As this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite was the 250th episode, you knew that owner/booker Tony Khan was going to put together a Pay-Per-View quality card. And he did, loading the show with an epic marathon of a match between MJF and Will Ospreay for the International Championship, a TBS Championship match, and the AEW World Championship also on the line.
Match 1: MJF vs. Will Ospreay (c) – for the International Championship
The match started off with some mind games, with MJF pulling some Zbyszko-like stalling tactics, but getting mocked in turn by Ospreay. After being showed up by Ospreay’s aerial skills, MJF took things to the mat, grounding Ospreay and working over his arm. But Ospreay still had his legs, and he went back to his high-flying arsenal, hitting MJF from a variety of angles, both in and out of the ring.
The match went back-and-forth, both of them hitting big moves on each other, but unable to keep his opponent down for the three-count. MJF kept going after Ospreay’s arm, and that really worked, Bruv, as the pain Ospreay was in didn’t allow him to maintain an advantage for too long whenever he got it. Even hitting MJF with a Styles Clash on the apron wasn’t enough – though it did buy him some recovery time, which he needed, because his arm was really bothering him – to the point that the ringside physician had to put Ospreay’s arm back in the socket at one point.
With his arm working again, Ospreay was able to mount a comeback, even hitting MJF with a Hidden Blade, and then blocking a Hurancarana attempt and hitting MJF with a Super Styles Clash that forced MJF to grab the ropes to break up the sure pin.
MJF dodged an attack, and then was able to turn the tables – and use a table to great effect, setting Ospreay up on one on the floor and then sending him through it with a huge Flying Elbow off the ropes. One more, though, Ospreay was able to come back.
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With a minute left in the battle, Ospreay picked up MJF and had him in position for the Tiger Driver. But he hesitated to use the move, having previously said he would retire it, due to the risk of injury it poses to his opponents. His empathy cost him. Because MJF went into his scumbag of tricks, and shoved Ospreay into the referee. As those two untangled themselves, MJF put on his Dynamite Diamond Ring, and clocked Ospreay in the head, knocking him out, and with only 2 seconds remining in the hour-long time limit, MJF got the pinfall victory.
This was a great performance by both MJF and Ospreay, and has to be up there among the company’s best matches.
Winner, and new International Champion: MJF
In the back, the Acclaimed asked Mark Briscoe to be part of his team in next week’s Blood & Guts match against the Elite. Briscoe welcomed them to the team. World Champion Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana walked into the scene. Swerve said that he was happy to put aside their past differences with all of them and join the team, and they all agreed.
The Learning Tree segment
From the sublime to the ridiculous.
The ring was decked out with a cardboard tree and an astroturf carpet for this segment. Chris Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith said a bunch of nonsense until Minoru Suzuki old-manned his way to the ring. He showed off a contract that said he had an FTW Championship match against Jericho next week, during which Bill and Bryan are banned from ringside. He then headbutted Jericho and old-manned his way out of the ring and back up the ramp. Jericho was as sad about this as this segment was sad.
In the back, the Young Bucks and Okada appeared on-screen, so I hit fast-forward. They presumably said some stuff about next week’s Blood & Guts match. At some point, Mercedes Mone walked into the scene for some reason.
Match 2: Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Nyla Rose – for the TBS Championshp
Rose out muscled and womanhandled Mone for a while, even hitting the Flying Guillotine Kneedrop, but Mone kicked out. Rose hit some more moves, including a Cannonball, but again Mone kicked out. Rose tried to go up top, but Mone kicked Rose’s ankle, and Rose hit the mat hard. They battled their way back up the ropes, and Mone dropped Rose with a Bulldog off the top rope. She didn’t pin Rose, but rather put on a glove and clamped on a Lockjaw – stealing a page out of the book of her nemesis Britt Baker. She transitioned that into the Banks Statement for the submission win.
After the match, Mone went up to a fan in a Sting mask and ripped up their anti-Mone sign. The fan then shoved Mone, knocking her down, and unmasked to reveal herself as Baker, who had been banned from ringside for the match by the Elite. Baker tried to assault Mone, but security and referees held her back.
