AEW Dynamite – “Beach Break”
July 3, 2024
By: John Siino
Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
RESULTS
*Owen Hart Foundation: Bryan Danielson over PAC via pinfall (16:44) (Recommended)
*Owen Hart Foundation: Willow Nightingale over Kris Statlander via pinfall (8:10) (Recommended)
*Samoa Joe, Hook & Katsuyori Shibata over Cage of Agony via submission (9:08)
*Owen Hart Foundation: Adam Page over Jeff Jarrett via pinfall (11:14)
*International Championship: Will Ospreay (c) over Daniel Garcia via pinfall (14:21) (Recommended)
The Backbone of AEW
The show starts with Renee Paquette in the back who introduces the ‘Backbone of AEW’ in Daniel Garcia, who has Matt Menard by his side. Garcia says he feels pressure, but they’ve felt that since the first day they stepped into AEW. This is the most important night of his entire life and he respects everything Will Ospreay does, but he made a promise to himself and everybody else that he’s not losing this match, and he bet it on his mother’s life. MJF walks in and says he’s proud of him and tells Garcia not to focus on the Wembley Stadium challenge but on tonight’s match. MJF says he would like to be in Garcia’s corner, which Garcia agrees to but Menard says he originally thought MJF was full of it, but after everything he’s done for Garcia, over the past couple of weeks, he’s okay with him.
Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Semi-Final Match: Bryan Danielson vs. PAC
We get a ‘Holy shit’ chant for this match before this starts, in what is only their third singles match after facing off in Ring of Honor in 2007 and IPW UK in 2009. They start the match a bit slow trying to take each other down, as the crowd is fully behind both of them. They eventually both come crashing down in the middle of the mat with a double cross body, before going into a forearm exchange. PAC knocks Bryan Danielson with one of them and continues to work on his head with strikes, before kicking him to the outside where PAC hits him with a crazy-looking Asai moonsault, sends him back inside, and immediately puts on the Brutalizer, but Danielson gets his leg on the rope as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Tony Schiavone tells us that later on tonight we’ll officially find out the first member of Team AEW for Blood & Guts. Danielson starts kicking PAC who’s tied up against the ropes, before PAC ducks the last one and escapes to the outside where Danielson misses a sliding dropkick before hitting the running knee strike off the apron. Danielson keeps on the attack before PAC stops him with a thrust kick, and an elbow drop off the barricade before throwing Danielson back inside, where he hits another springboard elbow drop and a Tombstone, but Danielson kicks out at two. Danielson comes back with the LeBell Lock, but PAC is able to escape. They trade kicks in the corner, before Danielson heads to the top rope, but PAC is able to get up and knock him down, followed by an avalanche Brainbuster, but Danielson kicks out again, at two. PAC heads to the top rope, but misses the Black Arrow as Danielson comes right back with the Busaiku Knee but takes a while to go for the cover. Once he does, PAC reverses it into the Brutalizer, but Danielson escapes and turns it into the LeBell Lock. They go back and forth until Danielson locks on the Crucifix pin for the win.
Winner: Bryan Danielson by pinfall at 16:44, to advance
Smile Anyway
Renee Paquette is in the back with Willow Nightingale and says not only is she getting her hands on Kris Statlander but it’s an Owen Hart Foundation tournament match. Willow talks about life being so miserable, but her only defense is to look at the bright side. She does that for her and all the fans, but Statlander & Stokely Hathaway mock her because they know nothing about that. She talks about what her ‘Smile Anyway’ catchphrase means, including her friend fighting an illness and Willow herself kicking down the door and being the first person to be a two-time Owen Hart Foundation Tournament winner and she’ll go to Wembley Stadium to become the Women’s World Champion.
Mark Briscoe Declares Blood & Guts
They show a video package of Jack Perry winning the TNT Championship at Forbidden Door, before going to Mark Briscoe in the ring who was also in the ladder match. Briscoe says they call him ‘chicken’, but he’s not scared of shit and talks about coming within inches of winning the TNT Title and Perry must have eaten Lucky Charms to win it. That was last week, and he’s not worried about last week, but he’s worried about this week, which is ‘Shark Week’. When he thinks of a shark, he thinks of Blood & Guts and declares himself a participant of Team AEW. As he’s continuing on, he gets attacked from behind by Jack Perry with his title, before Kyle O’Reilly runs out and attacks Perry in the corner. Kazuchika Okada runs out and takes out O’Reilly with the Rainmaker. The Young Bucks come out and take out Briscoe with the EVP Trigger. The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn run out and chase The Elite away.
