Arena: Nutter Center

City: Dayton, Ohio

Last Week’s Rating: 1,003,000 overall; 0.32 in 18-49 demo

This show is loaded.

It’s Wednesday night, it’s Dynamite.  Let’s go.

…..

Hangman Adam Page vs Jon Moxley

Backstory: In short – Mox concussed Page, Page ‘concussed’ Mox, they each have one win over the other & Hangman has vowed to knock out Moxley in his home state

Mox came accompanied by his pops, Dan, and Wheeler Yuta.  Good smattering of boos for Page in enemy territory though he had his fans too.

And wasn’t even allowed to complete his entrance, Moxley attacking on the ramp, introducing Page to the ringsteps and guardrail.  Then got to choking the cowboy with his vest as the crowd loudly chanted his name while the native took the fight into the crowd.

Turning the tables, Page sat Mox on a chair then hit him with a big boot.  The pair continued to brawl, Moxley applied a figure four, Page kicked his way free as the pair finally made their way toward the ring.

Though not before Mox drilled Page in the gut with a chair then attempted to Pillmanize the ankle.  Hangman free’d himself then flung the steel right into Moxley’s face.  The native looked out of it as Hangman dropped him on the same chair via suplex then finally brought the action into the ring: Moxley slumped in the corner as the bell finally rang.

To the middle, yay/boo strikes, Page getting the better of it via headbutt.  Mox fought back via basement dropkick then a leglock.  Already bleeding, Moxley kept the hold until Page got the ropebreak then dropped Moxley via German.  The ref checked the cut above his eye.

Stiff chops in the corner followed, Moxley crashing to the mat as the ref asked if he could continue.  Hangman rained down blows, wiping Moxley’s blood on himself.

Back to the middle, Mox to his feet, a chop battle saw the local getting the better until being snatched into a fallaway slam but managing to counter the springboard clothesline that followed.  Before dragging Page to the apron, the choke applied, looking for a piledriver, the pair see-sawing as they each sought the move, the sequence ending with Page flinging Moxley off his shoulders to meet the ringpost face-first and crash down at ringside.

We rejoined the action atop the buckle: Moxley again on Hangman’s shoulders, an avalanche dvd resulting as Page got two with the first pin of the match.  Page began yelling at Mox to stay down; Mox responded with a slap then a cutter out of nowhere.

The ref got to four with both down as they started slugging once more.  Hard fists from Moxley, stiff chops from Page until Mox began to target the legs with kicks then slipped in the choke, Page backdropped his way out, Mox came back immediately with one of his own.

Seeking a breather, Page fled to the corner, dragging himself up only to be met with a clothesline.  Mox took him upstairs for an underhook suplex (which almost looked like an avalanche Death Rider).  Right into H&A, transitioning into the Bulldog choke but couldn’t flatten Page out so got to stomping then looked for the Death Rider.  Page resisted, Mox took him down into an armbreaker as Page got the ropes with his feet.

Things are heating up.

Mox attacked in the corner, Page elevated him outside then headed topside, Mox avoided an ourihara then hit a stiff clothesline to drop Page at ringside.

Then dragged a deadweight Page toward the timekeeper’s table, both broke free and bashed each other’s chest with synchronized lariats until Page planted Mox through the table via pop-up powerbomb.

Mox just made it back in where a lariat was waiting for him, Deadeye followed, Mox just kicked out.  Page setup a leaping kick, Mox avoided it and came back with a KKL, firing up as he beat Page to his feet.

Another fistfight broke out, into forearms, a rare thrust kick from Hangman, fisherman setup, Mox blocked it, Page turned it into a small-package driver then headed to the apron. Mox was ready, transitioning the Buckshot into a would-be ddt; Page floated out, hit a tombstone then went back to the Buckshot, hitting at the second try.

Mox kicked out.

Page went right to the Bulldog choke, Mox got to his knees then stacked Hangman’s shoulders to snatch the win.

An angry Page complained to the ref afterwards.  Mox couldn’t even stand.

Claudio and Yuta quickly hit the ring to prevent any extra-curriculars.  It didn’t seem like either was done with the other.  Excalibur noted that the victory was not a decisive one for Moxley, so he wasn’t satisfied.

Hope there’s another match for myriad reasons.  Most of all because another win for Page would really help cement the former champ.  This feels like by far the biggest feud of his AEW career which doesn’t say much for his title run.

