AEW Dynamite tonight comes to us from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. After last week drawing 846,000 & 0.29 in the 18-49 demo.

*****

It’s Fight for the Fallen, proceeds going to the people affected by the wildfires in Maui.  Big props for that.  ‘Proceeds’ is not ‘profits’.  Nice gesture.

Wheeler Yuta vs Orange Cassidy (International Title)

Backstory: BCC & Best Friends have been intermittently feuding

And you had to know what was opening the show right?  A decent sized crowd happy to see Mr Cassidy who was out first.  Yuta came solo.  We’ll see how long that lasts.  As the announcers talked about the pair’s former allegiance and Wheeler’s attack on Cassidy a couple weeks back.

Cassidy immediately went for the Punch, Yuta avoided it, as did the cameras.  Can tick that off your bingo card already.  Headlock takedown, Yuta replied, series of armdrags, big overhand from Yuta before they stopped to talk smack then got into a fistfight.  Yay/boo, progressively faster, the crowd with all of it.

Until a Wheeler dropstep, Saito suplex, Cassidy replied in kind, simultaneous big boots left both down, each having similar ideas so far.  Back to the fight, elbow strikes dead center, Cassidy flurry leaving Yuta down, stomping him in the ropes Stone Cold style.  Until Yuta flung him outside by the tights and hit an elbow suicida.  But saw a suplex on the ringside mats countered.

Before crawling up the ramp away from Cassidy, kick to the leg, piledriver, Orange down, Yuta kicking him back down the ramp, mocking Cassidy’s kicks, shouting ‘ooooh’ with every one.  But following the champ in to eat a Beach Break for two.

Ads.

Cassidy in an Octopus stretch, Yuta working the arm, biting the hand, stomping it too, then firing rights with the wrist still captured.  Until Cassidy ducked under, sending Yuta to the ropes, cutting off his usual skin the cat with a basement dropkick, the youngster crashing into the barricade, flung back inside, Cassidy upstairs, cut off with a leaping enziguri.

Superplex from Yuta, who went straight back up for a nice splash.  Two slaps of the mat.

Wrists captured, stomps coming, Cassidy cradled him instead, ducked a lariat, looked for the tornado ddt but his knee hurt as he came down.  Though popped up to nail a Michinoku Driver as Wheeler rebounded off the ropes, and a punt.  Before landing the tornado ddt.  Yuta down, Cassidy up, Mox and Claudio appeared at ringside.

Orange threw his elbow pad at Mox then hit a Paradigm Shift to Yuta and an Orange Punch but as usual his hand hurt.  Yuta’s just fine apparently after a Michinoku Driver, punt, tornado ddt, Paradigm Shift and Orange Punch, since he recovered immediately to apply his Seatbelt pin.  Orange out at two.

Cassidy then countered a piledriver into a backdrop, hooking the legs to retain.  Good match outside of Yuta’s total no-selling late.

Of course the BCC began to beat down Cassidy until the Best Friends ran in to scrap with them.  They were immediately smashed.  Paving the way for the Lucha Bros to hit the scene: double superkick dispatching Claudio, Mox flung through the ropes, crowd hot for the Bros.

The BCC grabbed chairs when Eddie Kingston’s music hit.  Which of his best friends will he choose?  Claudio ran for him, crowd loudly chanting for Kingston as they brawled back to the ring then the BCC took a powder once more.  Crowd chanting again for Kingston as he took the mic.  ‘Guess what?  Wembley Stadium boys.  All In boys.  Us against you and whoever you can find in a Stadium Stampede match.’

Solid opening segment with a good match and getting some guys on the card for All In.  But that is what it feels like, just getting guys on the card.  Taz was absolutely vibing with Kingston’s music as the seg ended.

Winner: Orange Cassidy

To Omega sitting down with JR at Daily’s Place.  Where Omega won the AEW title with Don Callis’ help.  Ross asked how he could ever have ‘done business’ with such a guy.  Omega told the story of a guy who was always there since he was little, at family dinners, birthdays etc.  Callis gave him his first weight set, his first protein powder and ‘vials’ of things Omega didn’t know what they were.  ‘He would say ‘‘Take your vitamins’’.  And Omega began to win things in sports.

