AEW Dynamite
May 8th, 2024
By: John Siino
Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Commentary: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone & Don Callis
RESULTS
*Orange Cassidy over Trent Beretta via pinfall at 13:17
*Mariah May over Harley Cameron via pinfall at 9:11
*Jay White over Rocky Romero via pinfall at 8:07
*Chris Jericho & Big Bill over Mo Jabari & Harlon Abbott via pinfall at 2:35
*TNT Championship: Adam Copeland (c) over Brody King via pinfall 18:18 (Recommended)
Feeling On The Edge
The show starts with Adam Copeland being stopped by Arkady Aura when entering the building where he says he’s not feeling too great going into tonight’s match, and tonight he has to stop this. He just got off the phone with Tony Khan and they decided the match with Brody King tonight will be a no-disqualification match. Excalibur & Tony Schiavone said that Taz isn’t with them tonight due to a recent treatment he had on his knee.
Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta
Right away, they take it to the outside where Orange Cassidy starts attacking and tossing Trent Beretta against the barricade and steel steps. Beretta takes control until he whips Orange over the barricade, and Orange lands on his feet and lures Beretta in just to hit him with a super kick. They take it all the way up to the stands and start fighting in the middle of the fans. They seesaw doing a suplex until Orange is able to land one, but Beretta comes right back by back body dropping Orange right back ringside. As Beretta was trying to leap back in, Orange trips him up on the barricade. They head back inside, where Beretta hits a flying knee, just to get attacked right back with the Orange Punch. Don Callis starts making his way down to the ring to a chorus of boos, as we head to picture-in-picture.
When we return, Callis has joined commentary as Excalibur & Tony Schiavone start asking him what he said to Orange last week, as Callis says it’s important to have a family. Orange mounts Beretta and starts hitting him with a flurry of punches before setting up for another Orange Punch, which Beretta is able to dodge and hit a half-and-half suplex. As the crowd chants ‘You suck’, to Beretta, he hits Orange with a jumping suplex as commentary mentions how not a single pinfall has been attempted in the first 12 minutes of this match. Beretta follows with another piledriver. Beretta hits a running knee strike and tells the referee to check on Orange, as he goes and pulls off a turnbuckle pad. While the referee goes to talk to Beretta, Orange rips off another turnbuckle pad, sends Beretta into it, and rolls him up for the pin and the win.
Winner: Orange Cassidy by pinfall at 13:17
As Orange is getting his hand raised on the outside, Beretta attacks him from behind and starts gauging his eyes. Beretta sets up steel steps and delivers another piledriver to Orange on top of it. Beretta then catapults Orange under the ring frame. Orange gets up pretty quickly and grabs a chair to counter Beretta who now has a toolbox, but Kris Statlander runs out and steps in between them to hold back Beretta as Don Callis takes Orange to the back. As Beretta goes to leave, he says ‘No friends, just me’
Parking Reserved For Tony Khan
We go to earlier tonight, where we see The Elite driving into the arena and start honking at a car in front of them telling him to move and call him a mark. You see them pulling into Tony Khan’s reserved parking before they say that they are going to go clock in.
Changing The World Without Kenny
We then see Jack Perry from last Wednesday after Dynamite who asks if that is the best that Kenny Omega had and hope he had fun hitting his moves in his hometown in what will probably be the last time in his career. Perry says Omega is not the hero they wanted him to be but a coward like everybody else. The Elite doesn’t need him anymore, and neither does AEW because they will go change the world without him, they all have to sacrifice and Omega just made his.
We go to Kenny Omega at the hospital bed who says he wishes he could have been there in person, but the EVPs had other plans in mind. They were like family to him for 15 years, but here he is at the ER. Omega says he has to thank them for what they did that was not personal but business, but he has business to take care of himself and says May 26th marks the 5th anniversary of where it all started at Double or Nothing. And since they like to make their own rules, he suggests Anarchy in the Arena for The Elite vs. FTR and two other names that will be revealed on a first come first serve basis and they will reveal themselves later tonight, sooner than they might think.
