“AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Oct 5th 2022)

Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!

Match #1: MJF def. Wheeler Yuta

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

William Regal joined the broadcast booth for this match. Yuta clubbed away at MJF in the corner and then followed up with two arm drags. Yuta strutted to mock MJF. MJF grabbed Yuta’s waistband and drove him into the turnbuckles. MJF hit a gut wrench suplex on Wheeler Yuta. Wheeler fired back with a series of German suplexes. MJF caught Yuta and powerbombed Yuta onto his knee! Wheeler came back and cracked MJF in the back of the head with a kick. Yuta and MJF exchanged pinning attempts and then took each other down with clotheslines. Yuta climbed to the top rope but MJF threw his body weight against the ropes, knocking Yuta onto the turnbuckles. MJF attempted an avalanche tombstone piledriver but Yuta escaped and then chomped down on MJF’s forehead. Yuta hit a massive hurracanrana and then followed up with a tope suicida to MJF. Yuta rocketed off the top rope with a diving splash to MJF for a near fall! Yuta hit MJF with the hammer and anvil elbows. Yuta was looking for the seatbelt submission but MJF reversed it and transitioned into the Salt of the Earth arm bar. Wheeler Yuta tried to touch the ropes but then MJF flipped over with a modified Salt of the Earth. Wheeler Yuta was forced to tap! After the match Wheeler Yuta attempted to shake MJF’s hand. MJF thought about it but then Lee Moriarty jumped into the ring and blindsided Wheeler Yuta. MJF yelled at Lee, “I didn’t tell you to do that!” Stokely Hathaway handed the Dynamite Diamond Ring to MJF. William Regal put on a pair of brass knux and met MJF in the ring. The Firm retreated, leaving Regal and MJF alone in the ring. MJF thought better of squaring off with Regal and walked out.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #2: Darby Allin def. Jay Lethal

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Jay Lethal hit Darby with a dropkick to the knee. Lethal kept working over Darby’s knee. Darby countered a suplex with a Scorpion death drop! Darby had Lethal on the turnbuckles but Lethal used an avalanche dragon screw. Lethal followed up with the figure four, wrenching back with all of his weight, keeping the pressure on Darby’s knee. Darby found the strength for a Code Red on Lethal for a near fall. Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh walked onto the ramp, seeing that Lethal was in trouble. Lethal told them to get in the back, saying he didn’t need them. Darby reversed a cradle attempt by Lethal with the Last Supper, finishing Lethal. Darby forced Lethal to shake his hand after the match and Lethal finally obliged.

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #3: TNT Championship Open Challenge – Wardlow def. Brian Cage

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Cage fired shoulders into the midsection of Wardlow. Wardlow muscled “The Machine” into the turnbuckles. Wardlow and Cage slugged it out in the center of the ring until Wardlow used a hurracanrana to take Cage off his feet. Wardlow intercepted Cage and slammed him. Wardlow used a belly-to-belly suplex on Brian Cage. Wardlow went up to the top rope but Cage kicked him down. Cage suplexed Wardlow back into the ring. Wardlow escaped a Drill Claw attempted and smashed Cash with a spinebuster for a two-count. Cage had Wardlow’s wind-up lariat scouted. Cage pancaked Wardlow for a near fall. Wardlow headbutted Cage and then took Cage off his feet with the wind-up lariat. Wardlow powerbombed Brian Cage! Wardlow powerbombed Cage a second time! Wardlow hit a third and a fourth powerbomb and then pinned Brian Cage!

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #4: Trios Match – Toni Storm, Athena, & Willow Nightingale def. Jamie Hayter, Penelope Ford & Serena Deeb

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Athena tripped up Penelope and blasted her with a shotgun dropkick. Penelope rammed Athena into the corner and followed up with a backspring elbow. Deeb tagged and ate a dropkick from Toni Storm. Toni used her hip attack on Deeb. When Storm was distracted, Deeb took down Toni with a chop block. Willow tagged in and hit Hayter with a spinebuster. Rebel grabbed a crutch from beneath the ring but Saraya pulled it away and threw it down. Willow hit Deeb with the pounce! Penelope Ford ran in and rocked Willow with a back heel kick! Willow rallied back and walloped Penelope with the doctor bomb for the pin!

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #5: “Hangman” Adam Page def. Rush

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Rush and Page traded stiff chops! Hangman was looking for the Buckshot Lariat but Jose had held Page’s boot. This gave Rush enough time to rock Page with a strike, sending Page to the arena floor. Rush wrapped a TV cable around Hangman. Next he sent Hangman crashing into the steel barricade. Back in the ring, Hangman caught Rush and tossed him with the fallaway slam! MJF was seen watching backstage, clutching his giant poker chip. Page caught Rush in midair and dropped him hard with the Death Valley Driver! Rush reared back and hit Hangman with a forearm. Jose interfered again and grabbed Hangman’s ankle. Rush used a straitjacket piledriver for a near fall on Page. But Hangman battled back with the Buckshot Lariat and then pinned Rush!

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #6: Luchasaurus def. Fuego Del Sol

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Fuego charged at Luchasaurus but Luchasaurus spiked him with a chokeslam! Luchasaurus planted Fuego with the cutthroat and then pinned him!

My Score: 1 out of 5

Match #7: Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara def. Daniel Garcia & Bryan Danielson

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Jericho observed the Code of Honor with Garcia. Daniel wrestled Jericho to the mat. Jericho chopped at Garcia but Garcia didn’t back down. Sammy tagged in and Garcia dropkicked Sammy’s leg. Danielson tagged in and used a flurry of kicks on Sammy. Danielson flew at Jericho with a tope. Sammy and Danielson went at it in the ring, with Sammy using a Spanish Fly for a near fall on the American Dragon. Jericho tagged in and he and Sammy double teamed Danielson. Garcia grabbed the tag and he and Jericho had a stare down. Jericho and Garcia exchanged strikes. Garcia suplexed Jericho. Garcia locked on the Dragon Tamer. Sammy interfered and Sammy nailed Garcia with a thrust kick. Sammy was looking for the cutter but was baited in by Garcia. Danielson dropped hammer and anvil elbows on Jericho while Garcia did the same to Sammy! Sammy fired back with a standing Spanish fly on American Dragon! Sammy tried for the GTH but Garcia blocked it and stuck Sammy with a piledriver. Sammy peppered Garcia with elbows. Outside the ring Jericho suplexed Danielson on the timekeeper’s table! Sammy cracked Garcia on the side of the head with the GTH. Sammy attempted the shooting star press but Garcia blocked it with his knees. Garcia locked in the Dragon Slayer in the center of the ring. As the ref was distracted, Jericho nailed Garcia in the head with the ROH World Title. Sammy covered Garcia and pinned him!

My Score: 3 out of 5

Final Verdict: 4/5

What a cracking episode for Dynamite’s third anniversary, this week delivered quality match after quality match with only ONE squash match! The show opened strong and continued through the entire two hours… Even the women’s match was booked strongly this week! The big surprise though was the Wardlow/Cage match. Those two guys went at it in a hoss fight both giving it their all and making the match truly memorable. Shame the show has been ruined by off-screen shenanigans once again though!