AEW returned to the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C., for this year’s annual “Holiday Bash” edition of Wednesday Night “Dynamite.”
The road to “Worlds End” continued last night and we’re only 10 days away from the final pay-per-view of 2024.
The “Continental Classic” raged on with two more matches, while “Hangman” Adam Page, “Switchblade” Jay White, and Orange Cassidy continued their war against Jon Moxley and The Death Riders. Was this week’s episode of “Dynamite” an improvement upon past weeks? Let’s dive in:
Disclaimer: I actually had the pleasure of attending this event, so my perspective may be a little eschewed. With that said, I’ve rewatched the episode to parse through what happened on-and-off screen.
HIT: The Introduction
This week’s episode of “Dynamite” began with the announcers introducing the evening’s card, accompanied by a series of promos. The first was “Hangman” Adam Page, “Switchblade” Jay White, and Orange Cassidy — ahead of their six-man tag team match against The Death Riders. The second and third were Darby Allin and Will Ospreay, setting the stage for their highly anticipated “Continental Classic” match.
I really enjoyed the presentation. This was definitely reminiscent of late-1980’s “Saturday Night’s Main Event.”
I’ve often been critical of AEW for opening shows with cold-matches. Wrestling shows need an introduction to hook the audience and establish the show’s itinerary.
As a play-by-play announcer, Excalibur excels at announcing match cards, and the promos were fun supplementary material.
HIT: Mercedes Moné defeats Anna Jay
Over the last two months, AEW has made a concerted effort to announce at least one match weeks in advance — to help build anticipation for future shows. In the case of “Holiday Bash,” this was one of those matches — which was announced two weeks ago.
Thanks to her trilogy with Mariah May, Anna Jay rode a wave of momentum into this match — attempting to dethrone the TBS Women’s Champion, Mercedes Moné. While Jay was unsuccessful, this was yet another solid outing from the young lion. While there were a few hiccups, this was an impressive performance from two women who have never shared the squared circle. There were even moments during the match, particular when Jay applied her Queen Slayer, that my belief was suspended.
Kris Statlander was watching the match backstage, continuing to sow the seeds for her rematch against Moné at “Worlds End.”
Rating: ***¼
HIT: FTR challenges The Death Riders
Last week on Saturday Night “Collision,” The Death Riders seemingly kidnapped Dax Hardwood and Cash Wheeler. Last night, FTR addressed what happened on “Collision,” from the comfort of a couch in Asheville, NC, revealing that they were actually just beaten up and left outside in the parking lot. Yet again, The Death Riders have committed a felony without any repercussions.
FTR revealed that they aren’t medically cleared to compete for the rest of 2024, but they’ll be back on New Years Day — when “Dynamite” returns to Asheville for the “Mother of All Simulcasts.” FTR will stand in the center of the ring, ready to face The Death Riders head on.
Once again, AEW is building anticipation for a show that is still two weeks away. More importantly though, an exciting main event for the first episode of “Dynamite” that will be streamed on MAX. What are the chances Adam Copeland returns to help FTR?
HIT: MJF returns to “Dynamite”
After making a brief appearance last week, MJF finally returned to “Dynamite” to address Adam Cole.
This was vintage MJF and a reminder why we all fell in love with him in the first place. MJF was showered with a chorus of boos and did a spectacular job of working the crowd. MJF insulted the city of Washington D.C, the Washington Wizards, and Santa Claus — before turning his attention to Cole.
Eventually, Cole appeared via satellite with the Undisputed Kingdom to threaten MJF. While MJF was focused on the ‘tron, Cole snuck into the ring and attacked MJF — laying him out with a superkick and forcing him to treat.
While I don’t really care for his feud with Cole, this was phenomenal work from MJF, gently reminding us that he’s still one of the most entertaining figures in professional wrestling.
HIT: Christian Cage & Nick Wayne defeat HOOK & Katsuyori Shibata
HOOK is still feuding with Christian Cage and the Patriarchy. Next week, the “Cold-Hearted, Handsome Devil” will face Nick Wayne in the famed Hammerstein Ballroom. This week, HOOK was joined by frequent tag team partner, Katsuyori Shibata, against Cage and Wayne.
While this was a decent match, I just don’t care about this feud. Maybe if Cage’s contract were on the line, it would seem more meaningful. Instead, it’s just another obligatory program for HOOK — so he doesn’t fall out of fans’ purview.
Rating: **½
HIT: Vignettes
We had two vignettes this week. The first was for Kenny Omega, who will make his in-ring return at “Wrestle Dynasty” against Gabe Kidd. While this didn’t pertain to that match, it was more a general reintroduction for Omega — who I’m sure will return in January.
