AEW’s newest arrival, Saraya, got some flack from fans on social media for saying that she finally has a boss that listens during her in-ring promo on Wednesday night.
That, plus the fact that Saraya was a bit “rusty” on the mic, drew the trolls which gave her a hard time.
“I say how my current boss listens to me and all of sudden it’s “So hAtE yOu WwE”. No I don’t. I loved my time there,” Saraya wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “I appreciate the time and the opportunities I was given. Especially in my NXT days with Triple H. I’m happy now in AEW though. Tribalism in IWC is so bizarre to me.”
She then posted, “Touch grass and get off the internet. Then you won’t have to stalk my account for whenever I post so you can further be miserable.”
The former WWE Divas and NXT Women’s champion got a huge pop from the crowd at Dynamite: Grand Slam when she made her debut.
Last Week’s Rating: 522,000 overall; 0.17 in 18-49 demo
Seems I was wrong about Juice Robinson. He is indeed a free agent and AEW are interested.
In other news, Rush is now a full-timer, Bandido’s been offered a contract and next week’s Anniversary edition of Dynamite will have fifteen extra minutes.
And now…
It’s Saturday morning, and you know what that means… it’s time for our Rampage Review!
The Acclaimed vs Butcher & Blade vs Private Party, AEW Tag Titles
JR, Excalibur and Schiavone on comms. The two losing teams were already in the ring. Billy Gunn was having the time of his life out there as the Acclaimed made their entrance. Caster took a shot at Ben Simmons. Went down well in Philly.
Matt Hardy was watching backstage as Bowens and Cassidy got us underway, each working the arm, a quick pin attempt for each bagging a two. Dodgy-looking hurracanrana from Isiah. The two then shook hands before Caster was tagged in.
A nice dropkick knocking down Isiah before the all-important scissor with Billy G. A double-team sunset flip/running neckbreaker was followed by a legdrop to the nads of Quen as Bowens held the legs open.
Which is when a pissed Butcher and Blade stormed the ring, sending Isiah spilling to the floor as they interrupted Silly String. Looked a nasty landing. Leaving B&B working over Bowens in their corner as the ads arrived.
A snap powerslam continued the pain as we returned, Butcher coming in for the legdrop/sideslam combo but quickly tagging back out, Bowens firing up on Blade with chops, strikes and a thrust kick as he crawled for the tag but Butcher knocked Caster off the apron.
Quen tagged himself in, taking out both B&B with acrobatic assaults, kipping up to tag in Isiah for a breathless sequence: step-up cutter onto Butcher, Poetry in Motion to Blade, over the top onto Butcher, back in for a senton/neckbreaker combo with Quen on Blade, Caster breaking up the count at 2.
The fun being interrupted by a Butcher clothesline, a gutwrench Dr Bomb following, the pin broken up by Bowens. JR noted that it was ‘falling apart a little bit’ as it became impossible to remember who was legal, all six coming and going as they pleased.
A springboard splash onto B&B by Cassidy saw Bowens tag himself in with Isiah in mid-flight, Caster then taking the others out with a crossbody off the top, throwing Blade back inside to be struck with the Arrival, the Mic Drop, 1, 2, 3.
The action was fast, if a little hectic.
The Acclaimed do need victories. Not sure they’ve won more than a handful of times on tv. Though perhaps the reputation of their opponent could be a little higher.
WINNER: The Acclaimed
Lexi was with Hathaway, the Gunns and Morrisey. The Gunns mocked the names of the title belts held by FTR, as Stokely corrected them, before concluding with ‘Top Gunns, Out’.
Jade with Leila, and Lexi, who she called Lindsey. Nyla, Vicky and Someone Else (didn’t recognize her and they never told us who she was) interrupted. Seems there’s a match coming. Nyla at least looks a physical match for Cargill. Guerrero asked Leila to cover herself up. Vicky’s got no taste.
Lee Moriarty vs Fuego del Sol
Backstory: Nada
Moriarty came out with Hathaway and Morrisey. Max must see Fuego as a threat. Didn’t they only operate as a unit when MJF needed them?
This one was over quickly via Border City Stretch.
Then Morrisey gave Fuego a chokeslam. Nice work if you can get it. Crowd could not have cared less.
WINNER: Lee Moriarty
The very busy Lexi was with Hangman, Ten and Uno. Jose and Andrade interrupted, showing footage of Hangman eliminating Ten in last week’s battle royal.
Andrade challenged Ten one-on-one, with his mask on the line. If Ten wins, Andrade leaves AEW for good. After the good guys exited, Ethan Page and Stokely came in to warn Andrade and co. about Hardy’s contract tampering.
Jamie Hayter vs Willow Nightingale
Backstory: The two brawled to the back Wednesday
Brawling out of the blocks here too, a standing switch saw Hayter try to run through Nightingale but neither would be budged until Willow sent the Brit to the mat, following with a senton splash and a low cross body. A fisherman’s suplex led to two slaps of the mat.
Running chops in two corners saw Hayter countering a third, dropping Nightingale with a boot, then crushing her with running knees as she was drooped in the corner.
Break time.
A Rock Bottom across the knee bought Hayter a two count as we came back, Willow then blasting her with a pounce, sending her through the ropes, hurling her back in, scaring Britt on the outside but this allowed Hayter a chance to attack as Willow returned to the ring.
