AEW Dynamite tonight comes to us from the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario.  After last week drawing 902,000 & 0.33 in the 18-49 demo.

Can we get Forbidden Door back to Chicago next year please?  Those folks like… bang their hands together and expel sound from their mouths.  At first I thought it was just the flat opener.

Four-way was great fun, ten-man too.  Guess Omega/Ospreay was decent.  Though Callis coming back out ruined it for me since it made no sense and I’m an asshole who finds it hard to suspend disbelief.

And now…

Jon Moxley vs Tomohiro Ishii

Backstory: Ishii bagged the win in the ten-man Sunday

Well, I was about to praise Mox for dumping Wild Thing and utilizing a more ‘heelish’ theme.  But seems that was a one-off.  He was accompanied by Yuta and Claudio (Danielson broke his arm Sunday).

Ishii got almost no reaction.

The two went head-to-head before the bell, needing to be separated.  Before a chop fest struck – pun intended.  For a good two minutes they belted each other before a battle of shoulder tackles, Ishii missed an enziguri; Mox a punt.

Back to it – forearms in the middle.  As Excalibur said both guys were a step ahead of the other.  How that’s possible aside, there was no separating the two until Ishii rebounded out of the corner to bash Mox across the ring with his shoulder.

Before Moxley went the low route by biting the import.  Who responded in kind.  Until Mox smashed him down via shoulder block.  Before stomping away with the wrists captured and bagging a two.

Then flinging Ishii outside.  Where the former champ struck him via tope then stalked into the crowd to applause and for once a competent ref kept a watchful eye on the other BCC members.

Crowd into it so far.  Pretty good atmosphere.

Eddie Kingston’s music struck and he stormed to ringside, grabbing a chair and staring a hole through Castagnoli.

As we went to break.

Coming back to Ishii placing Moxley up top then delaying a superplex off the buckle and into a pin for two.

Brushing off a couple shots as they got back to fighting – yay/boo elbow strikes – getting slower and slower, the crowd roaring as the shots continued to slow but hit harder and harder (you could hear a good few of them), Ishii gaining the advantage until Moxley mashed him with a discus blow to drop him.

Following up via Gotch-style piledriver for two, Mox bleeding above the eye after that slugfest, firing H&A elbows, Ishii flipping him off, the former champ transitioning to a Bulldog choke.

With Kingston and Claudio staring each other down across the ring.

Ishii still in the hold until dumping Mox via suplex, Mox replied via German and KKL, Ishii kicked out at one, as did Mox after a lariat, the pair exchanging running knee strikes and kickouts at one – Mox’s knee was absolutely brutal.

Until hitting synchronized lariats and simultaneously dropping to the mat, dead center.  To their knees, butting heads, up to their feet, still butting one another, Ishii now bleeding too from the forehead, being blasted via ddt but kicking out before three.

Death Rider setup: Ishii slipped out, hit a ddt, rebound lariat, another two count.

Then looked for the brainbuster, Mox hit a cutter, Ishii popped back up to hit a sliding lariat, both down.  Ishii looked for the brainbuster again, Mox hit the Death Rider but was too tired to cover at first, allowing Ishii to kick out just before three.

Mox missed a curb stomp, didn’t the second time, Death Rider, cover, win.

Super opener.  Very physical, maybe a little too much blood but that’s like complaining about the sky being blue at this point.

Taz tried to explain that Eddie and Claudio had enough respect for Mox and Ishii that they didn’t start fighting.  Which might’ve been fine if they’d started scrapping after the bell.

Instead, Mox bumped Kingston on his way up the ramp.  As Eddie insisted the win proved Moxley didn’t need the BCC.  Those two left squabbling up the ramp.

Winner: Jon Moxley

Renee to announce teams for the Blind Tournament.  Or not, just repeating the one we already knew.  The uncanny coincidences following this new team around as Cole and MJF just happened to arrive at the exact same time while Renee was out there.

MJF questioned how sick Cole really was Sunday.  But that they got off on the wrong foot.  ‘No-one’s on the level of the Devil but I’m not ashamed to admit’ that ‘you’re close,’ said MJF.  Great line.

He said the two could run AEW and offered to spend the weekend with Cole so they could get to know each other.  Cole agreed while insisting Max not touch him.  MJF also had a gift for Cole – a new tee for their team with ‘Better than you bay bay’ on it.

Cole walked off, unimpressed.

