‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Feb 28th 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the Propst Arena at Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz on commentary this week, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: The Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley) def. Eddie Kingston & FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Claudio was perplexed as Kingston knocked him off his feet. Dax and Danielson tagged in for their respective teams. Dax hit Danielson with a shoulder block. Cash and Mox grabbed tags. Mox and Cash traded strikes in the corner. Both teams began to brawl, and the match quickly broke down. Mox punched Cash in the face as Danielson held Cash back. Moxley applied a leg lock on Cash. Cash was able to escape and wiped out Mox with a hurracanrana. Dax tagged in and rocked Moxley with left jabs. Dax nailed Claudio with a neck breaker. Dax cradled Moxley for a near fall. Mox connected with a crossbody press on Moxley for a two-count. Dax drilled Moxley with a Tiger Driver, but Danielson ran in to break up the pin attempt. Moxley rammed Dax into the steel ring post. Danielson grabbed Dax’s arm and wrenched on it. Then Danielson took down Kingston and hit a sliding dropkick on him on the arena floor. Moxley and Claudio tied up Dax so Danielson could hit Dax with a diving headbutt. Kingston managed to tag in, and he and Danielson traded chops. Kingston sent Danielson flying with an exploder suplex. Kingston served up an exploder for Claudio. Kingston and Moxley blasted each other with strikes. Danielson booted Kingston. Claudio put Kingston in the Giant Swing and then Danielson dropkicked Eddie! Moxley spiked Kingston with a piledriver! Danielson covered Kingston for the pin, but Dax jumped in the ring to break it up. FTR cleaned house on Moxley and Claudio! Kingston cracked Danielson with a spinning backfist. FTR hit a diving bulldog on Danielson and Kingston covered Danielson for the pin, but Claudio and Mox broke it up. All six men paired off and began to clobber each other with strikes. FTR connected with the Shatter Machine on Claudio! Mox DDT’ed Cash! Dax stunned Mox with a brain buster! Danielson charged at Dax with the running knee! Kingston went for the spinning backfist, but Danielson ducked it! Danielson sent Kingston overhead and to the mat with a shoulder capture suplex! Danielson drilled Kingston with the running knee! Danielson grabbed Kingston’s wrists and began to stomp on Kingston’s head. Danielson trapped Eddie in a triangle sleeper. The ref stopped the match and Danielson wouldn’t release the hold! The BCC won via ref stoppage!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Orange Cassidy def. Nick Wayne
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Nick Wayne was looking for Wayne’s World early on, but Orange dodged it. Wayne followed up with a diving uppercut. Nick Wayne moonsaulted off the middle turnbuckle and landed on Cassidy on the arena floor. Orange tried to put some distance between him and Nick Wayne, but Nick vaulted over the top rope again and crashed onto Orange. Nick Wayne and Orange Cassidy jockeyed for position on the top turnbuckle. Christian swept out Orange’s legs. The ref ejected the Patriarchy from ringside for interfering. Orange Cassidy blasted Nick with a shotgun dropkick. Orange bounced Nick’s head off the turnbuckle pads. Orange planted Nick Wayne with a DDT for a near fall. Nick Wayne fired back with a fisherman’s suplex. Nick Wayne taunted Orange. Orange answered with a thrust kick. Orange pulped Wayne with a running PK! Orange rocked Wayne with a Beach Break for a near fall. The Undisputed Kingdom—Mike Bennett and Matt Taven—showed up at ringside to mock Orange. Nick Wayne hit Orange with a dragon suplex as Orange was distracted by Taven and Bennett. Rocky Romero and Trent ran to ringside to even up the odds for Orange, brawling with Bennett and Taven. As the ref was dealing with the ringside brawl, Nick Wayne ripped off a turnbuckle pad. Daniel Garcia walked to ringside and began to argue with Nick Wayne. Garcia is set to wrestle Christian Cage this Sunday at REVOLUTION. Nick Wayne turned around and ate an Orange Punch from Cassidy, and Cassidy scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Skye Blue def. Kris Statlander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
After an aggressive start by Skye, Kris flung Skye halfway across the ring. Skye escaped and body slam and yanked Kris down to the mat by her hair. Kris came back with a senton for a near fall. Skye Blue cracked Kris with a knee to the face. Kris press slammed Blue over the barricade and onto fans at ringside! Back in the ring, they traded forearms. Kris hammered Skye with a lariat. Kris powerslammed Skye out of the corner for a two-count. Skye came back with a neck breaker for a near fall. Statlander drilled Skye with a German Suplex on the apron! Julia Hart checked on Skye. Julia gave Kris a nasty look before Willow stepped up and got in Julia’s face. Statlander charged at Skye, but Skye countered with a drop toehold, bashing Statlander headfirst into the steel ring steps! Blue crushed Kris with a Canadian Destroyer! Skye rolled up Kris in a cradle but somehow Kris Statlander kicked out. Statlander pulled Skye off the turnbuckles and down onto the mat with an iconoclasm! Statlander planted Skye for a near fall. Stokely offered Kris a steel chain to use, but Willow discouraged her from using it. As the ref was telling Stokely to put the chain away, Julia Hart jumped in the ring and hit Kris in the head with the TBS championship belt! Skye followed up with the Code Blue and pinned Kris Statlander!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Chris Jericho def. CMLL’s Atlantis Jr.
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
They slugged it out early on. Atlantis Jr. connected with a high crossbody press from the top rope. Atlantis Jr. sent Jericho flying with a monkey flip. Jericho retaliated with the Walls of Jericho, but Atlantis reached the ropes, forcing the ref to break the hold. Jericho tried to rip off Atlantis Jr.’s mask but Atlantis Jr.’s fought back. As the ref was helping to tie the mask back on Atlantis Jr., Atlantis Sr. choked Jericho with a towel on the other side of the ring. Atlantis Jr. hit Jericho with a tope suicida, sending Jericho crashing hard into the barricade. Atlantis Jr. catapulted Jericho into the steel ring post. Atlantis Jr. tried to powerbomb Jericho onto the steps, but Jericho reversed it with a hurracanrana. Back in the ring, Atlantis Jr. sent Jericho down to the mat hard with an arm drag off the turnbuckles. Atlantis Jr. followed up with a wheelbarrow German Suplex for a near fall! Jericho and Atlantis Jr. fought on the top turnbuckle, and Jericho slammed Atlantis Jr.’s head onto the mat with a bulldog for a near fall. Atlantis Jr. powerslammed Jericho for a two-count. Atlantis Jr. jumped over the top rope and wiped out Jericho on the arena floor. Jericho battered Atlantis Jr. with shots on top of the head and then sent Atlantis Jr. soaring with a hurracanrana off the top rope! Atlantis Jr. avoided the Judas Effect from Jericho! Atlantis Jr. locked in his backbreaker finisher on Jericho, but Jericho countered with the Walls! Jericho sat back and Atlantis threw the towel in for his son, knowing his son had too much pride to tap out!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
The opening match was easily the highlight of this week’s show, which spent most of its time on promos and vignettes in the build to Revolution this weekend. Don’t get me wrong, the other matches were good but the focus did feel like it was on the storytelling this week rather than delivering wrestling action. Though who the hell didn’t totally geek out to THAT end segment, with Sting coming down from the rafters? So nostalgic!