AEW Dynamite
May 10th, 2023
By: John Siino
Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
Double Jeopardy Match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Rey Fenix (w/ Alex Abrahantes)
The show starts with both men in the ring, with the stipulation for this match being if Rey Fenix wins he gets a shot at the ROH World Championship, and if Claudio Castagnoli wins he and a partner get to challenge The Lucha Brothers for the ROH World Tag Team Championship. They start the match going back and forth until Claudio catches Fenix off the ropes into a backbreaker. Fenix comes back with a diving hurricanrana off the ropes followed by two back-to-back topes to Claudio on the outside. Fenix goes for a third one, but Claudio catches him and drops him onto the barricade. Claudio goes climbing the stairs with Fenix in a suplex position but ends up dropping him into the crowd instead. Fenix runs the barricade into a hurricanrana to Claudio as the crowd reacts hugely to these moves. Back inside, Claudio catches Fenix into a Death Valley Driver for a two count, as we see Bryan Danielson & Wheeler Yuta watching from backstage. Claudio puts Fenix on his shoulders and climbs the top rope, but Fenix fights back and hits a hurricanrana for a two count. They take it to the outside again, where Claudio press slams Fenix right into the crowd as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, we see Claudio hit a gut wrench suplex to Fenix off the middle rope for a two-count. They start hitting each other with hard strikes and chops before Fenix lands a hard thrust kick, kick in the corner, and a rolling cutter for two. Claudio goes to outside for a breather just to get hit by a top rope moonsault from Fenix. They go back and forth a bit, with Fenix hitting a Code Red for two. Claudio comes back with a Water Slide for a two, before going right into the hammer and anvil elbows and the Ricola Bomb for the pin and the win.
Winner: Claudio Castagnoli by pinfall at 14:28
Miro Returns
We go backstage where we see Miro walking into Tony Khan’s office, as Renee Paquette tried to get a word with him, just for him to bypass her and go into Khan’s door.
The Beatles of AEW
We see a produced sit-down interview with MJF where he talks about the Pillars. MJF compares them to The Beatles; Sammy (Ringo), Jack Perry (George), Darby (John), and MJF (Paul). MJF starts listing his accomplishments and name-drops people he beat such as CM Punk and Cody Rhodes. He says every great moment in this sport has the generational talent that is MJF and his reign of terror has just begun.
Will FTR Accept The Challenge?
FTR come out to the ring after being called out last week by Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett for an AEW World Tag Team Championship match at Double or Nothing. Dax Harwood starts by saying they owe Mark Briscoe an apology and ask him to come out, but instead Jarrett, Lethal, Sonjay Dutt & Satnam Singh come out. Dutt says that FTR has one job today and that is to accept the challenge. Harwood asks the crowd if they want them to accept, and they say no. Harwood says he’ll accept their challenge if they admit to using Mark Briscoe to get to them. Dutt denies that as Briscoe makes his way to the ring. Briscoe tells them to relax as it’s becoming apparent for them to control their emotions so he talked to Tony Khan and he has some news. At Double or Nothing, Briscoe will be the special guest referee for the World Tag Team title match between FTR vs. Jarrett & Lethal. Briscoe starts passing cups around as they all start sharing a drink, just for Dutt to spit in Harwood’s face. As Harwood is blinded, they start attacking Cash Wheeler and toss Briscoe into Harwood who unknown to him, hits Briscoe with a piledriver.
Strong Challenge
Renee is backstage with Chris Jericho and asks how he is feeling after being attacked by Adam Cole last week. Jericho says he wasn’t prepared for a fight and Cole created an unsafe work environment and calls him a coward. Jericho says he now has a court order that if he is in the building, arena, or venue, Cole is not allowed inside. Roderick Strong steps into the frame and calls Jericho delusional and says Cole is not a coward. Strong says he’s not banned from the building and challenges Jericho to a Falls Count Anywhere match. Jericho says Strong is making a mistake and he accepts the match for next week on Dynamite. Strong says he also got legal counsel as the Jericho Appreciation Society will be banned from the building next week.
Thunder Rosa Returns
Renee is then in front of Tony Khan’s office waiting to get a word with Miro, but instead, Thunder Rosa appears and goes into Khan’s office as well.
We see another video package, this one for Sammy Guevara along with comments from Chris Jericho & Tay Melo discussing what Guevara has done in this company.
