AEW Dynamite
August 28th, 2024
By: John Siino
State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
RESULTS
- Dark: Satnam Singh over Colt Cabana
- Dark: Serpentico over CJ Esparza
- Adam Page over Tomohiro Ishii via pinfall (16:45) (Recommended)
- Jamie Hayter over Harley Cameron via pinfall (3:06)
- Hook, Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy & Kyle O’Reilly over Roderick Strong, Chris Jericho, Big Bill & Bryan Keith via submission (16:31)
- Ricochet over Kyle Fletcher via pinfall (12:03)
This Is Not Your Company Anymore
The show starts with Jon Moxley heading to the ring from the crowd, using his NJPW ‘Death Rider’ song instead of ‘Wild Thing’. Tony Schiavone meets him down there to get a word with him as Excalibur mentions this is not how they were scheduled to start the show. Schiavone mentions how they haven’t seen him since Forbidden Door and asks if everything is okay with him, as Moxley has a different look than usual. Moxley says he’s been doing a lot of thinking lately about some things that need to get done. He came here tonight looking for a man who’s not here, to have a conversation and that man is nothing like him, but he’s everything like him so this conversation is long overdue, as he reveals he’s talking about Darby Allin and it’s about time they have a talk, and he’s not going to be hard to find. Moxley goes to leave but stops Schiavone and says it’s going to take some time for everyone to wrap their brains around this and tells Schiavone ‘This is not your company anymore’, and leaves. As he leaves, the camera awkwardly zooms to someone with a CM Punk shirt sitting in the front row.
It Was Pretty Cool
Renee Paquette is in the back with The Conglomeration, Willow Nightingale & Hook and mentions what they have lined up for tonight, as Mark Briscoe says they do indeed have a lot going on tonight. Briscoe then tees to Hook who says ‘it was pretty cool’ to be successful at All In. Briscoe then asks Willow what the stipulation for All Out is, as she says there’s only one option in a Chicago Street Fight, and CMLL won’t even sanction it (I assume alluding to the CMLL World Women’s Championship not being on the line). Briscoe then tells Tomohiro Ishii that it’s time to kick ass, as they head to the ring.
Adam Page vs. Tomohiro Ishii
They start the first minute of the match exchanging forearms to each other while stopping to yell in between, before going into shoulder blocks with Tomohiro Ishii knocking Adam Page down, before they get into each other’s face and then start trading chops. This continues for a while before they head to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, they are fighting on the apron until Page hits Ishii with a DDT, and Ishii stays there upside down on his head after. Page follows with a leaping lariat from the top rope, to get a two. Page puts on a leg lock until Ishii is able to crawl over to the bottom rope to force the break. Page goes after Ishii with forearms, but Ishii eats them up until he pushes Page back and knocks him down with one big forearm shot. They fight in the corner, where Ishii stops Page with a jumping headbutt, before hitting a Superplex, for a two-count. Page follows with a Death Valley Driver, but Ishii comes right back with a German Suplex. They knock each other down with a double elbow, as we go back to picture-in-picture.
They continue to go back and forth, reversing each other’s moves until Page hits a release German Suplex. Ishii hits a leaping Dead Eye followed by a lariat, but Page is able to kick out at two. They start to trade lariats until Page is able to come out on top, followed by the Dead Eye and the Buckshot Lariat to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Adam Page by pinfall at 16:45
Swerve & Page In A Cage
As soon as the match ends, Swerve Strickland heads out with Prince Nana. Swerve enters the ring and gets right in Page’s face. Swerve tells Page that he should stomp him to a bloody mess for getting involved in his match at All In, but instead he comes out here to look him in his face and tell him that he feels sorry for Page for becoming a petulant little child and with every tirade and tantrum that he throws, he gets further and further away from success, while he gets closer to it. Make no mistake about it, he might not have a championship around his waist for now but he’ll always be referred to as a World Champion, and this will always be his house, and Page failed. Page tells Swerve that he is not a champion of anything and calls him a piece of shit for breaking into his home and wrestling him three times and never beat him on his own. The first time it took Nana, the second it took Nana & Brian Cage, and the third time he couldn’t do it in 30 minutes, because he’s not as good as Page. Page says he wants just Swerve and him, as Swerve suggests for a Steel Cage Match for All Out.
