After last week’s lackluster episode, was this week’s episode able to improve upon last week’s failure?
Let’s dive in:
HIT: Kyle Fletcher defeats Shelton Benjamin
The show kicked off with more Blue League action in the “Continental Classic.”
After defeating Will Ospreay at “Full Gear,” there’s no denying that AEW has recognized the star-power of Kyle Fletcher. So, it wasn’t surprising that the “Protostar” was able to defeat the Hurt Syndicate’s Shelton Benjamin. Still, this was a terrific match. Both men leveraged their size, athleticism, and dexterity — trading one haymaker after the next.
Fletcher won with a pinning predicament, stacking Benjamin and using the ropes to his advantage.
AEW has done a great job of pushing Fletcher, following his huge win at “Full Gear.” Fletcher now has two wins in the Continental Classic, placing him atop the Blue League’s standings. This Saturday, he’ll do battle with the AEW Continental Champion, Kazuchika Okada.
Unfortunately for Fletcher, I have a feeling that the “Rainmaker” will have a decisive advantage in the Blue League after Saturday.
Rating: ***
MISS: HOOK returns to address Christian Cage
HOOK returned to “Dynamite” last night, to address his impending match against Nick Wayne at the Hammerstein Ballroom (Dec. 21 or 22), although it’s unclear if it will take place on Saturday Night “Christmas Collision,” Wednesday Night “Dynamite on 34th Street,” or Friday Night “Rampage: New Years Smash.”
However, Kip Sabian and Nick Wayne got the drop on HOOK, promoting the arrival of the “Patriarch” Christian Cage and Mother Wayne. Nick Wayne performed a Conchairto on HOOK’s hand, seemingly breaking it.
Nobody came to HOOK’s defense. No one even came to his aid. No wrestlers, security, nor doctors. Evidently, they just didn’t care enough, and neither did I.
This feud began several weeks ago, but hasn’t been featured on “Dynamite” over the last few weeks. I previously opined that I wished HOOK would face Christian Cage for his AEW World Championship Contract. Hopefully, that’s still a possibility. Otherwise, this won’t be worth the television time that it’s exhausted.
MISS: Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale
This was the least dramatic battle royal that I’ve ever seen. Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly were the only two wrestlers who were announced to actually be competing in this tournament. Was there any doubt that they were going to be the two winners?
Next week, Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly will face each other at the special “Winter is Coming” edition of “Dynamite,” to determine who will face MJF for the Dynamite Diamond Ring.
Shortly after the match, a pre-taped video aired on the Titantron, where MJF said the quiet part out loud: he was never going to betray Adam Cole. So, isn’t Adam Cole the bad guy?
I’m anxiously awaiting for this angle to end at “Worlds End.” Adam Cole and MJF need to shake hands and go their separate ways.
Rating: *
HIT: Swerve Strickland defeats Max Caster
Swerve Strickland didn’t just “defeat” Max Caster. Strickland ran roughshod on the self-proclaimed “Best Wrestler Alive.”
The backstage interview between Renee Paquette and The Acclaimed was terrific. Billy Gunn and Anthony Bowens’ frustration with Max Caster feels organic. There’s no denying that Max Caster has the tools to succeed as a heel in AEW. The freestyle promos, the copyrighted “Best Wrestler Alive” moniker, the smug attitude, his offensive repertoire… He has such a unique skillset, that’s perfect for a heel.
It’ll be interesting to see if Caster can parlay the implosion of the Acclaimed into a single’s run with the Hurt Syndicate.
Rating: N/A
HIT: Jay White Defeats PAC
After being choked out last week and beaten like a redheaded stepchild, “Switchblade” Jay White exacted his revenge on the “Death Rider’s” emissary, PAC.
PAC was joined by Wheeler Yuta, who used a Busaiku Knee to help swing the odds in PAC’s favor after a back-and-forth contest. However, White quickly recovered and delivered a Blade Runner out of nowhere to pin PAC.
My expectations for this match were high and both men delivered in spades. PAC is a maestro in the ring, able to seamlessly employ every tool in his vast arsenal at a moment’s notice. White is a chameleon, able to adapt and react to whoever his opponent is.
After the match, Marina Shafir and Jon Moxley swarmed the ring to overwhelm White. Eventually, “Hangman” Adam Page arrived, locking eyes with the AEW World Champion. That was, until Orange Cassidy got the drop on Moxley and began choking him with a cable. Orange Cassidy delivered a pair of Orange Punches on Moxley, followed by Jay White’s Blade Runner, and “Hangman” Page’s Buckshot Lariat. Meanwhile, Christian Cage watched from the entranceway.
