‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jul 17th 2024)

Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock. We’ve got Excalibur, Taz and Tony Schiavone on commentary, so let’s get into the review!

Match #1: AEW International Championship Match – MJF def. Will Ospreay

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

After some taunting from MJF, Ospreay tripped up MJF and went for the Hidden Blade right away, but MJF ducked it. Ospreay landed a clothesline, sending MJF over the top rope and to the floor. Ospreay jumped over the top and landed on MJF. Ospreay booted MJF in the jaw. MJF dropped to the mat, lured Ospreay in, grabbed Ospreay by the trunks and pulled him headfirst into the turnbuckles. MJF hit Ospreay with a stunner out of nowhere for a near fall. Ospreay avoided a Heat Seeker, but MJF pulled Ospreay into a cutter. Ospreay connected with an elbow strike from the top turnbuckle right on target. Ospreay flipped over the top rope with a handspring Sasuke special onto MJF! Ospreay splashed MJF with a shooting star press and then a star twister press from the middle rope for a two-count on MJF. MJF rolled out of bounds, rolling out of the ring. Ospreay grabbed the timekeeper’s table and set it up near the ring. MJF crawled out of range of the champion and back into the ring. MJF hit a thrust kick and then stuck Will with a piledriver for a near fall. MJF went to work on Ospreay’s left leg and knee. Ospreay chopped at MJF, but MJF back dropped Ospreay. MJF applied a figure four leg lock on Ospreay. The champ made the turn and reversed the hold. MJF turned the hips and applied the pressure back onto Ospreay, but Ospreay grabbed the ropes to force the ref to break the hold. Max blistered Ospreay’s chest with chops. MJF whipped Ospreay into the corner, but Ospreay crumbled. Ospreay clutched his leg. Ospreay pulled down his kneepad to allow more blood to flow to that injured area. MJF gouged at the champ’s eyes. MJF chop blocked Ospreay. Ospreay countered MJF with a Stun Dog Millionaire and followed up with an Os Cutter! MJF took himself out of play by rolling to the arena floor. Ospreay was looking for another Os Cutter, but MJF dodged it and Ospreay landed hard on his shoulder on the apron. MJF smashed Ospreay with a shoulder breaker. Ospreay followed up with the Made in Japan for a near fall! Ospreay managed to connect with a handspring corkscrew kick out of nowhere. Ospreay power bombed MJF out of a torture rack for a two-count on MJF. Max tried to leave, retreating through the fans, but Ospreay followed him up the arena steps. Ospreay battered MJF with strikes. MJF threw a fan’s beverage into Ospreay’s face. Ospreay rallied back and put MJF on the timekeeper’s table. Ospreay climbed to the top turnbuckle, but MJF rolled off, taking himself out of range. MJF grabbed Ospreay and went for a tombstone piledriver, but Ospreay escaped, countering with a roll-up for a near fall. MJF blasted Ospreay with the Long Island Sunrise for a near fall! MJF put Ospreay onto the timekeeper’s table. MJF climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Ospreay rolled off the table. MJF whipped Ospreay into the barricade. MJF charged at Ospreay with a big boot to Ospreay’s face. MJF whipped Ospreay into the barricade again, but this time Ospreay countered with an Os Cutter from the barricade. MJF was looking for the Cross Rhodes, but Will countered with his own Cross Rhodes! MJF poked Will in the eyes and then spiked Ospreay with a guillotine DDT for a near fall. Will blocked the Heat Seeker but MJF connected with a lariat off the ropes for a near fall. MJF tried for a tombstone on the apron, but Will reversed it. MJF escaped but Ospreay hit MJF with a thrust kick. Ospreay nailed MJF with a Styles Clash on the apron. Ospreay planted MJF with a one armed powerbomb for a near fall. MJF gouged Will’s eyes but Will hit a back elbow on MJF. MJF blocked an Os Cutter and countered with a tombstone piledriver, but Ospreay kicked out at the two-count! MJF blocked a chop and then wrenched on Ospreay’s arm. MJF charged at Ospreay, but Ospreay back dropped MJF over the top rope. Ospreay rocked MJF with a Hidden Blade. Ospreay smashed MJF with a flying forearm to the back of MJF’s neck. MJF swept out Ospreay’s legs on the ropes. MJF tried for a hurracanrana off the ropes, but Ospreay countered with an avalanche Styles Clash! Will covered MJF but MJF grabbed the ropes to break the ref’s count. MJF nailed Will with the Heat Seeker onto the apron. MJF placed Will onto the time keeper’s table. MJF removed the turnbuckle pad so he wouldn’t lose his footing. MJF climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit Ospreay with a flying elbow from the top, crashing onto Ospreay and smashing Ospreay through the table. Back in the ring Ospreay went for a hurracanrana but MJF countered with a back breaker! MJF went for the kangaroo kick, but Will avoided it. Ospreay went for a hurracanrana off the top rope, but MJF landed on his feet! MJF connected with a lariat in the corner. MJF went for a hurracanrana off the top, but this time Ospreay landed on his feet. MJF and Ospreay exchanged strikes in the center of the ring. Ospreay went for an Os Cutter, but MJF countered with a thrust kick. MJF went for a brain buster, but Ospreay countered with a Stundog Millionaire! Will planted MJF with a reverse hurracanrana! Ospreay nailed MJF with a Spanish Fly for a near fall! Ospreay wiped out MJF with an Os Cutter from the top rope and followed up with the Hidden Blade but somehow MJF kicked out at the two-count! MJF ducked another Hidden Blade attempt. MJF spat at Ospreay and Ospreay answered with a headbutt. Justin Roberts announced there was one minute remaining in the match. Ospreay was looking for the Tiger Driver but couldn’t bring himself to do it. He put Max back down. With thirty seconds remaining, MJF shoved Ospreay into the referee, knocking the ref down! MJF blasted Will with a right hand, knocking out the champ and scoring the pin fall victory with two seconds remaining in the match!

