AEW Dynamite tonight comes to us from the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Fla.  After last week drawing 898,000 & 0.29 in the 18-49 demo.

*****

The show has a special intro for the 200^th episode.  It’s about the only effort they’ve made to make tonight seem so.

Chris Jericho & Konosuke Takeshita vs Sammy Guevara & Daniel Garcia

Backstory: Don Callis is trying to recruit Jericho and guilt-tripped him into a tag before revealing their opponents would be JAS members

I’m immediately confused about what’ll main event as Jericho’s music kicked in and he walked out of the heel side of the old set.  Maybe it’ll be the women?  But off no build whatsoever?

They replayed the Inner Circle forming on the first episode.  As Takeshita and Callis came out with Jericho.  Don’t like Takeshita not getting his own entrance.  He’s not being kept hot, if indeed he ever got there.

Sammy and Jericho to a headlock, Jericho ran through Sammy who kipped up, took a shove then threw a chop, the two firing back-and-forth.  Guevara ran through his series of flips to avoid his leader before a dropkick and another kip up.

Then hit a leaping knee, tag to Garcia, double-team shoulder block leaving Jericho down as the faces(?) hit a pose to rub Jericho’s face in it.  Garcia and Jericho chop battle, the youngster no-sold then danced at him, knocking Jericho down then dancing some more – crowd loved the dancing.

Takeshita did not, tagging in, pace quickening, big TakeshitaLine after a couple duck-unders and a big chop bagging a one count as he incorporated mocking Garcia’s dancing with Jericho’s one foot pin.  Ocho back in, belly to back on Garcia, the youngster trapped on the heels’ side of the ring then dropped via delayed suplex.  As Jericho himself performed the one-foot pin – ‘c’mon baby!’.

He then made the mistake of slapping Garcia who hit a flurry but had his foot grabbed by Callis and ate a Jericho boot.

Break.

Decent sized crowd quiet as we came back, Garcia still in trouble, throwing chops but shoved to the mat then sort-of getting his knees up on a Lionsault.

Both down, tags beckoning, Guevara in via cross body from the top to take out Takeshita, flinging Jericho out, lariat-ing Takesh out too, tope to Jericho on one side, amazing tornillo to Takeshita on the other, flinging him back in, to the top, frogsplash after pointing to the sky and slapping his chest, Jericho broke the pin at two.

Superb flurry, Sammys great in full flow.  Crowd really behind him there too.

Guevara distract by Jericho, blue thunder bomb from Takeshita, ‘Walls of Takeshita’ (Excalibur casually called this as if he’d been doing it for months), Jericho tagging in right into a Sammy Spanish fly for two.

Jericho then swept the legs looking for the Walls (to very little reaction), Guevara inside cradle for a close count, simultaneous lariats leaving both down.  Crowd clapping along, Sammy tag, Garcia running into a Code Breaker for another close call.

‘Garcia’ chant from the crowd as Jericho fired more chops, the youngster came back with a flying knee, Takeshita broke the pin but took a superkick from Sammy, leaving him outside.  To the top, Guevara launched a shooting star which saw him absolute wallop Takeshita right in the face with his elbow.  Looked a sore one.

Back inside, Garcia blocked Judas Effect for a rollup and two.  Before sweeping the legs, Dargon Slayer coming, Sammy keeping Takeshita at bay, Callis hit Garcia with the bat, ref missed it, Jericho didn’t, he wasn’t happy.  But then span into the cover to win.

The announcers emphasized that Jericho chose Callis over the JAS in that finish.

Strange how little Takeshita wrestled in this.  Is he hurt?  Otherwise did a nice job making the faces look strong before losing.  Garcia and Guevara are a nice team.  Good mix of styles.

Winner: Jericho & Takeshita

Tony Khan announcement.  He thanked fans, staff and wrestlers for supporting and helping the company, throwing to a highlight package from episode one to now.  Beginning briefly with Cody, including the Brodie Lee episode, and ending with a ‘Double Clothesline’ shout and JR’s ‘You know what that means’ line.

*****

Cut to Renee chasing after Jericho.  Matt Menard wasn’t happy, calling a mandatory meeting of the JAS.  Evidently he doesn’t know what the words he uses mean since he told Jericho he’d better be there.

If he doesn’t keep Menard in the fold, Jericho’s career’ll never recover.

*****

Jack Perry out, music doesn’t suit him any better this week.  The announcers tried to continue the ‘ECW paved the way for Perry’ story.  Tazz insisted Perry would pay for what he did to Hook.