Nightingale fought back, a DVD bagging her a close two. Then headed to the top as Baker grabbed the boot, Hayter hoisting her off the turnbuckle, holding her in the air around the waist before dropping her into an impressive elevated German suplex, then a short-arm clothesline for the win.
Remarkable strength and technique for that finishing sequence. Good match; fans into both ladies.
WINNER: Jamie Hayter
WarJoe (Wardlow & Samoa Joe) video package, hyping/announcing the pair.
Ryan Nemeth ‘blah blah blah localized cheap heat’. Continuing the insistence on heel promos which totally exclude the tv viewer. Hook choked him out, then took an envelope left for him by the Trustbusters. At some point, Hook needs to actually do something. Beat someone who matters, feud with someone who matters. Neither Ryan Nemeth or the ‘Busters fit the bill.
Video package showing Swerve at Rolling Loud, Schiavone announcing that Strickland was still furious with Billy Gunn for costing he and Lee the titles. It’s a testament to that act’s popularity that this makes Swerve a heel.
Rush vs John Silver
Backstory: Andrade’s been trying to recruit Ten
Silver threw his jacket to Reynolds like a jumpshot. Enjoyed that. Crowd fully behind Johny as he grabbed a headlock, Rush quickly knocking him down, nice sequence of ducks and dives as they ran the ropes, culminating with a running elbow which sent El Toro Blanco to the outside. Silver then mocking Rush’s pose.
The Mexican didn’t like that, smacking the taste of out Silver, then taking him to the corner for chops and clotheslines; a dropkick to the back for dessert. Before heading outside, running Silver from guardrail to guardrail, another wicked chop, then an elbow strike back inside which knocked the smaller man to the corner, Rush firmly on top as he mockingly stopped mid running-dropkick to land a disparaging kick to the face.
Returning from the final break, a pissed Silver was fired up: deadlift German, another, eyes wild, a powerbomb bagging a two count with pretty much his first offensive flurry. Stiff kicks to the chest saw Rush respond with more chops, a thrust-kick and Northern Lights for two of his own. Silver struggled to his feet as Rush beckoned him to bring it, several chops being ignored before El Toro Blanco again drilled Hungee to the mat with one punch.
The kick combo/brainbuster sequence brought Jose to the apron, Reynolds getting involved, leaving Andrade to distract Silver, allowing Rush to strike from behind, then smash Silver with the Bull’s Horns for the victory.
No idea why the distraction was needed, it didn’t help Silver; Rush absolutely dominated the match and it was very clear who the better man was.
Afterwards, Andrade attacked, along with B&B, bringing out Dark Order and then Hangman, who ran-through all the heels single-handedly (Andrade bailed), then gave Jose a Buckshot bye-bye. Though he didn’t wrestle on either show (on which more in a minute), at least Page was made to look strong here ahead of his title match.
A good match which would’ve been fine in the middle of any show, but is not a main event.
WINNER: Rush
Next Dynamite (Anniversary Edition):
Wheeler Yuta vs MJF
Jay Lethal vs Darby Allin, One-on-One
National Scissor Day
Luchasaurus in action
Le Sex Gods vs Bryan Danielson and Daniel Garcia
Toni Storm, Athena & Willow Nightingale w/ Saraya vs Jamie Hayter, Penelope Ford & Serena Deeb
Rush vs Hangman
Next Rampage:
Andrade vs Ten, Ten’s Mask/Andrade’s AEW career on the line
Battle of the Belts (Immediately following Rampage next Friday):
Pac vs Trent, All-Atlantic Title
Overall impressions
Noting the smaller crew and excellent finale, Dynamite was okay on Wednesday.
But the fact that Adam Page & Andrade appeared on both shows without wrestling… that makes no sense. Particularly when Page has a title shot on the horizon.
AEW are much bigger on telling us there’s a number one contender, rather than showing us by having someone come out and win every single week. In fact, Wardlow is the only example that springs to mind and what do you know? It worked.
Couldn’t they have made the main event a tag involving Hangman and El Idolo? A little star-power… get the no1 contender a win on tv… Seems like a win/win.
An enjoyable hour of wrestling, but thoroughly miss-able.
Check Out…
All three proper matches were enjoyable; none were worth going out of your way for
Arena: Canada Life Centre
City: Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Sami Zayn & Solo Sikoa VS. Ricochet & Madcap Moss
With Ricochet knocked out on the outside of the ring, Zayn makes a tag to Sikoa not seen by Moss who gets hit with a round house kick then the Swinging Solo slam for the win.
Winners: Sami Zayn & Solo Sikoa
As Zayn and Sikoa try to go into their locker room, Jey Uso comes out and lets Solo in and then Jey warns Sami he sees right through him.
Kayla interviews Austin Theory. He says Drew McIntyre embarrassed himself at the Clash at the Castle and now he is stupid having himself in a bull rope match with Karrion Kross and Drew comes behind him and grabs his shoulder and tells him to meet in the ring now and walks away.
Drew McIntyre VS. Austin Theory
Alpha Academy come out with Theory. Alpha Academy got involved causing the disqualification.
