‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jun 7th 2023)

Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!

Match #1: AEW International Championship Match – Orange Cassidy def. Swerve Strickland

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Swerve attempted a suplex, but Cassidy defended himself with back elbows. Swerve grabbed a wrist lock, but Orange rolled through and cranked back on Swerve’s hand and arm. Swerve countered a DDT, but Orange baited Swerve in. Cassidy followed Swerve to the floor, but Swerve met the champ with a chop to the chest. Orange turned things around with a hurracanrana on the floor. Cassidy followed up with a tope and then a diving cross body. Swerve absorbed shots from the champ. Orange fired back with the Stun Dog Millionaire. Swerve anticipated Orange’s next move and put down Orange with a leaping flatliner. Orange planted Swerve with a DDT for a two-count. Orange climbed to the top rope, but Swerve grabbed him and nailed him with a Death Valley Driver on the apron. Cassidy hit Swerve with three thrust kicks. Cassidy DDT’ed Swerve off the ring steps and onto the arena floor. And Orange stuck Swerve with another DDT for a near fall! Orange connected with the Orange Punch and then the Beach Break for another near fall! Strickland rolled out of the ring to collect himself. Orange jumped with a tope, looking for a DDT, but Swerve caught Orange and countered with a brain buster on the floor. Swerve climbed to the top rope and smashed Orange with a diving foot stomp for a near fall. After countering a pinning combination from Swerve, Orange rolled up Swerve, desperately grabbed Swerve’s tights, and pinned him for the victory.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #2: Trios Match – Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) def. CHAOS (Trent Beretta, Chuck Taylor & Rocky Romero)

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Chuck Taylor flung a chair at Mox’s head as Mox was making his entrance. Chuck Taylor stuffed Yuta with a piledriver. Claudio was there to break up the pin attempt. Claudio battered Chuck Taylor down to the mat. Rocky Romero hit Moxley with a flying knee strike. CHAOS triple teamed Moxley. Wheeler, from outside the ring, grabbed Taylor’s boot. Mox used the distraction to nail Chuck Taylor with a cutter. Yuta landed a German Suplex on Chuck Taylor. Trent tagged in and speared Moxley, who had also just tagged in. Rocky came in and he and Trent clocked Mox with jumping knees. Trent countered a Gotch-style piledriver from Mox with a Strong Zero, with help from Chuck Taylor. Rocky took down Mox with a flying cross arm breaker. Moxley transitioned and locked Rocky into a bulldog choke. Rocky had no choice but to tap out! Wheeler Yuta rocked Chuck Taylor with hammer and anvil elbows, even after the match ended.

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #3: Texas Tornado Tag Match – “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry & HOOK def. La Faccion Ingobernable (Preston Vance & Dralistico)

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Preston landed a lariat on the outside to Hook. Dralistico whipped Jack Perry with camera cables inside the ring. Hook and Preston brawled around the arena. Jack Perry turned things around inside the ring, tearing at Dralistico’s mask. Hook wrapped a chain around his hand and nailed Preston Vance right behind the eyes. Preston was busted wide open! Dralistico and Vance double teamed Hook, but Hook sent Dralistico flying with a suplex. Vance rocked Hook with a discus lariat. Vance wrapped the chain around Hook’s neck. Hook T-boned Vance off the ring apron and through tables below. Jose the Assistant jumped in the ring and kicked Jack Perry, breaking up a pin attempt. Hook locked in the Red Rum on Jose while Jack Perry applied the Snare Trap to Dralistico. Jack Perry forced Dralistico to tap out!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #4: Konosuke Takeshita def. Damon Ace

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Takeshita battered Ace. Takeshita rocked Ace with the PowerDrive knee strike and then he pinned Ace.

My Score: 1 out of 5

Match #5: TBS Championship Open Challenge Match – Kris Statlander def. Anna Jay A.S.

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Statlander used a side headlock takeover on Anna Jay. Statlander transitioned to a front face lock. Anna Jay rolled to the outside, stopping Kris’ momentum. Daddy Magic yelled in Kris’ face, trying to distract the champ. Anna went for a kick, but Kris saw it coming and yanked Anna to the mat. Anna fired back with a roundhouse kick from behind. Kris powerslammed Anna for a near fall. Taya Valkyrie was watching the match on a monitor backstage. Daddy Magic jumped on the ring apron, distracting Kris. Anna Jay punched Statlander and then planted her for a two-count. Statlander clocked Anna Jay with a discus lariat. Daddy Magic jumped up on the apron again. While the champ was distracted, Anna Jay locked on the Queen Slayer. Statlander stood up and used a snap mare. Kris spiked Anna with a tombstone piledriver and pinned her!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #6: Jay White def. Ricky Starks

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Starks charged up the ramp at Jay White, stomping him with boots. Starks hit a clothesline on White, knocking him over the top rope. Starks chopped at Switchblade. Ricky Starks sent White flying overhead with a big back drop. They brawled up the ramp. Starks countered a suplex with a knee and big body shots. Starks ate an elbow from Jay White. Starks suplexed Jay White on the arena floor. Jay White retaliated with chops to Ricky’s chest and windpipe. Starks threw some heavy right hands at Jay. Switchblade punished Ricky Starks and then hoisted him onto the top turnbuckle. Jay White superplexed Ricky Starks for a near fall. Jay White was looking for the Blade Runner, but Ricky fought out of it. Starks exploded with a lariat and then a big elbow. Ricky connected with a DDT for a near fall on Jay White. Starks tried for the running spear, but Jay White countered with a knee! Starks came back with a second wind and connected with a spear. Starks lifted up Jay White for the Roshambo but accidentally clipped the referee in the head. The Gunns snuck down and nailed Starks with the 3:10 to Yuma! Jay White smashed Starks with the Blade Runner and pinned him.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Final Verdict: 3.5/5

This episode of Dynamite was definitely an improvement over last week’s show, with plenty of great matches and a fire promo from MJF (as usual, to be fair) really adding fuel to his latest feud – this time with Adam Cole. Orange Cassidy and Swerve Strickland put on one hell of an opening match, and I’d love to see them run the match back on a grander scale. Meanwhile, the ever-dependable BCC put on another ever-dependable match, a match that delivered as a match but also added plenty MORE backstory to the forthcoming Forbidden Door match between Okada and Bryan Danielson. There was an interesting end to the main event, with the Gunns seemingly joining Bullet Club Gold (for the time being) and I’ve got to say, it’s not going to make this iteration of the infamous wrestling faction any more credible in AEW… Bullet Club Gold need some SERIOUS extra star power to feel as important in AEW as they do elsewhere. Overall this was a good show that did a good job to build to Forbidden Door 2.