AEW Dynamite – “5 Year Anniversary”
October 2, 2024
By: John Siino
Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentary: Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness & Tony Schiavone
RESULTS
- International Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Ricochet ended in a No Contest (17:37) (Recommended)
- Adam Page over Juice Robinson via pinfall (10:08)
- Dr. Britt Baker over Serena Deeb via submission (11:37)
- Private Party over Iron Savages via pinfall (1:05)
- AEW World Championship / Continental Championship: Bryan Danielson (c) over Kazuchika Okada (c) via pinfall (31:39) (Recommended)
Sending Daddy Home For Good
The show starts with a video from Jon Moxley, PAC, Claudio Castagnoli & Marina Shafir. PAC & Claudio are talking to something in the camera, saying this is still their home and they have big plans for him, referring to Wheeler Yuta. Moxley then starts talking about Bryan Danielson and says he will have his title, one way or another and there will be casualties. Moxley says that Danielson will get a gift from him that not many people get, the opportunity to go on his shield and die a warrior’s death on his home soil. He will be buried in his backyard and fate isn’t going to put a better offer on the table than that, before saying on October 12th he officially relieves Danielson of his duty and sends ‘daddy home for good’.
Excalibur thanks the fans for 5 years of Dynamite and says that Nigel McGuinness is replacing Taz tonight, and they will explain later in the show.
AEW International Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Ricochet
Will Ospreay is getting ready with Kyle Fletcher in the back, but Don Callis & Konosuke Takeshita interrupt and take Fletcher away, saying they have to go to the airport, which seems to upset Ospreay. The commentary brings up staying on TBS & TNT for many years, as well as going streaming to Max. They start the match going back and forth on the ropes, dodging each other before they both hit a springboard backflip and land in the middle of the ring. They then start trading forearms and chops, before Ricochet catches Ospreay into a backbreaker, sending him to the outside where he meets him with a tope suicida. They start fighting on the barricade, where Ricochet hits a hurricanrana, sending Ospreay back ringside. Back inside, we get a stalling senton from Ricochet before he starts kicking away at Ospreay, as the crowd chants for both men. They start ducking kicks before Ricochet lands two clotheslines, getting a two-count. More action off the ropes, before Ospreay hits a Spanish Fly for two. Ricochet sends Ospreay to the apron where they tussle for a bit before Ospreay hits the Os Cutter, as they both fall to the outside as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we return, they are both on the top rope where Ricochet hits a hurricanrana, just for Ospreay to land on his feet, but Ricochet comes right back with his own Os Cutter, for two. Back and forth until Ricochet counters a Hidden Blade attempt with a Backslide Bomb followed by a spinning piledriver for two. Ospreay hits a Stundog Millionaire, but Ricochet counters a Hidden Blade, just for Ospreay to come right back with a Styles Clash for two. Ospreay follows with an Os Cutter, but Ricochet kicks out again. Ricochet hits a Shooting Star Press, but Ospreay kicks out at two. Ospreay reverses the Vertigo attempt with a Poisonrana, Ricochet hits one himself, as Ospreay follows with a Hidden Blade. They both cover each other with both sets of shoulders on the mat, as Rick Knox makes the double pin at 16:56. Justin Roberts announces that the match has been ruled a draw.
The crowd chants for them to keep going, as Roberts announces that Tony Khan has decided for the match to continue, as the bell rings again. They both go for roundhouse kicks before Ospreay hits the Hidden Blade, but before he can go for the pin, Konosuke Takeshita runs out and attacks Ospreay, as the referee calls for the no contest.
The match ends in a no-contest at 17:37, as Will Ospreay retains
Takeshita lands the Powerdrive Knee on Ospreay, before taking out Ricochet with the Raging Fire. Takeshita raises the International Championship, as the crowd chants ‘asshole’ at him.
Mone’ Changes Everything
We go backstage where Renee Paquette is with Mercedes Mone’ and Kamille, as Mercedes throws to Dynamite’s best moments over the 5 years, which all end up being highlights of Mercedes’s short time here. We cut back to Mercedes who calls it amazing and says AEW’s best moments are all about her and the future is so bright as ‘Mone’ changes everything’. MVP walks in and says he loves ‘big business’ and gives Mercedes his card, saying they should talk.
Renee is in the back with The Gunns, who ask what they could expect from ‘Hangman’ Adam Page tonight after his attack last week, but before they can say anything Hangman attacks them from behind with a chair and lays them both out.
