AEW has been firing on all cylinders as of late, riding a tidal wave of momentum into San Diego.
Did this week’s episode of “Dynamite” deliver bell to bell?
HIT: Introduction
This week’s show opened with a pre-taped promo from MJF, from the comfort of a trainers table. MJF is tired of telling the fans that he’s a generational talent. He’s tired of being taken for granted. So, there are only three letters that matter to him now. They aren’t A-E-W or F-A-N. It’s M-J-F. Only then, it was revealed that MJF was having his AEW tattoo surgically removed from his ankle.
Shortly thereafter, “Hangman” Adam Page arrived at the arena in a Rivian Truck with longhorns on the hood. Page exited the truck and walked immediately into the ring, to begin his scheduled match.
After swiftly defeating Aaron Solo, Page asked MJF to meet him in the ring. The self-proclaimed “Devil” met him halfway, preferring to stand in the aisleway. MJF plans on spending the next two weeks preparing for his match with “Hangman” at “Revolution.” However, he warns “Hangman” that he should make sure his friends are okay.
After MJF exited the aisleway, it was revealed that Christopher Daniels had been attacked backstage.
HIT: Will Ospreay vs. Bryan Keith
Don Callis enlisted the services of “The Bounty Hunter,” Bryan Keith, to deal with Will Ospreay.
One of the many great travesties of “The Learning Tree” is the mistreatment of Keith.
The “bounty hunter” archetype is a classic pro-wrestling gimmick that Keith plays to perfection. And, in a world where heels, like Don Callis or MJF, are willing to exhaust their resources to handle their problems, Keith is invaluable.
The sentiment was admirable. Unfortunately, Keith was hired to hunt down an assassin.
This match was terrific though. For many wrestlers, Keith’s efforts would have been a star-making performance. Unfortunately, he’s still under Chris Jericho’s thumb.
Rating: ***¼
HIT: Mercedes Moné backstage promo
Momo Watanabe won the International Women’s Cup at “Wrestle Dynasty,” earning a shot at any championship in AEW, ROH, STARDOM, or CMLL. After an adversarial encounter with Mercedes Moné at “Grand Slam Australia,” the “Black Peach” chose Moné and her TBS Women’s Championship.
So, a backstage vignette aired, introducing Watanabe to those who may not be familiar with her work in STARDOM.
Afterwards, Moné was backstage looking for Watanabe, when she ran into Ring of Honor star Billie Starkz. Moné asked Starkz to find Watanabe, but Starkz was less than enthused by Moné’s demand. So, Moné threw a cup of water in her face.
While Moné was busy ridiculing Starkz, Watanabe got the drop on Moné — nearly hitting her with her black baseball bat.
I’m certainly excited for this match, but I just hope they’re able to have some kind of a face-to-face interaction before “Revolution.”
HIT: The Outrunners vs. The Murder Machines
This match is to determine the number one contenders in the tag team division. The winner will face The Hurt Syndicate at “Revolution” for the AEW World Tag Team Champions.
The Outrunners’ are seldom seen on Wednesday Night “Dynamite,” so this was a pleasant change of pace.
The Murder Machines were in control for the majority of the affair, using their superior size and power to overwhelm Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd.
Right before Lance Archer could deliver a Blackout to Floyd, The Hurt Syndicate’s theme began to play — distracting the “Murderhawk Monster.” Floyd used the opportunity to roll Archer up for the three-count, narrowly escaping with a victory.
Now, Magnum and Floyd will have to test their mettle against Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin. The “Youngest Men Alive” are going to die at “Revolution.”
Rating: ***
HIT: Swerve Strickland & Prince Nana respond to Ricochet
Two weeks ago, Swerve Strickland donned a ceremonial robe that belonged to Prince Nana, which has historically signified the crown jewel of the Embassy.
Minutes after that happened, Ricochet attacked him and stole the robe. Naturally, Prince Nana wants his robe back and Strickland wants to recover his loss in Atlanta three weeks ago.
So, Strickland and Nana requested a little time last night to lay down the gauntlet. While Ricochet initially dismissed them, Nana made the offer even more enticing.
Tony Khan has made it official: the winner between Swerve Strickland Ricochet will be the number one contender for the AEW World Championship after “Revolution.”
Ricochet quickly acquiesced, accepting Nana and Strickland’s challenge. But, they’ll have to wait until “Revolution.”
It’s hard to imagine that these two men are more deserving of the number one contendership, than “Hangman” Adam Page and MJF. Nonetheless, here we are, and I’m certain these two are going to deliver in spades.
HIT: The Undisputed Kingdom vs. Daniel Garcia & FTR
FTR’s presence on Wednesday Night “Dynamite” may be rare, but it’s always welcome. For that reason alone, this was guaranteed to be a hit.
