasn’t one of them gay? Invader #804: The police-man? Invader #260: No, the Native American. Invader #62: They were all gay! Me: Well, while they argue about gay singers, New Year’s Smash Night 1 was a fine show that wasn’t perfect, but it was a lot of fun. See you next week for Night 2!
