‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jul 31st 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock. We’ve got Excalibur, Taz and Tony Schiavone on commentary, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Will Ospreay def. Lance Archer
The following is courtesy of alleloitewrestling.com:
Archer splashed Will in the corner turnbuckles after a vicious choke slam to start the match. Archer slugged Ospreay with a forearm. Ospreay rallied back with a corkscrew kick. Ospreay flipped over the top rope, but Archer plucked him out of midair. Archer body slammed Will onto the arena floor. Ospreay wiped out Archer with a hurracanrana into the steel barricade. Ospreay connected with a dropkick, but Archer kicked out at the one-count! Archer choke slammed Ospreay off the top turnbuckle. Ospreay escaped another choke slam attempt. Ospreay went for the Os Cutter, but Archer countered and slammed Ospreay on the mat for a near fall. Archer spiked Will with a spinebuster for another near fall! Archer charged at Will, but Will countered with a thrust kick and a Spanish Fly! Archer was looking for an avalanche choke slam, but Ospreay countered with a Spanish Fly from the top! Ospreay stunned Archer with the Os Cutter out of nowhere for a near fall! Ospreay tried for the Hidden Blade, but Archer countered with a lariat for a two-count! Archer went for the Black Out, but Ospreay countered with a DDT and followed up with the Hidden Blade! Ospreay smashed Archer with a second Hidden Blade, right on the jaw, and pinned Archer!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: CMLL World Women’s Championship Eliminator Match – Kris Statlander def. Willow Nightingale
The following is courtesy of alleloitewrestling.com:
Statlander blasted Willow with a big time dropkick from the top turnbuckle! Willow retaliated with a pump kick. Kris countered a spine buster with a roll up, but Willow escaped. Willow tried for a cannonball against the barricade, but Statlander dodged it. Willow clubbed Kris with a clothesline and then a back elbow. Willow followed up with a spine buster for a two-count. Statlander fired off an ax kick on Willow Nightingale. Willow drilled Kris with a Death Valley Driver on the apron. Willow turned her attention to Stokely but Kris blindsided Willow. Statlander jumped off the top rope, but Willow countered with a power bomb and then a DDT for a near fall on Kris Statlander! Kris came back with a 450 splash, but Willow kicked out at two! Stokely passed Kris a metal chain and distracted the referee. Statlander wrapped the chain around her hand and then smashed her fist into Willow’s face, knocking out Willow and picking up the win!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Roderick Strong, RUSH & The Beast Mortos def. The Conglomeration (Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy & Tomohiro Ishii)
The following is courtesy of alleloitewrestling.com:
Mortos speared Orange. Ishii got caught in a belly to belly throw by Mortos. Ishii knocked Mortos down with a shoulder tackle. Ishii and Rush traded forearms! Rush rocked Ishii with a rolling elbow strike. Briscoe and Rush chopped one another. Briscoe shut down rush with a big elbow. Roderick Strong cut off Briscoe with a drop kick. Briscoe rallied back with a flipping neck breaker on Roddy. Briscoe used a steel chair as a launching pad and jumped onto the Beast Mortos and Rush. Briscoe unleashed the redneck kung fu on Rush and the Beast Mortos! Ishii tagged and knocked down Roddy with one strike. Ishii followed up with a release German Suplex. Orange jumped into the mix and spiked Roddy with a DDT. Briscoe dropped the Froggy Bow. Ishii tried to finish Roddy with a sliding lariat, but Roddy kicked out at the two-count! Roderick spiked Ishii with a Tiger Driver for a near fall! Ishii cracked Roderick with a headbutt. Briscoe and Mortos tagged in. Rush rocked Mark with a belly to belly suplex into the turnbuckles. Mark tried for the Jay Driller on Mortos, but Rush ran in and headbutted Mark. Mortos spiked Mark down onto his head and scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Kamille def. Brittany Jade
The following is courtesy of alleloitewrestling.com:
Kamille bull rushed her opponent in the corner. She hauled off and hammered Brittany. Kamille tossed Brittany across the ring and followed up with a guillotine leg drop! Kamille drove Brittany Jade into the mat and pinned her!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #5: “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Darby Allin
The following is courtesy of alleloitewrestling.com:
Darby blasted Page with a shotgun dropkick. Darby attempted a Coffin Drop but Page caught him and countered with a German Suplex onto the arena floor! Darby was immediately clutching his right shoulder. Hangman whipped Darby into the steel barricade. Hangman grabbed a steel chair and stalked Darby up the ramp. The ref told Page to get back in the ring. Darby drilled Hangman with a cutter on the stage. Darby climbed to the top of the ramp and nailed Page with a Coffin Drop from the entrance tunnel. The lights went on during the match. The lights were restored, and Hangman whipped Darby into the steel ring steps. Taz speculated that maybe a fuse went out momentarily. Hangman whipped Darby into the steps again, but Darby vaulted over them. Darby jumped at Page, but Page power bombed Darby onto the ring apron. Hangman hurled Darby into the steps with a fallaway slam. Hangman hit an avalanche fallaway slam on Darby, sending Darby all the way to the other side of the ring with force and momentum! Hangman got onto the steps, but Darby swept out Hangman’s legs. Darby gouged Hangman’s eyes. Darby drilled Hangman with a battering ram through the ropes and out onto Hangman. Darby pulled his belt off and whipped Adam Page in the back! Darby connected with a shotgun dropkick and then a coffin splash in the corner. Darby rocked Page with the Code Red! Darby went for the Coffin Drop but Hangman countered, catching Darby with a sleeper. Darby escaped and went for the Buckshot Lariat, but Hangman countered with a clubbing clothesline. Adam Page power bombed Darby in the ring and covered Darby for a two-count. Page planted Darby with two Deadeyes in the center of the ring! Hangman went for the Buckshot Lariat, but Darby collapsed to the mat before Hangman could connect. Page grabbed Darby and picked him up to his feet. Darby rolled up Hangman in a cradle out of nowhere and grabbed the pin!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
A solid night of wrestling on Dynamite this week. Nice to see Lance Archer given an actual match against Will Ospreay and not just jobbing out to him as you might. have expected. A surprise win for the heels against The Conglomeration, which was actually something of shock – though great to see Mortos get the pin, after all he’s been losing on AEW TV but winning all his matches in ROH. Nice to see him get the pin here in AEW. Kamille’s debut match was little more than a cheap squash to get Mercedes Mone out to the ring as quickly as possible, which is a downright shame. I want to see Kamille kick plenty of arse in AEW against legit opponents, not jobbers! As for the main event? More crazy shit from the cowboy and the lunatic! Darby put his body on the line as usual and Hangman hung with him (pun intended) delivering some great heel work along the way. Overall a good episode of Dynamite. However, if you want to watch TRULY great wrestling from Tony Khan’s stable, you need to check ut ROH” Death Before Dishonor. REALLY great stuff there!
