AEW Dynamite tonight comes to us from the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Ga..  After last week drawing 874,000 & 0.32 in the 18-49 demo.

*****

Dynamite rocking the Collision set here since that’ll be taped afterward.

the Elite vs Bullet Club Gold

Backstory: BCG attacked Omega last week & the Bucks cheated to beat the Gunns

Jay White accompanied his boys; no Hangman on the other side.  They attacked the heels during their entrance, all six brawling round ringside, Nick hitting a tope to Juice who shook it off.  Omega was taped due to last week’s attack.

They then did one of my least favorite things in wrestling – ‘the bell hasn’t rung’ so the heels can do what they like.  In this case Juice can use a chair.  And then sock the referee when he takes it away.  Jay White joining in, helping Juice take out Omega while the Gunns hit 3:10 to Yuma to Nick, Matt broke up a second but took White’s high-angle Uranage.

Omega in to block a Bladerunner, avoid a Colten splash and Austin knee lift (even Excalibur mixed them up here), White attacked from behind as Excalibur talked about how heated their rivalry was from Japan.  Spitting out the whole history of the two in Bullet Club in about 3.5 seconds.  Omega caught him with a V Trigger as White hit the ropes but was blasted via Takeshita lariat.

The faces being beaten down, their pal Hangman apparently not caring enough to help.  But FTR did.  They and the Bucks fought off the heels.  Leaving Omega with Takeshita, who threw strikes but took a V Trigger before escaping a One Winged Angel and bailing.

Omega’s music played as they jawed and Takeshita pointed to the sign!!!  Hey did you know we’re a lesser version of WWE!?  Excalibur said how ‘deeply personal’ this feud was.  So personal they didn’t interact for a month after Blood & Guts.

Didn’t like this.  It was too busy.  Takeshita needed to look strong to make him credible.  They never even mentioned Page, let alone explained his absence.  And if that’s the final FTR/Bucks build, it’s not close to enough.

Also made it seem Omega’s going to win since he was the real focus of the segment, the only one left standing.

At least they threw the match out rather than just starting the match once the bell rung like they usually do.

Winner: No contest

Renee sit-down with MJF.  She asked what performing in front of 80,000 people means?  ‘It means Im’a be real chubbed up Renee’ – he gets off on the fans cheering him so his trunks will be awfully tight.  ‘I’m like the 2023 version of British Bulldog if he were Jewish and a good public speaker’.

Then told British fans – ‘I want you to get a pint, I want you to get pissed and I want you to cheer on your favorite chav’.  I think this was supposed to be a babyface line.  Since we’re a nation of football hooligans… (a chav is basically a dumb person who wears flashy stuff to compensate).

He asked fans to cheer for him like he’s Churchill and he’ll buy everyone who does a pint.  But then said he wouldn’t when Renee asked ‘really?’.  He’ll stick ‘that mark’ Tony Khan with the bill, believing him saying that could be edited.

Finally getting serious, he admitted he was feeling a lot of pressure about the match.  But talked about all the people who’d helped pave the way to this event: Hogan, Sammartino, Rock, Undertaker etc.  If he wins, he might become a giant himself.  It’s a pressure he’s ready for.

They played highlights of his duo with Cole for him to watch, focusing on moments of friction.  He said his friendship with Cole was all really new to him.  Cole’s made him a better person.  ‘He’s not just my friend, he’s my brother’.  And brothers have disagreements but they always ‘hug it out’.

He’s been vulnerable for the first time in his life.  He asked fans to be vulnerable with him and we’ll be rewarded.  That’s the first promise he’s ever made that he intends to keep.  Because he’s our scumbag.

Renee wished him luck, he said he couldn’t wait to ‘do it with my best friend’.

AEW persist in failing to understand that just because something’s funny, it doesn’t mean it fits within a particular angle/segment/moment.  Like last week, the good stuff seriously promoting a world championship match was swamped with goofy comedy where Max sounded like a heel.

I guess we’re still supposed to wonder what he is.

Jon Moxley vs Rey Fenix

Backstory: They face off in singles ahead of Stadium Stampede Sunday

Presumably a talking segment or angle is main-eventing since there’s little worthwhile wrestling left if this is on now.  Mox came out before the break, Fenix after.  Supposedly Rey is unable to make All In due to visa issues.