Swerve then brings up how he drove to Page’s house, parked out in front, and saw Page escorting his pregnant wife down the stairs to become a father for the second time in his life, and how that’s the man that Page was supposed to be. Swerve mentioned how that made him go and focus on the AEW World Championship, and that’s exactly what he did and to mark his words that it will happen again. Swerve brings up how Page is so focused on him that he lost the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, the Casino Gauntlet & the Blood & Guts matches and how Page’s career is going up in flames. Swerve then asks Page what kind of man he will be in that cage, better yet, what kind of man is he going to show his kids that he’s going to be. Page drops the mic and leaves to the back.
Jamie Hayter vs. Harley Cameron (w/ Saraya)
Right away, Harley Cameron corners Jamie Hayter and tries to choke her out with a boot, but Hayter turns it right around to her and whips her to the other side. Hayter catches Cameron off the ropes and tries to send her into the corner, but Cameron slips out and takes control of the match. Hayter catches Cameron off the ropes and takes her out with a boot, as Cameron heads outside to regroup with Saraya. Hayter starts going after Saraya before heading back inside as Cameron stops her with a shot to the throat and tries the Seoul Food, but gets stopped. Hayter comes back with a couple of Hayte Breakers before taking her out with the Haterade Lariat to get the quick pin and win.
Winner: Jamie Hayter by pinfall at 3:06
Hayter tries to go after Saraya, but she pushes Cameron into her and escapes through the crowd.
Pay The Price
Back to “The Remarkable” Renee Paquette who is with The Learning Tree & Roderick Strong, as she asks Big Bill about his big reaction in the UK. Big Bill talks about how people change like the seasons, and fall is around the corner as the leaves are about to get colorful. Chris Jericho says after being the longest reigning For The World Champion in history, Hook finally took the advice of The Learning Tree and is only a champion because of the lessons he taught him, as he is proud of him. Strong says he and Jericho have never seen eye-to-eye, but it’s an honor for him to be part of the Jericho Vortex for the night. Strong then asks for Jericho’s help to get Kyle O’Reilly away from Orange Cassidy, as Jericho says Orange still owes him $7,000 for ruining his jacket years ago and tonight they will all pay the price.
MJF & Daniel Garcia Are All Out
They showed highlights of MJF losing the American (International) Championship to Will Ospreay, due to Daniel Garcia’s return interference before we see MJF heading to the ring, as he’s showing pain from his neck with medical tape all over it. MJF says he’s in a lot of pain and has a splitting headache, so he politely warns everybody that if they don’t pipe down, he will hop the guardrail and he will beat the living hell out of everyone in this arena. MJF says after what transpired at All In, he’s lost his ring, and championship and now has two herniated discs in his spine, and asks where the fans were when he was defending this country and company, as nobody had his back and now he denounces his American citizenship and will no longer be associated with this garbage country, and the only part of this place that matters is the most magical place in the world in Plainview, Long Island, New York. He also denounces the so-called fans for showing him no respect after everything that he’s done for this company and without MJF, this company is a circus.
Speaking of circus acts he transitions to Will Ospreay, telling him that the whole world knew he had him beat so he cheated like a gutless little worm and tells him that this isn’t over by a longshot, and Ospreay better keeps his head in a swivel and one day he will come this close to winning the AEW World Championship, and just before he does MJF will cut him off at the knees with a smile on his face. Last but not least, he talks to Daniel Garcia and tells him that if he shows his face in this company ever again he will end his life. On cue, Garcia attacks MJF from behind and puts him in a guillotine choke, knocking MJF out cold. Garcia goes to hit a piledriver but stops before looking around the ring. Garcia ends up putting MJF on the top rope and goes to piledrive him from there, but security runs out and stops him. MJF takes advantage of this and attacks Garcia from behind, and stomps him out in the corner. Garcia goes to try the corner piledriver again, but security plus Christopher Daniels runs out and keeps them apart. Garcia gets on the mic and says he was the one who stole MJF’s Dynamite Diamond ring and pawned it off to pay for his trip to London. Garcia mentions that he thought that was bad, and bad being stretched out in front of his mom and it’s his fetish to ruin MJF’s life, and he talked to Tony Khan and he made MJF vs. Daniel Garcia at All Out. Garcia tosses the mic to MJF’s face as security keeps them apart with MJF agreeing to the match.
We see a highlight video of package of Ricochet at All In, as he says he is right where he belongs, and it’s the start of his journey so let us see where his journey takes them.
