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AEW Dynamite
October 30, 2019

by Samoa Rowe

Show opens with Tony Shiavone introducing us to the program in front of a private plane. Cody and Dustin Rhodes step off the plane and embrace before going separate ways. Shiavone and Cody walk like old pals and get into a limo.

Video replay of Moxley vs. Pac ending in a TV time limit draw. Moxley then storms into Tony Khan's office and can be heard off camera berating the owner, as he's not satisfied with the offering of a lights out match against Pac.

From the Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, West Virginia. The building is not sold out, but the inner bowl is full and the fans sound happy to be there.Our hosts are Jim Ross and Excalibur. Tonight's episode will feature a special guest appearance by Rick and Morty! Wubba lubba dub dub! Also, the ring posts and turnbuckles have Rick and Morty graphics.

Sammy "The Best Ever and Spanish God" Guevara vs. Hangman Page

Page isn't messing around and hits a hard big boot. Despite a slip, Guevara uses his acrobatic skills to get back into the fight. Page disrespects with a slap to the face and follows with a fallaway slam. Guevara pops up only to get lariated to ringside. Guevara pulls the leg out from under Page, causing him to take a terrible landing on his neck and back onto the apron. Guevara squats with Page on his back before hitting a Samoan Drop. Guevara fakes a dive and just slaps the face. That angers Page and he pops up. Guevara blocks one lariat and hits a superkick, but Page twirls around to hit the lariat for real. Page hits a suplex and a side walk slam variation onto the apron. Powerbomb by Page gets 2. Page dishes out a top rope moonsault to ringside to massive "AEW" chants. BUCKSHOT LARIAT by Page finishes it at 8:11! My gut was telling me this would end in a draw or shenanigans, so I'm pleased that Page got to go over strong, ***.
Winner: Hangman Page

Page grabs a mic and admits that things haven't been going well for him, but this win felt good. At Full Gear, he's going to do some real "cowboy sh!t" and take Pac's head off. Crowd chants "Cowboy Sh!t."

Shanna vs. Hikaru Shida

Shanna is billed as "Portugal's Perfect Princess" and is put over as a highly regarded prospect by commentary. The crowd gives Shida a nice pop, despite the fact she hasn't been featured heavily thus far. I'm glad to see the women's division getting fleshed out a bit more with this match. Crowd gives them a round of applause as they trade holds. Shanna's flipping neckbreaker gets 2. Shida counters a dive with a kick to the arm. Shida grabs a chair and stands it for a running knee to the face! Crowd chants for Shida as she delivers a backbreaker for only 1. Shanna desperately chops the stomach, but Shida stomps her down. Shanna (slowly) counters a brainbuster with an inside cradle for 2. Hard elbow by Shida, and Shanna defiantly answers with strikes as the match continues through a commercial. Shanna's comeback takes place on split camera. Back from break, and Shanna headbutts Shida into a tree of woe for a double stomp for a great nearfall! This match got WAY over with the live crowd during the break. Shida counters a double underhook with a sick reverse piledriver. I hope Shanna is alright. Shida hits an outside suplex for another good nearfall. They trade pinning predicaments and Shanna almost steals the pin. Shida's knee strike and Falcon Arrow only get 2! "This is awesome" chants from the fans as Shida hits a running knee to the face for the win at 10:47! I was expecting a squash (and I'm sure that many will argue this should have been a squash) but they delivered a surprising back and forth hard hitting match, ***¼.
Winner: Hikaru Shida

Video recap of Brandi Rhodes attacking Jamie Hayter last week. We get a fancy video of Brandi putting on makeup and funeral attire and... summoning evil spirits? Awesome Kong assists her with some voodoo nonsense. Um... can we not do this?

Chris Van Vliet interviews the Rock N Roll Express on the stage. They receive a hero's welcome from the live crowd and are wielding the new AEW Tag Team title belts. They reminisce about the time they beat Harley Race and Arn Anderson in this building and are immediately attacked by Santana and Ortiz! They have a sock full of soap (or something) and they deliver a horrific low blow. They deliver a powerbomb through the stage! The Young Bucks make a late save, sending Ortiz and Santana scurrying away. Crowd chants "Rock N Roll" as referees check on the veterans.

