AEW Dynamite – “Big Business”
March 13th, 2024
By: John Siino
TD Garden in Boston, MA
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
Mercedes Mone’ Is All Elite
The show starts with Renee Paquette in the back introducing us to the show, but she gets interrupted by a vehicle driving in, which just happens to be a Mercedes, but we don’t see who gets out of the car.
When we go to the arena, we get the entrance of the debuting Mercedes Mone’ with new music that’s different than what she was using post-WWE, that uses “CEO” in its lyrics and samples the same Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 that WALTER used. Mercedes’ gets on the mic and says she’s home. She continues that they will be creating so many memories together as the fans are the reason why she is there and thanks them. Mercedes says wrestling has changed her life and brings up Eddie Guerrero for helping her live her dreams and start a women’s revolution. She talks about dropping out of school to take care of her brother and at 18 years old going to Chaotic Wrestling to learn how to wrestle and if she can do it, you can do it too.
She says it’s time to get down to business and the reason why she’s here is because she needs to be here and AEW is the only place where this revolution could be global and they will make it happen. She mentions wanting to face those in the locker room and brings up tonight’s main event of Riho vs. Willow Nightingale, and says she has a lot of unfinished business with Willow, but right now, Mercedes Mone’ is All Elite as we see the graphic on the screen. Mone’ thanks Tony Khan for the tweet and tells everyone to please say hello to the CEO.
The Kingdom Is Whole
Renee is with Samoa Joe in the back who says tonight feels like money, but Wardlow doesn’t feel different and he talks about this being the biggest mistake in Wardlow’s career and Joe doesn’t lose titles in the Garden.
We get a video for The Undisputed Kingdom that shows Adam Cole in a study reading a story about Wardlow from a book and talks about Wardlow being locked and hidden, and the only way to free him is for him to slay many beasts, but something is missing. Cole says Wardlow found brotherhood bound in The Undisputed Kingdom and goes over the Wardlow & Joe match in the way of a fairytale where he talks about the prophecy being fulfilled and the Kingdom becoming whole.
AEW World Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Wardlow
Wardlow enters the match second and goes right after Samoa Joe to start the match, and takes him outside where he sends Joe into the barricade. Wardlow stays in control, sending Joe back inside and keeping him in the corner with shoulder blocks. Joe is able to come back with a back elbow and Enziguri in the corner, as Wardlow is stumbling on the ropes from that. They head to the rope, as Wardlow pushes Joe off and hits him with a corkscrew dive, as we head to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Wardlow fakes out Joe from the corner and hits a shoulder block. They continue back and forth, as Joe goes to hit the Muscle Buster, just for Wardlow to get out but he collapses right away from his knee injury, just for it to be a way to distract the referee as he gauges Joe’s eyes, puts him on the corner and hits him with the knee to the face for a two. Joe dodges a senton and starts hitting the ten punches in the corner just for Wardlow to stop him and hit a powerbomb. Bit of back and forth, as Joe jumps on Wardlow’s back with the Coquina Clutch until the referee calls off the match
Winner: Samoa Joe by referee stoppage at 11:08, to retain
We see Prince Nana & Swerve Strickland trying to make their way to the ring, but security stops them just for Swerve to take them all out with a chain, but Joe leaves the ring as he enters.
The Song Maker
We see footage from earlier today with Alex Marvez trying to get a word with The Elite ahead of their match tonight. Marvez asks Kazuchika Okada why he is affiliated with The Elite, but Nicholas Jackson stops Marvez and tells him to call him by his full name. Matthew Jackson says they have synergy with 14 years of friendship and they helped each other at their lowest of lows and he can give 14 million more reasons why he chose The Elite. Okada calls out his opponents and then forces Marvez to sing Happy Birthday to Matthew.
The Elite (Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson & Kazuchika Okada) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo, PAC & Eddie Kingston
Kazuchika Okada & Eddie Kingston start the match and go face to face as the crowd chants Eddie, for Okada to immediately tag out to Matthew Jackson. Matthew asks for a fist bump, but Kingston gives a chop instead and tags out to PAC. Matthew tries it again but gets a kick from PAC. PAC & Penta El Zero Miedo start double-teaming on Nicholas before Matthew comes in and gets double-teamed as well, with a stomp from Penta to the lower region. Kingston & Okada tag in and start trading chops and punches, before Okada drops Kingston with a drop kick that Taz says reminds him of Hardcore Holly. The Elite continues to triple-team on Kingston as we go to picture-in-picture.
After the break, Penta is delivering sling blades to everyone before fighting Okada in the corner and tagging in PAC who comes in with a missile dropkick. PAC continues with a 450 Splash on Matthew, but Okada is there to break it up. Everybody starts going at it in the ring including a Destroyer from Penta to Matthew, but he gets stopped with a kick. Through the confusion, Nicholas hits a low blow on Kingston followed by the Rain Maker on Kingston for the pin and the win.
Winners: The Elite (Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) by pinfall at 12:39
Okada raises the Continental Championship while standing over Kingston.
We get a very well-produced promo promoting next week’s I Quit Match in Toronto with Christian Cage defending the TNT Championship against Adam Copeland on Dynamite.