They replayed the brawl after last week’s Cassidy/Yuta match, including Eddie Kingston returning and challenging the BCC.

Right to a brawl, Mox fought Fenix off, clubbing his back, kicking his face, dueling chants from the crowd, Mox ducked his rebound spin kick but not a dropkick.  Which sent him outside.  Rey damn near headbutted him via tope.  Before adding a second.  Until being snatched into a sleeper outside.  Mox targeting the mask then hitting a curb stomp on the ramp.

There were some boos for this but only some because no-one has a clue whether the BCC are heels or not.  Mox continued to beat Fenix around ringside before flinging him back in.  Taz suggested the announcers join the BCC for Stadium Stampede.  As Rey briefly fought back with open-hands but missed his rope-walk punt, taking a lariat in the corner but immediately striking back with a back-elbow until running into a killer KKL for two.

Ads.  Good start.

Back to Moxley hitting a piledriver, the announcers were shocked when Rey kicked out.  It’s 2023 guys, piledrivers are not serious moves.  On the subject haven’t heard anything tonight re: Terry Funk.

Mox landed the wrist-capture stomps, Fenix popped up to hit a thrust kick then collapsed once more.  The two to their feet at the same time, Fenix hit a spin kick in the corner, was caught into a choke but slipped free to hit a stomp/dropkick then a rolling cutter.

Crowd very into this as Mox kicked out after two.  More dueling chants as Rey landed his rebound spin kick, to the top, frogsplash, kickout at 2.8.  Fenix got Mox on his shoulders, he countered with H&A elbows, Rey made himself dead weight to block a Death Rider, rolling through smoothly into a cradle for two.  Then firing kicks but being struck with a back elbow out of a springboard, both down again from the impact.

Ref’s count at 7 as both got up, slugging from their knees, to their feet, continuing to fight, overhand chops into knife-edges, Moxley pushing Rey to the corner but hit via thrust kick.  Fenix upstairs again but caught and raked across the back before a Mox superplex was fought off, Rey surveying a rabid crowd but bitten on the face, allowing Moxley to hit an avalanche Death Rider!  And Rey kicked out!

But was quickly snatched into the Bulldog Choke by an angry Moxley, eventually passing out in the hold.  This was really good.  Enjoyed it.  Crowd hot for it too.  Slight complaint – it definitely got a big reaction from the crowd but avalanche finishers should not be kicked out of on random tv shows.

The rest of the BCC were quickly in the ring, Yuta had a crowbar, Fenix about to be walloped.  Bringing Kingston and Penta to the ramp.  They stopped short, their desire to save Penta’s brother from having his face caved in quelled by a man dressed like Crocodile Dundee appearing on the ramp.  It turned out to be Ortiz.  Music played and as was rumored, Santana’s back too and the team are reunited.

They took out Penta and Kingston on the ramp.  In the ring, Yuta smacked Rey with the crowbar.  As reported by the announcers, because the cameras missed 95% of it.  How the hell are they going to shoot twelve guys fighting through Wembley on Sunday?  Anyway there wasn’t much heat for this, quite the opposite, because the crowd were happy to see Santana back and the BCC are kinda grey.

Cassidy and the Best Friends came out to stare at the BCC & Proud and Powerful.  Who left through the crowd.  Finally there were some boos.  They brought a stretcher out to remove Fenix from the ring.

This was Russo-riffic: so much happening at once that we actually missed the most important part.  The angle that’ll rule Rey out of All In.

They took Fenix away in an ambulance.  The announcers got all serious.  But at no point did they explain the backstory between Kingston & Ortiz (who were having problems last we saw Ortiz) which is presumably the entire reason P&P attacked.

However, mid-way through the seriousness, Excalibur stopped to plug Draft Kings’ ppv predictions game.  You couldn’t make this up.  The poor guy had to merge his ‘bad stuff just happened’ voice with hyping something.  Put in such a bad position.

Renee arrived on the scene, Kingston asked if she saw what her husband did?  She didn’t respond, he smacked her mic away then said he’d ‘fix it at Wembley’.  Again, they didn’t explain this but a few months back she demanded Eddie ‘fix’ the relationship between he and Moxley.  Kingston didn’t come off well here, very aggressive toward a female, and a babyface one too.

