‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jan 12th 2022)

Welcome to this weeks review of AEW: Dynamite, which emanates from Raleigh, North Carolina and opens with a “storytime” promo from Adam Cole… Let’s get right into the action!

Match #1: CM Punk def. Wardlow

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Punk and Wardlow locked up and Wardlow shoved Punk into the turnbuckles. They locked up again and put applied a side headlock. Wardlow shoved Punk into the ropes and then plowed into Punk with a shoulder tackle. CM Punk retaliated with hard strikes and a kick to the midsection. Wardlow fought back by ramming his shoulder into Punk, who was cornered in the turnbuckles. Punk chopped at the outside thigh of Wardlow with stiff kicks. Wardlow quickly tried to put Punk through with his Powerbomb Symphony but Punk had it scouted. Punk headed outside the ring to collect his thoughts. Punk tried for a tornado DDT off the turnbuckles but Wardlow threw him right off and halfway across the ring! Wardlow tried for a powerbomb but Punk escaped and assaulted Wardlow with kicks. Wardlow barely budged! Punk connected with a springboard clothesline and took Wardlow off his feet finally! Punk charged in with a running knee strike in the corner onto Wardlow. Punk took a moment to pop MJF the middle finger. Wardlow seized the opportunity and powerbombed CM Punk! And then another powerbomb! And then a third powerbomb! And then a fourth powerbomb! And then a fifth. Wardlow went to cover Punk for the pin but MJF jumped up onto the apron and stopped Wardlow, saying he wanted more powerbombs… Wardlow powerbombed CM Punk again! MJF ordered Wardlow to do it again! Wardlow planted Punk with a seventh powerbomb! MJF cleared off the timekeeper’s table and commanded Wardlow to powerbomb Punk through it! Wardlow picked up Punk who was deadweight at this point and then smashed him through the table, breaking the table in half! Dr. Sampson checked on Punk at ringside! Punk barely managed to make it back into the ring, just beating ref Aubrey Edwards’ count. MJF ordered Wardlow to powerbomb Punk again! Punk rolled up Wardlow in a small package and scored the pin!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #2: Dante Martin def. Powerhouse Hobbs

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Taz joined the commentary team for this match. Dante Martin sprinted to the ring and he and Hobbs began slugging it out before the bell rang! Dante dropkicked Hobbs to the outside. Hobbs planted Dante on the arena floor with a spinebuster! Hobbs hoisted up Dante in a vertical suplex position and then slammed him down onto the mat, and then he did it a second time for good measure! Dante rallied back with lefts and rights but Hobbs clotheslined Dante back to the mat. Hobbs tried to pick Dante off the mat but Dante kicked Hobbs in the ribs. Hobbs clubbed Dante with a huge forearm. Hobbs ran into Dante with a massive cross body block like a runaway truck. Hobbs hurled Dante into the corner and Dante hit the turnbuckles with so much force the momentum carried him up and out of the ring! Dante desperately elbowed Hobbs! Dante Martin jumped at Hobbs but Hobbs caught him with a torture rack. Dante escaped and followed up with a missile dropkick at Hobbs! Dante took out Hobbs on the outside with a beautiful tornillo. Hobbs collided with Dante but Hobbs failed to capitalize. Starks snuck onto the ring apron, about to attack Dante with a cheap shot, but Jay Lethal ran down and prevented Starks from interfering. Dante jumped up onto the top turnbuckle and finished off Hobbs with his Nose Bleed finisher. Dante Martin pinned Hobbs and Lethal walked to the back with Dante Martin!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #3: Serena Deeb def. Hikaru Shida

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

As Shida was making her entrance, Deeb blindsided her, clipping Shida’s knee! Deeb smacked Shida with Shida’s kendo stick! Deeb dropped Shida knee-first onto the steel ring steps! Deeb swarmed Shida and stomped a mudhole! Deeb used a dragon screw on the ropes on Shida. Deeb tore off the tape from Shida’s knee. Deeb slammed Shida’s knee into the mat repeatedly. Referee Paul Turner stopped the match! After the match, Dr. Sampson and ref Paul Turner were checking on Shida. Deeb jumped into the ring and broke the kendo stick over Hikaru Shida.

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #4: Penta El Zero Miedo def. Matt Hardy

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Hardy took down Penta El Zero Miedo but then Penta El Zero Miedo charged at Hardy and fired a chop at him. Penta El Zero Miedo hit a couple of sling blades on Matt Hardy. He used a rib breaker on Hardy for near fall! Hardy countered the Fear Factor with a DDT on Penta El Zero Miedo! Hardy was looking for a superplex but Penta El Zero Miedo slid underneath! Penta El Zero Miedo climbed back up and dropped the double stomp onto Hardy! They traded chops on the edge of the ring! Penta El Zero Miedo was looking for the Fear Factor on the apron but Hardy escaped! Hardy dropped Penta El Zero Miedo with the Side Effect on the apron. Hardy attempted the Twist of Fate but Penta El Zero Miedo had it scouted! Penta El Zero Miedo was shoved off the turnbuckles by Hardy! “Big Money” Matt Hardy tried for a moonsault but Penta El Zero Miedo moved out of the way! Penta El Zero Miedo spiked Matt Hardy with the Fear Factor and then pinned Hardy!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #5: The Acclaimed def. Bear Country

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Bowens and Caster used combination offense on Bear Bronson! Caster jumped off the ropes with a diving cross body! Bear Bronson squashed Bowens by sitting down on him. Bronson tagged Bear Boulder in. Bear Boulder bounced the Acclaimed off the mat with a double flatliner! Bear Country tried for the Bear Bomb but Caster pulled Bowens out of the way. Caster distracted the ref while Bowens pulled Bronson’s throat across the ropes! Max Caster hit the Mic Drop and they pinned Bronson!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #6: Interim TNT Championship Match – Sammy Guevara def. Daniel Garcia

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Legendary pro wrestling luminary David Crockett was ringside to present the winner with the title. Chris Jericho and Eddie Kingston were ringside. Garcia and Sammy chain wrestled to start the match! Garcia dropped Sammy with a big right hand! Garcia continued the onslaught with elbows and kicks. Sammy fired back with a kick to Garcia’s spine! Sammy sent Garcia to the outside and then jumped over the top rope and crashed onto Garcia! Sammy tried for the GTH but Garcia escaped. He caught Sammy in mid-air with a backbreaker! Sammy rallied back with a double springboard senton onto Garcia outside the ring! Garcia pulled Sammy off the top rope and followed up with a backdrop driver for a near fall! Sammy pulled Garcia into an inside cradle for a near fall! Garcia blocked the GTH and stepped through with a scorpion deathlock! Sammy reached for the ropes and the hold was broken. Garcia charged at Sammy but Sammy dodged him. Sammy spiked Garcia with the Cross Rhodes for the near fall! Sammy attempted the double jump into the cutter but Garcia caught him and pulled back with a bulldog choke. Garcia hit the piledriver on Sammy for a near fall. 2point0 attacked Eddie Kingston and then Chris Jericho! Sammy knocked out Garcia with the GTH and then pinned him!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Final Verdict: 2.5/5

That score should tell you everything you need to know about this weeks episode of Dynamite… It was average. There was nothing truly oustanding, truly exciting, about the show. Now it wasn’t bad; it certainly wasn’t WWE Raw bad! But this one felt like AEW was treading water, don’t know why, I’d hoped that we’d see a lot more development of feuds, exciting new storylines… but what we got was more of the same – the feuds may have changed but the scripts haven’t. Maybe the end of last year, will all the debuts has spoilt the show for now? We’ll have to wait and see what happens next week.