“You’ll Never Be As Good As Jay”
We cut to the ring where Big Bill is in the ring with a TV Time segment, who says over the 5 years of AEW Dynamite everybody has become a better man due to Chris Jericho, as Jericho makes his way out along with Bryan Keith. They announce that Big Bill & Bryan Keith will take on Orange Cassidy & Kyle O’Reilly on Rampage this Friday, with Jericho on commentary. Jericho congratulates AEW for their new TV deal and how they made a lot of ‘experts’ feel like idiots, and says there wouldn’t be an AEW without Chris Jericho, as Keith starts a ‘Thank you Chris’ chant. Jericho says it’s also the 34th anniversary of their debut and accidentally says they are in Philadelphia, which gets this Pittsburgh crowd to boo. Jericho talks about all he’s done with bringing young talents into the Learning Tree, but recently had an epiphany. He said the ‘ocho’ is gone and it’s time to bring in the ‘nueve’ and challenges Mark Briscoe to an ROH World Championship match at WrestleDream and asks him if he will accept.
Briscoe makes his way out, along with Cassidy, O’Reilly & Rocky Romero. Briscoe tells The Conglomeration to stand down and Jericho does the same with his guys. Briscoe talks about not making excuses and how he had Jericho beat like ‘fried chicken’, but he only lost because Bill choke-slammed him through a table and Jericho rolled his limp-ass on top of him. Briscoe says that was legal in a Tornado Tag match, and Jericho pinned him for the 1, 2, and 3. Briscoe talks about how Jericho has been one of the finest professional wrestlers on the planet for the last 4 decades, and that works out well for him and he would love to defend the title against Jericho to put the ‘notch on his belt’. The word of the day is consequential and talks about beating him at WrestleDream, but Jericho interrupts him and says he doesn’t think Briscoe can beat him, and maybe his brother Jay could have but everybody knows Mark will never be as good as Jay was. Briscoe knocks him out and tells Jericho to leave his brother’s name out of his mouth and he’ll get a Briscoe Brothers-style ass whooping at WrestleDream, and that it is consequential.
Darby’s WrestleDream Open Challenge
We go to Darby Allin outside who talks about how when he was young he used to ride on the bus until one day he saw three guys laughing at him because they were taking turns spitting at the back of his head. It was killing him inside that he wasn’t doing anything about it until finally he turned around, got in his face as the guy said ‘What are you going to do about it, you little bitch’, as he was holding up a switchblade. Darby says he lunged at him until everybody broke up the fight, but it felt good to do something about it. When Jon Moxley told him he wasn’t ready to be champion, he saw those guys on the bus. He put everything on the line against Moxley and it should have been him and Bryan going to WrestleDream. He keeps saying he’s going to be the face of this company and he thinks he’s starting to lose faith in himself, but what else can he do but fight? He’s going to be at WrestleDream and puts out an open challenge to anybody and tells them to step right up, as he has nothing left to lose.
Adam Page vs. Juice Robinson
As Juice Robinson is making his way out, Adam Page runs up there and starts attacking him. Juice pulls out a strap and starts attacking Page with it. Page takes it away, as Aubrey Edwards tells them to get in the ring to start the match, just for Page to tell her to ‘Shut the hell up’. They continue fighting through the crowd, as Page starts tossing Juice against the barricades and seats. Page sets up a table against the barricade, but Juice reverses him with a backbody drop. They start heading up the stands as they announce that Title Tuesday will air at 9 pm next week with a special night and special time. Juice tosses a beer into Page’s face, stops to take a selfie, rips up a Hangman sign then tosses a popcorn bucket into his face before they finally make it into the ring to start the match officially. Excalibur talks about Taz being attacked and how Taz told him his knee was in really bad shape. Page stays in control as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, we see Juice hitting a superplex to Page. Juice lands a barrage of punches before shouting ‘Happy 5 years, bitch!’ but misses the cannonball in the corner. They take it to the outside, where Page sends Juice into the barricade. Page runs to Juice, who catches him and drops him onto the apron with a spinebuster. With Page against a barricade, Juice hits a cannonball as he goes crashing through the barricade. Juice sends Page inside and hits a top rope crossbody, just for Page to hold on and send Juice into the corner with a fall-away slam. They head to the corner, where Juice escapes out of a Dead Eye attempt and hits a powerbomb, for two. They go back and forth and while Aubrey is tied up, Page hits a low blow right in front of her, followed by the Buckshot Lariat to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Adam Page by pinfall at 10:08
Jay White Returns
Page takes off his leather belt and starts choking Juice with it, hanging him over the top rope as Jay White’s music hits, but he shows up behind Page, takes him out with a clothesline, and keeps attacking him until Page escapes out through the crowd, as White follows him and keeps attacking him putting him through the table that was set up earlier on when Juice & Page were fighting before the match. White goes and helps Juice up who says ‘He’s back!’
Shibata Challenges Perry
Renee is in the back as Jack Perry drives in on his bus. Katusyori Shibata stops Perry and translates that he wants a TNT Championship match at WrestleDream. Perry says he will think about it and leaves, as Shibata goes to talk to Renee. Perry attacks him from behind and says he accepts.
