‘AEW Dynamite: St. Patrick’s Day Slam’ Review (March 16th 2022)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which is a special St. Patrick’s Day Slam episode emanating from the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas… Tony Schiavone, Excalibur and Jim Ross are on commentary as usual and we’ve got the FIRST Women’s steel cage match in AEW history as the main event. Let’s get into it!
Match #1: Adam Cole & ReDRagon def. ‘Hangman’ Adam Page & Jurassic Express
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Adam Cole went right after Jungle Boy but Jungle Boy rammed his shoulder into Cole and turned things around with a hurracanrana. Luchasaurus tagged in and dished out chops to all three members of the opposing team. Standing on the arena floor, Bobby Fish kicked out the ankle of Luchasaurus, who had been standing on the ring apron. Kyle O’Reilly tagged in and pounded Luchasaurus with kicks and elbows. They isolated Luchasaurus in their corner of the ring. Luchasaurus exploded out of the corner with a double lariat to ReDRagon and tagged Hangman Page! Page jumped over the top rope onto Cole and O’Reilly, and then took out Bobby Fish with a pop-up powerbomb for a near fall! Jungle Boy made the tag and flipped over the top rope and crashed onto all three members of the opposing team. They hit triple moonsaults on Kyle, Page, and Fish! ReDRagon rallied back with combination offense on Jungle Boy for a near fall! Jungle Boy jumped off the top rope but he ate a superkick from Cole! O’Reilly was wrenching away with a leg lock on Luchasaurus until it was broken up inadvertently. Cole and Page traded shots and Page blasted Cole with the Dead Eye! Page followed up with a clothesline. Jungle Boy nailed Kyle and Cole with a double doomsday device off the ropes! Cole dropped his knee pad and lowered the boom on Jungle Boy! Cole scored the pin on Jungle Boy! Cole was staring into the eyes of Hangman Page as Cole pinned Jungle Boy.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Jon Moxley & Bryan Danielson def. Chuck Taylor & Wheeler Yuta
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
William Regal joined the broadcast booth for this match. Moxley charged at Chuck Taylor. Bryan brought the battle to Wheeler Yuta as the bell rang. Moxley hit a delayed vertical suplex on Yuta. Mox clubbed Yuta with his forearms and then raked his back. Bryan tagged in and dropped a knee to Wheeler for a near fall. Taylor tagged in and neutralized Moxley on the outside with a dive. Chuck applied a single leg crab on Danielson but Danielson reached and tagged Moxley. Taylor and Moxley traded chops but Mox knocked Taylor to the mat. Danielson tagged in and kicked Chuck Taylor in the sternum. Bryan bridged back into an Indian death lock. Moxley tagged in and connected with a short dropkick to Taylor. Moxley superplexed Taylor for a near fall. Moxley transitioned into a hammerlock. Mox spiked Chuck Taylor with a piledriver. Yuta managed to steal a tag and he splashed Moxley in the corner. Yuta connected with a waist lock German suplex. Chuck Taylor tried to piledrive Mox on the outside of the ring but Moxley countered with the Paradigm Shift! In the ring, Bryan blasted Wheeler with a barrage of kicks! Moxley grabbed Yuta with a Saito suplex. Danielson grabbed Yuta with a side capture suplex for a near fall. The fans began to chant “Yuta!” in support. Danielson started to kick Yuta’s head in after capturing his arms. He tagged Mox and Mox forced Wheeler to tap out after applying the bulldog choke hold! On the way out of the ring, Wheeler Yuta returned from the ramp. Wheeler extended his hand to Regal, but instead Regal slapped Wheeler Yuta in the face! Regal smiled and Yuta said, “I’ll be back.”
