Venue: Simmons Bank Arena, Little Rock, Arkansas

#250.  Must be closing in on the total number of Nitros now.  Kinda crazy.

*****

Excalibur and MJF’s music welcomed us to the 250^th Dynamite.  Though not many people did.  The number of tickets sold is worrying after they loaded this show up.  Mix of cheers and boos for Max, who pretended to masturbate onto front row fans.

Schiavone’s back to heeling hard on him.  Big pop for Ospreay.

MJF vs Will Ospreay (International Title)

Had actually forgotten the title was on the line till they showed it.  Bell rang, crowd quietly anticipating, staredown.  Crowd louder now, Ospreay playing to them, Max bailed outside then started heading through the crowd.  And stole something off a fan and chucked it, then tore signs.

Before returning inside to duck a lariat and gyrate a la Rick Rude.  Finally a lockup, Ospreay spinning out into a headlock, Max tried to counter by flipping Will, who landed on his feet, stopping to strut and pose endearingly badly, mocking MJF.

Back to it, Max headlock, fans chanting for Ospreay as he tripped Max after a dropdown then went right for the Blade, Max ducked, exchange of headlock takeovers, Max avoiding round kicks and a standing moonsault, Oscutter too, finally just flattening out to avoid a corkscrew kick, Ospreay though landing on his haunches to stare down at Max with a smile.

Absolutely rapid and just as fluid.

A look of concern on Max’s face as he sought solace in the ropes before claiming a hair pull as they locked up again.  Crowd booed, Max tried a cheap shot and was lariated outside.  Moving to avoid a dive but Ospreay changed the angle and hit a plancha.

Before chucking Max back in: running boot, back suplex, two.  Just.  Lining up a Blade again, Max staying down and crawling to the corner before a cheap shot saw him start targeting the arm.  Loud boos now as he posed atop the buckle.  After the crowd were indifferent to begin.

As he grabbed an armbar, Ospreay fighting up, Max going for the hair to slam him back down.  Into a chinlock, Ospreay out via jawbreaker, MJF hit back via kitchen sink, each landed on their feet out of belly to backs until Max anticipated and caught Will in a stunner as he landed.

For two.  This is already about as good as any tv match this year.

Ospreay blocked a heatseeker but was hauled into a cutter for another near fall.  MJF again seeking a heatseeker, gamengiri fought it off, AJ forearm, both down.  Up into an exchange of rights, Ospreay a running backhand, Max outside, Ospreay nailing a space flying tiger.  Perfect.

‘Holy S,’ from the fans.

Back in, Will up top, Max twice rolling to avoid a moonsault, Will still landing on his feet to hit a standing shooting star, right back upstairs, sky twister from the middle, Max out at two.  This guy is unreal.  Fans loved that.

Blade readied again, Max again rolling away outside.  Ospreay following via vaulting press, Max down once more.  Will grabbing a table, setting it up at ringside then peppering Max’s chest in the corner.  Until being elevated into a thrust kick, MJF piledriver blocked, Max briefly did his fake knee injury thing then hit a piledriver for two.

Both down once more.

Max up first, hopping on his ‘injured’ leg to show it was BS.  Then yelled to the camera that ‘Danny, that was a real piledriver!’  So he stopped during MJF vs Will Ospreay to sell MJF vs Daniel Garcia:

‘Nooo sir, you don’t want the lamborghini, can I interest you in a bicycle?’

Back after the leg, driving the elbow, Ospreay raking the face to break, up to hit chops but running into a back body.  Max right back to the leg, figure four, dead center, wrenching back, getting a one count, fans chanting for Will, rallying as he looked to them for support before turning the hold, Max screaming but managing to counter back, Ospreay finally, gratefully collapsing his hand into the ropes.

Still down clutching his knee until Max hauled him up, teeing off with open hands in the corner.  Until a whip saw Will collapse on his injured leg, Max smiling.  Before raking the back and deliberately whipping Will once more, just to watch his leg give out again.  Ospreay squeezing his knee, ref checking, Max in to gouge the eyes.

Killer heel work.