Single Solitary Shit
Tony Schiavone brings Serena Deeb to the stage and asks her if she’s ready to go for the AEW Women’s World Championship against Toni Storm at Double or Nothing. Deeb says she’s excited to wrestle Storm and has been hearing that she won’t be able to defeat Storm. She gets it but goes to explain how losing at Double or Nothing is not an option for her. Several months ago, she finally made her in-ring return and it was the hardest 15 months of her life. She gets a bit distracted, as the crowd starts chanting ‘Let’s go Oilers’ before she talks about suffering three unproved seizures and calls it one of the scariest moments of her life. Deeb says she did everything to try and figure out how she got them, the hardest part is not knowing what can cause the seizures. The thing that stuck in her mind was the vision to finally become champion, as she gets cut off by Toni Storm.
Storm says all she is hearing is a charity case and starts tossing stuff at Deeb. Deeb tells Storm to take this seriously and at Double or Nothing she will fight for her life to finally become champion. Storm says everything Deeb has gone through, she can honestly tell her she can’t give a single solitary shit. Storm goes to hit Deeb, but she catches her and is able to knock her out first.
Ishii, Shibata or Beretta?
Lexy Nair is in the back with Orange Cassidy who is being checked in the trainer’s room. Rocky Romero goes to check on Cassidy and says he just spoke to Tony Khan on the phone who said if he beats Jay White tonight he and Orange will get a Trios title shot and mentions Tomohiro Ishii, Katsuyori Shibata or maybe even Trent Beretta being their partner, but Orange stops any discussion that it could be Beretta, which Romero understands.
Mariah May vs. Harley Cameron (w/ Saraya)
Don Callis joins the commentary team again, which Excalibur wonders why. Harley Cameron goes right after Mariah May with a running knee strike, getting a two-count. May comes back with some rolling elbows in the corners before hitting a spinning sidewalk slam and a dropkick as Saraya goes to check on Cameron. Cameron sends May off the apron with a scissor kick as we go to picture-in-picture.
We come back to see Saraya yelling at the fans ringside, as May & Cameron start trading punches in the middle of the ring. Sky High from May for a two count, before May catches Cameron by the leg and takes her down with a headbutt. May heads to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick, sending Cameron to the corner where she tries a hip attack, just for Saraya to pull Cameron out of the ring. May takes out Saraya with a big right hook and yells at her to stay out of her business. May sends Cameron back inside and hits the May Day to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Mariah May by pinfall at 9:11
As soon as the match ends, Saraya runs in and attacks May from behind as her and Cameron start double-teaming on her. Mina Shirakawa runs out and takes out Cameron with a spinning back fist as Saraya escapes. Mina teases a kiss with May but denies her before asking for champagne first, which they both drink.
Arkady is in the back with PAC and asks with the return of Rey Fenix if they will see Death Triangle back in action. PAC says at this moment and time he’s not concerned with them, but he gets interrupted by the Bang Bang Gang. Jay White says nobody is concerned with Death Triangle, as they are dead and PAC needs to be concerned with himself as he’s coming off a loss to Kazuchika Okada. White says he knows how to get the job done with Okada, and maybe he should go after him and his Continental Championship, but for now, he has Rocky Romero and tells PAC to watch.
We get a Malakai Black video where he talks about Adam Copeland and him being so pivotal to the industry before changing his landscape and how he became painfully aware of his own mortality. Copeland then decided to choose a family, and a facade of what he truly is, which is the devil. The man, Adam, had to be reminded who he really was. Not the family man, as he has to kill the facade and tell the world that Copeland is really a son of a bitch and he will have to bring Copeland closer to death so he could live again.
Wonder Piece of Promotional Material
We get an over-the-top video showing all the good things The Elite have done for AEW and how they will change the world before we cut to the Young Bucks who talk about that being a wonderful piece of promotional material and say they need fewer updates from Kenny Omega. Someone hands them a format sheet, as they say, they will be hearing from the world champion and tell Swerve Strickland to ‘go get them!’
Swerve Gets Swerved
Swerve says he’s in a pissed-off mood and fighting mood and shows highlights of Christian Cage and The Patriarchy attacking him last week. Swerve says when you become champion, everybody wants a piece of you and he can’t blame Christian for going for someone at the top. Swerve then tells Christian to come out so they can have a conversation.
