‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (June 8th 2022)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, MO. As usual, we have Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Jim Ross on commentary and a HUGE Casino Battle Royale to determine Jon Moxley’s opponent as part of the interim title championship race and the announcement of a brand-new international title! Let’s get to it…
Match #1: Casino Battle Royale – Winner: Kyle O’Reilly
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The winner of tonight’s Battle Royale faces Jon Moxley to determine who will go on to face the winner of the June 12th New Japan Pro-Wrestling Eliminator (Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto) for the Interim AEW World Championship on June 26th at the FORBIDDEN DOOR live on pay-per-view! Darby Allin, Tony Nese, Daniel Garcia, Lance Archer, and Eddie Kingston were the first group of entrants. Kingston went straight towards Garcia and they slugged it out in the center of the ring while the other participants watched in awe. Nese poked at Archer, but Archer had enough and choke slammed Nese. Darby Allin clocked Archer with a skateboard to the knee! Darby followed up with a tope con hiro to the “MurderHawk Monster”! Darby bludgeoned Kingston but Kingston rocked Darby with a shot to the jaw. Out next: “Absolute” Ricky Starks, Jake Hager, Rey Fenix, Swerve Strickland, and Keith Lee. Swerve clobbered Tony Nese with a flying European uppercut. Mark Sterling grabbed Swerve’s leg, giving Nese an opportunity to connect with a pump kick to Swerve’s face. Keith Lee shoved Nese off the apron and eliminated Nese. Lance Archer and Keith Lee faced off, and Archer used a crossbody to Lee. Archer was eliminated after a powerbomb over the top from Lee! Out next: John Silver, Konosuke Takeshita, Max Caster and the Gunn Club. And the next group: Powerhouse Hobbs, Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, Dante Martin, and ROH Pure Wrestling Champion Wheeler Yuta. The Gunn Club and Max Caster gave each other the scissor gesture in the center of the ring. Rey Fenix dropkicked Max Caster out of the ring, eliminating Caster! Keith Lee chopped at the Gunn Club and then Fenix nailed the Gunn Club with a double cutter! Keith Lee eliminated the Gunn Club. Swerve grabbed Lee’s legs and flipped him over the top while Lee had his back turned, eliminating Keith Lee! The last entrant: Andrade El Idolo. Andrade El Idolo didn’t forget about Darby locking him into the coffin and went right after Darby! Powerhouse Hobbs charged into John Silver and eliminated him. Jake Hager dumped Garcia and Kingston over the top rope! Hager stomped a mudhole into Kingston on the arena floor. Hobbs and Takeshita battled but then Hobbs and Starks double teamed Takeshita, knocking him off the apron and onto the floor. Dante charged at Starks but Starks ducked, sending Dante Martin crashing to the floor. Rey Fenix rocked Starks with a high-flying kick, eliminating Starks. Darby fired elbows at Andrade. Swerve spun around with a roundhouse kick to the side of Andrade’s head. Swerve took on ReDRagon by himself, but then Fish and O’Reilly used their tandem offense on Darby Allin! Darby tossed Fish to the outside. Swerve used Darby’s momentum against him and dumped him over the top, but Andrade was there to throw Swerve out. Rey Fenix DDT’ed Andrade and then used his foot stomp on him. Powerhouse Hobbs used his spinebuster to smash Rey Fenix to the mat. Wheeler Yuta came to the aid of Rey Fenix and eliminated Hobbs! Kyle and Andrade teamed up to take on Wheeler Yuta, but Wheeler Yuta used a shotgun dropkick on Andrade. Kyle nearly decapitated Yuta with a lariat. Rey Fenix blasted Andrade El Idolo with a roundhouse kick. Andrade caught Rey Fenix with a low blow in midair and then threw him out of the ring. Yuta backdropped Andrade over the top rope, and Andrade was eliminated. Yuta and Kyle traded strikes on the apron! Yuta was tied up in the ropes and Kyle charged at him with a running boot, sending Wheeler Yuta to the floor!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: All-Atlantic Championship Qualifying Match – PAC def. Buddy Matthews
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Matthews hit PAC with a shoulder tackle. PAC returned the favor with a shoulder block of his own. They began to brawl on the floor, with PAC whipped Matthews into the time keeper’s table. PAC spiked Buddy with a DDT back into the ring! Buddy got to his feet and he and PAC traded clubbing blows. Buddy up kicked PAC. “The Bastard” fired back with two kicks and then cradled Matthews for a near fall. Buddy jumped up with a rising knee strike to PAC but PAC rallied back with a lariat. Buddy hoisted up PAC and then nailed him with a Liger Bomb for a near fall! Buddy ate a back elbow from PAC and PAC impaled Matthews with a poisonrana! PAC climbed to the top turnbuckle and crashed down with a perfect Black Arrow to Buddy to pin him!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #3: Adam Page def. David Finlay