Didn’t like this as much as their previous match, which I absolutely loved, but still a really good, intense brawl.  Just lacked a little of the crowd intensity and drama on display in the previous meeting.

WINNER: Jon Moxley

Video pushing the TNT title main event.  There will be no rematch whoever wins.

…

Renee interviewed Jamie Hayter with Butcher, Blade & Bunny.  They’ve agreed to no physicality and the sky is blue.

Bunny noted that Hayter doesn’t back down from challenges so challenged the champ to an eliminator match next Wednesday.  Hayter accepted just as they cut to footage of Saraya and Toni Storm beating up Britt elsewhere.  Saraya said AEW was their house.

Not looking forward to that eliminator but at least it served a purpose.

The Acclaimed vs ???

Backstory: None

Caster’s rap called their opponents the ‘bootleg Beverly Brothers’ and made a bunch of other 80’s/you’re old jokes.

Whoever the opponents were (they still hadn’t bothered to tell us and never did) mocked scissoring one another.  The Acclaimed attacked, hit Scissor Me Timbers.  ‘Right in the Nutter Center!’ exclaimed Taz.  Best part of the segment.

Mic Drop.  Win.  Yet another in the endless attempts to jam the Acclaimed onto tv.

The Gunns hit ringside immediately after the ref’s count.  To challenge the champs.

The Acclaimed asked the crowd if the Gunns deserved a shot.  They said no.  Billy got in a huff and left at the four continuing to argue.  The Gunns claimed he was doing exactly what he did when they were kids, walking out.  Then suggested he drown his sorrows in the bottom of a pill bottle like he used to.

Billy made a U-turn.  His mic failed mid-promo.  They’ve really gotta sort that.

He then angrily granted his boys a shot next week.  Speaking of turns…

Went at least twice as long as it needed to and the Acclaimed’s reign is thus far making Jurassic Express’s seem epic.  No fault of theirs.

WINNER: The Acclaimed

Alex Marvez backstage with Jack Perry.  Perry said he’s done with tag team wrestling.  Then vowed to be a singles champ this year.  Short and sweet.

Konosuke Takeshita vs Bryan Cage

Backstory: Takeshita vowed to have Danielson’s back and did so by preventing Cage/MJF from finishing Danielson off last week

Cage’s contract is allegedly up in a few weeks and they seem to be getting their moneys worth by having him lose on the way out.

Takeshita struck early with aTakeshita-line – just ridiculously explosive – then followed with a boot which sent Cage crashing off the apron.  The crowd were at least as into the import as they were Mox.

Cage then blocked another kick and drilled Takeshita into the ringpost via powerbomb.

A sliding dropkick got an early two back inside.

The pair exchanged stiff elbow strikes, Cage blocked a last one then hit the ropes only to be snatched into a blue thunder bomb for two.

Takeshita then launched a vaulting knee which took him over the top; Cage hauled him back in via suplex.

Ads.

Takeshita turned a powerbomb into a hurracanrana to welcome us back, hit a jumping knee to the head then a shotgun dropkick from the middle buckle.  Before attempting to follow up with a German.  Cage shook it off, Takeshita rebounded with a stiff lariat then an impressive stalling German for two.

But in attempting another knee, Cage caught him, buckle bombed him, Takeshita slipped off the shoulders to hit a Liger bomb for another close count.  Cage missed a discus lariat, Takeshita’s landed but Cage responded with a backdrop driver then hit the discus for two of his own.

Then went for the Drillclaw but ate a sheer-drop brainbuster instead, then another, Cage just kicked out with the arm not hooked.  Then hit a thrust kick, hauled Takeshita onto his shoulder then dropped him face-first.  Before hauling the newcomer to the top, where Takeshita turned the tables to hit an avalanche fisherman buster then blast him with a shining wizard to bag the win.

Superb finish.

There are many matches I can’t keep up with and have to finish up later on.  They don’t usually involve guys this big.  This was rapid.  And hard-hitting to boot.

Just a little short and broken up by the break.  Takeshita’s explosion is on the Omega/Ospreay level.

WINNER: Konosuke Takeshita

Renee backstage with the JAS.  Jericho objected to the insinuation that they cheated against Starks.  Sammy introduced the ‘Garcia-Guevara Gauntlet’ – he very deliberately put Garcia’s name first as Garcia thanked him.  First Starks will have to beat Parker, then Menard and then either him or Sammy.  Then he’ll get his match with Jericho.

