‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (May 8th 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We’ve got Excalibur and Tony Schiavone on commentary this week, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Orange Cassidy def. Trent Beretta
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
It was off to the races with both men duking it out to begin the match. Trent tried to retreat to the floor, but Orange followed him out with a tope suicida! Orange rammed Trent into the steel ring post! Trent fired back with a lariat. Trent grounded and pounded Orange on the arena floor. Trent whipped Orange toward the barricade, but Orange hurdled over it! Orange slugged Trent and they began to brawl up the arena steps. Orange clubbed Trent. Orange reversed a suplex from Trent. Orange charged at Trent, but Trent backdropped Orange over the barricade, sending Orange crashing onto the arena floor. Back in the ring Trent connected with a flying knee, but Orange retaliated with the Orange Punch! Orange and Trent traded forearms in the center of the ring. Orange spiked Trent with a DDT. Trent ducked an Orange Punch and countered with a half and half suplex. Trent spiked Orange with a jumping piledriver but was sending a message by not going for the pinfall cover. Trent pulped Orange with a second piledriver! Trent blasted Orange with a running knee strike. Trent ripped off a turnbuckle pad as the ref was checking on Orange. The ref walked over to admonish Trent, and as the ref and Trent argued, Orange removed a turnbuckle pad on his side of the ring! Orange smashed Trent’s head into the exposed corner and rolled Trent up for the pin!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Mariah May def. Harley Cameron
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Saraya distracted Mariah while Harley clubbed Mariah from behind. Harley landed a knee strike. Mariah fired back with chops to Cameron. Mariah dropkicked Harley. Harley kicked Mariah, driving Mariah down to the arena floor. Back in the ring, they exchanged strong shots. Mariah planted Harley with the Sky High for a near fall. Cameron caught Mariah with a jaw breaker. Mariah headbutted Harley. Mariah dropkicked Cameron from the top rope! Mariah tried for the hip attack, but Saraya pulled Harley out of the ring. Mariah staggered Saraya with an elbow strike. Mariah finished off Harley with the May Day and pinned Harley. Saraya attacked Mariah May after the match! Mina Shirakawa sprinted to the ring to come to the aid of Mariah May! Mina leveled Harley with a spinning back elbow.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Jay White def. Rocky Romero
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Rocky rocketed outside with a tope suicida to Switchblade! Rocky connected with lariats, but Jay White clocked Rocky with a clothesline of his own. Rocky spiked Jay with a DDT. Jay tumbled out of the ring. Rocky launched off the steel ring steps with a hurracanrana to Jay White! Rocky connected with a cross body press for a near fall. Rocky nailed Jay with the running sliced bread for a two-count on Jay White! Jay White grabbed Rocky and planted Rocky with a brain buster. Jay White finished off Rocky with the Bladerunner and scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Chris Jericho & Big Bill def. Mo Jabari & Harlon Abbott
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mo brought down Jericho with a drop toe hold. Big Bill tagged in and hurled Jabari across the ring! Big Bill splashed Mo and Harlon in the corners. Big Bill planted Harlon with the bossman slam! Big Bill choke slammed Jabari! Big Bill choke slammed Abbott! Big Bill tagged Jericho. Chris Jericho rocked Abbott with the Judas Effect and pinned Abbott!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #5: TNT Championship No DQ Match – Adam Copeland def. Brody King
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Brody King hammered down with elbow strikes. Copeland charged at Brody’s midsection. Copeland charged again but this time Brody countered with a neck breaker through the ropes. Brody tried for a piledriver on the apron, but Copeland countered with a DDT onto a steel chair on the apron! Copeland slapped a bloody Brody in the face. Copeland connected with a diving cross body from the top turnbuckle. Copeland broke the crossbar off a steel chair. Brody walloped Copeland with a lariat. Brody whipped Copeland into a steel chair that Copeland had propped between the turnbuckles moments earlier. Both men had the same idea and knocked one another down with big boot shots. Brody clocked Copeland with a discus elbow strike. Brody smashed Copeland with a running cannonball in the corner for a near fall! Copeland fought his way free of the Gonzo Bomb. Brody blocked a spear from Copeland and spiked Copeland with a piledriver. Copeland drilled Brody with a Death Valley Driver on the apron! Copeland speared Brody off the apron, the momentum knocking Brody through a table on the arena floor! Copeland speared Brody in the center of the ring and pinned Brody!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
There was a LOT of talking on Dynamite this week. A lot. Not that the action we got wasn’t good (well apart from the Jericho/Big Bill squash match) but it felt like this week’s show was devoted to telling stories rather than focusing on wrestling. And I get it, Double or Nothing is on the horizon and the feuds, rivalries etc., need to be built for that and – in typical AEW style – they do it in the few weeks before a PPV. But even by those standards, this week’s show was talk heavy. Disappointing.
