AEW Dynamite - October 6, 2022
by Doc Allen
MJF vs. Wheeler Yuta
MJF ducks a clothesline with a Flair strut. Yuta has MJF's cheapshot scouted and mocks with his own Flair strut. Yuta hits a suplex, but MJF rolls away from a top rope attack. MJF armdrags Yuta into the buckles and takes a bow. MJF hits a mean gut wrench slam for 2. Back from commercials, Yuta desperately hits a hard Irish whip to buy some time. MJF blocks a German, but Yuta counters with rolling Germans! MJF rolls away from another top rope attack and targets Yuta's wrist with a flying double stomp. MJF hits his vicious powerbomb backbreaker for a nice 2 count. They roll around for several comedic nearfalls. They trade Tombstone reversals and both go down with stereo clothesline attempts. The fans give them a standing ovation. Yuta tries to fly again, but this time MJF trips him. Yuta blocks an avalanche Tombstone, rakes the eyes, and delivers a super rana! Yuta sends MJF into the rails with a tope! MJF rolls away for a third time and flips the bird, so Yuta makes him pay with a flying crossbody across the ring! Fans chant "This is awesome!" Yuta throws some elbows, but MJF counters into the Salt of the Earth. Yuta gets a rope break, so MJF reapplies the hold with extra pressure and immediately wins at 15:02! MJF always seems to shine against the young pillars of AEW, ****.Winner: MJF
Yuta wants a handshake and it looks like MJF is going to accept when Lee Moriarty assaults from behind. MJF berates Lee for acting alone, but still prepares the Dynamite Diamond ring. William Regal calmly enters the ring with a pair of brass knucks, the fans let MJF know that he has effed up. MJF agrees and walks away.
Video package for tonight's advertised main event "three years in the making." Sadly, if you believe the internet, Sammy Guevara got sent home for fighting Andrade backstage, which ruins a perfectly good video montage. They cut to the JAS with Shiavone, and Guevara is still there, so who knows what's going on. Jericho compares Daniel Garcia to a disobedient child sticking his finger in a light socket, so he's going to get what he deserves. Jericho plans on holding on to the ROH title for a long time and doing everything he can to desecrate its legacy.
Jay Lethal vs. Darby Allin
They aggressively lock up and trade holds. Darby wobbles but still hits a springboard armdrag. Lethal blocks a monkey flip with a cartwheel and dropkicks the knee. Lethal smells blood and goes to work on the newly injured knee. Darby is wounded, but hits a death drop to buy some time. Back from commercials, Lethal is still dismantling Darby's knee. Lethal hits a sick overhead suplex, Darby blocks a superplex, but Lethal hits an avalanche dragon screw right into a Figure Four! Darby gets the ropes, blocks Lethal Injection, and nails Code Red for 2. Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh disobey Lethal's wishes by appearing on the stage. They trade rapid pin attempts until Darby wrenches in Last Supper to win at 10:13. I'm seeing a trend tonight with heels trying to be noble but getting sabotaged by their underlings. Good match, but followed many of the same story beats as the opener, ***.Winner: Darby Allin
Darby is the second babyface of the night to demand a handshake from a heel, and Lethal obliges. Dutt and Singh are disgusted and confused by this showing of good sportsmanship.
Prince Nana is bringing The Embassy to AEW! The long MIA Brian Cage claims this isn't a comeback, but actually an arrival.
TNT Championship:
Wardlow © vs. Brian Cage (with Prince Nana)
Cage gets a hot start with shoulder thrusts into the corner. Wardlow turns it around with an intense round of body shots. Cage bounces out of a hard Irish whip, and they have a good hoss battle in the center of the ring. Wardlow shows off with a hurricanrana! Cage returns the favor and goes for a 619, but Wardlow counters with a World's Strongest Slam. Wardlow looks for the Symphony, but Prince Nana's distraction allows Cage to hit a facebuster. Back from commercials, Wardlow surprises with a springboard crossbody. Cage is frazzled and gets tossed around by Wardlow. Cage answers with an enziguri, followed by a deadlift second rope suplex for 2. Fans chant "this is awesome!" Wardlow blocks the Drillclaw, hits a tackle, but Cage comes back with a throw for 2. Cage gets caught showboating and Wardlow nails some brutal headbutts and a lariat. The crowd rises for a Powerbomb Symphony and Wardlow wins at 10:08. Very good hoss battle, even if the commercial ate it up, ***.Winner and still TNT Champion: Wardlow
The Embassy jump Wardlow, which draws out Samoa Joe for a failed rescue. Luckily, ROH Tag Team Champions FTR are here to clear the ring. Good stuff here, even if this is a ROH angle in search of an ROH television show.
Earlier today, Dr. Britt Baker proclaims that Saraya is not cleared for competition, so AEW is still her house.
