AEW Dynamite opened with Excalibur welcoming us to the first ever international episode of Dynamite alongside Tony Schiavone, Taz and the newest member of the broadcast team, Renee Paquette, who walks out to a huge reaction from the Canadian crowd.
She introduces Toronto’s own Christian Cage, who said it’s great to be back and has a guarantee tonight on the same level of the Maple Leafs losing in the playoffs and introduces Luchasaurus.
Luchasaurus defeated 'Jungle Boy' Jack Perry
***
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up
Jungle Boy is now a nickname for Jack Perry, who used his speed early on to avoid the power of Luchasaurus. Perry did the Christian move of standing on the back in the ropes and spring over into a right hand on the floor. Back inside, Luchasaurus countered a leap frog into a German suplex to take over, clearing the ring attendant table on the outside. Luchasaurus missed a slap against the post and Perry went after the arm. Luchasaurus launched Perry into the guard rail and hit a back suplex onto the side of the apron.
It was all Luchasaurus during the break, as he picked apart Perry until Luchasaurus missed a corner charge and posted himself. Perry tried a dive through the table, Luchasaurus caught him, but Perry countered into a hurricanrana into the post. Both went to the apron above the table, as Perry avoided a powerbomb with a superkick, but Luchasaurus held onto the ropes. Perry hit a sunset flip from the ring to the floor to drive Luchasaurus through the table.
Christian left commentary to distract Perry, as Luchasaurus sat up. Perry was flapjacked and turned inside out with a lariat. In the corner, Luchasaurus got crotched and trapped in the Tree of Woe, but escaped and drove Perry to the mat with a buckle bomb and chokeslam for two. Perry countered a tilt a whirl back breaker into a crucifix slam for two of his own. Perry hit a Poison Rana and Killswitch for a very close two. Snare Trap applied, but Luchasaurus got the ropes. Christian briefly distracted Perry climbing the ropes and Luchasaurus hit a super choke slam and Burning Hammer for the win in a fun opening contest.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Ethan Page & Stokely Hathaway, as they inform Matt Hardy & Private Party that they have purchased the contracts of Quen & Kassidy thanks to Jose the Asisstant and they now are part of The Firm. Page challenges Isiah Kassidy on Rampage and if Kassidy wins, Private Party can leave The Firm, but if Page wins, Matt Hardy becomes part of The Firm as well. This all happened way too quick, this was a lot to take in.
TNT Champion Wardlow & ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe defeated Nick Comoroto & QT Marshall w/Aaron Solo
**
Thumbs Up
Back from break, QT briefly mocked the name WarJoe until Wardlow & Joe’s music interrupted. Solo was dispatched quickly, as Joe wiped out Marshall with a running senton. Comoroto stopped the Muscle Buster attempt, but was tossed to the floor, while Joe side stepped a diving Marshall. Wardlow turned Marshall inside out with a lariat and launched Comoroto with multiple overhead throws. Comoroto ran right into a spinebuster, as Joe held the feet while Wardlow hit a senton atomico. Joe applied the Kokina Clutch for the quick submission. For good measure, post match, Marshall suffered a powerbomb.
Before the Powerbomb Symphony can get going, Prince Nana interrupted with Brian Cage & The Gates of Agony. They have beef with WarJoe sticking their nose in their business with FTR last week, which immediately brought out FTR. Dax lays out a challenge to The Embassy and said they can’t ask WarJoe since they just had a match, but will have a Toronto boy to team with. Shawn Spears made his return to a huge ovation and he’s apparently a babyface now. Spears sent Solo into the ring to get hit with a Big Rig by FTR to stand tall. I know Spears is a hometown boy, but to have him just be a babyface out of nowhere was a little odd.
Backstage Tony Schiavone is with Chris Jericho, Matt Menard & Angelo Parker to talk about the main event. Parker called Bryan Danielson a liar, poaching Daniel Garcia to break up their family. Menard said last week it hurt them a lot more than it hurt him. Jericho said he sees Garcia as a little brother, but he hasn’t taken his calls. Jericho said tonight isn’t about cheating, he’s The Lionheart, all will honor The Ocho.
Swerve Strickland defeated Billy Gunn w/AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed
***
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up
Max Caster did a Canadian themed rap that popped the crowd huge. Gunn used his size early, but Swerve used speed to jump to the apron and hit a springing dropkick to the leg. Swerve zoned in on the leg during break as Gunn spilled outside. Swerve did a slingshot diving knee drop to the floor and lit up Gunn back in the ring with strikes. Gunn hit a tilt a whirl slam to create distance and regroup.
