‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Dec 11th 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of the AEW Dynamite: Winter Is Coming special, which was broadcast from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO. We’ve got Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness, and Tony Schiavone on commentary, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: PAC & Jon Moxley vs. Jay White & Orange Cassidy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Orange wiped out Pac with a tope suicida while Jay White took the fight to Moxley with knife edged chops. Jay rammed Mox into the ring apron. Moxley grabbed Orange and whipped him into the metal ring steps. The bell finally rang as Pac and Jay White entered the ring. Jay blasted Pac with a back breaker, but Mox jumped in with a boot to Jay White to break up the pin attempt. Moxley and White exchanged chops in the center of the ring. Mox avoided a blade runner attempt from Jay, and then dodged an Orange Punch from Cassidy. Pac planted Orange onto the announce desk! Christian Cage and The Patriarchy were scouting the match from up in the suites of the arena. Orange connected with a thrust kick to Moxley, stunning the champion. Jay White tagged in and cleaned house, sending Pac flying with a big time backdrop. Jay White spiked Pac and then Mox with DDTs. Jay White ran into a boot from Pac! Moxley battered Jay White with knee strikes in the corner. Pac cracked Jay White with a spinning back kick, folding him in half. Moxley clobbered Jay White with a short arm lariat. Jay White rallied back with a dragon screw to Pac and tagged out to Orange. Orange came in swinging away at Moxley! Moxley got punted in the face. Orange drilled Pac with a DDT! Orange climbed up top and spiked Mox with a diving DDT for a near fall! Pac ate a stun dog millionaire from Cassidy. Cassidy crunched Moxley with a Beach Break for a two-count! Wheeler Yuta distracted the ref while Marina Shafir grabbed Orange’s boots. Hangman Page stormed the ring and grounded and pounded Jon Moxley! Orange pulled Page off Moxley, and they exchanged shots! Jay White jumped in and punished Hangman with punches. Orange inadvertently hit Jay White with an Orange Punch! Jay White came back with a blade runner on Orange! Hangman pointed a finger of blame at them until Moxley and the Death Riders blindsided them. Moxley and the Death Riders, content with the damage they have done, left the ring.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Continental Classic Gold League Match – Will Ospreay def. Claudio Castagnoli
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ospreay nearly stole his next three points with a Spanish Fly in the opening seconds of the match. Ospreay followed up with a Sasuke special. Claudio blocked an Os Cutter with a European uppercut. Ospreay dropkicked the ring steps into Claudio’s knees. Claudio retaliated by driving Will face first into the barricade. Claudio used the Giant Swing on Will, hurling him into the steel ring steps. Claudio trapped Will’s arms in the steps and then stepped on Will’s arm! Claudio countered a springboard with a European uppercut. Ospreay used a hurracanrana and then a corkscrew kick to take Claudio off his feet. Will Ospreay wiped out Claudio with a suplex and then a standing sky twister press for a near fall. Claudio booted Will in the face. Will locked in the flying octopus hold. Claudio escaped and crashed down on Will with a double foot stomp. Claudio dodged a sky twister press and followed up with a running European uppercut for a two-count on Will! Claudio and Will traded strikes in the center of the ring. Ospreay stunned Claudio with an Os-Cutter out of nowhere. Claudio countered a Hidden Blade with a European Uppercut and then a running lariat for a near fall on Ospreay! Will Ospreay swept the legs and jack knifed Will for the pin out of nowhere!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #3: Adam Cole def. Kyle O’Reilly
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Before the match, Matt Taven and Mike Bennett approached Kyle and said he didn’t have to do this. Bennett said to remember that at the end of the day, they’re still family. Kyle said, “You should have thought of that before you let one of our brothers get hurt.” Kyle went for an arm bar, but Cole escaped. Cole avoided a high roundhouse kick from Kyle. Kyle swept out Cole’s legs on the arena floor. Back in the ring, Cole clocked Kyle with a thrust kick. Kyle countered a Panama Sunrise with a knee strike and then a brain buster on the knee for a near fall. Cole lowered the boom with a knee strike on Kyle. Kyle applied an ankle lock with body scissors. Cole reached the ropes to force the ref to break the hold. Cole planted Kyle with the Panama Sunrise. O’Reilly grabbed Cole’s leg and applied an ankle lock. Cole reversed out of the hold. Kyle pulled Cole out of the ring. Cole blasted Kyle with a thrust kick right on target. Kyle collapsed in the ring. While the ref was checking on Kyle, MJF jumped up on the apron. Cole rocked MJF with a thrust kick and then cradled Kyle for the pin fall victory!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Continental Classic Gold League Match – Ricochet def. Brody King
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ricochet ducked a chop. Ricochet staggered Brody with a kick to the head. Brody shoved Ricochet to the arena floor. Ricochet jumped off the barricade with a thrust kick. Brody blocked a hurracanrana and power bombed Ricochet onto the ring apron. Brody smashed Ricochet with a cross body against the barricade! Ricochet regained momentum, taking flight, jumping over the top rope and wiping out Brody. Ricochet rocked Brody with a 450 splash. Brody blasted Ricochet with a lariat. Ricochet countered the Gonzo Bomb with a cradle pin for a near fall. Ricochet got squashed by Brody’s cannonball run in the corner. Ricochet power bombed Brody. Ricochet hit a shooting star press right on target, but Brody grabbed Ricochet by the throat! Brody searched for a sleeper hold. Ricochet grabbed the ropes and escaped by going over the top rope. Ricochet bashed Brody with the spirit gun and then followed up with a second spirit gun and pinned Brody!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: AEW Women’s World Championship Match – Mariah May def. Mina Shirakawa
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
They exchanged strikes at the start of the match. Mina battered Mariah with hammer strikes. Mina dropkicked Mariah in the knee. Mina focused her attack on the left leg of Mariah. Mariah bounced Mina off the barricade. Thunder Rosa was scouting the match from the front row. Mariah drove Mina into the barricade with a dropkick right on target. Mina blocked a kick from Mariah and then swept out Mariah’s leg. Mina locked in the figure four as Mariah’s legs were wrapped around the ring post! Mina connected with a rolling elbow strike. They knocked one another down with headbutts and a spinning back fist. Mina put down the champion with a back drop suplex for a near fall! Mina drilled Mariah with a draping DDT for a two-count, as Mariah grabbed the bottom rope to stop the count. Mariah mauled Mina with two knee strikes. Mariah planted Mina with the May Day but Mina kicked out at the two-count! Mina planted Mariah with a crucifix bomb, but Mariah escaped. Mina rocked Mariah with a sling blade off the ropes. Mariah landed a head butt and spiked Mina with the Storm Zero to score the pin fall victory!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
Another great episode of Dynamite this week. We got two great Continental Classic matches, a great women’s main event match and a Cole/O’Reilly match that delivered too. The only match that was the odd one out was the opener, which didn’t have a real conclusion and therefore pretty much wasted all the time it was given. Still these “Winter Is Coming” specials usually equal great wrestling and this episode was no exception.