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: TNT Championship Match – Scorpio Sky def. Wardlow
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Sky and Wardlow had a stare-down. Sky applied a side headlock but Wardlow powered out and tossed Sky across the ring. Paige got in Wardlow’s face outside the ring. Vanderford moved her aside. Vanderford distracted Wardlow long enough for Scorpio Sky to hit a sliding dropkick on Wardlow. Wardlow grabbed Scorpio Sky by the throat and launched him with a belly-to-belly suplex. Wardlow tossed Sky a second time, but Wardlow was clutching his ribs from all the body shots he endured from Sky earlier. Wardlow spiked Sky with a one-handed chokeslam. He signaled for the first movement of the Powerbomb Symphony! Wardlow planted Sky with one powerbomb. And then a second powerbomb! Wardlow dropped Sky a third time with the powerbomb. Dan Lambert jumped on the ring apron to distract Wardlow. Scorpio Sky rolled to the outside of the ring to buy some time. Wardlow was about to powerbomb Scorpio Sky on the arena floor when Shawn Spears walked onto the ramp with two steel chairs! MJF came out of nowhere and drove Wardlow’s face into the steel ring post! Scorpio Sky rolled up a dazed Wardlow and pinned him! Austin Vanderford grounded and pounded Wardlow, but Wardlow fought up Vanderford and Spears. Wardlow grabbed MJF but Spears blindsided Wardlow with a steel chair to the back! MJF pulled out a bank check and handed it over to Dan Lambert, who accepted the payoff. Spears cracked Wardlow with a second chair shot! MJF put on the Dynamite Diamond Ring. MJF cracked Wardlow in the head with the ring! “This was your call!” shouted MJF.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: The Hardys def. Private Party
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Hardys are making their AEW tag team debut tonight. Matt began the match for his team and tried to tie up with Marq Quen. Matt connected with forearms. Kassidy ran in but Jeff Hardy chased him out. Jeff Hardy tagged in to a huge ovation. The Hardys used a classic combination on Quen and then one for Kassidy. Jeff Hardy dropkicked Quen to the back. The Hardys continued with the tandem offense on Marq Quen. Matt Hardy dropped elbows on Quen but Quen fired back with a kick to Matt’s face. Kassidy tagged in and Private Party upped the ante with tandem offense of their own onto Matt! After distracting the referee, Private Party pulled Matt Hardy leg-first into the ring post! Marq Quen stomped on Matt Hardy. Kassidy tagged in and he hammered Matt Hardy with stiff kicks and slugged him with closed fists. Quen raked Matt’s eyes and followed up with a dropkick. Quen crashed down onto Matt outside the ring. Private Party isolated Matt in the corner and began to stomp a mudhole in him. Matt Hardy refocused and was able to get the hot tag to Jeff Hardy. Jeff Hardy connected with a double leg drop to Kassidy. Hardy used a Russian leg sweep. Jeff flattened Isiah Kassidy. Jeff climbed to the top rope but Marq Quen split Jeff’s legs. Private Party were looking for Gin and Juice but Matt Hardy hit the Side Effect! Jeff used a diving splash off the middle rope onto Kassidy for a near fall! Jeff and Matt nailed Private Party with a double Twist of Fate. Jeff dropped a Swanton bomb on Kassidy and scored the pin!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: AEW Women’s World Championship Steel Cage Match – Thunder Rosa def. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Baker paid homage to Scott Hall with her ring attire. “God Bless Scott Hall,” said Tony Schiavone. Baker immediately tried to climb out of the cage but Thunder Rosa pulled her down to the mat. Baker fired back by hammering Thunder Rosa with shots. Thunder Rosa kicked Baker and then landed a clothesline. Thunder Rosa rammed Baker into the unforgiving steel cage! Baker was bleeding and Thunder Rosa began pushing Baker’s forehead back and forth against the fencing. Thunder Rosa rammed Baker face-first into the steel cage, outside the ring. Baker shoved Rosa away. Ref Paul Turner checked on Baker’s laceration. Thunder Rosa hit a big stunner on Baker and followed up with a double knee strike to the champ! Thunder Rosa gouged Baker’s forehead. Baker cracked Thunder Rosa with a back elbow. Baker rocked Paul Turner with a mistimed superkick! Thunder Rosa nailed Baker with the Thunder Fire Driver but there was no referee to count the pin! Thunder Rosa placed a steel chair on Britt Baker and climbed to the top rope. Britt got up and cracked Thunder Rosa three times with the steel chair. Baker piled up steel chairs near the corner of the ring. Baker climbed to the top turnbuckle and smashed Thunder Rosa onto the chairs below with an Air Raid Crash! Ref Aubrey Edwards entered the ring and counted but it was only a near fall as Thunder Rosa kicked out. Baker set up chairs in front of Thunder Rosa. Baker hoisted Thunder Rosa onto the top turnbuckle. Britt and Thunder Rosa slugged it out on the top turnbuckles. Thunder Rosa rammed Britt Baker head-first into the steel cage and Baker fell backwards, her spine crashing onto the steel chairs below! Thunder Rosa ate a desperation superkick from Britt Baker. Britt Baker pulled a bag of thumbtacks from underneath the ring and then spilled them out onto the canvas. Thunder Rosa countered out but Baker back body dropped Rosa onto the thumbtacks for a near fall. Baker transitioned and tried to apply the Lock Jaw but Thunder Rosa bit down on Baker’s hand. Thunder Rosa powerbombed Baker onto the thumbtacks! Britt Baker cracked Thunder Rosa with a steel chair! Thunder Rosa rallied back with a Thunder Fire Driver into the thumbtacks and pinned Dr. Britt Baker!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
This was a barnstormer of an episode for AEW, with a stacked card and a main event that totally delivered. This show opened strong and closed stronger, the only downside – for me – was that lengthy Chris Jericho promo segment where he introduced the “sports entertainers” that are the Jericho Appreciation Society. WTF?! Seriously. Now I get that being with Jericho raised Sammy Guevara’s profile on TV but… Daniel Garcia certainly didn’t need this. Instead he should’ve joined Regal’s stable instead. Seriously. That was my major gripe for this entire episode, otherwise this was another winner for Tony Khan and AEW.
