AEW Dynamite - November 16, 2022
by Doc Allen
Live from Bridgeport, Connecticut. Our hosts are Excalibur, Tony Shiavone, and Taz.
The Jericho Appreciation Society (ROH World Champion Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara) vs. The Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli, with William Regal)
Danielson entered through the heel tunnel, I wonder if Claudio should be worried. Danielson goes after Guevara while Claudio trades uppercuts with Jericho. The BCC punish the JAS with stereo hammer and anvil elbow shots. Danielson then puts Guevara into the Romero Special, Claudio tags for an easy big boot to Sammy's stupid face. Guevara fires back with a dropkick and gloats. Claudio pops up for a long delayed suplex. Claudio suplexes Jericho next to Sammy and then splashes them both. Sammy rakes Bryan's eyes, but Bryan avoids getting trapped. Claudio tags and forces Sammy to watch him stretch Jericho to shreds. JAS manage a tag and hit Claudio with double shoulders. Bryan doesn't like Sammy's chops and unloads quick shots until Sammy counters with a drop toe hold. Jericho bats Bryan in the head to set up the commercial break. They return with Bryan fighting out of the JAS' corner. Claudio runs wild on a hot tag. Jericho gets Claudio in the Walls while Sammy hits a messy dive onto Bryan. Bryan saves Claudio with a missile dropkick onto Jericho. Bryan and Sammy make tags to rekindle their rivalry. YES kicks by Bryan, but Sammy rakes the eyes to set up a knee strike. Bryan blocks the GTH and applies the LeBell Lock. Sammy gets the ropes and bites the forehead to hit a top rope cutter! Jericho returns with a Lionsault, Claudio breaks the pin! Claudio hits a pop-up uppercut on Sammy, Jericho knocks him outside, then collides with Bryan in mid-air. Bryan takes Sammy out with another dive, Claudio blocks Jericho's bat shot and delivers the giant swing. Claudio poses with the bat while making Jericho tap out to a Scorpion Deathlock at 18:02. Entertaining filler to maintain an already set table for the ROH title match at Full Gear, ***¼.Winners: Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson
Dramatic video package hyping Jon Moxley vs. MJF for Full Gear.
Stylish black and white video footage of a broken guitar, followed by a body surfing bodybag at a rock concert. The bag is loaded into a vehicle and out pops Darby Allin. Sting is in the driver's seat and says Full Gear will be showtime.
Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh, and Sonjay Dutt talk to the camera. Jarrett has the audacity to accuse Sting of living in the past with his "showtime" catchphrase.
Anthony Bowens (with Max Caster and Daddy Ass Billy Gunn) vs. Swerve Strickland
First, we get the premiere of The Acclaimed's new music video, introduced by Captain Insano Paul Wight. The video provides some laughs, especially when Caster compares Keith Lee to Cleveland Jr. Billy is still mad at Swerve and assaults him before the bell. Bowens takes advantage of the chaos and stomps Swerve's hand onto the ring steps. They hit the ring, Bowens stays on offense with a leg bulldog. Swerve wrenches Bowen's arm on the ropes, then head stands into a head scissors takedown. Swerve dropkicks Bowens outside for a twisting dive. Swerve hammerlocks Bowen's arm for a slam onto the barricade! Back from commercials, Swerve does some push-ups while working over Bowen's bad arm. Bowens viciously sweeps Swerve off the buckles and makes a plucky comeback. Bowens hits an Olympic Slam for 2. Swerve answers with a Brainbuster, then kicks the face for 2. Fans chant "Let's go, Bowens" while Swerve snaps his arm back and hits the Swerve Stomp for a great nearfall. Swerve blocks a roll-up and hits a Driver to win at 9:38. Rock solid match, Swerve is coming into his own as a heel, ***.Winner: Swerve Strickland
TBS Champion Jade Cargill complains that she's put her blood, sweat, and tears into AEW, yet no one can do anything about Nyla Rose stealing her title belt. Nyla feels she's proven that Jade can't just roll through the women's division and is ready to give her a wake-up call.
Tony Shiavone hosts ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe in the ring. Joe recently turned heel on Wardlow, but the live fans still like him. Tony wants to know what's going on in Joe's head. Joe scoffs at Tony, because it shouldn't seem shocking that Joe wouldn't play victim to Wardlow. Joe manages to earn some soft boos with his tirade, but he's interrupted by fellow heel, Powerhouse Hobbs. They tease a brawl, but TNT Champion Wardlow shows up to tackle Joe from behind. Hobbs runs past Joe to attack Wardlow, and the locker room empties to separate the three stars. Wardlow breaks loose and beats up some guards, and then dives onto a dozen people at ringside. Wardlow stands tall, and I detect some mixed feelings about this from the live fans.
Dr. Britt Baker talks to the camera about her issues with Saraya. Britt has only been on TV for 3 years, but in that time she went from a nervous happy-to-be-here girl to a fearless leader. Britt doesn't think she got any opportunities that Saraya didn't get, and while she didn't wrestle in MSG, she wrestled in Daily's Place for over a year to keep the wrestling fire lit during the darkest of times. She respects what Saraya did for women in the business, but she doesn't owe her anything. This is Britt's house, Saraya can get the hell out. Strong go-home promo from the doctor.
