\Results
- Chris Jericho def. Ricochet (Everyone Banned From Ringside) (13:57)
- Rush def. Brian Cage, Orange Cassidy & Lio Rush (Four-Way) (12:09)
- Brody King def. Claudio Castagnoli (Men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarter-Final) (12:01) (Recommended)
- Tay Melo & Anna Jay def. Ava Everett & Allie Katch (1:11)
- Mark Davis def. Jungle Jack Perry (Men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarter-Final) (17:13) (Recommended)
- Will Ospreay, Jon Moxley & PAC def. Myron Reed, Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz (10:21)
- Andrade El Idolo def. Ace Austin (8:09)
- Kris Statlander def. Hikaru Shida (Lights Out Philly Street Fight) (15:55) (Recommended)
JetSpeed is dead
This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, the first since the promotion’s huge Double or Nothing pay-per-view, took place at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Before any segments in the arena, we saw a clip from Sunday, where Will Ospreay ran into Kenny Omega backstage. Omega warned Ospreay about his close ties to the Death Riders in recent weeks. Omega asked Ospreay why he didn’t enlist him for help when he returned from injury. Ospreay said he didn’t ask for Omega because he’s not around every week.
“I’m not saying don’t trust them. All I’m saying is be careful, as a friend,” Omega said about the Death Riders. Jon Moxley entered the shot: “It’s good advice. We all have our skeletons, don’t we?” Despite their differences, the meeting between these three ended cordially.
We then went to the Liacouras Center, where TNT Champion Kevin Knight opened the show. Once the man “we all look up to,” Knight turned heel on Sunday night, by attacking Darby Allin following his main event loss against MJF.
Knight started his promo as the crowd chanted “F*** you Kevin.” Why did Knight attack Allin? “I told Darby Allin not to let me down … And guess what? He blew it.” For some cheap heat, Knight compared Allin to the Philadelphia 76ers, who suffered a brutal 4-0 sweep against the New York Knicks in this year’s NBA Playoffs.
Knight said he was the last one to humble MJF, and because of that, he should’ve been in the main event instead of not even being involved on Double or Nothing. This promo was eventually cut off by Knight tag partner Speedball Mike Bailey, who looked distraught.
“I hear what you’re saying, but I know you. I know how ambitious you are, and that’s your best and worst quality … But Kevin, you’re impatient. You get ahead of yourself, and you make mistakes. And what you did to Darby Allin at Double or Nothing, was a mistake,” Bailey said.
Bailey said it’s not too late for Knight to “make things right” by apologizing for attacking Allin as he was being loaded into a stretcher. I feel like I’d want more of an apology if I was Allin, but that might just be me. Bailey went for a handshake, but Knight instead dropped him with a leaping right hand. Just as Knight was about to leave the ring, he picked up Bailey for a big uranage. JetSpeed is over.
I think Knight could use a little more work on the mic, as much as I enjoy him as a wrestler. Bailey was great here and this was a decent little segment to remind us about Knight’s actions. I was surprised the show didn’t open with MJF, or with one of the bigger singles matchups.
Chris Jericho closes out Ricochet feud, suffers post-match attack
The first match of the night saw Chris Jericho face off against Ricochet. Riding the momentum of his seven-on-seven Stadium Stampede win from Sunday, Jericho had no teammates to lean on in this one, as this match had a special everyone-banned-from-ringside stipulation. It was mentioned before the match that Jericho sustained a knee injury on Sunday, this would be a major theme of the match.
Jericho went flying early on, sending Ricochet out of the ring then leaping off the top turnbuckle for a dive. The fight went on top of the commentary desk, where Ricochet was put in a Walls of Jericho.
Ricochet had the advantage as the show went to a break, as he shoved Jericho knee-first into steel stairs. Jericho scored a nasty Death Valley Driver onto the ring apron as the show returned. After scoring a brainbuster for a near fall, Jericho started to set up for a Judas Effect. Ricochet wisely rolled out of the ring to avoid the finisher.
Ricochet knocked Jericho off the ring apron with a springboard dropkick, then followed up with a tope suicida. Ricochet scored a brainbuster to the floor, hoping to earn a count-out win from the move. Jericho beat the 10-count just barely, but ate a Phoenix Splash off the ropes from Ricochet immediately after getting back into the ring. Still, it wasn’t enough to put away Jericho.
Jericho dodged a Sprit Gun then locked in a Walls of Jericho. Ricochet attacked the injured knee to get out of the submission. A misdirection spot from Ricochet involving referee Aubrey Edwards allowed Ricochet to score a low blow. He followed with a Rico-Sault (Lionsault), but Jericho kicked out again!
