Happy Wednesday to everyone! We’re well into April now but Mother Nature hasn’t quite gotten the memo yet here in Toronto. *Insert bad joke about postal services being unreliable*.
Dynamite is in Baltimore tonight and the weather there hasn’t quite warmed up yet either. It’s a good thing we have a ton of action in the ring. The Death Riders are prominently featured so tonight is sure to generate some heat!
The show starts with Jon Moxley and the Death Riders looking ominous and imposing as they always do. Moxley says none of the best of in the world can step up. He calls out the Young Bucks, saying they stumbled onto the board without knowing the game. He urges them to be “real careful”.
1. AEW Men’s World Champion Jon Moxley vs. Katsuyori Shibata (non-title match)
Shibata gets a huge pop from the Baltimore crowd. But you wouldn’t know it if you’re watching on mute. No-nonsense approach. Straight to the ring and down to business.
Oddly enough, there are dueling chants of “let’s go Mox! Shi-ba-ta!” as the two grapple on the mat. Not sure who would be rooting for Mox right now but you do you!
The two exchange chops, Shibata’s seeming to have more of an effect than his opponent. Shibata comes right back with a PK after taking a Piledriver.
Mox locks in a rear choke and traps Shibata’s arms.
Winner: Jon Moxley.
The Young Bucks come out as Mox and Marina Shafir look to leave the ring. Moxley says something to Shafir and they both leave. Nick Jackson says they cost Swerve Strickland the Men’s championship Sunday for “Hangman” Adam Page. They haven’t forgotten who their friends are. The crowd chants “whose house! Swerve’s house!” without Prince Nana needed to ignite the fire. Matt says they don’t want heat with the Death Riders. They want the same thing. The Elite and The Death Riders together is the kind of business Matt suggests.
Guess who comes out instead? The Best Bout Machine, the one and only, Kenny Omega! He says the Young Bucks forgot about him on their friend list. He hasn’t seen them since they pushed him off the stretcher when he was ill. Omega mentions a friend from high school who had two dookie-taking Shih Tzus. Yes, he compares the Jackson brothers to shit-taking mutts. “Dookie! Dookie!” chants erupt.
He mentions their lavish lifestyle. He blames the Young Bucks, not the Death Riders, for almost making AEW fold. He says Nick looks like he weighs 90 lbs. and Matt looks as red as Nick’s blazer lapels. The gloves come off.
BUT… Here comes Kazuchika Okada. This fight might not be in Omega’s best interest. Just to spice it up, Swerve’s music hits and he appears from behind. He is rightfully ticked, staring daggers at the brothers.
Prince Nana is a treasure. It’s actually super impressive how Swerve is able to stay totally calm and statue-like as Prince Nana and the entire building remind everyone whose house it is. Omega and Swerve bump fists before Omega heads to the back.
Swerve says it’s now “Buck-Hunting season”. He doesn’t get much further before being cut off and attacked from behind by his opponent tonight.
2. PAC vs. Swerve Strickland
Back from a break, Swerve’s in control, taking out every last frustration on the Bastard PAC.
PAC is able to get in some offense but appears to need Doc Samson to take a look at his foot outside the ring. PAC gets back in the ring gingerly and immediately gets his head kicked off.
Swerve heads to the top rope and hits the Swerve Stomp.
Winner: Swerve Strickland.
He calls out the Young Bucks through the camera on his way out.
Renee Paquette is backstage and “Hangman” Adam Page is looking for Swerve. He finds Prince Nana, saying he wasn’t trying to help Swerve. He remains steadfast in doing what he can to make sure Swerve is never champion again. Prince Nana wants to bring up what the two put each other through last year but Page doesn’t let him.
3. $400,000 Explosive 8-Man tag: Mark Briscoe, Kevin Knight, “Speedball” Mike Bailey, and Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet, Action Andretti, Lio Rush, and Beast Mortos
Ricochet says it’s his team and the others don’t seem to have gotten that memo.
Briscoe asks his teammates with they’d use the money on. Bailey points out that he’d buy shoes. Comedy isn’t always difficult, kids.
“Speedball” and Ricochet get underway for their respective teams. Teasing, he tags Beast Mortos in. He takes Beast down with a Hurricanrana. Lio Rush tags in and Bailey gives way to The Aerial Assassin. A cheap shot gets Ospreay down in the wrong corner.
Ospreay fights his way out and all eight men end up in the ring. It’s always funny watching one ref try to control eight wrestlers.