Winner by DQ: Drew McIntyre
Johnny Gargano comes out for the save but was outnumbered. Kevin Owens comes out and evens things up.
Max Dupri comes up to Maximum Male Models and Maxine and they tell Max they know he is upset with them, but they are going to make him proud when they bring home the titles and Max says, “Oh you got yourselves a match with the Usos?” Maxine says not exactly… they are going to bring home the title for longest pose and Max just shakes his head and walks away. Hit Row then come up and make fun of the models.
Shotzi says she is going to stomp all over Bayley tonight.
Los Lotharios VS. Hit Row
Top Dollar power slams both Lotharios and he and Adonis hit the heavy hitter for the win.
Winners: Hit Row
Ronda Rousey interviewed backstage. Says Liv things she can be extreme but she is the baddest woman on the planet.
Natalya VS. Ronda Rousey
Rousey got Natalya locked in an ankle lock and Natalya tapped out.
Winner: Ronda Rousey
After the match, Liv Morgan comes out with a baseball bat and confronts Rousey. Morgan goes after Rousey but Rousey kicks Morgan who then hits Rousey in the stomach with the baseball bat and goes back toward the ring. Morgan wild swings as Rousey is against the ring post but Rousey moves, and the bat just bounces off the steel ring post. Rousey then hits Piper’s Pit on the floor and Rousey goes after the bat but they fight for it as Morgan swings again at Rousey. Rousey grabs Morgan and throws her over the barricade then Rousey threatens officials with the bat but throws it aside and starts to walk away but Morgan gets the bat and attacks Rousey from behind while the officials and security try to separate the two.
In the back, Drew McIntyre, Johnny Gargano and Kevin Owens are talking and Drew jokes with Kevin and Kevin laughs and agrees and walks away to find the models still posing and looks and tells Maxine he thinks the ones hand needs to be a little higher to qualify for the pose. He then runs into Sami Zayn who is sitting by himself, Sami stands up and Kevin just laughs and says you need a new shirt buddy and walks away as Sami smiles.
Shinsuke Nakamura is now looking at the Models and then walks away.
Imperium are out next. They start talking about the Brawling Brutes and Gunther says next week he is going to beat Sheamus. This leads to Sheamus coming out and says Ridge and Butch are stuck in Florida and he says he would kick all three of their heads off their shoulders. Sheamus then takes out Kaiser and Vinci. He is now in there with Gunther and the fight starts. Kaiser and Vinci get back up and hold Sheamus in the corner as Gunther chops him.
Imperium leave Sheamus laying in the ring with the microphone and Sheamus says is that all you got? He gets back to his feet and Imperium come back to the ring and begin beating down Sheamus again.
Bayley is in the back and says Shotzi just likes to run her mouth and she is going to shut Shotzi up.
Michael Cole made an announcement that WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki has passed away.
Bayley VS. Shotzi
Bayley hits the Rose Plant for the win.
Winner: Bayley
After the match, she hits another Rose Plant, then drags a ladder out, Bayley lays Shotzi between the ladder and Bianca Belair runs out for the save. But Bayley attacks Belair from behind and Belair picks Bayley up for the KOD but Bayley wiggles over the top rope to leave the ring.
The Models are still posing. Maxine was counting down 10 – 5 and Max comes in and smacks Mansoor and says this is ridiculous, berating them for playing around instead of being out in the ring winning titles. He says that this isn’t for him and takes off his belt and throws it down and says he doesn’t think it ever was, says “yeah” as he walks away.
Kevin Owens, Johnny Gargano & Drew McIntyre VS. Alpha Academy & Austin Theory
While Gargano and Owens were fighting the Academy outside, Owens hits the Stunner on Gable on the announce table. Inside the ring, McIntyre hits the Claymore on Theory for the win.
Winners: Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens & Johnny Gargano
The three-year anniversary episode of Dynamite next week will run 15 minutes longer on TBS.
AEW President Tony Khan made the announcement on social media saying, “To celebrate 3 years of @AEWonTV, the #AEWDynamite anniversary show this Wednesday has 15 minutes extra runtime, 2:15 total!”
This particular episode on Wednesday airs live from the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C., the same place which will host a special live taping of Rampage and Battle of the Belts double header on Friday.
Plenty of tickets remain available for both dates through AEWTix.com.
Wrestling legend Antonio Inoki passed away today at the age of 79. The news was confirmed by Yahoo! News Japan and WWE paid tribute to him during Smackdown.
Inoki, who was lately confined to a wheelchair, founded New Japan Pro Wrestling and had a wrestling career spanning just shy of 40 years.
He made his wrestling debut in late 1960 working for the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance but was fired from the promotion after a planned takeover in 1971. A year later, he went on to found NJPW, a promotion which today remains one of the biggest in the world of professional wrestling.
Inoki was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2010 during the weekend of WrestleMania XXVI. He was inducted by Stan Hansen.
After his wrestling career was over, Inoki also had a go in politics and was elected into the House of Councillors in Japan in 1989. His first political stint lasted through 1995 and then had another go between 2013 and 2019 as a member of parliament.
PWInsider.com is reporting that Dr. Chris Amann, WWE’s senior ringside physician, is no longer working for the company after he gave notice and left this month.
Amann, who has worked with WWE since 2008, was in charge of all the other physicians and trainers on the road and at the WWE Performance Center.