Ricochet tried to whip out the rare 630 Splash off the top, but Jericho got out of the way. Jericho scored a Codebreaker, but only got two from it. The former AEW World Champion followed up with a Judas Effect then a Lionsault for the pinfall win. After prevailing in the Stadium Stampede and now in a one-on-one match with Ricochet, you could consider their rivalry done. This match was inoffensive.
Jericho’s time to celebrate was short-lived, as Tommaso Ciampa hit the ring and attacked him from behind. Ciampa wiped out Jericho with a running knee strike to the head to end the segment.
Backstage, Andrade El Idolo made it clear that, with the Stadium Stampede in the rear view mirror, he’s focused on the AEW World Championship once again.
Rush wins four-way match, Jake Doyle returns
A four-way matchup was next, with Orange Cassidy, Rush, Brian Cage, and Lio Rush facing off.
Cage received some help around the 10-minute mark of this match, as Don Callis Family teammates Rocky Romero and Lance Archer appeared at ringside and started to circle Cassidy.
Some members of The Conglomeration came in for the save. Joining other Callis Family members, the returning Jake Doyle appeared as part of this brawl (they felt a little too low-key about this in the moment, considering he had been on the sidelines for a few months). The two groups brawled to the backstage, leaving it up to just Rush and Lio Rush to finish this match.
It was Rush who closed out this one at the 12-minute mark, giving Lio the Bull’s Horns doublekick in the corner for the pinfall win. I was hoping this match would be a little more wild.
Backstage, Kevin Knight approached MJF and made it clear that he wants the AEW World Championship someday. MJF brushed him off: “Goals are good, Kev. See you around.”
Kyle Fletcher approached Knight and eyed his TNT title. Don Callis appeared in the shot and said that if Knight is serious about earning a second title, he should consider joining his family.
Backstage, Jamie Hayter didn’t seem too upset about losing the AEW Women’s World Championship four-way on Sunday, because she at least got to take Thekla’s head off with a gnarly Hayterate. Alex Windsor cut a promo about how she’s chasing her Wembley Stadium dream alongside partner Will Ospreay, as they’re both in the Owen Hart Tournament. It was announced her match against the ominous “Wild Card” opponent will take place on Dynamite next week.
MJF books title match for next week
The next segment was MJF’s official championship celebration, honoring the now-three-time world champion. The champ ppeared on-stage, sitting on a throne carried around by four men. MJF tossed the default AEW World Championship on the ground, as he will instead now be carrying around his “Triple B” version of the title.
MJF flaunted that he’s among an exclusive class of wrestlers to obtain three world title runs before the age of 30. He asked fans in the arena and watching at home to bow down and declare him the greatest of all time. A huge MJF flag sprawled out as confetti went flying. This celebration was interrupted by long-time rival Mark Briscoe!
Briscoe reminded MJF that he actually has a win over him from last year, and that he’d like a title shot against him! “No,” MJF said.
MJF said that AEW is a business as well as a sport. Briscoe getting a title shot would be simply bad for business, he said. MJF said Briscoe isn’t on his level then left the ring.
As MJF was on his way out, he went face-to-face with Rush, who was hot off his recent win. “He’s a chicken farmer,” Rush said about Briscoe. “But you? You’re a chickens***.” Rush made it clear that he also wants a title shot.
MJF said that Rush is much more marketable than Briscoe, and thus is more open to giving him a title shot. After doing a fake-out for a match tonight, MJF announced that they’ll meet on next week’s show.
“The bull is about to lock horns with the devil,” MJF said to end the segment. I guess the story here is that MJF hates Briscoe so much he took the match against Rush to spite him?
Brody King punches (or laraits) his ticket to the Owen Cup semis
Owen Hart Tournament action continued in the next matchup, as Claudio Castagnoli and Brody King faced off in quarter-final action. For anyone who missed out, Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland advanced to the semis as part of Sunday’s show.
This was a hard-hitting match to start, as King and Castagnoli spent numerous minutes going back and forth with strikes. The 50-50 exchanges continued after the show returned from a break. Both men’s knees buckled after they traded hard lariats in the center of the canvas.
King seated Castagnoli in the corner after scoring a thudding forearm, allowing him to connect with a cannonball. Taz suggested that was the first real “move” of the match after 10 minutes. King attempted to follow Castagnoli to the outside with a tope suicida, but the Swiss star caught him coming through the ropes with an uppercut.
Back in the ring, King escaped a Neutralizer then tried for a Gonzo Bomb that Castagnoli was able to work his way out of. King came running off the ropes for a move, but Castagnoli reversed it into a pop-up uppercut. King remained on his feet after consuming the blow and used the momentum to charge forward at Castagnoli with a hard lariat. That final lariat was the straw that broke the camel’s back, as it flattened Castagnoli and allowed King to earn the pinfall in 10 minutes. King advances to the Owen Cup semi-finals.