*****

Renee with the BCC – not as a reporter but to try to reason with her husband re: Eddie.  Kingston insisted he had Moxley’s back, even sacrificing himself Sunday (he took a superkick party so Mox wouldn’t have to), as the two ranted at one-another.  Until Renee told Eddie:

‘You better fix this, I’m done’.

Erm, is she going heel?  Cause Eddie’s done nothing wrong.  Quite the opposite.

*****

Short video package recapping Ospreay/Omega.  Hopefully Kenny’s ok after that brutal tiger driver.

*****

Excalibur explained that Britt vs Ruby is moving to next week since Baker’s sick.  Explaining that she must’ve caught it off Cole.

Orange Cassidy, Vikingo & Keith Lee vs Daniel Garcia & 2.0

Backstory: None

Did they announce this?  Cause I knew nothing of it.  Bit strange to just throw the AAA champ out there.

They tried to show footage from earlier explaining the match, most of which Excalibur talked over in the weekly production snafu.  The ‘story’ re: the face team was Orange basically finding whoever was close by cause he’s lazy.  A bit like AEW’s storytelling.  Maybe he’s booking?  Would explain a lot.

Garcia and Vikingo got things going, the latter striking with a heel kick then avoiding Garcia by ducking, dodging and using his insane athleticism.  Until landing a springboard armdrag then a hurracanrana or headscissors (he’s very hard to keep up with), forcing a retreating Garcia to tag Parker.

Who had a new comb courtesy of Jericho, which Cassidy immediately stole.  Now that’s character building – the guy has a comb.

Cassidy in, ducking and dodging then combing his hair.  Until Garcia came in to start working the arm, Cassidy quickly countered until holding Garcia in a bow and arrow for Vikingo to hit him with a stomp off the top.

Count of two, Vikingo running wild until being tripped on the apron by 2.0 and thrown back in to Garcia.  The heels worked him over for a while.

Break.  Nothing wrong with it but already gone too long.  2.0 are not a serious team and there’s no storyline reason to be interested in the match.

2.0 still working over Vikingo; the Mexican powerbombed by Matt Menard.  Garcia in to crush him via clothesline; triple teaming from the heels.  Count of two for Parker.

Lee, who’s dyed his hair again and looks better for it, finally in to run through the JAS until being mesmerized by Garcia’s dancing and beaten down.  That is seriously what happened.

With Garcia stood on his back, Lee muscled him up then smacked him with a double chop in the corner.  Vikingo hit a gamengiri, the crowd clapping as he readied something which ended up being a plancha onto Keith Lee.

Presumably Lee was supposed to catch him and use him as a battering ram but they were out of sync and Vikingo smacked Lee in the head with his boot instead and crashed to the floor.

After awkwardly waiting around, they persisted in doing the spot – Lee ‘catching’ him to use him as a battering ram.  Even if that spot had gone well it’d have been too elaborate.  Surely a bloody plancha at full speed is more damaging than being slowly swung into somebody?

Bryan Danielson should’ve been on comms cause this looked totally ‘amateur’.

Vikingo then hit a moonsault from the top onto 2.0.  Orange and Garcia went at it in the ring, the latter bagging two via piledriver.  Cassidy the same via rollup.  Orange looked for Beach Break, was clasped in the Dragon Tamer, Vikingo made the save.

Cassidy took out one of the heels via Punch, Menard went to work chopping Lee, barely bugging the big man until being snatched up onto Lee’s shoulders – awkwardly elbowing away at him for ages, don’t know if Lee couldn’t get his balance or what – until being planted with the DVD as Lee got the win despite having not much to do and making it look awkward anyway.

While the AAA champ spent much of it selling for a lower card ‘comedy’ team.  AAA must be thrilled.

Winner: Orange Cassidy, Vikingo & Keith Lee

Hangman started cutting a promo alongside the Bucks, issuing an open challenge.  The Dark Order interrupted, Matt tried to do a re-take as if the Order had interrupted by mistake.  Silver said they wanted a match.  Page said they could do a twelve-man if they wanted.

Missing the point that the Order wanted to fight them since Hangman stopped calling them.  Honestly, neither side came off well here, the DO seeming like whiny geeks and Page like a guy who’d abandoned his friends.

Hated the re-take thing too.  We know it’s not real; don’t remind us while the damn show’s on.