The doctor is perhaps best known for suing CM Punk and Colt Cabana for defamation after their explosive podcast where Punk blamed him for many of the injuries and for missing a lump in his back which turned into a staph infection. Amann sued them for $4 million in damages but a judge ruled in favor of the defendants and Amann walked out empty handed.
Prior to joining WWE, he was one of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team physicians.
Having safe and clean MMA mats has become an integral part of mixed martial arts. These mats are designed especially for athletes to practice fearlessly without worrying about tripping or causing an injury to themselves.
Because of their durability and strength, MMA mats provide an excellent foundation for martial arts practitioners to hone their techniques and develop their expertise. These MMA and BJJ mats are used to preserve the floor and prevent slips and falls. They remove dirt and filth off footwear and may also be used to soak up fluids to avoid slips.
What are suitable MMA mats sizes?
The sizes of MMA mats are not standardized throughout the industry. Average thicknesses range from 1.25 to 2.0 inches, depending on the martial art form. Any MMA mat thicker than an inch may be used for martial arts. However, mats at least 1.5 inches thick are suggested for slams and throws.
The extra thickness is always encouraged here. As a reference, the official competition mat thickness mandated by the International Judo Federation and the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation is 1.5 inches.
What are 1-inch mats suitable for?
When it comes to striking arts like Karate, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, kickboxing, and Kung Fu, a slimmer mat of about 1 inch with a greater stiffness is ideal.
A fall from a low height won’t hurt as much on the 1-inch thick mat, and the added hardness makes it great for movement support and other stand-up routines. Although it is generally true that thicker mats provide more durability, facilities that specialize in striking arts are not good candidates for very thick mats because they are not as sturdy.
What are 2-inch mats suitable for?
When it comes to grappling and throw-heavy martial arts like judo, jiu-jitsu, aikido, and Hapkido, where athletes may strike the surface after falls as high as 3-4 feet, the added cushioning afforded by thicker martial arts flooring is excellent.
The protective qualities of these mats make them essential for MMA gyms. Groundwork and slams are best performed on this mat because of its 2-inch thick and somewhat lighter and softer foam core, which makes for a more cushioned surface.
Thickness vs. Density
Perhaps you’ve wondered about the foam density considerations of MMA mats. One frequent misunderstanding concerns the relationship between foam density and its actual thickness. Although they seem to go hand in hand, they really don’t. The density of the foam in a martial arts mat is mass per unit of volume (measured in kg/m3).
To protect the athlete’s joints from the hard floor below, mats with a higher foam density provide more impact resistance since the foam resists the force put on it. For instance, a BJJ mat measured with 230kg/cbm density is perfect for the intense groundwork required in many martial arts.
Conclusion
MMA mats provide a literally stable base from which athletes can master their abilities and compete for championships. With this in mind, having the appropriate equipment is essential for athlete safety when performing the sport. In martial arts, mats at least 1.5 inches are extremely important gear to contribute to that.
It has been a while since we have seen Bobby Roode on television and the former NXT champion revealed in a post on Instagram that he has been injured and just returned home from Birmingham, Alabama.
“Heading home after what is hoped to be a successful trip to Birmingham AL,” Roode wrote. “Big thank you to @southlakeortho and @andrews_sports_medicine for taking great care of me this week. Especially to the first class medical staff of Dr Micheal Ellerbusch , Dr Andrew Cordover and Dr Charles Carnel.”
The photo in the social media post was from the Southlake Orthopaedics clinic but Roode did not reveal what kind of injury he was suffering from.
Roode has not wrestled since late June and has not appeared on television since the Smackdown before WrestleMania.
Dynamite this week drew 990,000 viewers, down 49,000 viewers from the prior week. This was the first time in five weeks that the show failed to cross a million viewers. Dynamite drew a 0.34 in the 18-49 demo, down 0.01 from last week and placed #9 in the top 50 cable chart as The Weather Channel swept the chart due to Hurricane Ian coverage. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Peacock’s $1.99 a month or $19.99 for one year offer will be expiring tomorrow, September 30.
This offer is for new subscribers only and gives you access to the full WWE Network catalog on Peacock as well as the full Peacock library including the latest movies.
All you have to do to subscribe is go to peacocktv.com and use the promo code SEPTEMBER for the monthly plan or ONEYEAR for the full year.
The full year plan works out a few bucks cheaper than subscribing monthly and if you’re already a subscriber, registering with a different e-mail address will do the trick. This offer is also the one with ads called Peacock Premium. The Premium Plus no-ads service is not part of the offer.
After registration, you will be able to enjoy the streaming service on any device you want, including TV-connected devices such as Apple TV, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, and more.
The sixth match on the Extreme Rules card was announced and it’s going to be a banger of a match as Sheamus, Ridge Holland, and Butch take on Intercontinental champion Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci in a six-man tag team match.
This match will be an “old fashioned Donnybrook” whatever that might mean!
Extreme Rules is inching closer 12,000 tickets sold as WWE recently added more seats available to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
On a related Extreme Rules note, all posters for each match include a lantern and fireflies on the top left of every graphic. The lantern and fireflies are tied to Bray Wyatt in WWE and the inclusion of ECW in the latest White Rabbit teaser video sparked speculation that the whole mystery will come to an end at Extreme Rules in Philly, which, of course, is synonymous with ECW.