Christian comes out and says he hates to break it to them that there won’t be any championship for the Oilers as they will get stomped out by the Canucks later tonight. Christian continues, but there’s a loud ‘Let’s go Oilers’ chant, as Christian says every week he will take something from Swerve. Christian says Swerve is not in his league and Christian deserves to stay on the top of the mountain as AEW World Champion. Christian brings up Swerve looking in the mirror and seeing his gold teeth, before threatening to take them from him next. The Patriarchy goes to enter the ring, but The Mogul Embassy backs up Swerve as Swerve mentions taking out Christian just like Kendrick Lamar took down Drake this weekend and said it won’t be the last time someone from the West Coast takes out a fake father from Toronto. Swerve mentions how he has put Christian in an uncomfortable position, and we all know when that happens Christian says ‘I Quit’, but before Christian can respond, Brian Cage & the Gates of Agony go and attack Swerve from behind. They hit him with a triple-team powerbomb before Cage tosses Swerve to the outside with a press slam. They take Swerve and powerbomb him off the steel steps through the commentary table as The Patriarchy walks to the back.
We see the Young Bucks clapping in the back before they shake hands with Christian who says this is just the start of a very fruitful relationship.
Are You Ready, Mercedes?
Arkady is in the back with Willow Nightingale who’s sporting a shiner after last week’s Manitoba Massacre, but says you could never beat the smile off her face. Arkady asks if Willow is ready for Mercedes Mone’ at Double or Nothing, as Willow says she’s ready for any match and Double or Nothing is just another stop in being a champion and says the question is if Mercedes is ready, and looks in the camera and asks her, because last time they stepped in the same ring, Willow walked out the victor. Since then, Willow has been on the run of her life and Mercedes might win all the headlines and attention, but in a professional wrestling match she is going to be the winner and on May 26th, Mercedes better be ready for the fight of their lives.
Jay White (w/ Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn) vs. Rocky Romero
Jay White starts by talking trash, as Rocky Romero sends him down right away with a pun and gets a close two-count. Romero sends White to the outside where he hits him with a dive before sending him back inside and hitting a hurricanrana. White takes control as we head to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Romero is in control and he goes for the Sliced Bread just for White to stop it. Romero comes back with the running sliced bread but gets another close two. White comes back with a brainbuster, followed by the Blade Runner to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Jay White by pinfall at 8:07
The Bang Bang Gang keeps attacking Romero until PAC runs out for the save and chases them off.
We see a video of Samoa Joe in a gym working out and talk about him being what men fear in the first place.
Chris Jericho & Bill Bill vs. Mo Jabari & Harlon Abbott
Chris Jericho & Mo Jabari start the match, Jabari is able to take Jericho down and Jericho seems impressed before tagging out to Big Bill. Bill starts tossing Jabari around, as he tags out to Harlon Abbott who gets a good reaction from this crowd, before getting clotheslined and tossed into the corner by Bill. Bill starts attacking both opponents before hitting Jabari with a big chokeslam. Bill then targets Abbott and hits him with a chokeslam as well as Jericho approves. Jericho gets tagged in and hits Abbot with the Judas Effect to get the pin and the win.
Winners: Chris Jericho & Big Bill by pinfall at 2:35
Highest Rated Match On Cagematch
Jericho gets on the mic and “accidentally” calls this town Calgary, which gets boos of course from this Edmonton crowd plus a ‘You fucked up” chant. Jericho says when you have done this for so long, you make mistakes, but you learn from your mistakes and that’s what The Learning Tree does. Jericho brings up people complaining that he’s always on Dynamite, and he says he would be on for all two hours if he could. He then thanks Big Bill, the giant redwood, and says what a great job he’s done tonight. Jericho continues about how his match with Shibata last week got the highest rating on Cagematch (he’s not wrong, as it currently stands at 6.68). Schiavone enters the ring and tells Jericho that Hook is returning next week Jericho gets excited and goes over the top with how happy he is about this and says they should celebrate.
AEW TNT Championship No Disqualification Match: Adam Copeland (c) vs. Brody King
Brody King starts the match by taking down Adam Copeland and tries a piledriver, but Copeland is able to slip away and send Brody to the apron where he tries to spear him off but gets stopped and hit with a neckbreaker on the ropes as we go to picture-in-picture.
We come back, to see Copeland dodging a running Brody who goes crashing right into the barricade. Copeland starts smacking Brody’s back with a chair. They start fighting on the apron, where Copeland hits a DDT to Brody on top of a chair that was there which prompts a ‘Holy shit’ chant. We see Brody’s face is covered in blood, as Copeland takes him out with a top rope cross body for two. Brody is able to stop all of Copeland’s momentum with a big lariat, and his blood is spilling all over the ring, as we go to the last picture-in-picture.
