AEW Dynamite
April 24th, 2024
By: John Siino
Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
Hands Off The Merchandise
The show starts by showing Kazuchika Okada & the Young Bucks arriving at the arena before another vehicle pulls up as Jack Perry comes out and joins them. Security stops them and tells Perry he can’t be here, but Matthew Jackson says that he’s with them and they keep going. They talk about having some business to attend to tonight before saying ‘Hands off the merchandise’ as one of the security was holding back Perry.
Who’s Your Best Friend?
We go to the ring, where we hear Orange Cassidy’s music, but we see Orange being tossed onto the ramp as Trent Beretta is revealed to be his attacker. Beretta keeps attacking Orange, sending him into the ring. Beretta has the newest Best Friends shirt, but with Orange’s name crossed off as Beretta gets on the mic and calls out Chuck Taylor to make his decision on whose side he’s on. Taylor enters the ring, as Beretta says he wants to start by apologizing and says he’s sorry but sorry for not doing this a long time ago and spending 5 years hugging this prick. Beretta said Orange was supposed to be his mascot, and somehow made them his lackeys. They did everything for him, and he gave them nothing and told Taylor that Orange doesn’t care for him or is his friend. Beretta says he cares about Taylor, is his friend and loves him, and tells him to do the right thing and give the people what they want. Taylor goes to hug Beretta but then says he always thought he was a piece of shit and attacks Beretta with the mic. Taylor says they won’t clear him for a match in this ring, but he doesn’t want to fight him in the ring, he wants to fight him in the parking lot.
March Through Hell
We go to Jon Moxley in the back who says he’s feeling confident tonight and will successfully defend his championship, but don’t mistake that for arrogance or ignorance, and won’t underestimate Powerhouse Hobbs, as he knows what he’s capable for. He’s aware of what’s happening tonight and it only takes one mistake for him, and he knows just how far Don Callis is willing to go to get an edge to win, and nobody knows better than him what it takes to go and stay at the top. Tonight will be a march through hell but there’s nowhere he’d rather be, he doesn’t play golf, this is pro wrestling, the greatest sport in the world and tonight he will remind the world just who he is. And they will feel from Jacksonville to Tokyo, what he does to Hobbs tonight.
Prince Nana comes out and introduces the new AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland.
AEW World Championship Eliminator Match: Swerve Strickland (w/ Prince Nana) vs. Kyle Fletcher
Don Callis comes out and joins the commentary table, and is happy that he’s finally sitting next to Taz, as he’s been asking for it. Swerve Strickland & Kyle Fletcher start the match by taking turns trying to take each other down, as Swerve is able to, but Fletcher gets his foot on the rope to break it up. Excalibur brings up rumors to Callis about expanding his Family, as he says he’s always looking and there’s always room for more. They start dodging each other’s moves and mirroring each other, as the crowd gives them a good reception. Fletcher sends Swerve to the apron and kicks him off to the floor, before following him out there. Prince Nana tries to get involved, and it distracts Fletcher who gets back body dropped on the floor, as we head to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Swerve is able to get some momentum and slow down Fletcher, by trying to set up for an arm breaker before they get into a slap exchange that ends with a kick and Michinoku Driver from Fletcher. We see The Elite in the back walking into Tony Khan’s office. Swerve hits a Swerve Stomp to Fletcher on the apron, but Swerve rolls to the outside and shows a bit of an injury to himself because of it. Back in the ring, Swerve tries to go for the House Call but Fletcher catches him right into a heel hook, but Swerve is able to eventually grab the rope to break it up. Fletcher starts kicking away at Swerve before they start trading kicks and strikes. Swerve stops the sequence with a Flatliner, before hitting a brainbuster for a two-count. They go back and forth with Tombstone attempts before Fletcher is able to hit it for two. Callis starts calling plays by yelling ‘Melbourne!’ as Fletcher goes to get a table before changing his mind and going after Swerve, putting him on the top rope. Swerve fights him off and hits the Swerve Stomp as Fletcher is on the ropes, but Fletcher kicks out at two. Swerve follows with the House Call and gets the pin and the win.
Winner: Swerve Strickland by pinfall at 14:45
They have a graphic that Kenny Omega will return on next week’s Dynamite from Winnipeg.
What Went Wrong
Renee Paquette is in the back with Thunder Rosa and says it’s been two years since they’ve seen her with the AEW Women’s World Championship and asks what went wrong with her title match from Dynasty. Rosa says she can make excuses about Deonna Purrazzo & Toni Storm, but says she was proud of what she was able to accomplish as Deonna walks in upset that she mentioned her and they start pushing each other before security breaks them apart.