*****

Renee with Sammy and Chris Jericho – sorry, the Painmaker; they’re different according to Excalibur and the man himself, despite no differences in his look, demeanour or promo style.

The Painmaker said last week Sting asked for ‘more time’ with him, this week he’ll get the ‘primordial ooze’ of Chris Jericho.  He’s going to turn Sting’s white paint a bloody mess.

‘Isn’t that right Sammy?’

Guevara smiled and nodded, saying nothing.

Must be handy when you can just decide you’re going to be a different character with no particular provocation i.e. storyline reason for doing so.

Young Bucks & Hangman Page vs Dark Order

Backstory: Promo five minutes ago

Dark Order got absolutely zero reaction, despite Uno being announced as ‘Canada’s own’.  And why would they?  They’re never on tv.

Crowd quiet as this started, with Page trying to talk DO out of the match; Nick and Reynolds got things started anyway, a brief ‘Young Bucks’ chant giving way to more quiet.

The pair wrestling well, Nick getting the better via a series of armdrags.  Culminating in one from the top, sending Reynolds to the opposite corner, sparking a tag to Silver.  Who wanted Page.

And got him.  The pair arguing rather than fighting.  Until finally locking up, side headlock into a headscissors, back to the headlock, battle of shoulder tackles, neither budging as Silver yelled that he was ‘jacked’ while flexing.  Isn’t he furious at his friend?

Hammerlock, waistlock, Silver blasted Page with a back elbow, causing him to bail and tag Matt.  Bringing Uno in too.  Headlock, whip, Uno running through Matt and cheap-shotting Page off the apron to the floor.

Tag to Reynolds, the Bucks both in to run through the heels with dropkicks and a gutbuster into neckbreaker combo.  Until being mowed down by Uno.  Who demanded Page once more, the only two left standing.

Page dropped to the floor instead, the Bucks hit Uno with superkicks: Matt to the top, Nick too, simultaneous dives onto the heels.  A brief ‘CM Punk’ chant tried to get going and was booed.  Also pretty flatly.

Hangman tagged in but immediately tagged back out, still not wanting to fight his friends.

Break.

Strange so far – flat crowd and a slow pace with very few high-spots.

Not been the greatest show so far honestly.  Opener aside.  A lot of matches for the sake of matches with either no or very thin reasons for taking place.  Against guys the crowd don’t see as stars too.

Reynolds countered a powerbomb then hit Matt with a knee, crawling to make the tag: Uno in, nice flurry – smashing Matt via big boot then hitting Nick with a neckbreaker and piledriver, Page breaking the cover at two.

Uno shoving him, demanding he fight, paintbrushing the Cowboy.  Who started scrapping away with Uno, who dumped both Bucks outside, took a boot from Page, the latter looking for a fallaway, Silver late on a dropkick so Page had to just stand there until taking it.

Dark Order took out the Bucks again outside, Silver and Reynolds ran through their double-team combo – enziguri, German etc., ending in a flip-over pin – always looks great.  Two only.

Nick got Uno with his out-to-in facebuster then took out Reynolds via moonsault, Page knocked Silver down, readying a Buckshot.  He hesitated and got hooked in a hurracanrana for very nearly three.

Silver hit a bunch of kicks but was dumped via deadeye.  The Bucks smacked Silver with the BTE Trigger then Page – who hadn’t wanted to fight his friends – decided a Buckshot was still needed on top of that finisher.

Immediately checking on Silver afterward.  As the BCC hit the ring, Mox taking a screwdriver to Page yet again.  The Dark Order left the Elite to be beaten – one of the Bucks suplexed on a chair.  Callis and Takeshita joining the fray.

Kingston too, immediately and easily taken out with the Elite already down.  A bloody Page staring through the ropes at his friends who simply watched from the ramp.  Somewhat similarly, Moxley wouldn’t watch Kingston being beaten.

Then took the mic to say it was time to finish things.  Challenging the Elite to Blood and Guts on July 19^th in Boston.

Amazingly, they had the graphic ready to go!  Now that’s quick work.

Hated this in every way.

The action wasn’t anything special because it was confusing as to who the heels were.

They announced Uno as from Canada and we came back from break to Reynolds fighting off the odds and making the crawl for the hot tag to said Canadian.  Who also took cheap shots at Page – clearly a babyface who didn’t want to fight his friends – throughout and the match ended with the Order as clear heels.

