‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (April 6th 2022)
It’s Thursday, so you know what that means… It’s time for our review of this week’s AEW: Dynamite, which emanates from the Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts.
Match #1: Adam Cole def. Christian Cage
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Christian Cage applied a tight side headlock. Cole whipped Cage into the ropes and Cage came back with a shoulder block, knocking Cole off his feet. Adam Cole kicked Christian in the midsection. Cole spat at Christian and then Cole retreated out of the ring. Christian followed him out and caught Cole with a lariat. Christian Cage chopped away at Cole back in the ring. Cole kicked out Christian’s leg, knocking Christian off the turnbuckles. Cage went to the outside to try to collect himself. Adam Cole followed Christian out of the ring and then Adam Cole whipped Christian into the steel ring steps! Christian rallied back, leap frogging the steel ring post, crashing down onto Adam Cole on the arena floor! They traded strikes inside the ring and Cole cracked Christian Cage with an enzaguri kick. Christian fired back, planting Cole with the swinging DDT. Christian was looking for the Kill Switch but Adam Cole countered with a backstabber for a near fall! Christian rolled up Cole with an inside cradle for a two-count. Christian followed up with a reverse DDT! Christian attempting a diving headbutt but Cole dodged it. Adam Cole lowered the boom and rocked Cage with the running knee strike. Christian Cage jumped off the turnbuckles for a flying European uppercut but Adam Cole defended with a thrust kick! Cole was looking for the Panama Sunrise but Christian countered with a hurracanrana! Christian charged at Cole but Cole connected with a kick. Christian speared Adam Cole for a near fall! Adam Cole poked Christian Cage in the eyes, lowered the boom, and then stole the win!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: The Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Qualifier Match – Samoa Joe def. Max Caster
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Max got into Joe’s face and Joe headbutted Max. Samoa Joe connected with a swift knee and then an elbow to Max Caster. Samoa Joe wasted no time and hit the elbow suicida onto Caster. Bowens distracted Samoa Joe, which gave Max a chance to blindside Joe. Samoa Joe got the momentum back with a muscle buster and then pinned Max.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Capt. Shawn Dean def. “The Chairman” Shawn Spears
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
MJF’s music played and out walked Max before the match could even begin. MJF joined the commentary team for this match. Spears hit a backbreaker on Shawn Dean. Spears hurled Dean over the top rope, and Dean hit the arena floor. Spears followed up with a chop, but Dean fired back with chops of his own. Shawn Spears hoisted Dean and drilled him with a neck breaker! Backstage, security was wiped out by Wardlow! MJF began to freak out on commentary. Wardlow almost made it to the ring but three security guards were finally able to stop Wardlow. As this was going on, Shawn Spears was distracted by the mayhem. Shawn Dean rolled up Spears from behind and pinned him!