He snatched the mic from Schiavone.  Pretty tepid boos.  He told Jerry Lynn to come out and take his ass kicking.  Lynn came out with a mic as the crowd lightly chanted his name.  He again called Perry ‘Jungle’.  He said making an example of Perry ‘would be child abuse’.

Howled at that line.

He’s not cleared to wrestle.  But he called a good friend from his ECW days.  It’s been rumored RVD’s coming in and the crowd chanted his name.  Exploding when his music hit.  Perry looked like he’d seen a ghost.

Rob slapped hands with Lynn then walked the ramp, crowd still chanting his name.  Haven’t seen him in years, he looks much older, not surprisingly.  Going face-to-face with Perry, the latter bailed.

Van Dam did the thumbs, the crowd chanted along.  Perry tried a sneak attack with a chair, RVD threw a spinning kick that Perry avoided, Perry again bailed, heading through the crowd.  These are not the actions of an FTW champion apparently.  Such is the belt’s prestigious history.

They evidently still don’t trust Perry to say more than a few words.  He’s not doing anything to dissuade them of this viewpoint.

*****

Excalibur then confirmed that the women would main event tonight.  As they cut to a Shida promo.  She vowed to win her title back.  Storm said Shida was the best in 2020 but isn’t anymore, promising to retain.

Would’ve been useful about three weeks ago.  Too late now.  Though it is the best-looking match on tonight’s show.

Jon Moxley vs Penta vs Trent Beretta (Anything Goes)

Backstory: All three faced e/o last week in a tag

Hey d’you think Mox’ll bleed? (He actually didn’t!)

Trent out first as they showed highlights of the Best Friends’ parking lot brawl with Proud & Powerful.  Penta out to his usual nice pop.  Finally Mox made his way through the crowd.

Trent tope’d himself at Mox before he reached the ring, Penta threw himself at Trent then hit a ringside slingblade to Mox.  Who came back with shots, taking Trent inside, chops and strikes, biting the forehead but taking a trash can shot from Penta.

Trent ducked but took a shot from the lid instead, ‘Zero Miedo’, off the ropes right into a Mox cutter.  Moxley went under the ring for a barbed-wire 2×4.  Groan.  Penta snatched it, Mox ducked a swing but took a backstabber, Made in Penta broken up by a Trent running knee, who was then hit with the 2×4 and had it ground across his head by Moxley.

Piledriver on the two-by-four, KKL ducked, Trent hit a belly to back onto the 2×4.  Penta dragged Trent out, open hand to the chest, Alex helped setup a table at ringside.  And another.  Trent was bleeding from the head as he was set on the table.

Penta to the top, Mox cut him off, raking his mask with the 2×4.  Trent up to meet Mox atop the buckle, superplex through the tables.

Ads.  Trent should not be taking bumps like that after his neck problems.  Wild action without much linking it together thus far.

All three scrapping in the middle, double superkick on Mox, Penta one to Trent, setting him atop a table in-ring.  Cut off atop the buckle, Trent looked for a superplex, was fought off, avalanche destroyer through the table.

How is that not the finish?  Penta took the brunt of this but had to recover so Mox could spear him through another table.  TiA chants from the crowd.  Groan time again: here come the tacks.  A whole two weeks after we last saw them.  And in a mid-card match.

Penta had Fear Factor ready, countering into a piledriver, Penta kicked out.  Mox hit a release powerbomb onto them, hit a cutter to Trent, who came back with something like a Deadeye onto the tacks.  Penta broke up the pin with a bin-lid shot.

Crowd into the action, all three struggling to their feet.

Moxley asked Penta to bring it as a three-way scrap broke out.  A stiff one too, Beretta getting the best until a thrust kick and KKL combo from the other two.  Who immediately began brawling, Penta kick to the waist, caught out of a springboard into a Paradigm Shift.  Trent then stole the pin.

Why do this company hate the Lucha Bros?

Wild, hard-hitting action which was fun outside of the tacks etc.  All three worked hard, covered in tacks by the end.

An annoyed Mox snatched Trent in a choke, Chuck and Orange Cassidy were waiting to attack Yuta and Claudio yet had shown no interest in going to help their partner as he was being choked unconscious.  Beretta came off the top onto the BCC as the other five brawled back to ringside.

Cassidy hit Moxley with an Orange Punch.  Chuck demanded a match on Rampage, in the Daily’s Place parking lot.  Since this ‘hadn’t settled anything’.

Penta was just left to rot.  Beating him apparently meant nothing, a vehicle to continue a Rampage feud.  A week after the BCC & Death Triangle were seemingly at war.  Where were Pac & Fenix here?