This week’s taped episode of NXT drew 660,000 viewers, down 28,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. The show did increase by a 0.01 to 0.16 in the 18-49 demo compared to the previous week and placed #14 in the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Grapefruit USA, Inc., an innovative California-based cannabiotech company and cannabis distributor, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with WWE Hall of Famer and cannabis pioneer Rob Van Dam to bring his branded cannabis products to the California retail marketplace.
Bradley J. Yourist, Grapefruit’s CEO and co-founder, said, “Our industry has matured over the past several years, and that maturation has fundamentally focused success in the retail marketplace around effective product branding. There is a lot of competition for product shelf space in retail stores. Retailers look to the brands that are likely to generate the most sales, and the well-known cannabis brands are the ones that consumers will choose.”
He continued, “Our strategic partnership with Rob Van Dam and his team is a natural fit. Rob is a cannabis pioneer with a large and loyal following. His cannabis brand, RVD, has an advantage that other cannabis products lack and fits the new ‘Cannabis 3.0’ environment, which is all about creating exciting and popular branded cannabis and hemp-based products. We look forward to expanding our footprint in California and, eventually, nationwide, bringing the highest-quality RVD cannabis products to California cannabis consumers and patients in need to enhance their health and well-being. Grapefruit’s plan for transitioning into a science-based cannabiotech company remains unabated while we capitalize on Cannabis 3.0 in California.”
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling is reporting through his select service that Saraya has signed a three-year deal with AEW and the amount of money she is receiving makes it seem like that she will be getting in the ring eventually.
Saraya, who made her debut last week at Dynamite: Grand Slam, addressed the AEW crowd last night in the ring. The Brit said that while she was damaged, she is not broken and will bring change to the AEW women’s division.
AEW Women’s champion Toni Storm, Madison Rayne, Skye Blue, Willow Nightingale, and Athena all came out after Saraya invited the whole women’s locker room to join. She labeled Storm as the best AEW Women’s champ, which didn’t get the full approval from the crowd for obvious reasons.
Her speech was interrupted by Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter, Penelope Ford, and Rebel. Baker told her that she’s just a catchphrase and that her neck is strong enough to put it on the line for AEW, unlike Saraya’s. Baker then made fun of Saraya’s name.
Saraya told Baker that it’s odd that she was making fun of her name and that Brit’s name rhymes with shit, a word which was bleeped out by TBS.
Saraya remains not cleared to wrestle which is why there have not been any physical action yet in the ring.
Last Week’s Rating: 1.039,000 overall; 0.35 in 18-49 demo
Guess AEW are taking a look at a couple guys tonight. Can’t help the morale/mood of Miro, Andrade and many others for whom TV time is an intangible concept.
It’s Wednesday night, it’s Dynamite. Let’s go.
Excalibur greeted us to a ‘new era’ of AEW along with Taz and Tony, referring to the number of new champions.
‘The Ocho’ and his crew emerged in matching purple satin/velvet/suede? suits. Garcia looked uncomfortable in more ways than one. Luigi Primo was also there for some reason.
Parker cut a generic, localized cheap-heat promo.
Jericho took the mic and said no one even knows ROH, presumably the crowd was supposed to boo, but didn’t, before putting over both how he’s going to put the company on the map and his opponent Bandido.
Next introducing Garcia to a nice response. For whom he’d brought a gift – a purple bucket hat. In which Garcia looked ridiculous as Schiavone wondered if they were trying to embarrass him. Garcia took out Primo, removed the hat and told Jericho he’d ‘finally had enough.’ About to announce his leaving the JAS, Jericho took the mic, warning him strongly about the decision he was about to make.
‘Are you a sports entertainer? Or are you, a pro wrestler?’
The crowd knew which. As did Bryan Danielson, whose music poured out the speakers before the youngster could answer. BD noted that it sounded like Jericho was trying to tell Garcia what to do. Danielson said it was his choice. He could stay, he could come to the BCC (huge pop), whatever he wanted.
Jericho snapped that Garcia ‘belongs to me… does what I tell him’. The youngster objected.
Before asking ‘Do you guys think it’d be entertaining… if I was in a tag team with Bryan Danielson?’ Then challenging Le Sex Gods to a match. 2.0 said they’d carried Garcia for a year. (Genuinely forgot he was even aligned with them.) Shouty threatened to punch Danielson. Danielson encouraged the idea. Menard vs Danielson set-up for ‘right here, right now.’
Apparently, ‘that is huge’. Per Excalibur. Regal joined on comms.
Bryan Danielson vs Daddy Magic
Backstory: Just arranged
Crowd almost silent for Menard’s offense. Not much louder for the match as a whole. They were not into this after being teased with a Garcia/Danielson combo.
The Dragon was shoved from the top to the outside as the break came.
Still on top as we returned, you could’ve heard a pin drop. Danielson finally had enough, climbing to his feet, ignoring Menard’s chops, then going to yes! kicks in the corner, the flip out of the corner, before running through Daddy Magic, waking the crowd a bit.