My Score: 5 out of 5

Match #2: TBS Open Challenge – Mercedes Moné def. Nyla Rose

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Mercedes used a drop toe hold, getting Nyla off her feet. Nyla tried for a vertical suplex, but Mercedes escaped. Nyla blocked a DDT and put Mercedes on the top rope. Nyla nailed Mercedes with a knee drop from the top rope for a two-count. Nyla hit a snap suplex on the CEO and then clubbed her with a lariat. Nyla splashed Mercedes in the corner. Nyla connected with a cannonball in the corner for a near fall on Mercedes. Mercedes kicked Nyla off the ropes and then splashed Nyla from the top turnbuckle. Mercedes smashed Nyla with the meteora for a near fall. Mercedes crushed Nyla with an avalanche bulldog! Mercedes grabbed a glove and placed it on her hand, mocking Dr. Britt Baker’s surgical glove. Mercedes applied the Lock Jaw but Nyla bit down. Mercedes applied the Statement Maker and forced Nyla to tap out!

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #3: Swerve Strickland vs. Kazuchika Okada

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Okada ducked the House Call. Both men began to counter one another. Okada delivered a flying European Uppercut and then taunted Okada. Okada faceplanted Swerve. Okada drilled Swerve with a DDT on the arena floor! Back in the ring they traded forearms. Swerve headbutted Okada in the jaw. Okada dropkicked Swerve, who had been perched on the turnbuckles. Swerve caught Okada with the Flatliner, floated over, and then suplexed Okada for a near fall. Okada blasted Swerve with a neck breaker from the Air Raid position. Okada scoop slammed Swerve. Okada climbed to the top and drilled Swerve with an elbow drop. Okada connected with a beautiful dropkick to Swerve. Swerve caught Okada with a back breaker and then a power slam. Swerve went for the Swerve Stomp, but Okada avoided it and then spiked Swerve with a tombstone piledriver! Swerve blocked the Rainmaker and countered with a Swerve Stomp. Swerve was about to climb the turnbuckles when Nicholas and Matthew Jackson jumped into the ring and blindsided Swerve, stomping him in the corner! The ref called off the match! The Acclaimed sprinted to the ring, coming to the aid of Swerve. Jack Perry ran down and attacked the Acclaimed. ROH World Champion Mark Briscoe ran to the ring for Team AEW! Briscoe and Jack Perry traded strikes in the center of the ring! Briscoe ducked a lariat from Perry and jumped through the ropes and wiped out the Bucks on the arena floor. Jack Perry spiked Briscoe with a DDT! Swerve caught Perry with the House Call kick! “Hangman” Adam Page stormed his way to the ring, his sights set on Swerve! Okada tripped up Swerve from behind, pulling Swerve out of the ring! It was five on four, with Team AEW outnumbered by The Elite! Security was trying to keep the athletes separated. Darby Allin’s music began to play and the place erupted! Darby Allin descended from the rafters! Both teams began to brawl, five on five! It was out of control!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Final Verdict: 4/5

Well what can you say? This week’s Dynamite was ostensibly ENTIRELY about that opening match. A match that went seconds short of the full 60-minute time limit and a match that demonstrated everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, that is great about professional wrestling, no matter the brand. It’s a match that should be studided in the future by up-and-comers. I thought MJF had peaked ijn AEW but I was, satisfyingly, wrong. As for the rest of the show, there was no way anything was going to follow that opener but good god, they tried – and the Nyla Rose/Mercedes Mone match turned out a LOT better than I expected TBH. Of course the main event was really used as a vehicle to driver interest in Blood and Guts but hey, seeing Darby descend from the rafters was one hell of a crowd-pleasing finish! Great show. Unmissable stuff once again.