The second was for Bandido, continuing to build anticipation for his return.
I really enjoyed both of these packages. Oftentimes, AEW overestimates the fans’ product knowledge. It’s good to generate interest and reintroduce fans to wrestlers that have been absent.
HIT: The Hurt Syndicate rejects Ricochet
For weeks, Ricochet has been wrestling with an edge that he previously lacked. It seemed like he was fostering a meaningful relationship with MVP and the Hurt Syndicate. Unfortunately, the Hurt Syndicate curbed Ricochet’s enthusiasm — tearing up the business card they gave him.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching the Hurt Syndicate interact with the AEW locker room over the past two months. If Ricochet isn’t the next member of their organization, then who will it be? Only time will tell.
HIT: Shelton Benjamin defeats The Beast Mortos
The last segment bled right into this match, with Shelton Benjamin facing The Beast Mortos. This was the first “Continental Classic” match of the evening, continuing the action in the “Blue League.”
Two of the most exciting in-ring performers in AEW shared the squared circle, trading haymaker after haymaker. In the end, it was Benjamin who took control of the match, defeating Mortos with a series of Released-German Suplexes.
While both men are dynamic performers, the outcome here seemed a little predictable. The Beast Mortos has been positioned as a glorified turnstyle in this tournament, creating little doubt in my mind.
Rating: **¾
HIT: Darby Allin defeats Will Ospreay
This was an instant classic and easily the greatest match that I’ve ever seen live.
There’s something inherently flawed about reviewing a match that I witnessed live. Television can’t accurately capture a crowd’s atmosphere. And, the atmosphere for this match was electrifying. Will Ospreay and Darby Allin are two of the most exciting performers in all of professional wrestling. Together, the magic they created was greater than the sum of its parts. This was an extraordinary match and the nature of the “Continental Classic” only added to its psychology. Both men had to exhaust their arsenals. For Ospreay, it was to take a decisive lead in the “Gold League” standings. For Allin, it was to stay in the competition.
Ospreay controlled the momentum for the majority of this match, overwhelming Allin in size, power, and speed. Ospreay gave Allin nearly everything in his arsenal, from the Hidden Blade to a Styles Clash from the apron onto the floor. None of it was enough to finish off Allin, who fought back from the precipice. Few wrestlers can absorb as much punishment as Allin. More importantly though, few wrestlers can stage a comeback quite like Allin.
Ospreay tried punctuating the affair with a Storm Breaker, but Allin reversed it into a Scorpion Death Drop. Then, Allin delivered a pair of Coffin Drops for the three-count, earning a shocking victory over Ospreay.
To say this match was great would be an understatement. This was phenomenal.
Rating: ****½
HIT: Death Riders defeat “Switchblade” Jay White, “Hangman” Adam Page, and Orange Cassidy
The main event saw the continuation of “Switchblade” Jay White, “Hangman” Adam Page, and Orange Cassidy’s war with Jon Moxley and the Death Riders. This week, it was a six-man tag match, with all three of Moxley’s challengers teaming up against the AEW World Champion, PAC, and Wheeler Yuta.
It’s no secret that there’s no love lost between Page and White, so it wasn’t surprising how the events transpired. Page exited the match early on, refusing to work alongside White. So, the latter was forced to face the Death Riders with Cassidy alone. While the duo fared well, it was clear the numbers game would favor the Death Riders. That was, until Page returned, bringing the fight to Moxley head-on.
In the end, however, it was Page and White’s feud that cost the tenuous alliance. While the two bickered, Moxley snuck into the ring and pinned Cassidy with a small package — stealing the match from under their noses.
This was a solid main event, which was unsurprising given the staggering amount of talent involved. Claudio Castagnoli and Marina Shafir were ringside, which added even more intrigue. Wheeler Yuta aside, who is a gifted young lion in his own right, these are five of the best wrestlers alive — plying their trade in a fun six-man tag match.
I don’t think it did them any favors following Allin and Ospreay. That match sucked so much oxygen from the arena, that the crowd’s reaction to this match felt slightly muffled. Still, they were able to resonate with the fans, and Page in particular received a hero’s welcome from the D.C. crowd.
With “Worlds End” only 10 days away, I look forward to seeing how this feud continues next week.
Rating: ***¼
Final Verdict
This was a great episode of “Dynamite.” MJF’s return was fantastic, I loved the use of backstage promos to introduce the show, and most of the matches were really entertaining. What really elevated this show was Ospreay and Allin’s instant classic, which was easily one of the best “Dynamite” matches all year. I’d say “Holiday Bash” was a resounding success and a phenomenal show to attend.
Rating: ****½
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