It’s been a long time since I was this underwhelmed by an episode of “Dynamite.” That’s not to say that this was a bad episode. Quite the contrary, in fact. AEW has just been on a hellacious run over the past five months.
If last week’s episode was the coronation of a new era, then this week’s episode felt like a launching point. “Forbidden Door” season has officially begun, with the commencement of a tag team championship eliminator tournament. Meanwhile, “Hangman” Adam Page continued to wage war against The Death Riders, while MJF’s short-lived alliance with The Hurt Syndicate came to an abrupt end.
Oddly enough, the common denominator in both angles was everyone’s favorite chicken farmer, Mark Briscoe—who challenged Friedman to a match on next week’s episode of “Dynamite.”
While MJF outright refused to accept his offer, it seems like these two are destined to dance sooner rather than later.
Elsewhere, Athena continued to antagonize the AEW Women’s World Champion, “Timeless” Toni Storm—coercing her “minion,” Billie Starkz, to face the champ one-on-one. While Storm survived Starkz’s onslaught, Athena saw blood in the water and tried to get her Casino Gauntlet contract-stipulated world title shot. However, Storm was saved by Alex Windsor—who will be the “Fallen Goddess’” next opponent for the ROH Women’s World Championship.
All in all, this segment effectively conveyed the feeling that the walls are closing in on Storm.
Last week, Swerve Strickland confronted Kazuchika Okada, during his post-“All In” victory celebration. Last night, Strickland continued his feud with the Don Callis Family, facing their CMLL import, Hechicero. Afterwards, “The Rainmaker” caught Strickland with a steel chair, but the former AEW World Champion was undaunted. It’ll be interesting to see how this feud progresses over the next four weeks.
To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t mind seeing Strickland attempt to run the Don Callis Family’s gauntlet, sans Kyle Fletcher. Strickland could burn down the house with Josh Alexander or Konosuke Takeshita.
The first match in the aforementioned tag team championship eliminator tournament saw FTR face JetSpeed. Afterwards, Adam Copeland walked down the aisle to personally warn Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler of the hell they’ve wrought. And, while the “Rated R Superstar” is unable to physically harm FTR, it doesn’t mean he can’t hire someone to do it on his behalf. Enter MVP and the AEW World Tag Team Champions—Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin. I like this new paradigm for The Hurt Syndicate. If the fans refuse to jeer them, why not lean into it? It’s not wise to swim against the current.
MJF wasn’t thrilled with The Hurt Syndicate’s decision to work with Copeland. What began as an innocuous encounter between MJF and The Hurt Syndicate quickly turned into a full blown schism, with Lashley denouncing the former world champion.
Evidently, MJF is no longer a member of The Hurt Syndicate. To say this felt abrupt, would be an understatement. In fact, I think I have whiplash. Just one week ago, it seemed like Page was on a collision course with MJF and The Hurt Syndicate. Now, everything has drastically changed.
Will Ospreay returned to “Dynamite” to address his neck injury. Ospreay said that he has herniated disks in his C2 and C6. However, he plans on returning just in time for “Forbidden Door” in London. Hopefully, this isn’t another case of the dreaded “Forbidden Door” curse. I would love to see Ospreay face Zack Sabre Jr. at the O2 Arena, for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
In the main event, Mark Briscoe squared off against Claudio Castagnoli. After the contest, The Death Riders swarmed Briscoe—prompting the “Hangman” to intervene. Page is ready to bury Jon Moxley and his Death Riders into the dirt, and put this chapter in his career behind him. So, he challenged Moxley to a match next week on “Dynamite” to settle their score—where no one will be allowed to accompany Moxley to the ring. Personally, I love the idea of giving the fans a reprise to the biggest match of the year, on free television.
Matches
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Wheeler Yuta
This was a classic instance of a great pro-wrestler punching down. “Hangman” is the ace of All Elite Wrestling, so it’s only natural that he’d make quick work of Wheeler Yuta—leaving him in a bloodied heap. All in all, this was a great showcase from Page.
Rating: **¾
FTR vs. JetSpeed
This was a fun tag team match. I’ve really enjoyed “Speedball” Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight’s work together, and this was certainly no exception. Plus, it’s always a treat to see FTR wrestle on “Dynamite.”
Rating: ***¼
“Timeless” Toni Storm vs. Billie Starkz
This was Storm’s worst match in quite a while. Starkz managed to take Storm to the wire, which felt like an odd choice. Like Page’s match with Yuta, it felt like this should have been an opportunity for Storm to punch down, and assert her dominance.
Rating: **½
Swerve Strickland vs. Hechicero
Swerve Strickland’s unorthodox style melded well with Hechicero’s unique and creative approach to grappling. Together, the two delivered a fun exhibition.
Rating: ***
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Mark Briscoe vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Mark Briscoe and Claudio Castagnoli have been enemies for the better part of two decades. Last night, they went to war one more time in a thrilling main event. Not only did Briscoe score another victory in the war against The Death Riders, but he earned a crucial win—en route to his match against MJF.
Rating: ***½
Final Verdict
While this week’s episode of “Dynamite” wasn’t quite as strong as recent installments, it was still a solid effort. I particularly enjoyed how cohesive everything felt. Page and Briscoe’s interactions with The Death Riders, Copeland’s feud with FTR, and MJF’s promos were all intertwined in a way that is rare for AEW.
Rating: ***
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