AEW Dynamite
April 17th, 2024
By: John Siino
Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
Dark Matches
- Powerhouse Hobbs def. Anthony Young
- Skye Blue def. Gema
- Anthony Ogogo def. Jon Cruz
The One & Only Jon Moxley
The show starts with the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley, who makes his way through the crowd, even signing an autograph for a kid before heading to the ring. Moxley starts with one of the first champions he ever won, was here in Indianapolis. Moxley says even back then, he never had help and was told what he could and could not do, and the message is the same now, to kiss his ass and watch him climb mountain after mountain. Being great isn’t about what other people say, it’s about what’s inside you. He introduces the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and gets a ‘you deserve it’ chant, and he talks about how he has been chasing it for 5 years. He was told holding this title, especially live on Dynamite would be impossible, but it’s not impossible if they knew what was inside him.
Moxley moves on to talk about the Don Callis Family and says that Don Callis is a creep and he has no time for him. Moxley says over the weekend they tried to injure his teammate and friend Bryan Danielson, and if you’re going to put a target on Bryan’s back, you might as well put a target on his. Moxley says if they want to be violent and tough guys, he will be waiting all nice but he suspects he might not be their type. He talks about using weapons and a car to run them over, but he gets the sense they won’t learn anything so he’s going to pick the biggest, baddest, and meanest one in Powerhouse Hobbs, and he challenges him one week from tonight on Dynamite in Jacksonville. And in that match, Hobbs will find out just how out of his depth he is when he steps in the ring with Moxley, because he won’t make it quick or easy, he is going to drag Hobbs to the deepest waters that they are. Hobbs will then know that Callis is feeding him lies and that nobody can touch Moxley, as there is only one Jon Moxley.
Price To Pay
We cut to Mercedes Mone’ in the back who says someone attacked her in the back, but as the CEO she can’t wait to pay back that bitch who attacked her last week. Mone’ says lights off sounds familiar and brings up Julia Hart. She doesn’t picture Hart to be a coward, but maybe it’s someone who wants her to think it’s Hart and face her when she’s not healthy, and she is putting the entire women’s division on notice. She will be watching her mixed match tonight and there is a price to pay when you mess with Mercedes Mone’.
Adam Copeland & Willow Nightingale vs. House of Black (Brody King & Julia Hart)
Adam Copeland makes his way to the ring, but as Willow Nightingale’s music hits, we see her in the back and she has just been attacked and is telling Stokely Hathaway & Kris Statlander that she is fine. With Copeland in the ring, the lights go out to turn on as Brody King is there to attack him from behind, as Julia Hart is making her way down to the ring. Brody sets up Copeland on a chair on the outside and hits him with a big crossbody. Copeland makes his way into the ring as the match is started with a 2 to 1 handicap as we go to picture-in-picture.
Brody keeps working on Copeland, putting him on the top rope, but Copeland is able to punch, headbutt, and bite Brody off before hitting him with a top rope clothesline. Brody & Copeland start trading strikes before Copeland sends Brody into the corner with clotheslines and a big boot. Copeland follows with the Impaler DDT, but Brody kicks out at two. Copeland follows with a Blockbuster, as the crowd starts making noise for Copeland. Copeland goes for the spear but gets stopped by a big lariat from Brody. Copeland is able to dodge a cannonball in the corner, as Hart goes to check on Brody. Willow Nightingale starts making her way down to the ring, all taped up in the neck, and starts cheering on Copeland before tagging herself in and hitting a crossbody to Brody. Copeland takes out Brody with a spear before Willow hits a cannonball on Brody. Hart enters and takes out Willow with a chain as the referee isn’t looking as Copeland clotheslines himself and Brody to the outside. Julia puts Hartless on Willow, as Aubrey Edwards ends the match.
Winners: House of Black (Julia Hart & Brody King) by referee stoppage at 8:53
Mercedes Mone’ makes her way down to the ring with a chair, but Julia escapes. Mercedes turns her attention to Willow, while still holding the chair but Copeland enters the ring as Mercedes drops the chair and shakes Copeland’s hand.
