‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (June 1st 2022)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California. As usual, we have Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Jim Ross on commentary for the first Dynamite post-Double or Nothing.
Match #1: Trios Match – CM Punk & FTR def. Max Caster & The Gunn Club
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Austin ate an elbow from Dax. FTR used their tandem offense on Austin Gunn. Cash Wheeler tagged in and sent Colten for a ride with a big bag drop. Max tagged in but Cash jumped over him. Cash tagged Punk in, and Punk hit Caster with forearms. Max shoved Punk into the turnbuckles and then began stomping a mudhole. Punk rallied back with a crossbody press. Cash powerslammed Caster, but Austin Gunn quickly tagged in. The Gunn Club double teamed Dax with forearms and dropkicks. Billy Gunn connected with a massive right hand from the floor to Dax Harwood. The Gunn Club punished “the Ax” with their double team bullying. CM Punk tagged in and bodyslammed both members of the Gunn Club. Punk clipped Caster with a high kick. Punk dropped an elbow off the top rope to Austin but Billy Gunn stepped on the apron. Punk picked up Austin and powerbombed him onto Billy. CM Punk rocked Austin with the GTS, which was followed up by the Big Rig and Dax grabbed the pin!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #2: Miro def. Johnny Elite
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Johnny Elite slid in with a kick but Miro walloped Johnny with a lariat. Miro clubbed Johnny Elite in the turnbuckle with rights and lefts! Johnny Elite connected with some body shots but Miro snatched him and tossed him overhead. Johnny avoided a pump kick from Miro. Johnny followed up with a roundhouse kick to Miro. Johnny cracked Miro with a kick off the ropes and then a standing shooting star press! Johnny jumped off the top rope but Miro rolled out of the way and blasted Johnny Elite with a pump kick! Miro locked on Game Over and made Johnny Elite tap out!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Hikuleo, ReDRagon & The Young Bucks def. Jurassic Express, Christian Cage, Matt Hardy & Darby Allin
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Adam Cole joined the commentary team for this match. Kyle and Jungle Boy began the match, and Jungle Boy took down Kyle with a dropkick. Kyle tagged out to Bobby Fish, but Fish walked right into an arm drag. Christian Cage tagged in and he and Jungle Boy used a double hip toss on Fish. Matt Hardy tagged in and dropped an elbow on Bobby Fish. Matt Jackson tagged in but so did Christian Cage, who hammered down with fists to Matt Jackson’s head. Christian Cage planted Matt with a swinging DDT! Christian Cage used a diving headbutt on Matt Jackson and then things broke down! Nick Jackson superkicked Christian Cage and then jumped over the top rope onto the opposition! Luchasaurus tagged in and hurled Matt Jackson across the ring. He rammed Kyle O’Reilly into Nick Jackson in the turnbuckles. Luchasaurus tried to chokeslam Nick but Nick escaped and kicked Luchasaurus. Jungle Boy hit a destroyer and then Luchasaurus used a standing moonsault on Nick, but Nick broke up the pin attempt. Hikuleo tagged in and tried to chokeslam Luchasaurus but Luchasaurus headbutted Hikuleo. Darby tagged in and dropkicked Kyle into the corner. Darby used coffin splashes on ReDRagon and then nailed Kyle with an over-the-top stunner! Darby attempted the coffin drop to the outside but Hikuleo caught him! ReDRagon double teamed Darby outside the ring. Matt Jackson tried to delete Nick Jackson and then Kyle, and then Bobby, ramming their heads into the turnbuckles. Hikuleo had enough and whipped Matt Hardy into the corner. Christian Cage came off the top to dropkick Hikuleo and Matt Hardy followed up with the Twist of Fate. Christian Cage speared Hikuleo off the apron! The Bucks superkicked Luchasaurus and then Jungle Boy! ReDRagon hit the high low and then the Bucks used the Meltzer Driver on Jungle Boy, and Matt Jackson pinned him!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Wardlow def. JD Drake
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Drake chopped at Wardlow but Wardlow wound up and landed a massive lariat on Drake. Wardlow picked up Drake and pancaked him down onto the mat! Wardlow powerbombed JD Drake! He followed up with another powerbomb and then pinned Drake!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Ruby Soho & Toni Storm def. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. & Jamie Hayter
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Toni squared off with Britt, but Britt took a cheap shot on Toni. Storm fired back with kicks to Baker and then Baker bailed out to the arena floor. Toni Storm rolled up Britt but Britt kicked out. Ruby Soho tagged in and she and Toni blasted Britt with stereo kicks. Baker managed to connect with a twisting neck breaker on Ruby onto the floor. Ruby grabbed Britt and suplexed her. Toni Storm tagged in and hit a high German suplex on Hayter. Toni launched off the bottom rope with a swinging DDT. Ruby was looking for the foot stomp but walked into a thrust kick from Britt. Hayter hoisted up Roby and spiked her across her knee! Baker tagged in and threw Ruby with a butterfly suplex. Ruby rallied back with the No Future kick on Baker. Ruby attempted a cradle pin but Hayter turned the momentum the other way so Baker could reverse it. Baker connected with a swinging neck breaker. Ruby finished off Baker with Destination Unknown and pinned her! Hayter attacked Toni Storm and Ruby Soho after the match with Britt’s trophy belt from the Owen!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Jon Moxley def. Daniel Garcia
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Moxley mauled Garcia with chops from pillar to post. Garcia answered with palm strikes of his own. Moxley slapped Garcia in the face and then kicked him in the spine. Garcia dropped Moxley to his knees with two vicious headbutts. Moxley was busted wide open! Garcia whipped Moxley into the steel ring steps. He trapped Moxley’s leg in between the ring steps and the steel post and then dropkicked it. Garcia tried for a sharpshooter but Moxley gouged Garcia’s eyes. Mox picked up Garcia and slammed him on the steel ring steps! Moxley followed up with lariats in the corner. Moxley suplexed Daniel Garcia off the turnbuckles and then battered him with hammer and anvil elbows. Garcia rolled through and then began to drop elbows on Moxley. Moxley applied a cross arm breaker but Garcia countered with a submission until Moxley grabbed the ropes. Garcia nailed Moxley with a piledriver for a near fall! Garcia locked on a sharpshooter but Moxley escaped. Moxley splashed Garcia onto the timekeeper’s table. Jericho sprinted to the ring, but Eddie Kingston ran down and began to hammer Jericho. Moxley smashed Garcia with the Paradigm Shift and then pinned him!
My Score: 4 out of 5
News of the Night:
- MJF delivered one of the best promos of his career in a BRILLIANT work of the AEW audience.
- Hiroshi Tanahashi answered CM Punk’s call for an opponent for the Forbidden Door PPV.
Final Verdict: 4/5
This was a weird, but fun, episode of Dynamite. Punk and FTR should have made for a great match by Punk botched his moves and seemed to be totally out of step with everyone else in the match. That was followed by one of the best promos of the year from MJF. Seriously THE best of the year. Miro returned and beat the sh*t out of Johnny Elite, thank god. Both for Miro’s return AND the fact he beat the crap out of Johnny one-note moveset but keep changing my name to please the crowd(s). The 10-man tag match was fun as was Wardlow’s first “official” squash match as a member of the AEW roster… Then we got a fantastic women’s tag match and the announcement of Blood and Guts! Then to top it all off we got an instant classic between Daniel Garcia and Jon Moxley in the main event. Definitely a great follow up to Double or Nothing!
