Venue: H-E-B Center, San Antonio, Tx

Hope y’all had a nice Valentines with your girl/guy/other/hand/whatever.

*****

AEW opened to the strains of Wild Thing.  As it did Saturday.  They replayed what happened between the BCC boys and FTR there (see below) as Mox made his way through the crowd.  Solo.  Per Excalibur, BCC are heading to CMLL at the end of March for a match.

Hopefully that gets it out of Danielson’s system.

Dax left Cash atop the ramp after a bro hug, this’ll be mano a mano.

Dax Harwood vs Jon Moxley

Backstory: Mox and Claudio basically called out any team Saturday and said they’d whup whoever wanted some, FTR answered, Mox pie-faced Dax (and apparently said some words because they kept mentioning that on comms) and they brawled wildly

Loud ‘FTR’ chants as the music died and the lights came up.  A dueling chant began, the FTR half still louder.

Stiff lockup, both in the ropes, Mox shoved Dax away and flipped him off.  Dax nonplussed,  he ducked a lockup then casually flipped Mox off in return, another lockup saw them end in the corner, Mox with the advantage, he gave Dax a little peck on the cheek.  Instead of selling this as Mox disrespecting Harwood, Excalibur made a joke about Renee being annoyed.

As Dax lit Mox up with stinging chops.  Mox hit back, mixing chops and forearms in the corner until more Dax stingers backed Mox to two different corners.  Moxley worked the gut then bit the head, Dax responded with more side-finger kisses.

Beating Mox down till he covered up in the corner but being backed to the opposing one as Mox returned fire with more shots and kicks.  Not a hint of wrestling so far.  This is a fight.

Dax got a shoulder block but missed a slide and was caught into the bulldog, Mox couldn’t quite synch it, Dax got a near fall via rollup, Mox fought off the sharpshooter then clotheslined Dax outside.

Before sending him into the crowd.  The ref was begging Mox to get things back in the ring, we are certainly going to have our match-ly ignored countout.  Easily accomplished as they exchanged forearms ove the barricade until Mox swept the legs then seesawed Dax into the ringpost.

The ref’s count was hilariously at four here.  More like thirty-four.

Back inside, Mox went for ten in the corner, Dax countered via sitout powerbomb for two then sought a brainbuster.  Mox blocked to the ropes and both dragged the other out up and over, crumbling to the ground.

Ads.

Back to Dax blocking a whip, both hurling chops with the other’s wrist still captured.  To forearms now, Dax rocked briefly, both thought choke, broke the other’s grip then got to open hands, throwing wildly, fans cheering until they simultaneously knocked the other down.

Mox getting the better though, dropping last; up first, though was the victim of more Harwood chops, this time atop the buckle as Harwood thought superplex.  Moxley blocked via guillotine then his back rake.  Forearms followed, Dax wobbling, clinging desperately to the middle rope until Mox bit Dax’s left hand (which is bleeding btw) and Harwood dropped to the mat.

Mox just kinda waited upstairs and Dax got back up to join him, superplex, both down.

Ref’s count at five as they reached their knees, butting heads up to their feet, Moxley aiming kicks to the legs, Dax fought back via shortarm clothesline.  Mox ignored a pair and even popped up after being knocked on his ass.  Mox tried an armbar, Dax countered into a sharpshooter.  Justin mumbled ‘five minutes remain’.

As Mox countered out, H&A, looking for a cross armbreaker but couldn’t break Dax’ grip.  Harwood seeking a piledriver, Mox blocking until a back rake, but Mox countered out via back body drop, each looked for rollups, Dax finally rolling through to land the piledriver for a near fall.

Both down again.

To the outside briefly, Dax chasing Mox who booted the rope to crotch Harwood, cutter, curb stomp, piledriver, Dax out at 2.9 as Justin mumbled ‘three minutes remain’.

Both countered big moves – brainbusters,paradigm shifts – till Dax hit.  Mox out at two, ‘two minutes remain’, Dax went up for a diving headbutt but was snatched into the choke, dead center, no way out, his arm raised briefly but Dax then tapped.

Love Dax for actually tapping instead of insisting on passing out.