The Choke Artist
Renee Paquette is in the back, with a sitdown interview with AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, and asks in this situation taking on Swerve Strickland, how he views him as an opponent. Joe says Swerve is a nuisance as he’s someone who keeps standing up when he knocks him down, and he thinks of him as a punching bag. Renee asks what was going on in Joe’s head when Swerve held his title up, as Joe says maybe it should be disinfected as we don’t know where Prince Nana has been. Joe starts talking about what Swerve represents, as in every title he’s challenged for he’s come up short and calls him a choke artist. Every time Swerve comes clothes but then chokes, history will repeat itself at Dynasty. Come Dynasty, Joe will be the one choking him instead.
Cue The Music
When we came back from break, we were in the middle of a Young Bucks-FTR video package but the Young Bucks cut it and said they were short on time and couldn’t air that, as they were back with Kazuchika Okada & Tony Khan. Okada tells PAC that he won’t make it to Dynasty, because he is a dead man. They tell Tony Khan to cue their music and get the ‘elevator thing’.
The Elite (Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson & Kazuchika Okada) vs. Daniel Garcia, Penta El Zero Miedo & PAC (w/ Alex Abrahantes)
PAC & Kazuchika Okada start the match, but right away the Young Bucks run in and attack PAC from behind. Matthew Jackson & Penta El Zero Miedo tag in, as Penta & PAC start double-teaming on Matthew, with Penta getting a two count. The Elite keep triple-teaming on Penta while tagging in and out. Penta is able to fight them off before making the tag to Daniel Garcia, who attacks Matthew in the corner with the ten punches plus his dance. The Elite take control and attack all three opponents as we go to picture-in-picture.
During the break, Matthew gets on the mic and praises Taz, but has some words for Excalibur & Tony Schiavone while doing his own commentary on the match. Matthew with the mic still in his hand, gets tagged in and starts attacking Garcia while doing play-by-play and asking Garcia if he thinks he’s better than him. Garcia is able to take him out with a back suplex before making the hot tag to PAC. PAC takes everybody out with a moonsault to the outside before telling Okada to enter the ring, which he does but not before Matthew knocks down PAC from behind. Penta enters and hits Made in Japan on Okada, but Nicholas Jackson is there to break up the count. All six wrestlers start going at it before Okada & PAC finally start going at it with a forearm exchange. PAC goes for the Black Arrow, but Matthew sweeps PAC’s leg, and he goes crashing down, before making the tag to Garcia. After some help from the Bucks, Okada hits a Tombstone on Garcia, followed by another one on Penta. The Elite then hit a superkick/Rainmaker combo on Garcia as Okada gets the pin and the win.
Winners: The Elite (Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) by pinfall at 12:15
They keep attacking Garcia after, hitting him with the EVP Trigger, before bringing in a ladder and attacking Garcia with it. They place Garcia in between the ladder, but PAC runs in with the bell hammer to chase off The Elite.
Taz Brokers A Meeting With Lion Hook
Chris Jericho heads to the ring where Taz is waiting for him, as he has brokered this meeting with Hook. Jericho gets booed as he’s talking about being the greatest of all time and calls himself The Learning Tree. Jericho lists all the names who have gotten to the next level by going through the Jericho Vortex, coming out the other side as a better wrestler, performer, and person, and says he wants the same for Hook. He wants them to get to the top of Wizard Mountain and breathe the Rarified Air of Jericho. Jericho asks Hook if he wants to sit under the Learning Tree, and Hook plainly says ‘no’. Hook says he doesn’t need Jericho’s help, but Jericho tells him not to be stupid. Taz interrupts, but Jericho tells him to stop and tells Taz he’s just doing what Taz should have done 30 years ago and gives him some guidance. Jericho talks about the dead weight that’s been surrounding him his entire life, as Taz tells Jericho to calm down but Jericho tells Taz to stop.
Jericho says Hook is not as good as he thinks he is, but as Taz interrupts again, Jericho pushes Taz down as Excalibur brings up Taz dealing with a knee injury for years. Hook corners Jericho into the corner and says Jericho has crossed the line, and if he wants to see how good he is he will show him again, anytime, any place and anywhere, and tells Jericho to get out of his ring. Jericho starts to leave as the crowd sings the goodbye song to him.