The ring is full of geeks as they cut to Tony Shiavone and Cody riding in the limo. Tony says this reminds him of the time he in the late 80's he found a buck naked Dusty Rhodes at the hotel, making his opponent wait for a contract signing. Cody says he thinks about his father a lot and also how his mother is going to be in attendance when he faces Jericho. Tony says that emotion makes us better, and advises Cody to use it to drive him. This was so different from anything else presented in modern wrestling and I love it.

As promised, Cody and Shiavone make Jericho wait, and are seen arriving at the arena. Cody also gets a huge ovation as he arrives on the stage. Cody signs the contract without any issue. Jericho pretends to flip the table to fake Cody out, and Cody flinches. Crowd chants "you suck" but Jericho doesn't care, in fact "Skee-o-vone" sucks. Jericho says that if Cody loses at Full Gear, it proves he's not as good as he thinks he is, and signs the contract. Cody removes his jacket for a fight, but Jericho says "Calm down, hillbillies" (to a GREAT reaction) and suggests that he and Cody are true pros that aren't going to make a mockery out of the championship by keeping things classy with a handshake. Cody pulls Jericho into him and mouths something unkind. Sammy Guevara appears on the screen, revealing that Jake Hager is beating the stuffing out of Dustin. Hager, hot after using a low blow in his latest MMA fight, low blows Dustin against the limo, and SLAMS THE DOOR INTO HIS HAND! MJF and Cody make the late save, and Jericho smugly lights a cigar. Contract signings are a tired trope in wrestling, but this subverted my expectations and was tremendous throughout.

Alex Reynolds, John Silver, and QT Marshall vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor, Trent Baretta, and Orange Cassidy)

Best Friends are cosplaying as Rick and Morty (who also happen to provide their ring introductions). Jim Ross humors us with a "Wubba lubba dub dub" and claims to like their show. I'll admit that I can't quite tell who is who with the cosplaying, so I'll say that Rick and Morty double team Silver early on. Marshall knocks Cassidy off the apron, and the jobbers are awfully proud of themselves. Trent catches Silver with a tornado DDT. Chuck gets an inverted DDT on Marshall. Trent's blind tag allows a running knee. Best Friends hit Reynolds with Soul Food/Exploder Suplex, but Marshall gets major heat for breaking up their hug. Cassidy returns as himself, hands in pockets, and lightly kicks Marshall's knees. Cassidy dropkicks Marshall through the ropes and the crowd LOVES THIS! Cassidy's hands in pockets tope suicida is good! Best Friends finish it at 3:15. At the risk of sounding incredibly biased and hyperbolic, this was the greatest squash match of all time.
Winners: Best Friends

AEW World Champion Chris Jericho comes to the stage all by his lonesome, to a MASSIVE ovation (and some scattered booing) from the fans. He's wearing a hilarious purple jack-o-lantern jacket. There is a woman sitting at a table, prepared for a contract signing. As promised, Cody and Shiavone make Jericho wait, and are seen arriving at the arena. Cody also gets a huge ovation as he arrives on the stage. Cody signs the contract without any issue. Jericho pretends to flip the table to fake Cody out, and Cody flinches. Crowd chants "you suck" but Jericho doesn't care, in fact "Skee-o-vone" sucks. Jericho says that if Cody loses at Full Gear, it proves he's not as good as he thinks he is, and signs the contract. Cody removes his jacket for a fight, but Jericho says "Calm down, hillbillies" (to a GREAT reaction) and suggests that he and Cody are true pros that aren't going to make a mockery out of the championship by keeping things classy with a handshake. Cody pulls Jericho into him and mouths something unkind. Sammy Guevara appears on the screen, revealing that Jake Hager is beating the stuffing out of Dustin. Hager, hot after using a low blow in his latest MMA fight, low blows Dustin against the limo, and SLAMS THE DOOR INTO HIS HAND! MJF and Cody make the late save, and Jericho smugly lights a cigar. Contract signings are a tired trope in wrestling, but this subverted my expectations and was tremendous throughout.