Should mention amid the moaning that I’m glad P&P are back.  A welcome boost to the tag scene.

Winner: Jon Moxley

Cut to earlier today, Renee with Sammy to ask why he’d still helped Jericho last week.  2.0 & Garcia interrupted, Matt Menard crapping all over Jericho’s face turn with the too-honest ‘he (Jericho) said ‘yes’ (to Callis) and the only reason things went south were because of that stupid painting’.

Garcia said he’s known Jericho since day one.  With Callis, Jericho was blinded by friendship.  And when friends make mistakes you need to be there for them even more.  Parker said they were trying to stop Sammy from being blinded by friendship too.  Will Jericho be there for him ‘when it comes down to it?’. ‘Just something to think about’.

I was concerned Garcia was going to dance since they lingered on him but he just glared at Sammy then left.  The crowd felt sorry for Guevara when Garcia left.  They clearly want those guys to stay together.

Really liked this.  It made sense based on what’s happened so far.  The rest of the JAS could be genuinely trying to help Sammy or just messing with him.  While Guevara himself might now stay loyal to Jericho or be swayed by their arguments.  Sammy has a dilemma.  That’s classic storytelling.

*****

Schiavone in the ring for the Ospreay/Jericho contract signing.  A table was in the ring and a bunch of security guys.  The Brit got a big pop when introduced.  He came out with Callis.  And was dressed like a football hooligan/chav and didn’t look the star he usually does.

Guevara came out with Jericho as they replayed what happened last week between Jericho and Callis.  The latter took the mic to a bevy of boos.  He said what he did last week can be summed up in four words: ‘Will By God Ospreay’.  The crowd chanted STFU as he revealed that the deal clincher to him linking with Ospreay was promising Jericho’s ‘head on a platter at Wembley’.

‘I chose Will Ospreay over you’.  He talked about how Jericho nearly died two years ago in England (again they just assumed everyone knew what this meant – Jericho had a medical emergency while touring with Fozzy which is why he disappeared from tv for a little bit and lost a bunch of weight).

Ospreay took the mic and told the crowd to shut-up.  He asked if Jericho was taking this seriously enough.  Or was it just a vanity project so his band could perform?  Because for Ospreay the match ‘is going to change my life’.  He has a ‘missus’ at home and a four-year-old step-son.  Which is why on Friday he’s working an ‘indy’ to put his kid through school.

Who the hell is the heel here!?

He repeated that the match changes his life.  The crowd cheered because how can you boo a dad – and a step-dad at that – wanting to work hard for his son?  They cheered again when he said he’ll become the first guy to beat Omega, Okada and Jericho in a two-month span.  His New Japan contract is up in six months and this match is the key to him making millions.

He knows he’s the best wrestler in the world – better than the Elite, Danielson, Punk (that got the biggest reaction), ‘better… than you!’.  He says he respects everything Jericho’s done ‘but all it is, is rocket fuel for me, and my future’.  He signed the contract.

Excellent line.

Jericho removed his jacket, apparently he only signs contracts topless.  And said everything Ospreay’s accomplished is because of him.  Because when everyone was predicting he’d be in a wheelchair by the age of thirty Jericho called him and told him to ‘tone it down’ (surely in kayfabe wrestlers should be doing anything but?).  Because he knew Ospreay’d be a top star.

This match is years in the making.  It was supposed to happen in 2021.  He said it’s the biggest show of his career, bigger than WrestleMania or the Tokyo Dome.  Because while Ospreay’s coming from the bottom, he’s coming from the top with everyone predicting his demise.

He challenged Ospreay to prove he could beat him in front of his family and step-son and countrymen.  Then very strangely asked Will not to make him regret keeping him from a wheelchair.  What a babyface.

At this, Ospreay smacked the mic away, Jericho slapped him and the two were separated by security.  Excalibur said both had signed and the match was official though I never saw Jericho sign.

Both guys continue to be strangely positioned.  Ospreay’s promo was excellent: very serious and explaining why he needed to win for reasons anyone out there can relate to.  But being relatable isn’t a great trait for a heel.  Yes he’ll be cheered at Wembley anyway so then why is he with Callis?

