AEW returned to Philadelphia at the Liacouras Center last night for its second PPV of the calendar year, “Dynasty.”
After AEW’s last incredible PPV outing, “Revolution,” less than one month ago, the road to “Dynasty” was brief. Fortunately, it was a road paved in gold. The only question remaining is whether or not this PPV lived up to our expectations?
Will Ospreay vs. Kevin Knight
The opening contest saw Will Ospreay face Kevin Knight, in the quarter-finals of this year’s Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
Knight debuted on AEW last weekend on Saturday Night “Collision. Last week, Knight made his Wednesday Night “Dynamite” debut, teaming with Ospreay in preparation for this contest. Knight is known for his aerial artistry and extraordinary athleticism, whose inclinations perfectly align with the “Aerial Assassin.”
Ospreay’s intended opponent was “Switchblade” Jay White, who defeated Knight on “Collision” last Saturday. Unfortunately, White has been sidelined with a legitimate injury, so Tony Khan was forced to call an audible.
This was an exhilarating opening contest. Knight gave Ospreay the fight of his life, even dominating large stretches of the affair. In the end, though, Ospreay was able to endure the brunt of Knight’s offense — finishing him with a combination of a Styles Clash, Oscutter, and Hidden Blade.
Knight shockingly kicked out of the first two maneuvers, but fell victim to Ospreay’s Hidden Blade. If I had one criticism of Will Ospreay, it would be his excessive use of finishing maneuvers. In certain circumstances and against certain opponents, I understand. A match against Kevin Knight in the quarter-finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament doesn’t qualify. Still, this was a superb opening contest.
Rating: ***¾
The Hurt Syndicate [c] vs. Big Bill & Bryan Keith
The next match saw The Hurt Syndicate defend their AEW World Tag Team Championships against Big Bill & Bryan Keith.
Big Bill & Bryan Keith have been a part of Chris Jericho’s “Learning Tree” stable for nearly a year now. So, it begs the question: what do they have to show for it?
For months now, we’ve all been asking that very question. What have Bill and Keith accomplished since joining Jericho? How have they benefited from sitting under the “Learning Tree?” The questions have become so prescient, that even Jericho is asking them.
So, here we are. Big Bill and Bryan Keith have challenged Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin to prove themselves to Chris Jericho, once and for all.
Unfortunately, Big Bill’s gambit didn’t work out. Although, The Hurt Syndicate did receive a little assistance from MJF — in an effort to prove his worth to the tag team champions. While Big Bill was leaning on the barricade to regain his composure, MJF struck Bill with his Dynamite Diamond Ring, incapacitating him long enough for the champions to isolate Keith and pin him.
While this match was inoffensive enough, although “Dynasty” may have ultimately benefited from this being omitted — given the PPV’s long runtime.
Rating: **½
Mercedes Moné vs. Julia Hart
The next match marked the commencement of the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, with Mercedes Moné facing Julia Hart in the quarter-finals.
From the outset of the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, Moné’s burgeoning rivalry with Athena has been a point of intrigue. Since arriving in AEW, Moné has been undefeated in single’s action — amassing an incredible 22-0 record. Two days ago on “Collision,” Moné inadvertently suffered her first loss in AEW, when Julia Hart pinned Moné’s partner, Harley Cameron.
If both Athena and Moné win their quarter-final matchups, then their long awaited encounter will take place in the semi-finals. Unfortunately for Moné, advancing to the semi-finals was no easy feat.
Julia Hart is more than just a promising young star in AEW. At only 23-years-old, the former TBS Women’s Champion is one of the fastest rising stars in all of professional wrestling. Throughout the course of this competition, the crowd became increasingly more invested in Hart — clamoring for her to defeat the “CEO.”
Hart took Moné to the brink. Unfortunately, her valiant effort wasn’t enough to vanquish the “belt collector.” Moné scored a pinfall with a quick rollup, narrowly escaping with the victory.
Still, the walls seem to be closing in on Moné. The “Fallen Goddess” has proven to be a nearly inviolable force in Ring of Honor, holding her ROH Women’s World Championship for over 850 days. If Athena does defeat Harley Cameron and advance to the semi-finals, will Moné have the wherewithal to defeat her?
Only time will tell.
Rating: ***¾
The Death Riders [c] vs. Rated FTR
The fourth contest saw The Death Riders successfully defend their AEW World Trios Championship against Rated FTR.
For weeks now, the seeds of dissent have been sewn between Dax Harwood and Adam Copeland, with Cash Wheeler caught in the middle. Harwood expressed his resentment towards Copeland for failing to capture the AEW World Heavyweight Championship. Tensions were only exacerbated when Harwood expressed his desire to shift his focus towards the tag team division, while Wheeler wanted to continue pursuing the trios titles with Copeland.
