AEW Dynamite -Big Bu$ine$$- March 13, 2024
by Doc Allen
Live from TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. WrestleTix reports that attendance is north of 9,400. Tony Shiavone, Taz, and Excalibur are on commentary.
Mercedes Mone makes her "shocking" debut to announce that she's All Elite. The fans give her a mega star ovation and cooperate with her new theme music ordering them to chant "CEO!" Mercedes cuts a safe promo putting over the fans, AEW, the women's locker room, and her Boston roots. Nothing earth shattering, just a basic segment to reintroduce her.
Renee Paquette interviews AEW World Champion Samoa Joe backstage. Wardlow is overdue to pay for his crimes.
Undisputed Kingdom video package. The Devil Adam Cole takes a seat and tells the classic tale of Wardlow, a warrior on a quest to unleash his hatred onto a beast and capture gold.
AEW World Championship:
Samoa Joe © vs. Wardlow (with The Undisputed Kingdom)
Aggressive start by Wardlow, manhandling the champion and targeting the ribcage. Joe fights back with chops and jabs. Wardlow blocks a superplex and nails a twisting senton. Back from commercials, Joe tries his casual walk-off, but Wardlow has him scouted and hits a flying shoulder block. Joe comes back with this usual bag of tricks, including a brutal back senton. They duke it out until Joe blasts a power slam for 2. Wardlow blocks a Muscle Buster and fakes a knee injury to lure Joe into an eye rake. Wardlow pulls Joe into a knee strike for only 2. Wardlow misses a Swanton Bomb, but counters Joe's turnbuckle punches with a powerbomb! Joe grabs the Coquina Clutch for the submission at 11:09! Good-ish match with the right physicality you'd expect. It was definitely a "Joe TV match" but the fans were red hot, **¾.Winner and still AEW World Champion: Samoa Joe
Swerve Strickland tries to fight past security to get his hands on Joe, but the champion nonchalantly walks away.
Earlier today, Alex Marvez wants to know why Kazuchika Okada would align with The Young Bucks. Nicholas demands that Alex show more respect to the best wrestler in the world. Okada forces Alex to sing "Happy Birthday" to Matthew. These guys are mean.
The New Elite (Nicholas Jackson, Matthew Jackson, and Kazuchika Okada) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo (with Alex Abrahantes), Pac, and Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston
The fans are treating this like a big deal, so whadya know, it feels like a big deal. Okada immediately tags out to Matthew, who horses around asking for a fist bump, and gets knocked around instead. Matthew is too slow to get serious and Pac capitalizes with a rana and tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Nicholas tags in to plant Penta, who pops up for a pump kick. Stuffed superkick by Penta, then spinning DVD for 2. Penta and Pac hit both Bucks with stereo superkicks and arrange for a guillotine leg drop to Matthew's nether regions. Okada thinks Eddie is in trouble and tags in, only for Eddie to smile and throw some chops. Dropkick by Okada gives control to The New Elite. Back from commercials, Eddie fights out of The Elite's corner with an exploder suplex. The Elite sweep Eddie's teammates away to prevent a hot tag. Eddie stays with it and hits a belly to belly suplex and makes the hot tag to Penta. Pac helps with a shotgun dropkick onto Okada. Pac and Penta hit stereo planchas outside! Penta hits Matthew with a diving double stomp, Pac follows with a springboard 450, but Okada breaks the pin! Pac gives Okada a slingshot German suplex and serves him to a hungry Eddie. Okada recovers with a DDT on Kingston, and the match breaks down for a wild sequence of rapid finishers. Eddie gets kicked square in the manhood and eats a Rainmaker. Okada pins Eddie at 12:42! These guys are some of the best at this style of wrestling, AND can tell a story along the way, ****.Winners: The New Elite
Hype video setting the stage for Christian Cage vs. Adam Copeland in Toronto. They're going to settle the score (for real this time)!
Tony Shiavone hosts Will Ospreay in the ring, and whadya know, the TD Garden crowd gives him a superstar ovation. I wish AEW could run in Boston every week. I spot Christine from Twitter in the front row, which is cool and totally worth mentioning. Tony asks Will about Bryan Danielson. Will says he's made a career out of emulating Bryan Danielson, but now it's time to prove he's better. Will gets all fired up, putting himself over as The Feeling and touting his upcoming match with Bryan as the Match of the Century. Fans chant "Bruv!" AEW knocked it out of the park by signing Ospreay.
Deonnna Purrazzo talks to the camera. She's going to shove Toni Storm's shoe up her a$$.