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Finlay caught Page with a dropkick. Finlay grabbed a front face lock. He followed up with a shoulder tackle to Adam Page. Finlay tried for the dropkick again but Page dodged it. Adam Page flew to the outside with an elbow suicida to Finlay. Back in the ring, David Finlay chop blocked Adam Page. This enraged Page and he blasted Finlay with chops and then a lariat. Page jumped over the top rope and smashed into Finlay. Page powerbombed Finlay for a near fall. Finlay fought out of the deadeye and then hit Page with a back breaker. Finlay charged at Page with an explosive uppercut. “Hangman” Page came out of nowhere with the buckshot lariat, turning Finlay inside-out, and then scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: AEW Women’s World Championship Match – Thunder Rosa def. Marina Shafir
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Marina and Thunder Rosa grappled to the ground with a collar and elbow tie-up with neither competitor letting go. Marina whipped Thunder Rosa into the turnbuckles. Thunder Rosa grabbed a wristlock. Marina transitioned to Thunder Rosa’s back but Thunder Rosa countered and rolled through. Thunder Rosa chopped at Marina Shafir and then connected with a lariat. Marina hit a snap suplex on Thunder Rosa and then kicked her in the abdomen. Thunder Rosa rallied back with running clotheslines and then dropped her knees onto Marina. Thunder Rosa dropkicked Marina in the spine. Thunder Rosa used a Northern lights suplex for a near fall on Marina Shafir. Marina used a pump handle and sent Thunder Rosa flying to the mat for a near fall. Thunder Rosa came back with a Death Valley driver for a two-count on Marina. Thunder Rosa countered Shafir with a roll-up for the pin!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Jon Moxley def. Kyle O’Reilly
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The winner will go on to face the winner of the June 12th New Japan Pro-Wrestling Eliminator (Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto) for the Interim AEW World Championship on June 26th at the FORBIDDEN DOOR live on pay-per-view! William Regal joined the commentary team for this match. Kyle tried several times for kicks but Mox avoided them. Moxley tripped up O’Reilly with a Cornish Hype, knocking him to the mat. Mox and Kyle tied up and Mox applied a back hammer to Kyle, pushing him to the mat. Mox ripped Kye’s fingers back from his hand. Mox maintained control of the wrist of O’Reilly. Mox stomped away at Kyle’s chest until Kyle escaped to the arena floor. Kyle returned with combination shots to Mox. Kyle and Moxley exchanged forearm shots. Kyle bludgeoned Moxley with leg kicks. Moxley rallied back with a charging clothesline. O’Reilly hit a dragon screw leg whip and then dropped a knee on Moxley from the top rope! Kyle kicked away at Moxley but Moxley answered with headbutts. Both men crashed down after double boots! Kyle went for the arm breaker but Moxley transitioned into a back hammer choke. Kyle bit the ropes to force the break. Moxley walloped Kyle with the King Kong lariat! Moxley dropped the hammer and anvil elbows. Kyle transitioned to the back of Moxley and kicked at Mox’s spine. Kyle followed Mox into the ropes with a knee strike. Mox jumped up with a cutter. Moxley was about to use the Gotch style piledriver but Kyle countered with an arm bar, and then rolled into a leg lock. Moxley nailed Kyle with the piledriver but Kyle kicked out! They went back to trading palm strikes! Moxley suplexed Kyle! Mox locked on the bulldog choke. Mox changed directions and smashed Kyle with the charging Regal knee. Moxley finished off Kyle with the Paradigm Shift, scoring the pin!
My Score: 4 out of 5
News of the Night:
- Eddie Kingston announced he wanted to fight Jake Hager on Rampage following Hager’s elimination of him in the Battle Royale.
- United Empire: Will Ospreay, Aussie Open and Aaron Henare debuted in AEW, ambushing Trent and FTR
Final Verdict: 4/5
This was a great episode of Dynamite, with two amazing matches that really showed what American professional wrestling can be and a bunch of other matches that did their jobs in telling stories. What was interesting about this week’s show was that it felt long, it was the usual 2 hours (with ads etc) but it felt like it went for much longer. It did feel like the show was very slowly and methodically paced and that’s what made it feel like the show was dragging. Yet we got great wrestling… It’s an odd dichotomy for sure. But hell, when we get the likes of Buddy Matthews/PAC and Moxley/O’Reilly you can’t complain at all. Oh and for those that did complain, about Thunder Rosa not appearing on TV as much as Jade Cargill even though she’s the Women’s Champion and Cargill is just the TBS Champion. Well, here you go… A title match for you!