‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Aug 3rd 2022)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. We’ve Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Taz on commentary, with JR joining mid-way through the show as per usual. Let’s get to the review!
Match #1: Jay Lethal def. Orange Cassidy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Orange ducked a charging Jay Lethal and tried for a cradle pin. Orange snatched a side headlock. Jay Lethal quickly got to his feet and took Orange Cassidy down with an arm drag. Lethal attempted the Lethal Injection but Orange Cassidy countered and then followed up with a tope suicida. Lethal crawled up the ramp and Orange followed him. Satnam Singh walked out of the tunnel to the top of the ramp. Chuck Taylor had Trent on his shoulders and they had a face off until Sonjay Dutt warned Satnam that Chuck Taylor was hiding himself under Trent’s trench coat. Jay Lethal used the distraction to his advantage and began to work over Orange’s legs. Jay Lethal sandwiched Cassidy’s leg in between the steel ring steps and then dropkicked the steps. And then Jay Lethal locked on the figure four but Orange rolled to the ropes to force the ref to break the hold. Jay Lethal attempted to suplex Orange back into the ring but Orange countered with a Stun Dog Millionaire. Jay Lethal fired back with the Lethal Combination counter. Orange Cassidy fought back with body shops and then landed a diving DDT on Lethal! He followed back with a second DDT to Lethal for a near fall! Orange was about to go for the Orange Punch but his leg gave out and he crumbled to the mat. Jay Lethal tried to hoist him up but Orange countered with the Beach Break for a two-count. Orange tried to power through for an Orange Punch but Lethal dodged it. Lethal kicked out Orange’s leg and then scored the pin on Orange after the Lethal Injection!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. & Jamie Hayter def. Thunder Storm (Thunder Rosa & Toni Storm)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Thunder Rosa used a double leg takedown on Britt Baker but then Baker went for the Lock Jaw. Thunder Rosa countered with a suplex. Jamie Hayter tagged in but Thunder Rosa nailed her with a running dropkick. Thunder Rosa chopped Jamie in the chest. Toni tagged in and charged at Hayter with a running uppercut. Thunder Storm used a double vertical suplex on Jamie Hayter. Thunder Rosa cracked Hayter in the jaw with a powerful shot and followed up with a snap mare. Britt Baker tagged in and sent Rosa into the turnbuckles. Hayter followed up with running double knees to Thunder Rosa. Toni Storm made the tag and hit a high cross body on Hayter. Storm DDT’ed Britt Baker outside the ring. Toni hit another crossbody on Hayter. Toni grabbed a near fall after a water wheel drop on Hayter. Britt Baker tagged in and blasted Rosa with a rip cord strike. Thunder Rosa fired back with a Death Valley Driver. Toni climbed to the top rope but after some distraction by Rebel, Baker climbed to the top rope and hit an avalanche air raid crash on Toni Storm. Hayter hit a sliding lariat to Toni Storm. Hayter went for the pin but Thunder Rosa jumped out of nowhere to break up the pin! Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker hit each other with strikes but then Britt Baker connected with the air raid crash! Toni Storm launched off the ropes with a DDT to Baker but Hayter became a difference maker and planted Storm! Toni Storm used her hip attack but then Baker pulled Thunder Rosa down, forcing Toni to crash into her. Hayter wasted no time to score the pinfall on Toni Storm!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Powerhouse Hobbs def. Ren Jones
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hobbs squashed Jones into the corner with a running splash. Hobbs hoisted up Jones and smashed him with a leaping Oklahoma Slam. Hobbs pinned Ren Jones in short order.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #4: Christian Cage def. Matt Hardy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Matt Hardy used a quick double leg on Christian Cage and swarmed him with strikes! Christian Cage rallied back but then Matt Hardy shoved him off the turnbuckles, back onto the ring apron. Hardy whipped Christian Cage into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Hardy smashed Christian’s head into the turnbuckles and followed up with a powerbomb for a near fall. Christian Cage rammed Hardy into the steel ring steps and then hit Hardy with a running knee to the head! But Matt Hardy mustered the strength to superplex Christian Cage back into the ring! Hardy got good height on a back body drop to Christian Cage. Matt Hardy dropped the point of his elbow on