Would winning the trios championships have alleviated Harwood’s concerns? Unfortunately, we’ll never know.
Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, & Wheeler Yuta’s experience proved to be too much for the challengers, resulting in their successful defense of the title. Yuta delivered an emphatic Busaiku Knee to Harwood for the three-count.
Afterwards, Harwood’s frustration boiled over, attacking Copeland with a piledriver. While Wheeler initially disapproved of Harwood’s assault, it was all merely an act. The duo delivered a pair of Conchairto’s to Copeland, followed by a Spike Piledriver onto a steel chair.
Ever since they lost the AEW World Tag Team Championships to Big Bill & Ricky Starks, FTR has been in a malaise. Their betrayal of the “Rated R Superstar” was pitch-perfect. Hopefully, this bold, new direction for FTR helps re-establish them as a force in AEW.
Rating: ***½
“Timeless” Toni Storm [c] vs. Megan Bayne
The fifth contest saw “Timeless” Toni Storm defend her AEW Women’s World Championship against Megan Bayne.
It’s rare in professional wrestling that the challenger seems like the overwhelming favorite, in a world championship match. This was one of those contests. It’s important to give credit, where credit is due. AEW has presented Megan Bayne as advertised: a goddess.
For weeks now, I’ve likened this matchup to Rocky Balboa facing Clubber Lang or Ivan Drago. So, it was only fitting that Storm’s ring gear paid homage to Philadelphia’s fictitious “Italian Stallion,” complete with an entrance that was preceded by a training montage.
While Storm was seconded by Luther, the “Megasus” was flanked by Penelope Ford — who both played a pivotal role in this match.
Bayne dominated the majority of this contest, with Storm unable to mount any significant offense. Bayne met Storm’s experience and dexterity with overwhelming might, cutting her off at every opportunity. Storm’s woes were only magnified by Ford, who relentlessly attacked Storm from the outside.
It wasn’t until Luther forcefully removed Ford from the equation, that Storm was able to close the gap.
Still, Storm’s victory wasn’t decisive. Storm tried to punctuate the affair with a Storm Zero, but Bayne emphatically kicked out at one. With no other option, Storm scored a shocking pinfall with a small package.
Bayne suffered her first defeat in single’s competition, while Storm narrowly escaped with her title intact.
Rating: ***¾
Kyle Fletcher vs. Mark Briscoe
The second quarter-final match in the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, Kyle Fletcher faced Mark Briscoe.
This was Fletcher and Briscoe’s fourth single’s encounter, all of which have taken place over the last 10 months. Briscoe won their first two matches, while Fletcher won their most recent in February.
The “Protostar” has experienced a meteoric rise as of late, so advancing through the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament seems like the natural progression for his development. Mark Briscoe isn’t the kind of competitor you storm past, though.
This was a raucous affair, with both men exhausting their arsenals. In the end, Fletcher’s light proved to be too bright for Briscoe — overwhelming him with his explosivity, speed, and power. All of Fletcher’s offense carried a palpable sense of weight and momentum that Briscoe just couldn’t overcome.
Now that Fletcher has advanced, he’ll face the winner of “Hangman” Adam Page and his mysterious wildcard opponent.
Rating: ****
Chris Jericho [c] vs. Bandido
The seventh contest saw Chris Jericho put his ROH World Championship on the line against Bandido. If the latter lost, then he’d be forced to unmask.
For a brief moment, that seemed to be Bandido’s fate. Then, something strange happened.
By and large, this was an inoffensive match; which is the gold standard for Chris Jericho, these days. Bandido is one of the most exceptional performers in pro-wrestling today, so it’s only natural that he shined on PPV. That was, until Jericho used a baseball bat to neutralize the luchador, pinning Bandido shortly thereafter.
Bandido’s mother and sister, who were sitting ringside, protested the decision — forcing referee Aubrey Edwards to locate the bat that Jericho had hidden. Edwards convinced the in-ring official, Bryce Remsburg, to reverse his decision — restarting the match.
Jericho attacked Bandido’s sister, giving Bandido an opportunity to swiftly stun the ROH champion with a big boot. Bandido punctuated the affair with a 21 Plex, pinning Jericho.
Bandido’s celebration with his mother, sister, and brother, fellow wrestler Gravity, was a beautiful way to end this match. Unfortunately, with a new ROH World Champion crowned, all signs point to Jericho returning to “Dynamite” or “Collision” in an increased capacity. May God have mercy on our souls.
