‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Nov 22nd 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. We’ve just got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary this week, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Continental Classic Match – The Gold League: Swerve Strickland def. Jay Lethal
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lethal clocked Swerve with a big right hand. They traded strikes on the ring apron. Lethal yanked on Swerve’s right arm. Lethal drove Swerve into the barricade after a tope suicida. Lethal followed up with a short arm lariat. Swerve targeted the knee of Lethal with a basement dropkick. Swerve tied up Lethal’s legs and wrenched on them, putting all of his body weight on them. Swerve kicked Lethal’s leg and then chopped it. Swerve sent Lethal flying with a German Suplex. Lethal rallied back with a shoulder breaker. They jockeyed for position on the top turnbuckle, and Swerve brought Lethal down hard with a superplex. Swerve followed up with a flatliner and then a brainbuster for a near fall on Lethal. Jay Lethal stunned Swerve with an elbow drop from the top rope worthy of a king. Swerve avoided a dropkick and applied a stretch muffler, but Lethal grabbed the bottom rope. Lethal cracked Swerve with a pump kick. Lethal went for the Lethal Injection but Swerve countered with a dropkick. Swerve hit the House Call and then the Swerve Stomp to score the pin on Lethal. Three points for Swerve!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Orange Cassidy, HOOK & Katsuyori Shibata def. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker & Jake Hager
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Before the match, Orange Cassidy said he had a Thanksgiving surprise. Very nice, very evil Danhausen made his return. Hook hurled Menard overhead with judo throws. Hook sent Angelo Parker to the mat too! Hager hit Hook with a blindsided shot. Parker clocked Hook with a running knee to the head. Hager nailed Hook with a Hager Bomb for a near fall. Hook fired back with a lariat to Angelo Parker, exploding out of the corner. Hook planted Parker with a T-bone suplex and then tagged out to Orange Cassidy. Hager intercepted the Orange Punch from Cassidy and then planted him on the mat. Shibata tagged in and he and Hager traded forearms. Shibata pump kicked Hager. Shibata chopped down Hager in the corner. Shibata followed up with a running dropkick to Hager! Menard and Parker doubled up on Shibata. Hager went to powerbomb Shibata, but Danhausen jumped on the apron, distracting Hager with Hager’s purple hat. Danhausen cursed Hager and Cassidy stunned Hager with a tope suicida. Shibata put the sleeper on Menard while Hook made Parker tap out with the Red Rum!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Continental Classic Match – The Gold League: “Switchblade” Jay White def. Rush
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Rush and Jay White locked horns, with Rush backing Jay into the corner. Rush dropkicked Jay White and then stomped on him. Rush splashed Switchblade in the corner and followed up with a beautiful dropkick. Rush rammed Jay White into the barricades. Rush pulled a cable out from beneath the ring. Ref Paul Turner threatened to disqualify Rush, so Rush dropped the cable. Rush wrecked Jay White with more chops to the chest. Jay White suplexed Rush right into the turnbuckles. Rush took Jay White off his feet with a flying forearm. Rush cracked White with a massive elbow strike and followed up with a brainbuster for a near fall. Jay White dodged a senton from Rush. Jay White nailed Rush with a brainbuster for a near fall! Jay White gouged the eye of Rush, but Rush answered with a rising knee strike. White fired back with a uranage for a two-count. Rush escaped the Blade Runner attempt. Rush staggered White with a German Suplex. Jay White took down Rush with a dragon screw leg whip. Rush hurled Jay White with a belly-to-belly suplex into the turnbuckles. Rush went for the Bull’s Horns but White countered and tried for the Blade Runner. Rush escaped, shoving White, who inadvertently connected with the ref. As the ref had his back turned, Jay White hit Rush with a low blow and then pinned Rush after the Blade Runner! Jay White gained three points!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Skye Blue def. Ruby Soho and Anna Jay
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Parker and Ruby smiled at each other. Anna Jay rolled up Skye for a near fall. Skye took down Anna with a shoulder tackle. Ruby Soho suplexed Skye Blue, planting her on the back of her head. Skye Blue took down both members of the opposition at once with creative offense. Anna Jay cracked Ruby with a thrust kick, after Ruby was flirting with Angelo Parker. Skye Blue connected with a diving cross body press onto Anna and Ruby. Skye Blue rocked Ruby with two knee strikes. Skye Blue pump kicked Ruby off the ring apron, sending Ruby right into the arms of Angelo Parker! Anna Jay stunned Skye with a pump kick of her own! Before Ruby and Angelo kissed, Saraya pulled Ruby away from Angelo. Blue escaped the Queen Slayer and followed up with a thrust kick. Skye Blue scored the pin after the cutter on Anna Jay! Saraya and Ruby argued with one another after the match.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Continental Classic Match – The Gold League: Jon Moxley def. Mark Briscoe
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mox and Mark slugged it out in the center of the ring. Briscoe used his redneck kung fu, chopping Moxley in the throat. Moxley chomped down on Briscoe’s head. Briscoe nailed Moxley with a neck breaker off the apron and onto the arena floor. Moxley smashed Mark in the mouth with a big boot! Mark was busted wide open. Moxley spiked Briscoe with a piledriver for a near fall. Briscoe tossed Mox with a suplex. Moxley applied an arm bar on Mark, but Mark got his boot on the bottom rope to force the break. Moxley nailed Mark with the Paradigm Shift, but Mark got right up and dropkicked Moxley! Briscoe used a Death Valley Driver to set up the Froggy Bow, but Moxley kicked out at two! Moxley escaped a J Driller attempted and planted Mark with the Death Rider for a near fall! Moxley hit Mark with a half and half suplex. Moxley curb stomped Briscoe and pinned him after a second Death Rider! Moxley earned three points!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
I’m not normally one for these random tournaments from AEW but I have to say the Continental Classic has certainly improved Dynamite – this week’s episode was stacked with great in-ring action, focusing on decent wrestling for the most part. There was still a bit too much “sports entertainment” style storytelling on the show, but the tournament did a lot to offset that. Unfortunately, this week’s show did feature a real low point for AEW… Christian Cage re-christening his lackeys. WTF?! IMHO this was absolutely terrible, like really bad. I don’t know what the thinking was behind that but pe-ugh! Still, it’s worth sitting through (or fast-forwarding through) that crap for the great main event!