Stopping too long to pose, Ospreay fighting up, chops and rights, finally steeling himself to run as Max went after the knee via chop block.  Elbows to the head, Ospreay fighting back with rights and Kawada kicks, stiff chop, seeking a backbreaker, Max grabbing the ropes to block, raking the eyes, each hitting the ropes, each landing lariats.

Both to their knees, Max a knee to the thigh, calling for a brainbuster, Ospreay countering via stundog, Oscutter hit, the Brit couldn’t make it in time to cover between his knee and Max rolling outside.  Both on the apron, Max again avoiding an Oscutter, Will landing hard on his shoulder.

Ads.  Over twenty minutes in.

Back to Max blocking a handspring attack, shoulderbreaker, seeking Salt of the Earth, settling for Made in Japan, which Tony’s never seen him hit before.  For two.  Both down again, TIA from the crowd.  Max missed a lariat, Ospreay finally able to land the corkscrew kick, both hit the mat once more.

Up into an Ospreay gamengiri, chops with wrist control, a flurry until Max blocked with his elbow, Ospreay again landing on his feet out of a judo flip, enziguri, blue thunder for a near fall.

‘Fight forever!’ now from the crowd.

As Max dragged himself outside, Will following, near the table setup long ago.  Max again bailing through the crowd, being battered through it now as Ospreay gave him beats over a railing (a tiny little girl right by it, absolutely loving it, even daring to slap at Max, Ospreay gave her a high five).

Before pasting Max back down the steps, ref ‘using discretion’ as usual.  Crowd loving it.  Will then told a fan off for rocking a ‘kangaroo kick’ tee.  Until Max chucked something at him (they went to a wide shot, a beer or something).  So Ospreay put him in the bin.

Then finally elevated him over to ringside.  Fans chanting for tables, Will setting Max atop it, heading upstairs, can’t see this ending well.  Max rolled away before it could, fans booed.  Ospreay climbed down as Max re-entered, Ospreay rolled through a piledriver, counters back and forth for two until a poisonrana sent MJF reeling to the corner.

Where he again elevated a rushing Will for a thrust kick then hit ‘Long Island sunrise’ for two.  TIA again from the crowd, Will rolling outside, Max now setting him atop the table and heading upstairs…

He waited too long and Ospreay rolled free.  To a few boos.  Max biting the bicep then again stopping to mock Garcia into the camera.  Before running Ospreay into the barricade, raking the eyes, heading back in to break the ostensible count.  Then aiming a running boot to the mush.

And stopping to drink a little water and toss some at the doc.  Clearly having fun being a heel again.  Ospreay countering another whip to the barricade via Oscutter, both down at ringside, both scrambling up into the ring, Max ducking a right, seeking CrossRhodes, Ospreay countered and hit his own for a near fall.

Max just can’t help himself, can he?

He dragged the ref in front to halt Ospreay then hit a cheap shot right into an elevated hammerlock ddt.  Which always looks great.  For another near fall.  Will blocked another heatseeker but was crotched atop the rope and knocked off via diving lariat for another close count.

Ref checking Will on the apron, Max thinking tombstone out there, Ospreay countering through, Max clapped his boots to free himself, each seeking Germans, Will settling for a thrust kick and a Styles Clash on the apron.  Crowd chanted ‘Holy S!’  Indeed.

Max dragged in, cover, two.  Just.  Crowd flattening a little now, forty minutes in, as Ospreay hit a one-armed powerbomb after the damage done earlier to his shoulder.

Ads.  They certainly want us to think this is going the distance.

Ospreay nailing a back elbow, stack, near fall, firing up, Excalibur said the doc had put Ospreay’s shoulder back in its socket during the break.  Max again countering an Oscutter, finally hitting the tombstone but only collapsing into a pin, allowing Will out before three.  As they showed footage of Will’s shoulder being reset.

If that’s not real, they really need to stop pretending dudes are genuinely hurt.

As Max used his tape to briefly choke the Brit before whipping him shoulder-first to the buckle.  And again.  So presumably it’s not a genuine injury.  Max mocked him before Will countered a third whip but Max targeted the shoulder again, wrenching him down to the mat.

