Results
- Kenny Omega def. Rocky Romero (3:50)
- Jon Moxley def. Ace Austin (AEW Continental Championship Eliminator) (10:05)
- Mark Briscoe def. El Clon (TNT Championship) (11:17) (Recommended)
- Kris Statlander def. Thekla (AEW Women’s World Championship) (11:44) (Recommended)
- Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood def. Mark Davis & Jake Doyle (AEW World Tag Team Championships) (9:26)
- Andrde El Idolo def. Swerve Strickland (14:49) (Recommended)
The road to an AEW title shot is outlined
This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, from the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas, opened with the second match in Kenny Omega’s climb towards a world title opportunity. After taking down Josh Alexander last week, Omega was matched up against Don Callis Family member Rocky Romero (who didn’t get an entrance). It was mentioned early in the match that Samoa Joe has suffered an injury in training, putting him out of action for the time being.
Omega sent Romero out of the ring in the opening minute, then followed him to the floor with a crossbody. Back in the ring, Omega tried for a V-Trigger, but Romero dodged the move by rolling out of the ring. Romero got the referee in-between them for a moment, giving him the slight pause which allowed him to catch Omega off guard and take control of the fight. He got a near fall after a Sliced Bread.
Omega put an end to a series of lariats in the corner from Romero by catching him with a kick to the head. Romero battled out of a Snap Dragon Suplex, but was taken out with a V-Trigger to the back of the head while taunting a camera at ringside.
Omega hit a Snap Dragon Suplex upon second attempt, a V-Trigger up against the ropes, then a One-Winged Angel to end the match in just under four minutes. A quick win for Omega to get things started tonight.
Tony Schiavone got into the ring for a post-match interview, where he said that Omega is now one of the top four contenders for the title (I didn’t know beating Romero carried that much clout). Schiavone said the three other contenders were Hangman Adam Page, Swerve Strickland, and Andrade El Idolo. He explained that AEW will have a #1 contenders match for the title at Grand Slam Australia, and it will consist of two of those four contenders.
One will get eliminated when Andrade and Strickland face off tonight. The winner of that match will face Omega next week to take another contender off the board. I assume the logic is that, since Page held the title last, he gets a bye straight through to the #1 contender’s match? I don’t know why they didn’t just do a four-man tournament, but okay.
Omega cut a promo afterward which was interrupted by Page, who, while voicing his respect for him, said he won’t be the next champion. “The next champion is going to be Hangman Adam Page,” he said. The promo was interrupted by Strickland, who said he wants the belt. Omega sensed animosity and claimed that Strickland was looking for a fight. “Oh, Kenny, more than you know,” he replied.
The last person to enter the picture was Don Callis, speaking on behalf of Andrade, who also wants to say he will win the title. Omega chased Callis to end the segment.
In a backstage segment, the Babes of Wrath had a proposition for the Triangle of Madness: Stay out of tonight’s title bout between Kris Statlander and Thekla, and they’ll give them an AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship shot on Collision this weekend.
Jon Moxley takes down Ace Austin in latest eliminator match
The second bout of the night saw Jon Moxley face AEW rookie Ace Austin in an AEW Continental Championship title eliminator bout. Moxley has turned back Josh Alexander and Shelton Benjamin in a pair of fun bouts as of late, so let’s see how this one goes.
Moxley caught Austin off guard with a big boot to the head to get things started. Austin’s acrobatic moveset was on display early on. Austin started to pick up some steam after the show returned, but the run was stopped after Moxley dropped him with a huge lariat.
The two traded blows on the feet, an exchange which ended after Austin scored a spinning back kick to the head. Austin got a near fall after a double stomp to the head.
Austin dodged a move from Moxley in a corner of the ring, then scored a springboard head kick for a near fall. Austin lept at Moxley for a move, but the champ caught him mid-air with a cutter. Moxley then ended the bout with his Death Rider finisher.
This was a fun match, but it would’ve been neat to see Austin get a bit more of a showcase here. While he has been on the AEW roster since August, this was his first one-on-one Dynamite booking, so this was a bigger spotlight than ever for Austin in the promotion. But I’m sure he’ll get one of these opportunities again sometime soon. This lacked something compared to Moxley’s two past eliminators (time, more than anything, as the two previous bouts came much closer to the 20-minute limit).
Konosuke Takeshita, who notably beat Moxley during the Continental Classic late last year, came down to the ring and signalled that he wants a title shot. As Takeshita left the ring, Don Callis’ Davis & Doyle duo came from behind and attacked Moxley.
Mark Briscoe takes down El Clon, debuting Tommaso Ciampa calls out the TNT champ
In the first of three championship bouts this evening, Mark Briscoe put his TNT title on the line against El Clon of the Don Callis Family. This matchup was originally scheduled for last weekend’s episode of Collision, but was delayed after AEW cancelled one of their tapings due to weather issues.
