Review: AEW Dynamite (11-6-2024)
Dynamite is live from Manchester, New Hampshire. What a state!
Tonight has Dynamite AND NXT, which is on Wednesday for a one-off this week because of Current Events, and I don’t know exactly when I’ll get to NXT but it’ll be up before Friday’s Smackdown, anyway.
Also coming soon is the third of 10 (!) Classic Reviews for the month of November. It’s a great time to get a premium subscription and to gift 100 to all your friends!
Hurt Syndicate are here: Their song goes, “We hurt people (hurt people) we hurt people (hurt people)” or some such. Tony Schiavone is with them in the ring. Crowd chanting for MVP and he’s loving it and soaking in it. He nicely (basically) dismisses Tony Schiavone because MVP can speak for himself. Boy he is living up the response to the boys tonight. MVP’s intro of Shelton Benjamin gets a nice cheer. Lashley gets his paper MMA record cited, with MVP saying it’s 19-0. It’s not — he’s 15-2 in MMA. Swerve is here and ready to fight, carrying a chain. Nana and officials are holding him back. He’s got a real puss on. But he’s calmed enough that he’s given a mic and will speak from the aisle. Swerve challenges Bob for Full Gear.
Darby Allin & Orange Cassidy vs Claudio Castagnoli & PAC
They officially appear to be “The Death Riders” now. This starts with a bunch of scrappin’ and brawlin’ outside the ring before they get down there. Orange hits a cool DDT on PAC and then Claudio gets in there and just utterly manhandles Orange for a moment.
After break, Darby gets a Darby Hot Tag, you’ve seen a Darby Hot Tag. He’s good at them. Flying around, in and out of the ring. Claudio’s back in his best role now, which is high-end lieutenant to someone who actually matters.
A typical Very Fun AEW Tag. Everyone in this match can be a hoot — and they are hootin’ — and the Manchester crowd is up for them. Marina Shafir gets involved to kick Bryce Remsburg, and Moxley runs in to put the sleephold on Cassidy. Darby skateboards Moxley in the spine, but Numbers Game. And this is gonna have no finish, this’ll be a DQ, which to me is fine but I think some of the true blue, AEW-or-nothing diehards just gotta adjust to this company as they start to book a little more “standard” TV-like, because, like, let’s be honest, years of declining ratings aren’t as dramatic an issue as the anti-AEW people want to make out, but this company does want more people than this to watch. So they’re going to be catering a bit more to on-the-fence type fans, yes. Anyway, the match ruled. ***½
Post-match: Jon Mox and his Death Riders continue the attack, Numbers Gaming Orange further. Here comes the Conglomeration — Briscoe, Kyle, Rocky, and Ishii, and MoxCo dips.
Backstage: After break, Renee “The Mole” Paquette is with Ricochet, who has a mystery partner tonight to face Fletcher and Takeshita. He will not reveal the secret. Hurt Syndicate surround Ricochet and Renee leaves. They’re being quietly threatening while “wishing him good luck.”
Chris Jericho, Big Bill & Bryan Keith vs Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly & Tomohiro Ishii
Fight Without Honor
I guess, technically, this is a Ring of Honor match. But it has people who are cared about on the AEW roster so it’s on the AEW show, as nobody watches HonorClub.
Keith and Kyle go through a table pretty early as this is just a big plunder brawl right off, this show is coming with energy for this entire first hour. Bill chokeslams Briscoe through a ladder leaning against the guardrail outside.
Conglomeration triple up on Bill, Keith is passed on somewhere and Jericho is lying around on the canvas not even pretending he isn’t halfway sitting up and watching everyone do their spots, then passing word of whatever to Aubrey Edwards with zero subtlety. It’s like when Ian Rotten would just lazily, openly blade two feet from a Smart Mark Video ringside camera while standing up.
Big and Kyle fight about the arena after Keith does some weapon damage in the ring. O’Reilly on top of some equipment cases as Bill sets up a pair of tables to go through, side-by-side. Bill gets Kyle up for the chokeslam, but O’Reilly guillotines on the lift, Bill’s knees start to give and they crash through the tables. There’s a referee with them because it is falls count anywhere.
