‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Oct 27th 2021)
Welcome to this weeks review of AEW: Dynamite, an episode which has apparently riled-up some wrestling fans online for daring to have Adam Cole dress up as a Ghostbuster! Because that’s apparently making a mockery of his skills and he looks worse here than he ever did in NXT… Er, whatever! The guy is obviously having fun, with his friends, on national television. Chill out… But hey, whilst fans still think there’s a “war” going on between AEW and WWE, this sh*t is going to keep going on all the time. Anyway, enough of that crap, on with the review of this special Halloween episode of Dynamite!
Match #1: CM Punk def. “The Infamous” Bobby Fish
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bobby Fish changed levels, kicking Punk in the turnbuckles. Fish hit knee strikes on Punk but Punk took Fish down and dropped an elbow. Punk used three consecutive body slams on Fish. Punk went for a short arm clothesline but Fish countered with a back elbow. Fish followed up with a senton. Fish hit a snap suplex on Punk for a near fall. Punk clotheslined Fish to the outside of the ring. Punk smashed Fish into the barricade with a tope suicida! Punk climbed to the top rope but Fish rolled back outside. Fish baited Punk and then kicked Punk’s leg out from beneath him. Fish charged at Punk with an elbow for a near fall. Fish punished Punk with an inverted leg screw. Fish focused his attack on Punk’s left knee. Punk rallied back with strikes on Fish on the outside, but Fish blasted Punk with a knee strike. Back in the ring, Fish walloped Punk with kicks to the inside of Punk’s leg. Punk used forearms to push Fish away and off the turnbuckles. Punk balanced on one leg and dropped an elbow off the top turnbuckle to Bobby Fish! Punk connected with a neck breaker and then a short arm clothesline on Fish for a near fall. Punk attempted the GTS but Bobby Fish countered with a dragon screw and then a sliding clothesline! Punk hoisted up Fish again and finally connected with the GTS! Punk finished off Fish with the pin!
My Score: 4 out of 5
A tremendous match between two men who know how to put on a display a well thought out technical wrestling. Fish’s attack on Punk’s knee was great storytelling, as was the late kick-out by Fish.
Match #2: MJF def. Bryce Donovan
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
MJF kicked Donovon and then whipped him into the corner! He quickly hit the Heat Seeker pendulum piledriver and pinned Donovon with one finger!
My Score: 1 out of 5
A quick squash match from MJF, all in order to get him on the mic post-match and run his mouth – further seeling the MJF / Darby Allin feud. Which this actually did well.
Match #3: TNT Champion Match – “Spanish God” Sammy Guevara def. “All Ego” Ethan Page
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
If Sammy is victorious, the Inner Circle gets the 10-Man Tag Match at FULL GEAR. If Sammy loses, he must leave the Inner Circle. Everyone was barred from ringside. Sammy bolted down the ramp and hit a knee strike on Page, sending Page crashing to the arena floor! Sammy took flight and jumped over the top rope with a back flip onto Page! Sammy hurled Ethan Page onto the timekeeper’s table and then into the barricade. The bell finally rang! Page and Sammy traded strikes. Sammy used a snap suplex and floated over. “The Premier Athlete” Tony Neese was watching from ringside. Sammy picked up Ethan Page and dropped him, but as Page was descending to the mat, Sammy kicked him! Page rallied back by dropping Sammy across the turnbuckles! Ethan Page was looking for “Ego’s Edge” but Sammy slipped out! Sammy kicked Page behind the head! Sammy hit a springboard cutter onto Page! The “Spanish God” followed up with a Spanish Fly for a near fall! Sammy connected with a beautiful shooting star press onto Ethan Page on the outside. Page managed to shift the momentum. He climbed to the top turnbuckle but Sammy met him up there! Page picked up Sammy and body slammed him off the top! Page hit a running shoulder tackle on Sammy! Page hoisted Sammy up, looking for the avalanche Ego’s Edge but Sammy countered. Sammy finished off Ethan with a shooting star press for the pin!
My Score: 4 out of 5
This was an awesome match. Guevara did tons of high-flying moves whilst Page, once he got the momentum really took it to Sammy, using his strength to counter Sammy’s speed and agility. This was definintely a great example of a TNT Title match – it really did feel like both guys were putting everything on the line to get the win, taking more risks than ever, trying new things. Superb.