When we come back, they are fighting on the apron, as there is a table set up right behind them. Copeland is able to pull Brody off of the top rope before they start trading clotheslines and big boots, which knock them both down. Copeland tries to lift up Brody but he falls right on top of him and gets a two. Brody follows with a running cannonball for another two. Copeland tries a spear, but Brody stops him in the corner and hits a spiked piledriver as Stephon Smith immediately goes to check on Copeland. Copeland lifts up Brody on the apron and hits him with a Death Valley Driver. As Brody gets back up on the apron, Copeland takes him out with a spear through the ropes and they go crashing through the table that was set up on the outside. Back inside, Copeland lands another spear for the pin and the win.
Winner: Adam Copeland by pinfall at 18:18, to retain
As soon as the match is done, Brody attacks Copeland from behind before Kyle O’Reilly runs out and helps Copeland attack Brody, taking him out with a double clothesline that sends him to the outside.
Mone’ Changes Everything
We go to Arkady in the back with Mercedes Mone’ and asks if she’s ready for to face Willow Nightingale. Mercedes talks about being only 18 days away from her AEW in-ring debut and talks about here in AEW is where the best wrestle and she thrives for that spotlight. Mercedes talks about tomorrow sitting courtside for the Celtics and Friday throwing the first pitch for the Red Sox. Mercedes says she is ready for Willow, but as far as she goes, Willow took something that she can never get back, a year of her career. Mercedes asks why this even happened to her and questions if she will be as good as she used to be, before saying you damn well know she will be. Mercedes talks about being back with a vengeance because she’s that bitch and that Mone’ changes everything.
Lexy Nair is in the back with Adam Copeland & Kyle O’Reilly and asks Copeland how it feels to have an ally against the House of Black. O’Reilly says he’s happy to help him but this Saturday in their hometown, wants to accept the Cope Open. Copeland asks if that was his plan to get closer to that title, says well-played, and agrees to it.
Who Has Big Enough Balls?
The Elite starts walking to the ring and says they called the network and asked for an over-run as they have a message. Okada has a message for Kenny Omega and tells him to get well soon. Matthew Jackson tells Tony Khan that he’s the best boss he’s ever worked for and just wishes he would have realized that The Elite was never here to hurt AEW but to make AEW a better place. Khan got in their way and got a Tony Khan Driver. Kenny Omega decided to end a 15-year friendship, so they gave an EVP Trigger to an EVP. Nicholas Jackson says the only reason FTR saved his ass, is because they hate The Elite. If they want Anarchy in the Arena at Double or Nothing, then that they will get and good look at finding two other people with big enough balls to face The Elite. FTR comes out as Dax Harwood says it wouldn’t be easy to fight the EVPs of this country but he found a couple of guys with big enough balls as outcomes Eddie Kingston, followed by Bryan Danielson. Schiavone mentions being in a text chain with Tony Khan & Kenny Omega and mentions Danielson being cleared and will be appearing on Collision this Saturday.
Final Thoughts
I was having a hard time really getting into this show, as it just felt like the first 90 minutes were not really clicking for me. Something about the flow of the show brought me back to the rushed, heavily packed, no-room-to-breathe Dynamites that we were getting a year ago that seemed to have gotten on a better pace recently. That was evident when the 10’clock hour was approaching and commentary mentioned how there was still two more segments to go. The first hour was a bit clunky with Orange Cassidy pretty much no-selling a piledriver to the steel steps then Serena Deeb being in a tough spot trying to deliver a serious promo in front of a crowd that just wanted to cheer for their Oilers, but the main event did save the show for me with a violent and bloody affair between Copeland & Brody, that set up the expected match with Kyle O’Reilly in Vancouver. The closing angle, I for sure thought was going to be the introduction of the Motor City Machine Guns, but they swerved us with two other names instead. Speaking of Swerve, although the turn was pretty predictable, the execution of The Mogul Embassy was well done, plus the continued progression of the Mira/May/Toni triangle plus what I have to admit a pretty entertaining in-ring promo from Chris Jericho was enough to turn this show around for me towards the end, but overall not up to the standards for me on what to expect on Wednesday nights.