It looks like Jon Moxley will be defending his AEW World Championship in a four-way match, against “Hangman” Adam Page, “Switchblade” Jay White, and Orange Cassidy at “Worlds End” — with Christian Cage ready to cash in his contract whenever the opportunity presents itself. Can the “Death Rider” survive long enough to carry his title into “WrestleDynasty?” Time will tell.
Rating: ***¼
HIT: Jamie Hayter addresses Julia Hart
“That doesn’t work for me, mate.”
After weeks of being interrupted by Julia Hart’s vignettes, Jamie Hayter finally addressed the “Princess of the Black Throne” and how important the “International Women’s Cup” at “WrestleDynasty” is to her, given her personal journey.
Jamie Hayter wasn’t afforded many opportunities to cut promos during her time at AEW Women’s World Champion, so it’s nice to see her get to cut her teeth in this backstage segment. I’m happy to see Tony Khan booking an angle in the women’s division, that doesn’t involve a championship belt. Hopefully, Hayter and Hart can continue to maintain fans’ interest in this feud.
HIT: Chris Jericho’s “New York Minute”
Chris Jericho appeared briefly this week, to promote AEW’s brief residency in the Hammerstein Ballroom and Ring Of Honor’s upcoming “Final Battle” show, where he’ll be defending his ROH World Championship. Jericho announced that he’ll announce his opponent tonight on “Honor Club.”
If this “New York Minute” segment will be the extent of Jericho’s involvement on “Dynamite” for the foreseeable future, then this will continue to be an obligatory hit. Unfortunately, with Chris Jericho, good things never last.
HIT: Bandido vignette
Admittedly, this was a bad vignette. However, I appreciate the effort put forth. Oftentimes, wrestlers in AEW return after lengthy absences with no concerted effort to reintroduce them into the fold.
Not only is Bandido one of my favorite masked wrestlers, but he’s a former ROH World Champion. I’m still interested to see how AEW will utilize their staggering bullpen of masked wrestlers going forward, in a more effective way.
HIT: Anna Jay defeats Penelope Ford
Now that Anna Jay can no longer challenge Mariah May for the AEW Women’s World Championship, Anna Jay has set her sights on Mercedes Moné and the TBS Women’s Championship.
Her first obstacle was Penelope Ford, ostensibly to climb in the women’s rankings.
This was a solid outing from both women. Jay continues to prove that she’s a force to be reckoned with in this women’s division, showcasing her immense improvement against the “Superbad Girl.”
I greatly appreciated the video that they played before the match, to remind fans of Jay and Ford’s past encounters. Anna Jay and Tay Melo’s street fight against Penelope Ford and the Bunny at “New Year’s Smash” (2021) was one of the most memorable women’s matches in AEW history, so it’s nice to see their history revisited in a meaningful way.
Rating: **¾
HIT: Claudio Castagnoli defeats Brody King
The main event saw more Gold League action, with Claudio Castagnoli facing Brody King.
King earned his first win in the “Continental Classic” last week when he defeated Darby Allin. After the match, Castagnoli tried to attack Allin, but was interrupted by King. The two went face-to-face, building a modicum of anticipation for this encounter.
In the south, we would call both of these men “hosses.” Big, burly, strong, and uncompromising. Normally, these two would use their power to overwhelm their opponents. Instead, this was a clash of titanic proportions, between two of AEW’s most physically imposing competitors.
Castagnoli spent the majority of the match working King’s arm and hand, which limited him offensively. In the end, Castagnoli pinned King after leveling him with the Neutralizer.
This was a solid outing and a fun change of pace. We rarely see two men of Castagnoli and King’s stature meet in an AEW ring. Therein lies the beauty of the “Continental Classic.”
Final Verdict
This episode was significantly better than last week’s, but still a far cry from a great episode. The “Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale” was one of the worst battle royals that I’ve ever seen and HOOK’s feud with Christian Cage is abysmal. However, the in-ring action this week was enjoyable enough to make this a net-positive.
Rating: ***
The rest of the week’s programming
- Mark Briscoe vs. Kazuchika Okada
- Ricochet vs. Komander
- Daniel Garcia vs. The Beast Mortos
- The Vendetta in action
Saturday Night “Collision”
- Kyle Fletcher vs. Kazuchika Okada
- Daniel Garcia vs. Mark Briscoe
- Mina Shirakawa vs. Emi Sakura
- Willow Nightingale vs. Serena Deeb
- Darby Allin vs. Komander
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