They then recapped Callis stabbing him with a screwdriver.  Kenny said you can choose your friends but not your family.  He’s been trying to justify what Callis has done, trying not to be eaten up by revenge: ‘I just wanna move on’.  Ross mentioned Callis replacing him as Omega admitted he and Takeshita ‘go back’.  As they showed footage of the two squaring off in DDT and man did Takeshita look young.  And skinny.

Kenny saw a lot of himself in Takeshita.  And Callis knew that when he made Takeshita his next project, it was an attempt to deliberately hurt Omega.  Kenny was in the middle of promising to ‘take away’ what is now precious to Callis (ie Takeshita) when Callis interrupted.  Distracting Omega long enough for Jay White & Juice Robinson to attack from behind.

There were camera cuts in this clearly edited scene as they beat Omega down which made it seem very fake.  Takeshita then came in to take cheap shots and smack him across the back with a 2×4.  Callis mocked him.

This wasn’t good.  Omega didn’t have any intensity and confusingly stated that he was trying to move on then began to talk about embarrassing Takeshita.  And then there were the camera cuts.  These sit downs with JR should feel ultra serious and this didn’t.  In fact it felt rushed.

Will we get an explanation as to why BCG did this?  Know they kind-of objected to the Elite Saturday but it doesn’t explain travelling to Florida just to attack Omega.

*****

We then cut to a promo from Hangman ostensibly outside the hospital (yes this was the already infamous promo filmed on Saturday).

Beer in hand, he mocked the heels and basically said what I was thinking: ‘if you’re gonna drive to Jacksonville to do a beatdown it’s gotta be good, it’s gotta last more than two minutes… and if you’re going to start a beatdown, you have to finish it’.  And Omega isn’t finished.  Neither is he ‘friend-less’.  At Wembley Kenny’ll have two of his best tag partners in himself and Kota Ibushi.  What the heels started, they’ll finish.

An orderly then told him it’s a hospital and he can’t be drinking here.  So he sank the beer and handed it to the orderly.  AEW again not knowing when to leave the comedy alone.

This whole Elite segment wasn’t good.  Page’s delivery here was fine but the message was far too playful.  And the whole ‘didn’t get the job done’ promo is so played out.  Not that Hangman was given a ton to work with, as he noted at the outset.

*****

We then came back to the arena where boos were ringing out because Don Callis was in the ring.  He introduced ‘the greatest of all time and my best friend’ Chris Jericho.

Break.  Guessing Jericho’s going to join since Takeshita’s now locked into a match.

Callis saw what happened last week with the JAS and feels for Jericho.  Jericho said that broke his heart but made him realize some things about himself and decide to change a few things.  And as he’s said before, Chris Jericho ‘doesn’t join factions, he creates them’.  The answer’s ‘obvious’.  He stalled as the crowd chanted ‘no’.  Then said ‘yes’.

He needs to align with a man ‘just as low as I am’.  To help him go after the AEW title.  Callis said they should go drink and beat-up rednecks like back in the day.  Before they left, Jericho pointed out that Callis had another painting in the ring.  Callis now didn’t want to show it.  Jericho took the cover off and it was Callis holding Jericho’s severed head.

Callis said the artist screwed up.  Jericho cut him off to say he knew he was lying.  Asking him to be straight with him.  Callis admitted he thought Jericho would say no.  ‘Because of your massive ego’.  He said Jericho was the biggest egomaniac in the business who’s ‘too stupid to see what’s good for him’ and doesn’t deserve to be part of the Callis Family.

Jericho asked who the hell he was.  Nobody cares about Callis.  And this is why, he’s messed up all his personal relationships with his family, Omega and Jericho himself because he’s a lowlife and asshole (that describes Jericho too doesn’t it?).  Callis slapped him, Jericho choked him in the corner.  He cut off Takeshita and beat him down in the corner but was nailed by Will Ospreay from behind.  He smacked Jericho with a chair shot to the head (Jericho got his hands up in front).  They then held him and Callis smacked him with the painting.

