‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Mar 6th 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz on commentary this week, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland def. Mike Bennett & Matt Taven
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Samoa Joe booted Taven in the head and flattened him with a senton for a near fall. Samoa Joe hit Taven with a headbutt. Bennett grabbed a blind tag and began to strike Samoa Joe after a swift kick from Matt Taven. Strickland tagged himself in and cleaned house on Taven and Bennett. Swerve blasted Bennett with a brain buster! Swerve climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Taven cut him off. Swerve shoved Taven away and nailed Taven with the double foot stomp and followed up with the House Call! Swerve planted Taven and scored the pin!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: FTW Championship Match – HOOK def. Brian Cage
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cage cracked Hook with a thrust kick. Cage followed up with a suplex and then a running elbow to Hook in the corner. Cage sent Hook flying with a belly to belly suplex. Cage pulled a chair from beneath the ring and wedged it into the corner. Hook blasted Cage in the face with a fire extinguisher. Hook clocked Cage in the head with a trash can lid. Hook jumped off the ring steps, but Cage caught Hook and powerslammed Hook on the arena floor. Cage charged at Hook, but Hook dodged him, sending Cage crashing through the barricade. Back in the ring, Hook countered an F5 and spiked Cage with a DDT on a steel chair! Hook nailed Cage with a T-bone suplex! Hook smashed a trash can onto Cage and then suplexed Cage onto a steel guardrail for a near fall. Brian Cage escaped the Red Rum. Cage smacked Hook with an F5 onto a chair. Brian Cage took a bag and emptied it, spilling thumbtacks onto the ring. Hook cracked a kendo stick across Cage’s back and then suplexed Cage into the thumbtacks. Hook clubbed Cage. Hook applied the Red Rum, but Cage sat back into the thumbtacks! Hook wouldn’t let go, despite being in the thumb tacks, and put Brian Cage to sleep! Hook won via ref stoppage!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Killswitch def. Matt Menard
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Menard charged at Killswitch, not wasting anytime, throwing forearms at Killswitch. Menard ran into Killswitch, but Killswitch countered with a chokeslam! Killswitch clobbered Menard with a lariat to the back of the neck and then pinned him!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #4: Riho def. Kris Statlander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Riho dropkicked Statlander. Riho followed up with a drop toehold, but Kris got up and shoulder blocked Riho. Kris put Riho in a bear hug. Statlander nailed Riho with a vertical suplex. Statlander pressed Riho and then planted her hard on the mat! Riho connected with a dropkick and rallied back with a big hammering elbow in the corner. Riho rocked Kris with a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Riho climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Kris dodged the double stomp. Kris clubbed Riho in the face with a clothesline. Kris followed up with two more forearms. Riho was playing possum, jumped off the top rope, but Statlander rolled through. Riho slipped behind and nailed Kris with a dragon suplex for a two-count. Stokely Hathaway placed a chain in the ring for Kris, and then jumped onto the apron to distract the ref. Statlander picked up the chain, and it was clear she was torn, but then tossed the chain away. Riho charged at Statlander, but Statlander put on the brakes and suplexed Riho. Statlander planted Riho with a German Suplex. Statlander picked up Riho, but Riho rolled through and pinned Statlander!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Will Ospreay def. Kyle Fletcher
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Fletcher and Ospreay hugged as the bell rang. Fletcher hit Ospreay with a shoulder tackle. Ospreay took down Fletcher with a step up hurracanrana. Will chopped Fletcher in the chest. Fletcher reversed an Irish Whip and sent Ospreay into the turnbuckles. Will, with an injured back from Revolution, crumbled to the mat, writhing in pain. Will rallied back and hit a tope on Fletcher. Will suplexed Fletcher for a near fall. Fletcher had the Os Cutter scouted and nailed Will with a suplex and then a brain buster! Fletcher and Ospreay exchanged chops in the center of the ring. Fletcher tried to block the Os Cutter with a Styles Clash, but Will countered with a DDT! Fletcher ducked the Hidden Blade and countered with Snake Eyes into the middle turnbuckle! Ospreay staggered Fletcher with a heel kick and then blasted Fletcher with an Os Cutter on the apron. Ospreay countered a tombstone piledriver with a poison rana to Fletcher! Ospreay climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Fletcher knocked Will down. Fletcher attempted an avalanche dragon suplex, but Will landed on his feet! Will power bombed Fletcher but Fletcher kicked out at the two-count! Ospreay decimated Fletcher with an avalanche poison rana! Ospreay caught Fletcher with a Spanish Fly and then an Os Cutter, but Kyle kicked out! Ospreay finished off Fletcher with the Hidden Blade and pinned Fletcher!
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
News of the Night:
- Kazuchika Okada made his AEW debut, joining Matt & Nick Jackson in The Elite.
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
A pretty good restart for AEW, with new graphics and music to signify this “new season.” As a restart, this episode was packed with storytelling and promos a plenty, building for both new storylines and new feuds – which means we got less action than usual. But then we did get the debut of Okada! Even with a lack of wrestling overall, this episode did bring the excitement. So roll on more Okada, please!