But we go back to the ring with Briscoe and Jericho. Jericho misses a chair shot, Mark hits the Jay Driller but doesn’t go for the pin, instead setting up a ladder and a table in the ring. Jericho laid out on the table, Briscoe climbs the ladder and hits the Froggybow, but Keith breaks the pin. Ishii is right behind BK and he wins a quick slugfest. Briscoe dives onto Keith outside, giving way for Ishii to take over the lead in the Jericho feud directly. Ishii with the sliding lariat and brainbuster, he pins Jericho to set up a ROH title match at AEW Full Gear, probably. ***
Backstage: MoxCo are back. Well, Jon and Wheeler and Marina, who stands there and looks dangerous. Moxley says Yuta is a soldier who belongs to nobody. Then Wheeler is shoved out of the picture so Moxley can quote songs from the 60s.
Malakai Black vs Adam Cole
Excalibur says Adam Cole has never beaten Malakai Black. I’m sure he’s right but I checked anyway, and it is true. 1-0 on the indies (FCP in 2014) and 5-0 in NXT, though Cole did win a five-way in NXT in 2019 that had Black, Matt Riddle, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream. Different time.
Kinda like an NXT match between them but slowed down a fair bit. Black hits The End but Cole kicks out and then it really becomes an NXT match between them when Black makes NXT Face in utter disbelief. Cole fights back into it and desperately pulls himself up by the ropes waiting for Full Sail to go wild but we are not in Winter Park, brother. Malakai stays seated on his ass and gives up, telling Cole to finish him off, and Cole does with a knee to the back of the head. Tony Schiavone with another one of his bad reads on what someone is expressing and Excalibur has to struggle into having them making the right point, which is that Black really is possibly giving up on himself. ***
Post-match: Kyle O’Reilly watches on TV and says, “Yes. Good. My friend is being good. Yes.” Then back to the ring where Cole stays out there and waits on Black to stand up. Cole extends a hand, Black gives him a hug. The Satanists just love Adam Cole. They only want the best for him. They must test him.
oh fuck it’s story time with adam cole baby: Cole says Malakai is one of the best he’s ever wrestled (he says “fought”) in 16 years. Mel hangs out on the ramp and gets a small ovation for that. Is this dude retiring? Anyway, he’s gone. Now it’s time Adam Cole Baby to talk about MJF. What if both Cole and Roddy go 3-0? Tony Khan says (relayed by Cole) if that happens it’ll be a triple threat at Full Gear.
Yes, we do see MJF in his grody living room, reacting to all this. He’s gonna make a telephone call (important). He needs someone to pay someone a visit. Wow the return of Wardlow is imminent!
Backstage: Jay White is with Renee, but before he can make a point it’s Hangman Page interrupting. They fight out out to the set. Page is winning the fight and trying to break White’s leg and/or ankle in the guardrail. Nigel advises Tony Schiavone to go put a stop to this. Juice Robinson flies in to take the chair from Page. White gets free and attacks Page and they head to the ring. Page gets free and retreats. White gets on the mic to resume his promo. Point to the Full Gear sign! White wants to make Hangman tap out at the PPV. Doesn’t necessarily say he WILL do that, just thinks it’d be neat.
Backstage: After break, Kris Statlander is just getting here, I guess. There’s 33 minutes left in the show. Wait no she was leaving. LEAVING EARLY??? Kris wants to TBS champ again. Renee wishes her farewell but then Mercedes Mone has Kamille try to kill Stat with an SUV, only to miss. Statlander beats the shit out of them both, slamming a car door on Kamille’s arm and then breaking Mone’s back on the hood. That was a swift and brutal price paid. Stat was not on some “when I see you at the pay-per-view in two weeks…” shit. She just whupped ‘em right away.
The Patriarchy are here: Kip Sabian is officially an official member of the group because Sabian had the foresight to keep Christian from cashing in his stupid ass contract that one time. Christian has now somewhat turned on Nick Wayne in favor of Kip Sabian. A 19-year-old blue chipper for a 32-year-old utility man is not a good trade. Cage is gonna tell Hook it straight. Tell it to him straight. Cage wants Hook to be his new son. Christian points out that Taz saw who attacked him, yet he didn’t just reveal to Hook who did it, made him find the video tape. Christian says Taz knows Christian can take Hook higher. Christian runs down Taz’s legacy as a wrestler, a “big fish in a small pond” who buckled under the bright lights. Usual really strong Christian promo. He wishes Taz was dead. Hook drops the mic and charges through “security,” gets hold of Christian but Nick Wayne and security save Christian and allow his escape. A security guy gets Redrum from Hook.