This was so unlike most of what we see on TV, from moveset to match structure, but I quite enjoyed it.
The Dogs want Cope & Cage
We had another title celebration in the next segment, as the newly-crowned tag duo of Adam Copeland and Christian Cage hit the ring to reflect on their recent win over FTR.
Cage gave credit to FTR, saying they are “top guys” and got the best out of them. “The thing is, you guys just aren’t the tippy-top,” Cage said.
Copeland said that, considering they had once both been told that their careers were “over,” they had already said no to quitting before. So, FTR challenging them to an “I Quit” match was a poor choice.
To celebrate their title win, Cage and Cope decided tonight they’d bring back their famous five-second pose… At least, that’s what we expected.
“Yeah, I’m not doing that,” the cold Cage said. “They don’t even make flash photography anymore.”
Cope went under the ring and pulled out two dozen disposable cameras. He handed them out and, for “anyone under 25 years old,” he explained to some at ringside how to use them.
After the cameras were handed out, Cope & Cage were ready to do the pose. But, their moment was spoiled by Clark Connors and David Finaly of The Dogs, who attacked the tag champs!
As Cope was knocked out in the ring, the former NJPW duo wrapped an arm of Cage under a set of steel steps, then stomped on it! Standing over the knocked out champs, Connors and Finlay did their own five-second pose to end the segment. Great stuff.
TayJay returns, Bailey calls out Knight
We saw the TayJay team of Anna Jay and Tay Melo pick up a quick win, taking down independent wrestling veterans Ava Everett and Allie Katch in a tag bout. They scored a double-team finisher, slingshotting Everett into a knee-strike for the finish in 71 seconds.
Backstage, Speedball Bailey called for a match against former tag partner Kevin Knight: “You wanna show the world who you really are? Well, let’s see how that goes.” No date was mentioned here but I assume it’s next Wednesday.
Mark Davis scores Owen Hart tournament win
The final men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarter-Final match was next, as Mark Davis of the Don Callis Family faced off against Jack Perry. These two had an interaction during Sunday’s Stadium Stampede match, as Perry nearly murdered Davis by running him over with his Jurassic Express bus.
Davis got the jump on Perry, attacking him while he was still posing in a corner of the ring. This match went into the crowd early on, making up for the fact that they reportedly couldn’t brawl among the fans during the Stadium Stampede match on Sunday.
Davis was in control early on, but Perry found an opening with a combination of big moves: Perry sent Davis to the floor with a hurricanrana off the ring apron. He followed up with a top-rope moonsault to the floor, then another in the ring for a near fall.
Perry couldn’t lift up Davis for a move, causing Davis to reverse into a back body drop. The fight returned to the ring apron, where a brutal brainbuster knocked both of Perry’s shoes off.
Perry connected with a DDT out of the corner as the show returned from another commercial break. He followed up with a Sliced Bread, earning him a near fall.
After trading with roll-up attempts, Perry wobbled Davis with a superkick then lifted up the big “Dunkzilla” for a piledriver. Davis kicked out at two once again. Perry locked in his “Snare Trap” STF submission, which Davis escaped by reaching the ropes eventually.
A running knee-strike from Perry was reversed by Davis, who turned him inside out with a gnarly lariat. Perry kicked out at two to keep the match going.
Davis tried to pick up Perry for a piledriver, but “Jungleboy” grabbed one of the Aussie’s legs to stop himself from getting lifted up. Perry tried for a superplex out of the corner but slipped in the ropes. Davis capitalized on this mistake, picking up Davis for a piledriver out of the corner for a win in 17 minutes. Davis will meet Will Ospreay in the Owen Hart Tournament semi-finals, which it was confirmed will happen next week. The Owen Hart Tournament matches have been on fire as of late.
Konosuke Takeshita calls out Kyle Fletcher
Shortly after Mark Davis’ win, many other Don Callis Family members hit the ring as well. Kyle Fletcher, who returned at Double or Nothing and ousted Konosuke Takeshita from the group, cut a promo.
Fletcher called himself a genetic freak due to how little time he needed to rest up from injury. He said that a huge part of his motivation to come back soon was so he could be the one to “cut loose the dead weight of the Don Callis Family” in Takeshita.
“He never cared about the family,” Fletcher said. “Takeshita never cared about me … Konosuke Takeshita is a selfish prick.”
These comments caused the man himself, Takeshita, to appear onstage with his newly-won AEW International Championship. He was joined by his new allies, The Conglomeration, who showed up as backup.
The babyface group of wrestlers caused the Don Callis Family to scatter. Takeshita got on the mic to say that he wants Fletcher as his first opponent for his title. That should be a banger when we eventually see it.
