The road to “Full Gear” continued last night, when AEW returned to Bridgeport, Conn., for an action-packed episode of Wednesday Night “Dynamite,” with six matches and four interviews scheduled.
After two terrific shows in the rearview mirror, did AEW extend the streak of great “Dynamite” episodes?
Let’s dive in:
HIT: “Hangman” Adam Page and Christian Cage defeat Jay White and Juice Robinson
The show kicked off with an all-star tag team match, pitting “Switchblade” Jay White and Juice Robinson against the tenuous alliance of “Hangman” Adam Page and Christian Cage.
“Switchblade” Jay White and “Hangman” Adam Page’s feud has been phenomenal. Both men are extraordinarily talented, but when you throw in Juice Robinson, Christian Cage, and the remainder of the Patriarchy — you have the ingredients necessary for a phenomenal television-match.
After a back-and-forth affair, Mother Wayne distracted the referee, giving Page an opportunity to kick out of Juice Robinson’s rollup. Kip Sabian used the aluminum contract case to stun Robinson, creating an opportunity for Page to pin him.
This was very efficient booking. HOOK attacked Nick Wayne during the match, Kip Sabian was given another opportunity to prove his loyalty to Christian Cage, and the Bang Bang Gang continued their feud with “Hangman” Adam Page. This was a homerun.
Rating: ***¼
HIT: Mercedes Monè Backstage Interview
Renee Paquette was joined backstage by Mercedes Monè and Kamille, whose arm is apparently broken. Monè continued to berate Kamille and bragged about how devastating her Statement Maker was on Statlander last Saturday on “Collision.”
After the interview ended, Kris Statlander attacked both women. She made quick work of Kamille, ramming her broken arm into a wall. Then, after a brief back-and-forth, Statlander delivered a devastating spear to Monè, driving both women through the wall.
I don’t care how thin that wall was, this was awesome.
HIT: Will Ospreay Confronts Kyle Fletcher
After weeks of the “Protostar,” Kyle Fletcher completing his metamorphosis into young Randy Orton, Will Ospreay has finally decided to confront his former friend.
Ospreay did a phenomenal job setting the stage for this face-to-face confrontation, mentioning how he welcomed Fletcher into his home during the pandemic and let him join the United Empire. More importantly though, ever since Fletcher performed the Tiger Driver on Ospreay at “WrestleDream,” the “Aerial Assassin” has been experiencing numbness down his right arm. So much so, that he can’t even feel his son hold his left hand.
So, Ospreay accepts Fletcher’s challenge. At “Full Gear,” Ospreay will grant Fletcher an opportunity to perform on Pay-Per-View.
After their conversation, Fletcher signaled for Brian Cage and Lance Archer to enter the ring. Ospreay responded in kind, signaling for Powerhouse Hobbs and Mark Davis. All six men immediately began fighting, creating an opportunity for Roderick Strong to attack his third opponent: Lance Archer.
This was an excellent exchange. Kyle Fletcher is still easing into his new role and persona. Ospreay did most of the heavy lifting in this segment and even offered a little nuance in his delivery. Ospreay is known for wearing his emotions on his sleeves, so while the fire in Ospreay seemed to burn bright in brief interstices, Fletcher’s betrayal seems to have deeply affected Ospreay. This was great stuff and I’m very excited for these two to share the squared circle at “Full Gear.”
MISS: Roderick Strong defeats Lance Archer
This was such a jam-packed episode of “Dynamite” that something had to suffer. Unfortunately for the “Murderhawk Monster” and Roderick Strong, it was this match, half of which aired in picture-and-picture.
The stipulation was Falls Count Anywhere, which meant this match was everywhere but the ring. Brian Cage tried to intervene, but the Undisputed Kingdom arrived to neutralize him. Afterwards, Archer chokeslammed Matt Taven, creating an opportunity for Strong to swing the momentum in his favor. Strong used the greatest equalizer in all of professional wrestling, a steel chair, to stun Archer, and punctuated the affair with a running knee for the pin.
Afterwards, Konosuke Takeshita arrived to attack Strong, but before he could really give Strong an undisputed ass-kicking, Adam Cole arrived.
I’ve outlined my rating scale in previous iterations of this column. I’ve never really defined the parameters for what does or doesn’t warrant a match to be rated? Do all matches deserve to be rated? Does the match need to last a certain amount of time? I don’t know. We play it fast-and-loose here. What I do know, is that this didn’t feel like it deserved a rating.
