‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jan 24th 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz on commentary this week, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: “Hangman” Adam Page def. Penta El Zero Miedo
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
They began with a collar and elbow tie up. Page backed Penta into the ropes and then allowed for a clean break. It quickly escalated as both men brought heavy shots, blistering one another with chops. Penta connected with a thrust kick, but Page returned with a big boot of his own. Penta El Zero Miedo wiped out Hangman Page with a Sling Blade. Hangman retaliated with a fallaway slam and then a standing shooting star press for a near fall. Penta El Zero Miedo hit a leg drop from off the bottom rope for a two-count on Page. They traded chops again. Hangman landed a thrust kick but then they knocked each other down with clotheslines, both men having the same idea. Penta flew over the top rope with a tope con hiro and crashed onto Hangman Page outside the ring! Page dodged a double stomp and countered with a Death Valley Driver on Penta El Zero Miedo for a near fall. Penta planted Page in the center of the ring and nearly put away the former AEW World Champion. Hangman Page stunned Penta El Zero Miedo with a pop up powerbomb. They traded strikes on the ring apron. Hangman went for the Buckshot Lariat, but Penta blocked it and nailed Hangman with the Made in Japan for a two-count! Hangman Page drilled Penta El Zero Miedo with a Dead Eye on the apron! Page connected with the Buckshot Lariat and pinned Penta El Zero Miedo!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Wardlow def. Trent Beretta
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Wardlow sent Trent for a loop with a big shoulder tackle right out of the gate! Wardlow hurled Trent halfway across the ring. Wardlow was looking for the Powerbomb Symphony, but Trent cradled him with a small package for a near fall. Wardlow charged at Trent, but Trent ducked him and then dropkicked Wardlow through the ring ropes. Trent went over the top rope, but Wardlow countered with a beautiful anti air forearm. Wardlow whipped Trent into the barricade. Back in the ring, Wardlow headbutted Trent in the chest. Trent countered a lariat with a jumping knee strike. Trent connected with a tope suicida. Trent walloped Wardlow with a steel chair. Trent rocked Wardlow with a half and half suplex in the ring, followed by a DDT. Trent spiked Wardlow with a piledriver for a near fall! Trent climbed to the top rope and went for a crossbody, but Wardlow caught him and powerslammed Trent! Wardlow power bombed a limp Trent and pinned him!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Swerve Strickland def. Jeff Hardy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Swerve used a side headlock takeover, looking to make a quick end to this, but Jeff escaped. Hardy rolled up Swerve, grabbing a handful of tights, but Swerve kicked out. Swerve nailed Jeff with a nasty back breaker. Swerve was going for an arm breaker, but Matt jumped on the apron and pointed at Swerve. As Swerve was distracted by Matt, Jeff kicked upwards at Swerve. Jeff dropkicked Swerve in the back. Jeff used a Russian Leg Sweep. Jeff rammed Swerve into the top turnbuckle. Swerve swept out Jeff’s legs and then kicked him in the jaw. Swerve blasted Jeff with a neck breaker from the apron, as Jeff’s legs were hung up in the ropes. Swerve set up a folding chair and put Jeff on it. But Jeff got up and swept out Swerve’s legs. Jeff ran and leaped off the steel ring steps, crashing onto Swerve who was on the barricade. Jeff knocked Swerve off the turnbuckles with a headbutt. Swerve climbed back up and clubbed Jeff with forearms. Jeff fought back, took flight and landed on Swerve! Jeff connected with a sling blade and then a Manhattan Drop. Jeff dropped an elbow, but Swerve kicked out at the two-count. Swerve shoved Jeff Hardy over the top rope. Swerve pulled Jeff into the steel ring post! Swerve pulled Jeff onto the steel ring steps but Jeff countered with a Twist of Fate, driving Swerve’s forehead into the steps! Jeff climbed to the top turnbuckle and went for the Swanton, but Swerve rolled out of the way. Swerve blasted Jeff with the House Call for a near fall! Swerve was looking for a Twits of Fate of his own, but Jeff reversed it with a cradle for a near fall. Jeff stunned Swerve with a series of jawbreakers. Swerve lured Jeff in and planted him with a flatliner. Swerve nailed Jeff with a delayed vertical suplex. Swerve crushed Jeff with the Swerve Stomp and pinned Jeff Hardy!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Thunder Rosa def. Red Velvet