“Couldn’t Ask For It Any Other Way”
We see Bryan Danielson in the back who says he’s had one sentence in his head all day long; ‘Fuck Jon Moxley’. He talks about this not being his or Moxley’s world championship, but AEW’s World Championship. This is where the best wrestle and that’s why he challenged Kazuchika Okada. He might have broken his orbital bone, but never broke his spirit and although Okada’s title is only on the line in the first 20 minutes, his title and career are on the line for every minute, and he couldn’t ask for it in any other way.
Dr. Britt Baker DMD vs. Serena Deeb
Dr. Britt Baker DMD makes her way through one of the entrance tunnels with the Terrible Towel on, to a big hometown reaction. They start the match with wrist control before Baker takes Serena Deeb and goes right into a Lockjaw attempt, but Deeb slips free as we see AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May watching on from the crowd. They go back and forth before Deeb puts on the single-leg crab, but Baker is able to crawl over and grab the bottom rope. They run the ropes before Baker hits a neckbreaker but Deeb comes right back with a Chop Block as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we return, they are going back and forth until Baker hits a sling blade, followed by a Fisherman neck breaker to get a two. Baker goes to put on her glove, but Deeb stops her with a dragon screw in the corner followed by a powerbomb for two, as Deeb transitions into a Stretch Muffler, just for Baker to roll her up for two. Deeb catches Baker off the ropes into a German Suplex, but Baker comes right back with a thrust kick before Deeb takes her down with a lariat. Baker reverses the Deebtox with an Air Raid Crash, as Mariah May looks on from the crowd. They trade pin attempts before Baker stops Deeb on the top rope where she hits her with an avalanche Air Raid Crash, but Deeb still kicks out at two. Baker goes right into the Locksaw, as Deeb taps out.
Winner: Dr. Britt Baker by submission at 11:37
As soon as the match ends, Deeb attacks Baker from behind and puts on the Serenity Lock but Queen Aminata runs out and attacks Deeb before Deeb is able to escape out.
Hook, Line & Sinker
Renee is in the back with Hook and asks if he has any information on the attack on his father Taz earlier today. Hook says he will find out who did this and he is coming for them.
We go to Christian Cage who tells Pittsburgh to sit down and shut their mouths as he conducts his business at hand. Christian says they haven’t seen anything from him yet, as he is the face of TBS now and forever, and the next AEW World Champion and soon enough he will have it all, before saying ‘Hook, line & sinker’.
Renee is in the back with Mariah May who says Willow Nightingale is the definition of failing up, by losing all her titles and now being best friends with Yuka Sakazaki just to try and get a title shot. Willow joins in and calls May the shady bitch, as they bicker for a bit before they get into a scuffle. Christopher Daniels gets in between and says this is not how they do it here.
Private Party (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy) vs. Iron Savages (Bulk Bronson & Beefcake Boulder) (w/ Jacked Jameson)
Private Party comes out to a new theme song, as Isiah Kassidy and Bulk Bronson start the batch before Beefcake Boulder joins in just to get sent to the outside where Marq Quen is there to dive onto him as Stokely Hathaway is seen watching on from the back. This quickly ends as they hit Gin & Juice and Quen gets the pin on Bronson.
Winners: Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) by pinfall at 1:05
Kassidy gets on the mic and says he’s got to get something off his chest and says he doesn’t care if his hand or shoulder is messed up or Quen coming back from injury, because they will be your next AEW World Tag Team Champions, and hopes the Young Bucks are listening, as they beat them once and can do it again. They say they are feeling froggy and are ready to jump and call out Matt & Nick, as their music hits. Nicholas Jackson says you can’t have an anniversary show without your EVPs, as Matthew Jackson says Private Party seems super confident so they have an idea since they have a substantial overrun and offer to put up their titles right now. They start heading to the ring, but Matthew stops and says they have limited dates and won’t waste a date to a crappy city like Pittsburgh, and leave. We cut back to the ring as Jack Perry attacks Private Party before the Bucks join in. Katsuyori Shibata’s music hits and he runs out but The Elite all run away. Christoper Daniels comes out and says he has an idea for Rampage this Friday for Perry & the Bucks vs. Private Party & Shibata, right here in Pittsburgh.
Shelton Benjamin arrives
Renee is in the back with MVP who has an announcement to make. MVP goes to introduce someone but gets interrupted by Prince Nana. Nana says people forgot that he used to be a wrestler and says he’ll lace up his boots here tonight for MVP, but MVP says he doesn’t deal with complaints. We then cut to Shelton Benjamin who takes Nana’s coffee from him and says it’s pretty good.