Penelope Ford (with Kip Sabian), Serena Deeb, and Jamie Hayter (with Rebel and Dr. Britt Baker) vs. Willow Nightingale, Athena, and AEW Interim Women's Champion Toni Storm (with Saraya)
Apparently I was the only person on Earth who enjoyed the women's segments last week, so I might be the only happy viewer to see some clear episodic follow through tonight. Ford starts against Athena, who blocks a rana. Ford flies into Athena's powerslam for 2. Ford shoves Athena into enemy territory and hits an easy back handspring elbow. Deeb tags in to hit tight uppercuts, but Athena answers with a springboard crossbody. Storm tags in and takes it to Deeb with a shotgun dropkick. Willow and Athena help smash Deeb into the buckles to set up Storm's hip attack. Hayter's distraction lets Deeb chop block Toni's knee to set up the commercial break. They return with Toni fighting out of enemy territory. Willow gets a hot tag and runs wild through the popular Hayter. The fans still like Willow and pop for her spinebuster. Deeb tags herself in to overpower Willow. Rebel grabs a crutch, but Saraya steps in to disarm her. Willow hits Deeb with a POUNCE! This leads to a breakdown and everyone takes turns hitting drive-by attacks until Ford hits a Matrix cutter for 2. Willow dropkicks Ford and nails the Doctor Bomb to win at 9:27! This was great fun and for the second week in a row, the women's division feels alive, ***.Winners: Willow Nightingale, Athena, and Toni Storm
Saraya and Britt get into a brawl afterwards. The ring clears out, leaving Rebel alone to eat a kick from Saraya. I suppose an argument could be made that Saraya is unfairly overshadowing the champion, but I'm not that worried about it.
Tony Shiavone talks to Rush, Jose the Assistant, and Private Party. Jose thanks Private Party for showing up for once, and plays some clips that highlight their recent shortcomings. He threatens them to do the right thing when Rush faces Hangman Page.
AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed (with Billy Gunn) come to the ring for National Scissoring Day! The fans are REALLY into Max Caster's rap, many of them brought oversized paper scissors. Anthony Bowens puts over this momentous occasion and declares The Acclaimed to be the best damn homegrown team in AEW. Oh, and AEW now stands for "Acclaimed Every Wednesday." Since the Elite have been erased from history, I can understand. Billy declares this to be Daddy Ass' House, and presents The Acclaimed with golden scissors from city hall. Caster brings up Superbowl 17, when Washington won with Caster's daddy on the team. I'm having crazy deja vu right now, weird. D.C. might represent division in the country, but everyone loves The Acclaimed! They hold the forest ever bi-partisan scissor to unite the country, but that damned commie Swerve Strickland interrupts the festivities. Swerve thinks this is the most idiotic thing he's ever seen, and he might be right, but that doesn't matter because this is all over AF. Swerve (correctly) points out that Billy helped them win the titles and challenges him to a match next week in Toronto. Swerve says that "rock beats scissors anyday" and he has a rock to prove it. Smart Mark Sterling randomly interrupts to call The Acclaimed jerks and then bafflingly offers them his services. The Acclaimed aren't buying and beat Sterling up to a good pop. Billy accepts Swerve's challenge and happily scissors Bowens and Caster. Was this stupid? Yes. Does it matter? No. Why? Because it got massively over and I think THIS is the type of shtick that hooks the mythical casual fans. Keep doing this.
The Dark Order (or what's left of them) talk to the camera about Rampage. 10's scheduled match against Andrade El Idolo has been replaced with them getting a Trios Championship against Death Triangle on the anniversary of Brodie Lee's last match.
Tony Shiavone hosts a confrontation between Tay Melo and Anna Jay against Skye Blue and Madison Rayne. The Sports Entertainment vs. Pro Wrestling feud has hit the women's division and they'll settle it on Rampage.
Rush (with Jose the Assistant) vs. Hangman Adam Page
This match might rule, but I'm already worried about both of their necks. Bell rings and they immediately tear into each other. Rush takes a pose and knocks Page from the apron (with some help from Jose). Rush chokes Page out with some cables. Back from commercials, Rush is in the driver's seat, but Hangman has some fight left in him. Fallaway slam by Hangman, but Rush clocks him (as MJF watches backstage). Springboard lariat by Page, followed by a slingshot senton to outside! Rush runs into Hangman's Death Valley Driver for 2. Rush drops Hangman with a forearm but Page powers up from under his boots to hit a powerbomb for 2! Fans chant "cowboy sh!t" but Rush blocks the Buckshot and hits a straightjacket piledriver for 2! Rush tries the Bulls Horns, but Hangman interrupts with a lariat, followed by a proper Buckshot Lariat to win at 9:08! Not the epic I was hoping for, but perfectly good TV match in it's own right, ***.Winner: Hangman Adam Page
Private Party reluctantly hit the ring for a potential attack on Hangman, but AEW World Champion Jon Moxley arrives to prevent any shenanigans. Moxley gets into Hangman's face, and says he's been waiting 3 years to fight him. Moxley is looking forward to breaking Hangman's face in Cincinnati, just because he's in his way of being the true top guy in AEW. Moxley admires Page as a person, but when the bell rings, he has no respect for anything. Page thinks if Moxley has been waiting so long to fight him, why not fight now? Moxley calls him a sweet kid, he'll let him off the hook this once, but he better watch his damn mouth. This was some PPV-worthy hype for a TV match.