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Thunder Rosa used a gator roll on Red Velvet until they reached the ropes. They got to their feet and traded arm drags. Red Velvet swept out Thunder Rosa’s legs on the ring apron. Red Velvet rocked Rosa with stiff chops. A slug fest broke out in the ring. Thunder Rosa connected with a running clothesline in the corner, and they drove her knees into Red Velvet. Thunder Rosa hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Red Velvet stomped on Thunder Rosa’s midsection. Red Velvet followed up with a knee strike to the back of Thunder Rosa’s head. Thunder Rosa blasted Red Velvet with a shotgun dr
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: AEW World Trios Championship Match – The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) and Daddy Ass def. The Mogul Embassy (Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona, & Brian Cage)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Brian Cage rammed Caster in the corner with his shoulder. Caster dropkicked Cage. Bowens grabbed a tag and chopped Brian Cage. Bowens pounded Cage with elbows to the back of the head. Toa and Kaun doubled teamed Bowens in the Mogul Embassy’s corner, utilizing rapid tags. Bowens tried for a tag, but Kaun and Toa pulled Daddy Ass and Max Caster off the apron. Toa ate an elbow strike from Bowens. Daddy Ass finally got a tag and cleaned house on the Mogul Embassy. Daddy Ass got pounced by Toa. Bowens rocked Toa with a thrust kick. Caster struck Brian Cage with a backhand. Kaun nailed Caster with a shotgun dropkick. Prince Nana slid a steel chair into the ring. The ref was distracted by Prince Nana. Bishop Kaun was about to whack Billy with the chair, but “Switchblade” Jay White yanked the chair out of Kaun’s hand. The Gunns power bombed Prince Nana through the timekeeper’s table. Billy Gunn rocked Bishop Kaun with the Fame-Asser! Bowens blasted Bishop with the Arrival! Caster hit the Mic Drop and finished off Bishop Kaun for the pinfall victory!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #6: Adam Copeland def. Minoru Suzuki
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Copeland and Suzuki slugged it out in the center of the ring. Copeland got his bell rung and collapsed to the mat. Copeland got back up and Suzuki crumbled him again with a solid forearm on the jaw. Copeland backdropped his way out of an attempted piledriver. Copeland booted Suzuki through the ropes. Suzuki pulled Copeland onto the floor, but Copeland shoved Suzuki through the barricade. Copeland and Suzuki barely made it back into the ring, but they were able to break the ref’s count just in the nick of time. Suzuki and Copeland were on their knees but exchanged stinging elbows. They got to their feet and traded open-hand palm strikes, both men knocking one another down. Suzuki had Copeland on spaghetti legs after more open palm strikes. Copeland spiked Suzuki with the Impaler! Copeland tried for a spear, but Suzuki countered with an arm bar! Copeland reached the ropes, forcing the ref to break up the hold. Copeland speared Suzuki but Suzuki kicked out at the two-count! Suzuki locked in a rear naked sleeper! Copeland was fading fast. Copeland got to his feet and smashed Suzuki into an exposed turnbuckle corner. Copeland cracked Suzuki with the Killswitch, sending a clear message to Christian Cage! Copeland covered Suzuki and scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
What an interesting show this week’s Dynamite was. On paper it looked like a run-of-the-mill episode, with some matches that didn’t really add up to must-see TV if I’m honest. But watching the show was one hell of a different experience! Hangman and Penta kicked things of with what felt like “another” match between the duo but then it suddenly felt like they realised things were going “OK” and decided to up the ante and the excitement! Then we got a match that we’d ALL expect to be a squash, with Trent doing the job for Wardlow. But no, this was a competitive match that made BOTH men look good. Really good. Then came the big surprise of the night. Jeff Hardy’s best match in his AEW career. On TV, for free. He worked really well with Swerve and it felt like this could have been a PPV match with enough of a build. Great, just great. Things calmed down for the next two matches, with the tag title match feeling particularly subdued. Finally, we got Copeland versus Suzuki. Not a match anyone, I think, expected to see the former WWE champ take part in but one that proved there’s a lot of gas in Copeland’s tank AND that he can still go toe-to-toe with badass wrestlers and not just former sports entertainers!