Mox wouldn’t let go, Cash attacked and was booed, don’t think the audience understood what happened there.  Claudio rushed in and nailed him with a neutralizer.  The crowd chanted ‘BCC’ as Mox went back to the choke, Dax out of it, Claudio with Cash in a crossface.

The announcers talked about permanent damage being done to Harwood.

Very strong wrestling match with a cool finish in both execution and cleanliness.  Also like them using the time cues for a match not going to a draw.  More of that.

Winner: Jon Moxley

We rushed away to Renee with the Callis Fam sans Fletcher.

She introduced Takeshita as beating Omega and Jericho, tapping out Jericho to his own hold last week.  Callis put Takeshita over as the best wrestler in the world and Hobbs as the most powerful.  So said guys were scared to face them even though they need to be on the pay-per-view.  So he’s going ‘in house’ and putting together a match that’ll have the world talking for decades:

Konosuke Takeshita vs Will Ospreay.

DUUUUUUUUUUDE!

I mean it smacks of – We don’t have anything for Takeshita to do so let’s have a killer match.  But my god what a killer match it’ll be.

Guessing that’ll see Ospreay split from the Fam fairly soon.  Meltzer’s speculated he’ll be on Dynamite next week.

Wardlow vs Barrett Brown

Backstory: NONE

Adam Cole joined on comms though his headset wasn’t working.  Drink at home.  The announcers are giving mixed messages saying Cole’s refusing to speak.  They have enough technical issues that it’s not a good idea leaving viewers unsure.

Cole said ‘Nice talkin to ya,’ after Wardlow won so guess he was refusing to talk.  The Big Guy had it won after one move but toyed with Barrett for a bit before the Powerbomb.

Winner: Wardlow

We absolutely rushed away from this to show the Bucks arriving on their plane, still wearing the bloodstained suits from last week.  They climbed into a stretch hummer.

We probably should have been reminded what happened to Sting last week by thirty minutes into the show, but no.

Adam Copeland vs Daniel Garcia (#1 Contender TNT Title)

Backstory: Copeland is owed a title shot but vowed to ‘earn’ his way to back to one via the Cope Open; Garcia interrupted him Saturday to say he’d been winning matches too, cue this match

The crowd absolutely erupted as Copeland came out.  Figured this’d main event so guessing the talking seg among the #1 contenders will.  Matt Menard joined on comms, as he’s been doing on Collision.

Copeland played subtle heel during their seg Saturday and he started as such here, beating the youngster down while wearing a mean mug.  He dropped the youngster and was seeking his new crossface submission when Garcia outwrestled him on the mat, forcing Copeland to dive for the ropes.

Start again, exchange of rights, Copeland whipped off but knocking the youngster down with his shoulder then splashing him as Garcia telegraphed a drop down.  Dueling chant using first names as Garcia fought free of a headlock but took another shoulder.  Though avoided the splash this time, rolling Copeland up for two then drop toehold-ing him down to the mat.

Seeking a surfboard but stopping to do his stupid dance instead.  ‘We’re lucky that dance didn’t cost him, we gotta be honest,’ exclaimed Menard.  What is this angle?  Cause I’m with Menard.

Copeland caught Garcia off the top into a shoulderbreaker then sent him shoulder-first into the buckle, weakening it ahead of that new submission (the name of which I cannot remember).

Ads.

(Copeland was being a total heel during the break, mocking Garcia’s dance and breaking some sunglasses or something of a front row fan.)

Menard called Copeland ‘Edge’ as he climbed the ropes.  Garcia tried to meet him but had his shoulder snapped against the buckle.  The vet has the youngster’s number at every turn here.  Though was crotched up top when he headed back up.  Garcia dragon screwed the vet to the mat as he worked toward his own finishing hold.

Exchange of rights, Garcia beating Copeland back to the corner, stomping away, running bootwash, Copeland attacked the shoulder to block a suplex but took another dragon screw.  Garcia began working the legs with pointed elbows then swept behind into an STF.  Been watching his Cena tapes since there was no torque.

Copeland fought up thinking impaler; Garcia blocked, exchange of rights, Garcia seeking another dragon screw but took Copeland down in the opposite direction to usual (have to admit I missed exactly what happened while typing so could have been a mistake).  Then headed upstairs.  Copeland crotched him then fired away on the back before launching an avalanche impaler which looked mostly like a suplex.

Both down.  This is really good.