And Jericho’s badly constructed face turn continued with that odd wheelchair comment and ‘real’ comments which don’t make sense in the context of a product where everyone should be going all out to win.

*****

Renee sit-down with Adam Cole.  He was shown some of his and MJF’s sillier moments together.  Cole thinks the world of Max professionally and Max helped him find himself and regain his confidence.  ‘He’s reminded me who the real Adam Cole is’.  Uh oh.

Renee asked what it’d mean to become AEW champ.  Cole said he got into the business to be the best.  And that’s what the AEW title means.  ‘I need to win the match and I will’.

They then unfortunately moved-on to Roderick Strong and the Kingdom.  And undid the subtle idea of Cole turning by having him guiltily looking away and scratching his beard when they played a clip of Cole holding the AEW title last month.

And really undid it by having Cole lose his s*** and storm off the set when asked about people questioning their friendship.  ‘There are no issues with me and Max, none!’ he yelled maniacally into the camera.

Swerve Strickland & AR Fox vs Darby Allin & Nick Wayne

Backstory: The heels beat down Wayne at his home a few weeks back

Allin and Wayne marched to the ring with purpose.  Wayne’s mom was in the crowd again.  Please, no.  Prince Nana was back with Swerve to do his goofy dancing.  The heels too marched straight to the ring.  Like that, this is serious.

Swerve and Darby brawled outside, Wayne patiently waited atop the buckle for Fox to crotch him then drill him with an avalanche German.  Fox was wearing a tank top ostensibly covered in Wayne’s blood.  He hit an implosion senton then threw the tank top at Wayne’s mom.  Excalibur was so appalled that he ignored the latter to praise Fox for ‘risking it all just days away from All In’ with that senton.

The heels beat the faces around ringside, Swerve dropped the youngster back-first onto the apron.  Both heels then prepared moves on the apron as the crowd chanted ‘AR Fox’.  The faces escaped, Wayne shoved the heels into one another then hit a double cutter from the middle rope to the outside.  Allin followed via Coffin Splash.

Ads.

Fox beat Wayne in front of his mom then flung him over the barricade.  Wayne was bleeding from the nose.  All four back in the ring, the faces slumped in opposite corners.  They all performed a gymnastics routine – rolling forward together to meet in the middle where the heels hit a dropkick and leaping flatliner respectively.

Wayne briefly fought back but was then just destroyed by a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo out of mid-air.  ‘That broke him in half’, said Schiavone.  Allin broke the pin at two, hit his over the shoulder stunner to Fox then cannoned himself through the ropes at Swerve, almost crashing into the announce desk.

Then positioned Swerve on a chair at ringside but was taken out via Fox moonsault.  Swerve hit a Stomp off the apron with Allin sat on the chair.  The heels then beat down Wayne who was bleeding even more now.  A corkscrew brainbuster got two.  A fisherman ddt the same.  Swerve hit his running heel kick.  Wayne kicked out again.

The heels hit a double pump kick in the corner, Fox missed a 450.  Swerve somehow missed this and the subsequent stack pinfall despite it taking place right behind him.  Allin grabbed his leg to prevent him breaking the pin as Wayne won.

Seems Swerve got his single televised win of 2023 a few weeks ago.  He grabbed the mic and cackled maniacally.  Repeating how disappointing this is.  ‘And by disappointing I mean you Fox’.  ‘Everytime you get an opportunity you blow it’.  ‘Why are you such a loser?’.

He then said this was all a test.  And Fox can’t beat a child.  So he can’t trust Fox at Wembley.  He told Nana to handle things.  Nana fired Fox from the Mogul Affiliates.  Brian Cage then destroyed him.  Darby and Wayne returned with Sting.

Allin took the mic to repeat what he said last week that he’ll always appreciate what Fox did for him.  He offered a hand, helped Fox to his feet and told him he loved him.  Brian Cage might want to change his finish since Fox is just fine after that Drillclaw.

Allin then asked who Swerve would be teaming with now.  Christian Cage and Luchasaurus hit the ramp.  Cage addressed Wayne, saying he’s heard a lot about him.  Since he has a dead dad.  He said he’d never heard of Wayne’s dad so he musn’t have been very good.  He said Wayne was going to watch the coffin door close on someone he loved again on Sunday.