Always Love May
Renee is in the back with Toni Storm, Mariah May & Luther and says Hikaru Shida feels confident ahead of their Owen Hart Foundation match on this Friday’s Rampage. Storm says Shida is dangerous, and she’ll still love May if she loses but says there’s nothing that can stop her. Storm gives May some words of encouragement, as May does Storm’s catchphrase.
Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Semi-Final Match: Kris Statlander (w/ Stokely Hathaway) vs. Willow Nightingale
As Willow Nightingale comes out she rushes towards Kris Statlander, and hits her with a huge pounce, brawling a bit on the outside before starting the match. Statlander takes control of the match as we go right into picture-in-picture.
When we return, they fight on the apron where Statlander is trying to German Suplex Willow but gets tossed back and hit with a Cannonball from Willow off the apron, followed by a dropkick from the ropes and a clothesline for two. Back and forth for a bit until Willow hits a huge German Suplex from the corner and climbs the top rope, but Statlander stops her with a high boot and grabs her as they go back and forth with roll-up attempts. Statlander hits an F5, but Willow kicks out right before the three. Stokely Hathaway puts a steel chain in the corner, that Statlander grabs. As Willow goes after Stokely, Statlander almost hits Stokely but just comes up short. Willow uses this advantage and rolls up Statlander to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Willow Nightingale by pinfall at 8:10, to advance
Honoring Owen
Renee is in the back with Jeff Jarrett and his crew and asks him how he’s able to prepare without knowing his opponent, but Jarrett walks off. Jay Lethal says he’s never seen Jarrett more prepared than anything in his entire life and tonight is about honoring one of his best friends Owen Hart.
Britt Baker & Mercedes Mone’ Championship Celebration
Tony Schiavone in the ring introduces Dr. Britt Baker DMD, and gives her a hug and the microphone. Baker starts by talking about the past being her lesson, our present being a gift and the future being their motivation. For the last 10 months, a lot of you have been wondering ‘Where’s Britt’, and the answer was always ‘She’s injured’. She admits that but says it would take more to keep her away from this place. Back in November, she was mentally running on empty but every time she looked at herself in the mirror she said ‘I’m good’ until one day she wasn’t. One day she started feeling really sick and the room started spinning. She found out she had a TIA (Transient ischemic attack) which is basically a mini-stroke. She told Tony Khan she needed to stay home to get herself right, and he allowed her to.
She talks about the present, being here, clear and healthy but was nervous at Forbidden Door because she didn’t know if anybody would give a damn that she was going to walk through the tunnel. The crowd welcomed her back with chants and she is ‘one of them’, before moving on to the future. She talks about going through the hard time, by being present and feeling all of it. If you do, it’ll make it much better when you’re on the other side because we all possess the impulse to be Elite. She moves on to talk about Mercedes Mone’ being the ‘new face of AEW’ which the crowd boos. Mone’ talks about how she has ‘CEO’ piped into her song and how she doesn’t need that, as the crowd chants DMD. We cut to Mercedes Mone’ entering the arena, as The Young Bucks greet her, who say her championship celebration is ready and tell the crew to get the ring ready for her.
With Baker still in the ring, they start bringing in balloons and set up the ring for Mercedes who makes her way out. As she enters the ring, Baker doesn’t move at all and stands her ground. The crowd chants ‘DMD’ as Mercedes says ‘Oops’ for interrupting something and says it’s time to celebrate with the double champion. Baker says Mercedes is trying to outshine her moment since she did it to her at Forbidden Door but Mercedes calls her irrelevant. Mercedes is in full heel mode as the crowd chants for her to ‘Shut the fuck up’. Baker brings up All In and how she wrestled at the first one here in Chicago and talks about being the first female to sign her contract for AEW and wrestled last year in Wembley Stadium while Mercedes was looking like a ‘broken bitch with a broken leg’ in the stands. Baker makes the challenge to Mercedes for this year’s All In, but Mercedes pie-faces Baker and says she’s never broke, stays rich and says there is a long list of girls who are on the line for her and tells Baker to get to the back of the line. They throw some ‘bitch’ back and forth before Mercedes does her catchphrase and raises her titles.
Will Ospreay Is Out Of The Don Callis Family
Renee is in the back with Will Ospreay & Kyle Fletcher and asks Ospreay how he’s feeling ahead of tonight’s match. Don Callis walks in as Ospreay asks Renee for a minute. Ospreay says it’s not Callis’ fault, but his fault as he was the one who hit the referee and he couldn’t do the Tiger Driver. He doesn’t think he’s that guy anymore and Callis gave him Kenny Omega & Chris Jericho, and he has a loyalty to him for changing his life. His heart broke on Sunday though, and he wants to be out of the Don Callis Family for good. Callis says he’s not in the habit of letting people out of signed agreements with him, but he’s proud of Ospreay and what he’s done, so he’s happy to do him the favor, and maybe one day he will ask him for a favor. They hug, as Callis tells Fletcher to go with him when leaving.
