AEW Dynamite tonight comes to us from the MVP Arena in Albany, NY.  After last week drawing 953,000 & 0.34 in the 18-49 demo, the best since Feb.

*****

Orange Cassidy vs AR Fox (International Title)

Backstory: This title shot for Fox is a favor to Darby Allin

It feels like the story of Cassidy being broken down and on the verge of losing his title has lost steam the last few weeks.  Facing a guy who never, ever wins doesn’t help.

They tried to justify it via a video package of Darby putting Fox over as giving him somewhere to live when he had no money.  ‘If someone deserves a shot it’s AR Fox’ since without him there is no Darby.  It might be a good reason to give the guy a contract, it might be a good reason to give the guy some sort of humanitarian award.  It is absolutely not a reason to give someone a title shot.

Footage played of Cassidy coming out at the ROH ppv and inadvertently slugging Claudio.  They are indeed continuing the ‘he’s beat up’ storyline.

Fox offered a handshake, Cassidy loosely and maybe dismissively accepted.  Collar and elbow, rope break as Excalibur listed all of Cassidy’s injuries.  Fox blocked the pockets and was booed.  The crowd almost silent, individual shouts can be heard.

Cassidy deliberately botched a kip-up to laughs then worked the arm, Fox kipped up and cartwheeled free with ease.  Snapmare into a body scissors, this one starting slowly considering the guys involved.

Cassidy kipped-up out of it, did his pockets routine, Fox blocked it all, landing on his feet out of an armdrag and countering a shotgun dropkick into a sunset flip for two.  Then ducked and kipped-up again to avoid the Punch.

A frustrated Cassidy bailing outside, trying to bait Fox into a dive.  Instead, Fox hit the apron then did a backflip moonsault off the ring-post to a literal ‘wow’ from yours truly.

Before returning to the ring, rolling through out-to-in looking for a suplex, Cassidy countered into stundog but taking a cutter off the buckle, trying a tornado ddt, Fox countering into a twisting brainbuster for two.  Very nice start.

TiA chants already from the crowd as the first break beckons.

Backslide attempt from the champ, Fox searching too, Orange dropkick to the knee, Fox big boot in response, Cassidy returning the favor, the pair exchanging them like punches until both hit at the same time, a sequence with both ducking and dodging ended with both landing synchronized neckbreakers.

Cassidy Flair-flop to the apron, running Fox buckle to buckle, Fox avoiding a splash by darting to the apron, big plancha to the outside, senton off the top, two only, crowd loudly counting along.

Orange tope, tornado ddt back inside, Beach Break, 1, 2… kickout.  Punch being readied, Cassidy sent atop the buckle instead for Lo Mein Pain (something like a leaping Spanish Fly) with Fox dragging Cassidy back to the mat for another close count.  Then hitting the heights once more; Cassidy doing his patented role away.

Fox then hit an apron senton which looked very staged, Cassidy dragging himself into position right in front of the camera.  Ddt through the ropes for another close call.  To the top once more, Cassidy avoided a 450, magistral for two, another very practiced-looking sequence saw Orange anticipate Fox ducking the Punch and wrap him in the MouseTrap to bag the win.

Excalibur slipped in a ‘steamed hams’ reference since they were in Albany.  Big props.

In short, very good with a couple overly staged looking sequences at the end.  Fox then turned heel after Cassidy placed his shades on the vet, breaking them and hitting a lariat to Orange.  Furious, Darby hit the ramp – ‘I put my name on you’ he yelled over and over.  Calling what Fox did ‘embarrassing’.

Fox said it was a mistake.  Still a little angry, Allin told him to get backstage.

This was actually pretty clever.  Turning a ‘why this match’ into a nice story where Fox was setup as the ultimate nice guy and backed by Darby only to go heel.  Assuming, as is always the caveat with this company, that it actually goes somewhere and he doesn’t disappear for a month.

Still doesn’t compensate for starting the show with this.  Can’t see many casuals staying tuned to see if AR Fox grabs gold.

As Allin left too, you could hear something coming by the crowd noise: it was Mox, he dropped Orange with a Death Rider then left.

Winner: Orange Cassidy

Cut to a Blood & Guts recap.  Which apparently went ten minutes long and was supposed to have Omega’s post-match promo and the handshake occur on tv.

*****

Renee with Jericho and Don Callis.  Callis said all the speculation means they have to give the people something.  So he’s setup a tag with Jericho partnering with Takeshita.  Jericho was willing until Callis revealed it was against Daniel Garcia & Sammy Guevara.  Callis said Jericho didn’t have to do it.