Sammy Guevara ran them off with a baseball bat to a nice pop.

What the hell was this?  A guy wants to align with a total heel so he can be ‘more selfish’ and win the AEW title.  But then doesn’t because the guy’s already turned on him.  And describes how despicable the other guy is while also describing himself.  Yaaay, what a babyface, can’t wait to cheer him on.

Way to build Takeshita too, being handed his ass till Ospreay showed.

*****

Recap of Jack Perry’s FTW title reign.  You can call him Mr Wednesday Night since he defeated RVD.  He and his belt are going to ‘get out while we’re on top’.  Next week he’s going to retire the FTW title.  Short and sweet.

Tazz was in disbelief on comms.

Darby Allin & Nick Wayne vs the Gates of Agony

Backstory: Part of the ongoing Allin/Swerve beef after the latter left Wayne bloody

The Gates attacked during the faces’ entrance.  Leaving Darby outside while beating on Wayne.  Strickland’s music hit and he came to the ramp with AR Fox and the bloody tank top from when they beat down Wayne the other week.

Wayne was slammed into the barricade.  Allin came flying at the heels and was beaten down too.

Break.

Back to Wayne being demolished, he ducked a lariat, kicked free, tagged Darby who hit a cannonball tope to Toa Leona then a superkick assisted crucifix bomb on Bishop Kaun.  But took a backbreaker/elbow drop combo, the pin broken by Wayne.

The Gates then missed splashes in the corner, Allin guillotined Leona on the top rope, Wayne hurracanran’d him off the apron to the outside.  Then hit a cutter to Kaun in the ring, both faces to the top: Wayne moonsaulting outside, Allin hitting the Coffin Drop inside for the win.

Short match to give the faces a win.

Sting appeared on the big screen yelling ‘Whose House?’ and basically mocking the promo Swerve cut about making movies the night they beat down Wayne.

Before getting dead serious: ‘Fox, you better have eyes in the back of your head 24/7 from this moment forward.  Why? Because we have a Coffin Match in nine days’, firing up talking about the 80,000 people, the ‘red blood cells’ being active as he revealed Prince Nana on the couch next to him.

A nervous Nana corrected ‘Mr Sting’ that they were 11 days away.  Sting menacingly, softly, repeated it was ‘showtime’ before screaming in Nana’s face as he fled in fear and singing ‘Nana na na, hey heeey, goodbye’ in a slightly deranged way.  And the Mogul Affiliates headed backstage.

This was what both Page and Omega’s promos should have been.  A serious, gonna get revenge promo.  Maybe a little whacky towards the end, but he pulled it off.

Winner: Darby Allin & Nick Wayne

A look at BtYBB preparing for their tag match.  Max decided they need to get into Aussie Open’s mindset so had brought them to an Outback Steakhouse.  Cole was delighted, Max said he shouldn’t fraternize with the enemy.  Afterward, Max panicked because if the food was that good, Australian wrestling must be too.

Cole slapped him to snap him out of it.  Cole decided they should watch Crocodile Dundee.  Max showed him kangaroos fighting instead on his phone.  ‘That right there is how we beat Aussie Open’ – with their new move Max calls the ‘Kangaroo Kick’.  He demonstrated said move.  Cole wasn’t convinced.  This was the ‘dumbest one yet’.

They were now pretending to be in the outback, backstage somewhere with inflatable crocodiles as a guy (I think it was Charlie from Sammy’s Vlog who’s pretty funny) panicked.  Cole and MJF were now in Crocodile Dundee style hats, they called for the Double Clothesline, hitting it in slow motion to take out both Charlie and the ‘croc’ before getting a behind-closed-doors bollocking from Tony Khan as if they were high schoolers sent to the principal’s office.

He told them to keep their double clotheslines to the ring and not where people are trying to work.  Cole looked all sad as they came out, Max said Khan would regret that come 2024 when it’s contract season (so they haven’t dropped that angle).  Khan opened the door demanding to know what Max had said and MJF said he looked great.

Khan smiled, thanked them for their work, dapped them up and put on shades.  This was wacky even by their standards.