A trio of running leg lariats/kicks in the corner left Menard on his knees, a sitting duck for a series of kicks to the chest, Parker pulling his partner to safety. Whereafter, Danielson went for the tope but missed, allowing Parker to hit a ddt on the outside. The crowd didn’t care a lick about Menard’s pin attempt, but did when Claudio came out to drill Parker and literally carry him to the back.
Leaving Menard alone to face the Busaiku Knee and then tap to the LeBell Lock.
The crowd enjoyed Danielson. But would’ve preferred a more competitive opponent. As would I.
WINNER: Bryan Danielson
Video package talking up Moxley. Also introducing Juice Robinson. Who noted beating Moxley last they met.
They then teased that MJF was up next. To a huge response from those in attendance. Leading to Wheeler Yuta hijacking the segment, storming to the ring to light booing.
The youngster had had enough, but not because MJF attacked him. Because he’d attacked Schiavone, who’d done so much for the company. The last bit and Wheeler calling Philly ‘my city’ sort-of brought the crowd on board.
Yuta blathered for a bit, then requested they fight. Max’s music hit and he was mostly booed, helped by a Mets jersey. MJF called Schiavone a ‘fat old prick’ and a ‘coward’ before putting over Yuta as one of the best in the world.
Lots more localized cheap heat aimed at those in attendance. Yuta threatened to leave Max ‘in a pool of blood on Broad Street.’ ‘Bad things happen in Philadelphia’. Apparently, that’s a good thing since the crowd cheered.
As he was making a beeline for the heel, MJF brought out the Ass Boys before doing the generic ‘U wanna see us go tonight? … No’. Match made for next week instead.
Max said he was gonna go watch from the stands and might cash in on Mox later, leaving the Ass Boys to say his catchphrase.
This was really boring and continues to highlight the incessant swimming upstream they’re doing re: MJF, who’s having to work so hard to get booed. And it’s hurting his opponents.
Next, a Sonjay Dutt promo package along with Lethal. They challenged Darby Allin for next week. Allin said it’d be one-one-one, as did Lethal. Dutt wasn’t happy.
Jon Moxley vs Juice Robinson, Eliminator Match
Backstory: If Juice wins, he gets an AEW World Title shot next week
Because two guys with guaranteed title shots aren’t enough…
According to Juice himself, he’s now a free agent.
Robinson attacked before the bell rang, before Moxley even reached the ring. Taz talked about the ‘free agent’ thing so it’s clearly a storyline.
Making the mistake of posing, Mox drilled Juice with a lariat and a suplex on the ringmats. Cut to MJF with his chip and his thumb down, Roman Emperor style. Finally back inside, the two faced-up, talking trash and exchanging shots, Robinson getting the better until again pausing to flex, Moxley landing a wicked kick but backing off after Robinson targeted his eye.
Knocking the champ down in the corner, he raced in but was blasted with a KKL, Mox seeking the Death Rider as Robinson dragged both over the ropes to the outside.
Seems one more week was too much to ask. For a Moxley match without blood that is. The champ dripping from the head as we came back.
Juice sat him on a chair at ringside but missed with a cannonball, crashing right through the chair. A tope was followed up with a charge into the corner by Moxley but Robinson got his foot up, the two going at it like bulls in the middle.
The champ then working the legs before heading to the corner for ten punches. Again targeting the eyes, the challenger fought out, blasting Mox with a powerbomb from the top.
Then going back up for an axe handle but landing into a death rider before countering out into Pulp Friction – brief delay, cover, 1,2, kickout! Crowd kinda bought that one as the challenger fought the inclination to harass the ref.
Then hauled Mox to his shoulders, Mox slipping out, Regal Knee to the face for two, ‘kick your head in’ kicks to the head, cross armbreaker for the tap.
Instantly we’d finished, Hangman flew straight to the ring, no messing, face-to-face as the crowd chanted ‘Cowboy S***’. After a brief exchange, it seemed the two were about to fight when MJF interrupted from his box. Telling them they weren’t fighting for the title but to lose to him.
As staff arrived in the ring to separate the title challengers, Yuta appeared behind Max. Huge response as he hurled MJF into the fans, fighting both him and security, who came to break it up.
Nice segment to end the match, furthering two feuds at the same time.
WINNER: Jon Moxley
Bandido package incorporating snippets of ROH clips/commentary and Schiavone putting over the challenger. Riccaboni compared him to Eddie Guerrero. No pressure kid…
Maybe heeding the threat, Schiavone made sure to pronounce ‘Sir-rey-uh’ correctly, before handing over to Justin Roberts to introduce the former Paige. Response wasn’t the same as last week but then the crowd was significantly smaller.
Said she was ‘damaged but not broken’, promising to ‘create change’ in the division, alluding to doing the same in WWE. She then asked ‘all the ladies’ to come out, the faces coming out led by Toni Storm.
Paige ‘reintroduced’ all the women, starting with the champ. Britt interrupted to cheers (there were boos when Paige said Storm was the best champ the women’d had). She came out with her usual crew and Penelope Ford.
Baker said she’d often put her ‘neck on the line; unlike yours, mines actually strong enough to handle it.’ Saraya responded that Britt’s name rhymed with ‘shit’. As Britt continued, a ‘Jamie Hayter’ chant sprung up.