Christian Cage’s neck. Cage countered the Twist of Fate. Matt Hardy back body dropped Cage off the turnbuckles and followed up with a diving elbow for a near fall. Christian Cage attempted the Kill Switch but Matt Hardy countered it. Cage came back with a diving headbutt for a near fall. Matt Hardy rocked Christian Cage with the Side Effect for a two-count! Matt followed up with a Side Effect on the apron! Matt Hardy grabbed the time keeper’s table and moved it closer to the ring. Hardy placed Christian Cage on the table and then tried for an elbow drop off the apron but Christian moved! Christian Cage was looking for the Kill Switch inside the ring and he nailed it on Matt Hardy for the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Tag Team Dumpster Match – The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) def. The Gunn Club (Austin & Colten)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Gunn Club tried to double suplex Bowens onto trash cans but Bowens reversed it by suplexing the Gunn Club! The Gunn Club powerbombed Bowens into the dumpster! Caster was backdropped into the dumpster but Caster hit back with a cookie sheet. The teams brawled to the top of the ramp. Austin Gunn was on top of the tunnel but Caster climbed up and threw Austin into the dumpster! Bowens placed Colten on a table and Caster nailed him with the Mic Drop! They placed both members of the Gunn Club in the dumpster and then tied the lid shut, winning the match! The Acclaimed pushed the dumpster off the ramp and sent it crashing onto the floor below!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: Chris Jericho def. Wheeler Yuta
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
William Regal joined the commentary team for this match. ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli walked to the ring to help even up the odds for Wheeler Yuta. Yuta flicked Jericho’s broken nose, a move that Regal taught him. Jericho rolled out of the ring but Wheeler chased after him and then whipped Jericho into the steel guardrails. Parker grabbed Yuta’s boot and ref Aubrey Edwards ejected them from the ringside area. Jericho tried to roll up Wheeler for a quick pin but Wheeler went after Jericho’s broken nose again. Wheeler Yuta climbed to the top turnbuckle but Jericho knocked Yuta off his perch. Yuta rallied back, stringing some combos together, nailing Jericho. Both men collided into one another with cross body presses. On their knees, they traded palm strikes. Yuta used a German Suplex, and then a second German Suplex, and then a third, and then a fourth, and then a fifth on Jericho for a near fall! Jericho countered with the Walls of Jericho. Yuta grabbed the bottom rope, forcing the ref break. Jericho charged at Yuta but Yuta dumped Jericho over the top rope! Yuta connected with two tope suicidas. Yuta caught Jericho off guard with a third tope suicida! Jericho attempted the lionsault but Yuta raised his knees to block it! Yuta jumped off the top rope but Jericho countered with the Code Breaker for a two-count! Jericho used the hammer and anvil elbows on Yuta but Yuta grabbed Jericho’s broken nose again. Yuta had Jericho in a submission. Jericho grabbed his baseball bat but ref Aubrey Edwards yanked it away. When she had her back turned, Jericho hit Yuta with a low blow. Jericho applied the Lion Tamer and Wheeler Yuta was forced to tap out! Jericho would not release the Lion Tamer even after the bell rang! Jon Moxley had seen enough, storming to the ring. Jericho finally released the hold at the sight of an angry Moxley.
My Score: 4 out of 5
News of the Night:
- The Undisputed Elite broke up after Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish turned on the Young Bucks
- Taz announced Team Taz was no more
Final Verdict: 4/5
A cracking episode of Dynamite that put its proverbial foot on the gas and didn’t let up. The show opened strong with a well-told match and that continued throughout the night. Even Hobbs’ squash match was used to move the “Team Taz” storyline along in a solid fashion. The dumpster match was something of a mess but that’s the Gunn Club’s MO, not The Acclaimed – you only have to see their recent tag match on YouTube to realise that. But this was a night for the veterans to shine and shine they did. Christian Cage and Matt Hardy delivered a great match, though obviously nothing like at their TLC peak, and Cage came out of the match looking more in-shape and title-scene ready than ever before in AEW. As for Chris Jericho, he put on a clinic, plowing through his repertoire of moves to beat the younger and more virile Wheeler Yuta – love to see him put the Lion Tamer on Yuta to get the win rather than the Walls of Jericho. A good sign for next week’s title match!