Rating: N/A
HIT: Konosuke Takeshita defeats Adam Cole
Adam Cole returned at “WrestleDream” to end his year-and-a-half long feud with Maxwell Jacob Friedman, once and for all. So, Friedman issued a challenge to both Adam Cole and Roderick Strong: whoever earns three-consecutive wins will earn a shot against MJF at “Full Gear.” Roderick Strong earned his third consecutive victory in the prior contest. If Cole won this match, the match at “Full Gear” would become a three-way; where Cole and Strong would effectively work together to beat the brakes off of MJF.
Two weeks ago, Adam Cole earned his first victory against Buddy Matthews, narrowly succumbing to his lingering injuries. Last week, Cole faced a familiar foe in Malakai Black. Cole fared better against Black, earning a significantly more convincing win. This week, Cole has to beat the Don Callis Family’s most formidable competitor, Konosuke Takeshita.
Adam Cole wasted no time attacking Konosuke Takeshita, going back-and-forth while his entrance music continued to play.
This was short and sweet. Takeshita and Cole traded their most potent offensive maneuvers, forcing Takeshita to retrieve the Dynamite Diamond Ring from underneath the ring. Takeshita used the ring to ring Cole’s bell, resulting in an easy pin.
Afterwards, Strong attempted to aid Cole, but was swiftly thwarted by a kick to the groin from Takeshita. In desperate need of assistance, Cole and Strong were saved by their mutual friend and former ally, Kyle O’Reilly. While O’Reilly helped them, he refused to shake either man’s hand.
While I’m glad Konosuke Takeshita won this match, I wish he didn’t need to use the Dynamite Diamond Ring. Konosuke Takeshita is the AEW International Champion and one of the most fearsome competitors in all of AEW. Considering Cole’s poor physical condition and the physically taxing nature of his last two matches, it would have made perfect sense for Takeshita to attack Cole’s leg and win the match.
Nonetheless, the end result provided us with an interesting twist. Now, Roderick Strong will face MJF at “Full Gear” instead of Adam Cole. Will Strong and the Undisputed Kingdom betray Cole? Will MJF try to break Roderick Strong’s neck, the same way he did Daniel Garcia? We’ll find out in nine days.
HIT: Jon Moxley Seizes the TBS Superstation
Did Jon Moxley “seize the TBS Superstation?” Not quite. I expected him to use a plastic bag to suffocate David Zaslav.
The Death Riders carried JD Drake out of the tunnel and Wheeler Yuta attacked him with a steel chair. Then, Moxley and Marina Shafir entered the ring to address the AEW locker room. More importantly, Moxley said that he will make an example of Orange Cassidy at “Full Gear.”
Cassidy and the Conglomeration came out and confronted the Death Riders from the safety of the entranceway. Cassidy promised that he would take the title from Moxley, but first, he wants to wrestle Wheeler Yuta next week on “Dynamite.” Moxley accepted on Yuta’s behalf, then attempted to leave the arena.
While the Death Riders were exiting through the crowd into the concession area, Darby Allin appeared, wearing a Sting mask, and performed a dive off the entranceway. Mark Briscoe and Rocky Romero joined Allin in attacking the Death Riders.
After the Death Riders escaped and jumped in their Dodge Ram outside the arena, Darby Allin leaped into the truck bed — forcing Claudio Castagnoli to exit the driver seat and drive Allin into a hangar door. Then, Castagnoli performed a giant-swing, launching Allin into the hangar door once more. After that, the Death Riders were able to leave the arena.
This was a fun segment. Jon Moxley and Orange Cassidy both delivered stellar promos. Claudio Castagnoli manhandled Darby Allin again, in a manner that I’m not quite sure I’m comfortable with.
HIT: Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. defeats Penelope Ford
Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. returned to the ring again, this time after a month-long absence. Penelope Ford had a fantastic match last week against Jamie Hayter that ended in defeat. Unfortunately, this match was no different.
I like Baker. I really do. You know who else I like? Penelope Ford, who really impressed me in this match.
For some reason, it’s hard to root for Britt Baker. Maybe it’s the rumor and innuendo surrounding her backstage conduct. Maybe it’s that, when she was the AEW Women’s World Champion, she was a heel. In any event, it was hard for me to root against Ford in this contest.
In the end, Baker reversed Ford’s submission attempt into her patented Lockjaw, forcing the “Superbad Girl” to tap-out. Afterwards, Serena Deeb exited the tunnel — waving her flag and challenging the “Good Doctor.”