Winner: Trent Beretta

Footage of MJF sacrificing himself for Cole then hugging him rather than hitting him during Saturday’s tag title match.  He’s ‘seemingly had a change of heart’ per Excalibur.

*****

Renee with RVD.  He’d heard Perry talking trash.  Next week, he’s challenging Perry for the FTW Title.  He threatened to retire the belt after winning it.  Hopefully this is just a one week thing.

*****

MJF’s music hit to a big cheer.  He was exhaling deeply, as if he had something big on his mind.  But played to the crowd on his way to the ring as they again replayed what happened in the tag.  Can’t fault the follow-up here.

The crowd chanted his name, he had a big cheesy grin on his face then said there were ‘devil worshippers in the house’.  He asked the fans there and at home to bear with him as he got something off his chest.  He mentioned his ADD.  The crowd chanted it.

He said it gives him Rejection Sensitive Disorder.  Which makes his life harder, and it was hard already.  He was bullied and beaten up.  And he recalled the story he told during his Punk feud about the kids throwing quarters at him and calling him ‘Jew-boy’.

He said he can still feel the quarters hitting him and hear the laughter.  And it made him think everyone was evil and he had to get them before they got him.  But he’s starting to realize ‘that’s no way to live’.  He ended up becoming a scumbag himself.

He said it’s easy being mean.  What’s hard is ‘being vulnerable and open’.  He knew if he did that and still got booed it’d hurt him too much and remind him of who he used to be.  But ‘I’m not scared anymore’.  Because of ‘each and every single one of you’.

The fans have taught him that they do care about ‘Max’.  Cue a ‘Max’ chant.  ‘By god you’ve got sympathy for the devil’.  He’s not going to change overnight, he’s still a scumbag, but he’s ready to be ‘your scumbag’.  He held the mic at the fans as they chanted ‘He’s our scumbag’.

Then put his big cheesy grin back on.

And there’s one person in particular who taught him all of the above, that he can trust others, that even he deserves a friend – he introduced ‘one of the best wrestlers in the world, one of the best human beings in the world, my best friend, Adam Cole’.

Cole hit the ramp to no music, took a mic and hit the ring as the fans chanted his name.  He told Max he continues to impress him.  Because of the man he’s becoming.  Having the guts to share his feelings.  He assured MJF he was not alone.

For years Cole had been a jerk for a lot of the same reasons.  He told MJF he was becoming the man he was meant to be.  The people ‘love’ and ‘adore’ him.  Because they know deep down there’s a good guy in there.  He and the fans are ‘incredibly proud’ of Max.

He thanked Cole for the ‘verbal fellatio’ and wearing their new double clothesline shirt.  But that’s not why he called Cole out.  He made him a promise about a title shot, but he’s come to the conclusion that Cole ‘doesn’t deserve a match’.

Crowd waiting with baited breath…

Because he deserves the match in front of the most historic crowd in the history of wrestling, at Wembley, at All In.  There’s no-one Max would rather make history with, he gave Cole a contract and started a ‘sign it’ chant.

A ‘read it’ chant also started.  Smart fans.  Cole didn’t.  Then told Max he loved him.  Max reciprocated, the two hugged, a graphic came up making it official.  The two bantered good-naturedly about who’d win then posed atop the buckles.

Excellent segment with some nice twists and turns.  Backstage, Roderick Strong was throwing an absolutely psychotic fit.  Mike Bennett and Matt Taven told Strong Cole always forgets about his friends.  Strong then sounded like he was badly constipated.

They then confirmed All In will be available on PPV.

The Elite vs Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh

Backstory: Kenny wanted to celebrate his new contract by wrestling Satnam Singh

Wayward Son kicked in to a big pop.  Excalibur emphasized that there’d be no AEW without the Elite.  The heels’ music played to massive silence.  As they showed them eliminating people from the Rampage battle royal.

Schiavone said he couldn’t rail on MJF after what just happened but he damn sure could on Sonjay Dutt.

Jarrett and Omega started, JJ working a headlock, running through Omega, hip-toss, bodyslam, the vet getting the better then doing the strut.  Before poking the eyes and tagging Lethal who ran at Kenny and took a deep armdrag.

Matt in, Nick off the top with a stomp to the arm then Matt propelled him into a hurracanrana on Lethal.  Before Matt begged them to tag in Singh.  Immediately thinking better of it, he went for a tag, the others dropped off the apron but he tagged his brother when he wasn’t looking.

