‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jul 12th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Chris Jericho def. Komander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
After Jericho pie faced Komander, Komander fired back with forearms. Komander pushed Jericho back into the corner with a dropkick. Komander flipped off the top rope with a hurracanrana onto Jericho. Komander wiped out Jericho on the outside with a tornillo. Komander cracked Jericho with a running knee strike off the apron. Komander went to the well one too many times as Komander went for a springboard, but Jericho countered with a forearm. Jericho blistered Komander with chops and then followed up with a brainbuster for a near fall. Jericho ducked a roundhouse kick, but Komander surprised him with a heel kick. Jericho blocked a hurracanrana and rocked Komander with two consecutive powerbombs. Komander dodged a lionsault and cradled Jericho for a near fall. Jericho shut down Komander with a lariat. Komander climbed the ropes, but Jericho shoved him down onto the turnbuckles. Komander headbutted Jericho and dropped him. Komander walked the ropes and hit a shooting star press on Jericho for a two-count. Komander nailed Jericho with a Phoenix Splash for a near fall! Komander went back up to the turnbuckles and jumped but Jericho countered with a Code Breaker for a two-fall. Komander ducked the Judas Effect. Komander went for a dragonrana, but Jericho put Komander in the Lion Tamer and forced Komander to tap out!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament Semi-Final Match – Daniel Garcia & Sammy Guevara def. Orange Cassidy & Darby Allin
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Darby blasted Garcia with a shotgun dropkick. After Garcia came back with interference, he tagged himself back into the match. Garcia grabbed Darby by the neck and swung him around the ring. Garcia and Sammy used quick tags to isolate Darby. Sammy connected with a jumping knee strike to Darby. Garcia charged at Darby, but Darby moved. Garcia inadvertently hit Sammy with a forearm as a result. Orange tagged in and spiked Garcia with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Garcia dodged the Orange Punch and countered with a Dragon Tamer. Orange hit a Stun Dog Millionaire. Darby jumped in with a stunner to Garcia. Sammy came in but Orange dropped him with the Beach Break! Garcia, the legal man, jumped back in the ring and he and Orange traded pinning combinations. Orange and Garcia knocked each other down with simultaneous kicks to the face. Darby and Sammy tagged in for their respective sides and exchanged strikes. Darby and Sammy’s heads collided and both men fell to the mat. Sammy wiped out Darby with a flying knee strike. Darby moved out of the way of Sammy’s shooting star press. Prince Nana walked down to the ring. He picked up Darby’s skateboard and handed it to Daniel Garcia, ordering him to use it on Orange Cassidy. The ref tried to pulled it away from Garcia and as the ref was distracted, Swerve Strickland ambushed Darby with a vicious kick. Sammy nailed Darby with the GTH and pinned him!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament Semi-Final Match – MJF & Adam Cole def. Big Bill & Brian Cage
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
MJF tried to body slam Big Bill. He was unsuccessful at his attempt and immediately tagged out to Adam Cole. Cage did 10 pushups. Adam Cole did 10 pushups. MJF tagged back in and tried to body slam Big Bill again. He was unsuccessful…again. Big Bill told MJF, “You can’t let him outshine you,” referring to Adam Cole. Big Bill ripped the shirt off MJF. The champ chomped down on the hand of Big Bill and then body slammed him. Cage tagged in but so did Adam Cole! Cole connected with two pump kicks. He thumbed Cage in the eyes and hit him with another thrust kick. MJF called for the double clothesline. Cole tagged in MJF, but Cage held onto the ropes. Big Bill blasted Cole and MJF from behind. Cole and MJF chopped down Big Bill with stereo thrust kicks. Brian Cage grabbed both Cole and MJF and threw them over his head. MJF shocked Cage with the Heat Seeker. Cole followed up with the running knee strike and then he pinned Cage!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Semi-Final Match – Ruby Soho def. Skye Blue
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ruby slapped Skye in the face. Ruby followed up with a shoulder tackle. Skye used an open palm strike of her own. Toni jumped on the ring apron and distracted the ref. But Skye was able to wipe out the Outcasts with thrust kicks. Skye planted Ruby face first on the ring apron. Toni Storm whipped Skye Blue into the ring steps. The ref witnessed it and ejected Toni and Saraya from the ringside area. Ruby hammered Skye’s knee into the steel ring steps. Skye rallied back with a neck breaker. Ruby countered the Code Blue and then began to wrench the knee of Skye. Skye crawled to the ropes, grabbing the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the hold. Ruby blasted Skye Blue with the Destination Unknown as she pulled Skye off the top turnbuckle. Ruby scored the pin and advances to the finals this Saturday at Collision!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Swerve Strickland def. Nick Wayne
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Darby Allin hugged Nick Wayne as Nick was making his entrance. Swerve grabbed a headlock. They did tremendous chain wrestling and then Swerve ducked a roundhouse kick. Swerve fired back with a big pump kick. Nick threw Swerve back with a fisherman’s suplex. Prince Nana grabbed Nick’s ankle. Nick Wayne took Swerve down to the arena floor with a leaping hurracanrana. Nick sent Swerve flying with a shotgun dropkick. Nick went over the top with a cutter on Swerve for a near fall. Swerve intercepted Nick with a back breaker as Nick was going for Wayne’s World. Darby Allin walked out onto the ramp and cheered on Nick Wayne. Nick Wayne spiked Swerve with a reverse avalanche hurracanrana and then Wayne’s World off the ropes! Nick went for the cover, but Swerve got his boot on the bottom rope. They battled on the top rope and Swerve powerbombed Nick off the top for a two-count! Swerve rocked Nick with the Last Call and covered Nick, but Nick kicked out! Swerve drilled Nick with the JML Driver and pinned him.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
Unlike last week, where the wrestling shined but the rest of the show was lacklustre, this episode of Dynamite got the mix right – with a, and yes I’m marking out here, fantastic end segment that revealed both the long-awaited return of PAC and that the AEW debut of Kota Ibushi would be at Blood and Guts! The real highlight of the show though was the main event, the debut of Nick Wayne against an opponent with whom he’s had great matches before, Swerve Strickland. And I’ve got to say it. This might have been one of Strickland’s best matches in AEW. Wayne was a perfect opponent for him, with both men evenly matched but Strickland’s experience got him the win. A great main event, seriously. Speaking of having good matches, whilst overall it was a good match, Skye Blue really stepped up her game against Ruby Soho and proved why she’s the future of women’s wrestling in AEW – just look at how far she’s come whilst signed with the company! And she’s only just getting started. As for the rest of the card, I think Jericho taking on Kommander didn’t really work. Yes, there were some great spots but it felt like Kommander had to slow down for Jericho and that made him look more like he was just doing spots for spots sake – which is not usually the case with Kommander’s more fast-paced matches. Meanwhile, the two tag matches were OK. The MJF/Adam Cole thing is, in my opinion, working better in the vignettes their doing rather than in the ring – outside the ring they have chemistry, in the ring they just don’t feel like they’re gelling. The other tag match was a better match, and I think the right team won (even if the storytelling is selling this as two individuals – hence the separate intro music – rather than a “team”) but I would’ve liked to see them do it without the interference. But I get it, Orange Cassidy’s title needs protecting so there can’t be a clean non-title win over him here. Boooooo. Overall, this was a much better week for Dynamite!