Match #4: TBS Women’s Title Tournament First-Round Match – Hikaru Shida def. Serena Deeb
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shida and Deeb chain wrestled to start the match. Shida kicked at Deeb in the corner. Deeb swept out the leg of Shida and wrapped it into the steel ring post! Shida used her legs to pull Deeb into the steel post. Deeb was seeing stars on the outside of the ring and Shida left the ring to bring Deeb back in (to prevent a count out). Shida brought Deeb back in by suplexing her! Deeb unleashed European uppercuts on Shida, but Shida hammered back with fists! She whipped Deeb into the corner and rocked Deeb with a running elbow. Shida hit a missile dropkick and then a delayed vertical suplex for a near fall on Deeb! Shida dropped an ax kick and then followed up with a release German suplex on Serena. She planted Deeb for a near fall! Shida connected with a running knee strike on Deeb for another near fall! Shida pushed Deeb who landed hard on the arena floor. Shida jumped off the ring steps with a missile drop kick on Deeb! Serena fought back by wrapped Shida’s legs across the ring post and applying the figure four! Shida blasted Deeb with a question mark kick! Shida attempted a running knee strike but Deeb countered with an inverted figure four! Shida made it to the ropes to break the hold. Deeb picked up the broken plaque but Shida kicked Deeb, knocking it out of her hand. Deeb was looking for the Deeb-tox but Shida reversed it with a roll-up and pinned Deeb!
My Score: 4 out of 5
What is this? Stack Dynamite’s return to Wednesday with a ton of banging matches? It certainly seems that way, with this womens tournament match delivering another instant classic between these two. LOVED the continuation of the pairs feud from their last match and it was great to see Shida pick up the win. Having her lose last time to Deeb made this 50th match win feel all the more special. Great booking. To be fair to Deeb, she could’ve taken this one over Shida as well and I would’ve have been upset – that would mean we get to see more fantastic matches between these two women!
Match #5: Men’s World Title Eliminator Tournament Eliminator Match – Jon Moxley def. Dark Order’s Pres10 Vance
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The winner will face “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy in the semifinals of the tournament. Moxley used a release German suplex and then stomped a mudhole into Vance! Moxley sent 10 face-first into the ring steps. He began biting on 10’s mask. 10 was busted wide open! Pres10 fought back with a pump kick to Mox in the corner but Mox regrouped and rained right hands down on him. Mox finished off Pres10 with the Paradigm Shift and pinned him!
My Score: 1 out of 5
This was an absolute squash on 10. I did notice commentary on Elevation and Dark repeatedly mention the last time 10 faced Moxley and the injury he suffered but I thought, and hoped, that might mean Moxley was in for more of a challenge in this match. It was not to be.
Match #6: Dark Order def. The Elite
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Elite were dressed as Ghostbusters. Adam Cole kicked at John Silver, who was dressed as Bambi. Silver hit a head butt on Cole and followed up with a back body drop. Kenny Omega tagged in, proton pack and all! Evil Uno tried to splash Kenny Omega but Omega turned and Uno splashed the proton pack instead! Grayson tagged in and then the Dark Order splashed Matt Jackson in the corner. Colt Cabana, dressed as Brandon Cutler, cold sprayed Matt Jackson. Grayson launched himself off the shoulder of The Young Bucks and hit a hurracanrana on Kenny Omega! Colt Cabana tagged in and cleaned house on the Bucks! Cabana hit the Flying Apple on Adam Cole. Nick Jackson superkicked “Boom Boom”! John Silver tagged in and hit a release German suplex on Nick Jackson. Silver was superkicked for his trouble! Omega nailed Silver with a snapdragon suplex! It was pure bedlam as Dark Order and the Elite traded offense. Nick Jackson inadvertently superkicked ref Rick Knox! They grabbed their proton packs and sandwiched the Dark Order with splashes. The Super Elite powerbombed Colt Cabana on the proton packs! The top end of a costumed horse ran out to the ring and the Super Elite took him out to pasture with the BTE Trigger! They removed the horse’s head and it was Brandon Cutler with his mouth taped! The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man hit the Dead Eye on Matt Jackson. He unmasked to reveal he was “Hangman” Adam Page in disguise! John Silver covered Matt Jackson and pinned him for the victory!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
I was really looking forward to seeing the Dark Order and the “Super” Elite go at it in a match and this one delivered. Just a shame they booked it as a Halloween costume match. I would’ve liked to have seen this one taken a little more seriously but I’m hoping – given Dark Order got the win – that we’ll be due a rematch or two down the line. The match broke down towards the end but the surprise appearance of Page AND the Jon Silver geting the win more than made up for it.
News of the Night:
- MJF will fight Darby Allin at Full Gear.
- Britt Baker will fight Abadon in a no DQ match this week on Rampage.
- The match between the Inner Circle and American Top Team/Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky will be a Minneapolis Street Fight.
- The Lucha Bros. announced they will put the titles on the line in a match against FTR at Full Gear.
- Hikaru Shida became AEW’s first female with 50 wins.
- The Sydal Brothers vs Dante Martin & Lio Rush match on Rampage was changed to just Matt Sydal vs. Dante Martin, after is was announced Mike Sydal was injured.
Final Verdict: 4/5
This was an absolutely brilliant episode of Dynamite that featured three tremendous singles matches and a fun main event that no doubt sent fans home with a smile on their face – showing just what AEW is all about. Good wrestling and pleasing the fans. And isn’t that what we all want really? A great build to Full Gear too.