The Bucks hit double dropkicks, Singh just about didn’t fall over performing a cross body.  Not joking, he nearly slipped through the ropes.

The heels mocked the Elite’s pose as the ads arrived.

Nick hit a superkick to Jarrett, both down, Kenny begging for the tag, crowd clapping along, Omega in, axe handles for all, crowd chanting ‘Kenny’ as he hit You Can’t Escape to Lethal, interrupted briefly by Singh who was hooked off the apron by the Bucks.

The Bucks avoided Lethal Inject, superkick party, slipped out of a chokeslam from Singh, a wave of superkicks, the big man on his knees, V Trigger, the other four down outside.

Karen Jarrett on the apron for three years as Singh was about to take a OWA.  Dutt hit Omega, Cutler sprayed Karen, Dutt took him out, the Hardys out to a big pop, Twist of Fate to Dutt, Jarrett readying a guitar shot, Hangman snuck in from somewhere to wipe him out with a Buckshot, V Trigger from Kenny to Lethal, he paused to ‘play’ the guitar then hit the One Winged Angel for the win.

Massively over the top finish but a fun match.  Nice twist with the faces anticipating the heels’ BS and having Page ready as their ace.  Overbooked in classic Jarrett fashion but at least it led to the good guys winning.

Omega took the mic then handed it to Page.  Who announced that they’d all re-signed with AEW to a nice pop.  They’re happy to be here tonight and for another 200.  Omega said whether it was Dynamite, Rampage ‘or maybe even Collision’ (he said this knowingly) we’d be seeing a lot of them.  Then did his bang, goodnight etc.

Be very interesting to see if they do indeed appear on a Saturday show.  Not good business to tease fans with no intent to deliver.  Feel-good segment though there’ll be more to say on the usual lack of follow up in Up/Down tomorrow.

Winner: The Elite

Swerve backstage to explain AR Fox joining with him.  Fox said Allin hadn’t spoken to him for five years and never helped him out when he could’ve.  Strickland said they’d made a movie.  Cut to a video of them attending Nick Wayne’s training ring.  The Buddy Wayne Academy.

Swerve called it a s***hole, interrupting Nick Wayne and someone training.  The Mogul Affiliates beat them up.  Leaving Nick to go two-on-one with Swerve and Fox until Swerve broke a framed picture of Nick and his dad across Wayne to lay him out.

AEW love themselves a dead dad story.

Wayne, bleeding, was made to call Darby.  Swerve told Darby he better listen or something worse would happen.  Strickland said it was so easy to make a phone call yet Darby hadn’t made one to Fox in years.

Wayne was left in a pool of blood.

The last line about the phone call was clever.  The rest of this reminded of the angle where the Outcasts whipped Britt Baker.  It was way over the top, Wayne’s acting was not good and they’ve gone to the deceased dad story far too often.

Vikingo & Komander vs Aussie Open (ROH Tag Titles)

Backstory: A precursor to the upcoming Mexican/Australian war for the sole right to wear wide-brimmed hats

Just when it seemed we were past having to specify which company’s titles were on the line on AEW television.  The Mexicans came out with Alex Abrahantes looking like a proper tag team in matching gear.

Fletcher and Vikingo went to work, the latter ducking and dodging, spinning through the ropes, springboard cross body then one of the most athletic things I’ve ever seen: a standing tornillo into a headscissors.

He rightly stopped to bow afterward, ducking Davis, tagging Komander, rope-walk hurracanrana, the heels regrouping outside.  Davis and Komander now, the big man wiping him out via big boot, Fletcher knocking Vikingo off the apron before a double-team big boot/senton combo.

Komander boot up to both; caught out of a cross body into a diving cutter from Fletcher.  Kickout at two.  Crowd into this as Fletcher missed a charge in the corner, series of thrust kicks from Komander, walking the ropes, he drew Fletcher in then ole’d him outside.

Vikingo in, propelled off Komander’s back into a dropkick on Davis, Fletcher got a boot up, Vikingo hit a kick to the back of the knee then a diving legdrop.  Before both faces launched dives, were caught and smashed at ringside.

Ads.

Back to Vikingo off the top into a double superkick and Fletcher propelling him from a Davis Razor’s Edge but kicking out at two.  The heels readying a double shot, Vikingo avoided it at first but was then smacked with it.

Davis then had Vikingo in a fireman’s carry position, Komander springboarded, using his partner’s back as a stepping stone into a destroyer on Fletcher.  That was cool.  Vikingo crucifix bomb, the champs rolling outside to escape losing as the faces walked the ropes to meet in the middle and launch moonsaults.

