‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (May 1st 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz on commentary – and The ELite running the show in the absence of Tony Khan (who was still in Jacksonville) – this week, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: TNT Championship Match – Adam Copeland def. Buddy Matthews
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Copeland brought down Buddy with a side headlock takeover. Matthews sprung up to his feet. Buddy used head scissors on Copeland. Buddy charged at Copeland, but Copeland used a low bridge and followed up with a tope suicida. Buddy entered the ring and drilled Copeland with a DDT! Buddy stomped on Copeland’s back. Buddy Matthews connected with a round kick to Copeland’s back. Copeland and Buddy duked it out on the top turnbuckle and knocked one another down to the arena floor/ Back in the ring, they traded forearms. Both men charged at one another and collided with cross body presses, clearly both having the same idea. AEW Medical Staff entered the ring to check on Buddy, who began spitting blood from the hit. Buddy was able to get back to his feet, despite the compromised midsection. Buddy power bombed Copeland for a near fall. Buddy tried for another power bomb, but Copeland countered with a kick to Buddy’s midsection. Copeland blasted Buddy with an avalanche Impaler, but Buddy kicked out at the two-count! Copeland tried for a spear, but Buddy blocked it with three knee strikes and then a jackhammer for a near fall. Buddy transitioned right out of the kick out into a cross face submission. Copeland escaped and speared Buddy Matthews to score the pin!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Samoa Joe def. Isiah Kassidy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kassidy taunted Samoa Joe until Joe shoved Kassidy into the corner. Samoa Joe hoisted up Kassidy and planted him onto the mat. Samoa Joe battered Kassidy in the corner with strikes. Isiah caught Joe with a cutter. Kassidy jumped over the top rope, but Samoa Joe walked out of the way, and Kassidy crashed onto the arena floor. Samoa Joe blocked a monkey flip and countered it with a muscle buster to Kassidy. Samoa Joe hooked Kassidy’s leg and pinned Kassidy!
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: FTW Championship Match – Chris Jericho def. Katsuyori Shibata
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jericho and Shibata traded chops. Jericho connected with the lionsault. Jericho pulled a trash can lid from beneath the ring and whacked Shibata in the head with it! Jericho pulled out a bag of hockey pucks and emptied them into the ring. Shibata suplexed Jericho onto the hockey pucks. Shibata and Jericho blistered each other’s chests with more stiff chops. Jericho threw a hockey puck at Shibata’s face. Jericho put the Lion Tamer on Shibata. Shibata countered with a figure four. Jericho grabbed another hockey puck and threw it at Shibata’s mouth. Jericho grabbed a trash can and put it over the head of Shibata. Jericho smashed a kendo stick against the trash can. Shibata got to his feet, trash can still on his head, and backed Jericho into the corner. Shibata headbutted Jericho with the trash can still on his head! Shibata dropkicked the trash can against Jericho’s chest. Shibata grabbed two kendo sticks. He tossed one to Jericho and kept one kendo stick for himself. They sat on the mat and hit one another with kendo stick shots. Shibata suplexed Jericho onto the hockey pucks. Shibata grabbed a table from beneath the ring and slid it into the ring. Shibata propped a table against the turnbuckles. Shibata charged at Jericho, but Jericho countered with the Code Breaker for a near fall! Shibata countered the Judas Effect with a rear naked choke. Shibata leveled Jericho with an overhead chop. Shibata grabbed the table from the corner and moved it on the mat. Big Bill ran into the ring and blasted Shibata with a massive boot to Shibata’s head! Big Bill choke slammed Shibata through the table! Jericho covered Shibata, taking advantage of the assist from Big Bill, and pinned Shibata!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Claudio Castagnoli def. Brian Cage
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Both men charged forward and clubbed each other with elbow strikes. They switched it up to running lariats. Brian Cage suplexed Claudio but Claudio answered with a European Uppercut and a suplex. Claudio clobbered Cage with a backbreaker! Claudio scoop slammed Cage and then shuffled forward and double stomped Cage. Brian Cage clocked Claudio with a vertical suplex from outside the ring back into the ring. Brian Cage blasted Claudio with the area code shot and then a discus lariat for a near fall! Claudio jumped off the ropes and connected with a European Uppercut. Claudio rocked Cage with the area code shot. Claudio dropped Cage with a pop up European Uppercut! Claudio hurled Cage around in the Giant Swing! Claudio put Cage in the sharpshooter and Cage was forced to tap out!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: Serena Deeb def. Mariah May
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Deeb trapped Mariah in the Paradise Lock. Deeb dropkicked Mariah. Deeb followed up with a shoulder tackle. Mariah rocked Deeb with an explosive elbow strike to Deeb’s jaw. Mariah walloped Deeb with a dropkick. Deeb rallied back with a guillotine neck breaker to May. Deeb followed up with a swinging neck breaker. Deeb snapped Mariah with a German Suplex. Mariah May rallied back with a dropkick from the top rope! Mariah connected with a hip attack in the corner for a near fall! May headbutted Deeb and wiped out Deeb with a suplex. Mariah was looking for a handstand hurracanrana, but Deeb countered with a single leg crab! Deeb wrenched back and Toni Storm threw in the towel! The ref awarded the match to Deeb!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
This week’s show was saved by the last two matches of the night – the rest of the show was average wrestling and far too many promos and talking head segments. I get it, there’s a LOT of new stories to tell, especially with The Elite takeover stuff and Kenny Omega making a “return” but it felt like this show was light on action because they knew they had an extra hour (of Rampage) that followed this week’s Dynamite. The should NOT be the case!