Baker warned Storm that if she made one mistake against Deeb, she wouldn’t be the champ anymore. Saraya said she’d talked to Tony Khan – ‘a boss that actually listens to me’ – and this would be a lumberjack match.
Before heading up to join on comms for the forthcoming match. Making one think she’s nowhere close to being cleared to compete in any way, shape or form.
This did Saraya no favors. It took too long and didn’t really go anywhere.
Toni Storm vs Serena Deeb, AEW Women’s Title
Backstory: Deeb pinned Storm 2 wks ago w/ help from Baker
Just to be clear, I’m aware this is the ‘interim’ title.
Beginning before absolute silence with a mat display, Storm locking in an arm-capture and a front facelock. Deeb then snatching a headlock but the champ didn’t budge after a shoulder block, hitting one of her own, sending Serena to the outside and the lumberjacks.
Back inside, Deeb hit machine gun chops in the corner, Storm fought back, attempting an avalanche belly to back but Deeb turned it into a cross body in mid-flight. After Toni was sent to the outside, the face/heel lumberjacks stared each other down as the ads arrived.
The fans a bit more into it as we came back, Toni landed a shotgun dropkick, following up with a cross body from the top for two.
Athena hurled Deeb back inside, Storm hauling her into a German suplex but missing with the hip attack as Serena snatched a rollup, finally emerging from a nice sequence of counters into a nasty looking submission with the arms stretched wide apart, transitioning into a neck crank, the lumberjacks doing a nice job trying to bring the crowd into it.
Another big German led to Hayter dragging Storm outside, Willow Nightingale attacking as most of the lumberjacks brawled to the back. Back in the ring, the Serenity Lock was on in the middle, the champ struggling as the crowd chanted her name, obliging them by making the ropes but clearly still struggling.
A back body drop saw her turn the tables: to the top, another diving cross body but Serena had it scouted, single leg crab, again right in the middle, Toni finally kicking her way out, Deeb falling into the corner, blasted with the hip attack, Storm Zero for a very close two.
The crowd were now clapping along.
A cruel-looking dragon screw on Storm, using the ropes for leverage, led to both fighting their way to the top, from where a crazy avalanche-Storm-Zero brought the victory.
This was excellent post-break. Easily the best women’s match in a long time. This segment did not seem like it was having the desired effect, either in the talking phase, or early in the match. But by its end, the crowd – this one at least – cared about the women.
WINNER: Toni Storm
Acclaimed & Daddy Ass with Schiavone. Next week is ‘National Scissoring Day’. Open challenge for Friday. Keith Lee interrupted, claiming Billy Gunn won the belts, not them. Billy had ‘two words’ for him as Lee walked off: ‘Scissor Me’.
Private Party, Butcher & Blade were going at it in the back. Andrade interrupted. He’s PP’s ‘boss’; Jose told them to ‘shape up or ship out.’ Matt Hardy told them that last week ‘felt right’ and to get out of their contracts with Andrade.
Ricky Starks vs Eli Isom
Backstory: None
Ricky was very popular with the crowd. Roshambeaux in under a minute as the crowd counted along with the pin.
WINNER: Ricky Starks
Video package highlighting the JB/CC/Luchasaurus feud. Again, JB was much better in this format, short as it was.
Chris Jericho vs Bandido, ROH World Title
Backstory: None
Ian Riccaboni joined on comms; Cruise ring announced.
‘AE-Dub’ chants as they showed the ROH belt.
Jericho again made a mockery of the handshake, flipping off Bandido. This story of him, Garcia and the cheating is excellent.
Beginning quickly, the challenger landed a tope after sending Jericho to the outside, immediately taking to the air again as the break beckoned.
Jericho sent to the apron, to the top, caught with a thrust kick as he landed. Bandido then hauled the vet up for a delayed suplex with one arm as he counted with the other, leaving the crowd to continue all the way to the minute mark as those attending flew to their feet.
Hottest they’d been all night.
After a quick breather, he too went topside, crashing down via frogsplash for two as ‘Eddie’ chants rang through the arena. Turning the tables, Jericho caught Bandido running in, taking him to the corner for heavy chops, then to the opposite one where they continued. Thinking avalanche suplex, Bandido fought him off but was planted with the Codebreaker as he came off the top.
Both on the apron, Jericho hammered on the back; Bandido fought back with an elbow then hurled himself and The Ocho to the floor with a hurracanrana as the final ads arrived.
With blood on his mask, Bandido met Jericho attempting the springboard dropkick, turning it into a sunset bomb from the top for two. Responding with a Lionsault, the BWBC bagged two of his own. A crucifix bomb saw another two for the challenger as he pleaded with Aubrey that it was three.
Hauling Jericho onto his shoulders for the X-Knee, the vet slipped out, into the Walls, nowhere for the challenger to go. Urged on by a crowd who were firmly behind him, Bandido finally scrambled his way to the ropes, Jericho assuming he’d won, taking it out on the younger man, bringing him back in from the apron via suplex.
Then heading to the top, met at the summit with an enziguri, Bandido joining him up there, spectacular fallaway slam from the top. Crowd erupted. The cover followed, the crowd begging for three but getting only two slaps of the mat.
Gut-wrench onto the shoulders, this time landing the X-Knee, following immediately with the 21-plex. Still no good as Jericho kicked out. Just.