Backstage: Alex Marvez is with Don Callis, who uses Insider Shoot Talk for a moment about his tag team of Brian Cage and Lance Archer, then is interrupted by a large fellow who has a message for him. It’s MJF bribing Callis to use his boys to take out Adam Cole.
Jamie Hayter vs Penelope Ford
They’re both back! Ford attacks Hayter so the bell rings. Sure why not! You only have to wait for approval from a pre-match attackee when the story suggests that would be usefully dramatic.
Hayter with a big suplay early to turn the tide. Hayter with some nice chops, forearms, Penelope is getting thrashed until Hayter runs into a nice knee. Back handspring elbow from Ford, big running foot in the corner, this rocks so far. Damn sure physical. Ford misses a moonsault, Hayter with a Glimmering Warlock, and a nasty brainbuster. And then Ford fires back on her! This rocks! Hayterade wins it for Jamie. ***½
Mina is coming next week.
Video: Kazuchika Okada is a great tournament wrestler. He takes a shot at Masahiro Chono and everything. He’s got his sights set on winning the Continental Classic.
Schiavone has really been off lately. Hope the big man’s doing well.
Ricochet on the mic. His partner is someone whose contract with the Don Callis Family just expired. OH SHIT IT’S
Powerhouse Hobbs & Ricochet vs Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher
THE BIG MAN IS BACK! Fast start, slows down, good match. Ricochet is a good Ricky Morton and Fletcher and Takeshita are great TV wrestlers, Fletcher especially of late. Crowd’s also hot for Hobbs once he finally gets his big tag in.
Takeshita vs Hobbs has a lot of potential. Like, a lot. They hint at what they’d do. It’d be damn sure physical.
Ricochet eats a Doomsday Device but kicks at two as Fletcher goes to dive on Hobbs. This goes on but Hobbs returns before Takeshita can finish off Ricochet. Takeshita Germans Hobbs, and then catches a flying Ricochet trying for a rana, but Ricochet gets it over anyway for two. Shooting star hits, Takeshita kicks again. Yeah, my man Tony Khan was getting itchy not having matches worked like this tonight. I can live with it. Ricochet with a big lariat and pins Takeshita. ***½
Post-match: Fletcher whacks Hobbs in the ass cheek with a chair, then Ricochet gets one over the back. Two! Before Fletcher can do more damage, Mark Davis again comes down like an angry dad. Fletcher has had it with Davis now and shoves him, but Davis shoves back. It’s not the shoes, man, every time he’s on TV right now Davis does not move like a wrestler right now at all. He moves like a middle school vice principal who just learned how to do a couple bumps because he’s gonna be in the main event for the shindie fundraiser this weekend. But you can also see him JUST start to get that feel back when he gets a smidge of offense out here after it pops off. Cage and Archer in. Adam Cole comes in but doesn’t fare well, with Takeshita fighting him to the back before Cole can reach the ring. They meet for Cole’s big third match. Anyway, Fletcher and the boys are gonna screwdriver Mark Davis, but they’re interrupted by Will Ospreay, who looks a lot smaller than the last time we saw him, which is fine and even likely a very good idea! This isn’t the New Japan, you don’t have to convince anyone you’re a “heavyweight” to be the big dog. Could also just be basically an optical illusion because he’s not in his normal gear and isn’t all oiled up.
GRADE: B+
Thought this was a really good Dynamite. Have liked the pace and feel of their recent shows, there have been some minor but noteworthy changes that I think have pretty much all been good. This show didn’t have some blowaway AEW TV match or anything, but it was strong throughout, the wrestling was varied, you got a nice return for the main event, some strong promo work all over, Statlander may have sent Kamille back to CorganLand, all good stuff.
Three Stars of the Show
Penelope Ford: Brought it hard in that match with Hayter, which I thought ruled, my definite pure favorite of the night. Could give Jamie this spot, too, of course, but I think Hayter’s in-ring has been praised to the point we all just agree she’s good, right? Penelope upon return is looking really motivated and really determined.
Jamie Hayter: No. 2 though, yes.
Powerhouse Hobbs: Played his role well in the main event, nice return, wasn’t super duper extra double trouble predictable. Think the obvious assumption was Ospreay, who got the return in anyway, an AEW specialty. The return of one person and then still the return of the one people expect.