It got the Elite lightly booed a couple times when things are already grey enough given the Punk situation.  Right before they were jumped post-match by the heels but not really heels who are cheered more often than not.

For yet another excessively bloody screwdriver attack.  Ending with the heels challenging the babyfaces to a final showdown in the cage.

Nothing here fit.

Winner: Young Bucks & Hangman Page

Promo package for Owen Cup.

*****

Waiting for Max, Adam Cole bumped into Roderick Strong who asked why the hell he was trusting MJF.  Good question.  Cole’s response of ‘I’m just playing along’ not so satisfactory.

‘What’s up Generic White Guy’ Max’s greeting for Roddy – too honest Max, I laughed.

He then wondered why the hell they were spending time at a pro wrestling show.  Saying they should hit the road, as Cole said bye to Strong and wished him good luck against Joe.

Cole was warned so better not come out of this looking stupid.

‘This tournament is so wild!’ exclaimed Excalibur as we returned to ringside.  Which f****** tournament would that be?  The one with one odd-couple team and a stupid name?

*****

They replayed Jack Perry’s attack on Hook at Forbidden Door.  ‘Just tearing JungleHook apart’ said Excalibur.  Making me picture Hook singing Backstreet Boys.  Or was that N Sync?  Either way, fun image.

Perry came out to his usual music but cut it off immediately, saying the crowd had ruined the song for him and we’d ‘never hear it again’.  Perry said he had a car waiting to take him to the airport ‘while all of you are stuck here with the wildfires’.

Really funny.  People might die – let’s get some heel heat!  Christian’s clearly rubbed off on him.  This drew a genuine boo like ‘that’s too far’.  Not like the crowd appreciating good heel work.

Clad in sunglasses, he said he was still cashing fat checks and ‘banging the hottest bitch in this entire place’.  He winked at the camera.

Then asked if he turned on Hook or if everyone turned on him.  After everything he’s given and being robbed of two championships he was expected to suffer through Hook shoving his title in his face.

The FTW title isn’t recognized and Perry doesn’t recognize him either – ‘you’re a fraud.’  Then said JungleHook was special ‘cause of me’.

Hook was lucky to ever stand next to him.  Then told the crowd to shutup.  They chanted ‘asshole’.  He said they were talking to Taz.

Then was in the middle of saying he’d ‘beat the sh..’ out of Hook when his music hit.  The youngster pursued Perry as he fled through the crowd.

This sounded very forced.  I didn’t believe a word of what he said.

After plugging Grand Slam, they showed Perry fleeing in a car.  Hook left angry.

*****

Sammy Guevara came out to hold up his signs during the picture in picture.

Alexia Nicole vs Ruby Soho

Backstory: None

As mentioned previously, Britt’s sick so this is taking the place of that.  Which’ll now happen next week.

The ref stopped watching so the Outcasts could beat up Nicole outside, then Ruby won quickly.

Then spray-painted her.

Ruby took the mic to thank the fans for her missing her match with Britt since Canada is full of disease.  She then complained about Britt and Cole getting opportunities they hadn’t earned.

Ruby loves who she is now but Britt’s a shadow of her former self.  ‘You are one of the hardest working people in this building’, she said of Britt after criticizing her for not earning opportunities and making it clear Baker was certainly not on the premises.  Unless she was talking in the second person?  Confusing.

Fans began to ‘What?’.

As Ruby said ‘You don’t have fans to show for (your hard work)’.  ‘They sh** on you if you sneeze in the wrong direction, don’tcha’.  Last year Baker barely beat her and since then the Outcasts have taken everything from her.

The women’s title and her opportunity to repeat in the Owen Cup.  Leaving her as what she is, ‘nothing’.

At least the final line was good.

Winner: Ruby Soho

They showed a very heavily edited clip from Rampage of Anthony Bowens turning down Harley Cameron because ‘I’m gay’.  (In the arena, this actually took ages to film since what the QTV crew did was so awful and un-entertaining that fans booed them down for ten minutes so they couldn’t continue.)

Basically to emphasize that a crowd cheered when someone announced they were homosexual.  Which shouldn’t be a big deal, but unfortunately is.

Before cutting to QT, Cameron and the latest ex-WWE guy from the 00s or 90s to take tv time away from the Lucha Bros and a host of other talented people.  The creatively monikered ‘Johny TV’ (John Hennigan, Johny Nitro etc. etc. etc.).

For Rampage, they challenged Matt Hardy and Brother Zay to a match.  Thank God I don’t have to watch that.