With Bandido well on top, Jericho went for the eye, to heavy boos, Bandido coming back with a rollup for two but as he got up Jericho swept the legs into the old-school Lion Tamer, whereafter the challenger finally tapped. But not before firmly winning over the local crowd in a way almost no-one had all night.
Post-match, Jericho cut-off Bobby Cruise.
‘I’m changing ROH’. Then vowing to ‘desecrate its legacy’, beginning with Danielson on October 12th in his home country of Canada, and to destroy anyone associated with ROH, including… ‘ring announcers’. Thereafter blasting Bobby Cruise with the Judas Effect to end the show.
This was a hell of a main event. I was completely out on Jericho ‘the Wizard’. But recently, he’s been fantastic. This was a clinic on how to establish a new opponent, beginning with the promo which began the show and ending with a spectacular main event. Not to say that Bandido didn’t do his part. A dazzling moveset winning over both the local crowd and those watching at home.
WINNER: Chris Jericho
Next Rampage: • Silver vs Rush • Acclaimed vs Butcher & Blade vs Private Party • Hook appears • Lee Moriarty vs Fuego del Sol • Willow Nightingale vs Jamie Hayter
Next Dynamite anniversary:
• Yuta vs MJF • Jay Lethal vs Darby Allin, One-on-One • National scissor day • Luchasaurus in action • Le Sex Gods vs Bryan Danielson and Daniel Garcia (Daniel-Son? Yeah, that’s awful) Overall impressions
Considering the circumstances, this was a good episode of Dynamite. Almost every talking segment went too long. But it’s clear they were working with a reduced crew and had to stretch a few things out. To keep it short – give us a main event like that, we’ll go home happy.
Check Out…
• Jericho vs Bandido • The second half of Deeb vs Storm
WWE has postponed two NXT non-televised live events in Tampa and Dade City this weekend due to Hurricane Ian’s impending arrival.
The Tampa show was on Friday and Dade City on Saturday and they have been rescheduled for December 17 and November 11 respectively. All tickets purchased already will be honored for the new dates but those who cannot make it can request a refund by sending an e-mail to nxttickets@wwecorp.com with your name and order number.
Ian is now a Category 3 hurricane and will continue to get stronger as it reaches Florida and evacuation has been ordered in certain parts of the state already.
The fallout from Dynamite: Grand Slam takes place tonight as AEW rolls into the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Newly-crowned three-time AEW World champion Jon Moxley will be in action tonight in an eliminator match against NJPW’s Juice Robinson. The two have a history together fighting over the IWGP United States title and if Juice wins this one, he gets a future shot at the AEW World title.
AEW Interim Women’s champion Toni Storm will be putting her title belt on the line against Serena Deeb while new ROH World champion Chris Jericho battles former ROH champion Bandido.
Plus, the Jericho Appreciation Society will throw in a championship celebration for Jericho, MJF will appear, and the newly-signed Saraya will be addressing the AEW fans in the middle of the ring.
Battle of the Belts IV, which was rumored to be airing the day after it is taped, will now be airing live at 11PM on Friday, October 7, immediately following the conclusion of Rampage.
The move is to avoid going head-to-head with WWE’s Extreme Rules premium live event on Saturday, October 8. All previous Battle of the Belts took place on Saturday at 8PM ET. The 11PM start time means that the show will end at Midnight and will have Rampage as the lead-in.
Dynamite, Rampage, and Battle of the Belts will be held at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC. According to @WrestleTix, there are just under 1,400 tickets remaining for the Rampage/BOTB combo show. The arena is set up to hold only 3,400 fans. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.com.
The NXT Halloween Havoc main event has changed as expected and will now feature a triple threat match for the NXT title rather than a one-on-one match.
Originally announced as Bron Breakker vs JD McDonagh, the trajectory of the main event was altered last week when former NXT UK champion Ilja Dragunov entered the picture after a few months out.
Last night on NXT on USA Network, both McDonagh and Dragunov said that they are the rightful number one contenders and were interrupted by the NXT champion. Former NXT Cruiserweight champion McDonagh said that he and Dragunov should fight each other and the winner faces Breakker at Havoc, but the champ shot down the idea and suggested a triple threat match between all of them.
The Saturday, October 22 show has only two matches announced so far, with the other one being a ladder match for the vacant NXT North American title. Carmelo Hayes, Oro Mensah, and Wes Lee have so far qualified for the match with two more scheduled to be added.
The pre-sale for the 2023 Royal Rumble started today on Ticketmaster.com using the code DOME23 to unlock tickets.
Judging from the seating chart, only half the Alamodome will be used with no large set and an entrance like they used for previous Royal Rumbles and SummerSlams at stadiums. It will be another long, turning entrance synonymous with these kind of stadium shows.
Tickets start from $50 and go all the way up to $6,000 for platinum ringside seats. Non-platinum ringside seats from row 6 are $1,000 each plus taxes and fees.
A $1,000 ticket carries a service charge of $127.20, a facility charge of $5.50, an order processing fee of $6.23, and $93.45 in tax for an additional cost of $232.38 to your ticket.
The tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, September 30 at 10AM CDT.
The 2023 Royal Rumble takes place on Saturday, January 28 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