Copeland to his feet, mixed response, Spear coming, Garcia got a punt, jackknife pin (which he’s been winning with lately), Copeland out at two right round into the crossface, match in the balance as Nick Wayne and Luchasaurus broke things up.

So lame.  This was a really good match which could’ve gone either way.  So of course we can’t get a clean finish.  My god.  The message from the announcers was that Cage was scared of facing both but the heat will probably go on the booking here.  Fans these days are too smart.

You know who’s not smart though?  Adam Copeland.

After saving Garcia from a conchairto he had Christian cornered with a chair but hesitated long enough to get a low blow from Shayna Wayne.

Luchasaurus hit that lame lariat to the back of the neck.  Cage then prepped a conchairto to Copeland.  And hit it.  Garcia checked on Copeland as the heels left.

I was actually enjoying that more than the opener which was likely a better match but had no stakes or intrigue so I never truly got into it.  Cheap way out of having a clear winner and the babyface looked a moron.

Winner: No Contest due to interference

We came back to a package covering the Hangman/Swerve feud and the finish to their match last week with a ranting Page insisting Swerve didn’t beat him.

Excalibur gave a quick update on Copeland who had walked to the back helped by Garcia.

Samoa Joe came out, suited, booted and belted.  (So are the Bucks main eventing?  Surely not that damn Texas Death Match?)

‘My name is Samoa Joe and I stand here proudly your AEW World Champion’ (which is his standard opening line now).  He brought back the rankings system to ensure only the best got title shots.  It was going well until Page and Strickland battled ‘to a draw’ (he said this in utter disgust, like he smelled crap).  ‘They made my match bigger and dumber,’ which he compared with Texas.  Some boos; some laughs.

He again talked about rewarding mediocrity and said a crime had been committed against him.  He warned that if AEW sent their two stars against him at least one of them would end up injured.  They did so at their own risk.  ‘They may walk in but I guarantee that they will both limp out’.  He’s the champ and there’s nothing anyone can do about that…

This was Swerve’s cue.

He came out to a big reaction and joined Joe in the ring as the crowd loudly chanted about houses.  Strickland said this wasn’t supposed to be personal but the more Joe runs his mouth the more he feels like it is.

Yes, Joe brought in the rankings but also said hunger defined greatness.  Swerve said he’s on his way to becoming a great, no one outworks or outgrinds him.  Fifteen years he’s worked with the hope that one day his talent would be recognized.  That he’d go down as one of the best.  And now he’s proven exactly that.  ‘Today is that day’.

He’s gone toe to toe with some of the best, with legends.  Everytime he’s the one left standing and the people leave with one thing on their mind: he did his line, crowd responded.  And at Revolution, nothing changes.  Except for the fact he’ll be holding the title above his head.

A furious Hangman interrupted, absolutely yelling.  He wanted to clear up that he wasn’t mad last week, warning us documentarians not to put that in our reports.  But what happened was ‘horseshit’.  The contract said the winner became #1 contender and ‘he (Swerve) didn’t do it!’.  If it were up to Page the match would be between two men who value the title and what it stands for.

So ‘it looks like Swerve you have been added to this match’.  He asked Swerve to look him in the eyes and said after everything Swerve had done to him he didn’t deserve a second of his time.  He doesn’t deserve five minutes because he couldn’t get the job done.  He doesn’t deserve to be in this match.

Joe intervened in this ‘walking domestic dispute’.  Telling both right to their faces that them beating him? ‘Not gonna happen’.  He’s the champ and come Revolution ‘Ima whip both your asses’.  An irritated champ left to a pop and chants of ‘Joe!’.

This was a very strong segment.  Joe came across as a no-nonsense champ who valued his title; Swerve stated his case as the guy on the come; Hangman’s a hoot as the maniacal, delusional, ranting madman who insists he’s not.

*****

To Toni Storm’s newest film ‘Wet Ink’.  In black and white, she showed the tattoo she shares with Deonna then said it reminds her of a girl she befriended because she felt sorry for her.  Deonna was her ‘young girl’.  She helped her get into Japan and nurtured her on her ‘bosom of brilliance’ but now Purazzo had ‘bit the tit that feeds you’.

All spliced with Toni being freshly tattooed.