Hook & The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly & Mark Briscoe) vs. Roderick Strong & The Learning Tree (Chris Jericho, Big Bill & Bryan Keith)
Hook & Chris Jericho start the match, but right away, Jericho tags out to Bryan Keith. Hook stays on top of Keith, sending him to his corner with a suplex before tagging out to Orange Cassidy. Kyle O’Reilly & Mark Briscoe take turns tagging in and working on Keith, who is able to roll out and tag in Big Bill. Bill & Briscoe trade chops off in the corner before Briscoe rolls out and all eight men enter the ring and go at it as we go to picture-in-picture.
After the break, Orange & Jericho are going at it, as Orange breaks up a Full Nelson by putting his hands in his pocket and takes out Jericho with a dropkick. All the heels go after Orange, as Briscoe tags back in to go after both Keith & Jericho. Roderick Strong stops Briscoe with a backbreaker, as Keith stays on top of him. Bill comes in and takes out all his opponents, including a spinning sidewalk slam on Orange as we go back to picture-in-picture.
Hook dodges Bill in the corner and takes him out with a T-Bone Suplex before taking out Strong with a Northern Lights Suplex for two, which Keith breaks up. Everybody continues to fight here until Jericho stops Briscoe’s attempt at diving to the outside with a clothesline, as he celebrates a bit over-the-top. Everybody starts hitting dives to the outside, as Hook reverses the End of Heartache and puts on the Redrum to submit Strong, who did have his foot on the bottom rope for the finish that Aubrey Edwards didn’t see.
Winners: Hook & The Conglomeration (Kyle O’Reilly, Mark Briscoe & Orange Cassidy) by submission at 16:31
As soon as the match ends, everybody continues to brawl with Matt Taven & Mike Bennett running in and joining Strong on their attack on Hook as everybody else is brawling up the ramp. Taven & Bennett hold Strong up, who’s hoisting the FTW Championship.
Sayonara, Bitches
We go to Mercedes Mone’ who’s in the back with a party celebration, but she gets interrupted by Private Party who say you can’t have a party without Private Party, as they congratulate her on her win at All In before promoting her title defense against Momo Watanabe at NJPW Capital Collision. Isiah Kassidy tells Mercedes that he knows she’s single and starts flirting with her, but Kamille steps in and stops him. Kazuchika Okada steps in as Mercedes asks him how you say ‘Bye, bitch’ in Japanese, as he tells her it’s ‘Sayonara, bitches’, which she repeats before they go back to celebrating in one of the saddest parties I’ve ever seen.
No Champagne In Champaign
Tony Schiavone is on the ramp as he announces another celebration and brings out the new AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May. May comes out in a black robe and takes the mic away from Schiavone to tell her that he’s the champion and regrets informing everyone that the celebration has been postponed because she’s not doing it in this town. She knows it’s called Champaign, but it’s more like flat stale piss warm beer. Judging by some of the desperately average-looking women, it must be something they are used to shoving down their throats amongst other things. What they desperately need is some glamour, and luckily for them, that’s everything she is. In case they don’t understand, she’s going to take her robe off now and show them exactly what she means. Mariah takes off her robe, revealing a black lingerie while wearing the title, as a woman is seen covering her partner’s eyes, before May heads to the back.
Grit Your Elite Teeth
We go to the Grizzled Young Veterans after All In, but the Young Bucks interrupt them and thank them. Zack Gibson says that was a message to the entire tag team division and the GYV are here to stay in AEW and they are coming for the tag titles. James Drake tells them that when they see GYV coming, to grit their teeth. We cut to GYV in the back who put out a warning to whoever they will be facing this Friday on Rampage, as the lower third shows they will be facing off against The Outrunners.
Konosuke Takeshita’s G1 Climax
We see a highlight video of Konosuke Takeshita in this year’s G1 Climax (thank God), with commentary from Walker Stewart & Chris Charlton. They then announce that he will be in a four-way match on Rampage against The Beast Mortos, Komander & Lio Rush.