Billy teased a crotch chop, but opted for the scissor instead, only to miss a Fame-Asser. Swerve answered with a Flatliner, as he flattened Gunn with a Swerve Stomp off the top for two, as Swerve got cocky on the cover. Swerve missed a home run kick, but Gunn missed the One & Only, as Swerve got a roll up and grabbed the rope to steal the win.
Post match, The Acclaimed hit the ring to check on Gunn, teased a scissor, but Mark Sterling interrupted with Tony Nese. They have a document from the USA saying Sterling now owns the saying “scissor me” in pro wrestling. All the money from the t-shirt sales goes to Sterling, the hand gesture belongs to him, if The Acclaimed do that, he will sue. This is a really stupid storyline, I’m sorry.
Backstage, Alex Marvez is with MJF and asks him about the post match with Wheeler Yuta last week along with the William Regal face off. Stokely Hathaway interrupts and MJF said that’s fine to do with other people, but not him. This is strike two and if he didn’t take his Carlton Banks wardrobe out of his shot, it’ll be strike three. Stokely leaves and MJF said he has a storied past with Regal and said he doesn’t know if he was about to shake the hands of Yuta post match. MJF said the crowd and most of the locker room want him dead, but he has no choice to be the bad guy, if you don’t like it, tough sh*t, as he will be AEW World Champion, he’s a generational talent. This was a really good promo from MJF.
Tony Schiavone is in the ring and plugs next Tuesday’s AEW World Title match with challenger Hangman Adam Page and his guest at this time, World Champion Jon Moxley. Excalibur informed us RJ City told him on February 24, 1968; Jimi Hendrix closed his show at this building with Wild Thing.
Moxley said after three years, it feels damn good to be back in Toronto. You always have a target on your back as World Champion, most crumble under the pressure, some faster than others. Moxley said it’s a job that requires you to be ruthless and that’s what he loves about this job. As soon as he mentions Hangman Page’s name, out walks Page, who interrupted because he wants whatever Moxley was going to say to say it to his face.
Page said last week what Moxley said meant the world to him, puts over Moxley as a great champion, father and husband. MJF is shown watching in the stands with his poker chip. Page ignores him and asks if Moxley views him as a kid, which Moxley agrees. He said he doesn’t view Page as the same guy who knocked him off a ladder one year ago, he doesn’t think Page has the guts to pull the trigger to do what it takes to win.
Page said he’s not the same guy, he hesitated, he went for the Trios Title with his best friends, while his old friends have disappeared. Page is anxious, depressed, but he’s still here, as a man. Page said like Moxley, he’s lost love ones, but is a father & husband and started punching himself in the face yelling that he’s a man. Page doesn’t care if Moxley’s family is there next week, he’ll do whatever it takes to win the title back. Page gives Moxley his word, he will be the next AEW World Champion.
Despite that hell of a promo from Page, the crowd started chanting for MJF, as Page shoulder bumped Moxley as he walked away, as Page messed his own face up from those punches. Having MJF out there in the crowd took away from this phenomenal promo from Hangman, despite that, this was an excellent final build to Tuesday night.
An abbreviated version of the ROH Title match video from the Control Center is shown showcasing Bryan Danielson’s rise in ROH and his quest to regain the ROH Title.
Chris Jericho w/Matt Menard & Angelo Parker defeated Bryan Danielson to retain the Ring of Honor World Title
***1/4
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Down
Ian Riccaboni & Lord William Regal join commentary, as Danielson kicked away the handshake from Jericho and opted to fire off strikes. A slingshot sent Jericho outside, where Danielson wiped him out with a dive through the ropes. In the ring, Danielson targeted the midsection until both men connected with 10 corner punches and chops. Jericho sat Danielson in the ropes, hit 9 punches and on the 10th, did a hurricanrana. Danielson regained control by again going for the ribs and roundhouse kick to the head for two.
Jericho mounted his comeback after the commercial break with a DDT, as Danielson was sent outside and wiped out by a springboard cross body. Jericho went to the top, but was cut off with an avalanche butterfly suplex into the LeBell Lock. Danielson tried to reposition, but Jericho countered into the Walls of Jericho. Danielson countered into a Walls of Jericho of his own, which didn’t please the Canadian crowd. Jericho escaped into a small package, but ate a roundhouse kick from Danielson for two.
