‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Aug 24th 2022)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio and features a MASSIVE unification title match which AEW did NOT save for All Out (shocker!). We’ve Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, JR and Taz on commentary, so let’s get to the review!
Match #1: Jay Lethal def. Dax Harwood
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Dax knocked Lethal to the mat with a shoulder tackle. Lethal countered with an up-kick. The two opponents chain wrestled. Lethal cartwheeled and then dropkicked Harwood. Dax and Jay traded chops in the corner! Dax tossed Lethal overhead with a big back body drop! Lethal shoved Harwood off the top turnbuckle. Lethal was looking for a double sledge but Dax countered and then hit three German Suplexes on Lethal. Lethal came back with the Lethal combination for a near fall on Dax Harwood. Lethal nailed Harwood against the steel barricade with a tope suicida. Lethal applied the figure four on Dax but Dax reached the ropes. Dax attempted to counter with the Sharpshooter but Lethal tried to transition. Instead Dax cradled Lethal for a near fall. Harwood slingshot Lethal into a Liger Bomb for a two-count! Harwood had Lethal in the Sharpshooter but Sonjay jumped on the apron to distract Dax! Lethal and Dax traded strikes and near falls. Lethal grabbed Harwood’s trunks, rolled him up and pinned him.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Colten Gunn def. Billy Gunn
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Stokely Hathaway was scouting this match from the front row. Billy hit Colten with a shoulder tackle. Billy pointed at himself. Colten started to stomp on Billy! Colten tried for a splash but Billy dodged it and then clotheslined Colten. Billy blasted Colten with a big right hand! Stokely grabbed the Acclaimed’s boombox and attacked the Acclaimed from behind! Colten connected with the Colt 45 on his father on pinned him!
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. def. KiLynn King
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
King got clocked with the sling blade from Britt Baker! King jumped off the turnbuckles with a missile dropkick. Baker drove King face first into the middle turnbuckle. Baker and King exchanged strikes. Baker tried for the stomp but King used a roundhouse kick as a counter. Britt fired back with two thrust kicks and then the curb stomp. Britt Baker applied her surgical glove and then submitted King with the Lockjaw!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: AEW World Title Unification Match – Jon Moxley def. CM Punk
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mox and Punk locked up in the center of the ring with a collar and elbow tie-up. Moxley swarmed Punk in the corner with stiff shots. Punk slapped Mox in the face with an open palm strike. Punk used a barrage of knees and then a high kick to Mox’s head. Punk collapsed to the mat, holding his left foot. Moxley nailed Punk with the King Kong lariat! Mox used hammer and anvil strikes and then the Death Rider! Moxley used a second Death Rider and pinned Punk!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #5: AEW Trios Title Tournament – United Empire def. Death Triangle
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Don Callis joined the broadcast booth for this match. Rey Fenix and Will Ospreay began for their respective teams. Ospreay blocked a cutter from Rey Fenix. It broke down soon enough as all six men began to brawl. PAC and Penta back body dropped Ospreay. Death Triangle soared over the top rope and out onto United Empire. Penta El Zero Miedo chopped Will’s chest! Rey Fenix tagged in and hit Will with an open palm strike to Will’s ear! Mark Davis pulled Rey Fenix’s legs out of the ring and Kyle Fletcher smashed Rey Fenix with a double stomp. They used a rocket launch sending Will into Rey Fenix for a near fall. Davis hammered down with elbow strikes on Rey Fenix. Rey Fenix made the tag to Penta El Zero Miedo and blasted Fletcher with a crucifix bomb! Penta was looking for the Fear Factor but Davis fought out of it. Ospreay clipped Penta with the corkscrew kick. PAC tagged in and German Suplexed Will, using Will’s momentum against him! PAC tried for the deadlift German Suplex and after assistance from a Rey Fenix kick, he planted Will! PAC and Will exchanged forearms! Ospreay rocked PAC with the Os-Cutter! PAC smashed Will with an avalanche brainbuster off the top rope! Rey Fenix tried for a top rope hurracanrana but Will landed on his feet. PAC attempted the Black Arrow but Will raised his knees in defense! PAC reversed Will’s Stormbreaker! Penta got the tag and smashed Davis with the Destroyer. PAC perched himself on the ring post and performed a moonsault onto Ospreay and Fletcher! PAC saw someone in the crowd that he thought was Kip Sabian. PAC removed the box from the person’s head but it wasn’t Kip under the box! PAC was shocked, as was the crowd, but then Kip Sabian did make an appearance and attacked PAC from behind. Aussie Open singled out Rey Fenix and then Will finished off Rey Fenix with the Os-Cutter! The United Empire are advancing!
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
News of the Night:
- The Motor City Machine Guns were announced to be teaming with Jay Lethal at All Out.
- Thunder Rosa relinquished her title, with a new interim champ to be determined at All Out.
- Ricky Starks cut yet ANOTHER stunning (nay, AMAZING!) promo, calling out Powerhouse Hobbs and setting up a match at All Out.
- Kip Sabian actually got back in an AEW ring!
Final Verdict: 4/5
After last week’s disappointing episode of Dynamite it seems Tony Khan decided to turn things up to 11 and have a shocking, surprising and superb episode of Dynamite this week. The show opened strong with a decent match between Dax Harwood and Jay Lethal but much more exciting than the match was the shocking news that Impact Wrestling’s Motor City Machine Guns would be partnering with Jay Lethal at All Out against FTR and Wardlow! Talk about a surprise… I don’t get the whole Gunn Club feuding with their own father stuff but it at least gives us more of The Acclaimed on TV. I was hoping for more from the Britt Baker/KiLynn King match, especially after their altercation/promo on Dark but no, this was a squash match of the typical AEW “quasi” variety. Which is a shame because, like the audience watching live, I really wanted King to take it to Baker. Now I know the Moxley/Punk match was a squash match and we don’t normally rate those highly but… this was EXACTLY what I want from a unification match. the belt to go to the right guy. And having it be a squash match – one brought about by “reinjury” was literally the icing on the cake. Hence the high rating; now I would have given it five stars for being so satisfying but I couldn’t rate it higher than the main event! Speaking of which, I had no idea how they’d get Death Triangle to lose to United Empire (so we can get Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay in the ring together) and I did NOT expect that! Good god, talk about long-term storytelling and paying off an audience’s patience. Genius! I guess Kip Sabian is back for good now then? And will feud with fellow countryman PAC? I’m here for it! As for the match itself… fast-paced, high-flying and… breathtaking. Truly.