But being elevated outside as he rushed at Will.  Then blocking an Asai, stopping to pose into the camera, ‘That’s why I’m the smartest wrestler in the world,’ as Ospreay came into our homes via Hidden Blade through the ropes.  Ref counting them out for probably the first time all night.  Before Ospreay nailed a forearm to the back of the head off the top.

‘Nother near fall.

Before being crotched upstairs, Max thinking rana, Ospreay countering, Styles Clash!?  Yep!  He let it go half way so he didn’t land on Max, fans went nuts for that.  MJF got the ropes to break the pin.

They keep cutting to replays at bad times so we missed what Max did to setup a heatseeker.  He then placed Ospreay atop that table at ringside.  Third time tonight.  Schiavone said he’s never seen a match this good.  Then said it was ‘one of’ the best matches they’ve ever had.

Max struggling up the ropes and nailing the diving elbow which injured him last November.  Because then there was no table to break his fall.

Ads.  Fifty minutes.

Ospreay locked in an abdominal, the announcers putting across the stakes, MJF using the rope for leverage, standard ref kicks the arm spot.  Both to their knees, Ospreay cradle for two, another, backslide for the same, MJF headlock takeover, bridging up into another exchange of pinfalls, until Ospreay was caught in midair and driven across Max’s knee for another close call.

Both down, gasping, crowd clapping, Taz doing a great job emphasizing that this long into a match those quick pinfalls can really make a difference.  ‘Let’s go, get us a winner!’ yelled Schiavone.

Both struggling up, Excalibur highlighting Ospreay’s big-match credentials.  Schiavone said we’re 53 mins in, MJF prepping a kangaroo kick, being caught and elevated to the buckle, Nando’s kick, poisonrana off the top, Max landing on his feet!  Into a corner lariat, humping the face a la Danny, but he’s a heel so fans were aghast.  Before a rana of his own saw Ospreay land on his feet too, much more cleanly.

After each dropped down and kipped up to avoid lariats, Max poked the eyes.  So good!  Awesome contrast.  But stopping to pose before they traded big shots, boots to the face, discus lariats, Ospreay floating over, Max knee strike to the jaw, Ospreay floating over again, being countered but landing right into a sunset flip, as each rolled back and forth with leverage, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2…

Ospreay going for the Oscutter again, taking a thrust kick, hitting a stundog, poisonrana, Max slipping out of a stormbreaker, Ospreay Spanish fly, for two, both down again, exhausted, crowd into every exchange there.  The cardio on these two is immense.  Such a fast exchange 50+ mins in.

Announcers pushing that we’re closing in on 60.  As Ospreay deliberately lost his footing, highlighting fatigue, Max snatched him into a tombstone up top, Ospreay fighting free, springing up into an Oscutter, Hidden Blade, Max out!

Second Blade coming, Max dropped flat to avoid it again, Taz emphasizing he must’ve looked at the big screen, fans clapping, wanting a winner.  Max spat at the champ, who responded via headbutt; pissed and thinking tiger driver, one minute remaining.

Ospreay having second thoughts.  Hauling Max up, continuing to hesitate and finally dropping Max down safely.  Announcers doing a really good job explaining his emotions.  Max shoved him into the ref as the clock counted down, then hit a shot with four seconds left, to win at 59:58.  Presumably a loaded shot.  As we finally zoomed in on the diamond ring.

Quite a lot of boos but more droning than heat.  They popped at the announcement of a new champ because yeah.

‘He’s (MJF) a cheater, and Will Ospreay has the moral fiber that MJF could never have,’ protested Schiavone.  Announcers added a lot here.  Taz did the ‘do what you have to,’ which I hate, he’s not a heel.  Excalibur put the heat right back.

As doctors rushed in with ice for Ospreay’s shoulder and an oxygen tank for MJF, who was just incredible as he posed with his belt, supported by like four guys to stop him falling over, oxygen being pumped into him, looking anything but a winner, what a heel!

Though was mostly cheered.  If he isn’t booed after that I don’t know how you get heat anymore.  He then did his new ’and you can thank me later,’ line into the camera, pausing between each word to inhale oxygen.  Spectacular.

After a magnificent match.  Loved the fact there weren’t long exchanges of rights and chops.  Loved the mix of pacing, made Will’s flurries pop.  These two might be perfect opponents.  And proof you don’t need distractions and dumb refs to be a heel.  Just be vicious and cynical and calculating and everything Max was here.  Masterful.

