‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Dec 4th 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the Fishers Event Center in Fishers, IN. We’ve got Excalibur, Matt Menard, and Tony Schiavone on commentary, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Continental Classic Blue League Match – Kyle Fletcher def. Shelton Benjamin
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Both men locked up, both looking to gain an early advantage with a collar and elbow tie up. Shelton backed Fletcher into the corner turnbuckles and then shoved Fletcher to the mat. Shelton hit Kyle with a shoulder block. Fletcher began to pummel Benjamin with strikes. Shelton returned fire with a charging lariat. Benjamin dumped Fletcher on his head with a suplex. Fletcher hit Shelton with a lariat, both men spilling out to the arena floor. Shelton bounced Kyle off the barricades and then whipped Kyle into the steel ring steps. Fletcher side stepped a charging Shelton. Shelton collided with the steel post. Fletcher flattened Shelton with a lariat for a near fall. Fletcher blasted Benjamin with a kick and then a Michinoku driver! Shelton came around with a kick, stunning Fletcher. Benjamin power bombed Kyle. Kyle decimated Shelton with vicious thrust kicks and then an elbow drop from the top turnbuckle. Fletcher charged at Shelton, but Shelton countered with a thrust kick. Benjamin rag dolled Fletcher with three consecutive German Suplexes. Shelton closed the distance with a knee strike. Kyle rolled up Shelton, grabbed the ropes, and stole the pin fall victory!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale – Winner(s): Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Evil Uno and Adam Cole slugged it out. Uno raked Cole’s back. Mark Davis stunned Evil Uno with a kick and knocked him out of the ring. The Butcher back dropped Mark Davis. Brian Cage planted Dante Martin. Lio Rush and Action Andretti eliminated Top Flight with stereo offense. Mark Davis spiked the Butcher with a pile driver. Archer and Cage ping ponged Mark Davis and then sent Davis to the outside with a double lariat. Action rocked Rocky Romero with a flying forearm. Kyle pump kicked Action and eliminated Kyle O’Reilly from the match. Kyle dumped Lio Rush over the top rope. Cage and Archer choke slammed Rocky over the top rope. Kyle dropped the Butcher with a flying kick, eliminating Butcher. Cole kicked Cage in the knee. Cole superkicked Cage out of the ring, while Kyle eliminated Archer. Your winners: Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole! They’ll be facing off next week on Dynamite: Winter Is Coming for a shot at MJF at Worlds End!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: Swerve Strickland def. Max Caster
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Swerve heard enough of Max’s rap and forced Max to eat his words. Swerve whipped Max into the guardrail! Swerve planted Caster with a German Suplex. Swerve cracked Caster with the House Call kick, firing on all cylinders! Swerve served up another one! Swerve delivered a third House Call kick and pinned Max Caster!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #4: Jay White def. PAC
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jay White chopped Pac in the corner turnbuckles. Pac escaped a Blade Runner attempt. Jay White suplexed Pac over the top rope, with Pac crashing onto the apron. Yuta swept the leg of Jay White and then clobbered White with a clothesline. The referee didn’t see Yuta’s interference. Pac sent Jay White hard into the barricade. Jay White nailed Pac with a half and half suplex into the turnbuckles. Jay White jabbed at Pac, the intensity picking up. Jay spiked Pac with a DDT for a near fall! Jay charged at Pac, but Pac raised his boot. Jay White dodged a shooting star press. White drilled Pag with a half and half suplex. Pac managed to lock in a standing Brutalizer! Jay White reached the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the hold. Wheeler Yuta charged at White with the Busaiku knee outside the ring as the ref was distracted Jay White grabbed Pac and planted him with the Blade Runner out of nowhere, scoring the pin fall victory!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: Anna Jay def. Penelope Ford
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Penelope shoved Anna; Anna shoved back, knocking Penelope to the mat. Ford swept out Jay’s legs and nailed Anna Jay with a double knee drop. Penelope Ford connected with a handspring elbow. Penelope was looking for a moonsault, but Anna Jay swept out her legs. Anna retaliated with a neck breaker. Penelope escaped the Queen Slayer and countered with a stunner for a near fall. Anna dodged a moonsault. Anna Jay rocked Penelope with a dropkick. Penelope applied a bridging death lock, but Anna scooted over to the bottom rope. Anna planted Penelope face first and scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Continental Classic Gold League Match – Claudio Castagnoli def. Brody King
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
They locked up. They bashed each other with strikes and upper cuts. Brody rocked Claudio with chops to the chest. Brody scoop slammed Claudio and then splashed him with a senton. Claudio kicked out at the one-count. Claudio took Brody off his feet with a basement dropkick. Claudio stomped Brody’s shoulder blades and then wrapped Brody’s right wrist against the steel ring post. Brody drilled Claudio with a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Claudio rocked Brody with a pop up European Uppercut. Claudio pounded Brody with hammer and anvil elbow strikes. Brody retaliated with a big time lariat. Brody King splashed Claudio in the corner and followed up with a running cannonball for a near fall! Brody superplexed Claudio! Brody followed up with a stuffed piledriver, but Claudio escaped the pin attempt. Claudio came back with the Neutralizer and pinned Brody!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
An interesting episode of Dynamite this week. We got two great Continental Classic matches, a good women’s match between Anna Jay and Penelope Ford and we got a great match between Jay White and Pac. But the rest of the card felt a bit too much run-of-the-mill wrestling show in comparison. As for the Swerve/Caster match, I can’t see why Swerve needed a squash match to get over, Though I can see why Caster would be the guy to get squashed, the Acclaimed star’s halo has fallen in recent months – the fan lustre for The Acclaimed has seriously waned in recent weeks/months and maybe it’s time they turned full heel? Caster definitely has the attitude for it! And even though the match was that bad, the Battle Royale was a huge letdown. After all, the winners are the two guys already feuding with MJF. What a shocker! I’d have been more interested if someone, anyone, else got the win TBH.