But Jericho agreed.  After Callis mentioned that Jericho wanted his JAS partners to fly on their own and etc.  Then unveiled a sickeningly sycophantic painting of he, Jericho and Bad News from their promo a few weeks back.  The pair looking like Greek Gods.

*****

A video played of Hook sitting in a train station.  He had the FTW title.  A train went past, then he didn’t have it any longer.  ‘Locomotive’ Jack Perry?

*****

Claudio and Yuta told kids at home not to play with fire.  And the ‘kids’ in the locker room not to mess with the BCC.  Mox returned to say that’s (ie what he did to Orange) what happens when anyone takes advantage of the Club when they’re not all together (ie what happened at the ROH ppv).

He threatened that Death Triangle were going to ‘get hurt’.

Absolutely all for BCC vs Death Triangle.

*****

Schiavone introduced Jack Perry.  Again to an ill-fitting Beethoven’s Fifth.  And a tight-fitting ‘I Beat Hook’ shirt.  And orange shorts.  Basically he was dressed for the beach.  New FTW champ and blah blah.

He took the mic to say Hook couldn’t hang with the big boys.  So he went home.  He said that when he promised to win a title, he sure as hell wasn’t talking about the FTW one.  It’s from a ‘second class company’ full of scumbags like the fans here in Albany.

‘As soon as I put my hands on it, it became the real deal.  Because I’m the real deal.’  He’s the greatest wrestler ever to hold it.  He addressed Taz to say he’d have beaten all the ECW guys.

Jerry Lynn hit the ramp to cut him off.  To almost zero reaction.  He said he and ECW paved the way for this generation.  To ‘EC-Dub’ chants.  ‘So go ahead keep runnin’ that mouth, you will get your ass kicked’.

Notable that a guy renowned for being great in the ring and poor on the mic outshone Perry with one line.  Simple but effective.

Perry got in his face to ask who was going to do it.  Lynn dropped the mic as if to say ‘me’.  Perry backed down, saying he wasn’t dressed for a fight.  Next week, ‘we’ll see who gets their ass kicked’.

Taz said that was the opposite of the ‘FTW mindset’.

Perry was largely good here, there were droning boos but not massive heat.  He paused a couple times and whether true or not, it made it seem like he was thinking what came next.

I’m not against him feuding with a couple ECW guys to get some easy heat.  It fits with the title and at least makes it have some purpose and seem a little different.  Heels coming up with BS reasons to postpone fights is always fun.

It could be argued Perry should be doing something higher up the card but presumably they’re buying time till Hook returns.

*****

Renee with Britt Baker.  She was a little surprised at getting called out by Taya.  But she’s excited to face an opponent she truly respects.  Cue Network tie-in: ‘Swim with the sharks, dragged to the deep end’.  TBS is ‘The Britt Show’ – she did the ‘DMD’ fingers.

Show’s been good so far but god is it a sprint.

Pac vs Gravity

Backstory: ‘A veritable dream match’ per Ian Riccaboni

I’ll never complain about seeing the Geordie wrestle.  But hopefully they actually explain to us who Gravity is.  I’d at least heard of Vikingo before he faced Kenny Omega.

They finally made it clear that Pac had lost against Claudio.  Gravity comes out in a NASA suit and pretends he’s walking on the moon.  I’m immediately out.

Pac contrasted their physiques, took a swing and ate a quick dropkick.  Another followed after a pointless Lucha springboard-for-the-sake-of-it.  Gravity is Bandido’s younger brother apparently and played soccer.  That’s about all we’re getting.

Shot to the face, another dropkick, Pac bailed outside.  Then chased Gravity in and out of the ring until planting him with a dropkick through the ropes.  Who’s the heel?

The import countered and flung Pac to the barricade then hit a powerslam on the outside and a stone splash from the middle rope.  Then did more goofy moonwalking, though not the Michael Jackson kind.

Stone silence as we came back from break.  BCC watching backstage.

Pac on top, paintbrushing Gravity in the corner until running into a boot, another, another, taking a cross body but coming back with a flurry of wicked kicks and a dropkick.  These two might as well be in different businesses.

The Geordie snapped off an avalanche brainbuster, Brutalizer, instant tap.  The crowd popped.  Did not care a lick about Gravity.  Even after Pac held on after the bell.

Pac backed a scared Gravity to the corner.

Not much of a match, didn’t last long, cold crowd and Pac sold too much.  He should be considered a top guy or just below.  They aren’t helping any of these Lucha guys by bringing in the next one before their priors have been established.