If Deonna wants the old Toni Storm, she’ll get that and so much more.  Before ending with ‘What do you do when you can’t change the past?  You kill it.’  They revealed she’d had a dagger tattooed through the butterfly.

We cut to Deonna with Renee.  Deonna said Toni talks too much.  ‘Toni, I’m gonna break your arm, bitch’.

Still don’t buy Deonna as a babyface and she didn’t show much – if any – emotion here.  Toni is carrying these segments.  She was much more serious here outside of a few quirky lines.  The tattoo story is a nice ‘cheap’ hook for the match.

*****

The Bucks arrived, still in their bloody suits.  Apparently they wrestled in them on Rampage.  The announcers did briefly mention what they did to Sting.

EVP’s Matthew & Nicholas Jackson vs Top Flight

Backstory: The (former?) Bucks flexed their power over Top Flight for being ‘late’ a couple weeks back

They have not once referred to the Bucks as the Bucks unless the word ‘formerly’ is in front of it.  They also have new music which is like a Scott Storch leftover from 2006.  It’s not bad; just generic.  But does more fit their new characters

They finally replayed the angle from last week as the Bucks made their entrance.  They are indeed wrestling in those suits which is just fantastic heat.  The Bucks ranted at Justin to introduce them properly, he did actually call them ‘Matthew and Nicholas Jackson, the Young Bucks’. Im’a go with Nick and Matt still for ease of typing.

Top Flight got a nice pop.

Nick and Dante to start, Nick was quickly taken down and kept racing at Dante and being countered.  Until grabbing a headlock, whip off, Dante flipped to avid another charge, Nick ended up outside and ranted at the announcers that they’d better be giving them respect.  Tazz said he was.

Back inside, Nick kept being countered: armdrag takedown, boot to the gut… so he tagged out and Matt calmed his brother who is still playing the ‘hothead’ role.  Matt offered a fistbump to Dante since he’s the insincere one, then sold rights from both TF, bouncing between them until taking a Darius suplex.  Nick joined and was leg lariated by Dante off Darius’ back, knocking Nick to the outside with his brother.

Top Flight prepared dives, the Bucks walked away to heavy boos then beat down the youngsters right in front of the fans to more boos.  Only for the youngster to return to the ring and vault back out onto them for a nice pop (the fans here keep chanting ‘Top Flight woop woop,’ in the style of the Bucks’ chant).

Back inside, Darius got two after a double-team low dropkick.  Nick tried a kick from the apron, Darius avoided a lariat from him but took one from Matt who shoved him outside.

Ads.  This version of the Bucks is ridiculously entertaining.  And they’re playing total heel – no flashy moves, lots of selling and yelling.

Back to Darius nailing Matt with a flying lariat, needing a tag, making the crawl, Matt cut him off, Darius got an elbow up, Pele kick off the buckle, both down, Darius wanting the tag again, crowd clapping along.

Nice pop as Dante came in, lariats and leaping kicks to the Bucks, he avoided Matt in the corner twice then nailed him via gamengiri, cross body off the top, very near fall.  After a sunset flip, Nick came in to help his brother but took one from Darius for I guess a double two count.  Matt took out Darius then hit a ddt to Dante after Nick was sent outside.

Then smoothed his suit before aiming a right, Darius ducked into a tejeiras and a knocked a returning Nick off the apron.  Splash in the corner, Darius in, using his bro for a tornado ddt, Nick saved the pin at two.

Crowd really into this – pro-TF and anti-Bucks.

With Nick taken out via Dante tope, Darius hit a Spanish fly to Matt for another near fall.  But outside Nick pancaked Dante into the barricade as Matt used the ropes for a pin but Rick Knox actually spotted it.  Matt then used a very similar move to Claudio last week: pop-up low blow with Nick distracting the ref, EVP Trigger, win.

Fantastic.  Good match with clear heels and babyfaces who the crowd reacted to as such.  These new Bucks might be my favorite thing in wrestling.

The EVP Trigger was then given Move of the Night in a new sponsor thingy.

Before Schiavone joined the Bucks in the ring.  Matt said they were undefeated this year and that made them the top team in AEW.  After beating a team the quality of Top Flight – he gave them a round of applause – ‘I think we’re #1 contenders’.  A graphic came up saying that which they implied the Bucks had put together.