Briscoe sent Clon out of the ring early on, followed him to the mat with a scissor-kick, then came off the ring apron with his classic Blockbuster. Clon caught Briscoe off guard just before the show went to a break, sticking the champ’s head under the ring apron’s skirt then landing a dropkick.
Clon scored an impressive moonsault as the show returned, using one foot to propel himself off the top rope for the springboard move. Briscoe used a Redneck Kung Fu to knock Clon off the turnbuckles and to the outside, then came through the ropes with a cannonball at ringside. Just like that, the champ had his momentum back.
Clon hit Briscoe with a superkick, but Briscoe countered with a series of punches moments later. They both took eachother out with lariats at the eight-minute mark, then traded blows in the center of the ring.
Briscoe hit a huge Uranage, a lariat, then a fisherman bomb. He came off the top with his Froggy Bow elbow drop, but Clon kicked out. He tried to follow up with the J-Driller, but Clon surprisingly shot up to his feet right after the move was hit.
Clon sent Briscoe out of the ring with a crafty head kick, then hit a springboard moonsault to the outside. Back in the ring, a Coup de Grace top-rope footstomp from Clon was followed followed with an attempt at a Portal Bomb, but Briscoe reversed into a roll-up pin for the win in 11 minutes. Really fun one between these two, and an awesome showcase for Clon. The unpredictable but fluid way that Clon moves in his matches is so impressive, and really sets him apart. He’s one of my favorite AEW newcomers as of late.
Briscoe said that he will defend his title again this Saturday in an open challenge, but noted that anyone from the Don Callis Family isn’t allowed to accept his challenge this time. The lights went out as Briscoe was delivering this promo. On stage, after a long titantron played out, it was revealed that recent WWE departure Tommaso Ciampa had arrived!
Ciampa’s reveal caused an expectedly huge reaction. He got into the ring and went face-to-face with Briscoe, making it clear he wants to answer his challenge for Saturday night. The matchup was announced just moments later. The way they debuted Ciampa here with the whole presentation on stage was great.
Brody King books title eliminator against MJF
Backstage, Kazuchika Okada confronted Kyle Fletcher about his recent comment that someone “needs to say something” to him. Okada issued what seemed to be a heartfelt apology for his actions at Worlds End, saying that he only used the screwdriver planted for Fletcher because he was just thinking about winning. Fletcher accepted his apology.
AEW World Champion MJF made his way to the ring for the sole scheduled promo segment of the night. A promo from MJF couldn’t get far before he was interrupted by Brody King, who has been trying to fight his way into the world title picture recently.
The huge King making his way to the ring caused MJF to start retreating. MJF asked if they could “speak like men,” causing them both to get into the ring. MJF reiterated his belief that King can’t get a shot until he actually beats someone of importance.
MJF made fun of King for his past teaming with Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews. “Hey, how’s his ankle doing, by the way?” MJF said about the injured Matthews. He then mocked King for “following around” Bandido.
“Maybe you should follow me around,” MJF said, trying to recruit the intimidating King as his new muscle. He said he must fix King’s looks: “Never have I met a liberal man that looks more like a nazi,” MJF quipped.
King said that he was never “following” anyone; he simply had friends, and MJF doesn’t know the difference because he doesn’t have any friends. He agreed with MJF’s assessment that he hasn’t scored any big wins yet, so he talked to Tony Khan. To fix that, Khan proposed that King face… MJF! They’re going to meet in a title eliminator next week, with a win lining King up for a title shot at Grand Slam: Australia.
Fun segment between these two.
Young Bucks announced in a vignette that they will return on next week’s Dynamite and have put the tag division on notice.
Kris Statlander avenges tag loss against Thekla to defend women’s title
The show continued with the top women’s title on the line next, with Kris Statlander defending her AEW Women’s World Championship against Thekla. This matchup was made after Thekla scored a six-woman tag pinfall win over Statlander earlier this month.
Thekla had the lead early in the match, but Statlander started to battle back after a commercial break. A run of moves from the champ ended with a Michinoku Driver for a two-count.
Thekla escaped what looked like a Death Valley Driver, then dropped Statlander with a nasty boot to the side of the head. Statlander dodged a top-rope move from Thekla, then floored her with a hard lariat.
Both wrestlers climbed to the top rope, where Thekla hit her Spider Suplex. Statlander rolled out of the ring after the move, but Thekla followed her with a huge crossbody off the top rope and to the floor.
Thekla went for a pin in the ring, but the champ kicked out at one! Statlander came running off the ropes for a move, but Thekla dropped her with a spear! The challenger was so tired that she wasn’t able to go for the pin.