Winner: Pac

Renee with Cole and MJF after last week’s win.  Max snatched the mic away as Cole was about to speak.  To say that when FTR were his lackeys was the ‘Pinnacle’ of their careers.  He made fun of Cash rocking a mullet.  Then said Dax looked like Yosemite Sam and mimicked his promos and accent.  Finally saying he’d hit him so hard he’d spit out Punk’s jockstrap.

Great line.

Cause ‘we’re better than you Bay Bay’.

Cole joining in then saying that it’s all become about friendship.  And that Max has nothing to worry about when it comes to the world title.  MJF’s becoming ‘one of my best friends’.  MJF said he’s going to give Cole a rematch for the title, Cole asked if he was serious as Roderick Strong stormed in saying he saw the look in Max’s eyes.

Cole asked Max to leave so he could straighten out Strong.  Cole said Strong is pushing him away and being possessive.  Then did the same ‘boundaries’ thing he used to say to Max when he touched him.

Apparently Cole’s more of a fist-bumper than a hugger with his boys.

Still kinda baffled by all this as entertaining as some of it’s been.  Does seem Strong might be going heel as it looked last week.  And obviously Max is testing Cole.  If Cole accepts the shot, MJF will take that as it being more important than their friendship and snap.

This technically fulfilled the ‘BtYBB will speak’ promise but is a bit naughty.  Wouldn’t be best pleased if I’d bought a ticket to see them.

*****

Again from last week, Renee with FTR.  Cash said he’s excited but feels bad cause Cole’s getting dragged into their mess.  He likes and respects Cole but despises Max.  Who’s a ‘generational ass kisser’.  Everyone, including his fiancée, once they get to know Max, they leave him.

Dax said Cole has one win over him.  And isn’t going to make it two.  And thinks Max is making a mockery out of tag wrestling and the tag titles with their dance routines.  ‘We’re gonna have a fight’.  ‘I’m going to beat your ass is an understatement – I’m going to beat the s*** outta you’.

He apologized to his daughter for swearing.  Cole too:

‘Sorry Adam, Top Guys… out’.

Excellent promo.  Was already looking forward to that and now can’t wait.

Darby Allin vs Swerve Strickland

Backstory: A long-running rivalry continued recently with Swerve costing Allin a match, defeating his protégé Nick Wayne and the pair being ever-present in a battle royal until Allin tossed Swerve

Nick Wayne joined Darby.

After cagily circling, they locked-up, Allin hammerlock, headlock, holding on after Swerve tried to use the ropes and a belly to back suplex to escape.  And after being lifted over to the apron, finally releasing it only to basically slingblade back into it.

Swerve tried to fling Darby outside only for Allin to counter into a springboard armdrag, to the outside where Allin hit a code red.  Rushing back inside to bag two.  Then following Strickland back out, chop to the chest, hurling him into the steps then setting them up next to the apron.

Splash against the barricade, Swerve blocked a whip, sending Allin hurtling toward the steps, he leapt over them only for Strickland to use them as a launch pad to smack Allin with his heel kick.

Break.

Back to Swerve posing before catching Allin in his leaping flatliner, immediately flipping over so smoothly up into a suplex to bag two.  Before looking to work over the arm, Allin kicked him away, catching Swerve in a sunset flip, the pair rolled in and out several times until a Last Supper got 2.9.

As Excalibur told us that this was the way Allin had beaten Swerve every time they’d met.  And Allin blasted Strickland with his bullet tope, taking him down off the apron with it.  Brutal.

Weak TiA chant from the crowd.

Flinging Swerve back in, the heel rolled back out the other side and walloped Darby mid tope with a leg lariat/leaping heel kick.  Swerve to the top, Stomp ready, hit, two only.  Allin upstairs now, cut off with a chop, Strickland joining him, Darby on his shoulders, countering into an avalanche stunner, Strickland spilling to the apron to avoid being pinned.

Allin to the top once more, crotched, Strickland again placed him on his shoulders, fireman’s carry this time.  To hit a DVD off the top to the apron.  Darby’s insane.  Swerve’s not much brighter.

The count beginning, a guy in a blue hoodie dragged Allin out, flung him into the buckle (guessing AR Fox), JML Driver, win.

Yes it was AR Fox, he began stomping away after.  Nick Wayne came in, throwing weak punches to Strickland until being battered by Fox, using Allin’s skateboard.  Fox has joined the Mogul Embassy.

Scratch what I said earlier.  I’m sick of them attaching rocks to Swerve.  Though glad he got a win for once.  AEW refs stay being dumb as hell.

Good match; bad finish.