Davis thrown back in, the faces to the top, synchronized 450, Fletcher just saving the belts.  Sent outside by Vikingo, Komander back upstairs, Davis avoiding a springboard, Fletcher back in, crushing lariats, Coreolis, Aussie Open retain.

The crowd were booing fiercely when they realized Komander was about to lose.  The faces really got the crowd behind them here.  This was tons of fun with some crazy spots.  AEW really have some good tag teams again.  At just the right time.

Winner: Aussie Open

Punk/Starks package as they pushed Collision.

Hikaru Shida vs Toni Storm (Women’s Title)

Backstory: They wanted to prove both women are still alive but were out of newspapers

Nice amount of tv time for the ladies to play with here.  Either Shida’s got new music or I just haven’t seen her for ages.  Was really hoping Storm would come solo and they’d make this a serious match but unfortunately she’s not alone.

Schiavone was excellent building the gravity of it.  As was Toni’s look of disgust and shaking her head as the crowd chanted for Shida.

Storm kick to the knee, Shida fighting back, both slugging away, stiff shots from Shida into the ropes, Toni bailed outside.

Back in, Shida shot to the gut, the two clashing shoulders, neither budging until Storm grabbed the hair; Shida responding by finally winning the shoulder block battle then launching strikes from the mount.  Transitioning into shots to the back of the head, Storm again heading for the outside.

Shida meeting her there, launching a running knee to the chest with Storm hanging off the apron, flinging her to the barricade then firing strikes until Storm swept the legs, sending Shida face-first into the barricade.

And quickly taking her back inside.  Though the advantage didn’t last long, Shida flinging her to the buckle, suplex into the corner then a brainbuster.  Storm gouging the eyes then kicking Shida against the ropes and launching a hip attack, knocking Shida off the apron where of course the other Outcasts attacked while the ref daydreamed.

Flinging her back in, Storm got two.

Break.  I’d give anything right now for Saraya to lose her voice.  Anything.  It’s constant.

Shida blocked the hip attack, catching Toni into a release German, enziguri, great babyface fire from Shida, running knee-strike in the corner, another, ten punches and a few extra, missile dropkick, 2.5.

Back to the top with Storm sat just beneath, meteora for another close count.  Then setting her atop the buckle, headbutt, superplex ready, the cameras had a tight shot so they only caught the end of Ruby interfering, presumably Saraya has the ref (Taz confirmed this, explaining it since we didn’t see it).  Allowing Storm to hit a tornado ddt.

Then a brutal hip attack, ddt, Shida kicked out.

Yay/boo in the middle, chops from Storm, rights to the face, Shida struggling, snapping back with a big right, avoiding a Toni pump kick, big knee strike, falcon arrow, nearly three.  Saraya threw a kendo stick in right in front of the ref, who just watched the girls fight over it.

Shida got it but smashed Soho off the apron instead, the ref got rid of it, Storm sprayed Shida in the face then hit Storm Zero, Shida kicked out again, crowd totally behind her as she countered a sunset flip into a high stack to bag the win!  Got me with that one.

Guessing they’re going with a rematch of this at All In since Hayter’s still injured.  Shida both absolutely dominated the match and won.

Pretty good action if you can ignore the usual Outcasts garbage.  Crowd totally behind the new champ.

Winner: Hikaru Shida

_________________________________________________________________

Next Collision:

• CM Punk vs Ricky Starks (Real World Title, Ricky Steamboat special ref)
• FTR vs Big Bill & Brian Cage (AEW Tag Titles)
• Kris Statlander vs Mercedes Martinez (TNT Title)
• They finally remembered Billy Gunn ‘retired’ so the Acclaimed have a promo

Next Dynamite:

• Jack Perry vs Rob Van Dam (FTW Title & Rules)

Added to All In:

• MJF vs Adam Cole (AEW Title)

Thumbs Up/Down

• MJF & Cole seg
• Aussie Open vs Vikingo & Komander
• Wrestling was generally good and the show was entertaining enough

 *****

• Didn’t remotely feel like a special episode ahead of time or during the show itself – possibly excepting announcing the Elite’s new contracts with fit nicely
• Mogul Affiliates/Nick Wayne angle
• Putting the women in the main event but not giving any build is so half-assed, basically asking for it to fail (ratings-wise)
• Only one match announced for both All In and next week’s Dynamite continues to suggest they’re not planning ahead well –  the push and build for this show confirms that

Appreciate you reading.  Have an august week.