For weeks now, Daniel Garcia and 2point0 and Undisputed Kingdom have been in hot pursuit of the Death Riders’ AEW World Trios Championships. This week, Garcia’s rivalry with Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, & Kyle O’Reilly took an interesting turn — bringing his former allies, FTR, into the fold.
Even though this feud has primarily played out on “Collision,” the booking here is sensible. FTR have been in the Death Riders’ crosshairs since late 2024. Not only are they former allies of Garcia, but it makes sense why they’d want to rise in the rankings and challenge the Death Riders.
The match itself was terrific. The Undisputed Kingdom continued to excel as a unit, while Garcia & FTR’s contributions only amplified the affair.
In the end, it was the Undisputed Kingdom who stood victorious, setting up a match between Adam Cole and Daniel Garcia on “Collision” for the TNT Championship.
Wait… Garcia is still the TNT Champion?
Rating: ***¼
HIT: Adam Copeland, Jay White & Willow Nightingale kill The Death Riders
Last weekend on Saturday Night “Collision,” Adam Copeland delivered a Conchairto to PAC — incapacitating The Death Riders emissary. This week’s episode opened with the “Rated R Superstar” in the back of an ambulance, to show the Death Riders what their ride home is going to look like.
Later in the evening, Claudio Castagnoli was backstage with the remaining members of the Death Riders, and vowed to eliminate Copeland.
Afterwards, Castagnoli was skulking the corridors of Frontwave Arena like Elmer Fudd looking for Bugs Bunny. Copeland, of course, was prepared, and got the drop on Castagnoli.
Copeland dragged Castagnoli through the curtain and out to the ring, but quickly found himself overwhelmed when Wheeler Yuta and Marina Shafir joined the fray. “Switchblade” Jay White joined in shortly thereafter, creating an opportunity for Copeland to level Castagnoli with a steel chair. Yuta tried to deliver a Busaiku Knee to Copeland, but missed and knocked out Shafir.
White laid Yuta out with a Blade Runner, allowing Copeland to isolate the Death Rider’s “First General.” The “Rated R Superstar” delivered a Conchairto to the unconscious Castagnoli. Then, he turned his attention to Shafir. Before he could deliver the killing blow, Willow Nightingale’s music began to play.
Nightingale entered the ring and delivered the Conchairto in Copeland’s stead, finally getting her revenge on Shafir.
With PAC, Castagnoli, and Shafir seemingly removed from the equation, all that’s left is Wheeler Yuta. Unfortunately for him, there’s still one more episode of “Collision” and next week’s go-home edition of “Dynamite;” which is plenty of time for Copeland to eliminate him as well.
HIT: Harley Cameron vs. Deonna Purrazzo
This week, Deonna Purrazzo was forced to feel the wrath of Harley Cameron.
Internally, Cameron has become one of the seven most important women in AEW. And, for someone who’s only been competing for three years, that’s quite the miraculous feat. And, facing a maestra like Purrazzo is only going to help accelerate her development.
There’s a reason why Purrazzo is called “The Virtuosa.” She’s one of the most technically proficient women’s wrestlers alive. And, this was proof positive of that. Purrazzo was clearly guiding Cameron in this match, helping accentuate the latter’s strengths and conceal her weaknesses.
The end result was a fun match, where Cameron narrowly escaped with the victory.
Rating: ***
HIT: Konosuke Takeshita [c] vs. Orange Cassidy
Last week, Orange Cassidy beat Roderick Strong to determine the number one contender for the AEW International Championship.
Last night, Cassidy tested his mettle against the champion, Konosuke Takeshita.
Cassidy is, of course, a former two-time International Champion. No man has held the title longer nor defended it more times than Cassidy. So, this was more than a simple title defense for Takeshita: it’s an opportunity for “The Alpha” to prove that he’s the greatest International Champion in AEW history.
In a vacuum, that would create a very interesting paradigm. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple.
At “Grand Slam Australia,” Kenny Omega challenged Takeshita to a match at “Revolution,” for the International Championship. Cassidy’s interest in the International Championship only complicated matters.
Even the bizarre booking decisions couldn’t ruin this match, though. Given the participants, this match was guaranteed to deliver. This wasn’t just a hit, though. This was a homerun.
Cassidy exhausted his arsenal of counters and high-impact maneuvers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to defeat the International Champion. Takeshita endured all of Cassidy’s offense, finishing the match with a decisive Blue Thunder Bomb.
So, it’s finally official. Konosuke Takeshita will face Kenny Omega for the International Championship at “Revolution.”
Rating: ****
Final Verdict
There’s no denying that AEW has the hot hand. While this episode wasn’t as strong as past weeks, it was still another very strong outing for “Dynamite.”
Rating: ***¾
Lineup for Saturday Night “Collision”
- Powerhouse Hobbs & Bandido vs. Big Bill & Bryan Keith
- FTR vs. Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong
- Daniel Garcia [c] vs. Adam Cole
- We’ll hear from Kenny Omega
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