*****

An expensive car pulled up, BtYBB got out.  Max went to take a dump.  Cole said he’d see us after the break.  Roderick Strong yelled after him then kicked the tire and hurt his foot.

Big pop for them as they came out.  Max played to the crowd then handed over to Cole.  Who told people who are attending All In to make sure they were there early since they’re going to win the tag titles.  (This was not subtle, they clearly want a big crowd as early as poss.)  Max said they were going to do it with the Kangaroo Kick, starting a chant.  Cole said they were going to it with the Double Clothesline (they said it together).

They then casually got round to talking about their world title match.  Cole said it was the most important one of his life since last year he was told he’d never wrestle again, it used to make him cry and now he’s on the biggest show of all time challenging for the world title against one of his best friends.

He said it was very important for his legacy.  He’s always been at the top of promotions he’s worked for and winning the match would mean that for him in AEW.  He loves MJF but needs to win more than Max can imagine (some boos, crowd definitely got quieter once they stopped talking about the tag belts).

He’ll do ‘anything and everything’ to win the title.  Max said it was a great story but his is better.  ‘Who’s ready for storytime with MJF?’  When he first got into wrestling – ‘listen carefully because this is the god’s honest truth’ – he was told to write dream opponents on his first day.  He wrote down Cody Rhodes and Adam Cole.

He put 90,000 miles on a car in 2018 busting his ass on the independent scene until hearing about a big show ‘run by the Elite’.  The biggest show ‘outside of WWE’ in decades: All In.  So he DM’d Cody and promised if he got an opportunity he wouldn’t disappoint.  He heard nothing until near the event when he got a reply: ‘Kid, you’re All In’ (Cole had a genuine smile on his face here).

He was on a ppv he had no right being on.  But won over some people, including Tony Khan.  Who offered him an AEW contract.  ‘If there’s no All In, there’s no MJF, and that’s a fact’.  He scratched and clawed from the bottom, growing up in front of us, becoming a generational talent, one of the best ever, the AEW world champion.

Crowd cheered and chanted for him.

And now he’s again looking at the biggest opportunity of his career at a show called All In.  And now he’s going to be in the main event against one of his dream opponents who’s also become ‘my best friend’.

Before turning to address Cole: ‘This (their friendship) means so much to me, you have no idea.  But it doesn’t mean everything to me’.  What does is his world title.  It’s not just a title, this symbolizes everything he’s been through: missing deaths and births, training till he couldn’t stand, studying tape till his eyes bled.

If Cole thinks that cause they’re friends MJF will lay down, he’s out of his mind.  He loves Cole like a brother but a win at Wembley will make legendary.  And he’s gonna win ‘because no-one is on the level of the Devil’.

Cole said ‘may the best man win’.  MJF said he thinks that’s true, the crowd chanting along with his catchphrase.  Cole said the new champ will be… the crowd chanting along with his catchphrase too.  They then bumped fists while still staring each other down and talking a little trash as Excalibur asked if their friendship could survive All In.

This was absolutely excellent.  And needed.

Until Aussie Open attacked from the crowd.  The faces quickly turned the tables, called for the Double Clothesline, Mark Davis bailed.  Fletcher was about to take a Kangaroo Kick when Davis pulled him to safety.  The world title should always be the priority and the end to that promo was perfect.  But was immediately brushed away to push a match they were playing for total comedy in the previous segment and isn’t going to generate a single PPV buy.

Max posed with the belt, Cole got in a stance like he was going to superkick him but popped up to stand normally just before MJF turned round.  Max kissed his belt, faked leaving, they hugged it out instead.  Max then showed his butt to the camera to ask whether his pants had ripped.  That’s one way to check I guess.

More seeds sown: MJF was totally babyface here; Cole said a couple things that could easily lead to a heel turn.

Backstage, the Kingdom were with Roderick Strong who was now in a wheelchair after kicking the car.  More comedy then.  This act should not be associated with guys in the world title picture.

