“AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Apr 5th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Juice Robinson def. Ricky Starks
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Before the match began, Jay White ran to the ring and he and Juice double teamed Ricky Starks. Jay White blasted Ricky Starks with the Blade Runner!
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #2: AEW World Trios Championship Match – The House of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews, & Malakai Black) def. Orange Cassidy & The Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Trent’s mom, Sue, pulled up to the arena in the minivan and dropped of Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends. Trent tried for a suplex but Malakai reversed it into a roll-up for a pin attempt. Chuck Taylor tagged in but had his legs kicked out from under him by Malakai Black. Brody King tagged in but ate a kick from Chuck Taylor. Buddy Matthews tagged in, as did Orange Cassidy. Orange threw his sunglasses at Buddy. Buddy picked up Orange and hurled him with Snake Eyes in the corner turnbuckles. Orange sent Buddy to the floor with a hurracanrana. Orange jumped off the top turnbuckle but Black and Matthews caught him and planted him on the ring apron. Trent jumped out at Black and Matthews but they caught him, too, and hurled him onto the ring apron. They threw Trent toward Brody who nailed Trent with a forearm. Orange and the Best Friends rallied back, throwing Orange on top of the House of Black outside the ring. LFI were shown watching from the front row. Malakai spiked Trent with a brainbuster. Orange hit a Stun Dog Millionaire on Malakai Black. Backstage Anna Jay A.S. was shown watching Julia Hart on the monitor. Orange connected with the Orange Punch on Brody, and then Trent planted Brody with a piledriver for a near fall. Buddy Matthews curb stomped Chuck Taylor and then pinned him!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: AEW Women’s World Championship Match – Jamie Hayter def. Riho
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Riho countered a HayterAde attempt with a rollup. Riho took down Hayter with a hurracanrana but Hayter countered with a rollup of her own for a near fall. Hayter connected with two shoulder blocks. Riho hit Hayter with a dropkick. Riho jumped off the top with a big cross body block to Hayter on the arena floor. Jamie Hayter rocked Riho with a gut buster. Jamie Hayter kicked Riho to the side of the head. Hayter planted Riho hard on the ring apron. Riho rallied back with a German Suplex on Hayter for a two-count. Hayter used a neck breaker and then a lariat on Riho for a near fall. Hayter superplexed Riho. Hayter picked up Riho for a brainbuster but Riho countered with a DDT that was right on target. Riho sent Hayter flying with a rana off the top! Riho connected with flying knees in the corner and then went for the cover. Hayter touched the ropes with her feet, breaking up the ref’s count. Jamie Hayter nailed Riho with the HayterAde. The champ drilled Riho with the ripcord and then pinned her.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #4: Sammy Guevara def. Komander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Sammy blindsided Komander as Komander was getting out of his ring jacket. Sammy wiped out Komander with a springboard moonsault. Komander connected with a thrust kick. Komander walked the ropes and splashed onto Sammy with a shooting star press. Komander ran the ropes, jumped off the top, and ate a stiff counter shot from Sammy Guevara. Komander came back, walking the tight rope, and spring boarding down onto Sammy! Komander hit a Fenix Splash on Sammy. Komander tried for a shooting star press but Sammy countered by raising his knees. Darby Allin was seen watching from the rafters. Komander was walking the ropes again but Sammy brought him down hard with a cutter! Sammy finished off Komander with the GTH and pinned him!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: FTW Championship Match – HOOK def. Ethan Page
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hook sent Page for a ride with a T-bone suplex. Outside the ring, Ethan Page whipped Hook into the steel ring post. Page attempted the Twist of Fate but Hook countered it with a Twist of Fate of his own. Isiah Kassidy jumped on the ring apron to distract the ref. Ethan Page tried grabbing Hook’s championship belt but Hardy pulled it away from him! Hook locked the RedRum on Page and the ref was forced to stop the match.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: The Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castagnoli) def. Three Random Opponents
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The BCC quickly decimated their opponents. It was a fast, brutal mauling. Yuta tapped out one of the members of the opposing team.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #7: AEW World Tag Team Titles vs. FTR’s AEW Career – FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) def. The Gunns (Austin & Colten)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Dax and Cash used quick back and forth tags, showing their trademark tandem offense. Cash hit a sliding dropkick on Austin. Colten cracked Cash with a dropkick as Austin Gunn held Cash’s boot. Colten used a knee lift lariat combo on Cash for a near fall. Behind the ref’s back, Austin choked Cash Wheeler. Dax tagged in and hammered away at the Gunns. Dax took down Colten with a short arm lariat. Dax rolled up Austin with an inside cradle for a near fall. FTR DDT’ed Austin. Dax and Cash nailed Austin with a spike piledriver for a two-count! FTR planted Austin with their finisher and went for the pin but Colten pulled Austin out of the ring. Cash Wheeler had a backslide on Austin for a near fall. Austin blasted Cash with a low blow, trying for the DQ on purpose, but Cash stopped ref Paul Turner from calling for the bell. Colten tried to slide a tag title into the ring but the ref stopped it. When the ref put the belt outside the ring, Colten slid the other belt in the ring for Austin to use. Dax attempted his diving headbutt but Austin used the belt on him! Dax kicked out though. The Gunns went for the 3:10 to Yuma but FTR rolled up the Gunns and scored a double pin!
My Score: 4 out of 5
News of the Night:
- Jay White is All Elite
- Nigel McGuinness is All Elite
- AEW will stage its debut UK pay-per-view in Wembley Stadium, London in August
Final Verdict: 4/5
Despite some matches being only rated one-star there was actually not a bad match on this entire show – those low-rated matches were more promo-led than wrestling-led, with the arrival of Jay White in the opener and a BRILLIANT promo from Bryan Danielson after the BCC demolished their no-name opponents! The women’s title match was superb, with Riho holding her own against the bigger and stronger Jamie Hayter. So much so that the outcome was actually in doubt! Then we got to the main event which, given the involvement of the Gunns, was better than it had any right to be. Seemingly Colten and Autin Gunn have been hiding their actual wrestling skills all this time because this main event was a proverbial banger! Plus we got THE announcement that put a huge smile on my face… AEW are coming to the UK!
