‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Nov 23rd 2022)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: All-Atlantic Championship Match – Orange Cassidy def. Jake Hager
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Orange hit a dropkick but that Hager ran Orange over with a shoulder block. Hager charged at Orange but Orange ducked and sent Hager tumbling over the top rope. Orange flew out to Hager with a tope suicida but Hager caught him and then drove Orange face first into the ring apron. Back in the ring, Orange Cassidy jumped off the top rope but Hager caught Orange! Cassidy countered with the Stun Dog Millionaire. Orange followed up with the swinging DDT for a near fall. Orange attempted the Orange Punch but Hager slammed Orange to the mat for a two-count. Hager grabbed an ankle lock and wrenched away. Orange knocked the purple bucket hat off Hager’s head and Hager released the ankle lock to retrieve the hat. Orange seized the moment and nailed Hager with the Orange Punch and then rolled up Hager for the pin.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Men’s World Title Eliminator Tournament Finals – Ricky Starks def. Ethan Page
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Page kicked Starks in the ribs. Starks fired back with swift strikes, knocking Page back into the turnbuckles. Ricky chopped at Page, building momentum. Page fired back with a well-placed kick in the midsection to Starks. Starks speared Ethan Page, but Starks doubled over in pain, since his ribs are taped up. Page pursued Starks outside the ring and then rammed him into the steel guardrail. Starks tried for a DDT in the ring but Page hoisted up Starks and dropped him across the ropes. Ricky Starks attempted to dive out onto Page, but Stokely pulled Page out of the way. Starks crashed onto the arene floor. The ref ejected Stokely from the ringside area. Ricky Starks superplexed Ethan Page from the top rope! Starks nailed Page with a swinging neck breaker. Starks launched off the ropes and drilled Page with a DDT for a near fall! Page blocked the Roshambo and powerslammed Starks for a two-count. Page attempted the Ego’s Edge but Starks escaped and then speared Page! Starks speared Page again and scored the pin!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Best of Seven Series – Death Triangle (PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix def. The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks – Matt & Nick Jackson)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Don Callis joined the broadcast booth for this match. PAC suffered a broken nose at FULL GEAR so he was wearing a mask to protect his face. Kenny laid out Rey Fenix with a knee strike at the start of the match! The Elite triple teamed Rey Fenix, stomping a mudhole into him. Matt Jackson powerbombed Penta El Zero Miedo onto the ring apron. Kenny Omega jumped off the apron and wiped-out Penta El Zero Miedo with a hurracanrana. Rey Fenix hit Omega with a cutter and followed up with a tornillo to the Bucks! Death Triangle rocked Omega with a triple dropkick. They hit Omega with the Risky Business combo for a near fall on Omega. Matt Jackson wiped out the Lucha Bros with a moonsault off the top turnbuckles. Penta El Zero Miedo made the tag and DDT’ed Matt and then smashed Nick, Matt, and Kenny with tilt-a-whirl backbreakers. Fenix tagged in and sent Nick flying with a hurracanrana off the top rope. He followed up with a thrust kick to Matt Jackson. Kenny cracked PAC with a V-trigger to the back of the head. The Young Bucks ripped off PAC’s mask. The Elite connected with the BTE Trigger on PAC! Nick Jackson jumped over the top rope and landed onto the Lucha Bros. In the ring, Omega smashed PAC with the V-trigger. Omega nailed PAC with the GTS for a near fall! Matt Jackson clocked PAC with a low blow as ref Rick Knox was distracted. Brandon Cutler slid a hammer into the ring. Matt grabbed the hammer but Penta El Zero Miedo was behind him—and he had a hammer of his own! Penta El Zero Miedo hit Matt with the hammer and then PAC pinned him!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #4: Jamie Hayter & Dr. Britt Baker. D.M.D. def. Tay Melo & Anna Jay A.S. and Willow Nightingale & Skye Blue
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hayter hit Tay with a shoulder tackle. Hayter double suplexed Tay and Anna! She followed up with a snap suplex on Tay for a near fall. Baker connected with a sling blade on Tay Melo for a two-count. Tay and Anna suplexed Britt, and then Britt made a tag to Willow. Willow used a hip attack in the corner on Tay and Anna. Willow walloped Anna with a high boot and then a scoop slam. Tay whipped Willow into the steel barricade. Skye And Tay kicked one another with thrust kicks. Hayter hit the Hayte Breaker on Skye. Baker followed up with the curb stomp and then pinned Skye!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: ROH World Championship Match – Chris Jericho def. Tomohiro Ishii
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
ROH’s Ian Riccaboni joined the commentary team for this match. Jericho flipped off Ishii at the start of the match. Jericho yelled at Ishii in Japanese and Ishii slapped Jericho. They traded open palm strikes. Ishii rocked Jericho with a kick to the lower back. Jericho retreated to the outside to gather himself. Jericho blasted Ishii with forearms. Ishii returned them and then they both began to batter one another. Ishii tried for the sliding lariat but Jericho dodged it. Jericho attempted the Code Breaker but Ishii had it scouted and avoided it. They traded chops in the center of the ring. Jericho’s chest was split open! Ishii shoulder tackled Jericho. Jericho fired back with a running lariat. Ishii powerbombed Jericho from out of the corner for a near fall. Jericho cross-chopped Ishii in the wind pipe. Ishii landed an elbow strike on Jericho and Jericho dropped to the mat. Jericho spiked Ishii with a DDT on the apron. Ishii suplexed Jericho and Jericho hit two suplexes of his own! Jericho nailed the lionsault! Jericho cracked Ishii with the Code Breaker for a two-count. Ishii blocked the Judas Effect and then headbutted Jericho. Ishii connected with the sliding lariat on Jericho for a near fall. Ishii caught Jericho with a Code Breaker of his own! Ishii swung for the fences with a lariat on Jericho and got a (very) near fall on Jericho. Jericho blocked a kick from Ishii and applied the Lion Tamer, forcing Ishii to tap!
My Score: 4 out of 5
News of the Night:
- The House of Black returned to AEW.
- Kiera Hogan was “sacked” from being one of Jade Cargill’s baddies.
Final Verdict: 4/5
This was a great episode of Dynamite and an even better follow up to the weekend’s Full Gear pay-per-view. The promos were great and so were the matches. My only gripe? The MJF tease and I would’ve like to have had at least one more match to round out the show. But still, minor complaints for a show that delivered when it counts – in Chicago of all places!