Tony Shiavone is backstage with Willow Nightingale, who's gushing after her big victory. She challenges Jade Cargill to a TBS title match at Battle for the Belts IV. Jade and friends show up to remind her that she's been beaten twice. Willow doesn't think Jade can do it again and thinks she can end her undefeated streak.
Luchasaurus (with Christian Cage) vs. Fuego Del Sol
Luchasaurus hits a chokeslam, then a Burning Hammer, and that's it at 0:23. This was alright.Winner: Luchasaurus
Cage orders Luchasaurus to do more damage, but Jungle Boy makes the save with chair shots. Jungle Boy vents about Luchasaurus choosing Christian over him and breaking his heart. Christian thinks they should leave JB in a pool of his own p!ss and blood. Christian is the only honest man in D.C. and admits the match won't happen in this city, but instead will take place in his hometown of Toronto. Jungle Boy will make dinosaurs extinct again.
AEW All-Atlantic Champion Pac talks some trash against Trent Beretta. He hurt Orange Cassidy and now he's going to hurt him too at Battle for the Belts IV.
ROH World Champion Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara vs. Bryan Danielson and Daniel Garcia
Well, Guevara is still here, so looks like TMZ was wrong about him getting sent home. But Andrade is gone, so it looks like Khan and company might know something that we don't, or Khan is just showing Sammy some gigantic favoritism. Look, I know Guevara is a shmuck, but he's MY schmuck, so part of me is glad to see him here on the third anniversary of Dynamite. Man, ,what did we ever do without Dynamite? The WWE Monopoly era of 2001 - 2018 was brutal. Anyways, Jericho starts against Garcia, who has his number early on. They trade chops, Sammy tags himself in (to LOUD boos). Danielson tags in for some trademark housecleaning on Sammy. Bryan dives onto Jericho and clocks Sammy in his own dive attempt. Back from commercials, Jericho interrupts Danielson's diving headbutt, and Guevara nails a Spanish Fly! Jericho and Guevara hit stereo tackles and pose together for old time's sake. Garcia gets a tag and stands face to face with Jericho like a man. They slug it out and Garcia pummels Jericho into the corner. Back suplex by Garcia gets 2! Garcia blocks the Walls and counters into the Dragon Tamer! Guevara saves Jericho with a superkick and then takes out Danielson with a dive. Jericho and Garcia exchange chops, Garcia blocks the Lionsault! Guevara springboards into Garcia's chokehold! Danielson puts Jericho in the LeBell Locka and the crowd stands up for the stereo submissions! Danielson and Garcia shift to stereo elbow blows! Guevara blocks a double back superplex, hits Bryan with a standing Spanish Fly, and kicks Garcia down for a good nearfall! Garcia blocks the GTH and piledrives Guevara, but Jericho breaks the cover! Danielson takes Jericho out with a knee strike, meanwhile Garcia spins Guevara with a lariat. Jericho slams Danielson into the announce table and properly breaks it with a suplex! In the ring, Guevara hits Garcia with GTH, but doesn't go for the cover. Garcia blocks the Shooting Star Press, and locks in the Dragon Slayer! Jericho breaks it up with an ROH title shot to the head! Sammy gets the somewhat shocking pinfall at 14:27! Well, that's certainly an odd way to punish Guevara for backstage drama, I wonder what Khan knows that we don't know. This was tons of fun, ***¾.Winners: Sammy Guevara and Chris Jericho
Final Thoughts: Sometimes I worry that I overrate Dynamite. Then I stop and think about all the bad wrestling I've suffered in my lifetime, and realize that no, this show is consistently great. Then I get worried that overall, there are flaws with Dynamite that don't manifest themselves in individual episodes, like the fact that many talent are being underutilized and that while many talent are being protected, not too many talent are actually being pushed. I think it's important to note that while there are some glaring big picture flaws in the AEW product, often times the small picture flaws aren't too jarring, and many individual episodes of Dynamite are great in their own right. I had a lot of fun with this episode and I think you would too.
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