Swerve Always Gets Back Up
Renee is in the back with Swerve Strickland and says his entire career could change by winning the world title at Dynasty, and asks Swerve for his reaction to Joe calling him a choke artist. Swerve asks Renee if she believes what Joe said, as she says no about him being a choke artist. Swerve says Joe was right about him stumbling in his career but he’s always fallen forward to success. Swerve talks about being put in a coffin, stapled, thrown in barbwire, knocked in the face with a chain, and bloodied, but he always gets back up. Joe can call him whatever he wants, but this Sunday at Dynasty, he’s going to be calling him the new AEW World Champion. Renee asks what makes him so confident about beating Joe, and Swerve says with all due respect this isn’t something he should be answering to her but to Samoa Joe, as he takes off his jacket and hat, and says he will tell it to Joe’s face in the ring tonight.
Mariah May (w/ Toni Storm & Luther) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
Right away, Mariah May corners Deonna Purrazzo, but Deonna comes right back with a whip and sends her down with a Russian Leg Sweep, May escapes to the outside preventing an armbar. Taz says he has no problem with Chris Jericho, but he’s going to learn the hard way about how Hook feels about all this. Deonna drapes May on the middle rope and hits a DDT for two, but May comes right back and places Deonna on the top rope and pushes her off, having Deonna crash to the outside as we go to picture-in-picture with Toni Storm hovering over Deonna.
When we return, Deonna mounts a comeback on May, knocking her down with a kick and a clothesline, but only gets one count. May & Deonna go back and forth until Deonna knocks May down and puts on the Fujiwara armbar, but May is able to crawl and get her foot on the rope to break it up. Deonna knocks May down with a pump kick for two and tries a powerbomb, but May escapes out and hits a headbutt, sending Deonna to the corner. Storm gets on the steel steps and tells May to do the hip attack, which she does, followed by a DDT for two. They go back and forth with pin attempts, as Deonna holds on for the win.
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo by pinfall at 8:00
As soon as the match ends, Toni Storm runs in and attacks Deonna with May, as Thunder Rosa runs out, and takes out Luther before going and taking out both Storm & May. Deonna gets in Rosa’s face, as they start shoving each other before May trips Deonna out of the ring and they start brawling. As Rosa turns around, Storm attacks her but Rosa escapes a Storm Zero attempt, punches Storm down, traps her in a Camel Clutch, and starts spreading lipstick all over Storm’s face.
Winners Take All
Renee is in the back with Bullet Club Gold, who have asked for this time. Jay White talks about all the fun they’ve been up to recently and says they will fulfill their destiny at Dynasty, and it’s all about gold. White says The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn have what they have, and suggests both teams put their titles on the line.
After the break, we go to The Acclaimed & Gunn who say if BCG wants a fight at Dynasty, they accept their challenge to put all their titles on the line. Max Caster says for all time, they can run it back and challenge The Acclaimed vs. The Gunns on Collision. Commentary mentions the match is made official for the Dynasty Zero Hour on Sunday.
Orange Cassidy vs. Shane Taylor (w/ Anthony Ogogo & Lee Moriarty)
Anthony Ogogo & Lee Moriarty get on the apron, but Shane Taylor tells them to get down, as Orange Cassidy has nobody tonight as commentary brings up Rocky Romero being in Mexico and Chuck Taylor being out with his injury. Taylor drops Cassidy on the ropes, sending him outside, and distracts the referee as Moriarty attacks Cassidy. Taylor continues on the attack and sends Cassidy back outside as we go to picture-in-picture.
Taylor stays on the attack, cornering Cassidy with punches as Cassidy mounts a comeback and starts attacking Taylor in the corner with punches and uses the turnbuckle pad. As Taylor distracts the referee, Ogogo & Moriarty attack Cassidy in the corner, and Taylor grabs him, only for Cassidy to escape and try the DDT, just to reverse and hit the Stundog Millionaire. Cassidy takes out Moriarty & Ogogo with tope suicidas, before entering back inside and trying the Orange Punch, just for Taylor to duck it and knock Cassidy down with a clothesline for two. They announce that The Elite will take on PAC & FTR this Saturday on Collision. A bit of back and forth until Cassidy hits an Orange Punch but it doesn’t knock down Taylor who delivers a punch of his own. Cassidy comes right back with another Orange Punch for the pin and the win.