Tasteless and disgusting.  AEW love a booking shortcut, it’s why their angles don’t connect.

Tony Khan mentioned they were having to make changes to All In.  If Fox can’t get into the country or something then I can sympathize.  Otherwise, this was more Russo booking.  Turning someone who was the key to this entire match only to turn them back weeks later.

Winner: Darby Allin & Nick Wayne

Renee sit-down with FTR & the Bucks.  So tbf, what happened between them earlier wasn’t the end of the story.  In fact it was the start of this: Renee asked about FTR coming out to help the Bucks two weeks in a row.

The Bucks thanked them.  FTR said they shouldn’t.  It’s because they need to know once and for all who the best team is.  Renee asked whether this was the biggest match of their careers.  Matt said that the original All In wasn’t expected to do 10,000 people and now they’re doing 80,000 so it’s easily their biggest match ever.

Nick then said they were ‘made men’.  And he feels FTR need to beat them.  ‘I feel strongly about that too’.  (He did not sound like he felt that strongly.)  Cash refused to rise to that but said it was definitely their biggest match.  Against ‘arguably’ our top competition for a match to ‘possibly’ decide the best team of their generation.

Dax added that business was good but this is personal.  Renee asked whether this was more about the belts or more about being the best.  Dax said it goes beyond the belts.  It’s about legacy.  The Bucks are the only thing standing in the way of their legacy and he doesn’t want to wake up Monday having lost.

Matt cut him off, mocking Dax for always talking about his family and legacy.  Saying that the Bucks were the reason Dax gets to feed his daughter since they brought FTR here.  And when it comes to legacy, once they hang it up, people will say they were the best team ever.  When FTR do the same, people will say ‘Those are the guys the Young Bucks named on their YouTube show’.

(Now that’s a good line.  Finally something from the Bucks.  FTR’ve carried this so far)

FTR had been staying cool but got a little riled at that.  Dax said it worked the other way.  The Bucks had to drop their name since they wanted to be on their level.  And they never will be.  The Bucks call themselves the foundation but FTR are the foundation now and they’ll crack the Bucks’ foundation at All In (he didn’t make that sound as clunky as I did).

Renee signed off.

They could’ve cut this in half and made it twice as good.  Starting from when Dax talked about it being personal.  However, that does at least mean it ended well.  The Bucks were definitely playing heel here though presumably that’s just for this match since they’ll be feuding with BCG afterward.

*****

They pushed the Rampage tag match between the four ladies competing for the women’s title.

Skye Blue vs Ruby Soho

Backstory: None

Storm accompanied Ruby to the ramp but then left.  Soho cut an inset promo warning Statlander that she wanted the TBS title.  We missed the start of the match while they were showing a Blue inset promo which they had to just leave mid-way through.

Blue hit a thrust kick then flung Soho to the barricade.  Excalibur said Blue once considered Soho a mentor.  She did!?

Soho stomped her in the corner then choked her in the ropes.  Blue tried to fight back but was chopped in the corner.  And again; Ruby raked the eyes.  But was sent to the apron then Blue hit a step-up knee and a cross body off the apron to ringside as Excalibur again talked about their mentor/mentee relationship.  Seriously did that happen?

Blue hit a running dropkick, was sent to the apron, cross body from the top.  Count of two.  Soho countered a full nelson.  An absolutely cringey sequence followed where Blue went to hit the ropes but realized she wasn’t supposed to so simply reversed back so Ruby could hit them instead.

Then hit a slow neckbreaker.  A series of rollups got a bunch of two-counts.  Skye missed her low enziguri, hit a thrust kick which Excalibur was forced to describe as a ‘glancing blow’ then hit SkyFall.  Ruby kicked out.  Ruby blocked Code Blue, hit No Future and Destination Unknown for the win.

The second half of this was really bad.  Skye Blue needs more ring time.

Winner: Ruby Soho

More Renee.  With Roderick Strong and the Kingdom.  She asked what Strong knew about Cole/MJF that we didn’t.  Strong said at the end of All In we’ll find out who the real Adam Cole is and the real MJF is.