Rating: ***
Daniel Garcia [c] vs. Adam Cole
At last year’s “Full Gear,” Daniel Garcia defeated Jack Perry to become the new TNT Champion. Since then, Garcia has largely been relegated to “Collision,” which is broadcast on the TNT Network. There, he’s been involved in a long term feud with Adam Cole and the Undisputed Kingdom, which culminated in this match.
The eighth contest saw Cole face Garcia for the TNT Championship, in a match with no time-limit and no outside interference. This was Cole’s third match against Garcia for the TNT title. Their first ended via no contest, when Shane Taylor Promotions interrupted the affair. Their second contest ended in a time-limit draw, when time expired. Thus, the two aforementioned stipulations were added to this match.
This was Garcia’s first title defense on PPV. Unfortunately for him, it was also his last.
Cole sustained a supposed knee injury early in the proceedings, which he continued to sell throughout the duration of the contest. That didn’t stop Cole from getting the upper hand in this contest, pinning Garcia and becoming the newest TNT Champion.
This is Cole’s first taste of single’s gold in AEW, rounding out the company’s incredible field of single’s champions.
Rating: ***
Kenny Omega [c] vs. Ricochet vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey
There’s a certain level of excellence that we’ve come to expect from Kenny Omega, on PPV. Throw in Ricochet and “Speedball” Mike Bailey, in a championship match, and you have the recipe for success.
This match was a true “match of the year” contender, showcasing all three competitor’s prowess in unique and innovative ways. More importantly, though, it was one of the best triple-threat matches that I’ve ever seen.
There were two factors working against this match:
- By the time this match had begun, three hours had already elapsed. For fans on the East Coast, it was after 11:30 p.m. when this match ended. To some, that complaint might seem trivial. To others, it certainly may have affected their enjoyment of this contest.
- There was an overabundance of false-finishes in this contest. In a triple-threat match, it’s common for the third combatant to interrupt pinning situations. However, there were multiple cases where wrestlers kicked out of their opponents finishing maneuvers under their own faculty. So, as the match began to reach its climax, it got to a point where I was a little desensitized to all of the near-falls.
Those complaints are the margins that separate great matches from perfect ones.
In the end, Kenny Omega delivered a One-Winged Angel to Ricochet off the top rope, retaining his International Championship and living to fight another day. Afterwards, Kazuchika Okada made his way to the ring, in hopes of confronting Omega. The International Champion quickly retreated, waiting to meet under different circumstances.
Rating: ****½
Jon Moxley [c] vs. Swerve Strickland
The main event saw Jon Moxley defend his AEW World Championship against Swerve Strickland.
Strickland earned his shot at the title at “Revolution,” when he defeated Ricochet. Since then, Strickland has made it his mission to dethrone the “One, True King,” and become a two-time AEW World Champion.
Two weeks ago on “Dynamite,” Moxley praised Strickland, admitting that the challenger possessed all the tools and intangible qualities necessary to succeed him. The only question was whether or not Strickland could capitalize. Unfortunately, we still don’t know the answer to that question. Like Moxley’s previous title defenses, outside interference robbed Strickland of his own agency; preventing this match from having a straightforward conclusion.
Moxley dominated the majority of the affair, overpowering Strickland both on his feet and on the mat. However, Strickland’s unorthodox repertoire and stopping power helped him claw his way back into the match. Strickland finally evened the odds, when he delivered a Swerve Stomp off the top of a ladder, driving Moxley through the Spanish announce-desk.
Once they returned to the ring, all hell broke loose. “Hangman” Adam Page tried to intervene, but was quickly met by the AEW World Trios Champions. However, The Opps joined Page, driving The Death Riders off long enough for Page to deliver an emphatic Deadeye to Moxley.
With Moxley incapacitated, Strickland was ready to pin the champion, until the light’s inexplicably cut off. When the light’s came back on, The Young Bucks were standing in the center of the ring, delivering a vicious EVP Trigger to Strickland.
Matt and Nick Jackson left the ring without directly acknowledging the champion. Moxley used the opportunity to pin Strickland, retaining his title in dramatic fashion.
Are The Young Bucks conspiring with Moxley or is there animosity towards Strickland a different matter entirely?
Hopefully, we’ll find out on this week’s episode of “Dynamite.”
Rating: ***¼
Final Verdict
By and large, this was another strong outing from AEW. While the road to “Dynasty” was brief, this PPV still managed to clock in at nearly four-and-a-half hours long — making it one of the longest events in AEW history. Not only were seven championships on the line, but the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament commenced — continuing the long-term build towards “All In.”
While The Young Bucks return may have resembled Vince Russo’s Crash TV approach to wrestling, the main event was an enjoyable spectacle in its own right.
Now, as we look ahead to “Double or Nothing,” it’ll be interesting to see where Moxley’s reign as champion takes AEW going forward.
Rating: ***½
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