Mina Shirakawa (w/ Mariah May) vs. Anna Jay
They start the match by taunting each other before Anna Jay takes advantage and starts going after Mina Shirakawa, but Mina is able to trip her up and starts kicking away at her before working on her knee. Mina starts counting while dropping elbows on Jay’s knee with a dance in between. Mina transitions into a Figure Four, but Jay is able to grab the rope. Jay comes back with an eye rake before dropping Mina on the ropes with a neckbreaker and gets in Mariah May’s face on the outside as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, they are having a forearm exchange before Mina is able to knock Jay down with a back fist and a knee strike from the top rope for a two. Jay comes back and hits the Gory Special, but Mina kicks out at two. Mina comes back with a Dragon Screw and puts the Figure Four back on, as Jay scoots over to the ropes again. Mina goes and hits a missile dropkick followed by an Enziguri for two. Jay reverses out and puts on the Queen Slayer, but Mina escapes out and rolls up Jay for the pin in the Glamous Collection, for the win.
Winner: Mina Shirakawa by pinfall at 8:59
Mina & May go to drink champagne and celebrate, but Jay attacks them both from behind and puts the Queen Slayer on May. Toni Storm runs out and chases Jay away, before going to check on May. Serena Deeb then makes her way out and picks up the AEW Women’s World Championship that Storm left by the ramp. Deeb looks into the camera and says she’s making the promise that the next time she touches that title she will become the AEW Women’s World Champion.
Willow’s Championship Celebration
When we return, Stokely Hathaway & Kris Statlander are in the ring as Stokely brings up Bill Withers’s 1977 song ‘Lovely Day’ and says that’s how he feels today, as he shows that Caprice Coleman is on commentary for this celebration. Statlander gives a speech about Willow Nightingale, that Stokely calls ‘two packs of ass’ before they bring out Willow. Caprice starts singing & rapping to Willow’s theme. Willow says this is the very place where in Spring 2020 she was in the front row here, before she was in the ring in 2022 where she became All Elite. Tonight she is not a rookie and stands there as the face of TBS.
Mercedes Mone’ interrupts and makes her way to the ring, as Willow calls this the 4th time she’s interrupted her, and if she has something to say, now is the time to say it. Mercedes says she was just here to congratulate her and enjoy the celebration, because at Double or Nothing you’ll be looking at the new face of TBS. She then asks if Willow was that bitch who attacked her, as Statlander butts in and they start blaming each other. Stokely brings up Julia Hart as Willow says Mercedes has a personal vendetta against her and asks if she thinks she intentionally injured her. Mercedes brings up how Willow doesn’t want to know the truth, as Willow says she feels awful and she herself has doubts. When she went back and had the championship, she asked herself if she could have beat Mercedes at 100% then heard the same thing everywhere she looked. That championship had an asterisk next to it, but the TBS Championship has no asterisk, and at Double or Nothing she wants Mercedes at 100%. Mercedes tells Willow to try her hardest because, at Double or Nothing, she can’t beat her. As Mercedes goes to leave, Statlander goes to hold her back and Mercedes thinking it was Willow goes and slaps her instead.
Jack Perry & Tony Khan Agree To Meet
Alex Marvez catches Jack Perry coming out of Tony Khan’s office and asks if he’s been reinstated in AEW. Marvez goes to ask Kazuchika Okada & the Young Bucks after, as Matthew Jackson says his future is uncertain, but Khan has agreed to an in-ring segment with Perry tonight.
AEW International Championship #1 Contender’s Casino Gauntlet Match
Jay White enters first, followed by Dante Martin. Excalibur says they don’t know the participants in this sudden death match, but the first person who gets a pin or submission will face off against Roderick Strong for the AEW International Championship at Double or Nothing. White heads to the outside as Dante tries to dive onto him, but White dodges him and attacks him ringside before Dante stops him with a knee strike, sending him back inside. Penta El Zero Miedo comes out next at number three and goes after Dante as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we return it’s still the three of them as Kyle O’Reilly makes his way out at #4. O’Reilly & White face off and start trading strikes before O’Reilly kicks White down and takes Dante down, before going right back to White and putting on a heel hook, as Will Ospreay comes out at #5 and goes right after O’Reilly. Ospreay takes out O’Reilly with a springboard elbow, before Dante & Penta go after Ospreay, before going face-to-face with White. They go to shake hands before White goes after Ospreay. Ospreay takes out Dante with a Spanish Fly, as Lance Archer makes his way out at #6 and goes at it with Ospreay. Archer starts fighting everybody off and drops Ospreay to everybody else on the outside with a Blackout as we go back to picture-in-picture.
Archer is still in control, as Komander comes out at #7 and sends Archer off the apron onto two tables with a hurricanrana. Komander & Ospreay go at it before White gets involved as Ospreay hits him with a Liger Bomb for two. As Ospreay goes for the Hidden Blade, he gets stopped by #8 entrant Jay Lethal and hits the Lethal Injection to Penta, before getting stopped by White with a Sleeper Suplex. Ospreay goes for the Tiger Driver ’91 but stops himself as Excalibur brings up him saying he was retiring it after what happened with Bryan Danielson. Komander gets involved and hits a springboard 450 on O’Reilly, but Ospreay follows that with a Hidden Blade to Komander to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Will Ospreay by pinfall at 18:43
The Undisputed Kingdom comes out as Roderick Strong goes face-to-face with Will Ospreay.