There’ve been some excellent tv matches lately; between the stakes, the intrigue over the finish and the action itself, this was the best all year.  Everything AEW should be about at the outset of their 250^th show – top wrestlers, killer action, title on the line, intrigue over the finish.  I’d expected not to get a clean finish here.  In what’s presumably the first chapter of this feud, and another in the story of Ospreay lacking killer instinct when it matters.

‘Follow that!’ as HBK used to yell.

Winner: MJF

Arkady with the Acclaimed and Mark Briscoe.

The Acclaimed had asked for this time to talk to Mark.  Caster, sounding like a total heel, told Briscoe the only way he could get the best wrestler in the world (him) onto his team was by taking the Acclaimed onto Team AEW.

He called it a ‘no brainer.’  ‘When you think AEW, you think the Acclaimed!’ yelled Bowens, who was like The Bucks just burned down my home levels of intense.  Before jamming in their catchphrase.  Three people joined in.

Briscoe said they’d had his back a couple weeks ago so as far as he’s concerned, they’re in.  But it’s not just up to him.  Swerve entered and said they’ve had their issues but ‘there’s no-one better to go to war with, than people you’ve done battle with.’  Nice line.

‘Y’all ready to get violent?’  He offered a fist, Acclaimed dapped it, Briscoe fired up and said they were ready.

*****

They pushed Swerve/Danielson and Swerve/Okada.

*****

Big Bill was in the ring to introduce Jericho.  Schiavone’s sickened by all of this.  They said Hook still has vision issues, ‘some serious issues,’ per Taz.  And Joe was only recently cleared to return home to recuperate after being hospitalized.

That’s much better than usual, clear and concise.

The music stopped and you would have thought every fan had left.  Jericho reeled off local crime statistics.  Then said he’d been on almost every Dynamite.  He promised never to miss another until episode 500.

He said when people don’t listen to him, they get hurt.  They showed footage of them taking out guys, while Jericho talked about it like he hadn’t done it.

He wondered who would be crazy, maniacal etc. enough not to listen to the Learning Tree.  Cue Suzuki?  Yep.  Fans didn’t seem to recognize the theme, only really popping when his name came up on the screen.  He brought a paper with him.

Then wrenched the mic from Jericho, said ‘next week,’ and handed over the paper.  Keith read it: he and Bill are banned from ringside for an FTW title match.  Suzuki dropped Jericho with a headbutt, the other two backed up.

He waved and said ‘Hi guys,’ then left.

Fun to see Suzuki; having to watch Jericho basically nullifies it.

*****

The Elite backstage, sans Perry.  Each with a belt over their shoulder.  Nick was annoyed at the Acclaimed promising to win the tag belts.  Matt said they were the greatest faction in company history and that after next week they’d have all the gold and all the power.

Nick corrected him that they didn’t have the world title.  Matt said it might be vacant after what they do to Swerve, he put each member of the clique across, building to Hangman, as Mercedes Mone walked through.

She thanked them for banning Britt from backstage.  Matt said it was all taken care of, Okada whispered in his ear.  Matt told Mone Okada wanted her to do her dance.

She happily danced as the Bucks chanted ‘C-E-O,’ into her saying ‘got-to-go.’  Okada was sweating, hyperventilating and nearly dropped his belt.  The idea of him being too shy to talk to her is f’ing hilarious.  Dude has incredible comedic instincts.  As ever, probably not the best use.

The Bucks looked at him like he was weird.

Mostly liked the build to Blood and Guts tonight given limited time.  Though does feel like they’re having to rush through things lately since they’ve had and got so many shows, tournaments etc to fit in.  The idea of who has ‘power’ needs to die.

Mercedes Mone vs Nyla Rose (TBS Title)

Backstory: Nyla accepted an open challenge to anyone but Britt Baker

Taz said there was a chance Okada passed out as Mercedes danced.  Think Nyla had a new theme?  Mone looked worried as she made her entrance.

Lockup, Mercedes running in place trying to budge Rose.  Being set atop the buckle then stopping to dance and leaping free as Rose rushed her.  She grabbed a waistlock, Nyla flung her off, Mone begged off then viciously attacked with kicks and stomps.