Sooo exactly the same angle they’re doing for the world title then.  Except against much lesser talents.

Yawn.

…..

The Elite promo from a basketball court.  They agreed to Top Flight’s challenge for next week as Matt Hardy, Stokely et al interrupted.  Ethan Page challenged the Elite to a trios match for Friday against him, Hardy and Kassidy.  Kenny accepted the challenge from ‘whatever you guys call yourselves’.

Still no idea whether the Elite are good or bad guys.  They were again with all the hangers-on and still yelled at Brandon.  And are fighting a mixture of good and bad guys on Friday.

Bryan Danielson vs Timothy Thatcher

Backstory: Danielson’s wrestling here against dr’s advice, with an injured shoulder, against a man who specializes in attacking them and he can’t lose or bye-bye world title shot

Thatcher came out to what would accurately be termed ‘polite applause’.

The announcers put over the Fujiwara armbar as he made his way to the ring.

To absolute silence, Danielson darted quickly for a ropebreak as Thatcher immediately went after the injured shoulder.  Then set to firing Claudio-like uppercuts before ruthlessly driving his knee into the shoulder.

Danielson came back with a dragon-screw, up into a bow and arrow, Thatcher broke it by clawing at the shoulder then stomping and knee-ing away at the injured joint.  BD hit yes! kicks in the corner, running dropkick, Thatcher quickly broke up the flurry – you know how by now.

Crowd still doing little more than breathing as the break beckoned.

You’ll never guess which body part Thatcher was targeting as we returned.  An overhead throw with the shoulder locked brought two.

Excalibur pushed the Jay Briscoe tribute show on YouTube and Honor Club.

Thatcher took Danielson upstairs, attempting the previous suplex avalanche-style.  The crowd finally woke at a Danielson flurry, headbutts knocked Thatcher to the mat, a shotgun dropkick hit but the Dragon further injured his shoulder in so doing.

Thatcher launched more uppercuts, Danielson fought back briefly.  Thatcher then stood still for ages so Danielson could kick him.  A backslide got two for Danielson, a stiff kick to the head bagged another before firing H&A elbows, into a sleeper.  Thatcher again used the injured shoulder to free himself.

Crushing the ref in the corner as he did.  Both collapsed to the mat as MJF made his way to ringside with the diamond ring ready.  Takeshita, dressed in street clothes, came flying out of nowhere to intercept him and they brawled to the back.

Back inside, the ref awake, Thatcher locked in the Fujiwara, Danielson got the break with his leg.

I’m so bored.

A belly to belly followed, Danielson avoided a second and hit a German, then a busaiku knee for the win.

Perhaps if Thatcher was more credible I might’ve enjoyed this but given that the result was inevitable, this was just dull.  The crowd seemed to feel the same way.

Cut to MJF and Takeshita still brawling backstage.  A bunch of guys finally broke them up as Renee interrupted to announce the two would face off in a world title eliminator next week.  Per Tony Khan.

WINNER: Bryan Danielson

Swerve and co. video package.  He was angry at Dustin Rhodes for taking his time in front of his cameras on Rampage.  Since he can’t get rid of Dustin yet, he wants rid of another example of nepotism – ‘that means you Brian Pillman Jr.’.  He then asked if his guys agreed, finally naming the second of them – ‘Tench’ – I think?

‘Hoodies up’.

…..

MJF interrupted a Rush promo to offer Danielson’s next opponent a case full of money.  There are five more to come if Rush further injures Danielson.  He also said to win by any means necessary.  This wasn’t all that clear.

Rush cut a long, angry promo at MJF.  Jose translated as ‘deal’.  MJF noted that Rush didn’t have to like him, just get the job done.

Jade Cargill vs Red Velvet, TBS Title, Jade at 49-0

Backstory: After leaving the Baddies, Velvet’s vowed to be the ‘one’ in Jade’s record

A flurry from Red saw Jade head outside where Leila fixed her hair.  Back inside, Cargill dropped Velvet on the back of her head via suplex as the ads arrived.

Her record so desperately in the balance that she was doing push-ups as we returned, Jade ate a dropkick then kicks to the legs but responded with a pump kick for two.

Kiera Hogan flung Leila into the steps at ringside, allowing Velvet to hit a kick to the head and get a visual pin but only two from Aubrey by the time she turned round.

Red then locked in an armbreaker, Jade hauled her up, twice, to hit Jaded.