Jay White (with The Gunns) vs. Darby Allin
Darby is all taped up after his Revolution stunt bumps. Jay scores first with headlock takeovers. Jay hits crackling chops to the chest, inspiring Darby to fight back with a shotgun dropkick. Darby hits a somersault senton to outside! Darby wills himself to a slick tope suicida, otherwise he's limping. White answers with an overhead throw into a chair! White follows with a hard Irish whip over the steps and into the barricade! Back from commercials, White gleefully continues his assault. Darby desperately counters his way into an overhead stunner. Sunset flip by Darby gets 2, so he applies the Last Supper for another nearfall. White reverses the springboard Coffin Drop into a makeshift German suplex! Uranage by White gets 2. Darby hits a Scorpion Death Drop out of nowhere, but White gets a rope break. Darby misses a Coffin Drop onto the apron! Fans chant "holy $hit!" Darby beats the countout, but Jay is ready with Blade Runner to win at 12:18! The large arena crowd made this feel like a momentous occasion, and Darby killed himself yet again to produce a memorable fight, ****.Winner: Jay White
Jay fakes a handshake offer, instead pointing the trigger at Darby. The Gunns help prop a chair around Darby's ankle, White readies a baseball bat, but The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn rush in to talk some sense into them. The Acclaimed help Jay out and don't see Jay crack a chair over Daddy A$$. The Acclaimed try to help but gets beaten down. So much for the Bang Bang Scissor Gang. Bullet Club Gold are now free to finish what they started and smash a baseball bat over Darby's ankle.
Chris Jericho and Hook vs. The Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona)
The GoA enter totally decked out in Samoan battle gear. These guys certainly look mean and deserve this opportunity. Kaun locks up with Hook, Jericho quickly tags in for a double suplex. Liona interferes and also eats a double suplex. Kaun recovers, slamming Jericho onto the ropes for Liona's running tackle. Back from commercials, Jericho saves himself with a Lionsault. Hot tag to Hook, who runs wild and hits a vicious T-bone suplex. Hook hits a Northern Lights suplex, Liona saves the match. Jericho flies in with a sledgehammer. Hook muscles a German suplex onto Liona! Kaun hits Hook with a Codebreaker for 2. Hook puts Kaun in Red Rum, Jericho helps with a combo Liontamer and leaves to remove Liona with a springboard dropkick. Kaun taps to Red Rum at 8:42. Perfectly acceptable TV match, **¼.Winners: Hook and Chris Jericho
Renee Paquette asks Kyle O'Reilly about the shifting landscape in AEW since he's been gone. Kyle says his time away was the darkest of his life and now he's looking at the most competitive roster in the history of the sport. Kyle has his sights set on Bryan Keith. He's interrupted by The Undisputed Kingdom, they're on friendly terms with Kyle but will let him go on his own.
Video promo hyping up the surprising main event of Willow Nightingale vs. Riho. Cut to live, Mercedes Mone wishes Riho luck.
Renee Paquette congratulates Chris Jericho and Hook on their victory and wants to know if Hook earned Jericho's respect. Jericho won't know until he stands against Hook and challenges him to a match in Toronto. Hook accepts.
Willow Nightingale (with Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway) vs. Riho
This doesn't feel main event worthy, but with Mercedes lurking backstage, there may be enough extra intrigue to justify it. The fans are receptive to them as they feel each other out. Riho delivers running knee strikes but Willow answers with a shotgun dropkick. Back from commercials, Riho desperately hits a rana and Tiger Fade Kick. High crossbody by Riho gets 2. Riho reverses a Doctor Bomb into a head scissors takedown. Northern Lights suplex by Riho gets 2. Riho misses the diving double stomp and Willow tackles her outside. Willow misses a somersault senton from the apron! Riho capitalizes with a diving double stomp to ringside! Fans chant "This is awesome!" Willow crawls up but Riho hits a Dragon Suplex onto the apron, then a double stomp in the ring, but Willow kicks out! Willow ducks a running knee and dishes out a lariat. The straps come down and Willow reverses into a sitout powerbomb to win at 9:20! Just nonstop action, pulling out all the stops to make sure the fans were buying into this unusual main event, ***.Winner: Willow Nightingale
Willow and Riho make nice afterwards. The lights go out and TBS Champion Julia Hart appears in the aisle. Skye Blue ambushes Willow from behind, Riho is nowhere to be seen. Julia and Skye prepare a belt shot when Mercedes Mone returns to clock Skye off her feet. Fans are ready with more "CEO" chants. Mercedes plants Julia, and accepts Willow's show of respect. Mercedes dances to her music and that's a wrap.
Final Thoughts: This was about as good an episode of Dynamite that I can remember in a long time. This had star power, a big arena crowd, and interesting booking up and down the card. More of this, please.
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