Anvil elbows poured down until Jericho rose up with Danielson on his feet with a Death Valley Driver variation. The Lionsault missed, as Danielson hit a diving knee of the top two times, but on the third Jericho countered into a Code Breaker for a near fall. Danielson backflipped out of the corner, as referee Paul Turner was pulled into Danielson and took a bump. Jericho & Danielson collided as Menard threw the ROH title to Jericho.
Jericho waited forever for Daniel Garcia to hit the ring and rip the title away from Jericho. Jericho was shoved into a Busaiku Knee from Danielson, who turned and was clobbered with the ROH Title by Garcia. Parker tossed the referee into the ring, as Jericho made the cover to steal the match once again. Post match, Garcia handed the ROH Title to Jericho and cheers with the ROH Pure Title, while Wheeler Yuta hit the ring with William Regal and had a stare down with Garcia.
Backstage Renee Paquette is with Nyla Rose, Marina Shafir & Vickie Guerrero, as Nyla makes a Judge Dredd reference and says she is the law, holding the TBS title. Anna Jay interrupts and challenges her for a title match on Friday for a title that isn’t even hers. Nyla accepts and I guess we have a title match set for Friday?
AEW Interim Women’s Champion Toni Storm & Hikaru Shida defeated Jamie Hayter & Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. w/Rebel
***
Thumbs Up
Crowd is loudly behind Hayter, who had a fast opening sequence with Shida before Storm made a quick tag and beat down Hayter. Baker stopped Storm from going for Sweet Cheek Music, which allowed Hayter to clobber Storm with a running boot. Storm was isolated the entire commercial break until Shida made the hot tag right as they returned.
Shida ran wild and flattened Baker with a jumping knee and corner punches. Hayter tried to break it up, but suffered a suplex from the apron into the ring by Shida. Baker was suplexed onto Hayter, as Shida hit a Meteora off the ropes for two. Baker blocked the Kitana, as Hayter laid out Shida with a backbreaker. Storm countered a backbreaker into a cazadora bulldog. Shida got back in it, but ate a double superkick and Curb Stomp from Baker for two.
Storm hit a corner Tornado DDT and Storm Zero on Baker, but Hayter tackled Storm onto Shida making the cover. Hayter was sent outside, where Storm hit another Tornado DDT. Baker briefly had Lockjaw on Shida, who got a roll up for two. Shida hit a spinning Falcon Arrow on Baker, as both ladies traded pin attempts until Shida got a high stack for the flash pin. This was an action packed tag team match and a huge win for Shida to get back into the Women’s Title picture.
Orange Cassidy defeated PAC to win the AEW All-Atlantic Title
***1/4
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Down
Cassidy missed an Orange Punch out the gate and was lit up with kicks and turned inside out by PAC, who put Cassidy’s hands in his pockets and mocked him with little kicks. PAC took too long in his mockery, as Cassidy kipped up with a dropkick. PAC rolled outside and caught Cassidy on a dive into a Falcon Arrow.
PAC was in firm control the entire break and dragged Cassidy’s lifeless body up the ramp and hit a nasty Tombstone, as PAC brings referee Bryce back to the ring to put a count on Cassidy, something he should’ve been doing a while ago. Cassidy used the ramp to roll down it, saved some time and broke the count at 9. Cassidy rolled right into the Brutalizer, but a foot on the ropes saved him.
PAC went for the hammer again outside, but was dropped with a diving DDT through the ropes to the floor. Back inside, PAC was spiked with another DDT and ate an Orange Punch for a close two. Cassidy went to the top, but PAC rolled to the side of the ring, where he was planted with a Beach Break. PAC blocked Orange Punch into a bridging suplex into the Brutalizer, but once again got the ropes.
The right ear of PAC is bleeding badly, as he again went for the hammer, but was stopped by the ring attendant, who revealed himself to be Danhausen, who cursed PAC. Danhausen ate a punch, as referee Bryce took the hammer from PAC, who had another hammer hidden, but Cassidy hit an Orange Punch. Bryce told Cassidy not to do it, as PAC got a roll up for two. Cassidy popped up and hit another Orange Punch and a home run punch for the win and the title. This was a fantastic main event with Orange Cassidy winning his first title in AEW and PAC’s cheating finally catching up with him. The show ended with Best Friends celebrating with a group hug.
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up
By: #GeraldRoberts
How was this episode of Dynamite?
Thumbs Up
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Down
Thumbs Down