‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Dec 15th 2021)

Welcome to this weeks review of AEW: Dynamite which is this years “Winter is Coming” edition and features Hangman Adam Page defending his championship against Bryan Danielson… and that opens the show, which comes from the Curtis Cullwell Center in Garland, Texas.

Match #1: AEW World Championship Title Match – “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Bryan Danielson (Time Limit Draw)

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Both men locked up in a collar and elbow tie-up with both men trying to gain positioning. Page backed Bryan back into the corner. Danielson did jumping jacks in the corner, showing disrespect toward the champion. Page got frustrated with Bryan and began to shove him. Page used a side headlock takedown on Bryan. Page avoided a sweep from Bryan and then quickly kicked Bryan in the chest. Bryan tried a leapfrog and Page caught him and body slammed Bryan. The challenger transitioned, grabbed Page’s legs and began to wrench on them. Bryan began to work over Page’s back with well placed knees. Danielson locked on the Romero Special and transitioned to a Dragon Sleeper on Page! Bryan head butted Page but Page ran right through and rocked Bryan with a chop. And then another! Bryan grabbed Page’s ankle and singled it out. With Page’s legs locked, Bryan began to whoop Page with body shots. Danielson knocked Page out of the ring and was looking for a tope suicida but Page jumped back into the ring and nailed him with a forearm. Page went over the top rope and shut down Danielson on the arena floor! Adam Page climbed the top rope and jumped but Danielson met him with a beautiful roundhouse kick. Danielson had it scouted and smirked at Page before he began to drive more knees into the midsection of the champion. Danielson catapulted Page throat first across the bottom rope. Danielson trapped Page’s arm behind the top rope and began kicking him forcefully. Danielson climbed the top rope and jumped onto Page with a diving knee to the back of Page’s head!

Danielson got caught up on the top rope and Page spring boarded off the turnbuckle and connected with a lariat to Danielson. Page collided with Bryan using a tope suicida to the outside. The champ followed up with a moonsault to the outside onto Bryan Danielson! Page hoisted Danielson up with a Death Valley Driver and wrecked him for a near fall! Page was about to set up Danielson with a superplex but Bryan escaped and went behind Page. The champ sent Danielson to the mat with a hard elbow. Page attempted a moonsault but Danielson moved out of the way and rolled up Page for a near fall. Danielson attempted the Le Bell Lock but Page freed his arm and rolled up Danielson for a near fall. Danielson grabbed an ankle and started wrenching Page’s legs. Danielson walloped Page in the midsection with a stiff kick! Danielson ran into the corner but Page countered with a popup powerbomb for a near fall on Danielson! “Hangman” Adam Page was setting up for the Buckshot Lariat but Danielson saw it out of the corner of his eye and he rolled out of the ring. Page improvised with a sliding dropkick. Page went up for another moonsault but Danielson shoved him off and Page landed on the ring apron! Danielson concentrated on Page’s shoulders and rammed him repeatedly into the steel ring post! Page was busted open from being rammed into the corner ring posts. Danielson jumped off the ring apron with a flying knee, attacking Page’s open wound! Danielson once again rammed his knee into the head of Page, and then wrapped Page’s right arm around the steel ring post! Page countered a knee strike from Danielson but Danielson came back with a German Suplex! Danielson applied the Cattle Mutilation submission. Page escaped but Danielson fired off body kicks to ‘Hangman” Adam Page! Danielson wound up for a roundhouse but Page ducked and Danielson’s shin collided with the ring post!

Page lifted Danielson and rammed Danielson’s knee into the ring post! Page exposed the ringside barricade, trapped Danielson’s leg, and then kicked it! “Hangman” Adam Page locked in the figure four submission on Danielson! The challenged rolled to the ropes to force the ref to break the hold. Out of nowhere, Page planted Danielson with a tombstone piledriver but Danielson kicked out! Page propped Danielson onto the top turnbuckle and chopped away at him. Page tried for a top rope superplex but Danielson hit him with short jabs to the ribs, knocking him down. Danielson followed up with a shoulder trap suplex for a near fall! Danielson hoisted Page onto the top turnbuckle and took him down hard with a back suplex! Danielson hooked Page’s leg for a near fall! Danielson was using the hammer and anvil strikes on Page. Danielson was trying to wrench the arm of Page out of the socket but Page made it to the bottom rope to force the break. Bryan attempted the Gotch style piledriver on the apron but Page reversed with the Dead Eye on the apron! Page jumped off the top of the ring post, hurling himself at Bryan Danielson, but Danielson moved and Page smashed into the timekeeper’s table! Back in the ring, Danielson countered a lariat with a kick to Page’s arm! Danielson tried to suplex Page off the top rope but Page landed on his feet and followed up with a lariat that turned the challenger inside out! They traded strikes in the center of the ring! Danielson began to head butt Page. “Hangman” Adam Page tried for a rolling elbow but Bryan countered with a roundhouse! Danielson covered Page for a near fall! Five minutes remained in the match! Danielson trapped Page’s arms and then began stomping Page’s face!