Rose snatched a delayed vertical in response, Mone slipped behind, attacking the knee, thinking tornado ddt, being blocked, Nyla yelling ‘Have you lost your mind!?’ then being draped across the top rope.

Rose hit her knee drop from the top, looked brutal as the tiny Mone spun into splatting on the mat.

Ads.

Back to Mone on Nyla’s back, Rose spun her front, into a suplex, corner splash, lariat, another splash, Mone down, cannonball coming, hit, cover, two.  Basically silent btw, though understandable crowd would be worn out from that opener.

Mone attacked the knee to drop Rose from the buckle, springboard splash, knee attack in the corner, meteora off the middle, two.  The champ hooked the arms for Mone Maker, Rose draped her across the top as a dueling chant played.  Mone fired elbows then hit a bulldog off the top.

Then pulled out a glove with ‘CEO’ on it.  And did ‘C-E-O’ like Britt before applying Lockjaw.  Nyla bit free, the announcers emphasized she didn’t know how to apply it like Baker.  Nice stuff.  She turned it into the ‘Statement Maker’ (Bank Statement) for the tap.

Solid match, Rose a little slow, like she didn’t want to hurt Mercedes.  More really nice storytelling around Mone/Britt.

She tore a Britt sign from a fan in a Sting mask.  Of course it was Baker.  Mone legged it, security quickly on the scene to keep them separate.  The EVPs on their game.  Mone hammed it up a little but looked like she was on the brink of a panic attack.

More nice stuff.

Winner: Mercedes Mone

Recap of the Storm/May angle from last week.  Over haunting music.  Voiced over with clips of May’s comments over the past months, will stop at nothing to win the Owen, have to make Toni proud; Toni, this one’s for you.

And more good stuff.  Subtle and effective.

*****

Perry backstage, all Darby had to do to get his attention was ask.  He didn’t need to take out Cutler.  ‘What I mean to say is, do you really think I give a shit about Brandon Cutler?’

Camera zoomed out to reveal a broken Cutler at his feet.  Perry slammed him into a wall then told Allin to come find him tonight and he’d show him what a real sacrifice looks like.

Like it.

*****

Toni Storm’s ‘Timeless’ music hit, the announcers were confused, Mariah came out looking eerily like her.  She had her face set in the cold manner it was at the end of last week.

She took a mic, crowd pretty dead, pausing, ‘Well, speak bitch come on now,’ muttered Schiavone.  Killing that word deader than it already was.  The other announcers were appalled.

‘You hear the B-word enough on Dynamite,’ said Excalibur.  Laughed.

May said we should be honest, we all saw it coming, ‘everybody saw it coming… except Toni Storm.’  (She was speaking in a very detached, cold manner.)

A woman so desperate for the spotlight, she didn’t realize she was giving it all away.  The question shouldn’t be why, it should be ‘what took you so long?’

May said she didn’t think it would last this long either (she was getting the ‘What?’ treatment here).  But it was so easy and so much fun stringing Toni along.  But then she saw Wembley and thought why take the old horse out back when she can kill it in front of as many people as possible.

She’s been Toni Storm and now she can be so much more.  She told Storm not to worry, she still loves her.  Fans chanted ‘we want Toni.’  At least some.  May said she’s never loved Toni more than when she was on her knees, bleeding, crying and screaming her name.

It was her greatest performance.  And May’s will be at All In.  ‘Because now All Elite Wrestling is all about Mariah.’

She lay back on the mat a la Toni.

Super promo.  Content, poise, delivery.  Looked hot AF too.

*****

To BCG sans Jay White on Saturday.  They said they’d never give up the belts.  Chris Daniels rolled up saying he didn’t like it and it wasn’t popular but it’s his job.  He said the alternative is he suspends them.  They got angry and shoved the belts at him.

Austin addressed the Patriarchy: do they think BCG are scared of ‘a guy with a father fetish, a sixteen-year-old TikTok kid, the stepmom from Brazzers and a lizard!?  HELLLLL NO!’  Juice vowed they were coming with their homies to get their hardware.  Colten did Gunns Up!