These two women traded forearms as they worked back up to their feet. Thekla snapped back an arm of Statlander with a submission, then earned a near fall from a Curbstomp. Thekla came charging forward for a second spear, but Statlander blocked it with a thrust kick.
Thekla reversed a move from Statlander into a roll-up pin, then ducked down into her spider pose to avoid a discus lariat. Thekla tried for a spear again, but Statlander reversed it into a gutwrench powerbomb. The champ then followed it up with Staturday Night Fever for the pinfall win in 11 minutes. I really enjoyed this one! Great showing from both.
Backstage, Don Callis said Konosuke Takeshita needs to take Kyle Fletcher’s lead and forgive Kazuchika Okada. Once Callis left the frame, a distraught said: “You forgave Okada?” Then walked away. Drama!
FTR retains tag gold with help from Jon Moxley
Jack Perry, who won a title shot against AEW National Champion Ricochet earlier this month, got jumped backstage by The Demand. This served as a reminder that Perry is feuding with Ricochet, as this #1 contenders match hasn’t really been mentioned on TV since he won a little under two weeks ago.
In the co-main event of the night, FTR defended their AEW World Tag Team Championships against the newly-formed duo of Mark Davis and Jake Doyle (formerly Jake Something).
Cash Wheeler tried to do a tope suicida onto Davis & Doyle early in the match but was caught and thrown like a lawn dart at Dax Harwood just before the show went to a commercial break.
We came back from the break and saw that Harwood’s chest had been cut open due to chops! Don’t see that every day. Davis and Doyle stacked FTR in a corner of the ring for splashes from both of them. A superplex attempt from Doyle was stopped by Wheeler, who gave him a DDT on the ring apron.
Davis tried to, similarly, deliver a superplex to Harwood, but the FTR member reversed into a Power & Glory for a two-count. Davis tried to fight back into the match, clotheslining Wheeler out of the ring then putting Harwood in a sleeper hold.
Davis was sent out of the ring by Harwood, where Jon Moxley suddenly appeared and hit him in the head with his AEW Continental Championship, returning the favor after the tag duo attacked him earlier in the night. Referee Paul Turner was distracted, but nonetheless right in front of this exchange, which made it a little goofy. FTR hit the Shatter Machine to win in nine minutes. This match had a fun start but lost a lot of momentum near the end. The crowd pretty much went silent after the finish.
A backstage confrontation caused Toni Storm & Orange Cassidy vs. Marina Shafir & Wheeler Yuta to get set up, we’ll likely learn later when that one will go down.
Andrade El Idolo eliminates Swerve Strickland from the title chase
The main event of the night saw Swerve Strickland and Andrade El Idolo face off, with the winner getting one step closer to a shot at MJF and his AEW World Championship.
Andrade scored a crafty torneo off the middle rope and to the outside just as the match crossed the seven-minute mark. Strickland avoided a top-rope moonsault from Andrade in the ring, but Andrade landed on his feet and followed up with a standing moonsault which landed on the former world champ.
The fight went to the ring apron, where Strickland delivered a Death Valley Driver. Strickland brought them to the top of a guardrail at ringside, where Andrade countered a move into a back bodydrop, which looked like a hard landing.
Both wrestlers just barely beat a 10-count to get back in the ring. A striking exchange ended with a spinning back elbow from Andrade for a near fall. Andrade came charging out of a corner of the ring for a move, but Strickland caught him mid-air with a House Call.
Andrade hit a huge Poisonrana out of the corner, then a double knees in a corner of the ring. Still, this wasn’t enough to beat Strickland. He followed up with his El Idolo DDT, yet Strickland kicked out again!
Andrade searched for a second El Idolo, but Strickland reversed it into a roll-up pin. Strickland blocked a second spinning elbow and tried for a Big Pressure, but Andrade reversed it into a roll-up attempt.
After escaping the roll-up, Strickland nailed Andrade with a House Call. He started setting up for a Big Pressure, but Andrade, after distracting referee Aubrey Edwards, dropped Strickland with a low blow to escape the move. Andrade then hit the DM for the pinfall win in just under 15 minutes. I like the move to give Andrade the win here, and he did so in a really fun match.
Backstage, MJF was interviewed about his title eliminator next week against Brody King. The interview was interrupted by Kenny Omega, who offered to shake his hand. MJF walked away but was stopped by Andrade, who said he wants his title. MJF walked out to his SUV but was then confronted by Hangman Page, who got in his way. MJF got into the car and instructed the driver to speed off, which he did. Really, really awesome ending illustrating how many challenges MJF is facing right now as champ.
Final thoughts
This was a great episode of AEW Dynamite. A pair of awesome title matchups, a fun main event, and a clear, intriguing story revolving around MJF and the numerous men chasing down his title. Oh, and an unexpected debut! Can’t ask for too much more of a show. Great stuff.