AEW Trios Championship:
Death Triangle © (Pac, Rey Fenix, and Penta El Zero Miedo, with Alex Abrahantes) vs. Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin) and AR Fox
This is Darius' comeback match after suffering a serious car accident many months ago. Fox is also fighting for a contract. Darius starts against Fenix in a high octane feeling out sequence. They show off some crazy athleticism before reaching a stalemate. Dante and Penta tag in for their own showdown. Dante springboards over Penta and dropkicks him outside. Fox tags in (to a pop!) and confidently steps up to Pac. Fox holds his own and rolls into a cutter. Fox hits a springboard moonsault off the ringpost to outside! Fox hits a senton, but Penta breaks the cover. The match quickly breaks down, Top Flight fling Pac into Fox's cutter! Top Flight and Fox tease a triple dive but Death Triangle cut them off with superkicks and dropkicks. Back from commercials, Darius is running wild through Pac. Top Flight work together to plant Fenix and Pac with consecutive slams. Top Flight then pop the crowd with consecutive dives outside. Fox helps out with a springboard back senton! Fox slams Fenix from the top rope and hits a 450 splash, but Death Triangle break the pin! Fenix gives Fox a heel kick, then Penta helps hit Fear Factory. Pac finishes Fox with the Black Arrow at 11:35! There was no doubt who would walk away with the win, but this was an exciting spotfest and a really cool showcase for longtime indie vet, Fox, ***½.Winners and still AEW Trios Champions: Death Triangle
Death Triangle linger in the ring to gloat on the microphone. Pac says they aren't stupid, they've seen the videos and heard the rumors, and if "certain individuals" want to best them at Full Gear, that's ridiculous, but they're seemingly welcome to try. The big screen makes it official, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega will be at Full Gear! Pac is satisfied, they've been waiting for The Elite. That should sell some pay-per-views.
Ricky Starks talks to the camera about Lance Archer. He's not mad about the attack he suffered, because he likes attacking people too. Starks wants a match on Rampage so he can absolutely beat Archer.
AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament:
Ethan Page (with Stokely Hathaway) vs. Bandido
They lock up and trade holds. Bandido flips out of a wristlock, Page boots the gut but Bandido runs the ropes and backflips into a hurricanrana. Bandido hits a reverse suplex, but Stokely grabs his boot to allow Page to gain control. Back from commercials, Bandido avoids the Ego's Edge and back sweeps Page into a baseball slide dropkick. Bandido lands a standing moonsault to outside! Back to the ring, Bandido hits a twisting senton for 2. Ethan blocks a suplex and nails a cutter for 2. Ethan looks for the avalanche Ego's Edge, but Bandido reverses into a SUPER RANA! Press slam by Bandido and then a frog splash, but ETHAN KICKS OUT! Ethan trips Bandido on the top rope and slams him down for a flying shoulder block! The Ego's Edge finishes at 9:08! Absolutely solid match, but I'm not sold on the result, ***.Winner: Ethan Page
Go-home video package hyping up Jungle Boy vs. Luchasaurus for Full Gear.
Renee Paquette talks to Saraya, who is sick of the back-and-forth with Britt Baker. She's ready for Full Gear.
Hype video for Rampage, where Eddie Kingston and Ortiz will face Jun Akiyama and Konosuke Takeshita. Eddie was inspired by Akiyama in his younger days and can't wait to fight him.
Anna Jay vs. AEW Interim Women's Champion Toni Storm
Jay gets carried away playing to the fans early on, and Storm grabs a headlock takedown. Shoulder tackle by Storm, then a big boot to the chest. Monkey flip by Storm, but Anna answers with a backstabber. Anna rolls into an awkward kick. Back from commercials, they're engaged in a slugfest. Toni delivers a Thesz press, lariat, and fisherman suplex for only 2. Anna hides in the ropes from a Cloverleaf, but Toni knocks her outside with a hip attack. Anna sends Toni into the steps and hits a Gory Buster outside. Back to the ring, Anna plants Toni again for 2. Storm blocks the Queenslayer and nails a hip attack into the buckles. Storm finishes with the Texas Cloverleaf at 7:08. Solid, yet heatless match, **¼.Winner: Toni Storm
Jamie Hayter (with Britt Baker and Rebel) power walks to the ring to confront Storm. Their Full Gear match should be a good one.
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley (with William Regal) comes to the ring for the main event talking segment. He seems to get a mixed reaction while he puts himself over as the best professional wrestler on planet Earth. Even though he's admired for his love of fighting, he admits he's really sick in the head, and loves hurting himself and his opponents. While scouting MJF, he's discovered that MJF is a great singer, has ONE win in the last six months, took a long summer vacation, won a poker chip in the worst ladder match ending ever, and you'll forgive Moxley for not shaking in his boots. Stokely Hathaway appears on the stage to distract Mox from a sneak attack by The Firm. MJF shows up ready for a fight and he helps lay out The Firm. He eliminates W. Morrissey and Ethan Page with some eye pokes and groin kicks. MJF tells The Firm to get out of Connecticut before he "firmly" shoves his boot up their @ss. MJF hopes Moxley is in a ton of pain, he saved him because he doesn't want his pissant fan club to make any excuses when he knocks him out at Full Gear. MJF says Moxley can dump him on his head, bleed buckets, etc, because he needs the AEW title more than food, water, and oxygen. MJF is ready to prove to Moxley that he's the devil himself. Moxley interrupts MJF's catchphrase to say he doesn't see what the big deal is about MJF, but they'll find out at Full Gear, because that's Moxley's job! They stand face to face to end the broadcast.
Final Thoughts: Really tight, focused go-home show for a pay-per-view that needs to deliver.
Sound Off!
Comment about this article on Da' Wrestling Boards!