Schiavone talked about what they did to Sting being ‘despicable’.  Matt cut him off and yelled at him for breach of contract and disparaging the EVPS before throwing ‘We love you to death’ in at the end (this character is amazing).

Nick fined Tony then asked if he had a problem.  He repeated the question then bumped Schiavone to the floor.  Matt apologized and said his bro was a hot head.  They went to help him up but he ended up in EVP Trigger position and the Bucks were thinking about it when Darby Allin rushed the ring with a bat.

Allin yelled that the original mission statement was to change the world.  He begged the Bucks for a job when he was homeless and they didn’t hire him while they did hire their California friends.  But thankfully there was an EVP who did see something, ‘and it wasn’t Kenny Omega’ he added.  Crowd chanted ‘Cody!’.

Then pointed out that the Bucks said they re-signed because the money was good and the schedule was light.  He thought this was All Elite Wrestling.  Then brought up that he hadn’t been on the first Dynamite – but Brandon Cutler was – ‘Brandon Cutler what the…’.

And that if the Bucks want to be Sting’s last match, they don’t know what they got themselves into because Sting has nothing left to lose.  He yelled ‘It’s Showtime’ and Excalibur said the match had been made.  Which was a bit weird.

This was easily my favorite segment this year.  Absolutely fantastic.  Wildly entertaining heel characters who made the babyface team look great, got both teams over with the crowd and cheated to win.  Then an excellent segment using uber-face Schiavone for yet more heat before an excellent promo from Darby making the Bucks look like hypocrites and saying a lot of the things the Bucks’ critics say while keeping within the bounds of promoting the match.

Loved it.

Winner: Matthew & Nicholas Jackson

Renee was with the Bang Bang Scissor Gang who were pawing her a bit.  Bowens said he had a gift for her.  She asked what their goal was.  Jay White said they had momentum and new merch but haven’t tested their in-ring cohesion.

Billy was about to say they should have a match on Rampage when Austin interrupted to say the same thing.  The rest ignored Austin and Billy repeated it and they liked it.

‘They’re very annoying people all of them,’ said Taz.

This is doing possibly irreparable damage to Jay White.

Skye Blue vs Willow Nightingale

Backstory: In a confusing segment on Saturday which didn’t do much to explain what’s happened here, Willow talked about how they’d danced together and stuff but never fought

God Willow’s such a natural babyface, so great interacting with the fans.  Skye Blue has new(er) music.  Julia Hart came to the ramp with her.  I’m absolutely baffled by their friendship and why this match is happening.  Despite watching four hours every week.

Crowd chanted for Willow – great fans tonight.

Skye stomped her down in the corner as Taz and Stokely bickered on comms.  Willow hit a scoop slam for one.  Skye slipped behind a second but was muscled back up into the slam.  Blue then slapped Willow and backed up because Willow was pissed.  She introduced Skye to every buckle until Blue fled outside.

Then came back in only to be pounced right back out.  Crowd enjoyed that.

Ads.

Back to a fight in the middle, Skye hit a thrust kick but was smashed via lariat, and another, and another, scrambling to the corner where she was hip attacked, snapmare out, big boot, spinebuster, Blue out at two.

And out of a Dr Bomb.  She hit some kicks, they announced next week’s matches and when I looked up Willow was blocking Code Blue.  Then avoided a kick on the apron and sent Skye sprawling off.

Skye slipped under to block a superplex then hit a powerbomb off the top for two.  Stokely got annoyed and took the headset off and hit the apron as Skye hit Code Blue.  Aubrey was dumb and distracted, when she finally counted Willow kicked out at 2 then hit The Babe with the Powerbomb to win.

They managed to reduce my interest in this feud and potential match with Julia Hart.  Who knew that was possible?  Excalibur pushed the upcoming main event featuring Matt Taven!  As viewers fled in droves.

Winner: Willow Nightingale

Orange Cassidy vs Matt Taven (Texas Death Match)

Backstory: Roderick Strong is facing Cassidy for his title so he and the rest of the Kingdom gave him a spike piledriver after he defeated Ishii Saturday and after taking out the Best Friends last Wednesday and Friday

Making this a Texas Death Match is total overkill (NPI).  And basically an admittance that it isn’t interesting enough on its own to hold the audience.  Which is not a reason to put performers at risk in more dangerous matches.  It’s a reason to make more interesting matches.