Winner: Swerve Strickland

Renee with the JAS scrubs – the girls and 2.0.  As Jericho turned up and asked them into his dressing room to talk.  Callis had put the painting up.  Tay asked what was going on?

Parker took out the blade which doubles as his gimmick and entire character: ‘This means the world to me’ because Jericho had given it to him.  He threatened to give it back but didn’t.

Anna said Jericho was being selfish.  They spent all this time appreciating him and he didn’t appreciate them.  So like Jake, they can’t give him 100%.  Menard warned him ever so dramatically to ‘figure it out… fast’.

What a threat.  However will Jericho survive?

Laughed so hard at so much of this; none of it was intended to be comedy.  Tay’s acting was not good, partially caused by English not being her first language tbf.  2.0 were so dramatic.  And it’s hard to sympathize with their complaints about them appreciating Jericho while he didn’t do the same for them.  It’s kind of in the name guys.

If your characters are too stupid to realize that, I’m not going to sympathize with you.  As Adam Cole might find out.

*****

Collision recap.  Really focusing on Billy Gunn’s threatened retirement.  This is up there with Flair and Shawn’s.  I might cry.

You don’t do angles like this with non-legends.  It cheapens the whole idea.

Britt Baker vs Taya Valkyrie

Backstory: Valkyrie challenged Baker on Collision

Defnitely concerned about Outcast stank here.  Since Valkyrie called Skye Blue a ‘homegrown favorite’ or something to that effect on Saturday.

Otherwise actually a little intrigued, it seems ages since Britt was involved in anything even remotely interesting.

Valkyrie immediately showed he strength, smashing Britt face-first to the mat, waistlock takeover into a headlock, Britt countered into one of her own, ducked a clothesline, back to the headlock, crowd quiet, a few weak ‘DMD’ chants as Britt used the buckle to push off and maintain the headlock.  Even holding on through a belly to back.

(This is two matches in a row working a ‘can’t shake the headlock’ start)

Valkryie finally freed herself by flinging Britt to the ropes and hitting a shoulder block.  Baker slumped in the corner, Taya mocked the ‘DMD’ thing then charged her knees-first, we missed the impact since the cameras decided to film at shoulder height instead.

Dragging Britt center, she bagged two.

Slap to the chest, another, big lariat, another two.  Shots to the face, Baker hit a kick to the shin, avoided a boot, caught out of a cazadora, cringey spot which was seemingly supposed to be a counter into Road to Valhalla but Britt just kind of fell/Taya dropped her.

Valkyrie throwing shots from the mount as the ads arrived.

Missing a charge in the corner, Taya missed a kick too, Baker got a cravate and drove knees to the face then flung her into the corner.  Ripcord elbow strike, Taya kicked out at one.  Slugfest in the middle.  Really lacking intensity.

They avoided one another until Taya hit a roundhouse, Baker a thrust kick, Taya a knee strike and a weak lariat for another two.  Baker got a boot up, caught into a Northern lights.  Notha two.

Valkyrie looked for a leglock, Baker fought free, thrust kick, Panama Sunrise for two.  Taya still down, glove out, ‘D-M-D’, Valkyrie fought back with a knee lift and a spear, Road to Valhalla ready, Baker fought out, nice counter swinging round into Lockjaw.  Instant tap.

Not good.  None of which was Taya’s fault.

They cut to the crowd, right to a sign saying ‘Book the Women’s Division Better’ and hastily cut away.  How do they keep making these mistakes?

Winner: Britt Baker

They pushed Rampage, which has a tag team battle royal.  Seriously…

Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs Lucha Bros vs Best Friends

Backstory: None

We all know which team are doing the honors here right?

BCC came out to Wild Thing and a babyface pop.  As Excalibur finally mentioned the finish to last week’s Blood & Guts match.  Too late.

With the BCC en route, the Bros looked for uno, dos, tres kicks and were sent outside.  Where the BCC arrived to attack them until taking dives from the Friends, Mox choking Chuck up the ramp with his shirt.  Looking to launch him off the stage.  Taylor countered before leaping onto all of their opponents except Fenix.

Claudio now brawling with Taylor, flinging him to the steps as Trent and Mox fought on the ramp.  Fenix and Claudio met in the ring, the others fighting outside.  Big chop fight/slugfest, Claudio on top, backing Rey to the corner, he answered with a thrust kick as Claudio attacked, soaring armdag off the top, stomp after landing, Claudio down, Trent in to hit a fantastic-looking running knee strike to Rey.