She then carried her small daughter backstage.

So what exactly are we supposed to be interested in here?  The matches aren’t good, credible opponents are nil and the killer heel who we’re supposed to want to see lose has a cute daughter who she loves.

WINNER: Jade Cargill

Backstage, Renee was getting an update on Britt, who kept insisting she was fine.  Soho interrupted to check on her; Britt thought the timing was strange, calling Saraya and Storm ‘(Ruby’s) girls’.  Soho denied this and left.

Was wrong about this angle.  They haven’t mentioned WWE and the will she/won’t she story involving Ruby and the two factions is as interesting as the women’s division has ever been.

Darby Allin vs Samoa Joe, TNT Title, No Holds Barred

Backstory: Joe feels Allin ‘stole’ ‘his’ title and threatened to take everything from Darby in this rematch

Allin flew down the aisle rocking a hoody with tacks in it.  Joe responded by dropping him with his arm wrapped in a towel to protect it.  Then ripped away the hoody, stomping away in the corner, going immediately for a table which blocked his view as Allin came flying through the ropes to dropkick it into his mush.

Joe then flung Allin so hard at the barricade that his knees smashed the top of it before he crumpled to the floor amongst the fans.

Joe, bleeding from his right eye, then dragged him up the steps before slamming him down on them.  Flesh on stone.

Break time.

Back in the ring as we returned, Darby was as usual being beaten and battered.  A knee to the gut dropped him to the mat where Joe began working on his neck.

A brief flurry from the smaller men left Joe staggered in the corner.  But it was a ruse.  Joe planted Allin with an absolutely wicked STO as he attacked.  Following up by booting him off the apron then grabbing another table.  Joe looked for the Clutch, Allin countered via jawbreaker then flung chops – so Joe flung him over the top.  Just tossed him.  Like a ball of paper.

Still Darby crawled his way back in.  So Joe grabbed a pair of chairs, positioning them back to back before dropping Darby onto them via belly to back.  Then pausing to smile at his handiwork.

Joe next thought powerbomb, Allin threw powder, landed a code red for two, hit an over the shoulder stunner before putting his hoody back on and heading upstairs for a tack-aided Coffin Drop.  Joe kicked out.

Allin then brought a knife out.  Not joking.  And began to cut all the ropes connecting the canvas to the main body of the ring.  All of them.

He then removed the mats, exposing the wooden boards beneath.  Before launching himself at Joe, who stepped away, and Allin crashed through the table Joe had propped up previously.  A powerbomb on the tack-Jacket followed, Allin gouged the eyes to buy time then went to work on the big man’s back with a chair.

Before heading up top once more, Joe used the ref to crotch Allin then hit a Muscle Buster onto the exposed wooden boards to win back his title.  A good chunk of the crowd cheered.

This was absolutely brutal.

The King of TV is back!

Before he could celebrate for long, Wardlow returned, sans ponytail.  He readied a Symphony but Joe slipped free and headed for the aisle.

Can’t say I’m excited about re-visiting Wardlow as TNT champ after all Joe and Darby have done to refurbish it.

WINNER: Darby Allin

…..

Next Rampage:

• Swerve Strickland vs Brian Pillman Jr.
• The Elite vs Ethan Page, Matt Hardy & Isiah Kassidy
• Rush vs Christopher Daniels
• Toni Storm and Saraya in action

Next Dynamite:

• Rush vs Bryan Danielson
• The Elite vs Top Flight & AR Fox, Trios Titles
• Jamie Hayter vs the Bunny, Eliminator Match
• The Acclaimed vs the Gunns, Tag Team Titles
• MJF vs Konosuke Takeshita, Eliminator Match
• Ricky Starks vs Angelo Parker

…..

Overall impressions

Have to be honest, I struggled to get invested tonight.  After that opener, there was nothing that grabbed me in a night full of good wrestling.

Because I want more stories.  And outside of Hangman/Mox and the women, there are no good ones.

Danielson/MJF feels very flat and repetitive.  I’ve had enough of it already and there’s a month to go.  Ditto Starks and Jericho. Not remotely interested in the Gunns.  Or Wardlow.

I want more things I must tune in for to find out what happened.

Check Out

• Jon Moxley vs Hangman Page
• Darby Allin vs Samoa Joe (a little brutal for my taste but a wild beating with Darby taking a bunch of crazy bumps)

Thanks for reading.