Restore The Feeling, Bruv’
Tony Schiavone is in the ring and introduces Will Ospreay ahead of his upcoming match with Bryan Danielson at Dynasty. As Schiavone starts to talk to Ospreay, the crowd starts a ‘Bruv’ chant. Ospreay talks about his entire career he’s been trying to emulate Danielson who left everything in the ring no matter the crowd size. Ospreay brings up how after his match with Kenny Omega everybody talked about the Tiger Driver ’91 and how Danielson questioned if ‘it was worth it’, and Ospreay who stood there as the winner can say ‘Yea, bruv, it was worth it’. Ospreay says this match means more to him than anyone else and brings up the phrase ‘restore the feeling’ and says how he is the feeling. Ospreay says the one thing he has learned from Danielson is he can have respect for the man that stands opposite from him but the moment they step in the ring it’s his life or mine, and he doesn’t plan on dying.
Rampage Line-Up
- Best Friends vs. The Dark Order
- AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament bracketology
- The Undisputed Kingdom vs. Top Flight & Action Andretti
- Toni Storm & Mariah May in action
We go to Deonna Purrazzo in the back who says this isn’t over with Toni Storm & Mariah May after they attacked her. If it’s a numbers game they want to play, she has no problem finding a partner and meeting them both in Toronto and she will stick around with her partner to watch their match on Rampage.
Jay White vs. Darby Allin
Darby Allin with a little bit of a different look in his entrance comes out with a bat and is bandaged up all over. Darby shows signs of injury, as Jay White keeps him in the corner with chops. Darby comes back with a dropkick, sending White to the outside where Darby meets him with a Swanton, and continues with a suicide dive on the other side. They keep fighting on the outside where White hits a deadly-looking suplex to Darby right on top of a seated chair. White continues by whipping Darby hard into a steel steps, as he flips over into the barricade before we go to picture-in-picture.
Upon return, White continues on the attack and even mocks Sting before missing a Stinger Splash in the corner. They go back and forth with pin attempts, including a Last Supper that White just kicks out of. After a reverse DDT, Darby goes to hit a Coffin Drop to White who was on the apron, and just bounces off and dies on the floor, but is able to get back inside just before the 10 count, as White is there to meet him with a Blade Runner for the pin and the win.
Winner: Jay White by pinfall at 12:17
Bang Bang Scissor Gang Implodes
It looks like Jay White is going to shake Darby’s hand after, but he just points the gun fingers at him before White & The Gunns start attacking Darby. They drape a chair around his leg and just as White is about to smash him with a bat, The Acclaimed’s music hits as they run in with Billy Gunn. All six start arguing, as White tells them to join in. Anthony Bowens & Max Caster go to help Darby out, as Billy Gunn starts yelling at White. Billy takes the bat away from White and tosses it away, but as Billy turns his back, White picks up a chair and takes out Billy with it. The Gunns join in and they take out The Acclaimed as well, including a Blade Runner from White to Billy and finally attacking Darby’s leg with the chair and bat.
Lion Hook (Chris Jericho & Hook) vs. Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
As Hook comes out, he’s right in front of a sign that says ‘I paid to see Sammy’ as commentary refers to them as Lion Hook, as Jericho is still in his Lionheart persona. Bishop Kaun & Hook start the match, but Chris Jericho quickly tags in as they double team on Kaun, before Kaun takes Jericho down with a lariat, drapes him on the ropes as Toa Liona tags in and knocks Jericho right off, crashing by the commentary table. Liona continues attacking Jericho as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, all four are going at it with pin attempts before Hook sends Liona to the apron with a German Suplex before he gets hit with a lung blower by Kaun who gets a two. Hook puts the Redrum on Kaun, as Jericho puts on the Lion Tamer. Jericho takes out Liona on the apron, and Hook keeps on Redrum as Kaun taps out.
Winners: Lion Hook (Hook & Chris Jericho) by submission at 8:43
Kyle On His Own
We find out that Kyle O’Reilly will have his return match this Saturday against Bryan Keith on Collision as Renee has a word with O’Reilly who has had his eyes on Keith and knows he can bring the best out of him. The Undisputed Kingdom interrupts as Roderick Strong says he has love and respect for O’Reilly, and if he wants to do this on his own, he can do it on his own.
We see Riho in the back getting ready for the main event, before being greeted by Mercedes Mone’ who gives her a hug.
Lion Hook Challenge
Renee is in the back with Lion Hook, as Jericho likes that name and says Hook has future champion written in front of him but he needs to know more and wants to know how it is to be face-to-face with him in the ring and challenges Hook for next week in Toronto for Dynamite, which Hook agrees to.
Willow Nightingale vs. Riho
Willow Nightingale starts the match in control for the first couple of minutes, but we quickly go to picture-in-picture.
When we return, Willow is still in control but Riho tries to fight back and sends Willow into the ropes where she meets her with the Tiger Faint kick, heads to the top rope, and hits a crossbody. Riho misses from the top rope and runs right into a pounce from Willow, that sends her to the outside. They fight on the outside, where Riho hits a double stomp. Riho follows with a Dragon Suplex and a top rope double stomp for two. Back and forth until Willow hits the Doctor Bomb to get the pin and win.
Winner: Willow Nightingale by pinfall at 9:19
The lights go out after, and when they come back Julia Hart is staring down Willow as Skye Blue shows up from behind to help Hart attack Willow. Mercedes Mone’ comes out and takes out Blue on the way to the ring where she takes out Hart. Willow raises Mercedes’ hand and welcomes her to AEW.
Dynamite Line-Up
- AEW Continental Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
- Chris Jericho vs. Hook
- We’ll hear from Mercedes Mone’
- AEW TNT Championship I Quit Match: Christian Cage (c) vs. Adam Copeland