Winner: Orange Cassidy by pinfall at 8:02
Moriarty & Ogogo enter the ring, and Moriarty holds Cassidy just for Ogogo to deliver a liver punch to him. Matt Sydal & Christopher Daniels make their way down to the ring, but Trent Beretta attacks them with chair shots to the face and watches on as Taylor knocks out Cassidy with a big right hook. Moriarty puts on the Border City Stretch, as Beretta makes his way to the back.
We see footage of Roderick Strong turning on Kyle O’Reilly on Collision, with words from them as they hype up their singles match at Dynasty.
Will Ospreay vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Don Callis joins commentary for this match and says he was concerned for Taz and hopes he’s feeling better. Claudio Castagnoli goes right after Will Ospreay as soon as the bell rings with an uppercut, and stays on top of him with a backbreaker. Ospreay mounts a comeback and follows Claudio to the outside where they start fighting against the barricade. Claudio whips Ospreay over the barricade, but he just comes back with a springboard forearm to Claudio before sending him back inside. Callis starts talking about all the countries his Family represents, and how he would love to add Switzerland. Ospreay sends Claudio to the outside with the Deja Vu, before trying a springboard crossbody to the outside, just for Claudio to grab him and send him onto the apron with a backbreaker, as we go to picture-in-picture.
Claudio stays on top of Ospreay, holding him down in a chin lock, but Ospreay is able to punch his way out, flips off of Claudio, and hits a springboard kick to knock down Claudio. More back and forth as Ospreay puts a Sharpshooter on Claudio, who is able to quickly reverse it. Ospreay catches Claudio off the ropes with a kick, followed by a Tiger Driver for two. Claudio starts taunting Ospreay with soft kicks and smacks to his face before Ospreay gets up and trades forearms and uppercuts with Claudio. Ospreay is able to reverse a Ricola Bomb for a two count as the crowd chants ‘AEW’. Ospreay calls for the Os Cutter, but Claudio catches him. After running the ropes, Ospreay hits a Spanish Fly for two and sets up for the Hidden Blade. Claudio is able to stop the attempt with a pop-up uppercut but only gets a two. Claudio goes for the Giant Swing, but right away Ospreay reverses it into a DDT and hits the Cancun Tornado for a two. Ospreay quickly follows with the Hidden Blade for the pin and the win.
Winner: Will Ospreay by pinfall at 14:28
Powerhouse Hobbs, Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita run out and start attacking Claudio, but Jon Moxley runs out and takes out The Don Callis Family. Ospreay yells at the rest of the Family and is pissed off for them attacking.
Upcoming Matches
- Jon Moxley vs. Powerhouse Hobbs (Dynamite)
- The Elite vs. PAC & FTR (Collision)
- Bunkhouse Brawl: Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita (Collision)
They also add Chris Jericho vs. Hook for the FTW Championship to the Dynasty card.
Swerve Calls Out Joe
It’s past the 10’clock hour, as Prince Nana and Swerve Strickland make their way out. Swerve cuts the music off and heads to the ring talking about the AEW World Championship match at Dynasty. Swerve talks about Joe having fear in his eye and quivering, as he held the AEW World Championship high and says that Joe showed him that he was scared at the fear that Swerve was going to beat him for the championship. Swerve then calls out Joe to the ring, so he can say it to his face. With security trying to hold him back, Joe makes his way to the ring. With security in the way, Swerve takes them out with a Swerve Stomp off the top rope and gets right in Joe’s face and they go right into a brawl. As Nana goes to check on Swerve in the ring, Joe starts cornering Nana just for Swerve to take out Joe with a kick, and the House Call. As Swerve heads to the top rope, Joe stops him and says he’s ‘not that man’ before taking Swerve out with the Muscle Buster, and standing tall over Swerve with the AEW World Championship.