Ricochet vs. Kyle Fletcher
Don Callis comes out and joins commentary for Ricochet’s first match on Dynamite. Excalibur talks about Ricochet’s time in PWG as Tony Schiavone mentions seeing him in the Indies before AEW was formed (Schiavone did commentary for MLW where Ricochet faced Swerve Strickland in the main event of their relaunch show One-Shot in 2017). Right away Ricochet goes after Kyle Fletcher, sending him to the outside with a dropkick. They fight on the apron for a bit, before Fletcher sends Ricochet outside and takes him out with a tope suicida. Fletcher sends Ricochet over the barricade, and teases jumping over to him, but Ricochet is quicker and takes out Fletcher first with a Meteora over the barricade, as we go to picture-in-picture.
Fletcher puts Ricochet on the top rope, but Ricochet fights him off with a headbutt and springboards back in with a crossbody. Ricochet comes back with a springboard back elbow, attacks Fletcher in the corner, and tries another springboard but Fletcher dodges it. Ricochet hits an enziguri, a pair of suplexes, and a running shooting star press for two. Fletcher starts running the ropes and takes out Ricochet with a hard lariat. Ricochet fights off Fletcher in the corner and hits a dropkick sending him outside where he hits him with a shoulder dive. Ricochet sends Fletcher back inside and goes to the top but Fletcher gets his feet up and attacks Ricochet in the corner, hitting a brainbuster for two. They go back and forth until Ricochet hits the Vertigo to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Ricochet by pinfall at 12:03
After the match, Will Ospreay comes out on the ramp but before he can say anything in the mic, PAC runs out and takes him out from behind with a poisonrana. PAC gives a warning to Ospreay to never forget The Bastard. PAC then welcomes Ricochet to AEW, then tells him to get to the back of the line like everybody else as Ospreay belongs to him. Ricochet heads up the stage to check on Ospreay, as PAC escapes to the back.
A Lesson In Humility
We see Jon Moxley in the back, as the cameraman tries to get a word with him. Moxley then starts attacking the security guard, before Marina Shafir joins him in the attack. Moxley says this is a lesson in humility.
The Future Of Bryan Danielson
The new AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson heads to the ring for the final segment of the show. Danielson says after multiple times of trying and failing, the American Dragon is finally the AEW World Champion. In front of over 50,000 people in Wembley Stadium, in front of his family who got to sit in the front row, and when he got to the back, his daughter said ‘This was the best day of my life’. Danielson says that early in the day, his daughter went on a Peppa Pig double-decker bus that could have played into that. Danielson knew when he had his peers congratulating him that it was his favorite moment of his entire career. He talks about the question of ‘What’s next’, as he talked about his contract with AEW expiring on August 1st, his needing neck surgery sooner rather than later, and his family needs him to come home.
He’s had a lot of thinking to do since Sunday and one of the first things he said when arriving at AEW was saying thank you to the people who started this place. He talks about AEW making wrestling and his own life better, so when he thinks about all the things that the people who started AEW did and when he looked at all his peers and all the people who are going to wrestle in the future, he realized it’s probably time for him to go home, but not yet. He said he will not retire as AEW World Champion, and he will continue to fight but as soon as he loses the title his full-time career is over, but it won’t happen anytime soon. Danielson mentions All Out and whoever wants it, first come, first serve. We cut to Jack Perry in the back who says Danielson doesn’t know his future, but he knows his. Perry talks about creating his own future, by punching Tony Khan, destroying Kenny Omega, and burying Darby Allin at All In. Perry says his future is to retire Danielson and become AEW World Champion, while Danielson’s future is behind him. On cue, Perry attacks Danielson from behind in the ring. Perry stands tall over Danielson while holding both his own title and Danielson’s as the show goes off the air.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This show was a bit all over the place, and I quite can’t figure out if that’s good or bad, settling on maybe a bit of both. Obviously, all the focus is building to the matches for All Out in a couple of weeks, but the execution of some of the segments felt a bit rushed and clunky. Not sure if it was just me, but the audience didn’t feel too invested in the show, especially for the names that were debuting/returning tonight (Ricochet, Jamie Hayter), and it started with the Jon Moxley segment where the crowd didn’t really seem to know how to react to it, and although I felt the same way initially, with the inclusion of Marina Shafir I’m definitely intrigued on where this might be going. My guess is Moxley goes to form his own MMA-style type group. Overall, the talking segments I think will be more of the talking points (no pun intended) of this show, compared to the actual wrestling on the show, which by no means was any bad, although I was quite confused/disappointed in the eight-man match, that seemed to insult my intelligence by having Aubrey Edwards stare right at the foot on the rope and pretend like she didn’t.