AEW World Championship / AEW Continental Championship: Bryan Danielson (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada (c)
We are at the 9:55 pm mark, as these men enter the ring. After the first 20 minutes, Kazuchika Okada’s Continental Championship will no longer be on the line. They spend the first minute staring each other down and soaking up the crowd, before locking up. They go back and forth, as Bryan Danielson ducks the Rain Maker and Okada cowards into the ropes as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Okada has Danielson down in the corner with punches, but he turns it on him and starts reigning down punches on the apron, before hitting a dropkick through the ropes, but Okada runs back in for a flapjack. Okada keeps Danielson on the opposite corner now and slowly stays on the attack, before whipping Danielson fast onto the other side where he meets him with a back elbow. They head to the top rope, where Danielson headbutts Okada off but then missiles the diving headbutt. Okada stays in control, putting Danielson in the corner, hitting him with a dropkick, and sending him to the outside. They fight over and around the barricade, where Danielson goes crashing into Okada before they head back inside just for Danielson to send Okada right back outside where he hits him with a tope suicida. A bit of back and forth with pin attempts, before they start trading uppercuts and slaps. Back to the ropes, where Okada stops Danielson’s momentum with a dropkick followed by a top rope elbow drop. Danielson blocks a Rainmaker attempt with a triangle choke while dropping elbows before transitioning into the LeBell Lock. We get the 19-minute announcement, and the crowd boos possibly not too aware of the stipulation (It wasn’t announced to the crowd). Danielson hits the Busaiku Knee, but Okada spills to the outside as Justin Roberts announces that the 20 minutes have gone by. It now turns into just an AEW World Championship match, as Okada gets met on the outside by a flying Bryan, but he then gets caught by Okada who Tombstones him onto a chair on the outside as we go to picture-in-picture.
We come back, as Excalibur says they have taken the final commercial break of the night. Danielson lands a German Suplex before coming back with a kick to the head, but Okada comes right back with a dropkick. Danielson holds on to the wrist as they trade strikes before Danielson lays Okada down and starts kicking down on his face. Danielson sets up for the Busaiku Knee, but Okada stops him and hits the Rainmaker, as both men are now laid out. They start trading forearms as they make their way up. Danielson gets fired up and escapes out to hit a Busaiku Knee, just for Okada to bounce back with his own Busaiku Knee for two. Danielson comes right back with his Rain(forest)maker but gets a two count. Okada drives Danielson down and hits a lariat, but the crowd is distracted by Claudio, PAC & Marina who come out ringside, as the commentary says since it’s not a Continental Championship match anymore, that’s allowed now. While this is happening, Danielson puts on a backslide to pin Okada out of nowhere.
Winner: Bryan Danielson by pinfall at 31:39, to retain
As soon as the match is over, Okada takes out Danielson with a Rain Maker as he yells at PAC & Claudio about this being their fault. PAC & Claudio enter the ring and pick Danielson up, as Jon Moxley and Marina enter the ring as well. Moxley says that this isn’t about him and says to put something in Danielson’s blueberry-picking brain, that everything that he is doing is because he has to because nobody will. Moxley says if it was up to him, he would have ended this years ago. Wheeler Yuta runs out and chases them away with a hammer, but Moxley re-enters and tells Yuta to use it. Before Yuta can make his decision, Danielson attacks Moxley and they all start brawling. Yuta gets on the mic and tells Claudio & PAC that he is sick of them treating him like a child, as he is his own man and can make his own decisions and fight his fights. Yuta then says next week on Title Tuesday, if they want to get to Danielson they have to get through him first. Danielson then clarifies it’ll be himself and Yuta vs. Claudio & PAC, as the match is made official.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Between this ‘substantial overrun’ and next week’s show going until 11 pm, I feel like they are training the audience for an eventual third hour. With news of Rampage possibly going away, I can see that third hour being given to Dynamite, and wouldn’t be surprised if it’s exclusively to Max to send the audience over to their streaming partner. Whatever ‘Shockwave’ could be, I can also see tacked on with their Collision tapings. Back to this show, I did appreciate the highlights throughout but it didn’t have quite that ‘anniversary’ feel. The news of the TV deal being sprinkled throughout the show’s dialogue did help out though. It’s been a similar formula for Dynamite as other recent shows, which are sandwiched between the two strongest and most anticipated matches, but the rest of the show was filled with a return (Jay White), a debut (Shelton Benjamin), and a couple of matches being set-up and announced for WrestleDream. The crowd here was fine for the most part, but you can tell they were here for the big starts and didn’t give much of a reaction to the less established members of the roster. The ending of the show seemed a little confusing, as the crowd wasn’t sure where Yuta was standing and then Danielson had to help him out with the match announcement, but it could be stated that the confusion just continues to be Yuta’s character.