Swerve Strickland vs Kazuchika Okada

Backstory: Swerve challenged #3 champion Okada after defeating #2 champ Ospreay

Okada got a nice pop coming out.  Loud ‘Swerve’s house!’ too as his music hit.  Guess they’re pushed for time cause it cut Okada’s short.

Circling, lockup, Okada headlock, takeover, Swerve reciprocating, Okada tried it again, Strickland blocked it, whip off, Okada boot up, Swerve rolled back to trip him, tried House Call, Okada a Rainmaker, Swerve big pressure, settling for an armdrag, Okada headscissoring through, both up, stalemate.

Nana leading more loud chants.  Excalibur congratulated Willow on winning the CMLL title.  As Okada went to work, Swerve slipping behind, avoiding a corner charge, pivoting into a tejeiras, middle buckle elbow to the spine, stupid dance.  Into the Rainmaker pose.  Fun.

Okada eyed him like ‘Okay…’

Before they got to sluggin’.  The Japanese offering his face, the champ faking him out to kick the gut but taking a flapjack and bailing outside.  Where Okada hit a ddt on the mats.

Ads.

Back to a fistfight, Swerve ducking to nail a headbutt, Okada reeling, running into a Strickland corner boot but launching up into that dropkick with Strickland atop the buckle, knocking Swerve to the apron.

Where Okada sought a tombstone, Swerve fighting out, Okada landing in the ring, snapped across the top rope as Swerve launched himself back inside, flipping up into a flatliner, floating through into a brainbuster.  For two.

Swerve up top, cut off, Okada raking the face, down into his air raid neckbreaker for a near fall, facials just incredible, selling the agony of the close count.  Bodyslam, to the top, diving elbow, into the Rainmaker finger, Swerve capitalizing to roll him up for two, kipping up to avoid a lariat, flurry of strikes countered by a single Okada dropkick.

Both down.  Really good sequence.

Swerve attacking the leg now, ducking through a lariat into a backbreaker, through into a powerslam from a powerbomb position, Stomp coming, avoided, Swerve snatched into a tombstone, Okada seeking a Rainmaker rather than a pin, Swerve countering up into a Stomp which looked more like a meteora.  Fans really into these guys, possibly more than the two in the opener.

Crowd loud as Swerve threatened another Stomp.  As the Bucks rushed in to cause the DQ amid heavy booing.  Only expected a finish in one of these two matches, admittedly thought we’d get it here.

And again it serves a purpose in building Blood and Guts.  Acclaimed out, getting the better until Perry came out.  Bringing Briscoe.  Big brawl around ringside, Briscoe nailing the Bucks via senton, laid out by Perry, laid out by Swerve, who is as over here as he’s been in months.

Just as he was left alone, Hangman’s music started.  Perfect.  One of my favorite moments of all time is when Bret’s music hit with Austin alone in the ring in the ‘97 Rumble, this had aspects of that.

Page to the apron, they stared, Hangman not happy when Okada attacked from behind, dragging Swerve outside, Page dragged off too on his side.  That’s a nice tease.  Security out, the Elite hiding behind it, presumably the Perry promo earlier didn’t air in the arena cause the fans went nuts when Darby’s music hit.

Security now forced to circle the Elite on both sides, as we wondered where Darby was.  He was in fact in the ceiling, rappelling down with his arms out, like a madman.  Huge pop, right into another big brawl, fans roaring.

Schiavone yelled about Blood and Guts next week, Excalibur wondered if Swerve and Darby could get along, Darby and Perry brawling wildly.  Crazy end to the show.

Winner: Swerve Strickland by DQ

A phenomenal tv show.  Another tighter, more focused one too.  The opener itself meant the show couldn’t be bad.  But they followed it with more excellent build and storytelling.  Capped by a strong main event, the screwy ending of which had a purpose in building next week’s.

We can’t necessarily get action like this every week.  We can get this level of focus and storytelling.

Next Dynamite:

• Blood & Guts: Elite & Hangman vs Swerve, Mark Briscoe, the Acclaimed & Darby?
• Jericho vs Suzuki (FTW title)

Check Out

• Ospreay vs MJF
• Like, everything, one of the best Dynamites maybe in years, maybe ever

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