Mox cutter to Trent, Taylor thrust kick to him, Penta thrust kick to Taylor, Claudio wiped him out via uppercut, he and Fenix left alone again.  The Swiss avoided Fenix’ rebound kick, caught a thrust kick, flinging Rey back into the ropes and catching him in a pop-up uppercut for two.

The BCC now doubling up on Rey, the only three standing.  ‘Moxley’ chants as we finally had a tag and he worked over Rey with shots and lariats, snap suplex, Claudio in, leg drop, two.  Suplex being readied, he and Rey fighting and chopping once more until Fenix floated over, thrust kick, Trent tagged himself in.

Rules-wise, this thing is all over the place.

He took out Claudio with a right then ground-and-pounded Rey, using the latter’s chest to hit a tornado ddt to Castagnoli.  Readying a knee strike, he was caught, fought free, Saito suplex, Claudio ending up outside where he blocked a tope via uppercut, tag to Mox, KKL, two with the leg hooked.

Ads.

Castagnoli took Trent up for a superplex, he was fought off, landing painfully on the ropes, Trent shotgun from the top, both down seeking tags.  Mox in, Taylor too, big chops from the latter, whip, blocked, soul food, to the corner, leaping knee as Mox ran in, wild swing from Mox, Taylor behind for a German, Penta tagging himself in to a pop.

Slingblade, another, backstabber in the corner, pin broken at two by Trent.  After patiently adhering to tag rules for five minutes, all six just decided to come back in now cause…

Leading to Claudio military pressing Trent into a Mox cutter, Fenix cross body off the top to take out the BCC, rolling under a lariat, thrust kicks from the Bros to the BCC, who responded with lariats to leave all four down.

As Taylor came back to roll-up Penta for two.  All six again fighting until the Friends stumbled into the stupid hug.  They flung the BCC into Bros backdrops to send them outside.  Then hit piledrivers for two.

Before looking to whip the Bros into one another, Fenix leapt over his brother’s head to hit a kick to Trent, then the two transitioned into a heel hook and an armbreaker respectively, Made in Japan for two.

BCC back in, Claudio H&A to Chuck, Mox stomping away at Trent with the wrists captured.  Claudio paused for ages readying a powerbomb.  To allow Orange Cassidy’s music to play.  He hit the ramp, laid out Yuta with one Punch (after all the wins and etc Yuta’s got, to just sacrifice him like that…).

Then got to fighting Moxley.  Apparently there are no DQs since it’s a three way.  Trent countered a Claudio powerbomb into a behind the back driver but wasn’t the legal man.  So you can bring a vial of pneumonic plague to the ring but must remember who the legal man is after all six have been fighting for most of the match, got it.

Fenix kipped up to hit a thrust kick to Trent, Fear Factor from Penta, Fenix smothered Claudio to stop him blocking the pin and win.

Was looking forward to this but it was a messy scrap with confusing and irritating ‘rules’.  Schiavone said it was an upset.  Damn sure shouldn’t be.

Cassidy and Mox continued fighting after the bell, breaking down into a BCC/Best Friends scrap, the Bros wading into it too.

They announced Mox, Trent and Penta in a triple threat ‘Anything Goes’ match next week.

Winner: Lucha Bros

 ________________________________________________________________

Next Collision:

• FTR vs MJF & Adam Cole (Tag Titles)
• Andrade vs Buddy Matthews (Ladder match for Andrade’s mask, other HOB banned from arena)
• Vikingo, Action Andretti & Darius Martin vs the Gunns & Juice Robinson

Next Dynamite (Episode 200):

• Chris Jericho & Konosuke Takeshita vs Sammy Guevara & Daniel Garcia
• Jack Perry ‘face-to-face’ with Jerry Lynn
• Jon Moxley vs Penta vs Trent Beretta (Anything Goes)
• More announced on Rampage

Thumbs Up/Down

• Orange vs AR Fox
• Darby vs Swerve
• Perry/Lynn angle
• FTR promo and build for the tag title match – Cole and Max were serious this week
• Lucha Bros back on tv

 *****

• Can we please have a little break somewhere to digest any of the segments or matches?
• Expecting us to care about the JAS scrubs in an attempt to add weight to Jericho’s decision
• They didn’t even mention the big finish to last week’s B&G match – Mox sacrificing to save his partner Yuta. Nor the handshake and Omega’s promo to end the feud (maybe they briefly showed it in the package – if so, it’s not enough)
• As usual, big stars (the Elite) were missing and weren’t even mentioned
• Britt vs Taya
• Pac vs Gravity

More detailed Up/Down coming later on Thursday.

Appreciate you reading.  Keep blasting those summer tunes.