Chris Jericho In, Taz Out
Chris Jericho makes his way down to the ring with security who goes and stays near Taz by the commentary table. Jericho talks about not being scheduled for today, but he needs his TV time. Jericho talks about Hook stealing his finisher at Forbidden Door, and that’s the ultimate sign of disrespect and that ‘doesn’t work for him, brother’. Jericho talks about Taz being supposed to be an unbiased announcer and talks about him being a mark and he spoke to Matthew & Nicholas Jackson about Taz being relieved of his announcing duties for the rest of the evening and having to leave the Wintrust Arena immediately. Taz reluctantly gets up and leaves as Jericho takes his spot.
Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata & Hook vs. Cage of Agony (Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
Samoa Joe & Toa Liona start the match, as Chris Jericho is so happy that Samoa & Toa rhyme, before Katsuyori Shibata & Brian Cage, quickly tag in. Liona & Hook come in and start battling on the outside as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we return Shibata is on Liona’s back, knocking him down before Hook & Bishop Kaun tag in. Hook starts clotheslining and suplexing down all three members of Cage of Agony until Kaun comes in with a gutbuster for two. Cage of Agony starts working on Hook, before Joe runs in to break up the count and knocks Kaun to the outside where he tries to dive onto him, just to get stopped by Liona. Shibata knocks Liona to the outside but Cage takes him out with an F5. Hook counters one from Cage into a DDT, before crawling over and making the tag to Joe. Joe blocks Liona in the corner with an STO, before Hook & Shibata join in on attacking Liona in the corner with splashes and kicks. They continue to triple-team on him before Cage & Kaun break up the pin. All six go at it until the baby faces all three put chokes on as Bryce Remsburg calls off the match.
Winners: Samoa Joe, Hook & Katsuyori Shibata by submission at 9:08
Jericho starts clapping for them, which distracts them as Big Bill & Bryan Keith attack them from behind with chairs. Keith pulls off his sling and continues to attack them as commentary questions if there is anything wrong with his arm to begin with. The Learning Tree continues to attack them with chairs as the crowd chants ‘Please retire’ at Jericho, who takes out Hook with a pair of brass knuckles. They set up a table in the ring before Bill puts Hook through it with a giant chokeslam.
Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Quarter-Final Match: Jeff Jarrett vs. Adam Page
We get a Western-inspired video for the Wild Card who is revealed to be ‘Hangman’ Adam Page who comes out to new slower, heelish-like music. The commentary team talks about how important this match is for Jeff Jarrett, as Page aggressively takes down Jarrett with punches and kicks him while down. Jarrett mounts a comeback but gets taken down hard by a vicious lariat by Page. Page sends Jarrett to the apron, where Page grabs him and powerbombs him on top of it before slamming his head repeatedly against the ring steps as we go to picture-in-picture.
We come back to see Page bite Jarrett on the head while on the apron, as he tries to hit the Dead Eye, just for Jarrett to reverse it into The Stroke, and both men fall to the outside as a result. Back inside, Jarrett tries both the Figure Four and Sharpshooter, but Page fights them both off and hits the Dead Eye. Page doesn’t go for the pin as the crowd chants for Swerve. Page sets up for the Buckshot Lariat, but Jarrett collapses down. They fight in the ropes for a little bit before Jarrett blocks the Buckshot Lariat and puts on the Sharpshooter as the crowd goes crazy. Page crawls over and grabs the bottom rope to break it up as Jarrett looks disappointed and frustrated. Page sends Jarrett throat-first into the ropes and follows with the Buckshot Lariat. Instead of going for the pin, Page continues to punch down on Jarrett followed by another Dead Eye to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Adam Page by pinfall at 11:14, to advance
Respect Chris Jericho
Karen Jarrett goes to check on Jeff Jarrett in the ring, but we quickly go to the back to get an update on Hook who immediately gets attacked by Big Bill & Bryan Keith, before Chris Jericho enters and takes him out with a fireball as Keith tells him to respect Chris Jericho.
Hangman Focused On The Owen
After the break, Renee is in the back with Adam Page and asks if that type of behavior is acceptable. The Young Bucks congratulate Page on his win and say they should continue to scratch each other’s back and ask him if he will be their fifth man for Blood & Guts. Page says he’s not The Elite’s ‘man’ anymore and he doesn’t need any more of their bullshit games and he’s in the Owen to win the Owen before pushing them both off and walking away.