An Announcement for a Huge Announcement
We go to Tony Khan who says tonight’s show is one of the best line-ups they ever had. In the back, there are stars lined up looking for a chance to wrestle in AEW so Khan says to stay tuned next week (on TNT) for a huge announcement and calls it one of the most important announcements ever in AEW.
AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Daniel Garcia
Angelo Parker & Matt Menard come out with Daniel Garcia before heading to the back for this title match. Orange Cassidy starts the match, holding Garcia down with an armbar, before they go back and forth with wrist locks. They go back and forth on the apron until Garcia snaps Cassidy’s taped-up hand knocking him to the outside. Cassidy takes control and hits a dive onto Garcia sending him into the barricade followed by a dive off the top rope inside but Garcia is able to stop Cassidy’s momentum. Garcia sends Cassidy outside and continues attacking him using the barricade as they go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Garcia is still in control hitting a curb stomp to a sea of boos from the crowd as he starts dancing around that Taz calls ‘awkward, funky and uncomfortable’. They head to the top rope, where Garcia hits a superplex, holding on, but Cassidy reverses and hits an awkward-looking Stundog Millionaire. They start trading punches back and forth until Garcia hits Cassidy’s kneecap and steps on his hand. Garcia stops an Orange Punch with a dropkick to the knee then starts hitting Cassidy with lazy kicks. Cassidy tries to fight back, but Garcia hits him with a piledriver for two. Cassidy comes back with a Beach Break for two. Garcia blocks an Orange Punch and puts on the Dragon Tamer, before transitioning into a Crossface while stomping on Cassidy’s hands. They roll around back and forth a bit until Cassidy traps on the pin for the win.
Winner: Orange Cassidy by pinfall at 13:33, to retain
Trios Challenge
We see a video from The Outcasts who say that Hikaru Shida went back to Japan, as Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter says that she is here in spirit and accepts a trios match for next week as The Outcasts say they will show them ‘offensive’.
More Daddy Issues
Tony Schiavone is in the ring as Christian Cage & Luchasaurus make their way to the ring. Schiavone says that Wardlow & Arn Anderson isn’t here tonight and asks Cage how he could make himself the challenger for Wardlow’s TNT Championship. Cage says that Detroit is literally the worst city in the country and tells them to keep quiet so he could conduct his business. Cage says it’s simply because he is Christian Cage, that’s why he gets a title shot as he’s trying to talk over this loud crowd. Cage asks Schiavone about all these wrestlers in AEW and their ‘daddy issues’ as the crowd chants for him to shut the fuck up. Cage says just like his previous opponent, Wardlow also ‘had’ a father and says his father isn’t famous, nobody cares about him so he won’t waste his breath. Cage brings up Arn and says it just so happens that Arn is looking for a new son himself and calls Arn a liar for throwing Brock to the side and taking all the credit for Wardlow. Cage calls Arn the ‘other guy’ in the tag team with Tully Blanchard and the lap dog for Ric Flair before questioning how many times he won the World Championship. Cage says he knows the struggle to reach that mountain top and asks Wardlow what he will do when he realizes Arn isn’t as smart and cunning as him and says next week he will spit in Wardlow’s face and make him realize that his days as TNT champion are all but over before ending it with telling Detroit to kiss his ass.
We get another pillar package, this one for Darby Allin where we see him skateboarding as his father is looking on. We get words from Sting as well as we see highlights of all the extreme sports Allin has done.
No Holds Barred Match: Julia Hart vs. Anna Jay AS
As Julia Hart is making her entrance, she gets attacked from behind by Anna Jay AS with a chair. As the bell rings, Jay tosses in a trash can inside the ring, but gets knocked back to the outside by Hart who tosses Jay into the barricade. Hart grabs a Kendo stick and starts attacking Jay with it, but Jay snatches it away and uses it on Hart. Hart takes control back and starts slamming Jay into the ringside table as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, there is a stack of chairs on the outside, and Jay slams Hart face-first onto them, before tossing her back inside to get a two count. Jay puts the trash can on Hart and hits her with a spin kick in the corner for another two. Hart places Jay on the top rope and hits her with a superplex, that barely lands on the chairs. Hart puts on the Hartless submission, as Jay taps out.
Winner: Julia Hart by submission at 9:17
All Witches Barred
Renee is backstage with Orange Cassidy, and Bandido & Best Friends as Cassidy says there’s enough room in his backpack for three more titles. Renee asked if they chose the final rule for the match, but they are all confused and don’t know what to say. Trent Beretta says that ‘all witches are barred from ringside’ as Cassidy says he’s tired.