Sting & Darby Allin vs Sammy Guevara & ‘the Painmaker’ Chris Jericho (Tornado Tag)

Backstory: Sting’s team got the win Sunday after Jericho forced Sammy to do a dive which took him out the match

Jericho even came out to Judas.  They best they could do to explain the Painmaker thing was to have Excalibur say he comes out when Jericho’s ‘pushed’.  By what?  By who?

Immediately, Darby took Guevara outside as some fans tried to get a ‘Holy S’ chant going before the vets got into a bat fight (Will Ferrell must’ve loved it).  Allin returned to attack Jericho but ate a cutter off the top from Sammy, the heels stomping away and sending Sting outside.

Crowd still mostly quiet.

Sammy setup a ladder as Jericho hit Allin with a chair and Sammy flung him into the steps with Sting down on the other side of the ring.  They then flung Darby over the steps and slapped hands as the ads arrived.

The fight was in the crowd as we returned, Sammy leapt off the barricade to hit a cutter on Allin.  Darby sort-of hit a springboard Coffin Drop down to ringside, mostly missing Sammy and landing hard on his elbow.

He and Sting both set up tables at ringside after Sting took our Jericho with a splash.  Allin set the ladder up at the edge of the ring, overlooking the tables.  Sting placed Sammy on the tables, then Darby climbed down all held the ladder in place for Sting to leap off.

Just about but not really landing on Sammy (I’d even wondered if Darby would make it the tables were so far away.)  And was clearly in pain afterward.

Darby flung Jericho back inside, jumping off the top rope onto him along with his skateboard.  For two.  Jericho then smacked him repeatedly with the ladder until Allin reversed a whip into it, Jericho hitting face-first but nailing Allin with his own skateboard in mid-air attempting a Coffin Drop.

Then blasting him with the Judas Effect only for Allin to end up outside.

As Sting grabbed Jericho from behind in the Death Drop; Jericho slipped out to clamp in the Walls.  Sting crawled to grab a bat and broke the hold.  Then hit Jericho with a Splash but was caught in a Codebreaker attempting a second, kicking out just before three.

Jericho missed a Judas Effect, Sting hit a Death Drop.  Jericho kicked out.  And attempted another Codebreaker; Sting turned it into the Scorpion Death lock for the tap and the win.

The worst Dynamite in a long, long time.  Back to the dark days of earlier this year when the company seemed creatively empty.

Winner: Sting and Darby Allin

 ________________________________________________________________

Next Collision:

• MJF’s Collision in-ring debut
• Roderick Strong vs Samoa Joe (Owen Cup)
• Dustin Rhodes vs Will Hobbs (‘’)
• Ricky Starks vs Juice Robinson (‘’)
• Kris Statlander vs Lady Frost (TBS Title Open Challenge)

Next Dynamite:

• Britt Baker vs Ruby Soho (Owen Cup)
• Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland (Please no) vs Darby Allin & Orange Cassidy (Blind Tag Tournament)

July 19^th Dynamite:

• Blood & Guts – Elite vs BCC & Takeshita

Thumbs Up/Down

• Moxley vs Ishii
• The Kingston/Moxley storyline – Kingston wants his friend back and in particular wants him away from Claudio who he hates.  And we’ve been told and shown it over the last few weeks.  It’s simple, it’s effective and it makes sense.  In contrast with the rest of the show, which had…

 *****

A continuing lack of continuity/storytelling – a lot of little things make up stories and tie them together, AEW basically don’t bother with them and they matter in getting fans interested:

• Who were supposed to be the heels in the trios match?  Who was in the right?  Should Page have been in contact with the Dark Order?  Or are they just jealous?
• Why is Jericho suddenly the Painmaker? What is the Painmaker?  What’s different?  What brings him out?
• No explanation of where Omega or Danielson were – if it’s not important they’re missing, then they’re not important
• A lot of matches with no storyline reason to exist (which included talent who never appear on tv – a crowd hot for the opener got flat, not surprisingly)
• Cole/Max – Why did Cole agree to spend time with him? It’s been firmly established he’s a snake
• Tony Khan needs to say ‘no’ more often, starting with Sting doing crazy dives, then to hiring every ex-WWE guy and moving swiftly on to Jon Moxley and bleeding ahead of an angle where someone’s supposed to bleed

Appreciate you reading.  Have a good week.