The Learning Tree is For The World… and Big Bill
Chris Jericho comes out to the ring with a new intro stating ‘I am The Learning Tree!’ Jericho says the FTW Championship means a lot of things but now it stands for ‘For The World’ as Taz on commentary is upset about all this. Jericho says he is doing God’s work and brings up Terry Funk telling him that it’s his responsibility to teach the next generation and take them to the next level, and that’s what he’s doing. Jericho starts thanking Hook but says his only flaw is there are still things he has to learn from the Learning Tree and get rid of the dead weight that surrounds him like Taz and Katsuyori Shibata. More importantly, Hook needs to listen when Jericho tells him to stay down and he was forced him to hit him in the head with a baseball bat. Jericho knows Hook is at world listening and thinking about the lessons he learned, and that’s exciting to him. What’s also exciting to him is the list of men and women drawn into the Jericho Vortex and came out bigger stars.
Big Bill interrupts and says he’s been in the back listening to him and he only has one thing to say and that’s that he needs to learn from The Learning Tree and calls him the Socrates of professional wrestling. Bill says there is a long line of people trying to get an opportunity at The Learning Tree but says there is nobody bigger and better fit than he is for The Learning Tree. Jericho says he’s been watching Bill and he will think about what he said and he will be watching him, as Bill tells him to and he will show him.
The Don Callis Family Feud
Renee is in the back with Will Ospreay, Don Callis & Kyle Fletcher. Callis says he’s so happy and excited for Ospreay as he will get the gold as he is an International star. Callis asks why he didn’t do the Tiger Driver, as Ospreay says after what happened to Danielson, he isn’t doing it anymore. Callis gets upset but Fletcher stops him and says he won the match, as Callis says Fletcher shouldn’t say anything about winning matches and leaves before saying Hobbs will win a title tonight just like Ospreay will at Double or Nothing.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
Don Callis goes back to commentary as Jon Moxley & Powerhouse Hobbs go back and forth to start before Hobbs slams Moxley down, as he goes to the outside and shows a bit of injury to his back. They start fighting on the outside where Moxley kicks Hobbs over the barricade, always hitting a security guard in the process. They start fighting through the crowd, as Taz brings up the referee being more relaxed in these rules since it’s for the IWGP title. Hobbs sends Moxley back ringside before they go back towards the ring as Hobbs slams Moxley onto the apron, going into PIP.
When we come back, Hobbs is in control as Callis yells at him to not wait and keep going after him as Taz suggests he should have stayed ringside so he could hear him. Moxley is able to dodge Hobbs who goes crashing into the corner and clutches his knee, as he spills to the outside where Moxley meets him with a dive. Moxley attacks Hobbs in the corner with a flurry of punches, before hitting the Paradigm Shift for two and puts on a Bulldog Choke right after as the referee ends up calling off the match.
Winner: Jon Moxley by referee stoppage at 10:43, to retain
Konosuke Takeshita comes out and stares down at Jon Moxley, motioning for the title.
Upcoming Matches
- Unified World Trios Championship: Bullet Club Gold (c) vs. Top Flight & Action Andretti (Collision)
- Toni Storm vs. Anna Jay (Collision)
- Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo (Rampage)
- Parking Lot Fight: Trent Beretta vs. Chuck Taylor (Rampage)
Renee is in the back with Katsuyori Shibata where Shibata is offended by Chris Jericho’s comments from earlier and challenges him to a match for next week for the FTW Championship with FTW Rules before complementing Renee’s dress.
The Elite Attack Tony Khan
Tony Schiavone is in the ring and calls out Jack Perry as the crowd chants ‘Oh, cry me a river’ just like Davie Portman likes it. Perry says he’s had many great memories here in Jacksonville but calls out Tony Khan, who makes his way to the ring. Perry says it’s been a long road, and says almost 5 years ago was the very first Double or Nothing and since then AEW has gone on to change the world. Perry says it’s no secret they have had their ups and downs but from the bottom of his heart, he swears to God the only thing he’s ever wanted is what’s best for AEW. Perry then asks Khan to shake his hand, reinstate him, and continue to go on and change the world together. They shake hands and hug, as Perry smiles into the camera and raises Khan’s hand before delivering a punch to Khan’s gut. The rest of The Elite come out and help up Khan, teasing an EVP Trigger, before changing it to the Tony Khan Driver (formerly the Meltzer Driver) on Tony Khan.
The Elite leave and say it’s time to change the world, as officials go to check on the downed Khan, including his father Shad Khan.