Open House Match Rules
- 20 count
- Any 3 competitors can form a trio
- No rope breaks
- Disqualifications are enforced
- Dealer’s choice
AEW World Trios Championship Match: House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews) (c) vs. Best Friends (Trent Beretta & Chuck Taylor) & Bandido
The lights are dimmed in the arena for this match, as Excalibur mentioned this was requested by the House of Black. Malakai Black & Bandido start the match as Malakai holds Bandido down with a knee bar as Orange Cassidy is watching on from backstage. Bandido reaches for the rope, but they remind us there’s no rope break. Triple team on Malakai from the newly nicknamed ‘Best Amigos’, but Brody King tags in and goes after Trent Beretta with a senton as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Beretta hits a tornado DDT on Buddy Matthews but there is no one to make the tag to. Eventually, he tags out to Bandido who goes wild on all three members of the House of Black including a crucifix bomb on Brody before diving onto Brody & Malakai on the outside. Bandido springboards into a knee by Matthews. Chuck Taylor enters and goes after Matthews, but he tags out to Brody as they hit Dante’s Inferno, with Brody pinning Taylor for the win.
Winners: The House of Black (Brody King, Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews) by pinfall at 8:13, to retain
We go backstage where we see Kyle Fletcher has attacked Orange Cassidy and holds up the International title.
We get the last pillar package, for Jack Perry who talks about his parents getting him a ring for his backyard to learn how to wrestle. We get comments from Christian Cage who says that Perry can become world champion.
Rampage Line-Up
- The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass vs. Kip Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade
- Action Andretti vs. Kyle Fletcher
- Toni Storm vs. Allysin Kay
- We hear from The Gunns
- Swerve Strickland & Brian Cage vs. John Silver & Alex Reynolds
Dynamite Line-Up
- Jamie Hayter, Dr. Britt Baker DMD & Hikaru Shida vs. The Outcasts
- Ricky Starks vs. Jay White
- Fall Count Anywhere: Chris Jericho vs. Roderick Strong (Adam Cole & JAS banned from the building)
Steel Cage Match: Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega (w/ Don Callis)
Bryan Danielson comes out with Jon Moxley but joins the commentary team. Moxley goes after Kenny Omega during his entrance and they start fighting on the outside. Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta come out and start attacking Omega until the Young Bucks come out for the save. The Bucks toss Yuta off the ramp and tease going after Danielson, but get stopped by Claudio. Claudio tosses Matt Jackson off the ramp before Claudio & Yuta go after him. Nick Jackson gets in Danielson’s face before diving onto Claudio & Yuta. Omega enters the ring and tells Moxley to get in the ring so they can start the match.
The match starts officially with chops until Omega hits a moonsault off the middle rope for a two-count. Omega grabs a barbed wire-covered chair from under the ring and tosses it into Moxley’s face before he starts attacking Moxley’s back with the chair including a diving stomp. Moxley’s back and forehead start bleeding, which is a rare occurrence for him. Moxley comes back with chair shots himself as Danielson is seen laughing at this all. Omega takes control, and body slams Moxley onto the chair, and goes to the top rope, but Moxley stops him and hits him with a superplex on top of the chair as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Moxley has the ring post buckle fish hooked in Omega’s mouth before he starts choking him with the ropes. Moxley dumps a bag of broken glass in the middle of the ring, but Omega takes control and goes for the One Winged Angel. Moxley blocks it and puts on a choke right in front of the broken glass just for Omega to drop Moxley back first onto the glass. Moxley gets right back up and puts on the choke as we see his glass-covered back. They go back and forth until Omega hits a knee as both men are laid out. They get up and start trading strikes and knees until Omega hits the Snap Dragon. Omega hits the V Trigger to Moxley, crashing right through the cage door, spilling to the outside with Omega getting caught awkwardly in the cage bars. Moxley tosses Omega back inside and grabs a screwdriver before going back inside. Don Callis runs in and takes the screwdriver away from Moxley, as Omega hits the ripcord V Trigger and the One Winged Angel. As the referee is about to count to three, Callis attacks Omega with the screwdriver to break the count. Moxley covers Omega for the pin and the win.
Winner: Jon Moxley by pinfall at 14:48
Danielson on commentary says he has no idea this was going to happen, but he’s very very happy. Callis goes to stab Omega with the screwdriver, but he drops it before whispering something to Omega and dropping his body down.