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This was fine for what it was, which was simply more build for Britt vs. Mone.
Winner, and still TBS Champion: Mercedes Mone
A video package aired, highlighting the history between Mariah May and Toni Storm, leading to May’s turn and brutal attack on Storm last week.
In the back, Jack Perry cut a promo to Darby Allin, saying that Allin wasted his time trying to send a message to Perry by beating up Brandon Cutler. Because Perry doesn’t care about Cutler. To prove that, the camera panned down to reveal a beaten up Cutler at Perry’s feet. Perry then beat up Cutler some more. Perry told Allin to come find him tonight.
Mariah May explains herself
In a neat moment, May came out dressed exactly like Storm and came out to Storm’s entrance video, including the full black and white treatment. At first glance, and even beyond that, she looked so much like Storm, it confused everyone in the crowd, and presumably at home, too.
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May said that everyone saw her turn coming, except for Toni. May said that Toni was so desperate for the spotlight that she didn’t realize that she was giving it away. She said the question shouldn’t be why she turned on Storm, but rather why it took so long. May said she enjoyed stringing Storm along, biding her time. But when the opportunity to beat her at Wembley presented itself, she took it, and made the attack public. May said that she has been Toni Storm, but now it’s her time to be so much more. May said that Toni’s bleeding and crying was Toni’s greatest performance. But May’s greatest performance will be at Wembley at All In.
They showed an interview from Collision where the Bang Bang Gang were stripped of their Trios Championship, by order of the Elite. They initially refused to surrender the titles, but Christopher Daniels said if they didn’t, they would be suspended and not get a chance to reclaim them in a match against the Patriarchy. They ultimately gave up the titles, and said they would beat the Patriarchy to get them back.
Match 3: Kazuchka Okada (AEW Continental Champion) vs. Swerve Strickland (AEW World Champon) (w/ Prince Nana) – Championship vs. Championship match
They started off pretty evenly, until Swerve broke the stalemate with a Flying Strike off the ropes that seemed to irritate Okada more than hurt him. Okada then got the advantage, sending Swerve to the floor where he smashed him against the ringside barrier.
Swerve fought back and gained control when he got back into the ring, hitting Okada with a Rolling Strike. But when Swerve went up top, Okada caught him and hit a nifty-looking Neckbreaker, and followed that up with a Flying Elbow Smash off the top.
After a flurry of offense, Swerve went for a Top Rope Stomp, but Okada moved, then snatched Swerve up on the landing and hit a Tombstone Piledriver. He didn’t go for the pin, though, instead trying for a Rainmaker. But Swerve leaped up and hit a Standing Stomp instead.
This prompted the Young Bucks to hit the ring and attack Swerve and the referee disqualified Okada due to the outside interference. They triple-teamed Swerve until the Acclaimed and Mark Briscoe ran in for the save.
Jack Perry then ran in and joined his Blood & Guts teammates in the attack, but he got blasted by Swerve. This brought out Hangman Adam Page who stormed in with the intention of facing off with Swerve. Before they could duke it out, all the others started brawling again, pulling Swerve and Page into their wake on opposite sides of the floor.
As the brawl continued, Darby Allin’s music hit and he descended from the rafters, Sting-style, and joined the fray. The show ended with the two Blood & Guts teams brawling at ringside.
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The match itself was fine while it lasted, but was marred by the cheap finish.
The closing segment was predictably overstuffed to hype next week’s Blood & Guts match, which is on free TV for some reason instead of PPV, but Tony Khan’s gonna Tony Khan, I guess.
Winner, by disqualification: Swerve Strickland
AEW Dynamite - July 17th, 2024
Simmons Bank Arena - Little Rock, AR
The 250th episode of Dynamite had a lot – but in the long run, the only thing that it will be memorable for is the MJF-Ospreay match. Which is fine, because that was one of, if not *the* best matches the company has put on this year.
The rest of the show was a mixed bag, with the other highlight being Mariah May’s entrance.