I wrote all that before realizing this was going to be the damn main event.  Matt Taven.  In the main event of the ‘A’ Show.  He came out solo.  Doubt that’ll last long.  The story they’re telling is that this is all in aid of weakening Cassidy for Strong.

Lots of ducking and dodging until Taven hit a dropkick to boos.  Then threw chops in the corner before avoiding Cassidy and blasting him via enziguri, blue thunder bomb, Cassidy collapsed out through the ropes. Where Taven beat him around ringside.

Cassidy’s already sold too much.  The crowd were chanting either ‘We want Taven’ or ‘We want tables’.  I’ll let you decide.

Taven tried to fling Cassidy to the barricade, Orange hurdled it then got the pockets.  They brawled in the crowd.

Ads.

Back to a Taven diving elbow off the stage which was supposed to but Cassidy through the table.  It didn’t, the table buckled like last week.  Taven set the bent table against the ramp the suplexed him through.  Since the crowd wanted it.  What a heel.

Backbreaker back inside, through into a ddt.  The heel then grabbed another table to a cheer, leaning it against the announce desk but taking a tope.

Cassidy is bleeding profusely from the head.  He briefly hit back but Taven immediately nailed an enziguri.  Orange then ducked a dive and Taven crashed through the table.  Crowd went wild.  ‘Holy shit!’ x many.  Nasty landing, hope dude’s okay.  This is what I meant about asking guys to kill themselves to make up for flat matches.  Though at least those in attendance are into it.

Taven just beat the count.  As Orange found a box of chocolates which said ‘From Chucky T’.  There were tacks inside.  Cassidy poured them out then looked for a superplex but was shoved away and landed in the tacks.  Though avoided a frog splash as Taven landed in them too.  Orange hit a ddt, both guys down.

Cassidy went and grabbed a chain.  Mike Bennett rushed out and smashed a heart-shaped box over Cassidy’s head.  Then flung a bunch of chairs into the ring.  As Trent hit the ramp, getting a pipe out of a box of roses like St Valentines Day Massacre (the Al Capone thing, not when Big Show debuted).

But was immediately beaten down and ddt’d off the buckle onto a chair.  What a loser.

Anyway, this allowed Orange to hit Beach Break on a chair.  Taven didn’t sell at all, ripping the pockets instead.  Cassidy hit a chain assisted Orange Punch.  Roderick Strong weirdly hit the ring and nailed Trent with a knee as Orange just watched, while Taven was still being counted out.

Like he missed a cue or something.

Orange Cassidy beat Jon Moxley for this title then sold for Matt Taven for like fifteen minutes straight.  Very strange booking to end an otherwise brilliant show.  This was the best Dynamite in absolutely ages.  Wrestling, promos, stories, angles, a little bit of err’thang.

Winner: Orange Cassidy

________________________________________________________________

Next Rampage is at 7pm Eastern on Friday

No Collision due to NBA All Star

Next Dynamite:

• Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli vs FTR
• Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland & Brian Cage vs Hangman Page, Hook & RVD

Added to Revolution:

• Konosuke Takeshita vs Will Ospreay
• Matthew & Nicholas Jackson vs Sting & Darby Allin (Tag Titles)

Thumbs Up/Down

• Joe, Swerve, Page seg – Joe was great as the no-nonsense champ (he may get cheers; he doesn’t try to), Swerve laid out his case and was a total babyface, Page has the makings of a wildly entertaining heel – insisting from the start that he wasn’t angry last week after ranting maniacally
• Matthew and Nicholas are brilliant, so entertaining and not doing a damn thing to be anything other than prick heels, they had a very fun match with the crowd solidly against them and behind the other team
• Capped by an excellent to-the-point Darby Allin promo
• I can’t wait to see Hangman and the Bucks link up with their new characters
• They did a nice job building this TNT #1 contender’s match. Both guys had some wins, both have had issues with Cage, both seemed like they could win
• And were having a very nice match until…

 *****

• An incredibly cheap way out of what was such a good match which for once actually had some intrigue re: the finish
• The main event as a main event and a gimmick match, made my thoughts clear above

Appreciate you reading.  Hope you’re having a good week.