*****

Damn this is a lot of talking, and I’m a guy who likes all the gaga.  Renee backstage with a bloody Jericho.  The Ocho said Ospreay could’ve just asked if he wanted a match.  It would’ve happened in 2021 if there was no lockdown.  At Wembley, on Ospreay’s home turf it’ll be two of the greatest of all time.  He’s going to make Ospreay bleed and drink his blood.  He’s going to embarrass Ospreay in front of his family.

Good promo.  Again very serious.  Would’ve liked it better if Jericho hadn’t turned babyface by being a heel who was turned on by another heel.

Jeff Jarrett vs Jeff Hardy (Texas Chainsaw Massacre Death Match)

Backstory: Presumably some stupid tie-in

Really hope Jeff Hardy has been told not to do anything stupid in this.  The guy’s hurt enough already.  He headed through the crowd and walked backstage with his music still playing, chanting his own name.  Where there just so happened to be a wall full of weapons, Jarrett attacked and Karen was there immediately too.

Hardy took a crutch and beat Jarrett with it until Satnam Singh performed a choke.  Isiah Kassidy, Ethan Page and Matt Hardy fought him off.  Matt poured blood on Jarrett and Karen, who was shrieking the whole time.

‘What the hell’s going on here’ said Tazz.  About sums it up.  Jarrett and Karen walked down a red-lit corridor as the ads arrived.

Jeff jumped down onto all the other guys, the announcers kept using the word ‘bizarre’ as they finally made it onto the stage.  All of Jarrett’s & Hardy’s affiliates were fighting atop the ramp.

Crowd exceptionally quiet as Jarrett and Jeff finally reached the ring.  Popping briefly as Hardy beat him with a kendo stick but going quiet again as all the faces beat on Jarrett 4-on-1.  They setup a table, all the other faces were dragged outside, Jeff Swanton’d Jarrett through the table (Jarrett notably got his knees up to protect himself since Hardy just crushes guys with that these days).

Jarrett kicked out.  Seriously, it’s still going?

Everyone in the ring, they all ran through finishes and/or were cut off with low blows.  Jarrett got the guitar, Hardy took it, smacked him with it as music began to play and a chainsaw sound did too.  ‘Leatherface’ then hit the ramp with a chainsaw, whirling it around like Terry Funk then kind of pretending to slice up Karen with it, swinging it near her but not all that near.

Jay Lethal hit Hardy with a hammer, Singh chokeslammed him, Jarrett won.  Just awful.

It’s one thing doing something the network’s demanded, but presumably this was just a paid sponsorship for a new game they kept pushing.  It’s easily arguable that the damage done by such a poor segment outdoes any monetary gain.  Especially when it’s the only ‘wrestling’ in basically an hour.

Possibly not the best idea to merge a benefit show with a Texas Chainsaw Massacre tie-in either.

Jarrett had some sort of title belt afterward.  Does everyone get one now?

Winner: Jeff Jarrett

Britt Baker vs the Bunny

Backstory: Winner joins the All In 4-way for the women’s title

Baker was wearing her lab coat from the first All In.  Bunny came out with Penelope Ford.  Thankfully this is not main-eventing.

Crowd very quiet again outside of a few low ‘DMD’ chants.  They shook hands, then shoved each other, Baker avoided a splash and got a schoolgirl for two.  Bunny countered a Lockjaw into a cradle, threw some knees then hit a knee lift.

Crowd still silent.  Baker hit a running neckbreaker, awkward sequence built around a curb stomp, Ford got on the apron, Bunny hit a lariat.  Baker fought back, took an elbow in the corner then a headscissors in the ropes.

Break.

Weak sequence with Britt sending Bunny face-first to the buckle, they fought in the middle, Britt hit a slingblade, butterfly suplex, count of two.  Swinging neckbreaker, ‘notha two.  She got the glove out, Penelope snatched it, Bunny hit a superkick, Baker replied, curb stomp, win.

Nice ending sequence.  Otherwise went too long.  Very slow.

Winner: Britt Baker

Another recap of the Acclaimed & the Billy Gunn retirement angle.