Bryan was lining up Page for the running knee but Page caught him and countered with the Dead Eye for the near fall! Page trapped Bryan’s arms and began stomping Bryan’s face! Page removed his elbow pad and went for the Buck Shot Lariat but Danielson countered with the Le Bell Lock! There was one minute remaining! Page slingshot Danielson into the ropes and Page exploded onto the challenger with a clothesline. Page connected with the Buckshot Lariat but time expired! Announcer Justin Roberts declared the match a draw as Danielson and Page went to the full 60-minute time limit!

My Score: 3 out of 5 – This score would’ve have been higher had a) this not gone 60 minutes; and b) we actually got a winner. Totally disappointing to not have Page get one over Danielson – I get he’s a veteran and one of the greatest wrestlers in the world. But hell AEW, have some faith in your champ and DON’T protect the big-name signees. And you could clearly see both men draggin this one out at the 30-minute mark… Another sign a 60-minute draw was NOT a good idea!

Match #2: Wardlow def. Matt Sydal

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Sydal went to the lower body with round kicks to Wardlow. Sydal rocked Wardlow with two kicks to Wardlow’s head. Sydal attempted a leg lariat but Wardlow caught Sydal and powerbombed him! Wardlow conducted a powerbomb symphony on Sydal and then pinned Sydal. Shawn Spears grabbed a microphone and instructed Wardlow not to do so many powerbombs and to just go for the pin because they don’t get paid by the hour. Spears whacked Sydal with a steel chair. Spears phone began to ring and it was a call from MJF. Spears said MJF wanted Wardlow to go run and errand and get some champagne for MJF’s post-match celebration.

My Score: 1 out of 5 – What a way to follow up a 60-minute match… With a squash. Ridiculous. Wardkow needs to break away from MJF and the Pinnacle and start having real wrestling matches, it’s getting f**king stupid now – a 13-match streak and they’re all squash matches no matter the opponent. Shame.

Match #3: Hikaru Shida def. Serena Deeb

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Deeb attacked Shida as Shida tried to enter the ring. Shida hurled the kendo stick at Deeb! Shida used a hammer throw on Deeb into the corner. Shida sprung off the middle rope but Deeb countered with a leg lock. Deeb hit a European Uppercut on Shida. Deeb locked on a figure four leg lock as Shida’s leg was tied up around the ring post. Shida rallied back with multiple strikes to Deeb’s head! Shida caught Deeb with a step-up enziguri for a near fall! Deeb exposed the turnbuckle and dropped Shida with a neck breaker on it. Deeb followed up with a powerbomb! Deeb hit two consecutive neck breakers on Shida. She tried for another but Shida countered with a falcon arrow! Shida caught Deeb on the back of the head with an ax kick. Deeb applied a single leg crab on Shida! Deeb wrenched back and then slapped at Shida’s ear. Deeb pulled off the turnbuckle pad. She tried to send Shida into the exposed corner but Shida reversed it by kicking Deeb into it. Shida jackknifed Deeb for the pin!

My Score: 3 out of 5 – This was a good match butm, ultimately, a disappointing end(?) to the feud between these two, which has sometimes been better when the pair are NOT wrestling each other IMHO. I thought Shida might have lost this one given that she’s advertised for matches in Japan next year. Glad that’s not the case.

Match #4: Dynamite Diamond Ring Match – MJF def. Dante Martin

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

MJF took down Dante with a side headlock takeover. MJF stomped on Dante’s back and then did a strut. Dante got up and slapped MJF in the mouth! Dante executed a 450 knee drop on MJF for a near fall! Dante was going to go for the nosedive but MJF moved so Dante held off. MJF rolled to the outside of the ring to collect his thoughts.Dante attempted the nose dive but MJF shoved him off the ropes and sent him flying into the barricade! MJF rammed Dante Martin into the barricade again! Back in the ring, MJF tried for a powerbomb but Dante rolled up MJF for a two-count! MJF tried a pin attempt with his feet on the ropes, but ref Bryce Remsburg saw it and stopped the pin attempt. Dante jumped over the top rope and down onto MJF on the arena floor! Dante followed up with a tope con hiro over the turnbuckles onto MJF. Dante blasted MJF with a shooting star press outside the ring, his knee connecting hard with MJF’s face! Back in the ring, Dante dropped MJF with one shot. Dante cracked MJF with a right hand! Dante surprised MJF with a leg lariat and then a back slide for a near fall. Dante rolled up MJF in a small package for a two-count. Dante tried a sunset flip but MJF bailed out. MJF spiked Dante with a Liger Bomb for a near fall! Dante rolled out of the ring. Dante brought MJF into the ring the hard way. Dante connected with the nose bleed springboard. He almost had MJF pinned but “Absolute” Ricky Starks ran out and placed MJF’s foot on the bottom ropes to stop the pin. MJF applied the Salt of the Earth armbar and forced Dante Martin to tap out!

My Score: 3 out of 5 – A good match but the wrong person won. MJF does not need to be the Diamond Ring winner for another year. Dante Martin could really have done with the kudos that this particular tournament supplies. Haing MJF with the ring for a third year is not exciting or interesting. Pretty much like the end of this match was. Interference finish? Pah! Almost as bad as a 60-minute time limit draw!

Final Verdict: 3/5

Well that was disappointing.