Death Riders tap out Rascalz to open Collision
The next match saw Will Ospreay team with his new Death Riders teammates Jon Moxley and PAC to take on The Rascalz. Ospreay didn’t do the typical Death Riders entrance through the crowd, instead having his own separate walkout. It’s important to maintain boundaries.
It looked like Moxley was about to get the pinfall win against Myron Reed, catching him with a cutter at the eight-minute mark. But, Reed kicked out at two. Reed responded with a cutter of his own then came charging forward at Moxley for a move, but ate a nasty lariat instead.
The two other Rascalz hit the ring but were immediately put in submissions by the Death Riders. Ospreay locked in his new Death Ground armbar on Reed for the submission victory in 10 minutes. A light but fun multi-man tag to open the final hour of the show.
Backstage, Samoa Joe announced to the rest of The Opps that he’s going to be “stepping away” for a few months, and expects the rest of them to hold down the fort.
TayJay, shortly after their tag win tonight, were jumped backstage by AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions Divine Dominion, who remarked that they only needed 30 seconds to beat them down.
Andrade overcomes Ace Austin
The second-last match of the evening saw Ace Austin go head-to-head with Andrade El Idolo, who is eyeing a potential future title shot against MJF.
Austin took a nasty fall to the outside early on, as Andrade shoved him out of the corner and to the floor to avoid a top-rope move. Andrade followed him to the outside with a torneo. Back in the ring, Austin battled back with a hard knee to the head with a side suplex. Austin scored a leg drop then tried for a Death Valley Driver, but Andrade worked his way out of the move.
The fight went into a corner of the ring, where Austin scored a crafty hurricanrana. He picked up Andrade and connected with the Death Valley Driver upon second attempt, but it wasn’t enough for the pinfall win.
A move out of the corner was countered into a powerbomb from Andrade. The Don Callis Family member tried for a meteora in the corner, but Austin dodged the move then hit a springboard head kick.
Austin started to set up for his The Fold finisher, but Andrade caught him instead with a spinning back elbow. Andrade then scored the pinfall with his DM finisher in eight minutes. This was a fun one. I’ve said it before, but Austin is incredibly underrated and sticks out as a star, even in his losing performances.
Kris Statlander gets revenge on Hikaru Shida
The main event of the night saw friends turned rivals Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida face off in an unsanctioned Philly Street Fight. This match was made after the alliance between these two broke down during Sunday’s four-way women’s title match at Double or Nothing.
Shida brought a kendo stick into the match early on. Statlander scored a nasty powerbomb on the floor. They fought into the backstage area, causing a chorus of boos from the Philly fans who wanted to see everything with their own eyes.
Shida slammed Statlander onto a guardrail behind the stage before they returned to the stage. Which begs the question… Why didn’t they just do that spot in front of the fans? Doing her best Hyper Misao impression, Shida used a bicycle to run over Statlander as the show was in a commercial break.
Statlander connected with a superplex onto a stack of chairs as the show came back from its final commercial break. She followed up with a Falcon Arrow, but it wasn’t enough for the pinfall win.
A moonsault from Statlander was dodged by Shida, who followed up with a meteora off the turnbuckles for a two-count. Shida hit a Falcon Arrow of her own. Statlander shot up to her feet after a pin attempt, then tossed a chair at Shida’s head.
A four-pack of chairs was set up at ringside by Shida. Statlander picked her up and hit a Death Valley Driver onto the setup chairs. Statlander took out a package of light tubes! Okay, now we’re getting extreme.
Back in the ring, Shida scored with a Katana head kick, bashed the light tubes into Statlander’s back, then hit a Falcon Arrow. But Statlander kicked out! Shida unloaded with kendo stick shots on Statlander’s back, which was now bleeding due to the light tubes.
Shida came running off the ropes but had another steel chair thrown at her head by Statlander. The fight went to the ring apron, where Statlander snapped Shida’s kendo stick in half, used the spiky edges of it to stab Shida in the head, then came off the apron and through a table at ringside with a Saturday Night Fever piledriver. Awesome sequence.
Late in the match, Harley Cameron appeared at ringside and handed Statlander a kendo stick. Statlander gave Shida another shot in the back, then hit another Saturday Night Fever in the ring for the pinfall win. I enjoyed this match.
Final thoughts
AEW’s follow-up show to Double or Nothing was longer than the usual weekly TV show, yet still left something to be desired. The two main critiques I held were that there was no follow-up for AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla, and MJF’s segment felt a little weak. Above those, however, I have to highlight that this show was three hours and 20 minutes on a Wednesday night. That is far too long. I get that AEW is giving fans more in a time when WWE produces an often plodding, paced-out program. That’s generally a positive for AEW. But they overdo it sometimes, and tonight was an example of that. If you can only watch bits and pieces of this show, the Owen Hart matches and the women’s main event were worth tracking down.