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #4: Tables Match – Matt & Jeff Hardy def. The Butcher & The Blade
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Butcher and the Blade set up the tables early on. Blade clotheslined Jeff to get the early advantage. Blade charged at Jeff but Jeff dodged it and Blade smashed into a table that was propped up in the corner of the ring. Butcher tried to German suplex Jeff through a table but Matt Hardy spotted the danger that his brother was in. The Hardys nailed Butcher with a double DDT! Matt held Butcher on a table while Jeff climbed to the top rope. Blade pulled at Jeff’s boot and Jeff lost his balance, crashing down into the ring. Butcher and the Blade smashed Jeff Hardy through a table with their tandem offense, so Jeff was eliminated! Matt struck back with a steel chair to the Butcher and the Blade! Matt jumped off the top rope, putting Butcher through a table with a leg drop. This left only Matt and Blade left in the match. Despite being eliminated, Butcher helped the Blade set up a table outside the ring. Butcher and Blade grabbed Matt Hardy and suplexed him off the guardrail and onto the arena floor! Jeff swept out the Butcher’s legs. Jeff used a modified stunner on Blade, and then Matt nailed Blade with the Twist of Fate on the arena floor. Jeff pulled a ladder out from beneath the ring. Matt Hardy hit the Twist of Fate on the Butcher! The Hardys set up two tables side by side outside the ring. Matt put Blade on the table while Jeff climbed to the top of the ladder. Jeff flew off with a Swanton Bomb, crushing the Blade through the tables!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: The Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Qualifier Match – Hikaru Shida def. Julia Hart
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Julia Hart kicked Shida before the bell rang. The Blonds asked Julia what she was doing, and Julia ordered them to leave and go to the back. Shida pulled a chair out from beneath the ring. Shida ran and jumped off the chair, hitting a dropkick on Julia! Julia DDT’ed Shida as Shida was making her way back into the ring. Julia mounted Shida and began to attack with the ground and pound! Shida rallied back with a running knee strike. Shida pulled Julia up from the apron and superplexed her for a near fall! Shida hoisted up Julia but Julia gouged Shida’s eyes. Julia used a bulldog on Shida! Julia climbed to the top rope and jumped but Shida moved! Shida blasted Julia with the spinning knee strike and then the falcon arrow to pin Julia!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: ROH & AAA Tag Team Championship Match – FTR def. The Young Bucks
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
ROH announcer Bobby Cruise made the official ring introductions. Cash and Matt began for their respective teams. Matt applied a side headlock. Cash ran off the ropes and hit a shoulder tackle on Matt Jackson. Cash posed while Matt went to the outside to collect his thoughts. Dax and Nick tagged in. Dax ducked a leap frog from Nick and then slammed Nick. Dax used a deep arm drag on Nick. Matt Jackson grabbed a blind tag. FTR and the Bucks began to hockey fight in Boston! The Bucks used a backflip dropkick combo on Dax and Cash. Dax and Cash applied sharpshooters on the Bucks! Nick and Matt escaped after gouging the eyes of FTR. Matt nailed Cash with a cannonball senton! Nick Jackson superkicked Harwood before Wheeler could grab a tag. There was some miscommunication and Nick accidentally kicked Matt! Cash made the tag to Dax and Dax wiped out both Bucks with a flurry of offense. Dax stuffed Matt with a piledriver for a near fall! Dax met Matt on the top turnbuckle and suplexed Matt into the ring. Nick Jackson prevented the powerplex, though, as he used a hurracanrana on Cash! The Bucks used a bulldog dropkick combo on Cash! As the ref was distracted, Matt connected with the low blow on Wheeler. The Bucks blasted Wheeler with the Big Rig for a near fall! The Bucks followed up with More Bang For Your Bucks for another near fall on Cash Wheeler! Nick grabbed one of the ROH belts and smashed Cash in the head with it. Dax broke up the pin attempt but the Bucks superkicked Harwood! The Bucks smashed Cash with the BTE Trigger. The Bucks thought they scored the pin but Cash had his foot on the ropes so the match was restarted. FTR countered the Meltzer Driver with a tombstone combo to the Bucks. FTR hit the BTE Trigger on Matt Jackson and then after hitting the Big Rig, Dax pinned Matt!
My Score: 5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
Well this was another banger of an episode for AEW: Dynamite, opened strong and had a main event that – honestly – cements FTR as the best tag team in the world. Who else had two back-to-back 5-star (IMHO) matches in one week? We also had the debut of Samoa Joe on Dynamite in a dominant display against Max Caster (who is also putting in some great work whilst Bowens is injured); and on a personal note I was overjoyed to see Shawn Dean on Dynamite AND getting a win whilst doing it’ plus we got more on the Julia Hart story… and before anyone complains about AEW needing to pull the trigger on the Hart/House of Black story, we spent two years watching Hangman Page’s story pan out, surely you can wait longer for Julia Hart’s. A story I’m hoping will also let the 20 year-old(!) gain some much-needed experience and not be a rehash of a “similar” story we’ve seen elsewhere.
