‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Feb 23rd 2022)

It’s another week and another episode of AEW: Dynamite to review. Hopefully this hits a higher note than the rest of this week’s AEW shows, so far, and the company can build to the end of the week on a high. Let’s see, shall we?

Match #1: Tag Team Battle Royale – the winning team advances to and AEW: Revolution 2022 Title Match

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

AEW World Tag Team Champs Jurassic Express, with Christian Cage, were watching the match unfold from the ramp. The Blade shoved Alex Reynolds off the apron onto the floor, but then John Reynolds dumped the Blade over the top rope! Ortiz eliminated Austin Gunn and then Santana hurled Colten to the outside. The Butcher blocked a swinging DDT from Trent and then suplexed Trent. The Butcher slugged away at Trent. Chuck Taylor lured in the Butcher, eliminating him over the top rope! ReDRagon used their tandem offense to eliminate Chuck Taylor from the match. Private Party were eliminated right in front of a frustrated Matt Hardy. Santana singlehandedly eliminated 2point0! FTR landed the Big Rig on John Silver! ReDRagon attacked FTR from behind. Nick Jackson nailed Trent with a running bulldog. FTR tossed Nick Jackson over the top, but Matt Jackson was still in the match. Santana clipped Matt Jackson from behind. Trent was almost eliminated but Orange Cassidy popped out, hoisting Trent on his shoulders and placing him back in the ring. Trent sent Bobby Fish over the top rope with a lariat! Cash Wheeler was eliminated after interference from Tully Blanchard backfired! John Silver German Suplexed Matt Jackson and followed up with a straight jacket backstabber! Trent and Santana had a stare down and the fans were on their feet! Trent and Santana picked right off from where they left off in the parking lot at Daily’s Place. Santana wiped out Trent with a discus lariat! Trent hung on after a pump kick from Santana. As Trent and Santana battled on the ring apron, Matt Jackson and Kyle O’Reilly charged at them and eliminated Trent and Santana. Dax ate a series of knee strikes from Kyle. Dax struck back with a suplex. Dax stomped a mudhole into Kyle on the ring apron. Bobby Fish, who was previously eliminated, knocked Dax off the apron, eliminating him. John Silver sent Matt for a ride with the Spin Doctor! Kyle and Matt double-teamed John Silver. Matt tossed Silver over, and in the process, Kyle snuck up from behind and eliminated Matt Jackson!

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #2: Kings Of The Black Throne – Brody King & Malakai Black def. Death Triangle – PAC & Penta El Zero Miedo

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Penta Oscuro (the dark and violent side of Penta El Zero Miedo) walked to the ring with a shovel. PAC planted Black with a 450 splash for a near fall! Penta Oscuro tagged in and blasted Malakia Black with hard shots to the quads. “The Bastard” PAC tagged back in but Black shoved him into the corner and Brody King tagged in. Brody nearly decapitated PAC with a clothesline. Brody took out both members of the opposition with a tope suicida! Malakai Black stomped onto PAC with double knees and followed up with a German Suplex! Penta Oscuro hit a cross body off the top rope onto Brody King! The Kings were looking for Dante’s Inferno but PAC made the save. PAC stagged Brody King with a pump kick to the jaw. PAC German Suplexed Brody King. Black made a blind tag and went for the mist on Penta Oscuro but Penta Oscuro covered Black’s mouth and rolled him up for the pin! Brody King pummeled Penta Oscuro after that match! Then he went after PAC! Malakai Black brought the shovel into the ring. The arena lights turned off and then Buddy Matthews appeared in the ring! Buddy Matthews attacked Penta Oscuro and PAC! Black commanded Buddy to smash Penta Oscuro’s face into the steel chair, and Buddy Matthews obeyed!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #3: Face Of The Revolution Qualifying Match – FTW Champ “Absolute” Ricky Starks def. Dark Order’s Pres10 Vance!

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Taz joined the commentary team for this match. 10 hit a shoulder tackle on Starks. Ricky jumped back at 10 with a shoulder block of his own. 10 planted Starks with a delayed vertical suplex! 10 clobbered Starks with a discus clothesline! 10 locked on a full nelson. Starks spun 10’s mask around, forcing 10 to let go of the hold. Starks speared 10 and then pinned him!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #4: TBS Championship Match – Jade Cargill def. The Bunny

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Jade pump kicked the Bunny! Jade dropped her leg on the Bunny’s arm. The Bunny escaped a hammerlock and whiplashed Jade’s neck. The Bunny hit Jade with a Russian Leg Sweep on the arena floor right into the steel barricade! “Big Money” Matt Hardy stormed out to the ring. Jade hit a fallaway slam on the Bunny. She followed up with a big back elbow on the Bunny. The Bunny rocked Jade with a big knee left. Bunny charged at Jade but Jade countered with a spinebuster! Matt Hardy tossed brass knux into the ring. Mark Sterling slid in the TBS Title! The Bunny punched at Jade with the knux but Jade blocked it with the championship belt! Ref Aubrey Edwards had enough and ejected Sterling and Hardy! Jade smashed the Bunny with Jaded and pinned her! Tay Conti walked onto the ramp with a mic in hand. Tay charged the ring but the Bunny grabbed her. Tay nailed the Bunny with the Tay-KO! Jade nearly knocked Tay’s block off with a pump kick! Anna Jay sprinted to the ring with a steel chair to even up the odds and Jade jumped out of the ring.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #5: Bryan Danielson def. Daniel Garcia

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Danielson powered Garcia into the corner and clubbed him with a forearm. Garcia fired back with a chop! Danielson got the ground and pound game on Garcia. Danielson nearly had the Le Bell Lock on Garcia but Garcia touched the ropes with his boot, forcing the ref to break the hold. Garcia chop blocked Danielson’s leg out from under him! Outside the ring, Garcia swung Danielson’s leg into the steel ring post! Garcia brought Danielson back into the ring and worked him over with chops in the corner and then hit the dragon screw leg whip. Garcia got suplexed to the outside by Danielson. “American Dragon” followed up with a running knee off the apron onto Garcia! Danielson blasted Garcia with a shotgun dropkick off the top rope! Danielson wrenched back on Garcia’s leg with a leg lock! Garcia grabbed a leg lock at the same time. Danielson tiger suplexed Garcia and transitioned into Cattle Mutilation! Garcia grabbed an ankle lock and then stomped on Danielson’s head. Danielson escaped and with their hands interlocked, they traded forearms. Garcia tried for the dragon screw leg whip but Danielson countered with the triangle sleeper and choked Garcia out! Danielson grabbed a mic after the match. 2point0 ambushed Danielson from behind! Jon Moxley charged into the fray and wiped out 2point0. Garcia grabbed a chair and was about to waffle Mox from behind but Danielson stopped Garcia. Mox turned around and hit the Paradigm Shift on Garcia!

My Score: 4 out of 5

Final Verdict: 4/5

After two lacklustre shows to start the week, AEW turns the tide and knock it out of the park with this week’s episode of Dynamite. An episode that delivered good matches, a great main event, but… even better promos! Wow. We had a banger from Jericho and Kingston and then there was THAT remarkable promo from MJF, which took his current feud with CM Punk to a totally different level. I don’t think anyone expected that turn in the MJF/CM Punk story; made me even more excited for their actual match at Revolution. Speaking of which, this show built brilliantly to the forthcoming PPV, teasing some interesting matches – though I’m most intrigued by how Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs will handle facing each other in the Face of the Revolution match! Here’s hoping Rampage ends this week in AEW wrestling on the same high note!