The Acclaimed vs TBA

Backstory: None

As the match was about to start, the lights went out, the House of Black appeared behind the Acclaimed and destroyed them as Malakai watched.  King smacked Caster with a chain, Matthews fired shots from the mount, Caster came up bleeding.  A weak ‘Daddy Ass’ chant played.

They stole Billy’s boots.  Unless he’s actually teaming with the Acclaimed, where does this leave Andrade?

The Gunns vs the Young Bucks

Backstory: the Gunns objected to the Bucks being the best brother tag team in AEW

These guys basically have to save the show wrestling-wise.  The Bucks hit superkicks during the Gunns’ entrance, Matt dived off the ramp onto them, all explained as the Bucks being pissed since the other BCG members attacked Omega.

Excalibur said Omega’s at home recovering and Hangman’s with him.  So we know where this is heading right?

Finally they got to the ring, Matt blind-tagged in, blocking a suplex on his brother, Bucks double suplex to Colten then hip-tossed Austin onto his bro, double dropkick, stereo punches in the corner, more dropkicks sending the heels outside as the Bucks led the crowd in clapping before Nick hit them with a dive.

Matt had his feet grabbed by Austin, Colten hit a leaping punch, Nick was dragged off the apron and sent to the barricade.  The Gunns then dragged Matt to their corner, working him over with quick tags and a knee lift/lariat combo.

Break.

Matt blocked from tagging out, Colten got two with a big dropkick.  Then knocked Nick off the apron.  Matt elevated Austin outside, avoided Colten, looked for the tag, Nick wasn’t there.

Cut off again, he ducked and dodged before tagging Nick: in via cross body off the top, right hands, overhand chop, tejeiras taking down both Gunns, superkick blocked but hit at the second attempt, to the apron, punt to Colten, out-to-in facebuster to Austin, moonsault off the apron to Colten.

He doesn’t call it the best comeback in the biz for nothing.  Crowd alive for the first time in a long time.

Austin left against both Bucks, Matt used his brother’s chest to hit sliced bread, running knee from Nick, BTE Trigger coming, Colten broke it up with a leaping lariat, tagged himself in, ate a Nick gamengiri, Meltzer Driver cut off, Matt slipped free of Colten, shoved him into a Nick right then rolled him up for two but took a 3:10 to Yuma, Nick broke up the pin off the top.

FameAsser from Austin, he mocked Omega’s poses, Matt avoided a V Trigger, standing switches, Nick broke an O’Connor roll pin (with Colten adding leverage from outside) then assisted Matt in sneaking a roll-up win by grabbing his brother’s hand for leverage.

Juice and Jay quickly hit the scene, beating down the Bucks.  They were about to Pillmanize Matt’s already injured arm when FTR’s music hit.  They came from behind and fought off the heels, ending by giving Juice a Shatter Machine.

Then threatening to give one to the Bucks, the four faced off, the crowd chanted for FTR as the show closed.  Decent way to build to the tag with FTR wanting the Bucks at 100% to find out who the better team is.  Would’ve been nice if they’d convincingly beaten the Gunns along the way.

Decent main event without enough time to properly get going; not a good show.

Winner: the Young Bucks

 _______________________________________________________________

Next Collision:

• Darby Allin vs Christian Cage
• Diamante vs Willow Nightingale

Added to All In:

• Blackpool Combat Club & TBA vs Eddie Kingston, Orange Cassidy, Lucha Bros & Best Friends (Stadium Stampede)
• Kenny Omega, Hangman Page & Kota Ibushi vs Konosuke Takeshita, Jay White & Juice Robinson
• Chris Jericho vs Will Ospreay

Thumbs Up/Down

• Cassidy vs Yuta (if you can ignore Yuta’s superman comeback)
• Sting’s promo
• Cole/MJF’s face-to-face building their world title match

 *****

• Again nothing felt main event-worthy
• Predictable outcomes
• Awful lot of talking segments, basically an hour of them interrupted by a very short tag
• The Jarrett/Hardy whatever-that-was
• Next Dynamite is the ‘go home’ for All In and they announced nothing
• Jericho/Callis segment – it made no sense and positioned Jericho poorly

Appreciate you reading.  Have a good week.