*****

They played a video of the House of Black burying Billy Gunn’s boots and talking about funerals.  We never even knew what size.  So sad.

The Acclaimed marched to the ring with no music.  They demanded the House come out.  The babyfaces got the crap kicked out of them after calling out the heels.  A few people chanted ‘Daddy Ass’.  More people barked than booed.  The Acclaimed’s music then played and the real star of all of this, the middle-aged guy came out.

The badass, killer-heel, House of Black backed off against this middle-aged messiah.  Schiavone called this ‘a great AEW moment’.  Gunn took the mic to say that last week the House had hurt ‘one of my kids’ and ‘destroyed a legacy that took thirty-two years to build’.  They ‘pissed’ on his legacy.  He challenged them at All In, to face not Daddy Ass but Bad Ass.  Also saying ‘one more time’ so is this his last match?

They never mentioned whether it was for the trios titles cause who cares about those stupid things?

Aussie Open vs the Hardys (ROH Tag Titles)

Backstory: Jeff was the first to sign-up for AEW’s ‘Lose two matches on tv, get a title shot!’ offer

Aussie Open quickly on top, all four in the ring, the Hardys fought back, hit Poetry in Motion to both and sent both heels outside.  Fletcher back in to take a combo legdrop/flip splash.  The four then brawled outside.

Break.

Davies had Jeff down, tag to Fletcher, Jeff ducked a double lariat, fought them off and hit Whisper in the Wind.  Matt in to run through the heels, body drop to Fletcher then ‘delete’ face-plants to the buckle.  Twist of Fate blocked by Davis, Hardy turned it into a ddt then hit a Side Effect to Fletcher for two.

Elbow strike from the top, Twist of Fate blocked by Fletcher, Hardy superplex, Jeff with a splash from the other corner, Davis made the save.  Fletcher saved his partner from a superplex, powerbombing Matt off the top, Fletcher hit a cutter with Jeff atop Davis’ shoulders to win out of nowhere in only a few minutes.

Fletcher took the mic, insisting there would be no Double Clothesline or Kangaroo Kick at Wembley and they’d remain the ROH champs.  Max’s music kicked in to maybe the biggest pop all night.  In fact it was the mash-up, Cole out too as they went face-to-face with the champs.  Who held their belts up then pulled them into a fistfight.  The heels stomped them down in the corner then posed.

Before seeking a Double Clothesline.  MJF cut them off, Cole hit pump kicks, Davis bailed to avoid a Double Clothesline.  Fletcher remained, MJF readying a Kangaroo Kick.  Davis stopped it, MJF then saved Cole from a blindside attack by Fletcher.  Before holding the Aussie for a superkick.  Fletcher ducked, Max caught Cole’s foot, the two stared each other down.  Max let his leg down but then posed before him, holding his belt aloft.

Cole offered a handshake, MJF bumped him then pulled the diamond ring from his pocket.  But put it back to hug Cole.  Cole glared at MJF as he posed atop the buckle.

Winner: Aussie Open

God this was just a blur of stuff.  A lot of it overbooked or confusing.

 ________________________________________________________________

Next Collision:

• Jay White, Swerve Strickland, Luchasaurus, Brian Cage vs Sting, CM Punk, Darby Allin & TBA (‘All In, All Star 8-man tag’) (Samoa Joe on comms)
• Hear from the stars in London preparing for All In
• Orange Cassidy, Penta & Eddie Kingston vs Butcher, Blade & Kip Sabian
• Jack Perry will retire the FTW Title

Added to All In:

• The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn vs House of Black
• Santana, Ortiz & BCC vs Best Friends, Cassidy, Penta & Kingston
• Darby & Sting vs Swerve & Christian Cage

Thumbs Up/Down

• Moxley vs Fenix
• The serious part of Max’s promo
• Sammy & ex-JAS angle
• Ospreay’s promo was great if you can forget he’s a heel, the most relatable thing I’ve heard in an AEW interview in ages

 *****

• Russo-level booking – the BCC angle, Ospreay/Jericho and the AR Fox angle were some mixture of confusing or totally overbooked
• Adam Cole’s meltdown, what the hell was this? Where did it come from?  He was all happy last week and even when the interview started
• Blue vs Soho

Appreciate you reading.  Have a good week.