Hybrid 2 (Angelico and Jack Evans) and Kip Sabian vs. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson)

Tony Shiavone has rejoined commentary for the remainder of the show. Omega's entrance is interrupted by 8 bit video game graphics threatening him for not remembering his friends and attempting to recruit him. It may just be a joke, as Omega enters in an Undertale mask. The Young Bucks are also cosplaying as Ken and Ryu from Street Fighter. The bad guys cheap shot the video game heroes at the opening bell, and Sabian quickly hits a senton to the floor. Omega dropkicks the knees of Hybrid 2 and takes them down with crushers. Young Bucks double team Sabian and the fans LOVE THIS. Matt flips Sabian into double enziguris and Nick follows with a draping double stomp! Hybrid 2 disrupt a triple team attempt, and Evans shows off with a springboard kick and back hand spring dive to ringside. Sabian brings Matt to the top rope for a big time rana! Matt gets worked over with flippy floppy offense that looks credible and painful. CUE THE COMMERCIAL! They're back with Matt hitting a desperation spear for a great nearfall. Sabian's reverse rana leaves them both down. Omega gets the hot tag and kills Evans with a snap dragon suplex. Sabian also takes a disgusting snap dragon. Omega misses the V Trigger and Evans nails a superkick, but Matt interferes with a buckle bomb! Sabian DDT's Matt, but Nick catches him with a superkick! Evans springboards off his partner's back for a moonsault to the floor! Omega hits a V Trigger, but Sabian prevents a dive. Sabian mocks Omega but dives into a triple powerbomb counter onto the ring apron! Omega and the Bucks counter Angelico with a triple super kick, and Omega's V Trigger and One Winged Angel finishes at 11:36! This was SO. MUCH. FUN! Omega and Young Bucks walk away looking like the nastiest men on the planet, ***½.
Winners: Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks

Santana and Ortiz were hiding in the stands and attack the Young Bucks, pulling them into the stands. Omega steps up for his friends, forcing them to back off.

Peter Avalon and Leva Bates bring their dark-match worthy shtick to Dynamite, as Avalon tells the crowd to "shhh." Avalon says it's fitting that it's Halloween, so the hideous monsters in the crowd can look the way they do. Jon Moxley storms through the crowd and he's not wasting any time and immediately hits the Paradigm Shift. Moxley takes the mic and confirms that he's facing Kenny Omega at Full Gear in a lights out match. He's not happy that officially, the match will not count. Moxley says he knows when people treat him like he's stupid, so AEW can stick their win/loss records up their ass. He vows to beat Omega within an inch of his life. I'm so glad they finally let Moxley loose on the microphone, this was much needed.

AEW Tag Team Championship:
SCU (Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky) vs. Lucha Bros. (Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix)

Kazarian and Fenix start with a slugfest, and Sky and Pentagon quickly join the fray. Lucha Bros. hit double superkicks on Kazarian and overwhelm Sky with a backstabber/619 combo. Pentagon's driver almost finishes Sky. Pentagon hits Sky with sling blade. Fenix's tight rope walk doesn't quite land, but Lucha Bros. double team Sky. Kazarian counters a monkey flip with a double clothesline! Springboard guillotine dropkick by Kazarian, but Pentagon breaks the cover. Kazarian was ready for him and hits a guillotine leg drop in the ropes. Kazarian's German suplex gets 2. Fenix springboards over Sky to hit a sweet arm drag on Kazarian. Pentagon superkicks Sky at ringside. Kazarian gets back dropped into a superkick, and Pentagon draps him for a leg drop to the floor! COMMERCIAL TIME! They come back with Scorpio running wild from a hot tag. Fenix dropkicks Sky through the ropes, and Kazarian (kind of) botches a rana on Pentagon onto Fenix. Kazarian hit his own head hard in that dangerous spot. Sky rebounds with a fancy spinning DDT for 2. Pentagon catches Kazarian with the DESTROYER! Fenix drops Sky with a big time cutter for only 2! Fenix and Sky collide in crossbody attempts. Pentagon powerbombs Kazarian through the timekeeper's table! Lucha Bros. overwhelm Sky with a crossbody off the shoulders for a great 2 count! Sky avoids a deadly double team and counters with a small package for the win and the titles at 12:37! I was NOT expecting this outcome, but this is a seriously cool moment as Sky and Kazarian embrace each other with the gold. Match was a bit botchy, but was still downright compelling at the end, ***¾.
Winners and FIRST EVER AEW Tag Team Champions: Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazarian

Final Thoughts: Great 2 hours of pro wrestling action and story telling. Well, maybe not that Brandi Rhodes weirdness, but I digress. Watch this now.

Final Thoughts: This flew by and was awesome all the way through. Excuse me while I mark out. Thumbs Up.

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