‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jan 8th 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, TN. We’ve got Excalibur, Matt Menard, and Ian Riccaboni on commentary, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Will Ospreay def. Buddy Matthews
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Buddy hit a shoulder tackle and Will popped right back up to his feet. Buddy accelerated, dropped a shoulder, and rammed Will. Ospreay attempted a cutter, but Buddy intercepted it. Buddy ducked two round house kicks from Ospreay. Buddy dropkicked Will in the chest. Ospreay fired back with a plancha, taking down Buddy on the arena floor. Matthews retaliated with a knee strike and a tight headlock back in the ring. Ospreay and Matthews built up speed, bounced off the ropes, and collided in the center of the ring, both having the same idea. Ospreay staggered Buddy with a kick to the head. Will followed up with a springboard elbow for a near fall. Matthews drilled Will with a back breaker. Matthews followed up with a dive over the top rope, crashing down onto Ospreay! Buddy followed up with a meteora for a near fall! Matthews and Ospreay traded kicks and knees on the apron. Buddy blocked an Os-Cutter and then threw Ospreay face first into the announce desk! Buddy bashed Will with a charging boot. Buddy tried again but this time Will countered with a thrust kick of his own, followed up by an Os-Cutter off the barricade. Ospreay connected with another Os-Cutter, this time in the ring! Buddy ducked the Hidden Blade. Ospreay smacked Buddy with a right handed chop across the chest. Buddy unleashed a flurry of offense. Buddy blocked an Os-Cutter and then curb stomped Ospreay, covering him for a near fall! Ospreay flattened Buddy with the Styles Clash but Buddy kicked out at the two-count! Will connected with the Hidden Blade and was finally able to put away Buddy for the three-count!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Bobby Lashley def. Mark Briscoe
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lashley taunted Mark Briscoe, patting him on the head. Mark didn’t back down and chopped Bobby. Bobby fired off a flatliner and then suplexed Briscoe. Bobby nailed Mark with a neck breaker. Mark served up his redneck Kungfu. Mark jumped off the top turnbuckle, but Bobby caught him and hurled him across the ring. Bobby bulldozed Briscoe and then suplexed him on the arena floor. Briscoe set up a steel chair and catapulted off it, flying over the top rope and wiping out Lashley on the floor. Briscoe shoved Bobby into the steel ring post. Briscoe threw his body off the top turnbuckle and crashed onto Lashley! Briscoe connected with a sliding lariat, followed up by the Froggy Bow. Briscoe covered Lashley but Bobby kicked out at the one-count. Lashley speared Mark. Bobby choke slammed Briscoe. Bobby applied the Hurt Lock, and the match ended via ref stoppage!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: World Title Contender’s Casino Gauntlet Match – Winner: Powerhouse Hobbs
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jay White chopped Page and Page chopped right back. Page hit a shoulder tackle. Jay White cradled Page for a near fall. Jay White avoided the Dead Eye. White superplexed Hangman Page, pulling out all the stops. The next entrant was Wheeler Yuta! Jay White bashed Yuta with the Blade Runner right away. He went for the cover on Wheeler, but Page broke it up. Page jumped off the turnbuckles and delivered a clothesline to Yuta on the apron, and then dished one out to Jay White. Swerve Strickland’s music began to play, but it was interrupted by Ricochet’s music. Ricochet was the next entrant, playing mind games with Page. Ricochet connected with a springboard elbow to Page and followed up with a tope suicida to Jay White. Ricochet landed a moonsault on Page for a near fall. Adam Cole was the next entrant, baybay! Cole hit White and Page with superkicks. Cole rocked Ricochet with a superkick next! Cole connected with the Panama Sunrise on Ricochet for a near fall. TNT Champion Daniel Garcia was the next participant to come to the ring. Garcia blasted Cole with a rolling neck breaker. Garcia stacked up Cole, Page, and White in the corner and pounded them with punches. Yuta slapped Garcia and then the two men traded chops. Yuta used a cheap shot to take down Garcia. Out to the ring next was Powerhouse Hobbs! Hobbs hurled Yuta with a suplex. Hobbs tossed Cole with a suplex. And then Hobbs hit one on Jay White! Hobbs had a suplex for Page, too! Hobbs body slammed Jay White. Hobbs charged at Jay White, but Jay White took the low road and tripped Hobbs, sending Hobbs face first into the turnbuckles. Roderick Strong ran to the ring next, nailing White and Page with back breakers. Garcia, Cole, and Roddy stomped Ricochet in the corner. Hobbs hit Garcia and Cole with a double clothesline. Roddy smashed Hobbs with the sick kick. Jay White spiked Ricochet with a cutthroat suplex. Yuta hit White with a low blow behind the ref’s back. “The MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer was the next participant. Archer choke slammed Yuta on the floor and then choke slammed Roddy onto Cole! Ricochet springboarded at Archer but Archer caught him and discarded him. Hobbs tossed Ricochet across the ring at Archer. Archer threw Ricochet back at Hobbs. Hobbs power slammed Archer. Hobbs and Archer traded forearms. Kyle O’Reilly came to the ring next and unleashed a flurry of offense on Yuta. O’Reilly baited in Archer and twisted him with a dragon screw leg whip. “The Last Outlaw” Jeff Jarrett was the next entrant. Wheeler Yuta hit Jarrett from behind as Jeff was making his entrance! Yuta brawled with Jarrett to the back. Archer booted Hobbs in the face. Hobbs escaped the Black Out attempt by Archer. Hobbs planted Kyle with a spinebuster and pinned him!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Kris Statlander def. Willow Nightingale and Toni Storm
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Willow wiped out Toni with a shoulder tackle. Willow planted Toni with a spinebuster. Toni tried for a cross body press but Stat and Willow caught her and sent her down hard with a fall away slam. Toni shoved Stat into Willow. Willow pounced Statlander. Willow whipped Toni into Kris and then smashed them both with a cannonball. Willow drilled Toni with a Death Valley Driver for a near fall! Kris crushed Willow with a rolling lariat. Willow double suplexed Toni and Kris! Toni cradled Willow but Kris broke up the pin attempt. Statlander spiked Toni with Wednesday Night Fever and pinned Toni Storm!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
A super-solid episode of Dynamite this week, with a brilliant opening match that set the standard for the rest of the show – and whilst nothing lived up to that opener, what we did get was great wrestling across the board. Certainly one of the best examples of wrestling on TV this week, so far. Unfortunately, at least in my eyes, what let the entire show down was the sheer ridiculous amount of promos, interviews etc. It felt too WWE-like and there certainly could have been at least one more match on the card, if not two. AEW need to get back to wrestling over promos and back to telling stories IN the ring, not outside it IMHO.
