‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Nov 30th 2022)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Bryan Danielson def. Dax Harwood
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Danielson took Dax down with a side headlock takeover. Dax countered with a front headlock. Danielson went for a big high kick but Dax ducked it. Dax was looking for the sharpshooter but Danielson grabbed the ropes to force the break. Dax stomped the side of Bryan’s head. Dax and Bryan traded chops. Dax jumped off the turnbuckles with a crossbody press for a near fall. Dax was flipped over the top rope and Danielson rocketed at him with a tope suicida, knocking Dax over the guardrail into the front row of fans. Harwood went for a piledriver but Danielson blocked it with a backdrop. Danielson missed a round kick and Dax spiked Danielson for a near fall. Dax missed a diving headbutt from the top and Danielson rolled up Dax for a two-count. Danielson rocked Dax with a diving knee strike to the arena floor. Dax pulled Danielson onto the top turnbuckle but Danielson slid out and shoved Dax, with Dax crotching himself on the top turnbuckle. Danielson followed up with hammer and anvil elbows. Danielson suplexed Dax off the top turnbuckle but Dax switched so Dax’s body landed on top. Danielson and Harwood traded shots in the center of the ring! Dax clocked Bryan with a lariat but Bryan followed up with a clubbing shot of his own! Danielson went for the kick but Harwood intercepted. Dax attempted the slingshot powerbomb but Danielson escaped by countering with a hurracanrana. Danielson blasted Dax with roundhouse kicks. Dax countered Bryan’s running knee strike with a slingshot Liger Bomb! After countering one another’s cradle pin attempts, Danielson put Dax in the LeBell Lock and Dax was forced to tap out!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: TNT Championship Open Challenge Match – Samoa Joe def. AR Fox
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Samoa Joe cornered AR Fox and boxed him into the turnbuckle with jabs. Joe headbutted AR Fox. Samoa Joe moved in for a clothesline but AR Fox ducked it. Fox pump kicked Samoa Joe outside the ring. Back in the ring, Samoa Joe squashed AR Fox with a sit out senton. Samoa Joe drove Fox to the mat with a side slam for a near fall. Joe met AR Fox on the top turnbuckle but Fox shoved him down and nailed Samoa Joe with a DDT and then a short cutter! Fox smashed Joe with a 450 splash for a near fall. AR Fox jumped off the top rope but Samoa Joe walked out of the way. Samoa Joe landed the muscle buster on AR Fox and then pinned Fox.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Ricky Starks def. Ari Daivari
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Stokely Hathaway and “All Ego” Ethan Page came out before the match. They sent Matt Hardy to the back, and Page told Starks that Page was going to win at Winter Is Coming. Ari ambushed Starks but Starks retaliated with the Roshambo and pinned Ari Daivari.
My Score: 5 out of 5
Match #4: Willow Nightingale def. Anna Jay A.S.
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Willow knocked down Anna Jay with a shoulder tackle. She followed up with a short arm lariat. Willow used a low cross body press for a near fall on Anna Jay. Tay Melo was in the corner trying to motivate Anna Jay A.S. Anna kicked Willow in the back. Anna Jay fired back with a flipping neck breaker. Anna locked in the Queen Slayer but Willow slammed backwards to counter it. Tay Melo jumped on the apron to distract Willow. Anna grabbed Willow and rolled her up for a near fall. Willow clocked Anna with a lariat and then finished Anna off with the Doctor Bomb for the pin!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks — Nick & Matt Jackson) def. Death Triangle (Rey Fenix, Penta El Zero Miedo and PAC)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Elite charged up the ramp as Death Triangle tried to make their entrance. Matt Jackson backdropped Penta El Zero Miedo on the ramp. Omega took down PAC, landing hard on his hip. The Bucks held PAC at the bottom of the ramp. Omega sprinted down for the V-Trigger but PAC countered it with a thrust kick! The Bucks were wiped out by cutters from the Lucha Bros. The match officially began. The Bucks powerbombed the Lucha Bros on the ring apron! Matt Jackson accidentally took out ref Rick Knox with a dive. Penta El Zero Miedo flipped over the top rope and crashed onto the Elite! Penta El Zero Miedo had the hammer from PAC. Rey Fenix grabbed the hammer but Kenny Omega charged in with the V-Trigger, blasting Fenix. Omega powerbombed Penta El Zero Miedo. Death Triangle fired back on all cylinders with thrust kicks to the Elite. Penta El Zero Miedo spiked Omega with the Fear Factor for a near fall. The Bucks and the Lucha Bros traded kicks in the ring. Matt Jackson suplexed the Lucha Bros by himself. PAC charged at Kenny with a running boot. Omega and PAC did battle on the ropes. PAC used his mask to headbutt Omega. PAC nailed Omega with an avalanche falcon arrow for a near fall. Nick landed a superkick on Rey Fenix and then a cutter for a near fall. The Bucks were about to go for the Meltzer Driver but Rey escaped. Instead the Bucks managed to hit More Bang For Your Buck but Penta El Zero Miedo was there to break up the pin. The Bucks grabbed Rey Fenix for the BTE Trigger but PAC and Penta broke it up with thrust kicks. Kenny Omega ate a cutter from Rey Fenix! The Lucha Bros hit the Fear Factor on Matt Jackson! PAC charged in and smashed Matt with a brainbuster for a near fall! PAC went for the Black Arrow finisher but Matt raised his knees into PAC’s face and managed to pin PAC!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
News of the Night:
- MJF turned on William Regal (already?!)
- Ruby Soho returned after injury beating down Tay Melo after Anna Jay’s match
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
Well this was two hours of good wrestling – with an absolutely fantastic opening match, a main event that was ALMOST as good; a great women’s match that saw Willow get a much-deserved win; Ricky Starks demolish Ari Daivari in a beautiful squash (beautiful!) that gets 5 stars from me – it’s how Ricky should be booked going into a title match; and AR Fox gets a title match shot in his first match post contract offer! But the rest of the show? Yeah WTF. This felt like some sub-WWE stuff at times… OK, so the Moxley/Hangman thing set up a new feud but I don’t get the MJF/Regal angle and felt like a massive fumble on AEW’s part; but then there’s Jad Cargill’s segment, which was a MASSIVE WTF!! moment for the company and one of the lowest points for AEW in a looooong time. A Lil Bow Wow feud? Really? And the video from Bow Wow was literally incomprehensible. Literally. I really feel like Cargill’s reign is dwindling now – especially with promos like this one – and it might be time for her to give up the title.