AEW International Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Daniel Garcia (w/ MJF)
They start the match testing each other out with fast offense until one hard chop by Will Ospreay sends Daniel Garcia into the corner, where MJF gives him a quick pep talk. They keep the speedy offense going with takedowns until Garcia catches Ospreay into a short piledriver. Garcia stays in control sending Ospreay in the corner for ten punches, but Ospreay is able to escape and hit a Cheeky Dandos before hitting a crossbody to Garcia on the outside. As Ospreay goes to get Garcia, MJF stands in between and has a face-off with MJF before we go to picture-in-picture.
We continue and get continuous action from both men here until Ospreay has Garcia grounded and kicks away at him before giving Garcia an open shot to attack him back with kicks, but instead, Garcia dances in Ospreay’s face. Garcia continues followed by a Saito suplex, but Ospreay counters back and gets a two, followed by a Stormbreaker attempt that Garcia counters for two. More back and forth until Ospreay kicks off Garcia as they do some wild offense off the ropes until Ospreay hits the Styles Clash for two. Ospreay goes for the Hidden Blade, but Garcia is able to catch him and put him in a choke before transitioning into the front chancery. Ospreay gets out, and they see-saw back and forth until Garcia blocks an Os Cutter and hits a piledriver for a very close two. MJF tosses the Dynamite Diamond ring in for Garcia to use, but it only distracts Garcia as Ospreay takes advantage. Garcia then looks at the ring but gives it right back to MJF as Ospreay quickly follows with the Hidden Blade to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Will Ospreay by pinfall at 14:21, to retain
MJF Turns On Daniel Garcia
Garcia is in the corner crying as Ospreay goes to console him and tells him that he knows Garcia can do it and tells the crowd to give him a standing ovation. After Ospreay leaves, MJF says that was on him and not Garcia, and said Garcia busted his ass and the crowd loves him before raising his hand and giving him a hug. MJF stuns the crowd though by hitting him with a low blow, puts the ring on goes to hit him, but Matt Menard runs out and gets taken out instead. MJF spits on Garcia, tells him to get up, and takes him out with the ring. Security tries to stop MJF but he takes them all out before going to attack Garcia some more, busting him open. MJF starts screaming if he ‘restored the feeling’ and talks about Garcia being ‘your boy’. We see Menard on the outside spilling blood all over his face as MJF hits a Tombstone Piledriver to Garcia from the middle rope as Christopher Daniels, Rocky Romero, and more officials get in the ring with Daniels screaming at MJF for what he did. MJF pushes them off and continues to attack Garcia as Ospreay finally shows up and chases MJF away into the crowd, where MJF gets into it with fans, tossing garbage in their direction. Our final image is Garcia being stretched out as Ospreay is distraught.
Rampage Line-Up
- Rush vs. Komander
- Owen Hart Foundation Semi-Final: Mariah May vs. Hikaru Shida
Collision Line-Up
- MJF kicks off the show
- Toni Storm vs. Trish Adora
- Owen Hart Foundation Semi-Final: Adam Page vs. Jay White
Dynamite Line-Up
- Owen Hart Foundation Final: Bryan Danielson vs. winner of Jay White vs. Adam Page
- Owen Hart Foundation Final: Willow Nightingale vs. winner of Mariah May vs. Hikaru Shida
- Swerve Strickland returns
FINAL THOUGHTS
A very good episode of Dynamite that was able to follow up on most of the programs coming out of Forbidden Door, while also quickly transitioning into the All In build, while also continuing the hype for Blood & Guts as well as next week’s finals for the Owen Hart Tournaments. They did a much better of keeping everything organized and not as much of a juggled-up mess as last week, without having to involve outside talent from CMLL & NJPW. The in-ring action was fantastic as always and a really strong in-ring segment between Mercedes Mone’ & Britt Baker has the potential of being one of the best built-up matches for Wembley. Could have down with the silly finish for Willow vs. Statlander, especially when we would get a similar ending for a much better-executed angle at the end of the show. Not sure where the Taz & Chris Jericho story is going, with the pay-off we would all want is a match that we don’t think is feasibly possible, and the fact that when Jericho left commentary and Taz didn’t return, was a bit odd. Regardless, a strong bounce back from last week’s episode with a great angle to end the show, I did not expect a heel turn from MJF, especially not this soon that could either lead to Ospreay vs. MJF at Wembley, or with Garcia involved to make it a three-way.