In all honesty, I nearly forgot that Baker’s last match was against Deeb, and not Mercedes Monè at “All In.” As one-half of the unofficial Serena Deeb Fan Club, I hope Deeb comes out on top of this feud. Unfortunately, I don’t expect that to happen.
Rating: **¾
HIT: Swerve Strickland defeats Lio Rush
Last Friday, Chris Graham and I briefly touched on Lio Rush. Both of us believe Lio Rush is phenomenal on the microphone and needs to be featured more prominently. Guess what happened? On Saturday Night “Collision,” Rush actually cut a promo! Wait, he challenged Swerve Strickland? Oh fu–
Lio Rush’s time will come. For now, this was guaranteed to be an exciting match. Rush is a phenomenal junior-heavyweight style wrestler. Of course, the former AEW World Champion needs no introduction.
This was far more competitive than Rush’s match against Shelton Benjamin. However, Rush ultimately found himself unable to deal any significant damage. Strickland finished Rush with a JML Driver for the three-count.
After the match, Strickland grabbed a microphone and asked Bobby Lashley to confront him. Lashley exited the tunnel, accompanied by MVP. Before Lashely could approach the ring, Benjamin got the drop on Strickland and attacked him. After Strickland stumbled out of the ring, Lashley laid him out with a stiff lariat and dumped him back in the ring. Benjamin nailed Strickland with a DDT while MVP beat Prince Nana with his cane. The Hurt Syndicate wasn’t finished though. Lashley picked Strickland back up and cinched in the Hurt Lock for good measure.
This was a really fun match, followed by a really fun segment. I’d consider this a homerun.
Rating: ***¼
HIT: Jamie Hayter Backstage
We return from the commercial break and Jamie Hayter is backstage with Renee Paquette.
Paquette wants to know what’s next for the former AEW Women’s World Champion. Before Hayter could definitively answer, her interview was interrupted.
Last Saturday, a phenomenal vignette aired reintroducing Julia Hart. This week, another vignette aired, continuing to tease the return of the former TBS Champion.
These two vignettes have possessed a cinematic quality that is seldom seen in AEW. More importantly though, they’ve summarized Hart’s bizarre journey from the Varsity Blonds cheerleading valet to the women’s divisions harbinger of doom.
It appears as though Jamie Hayter’s next obstacle will be Julia Hart. Given both women’s championship pedigree, I’m excited to see how this story begins to unfold.
HIT: The Kings of the Black Throne defeats FTR
FTR on “Dynamite” will always be an obligatory “hit.” Those are the rules.
This was the second match in the “Full Gear 4-Way Contender Series,” to determine who will be Private Party’s challengers at “Full Gear” for the AEW World Tag Team Championships.
On “Collision,” the Outrunners defeated Top Flight to earn their shot at Private Party. Now, FTR will face the Kings of the Black Throne; Brody King and Malakai Black; to determine Private Party’s second opponent.
This was easily the best match of the night, in my estimation. Dax Hardwood and Cash Wheeler have competed for the tag team championships so many times that it’s become a cliche. The King’s of the Black Throne needed to win this contest and did exactly that, in convincing fashion. Brody King delivered a pair of big lariats to Hardwood, forcing him to tap with his patented sleeper hold.
This was FTR’s fifth encounter with Malakai Black and Brody King, so it’s only natural that all four men would have such great chemistry in the ring. This was easily the best match of the night, with a phenomenal conclusion that benefited both teams. FTR’s betrayal of the Outrunners’ seems inevitable. Failing to secure a spot at “Full Gear” will only fan the flames.
Rating: ***½
Final Verdict
From the outset, this episode of “Dynamite” seemed doomed to suffer from its’ overabundance of matches. Miraculously, it never felt rushed — save for Roderick Strong and Lance Archer’s match. Surely, some of that was alleviated by the show’s exceptionally long overrun, which seems to be the new-normal for “Dynamite.” Most of it can be attributed to the episode’s exceptional pacing, quality wrestling, and entertaining segments: the trifecta for weekly wrestling television.
The rest of the week’s programming
Friday Night “Rampage”
- Ricochet vs. Dante Martin
- Mark Briscoe vs. Ari Daivari
- Leila Grey vs. Hikaru Shida
- Rocky Romero vs. Komander
- La Facción Ingobernales in action
Saturday Night “Collision”
- Harley Cameron [c] vs. Mina Shirakawa
- Mariah May vs. Anna Jay
- Johnny TV vs. Daniel Garcia
- La Facción Ingobernable vs. The Acclaimed (Full Gear 4-Way Contender Series)
Share