Ricochet tries to hit all four of his opponents with a tope suicida. They all evade. He lands on his feet with them behind him. They do what anyone would in that situation, land a smack on his bald head. That’s about as perfect a spot for a commercial break as any.
He comes back with a massive leap on Bailey as part of chained solo moves, popular in tag matches with this many involved. Ricochet lands a Death Valley Driver on Bailey but can’t get the pinfall. Bailey and Briscoe both land crane kicks. Ospreay hits Mortos with Hidden Blade.
Winners: Briscoe, Knight, Bailey, and Ospreay. Bailey can buy those shoes now!
The broadcast crew talks about FTR turning on Cope Sunday at Dynasty. Cope will be out indefinitely after the injuries he sustained.
The Hurt Syndicate share a toast as the crowd chants “We Hurt People”.
MJF interrupts the toast and enters the ring as if he’s part of the Syndicate. Bobby Lashley looks less than unimpressed. He tells MJF to shut up after allowing him to talk for a while.
Lashley reiterates they didn’t need his help and they two need to be separated by MVP and Shelton Benjamin before they get too close. MVP says he needs three thumbs up to join. Benjamin and Lashley are thumbs down and they walk out of the ring. MVP shrugs and leaves, being the only thumb up for MJF.
Renee Paquette is backstage with Penelope Ford and Megan Bayne. Ford speaks, saying Bayne was robbed of a win and all the work they’ve put in was erased at Dynasty when Toni Storm retained her title. Bayne says nothing except for “I will make you bow down”.
4. Kris Statlander vs. Thunder Rosa (Women’s Owen first-round match)
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm joins commentary. She crawls over the broadcast desk to her spot beside Tony Schiavone, taking the “scenic route”.
Per the ticker, Thunder Rosa is 82-19 in AEW matches. Talk about dominant. If you get a chance to watch the show, “Timeless” Toni Storm on commentary is must-see television.
Rosa gets dominated early with Statlander using her power. Statlander dodges a kick but Rosa sets it up again and connects.
Statlander counters a Cazadora with a powerslam but Rosa kicks out of the cover. She comes back with a Destroyer which Statlander is just able to kick out of.
Staturday Night Fever for the win.
Winner: Kris Statlander.
“Timeless” Toni Storm stands on the desk and claps as Statlander helps Rosa off the mat.
Don Callis is backstage with Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita. He says they’re dealing with injuries and the Family is open to new applicants. Send your resume, aspiring pro wrestlers!
The new TNT Champion Adam Cole is backstage with Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly. Cole calls it a “new era” for the three of them in AEW now that he’s champion.
Chris Jericho comes out for TV Time with the Learning Tree. Oh.
He says he apparently lost his tooth in the match Sunday. He congratulates Bandido on the win but also calls his siblings intrusive and his mother a stooge. Yikes.
Bryan Keith and Big Bill come out. The Redwood stops Jericho mid-sentence and tells him they’re all angry. Bill says he didn’t sign up to be Jericho’s “punching bag when things go wrong”. He says Bryan Keith feels the same way but Keith himself doesn’t say anything.
Jericho says that some think he lost his match against Bandido because Bill wasn’t there. He doesn’t think that. He’s not angry, just disappointed… As he smashes a TV with a baseball bat. “… in you” pointing the bat at Bill.
Taz and Schiavone have known Jericho for a long time but have never seen him like this.
Alicia Atout is backstage with The Hurt Syndicate. She brings up MJF and Lashley clears the air, if anyone was wondering. Shelton Benjamin says “little George Costanza” is kind of funny. MJF berates Atout and dismisses her. Cringe. So much bad.
5. Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta) vs. The Opps (Samoa Joe and HOOK)
Samoa Joe makes you think anyone can do what they do. But don’t try this at home!
HOOK grabs Yuta from behind and nails him with three consecutive suplexes. Later, he gets tied up in the ropes by Yuta and Castagnoli stomps on his chest with both feet. That’s one way to get winded.
The Death Riders get a ton of offense on HOOK during a commercial break. They temporarily eliminate Joe from being able to tag.
As the action starts to break down, Moxley shows up unannounced distracting ref Rick Knox. Shibata comes out and chokes him from behind. Joe chokes out Claudio on the floor and HOOK chokes out Yuta.
Winners: The Opps.
Marina Shafir comes out and takes out Joe’s leg. Castagnoli hits a Neutralizer on HOOK… onto a chair. They rush away like a pack of cowards as Joe rushes back into the ring. He calls them out, challenging them to put the Trios Championships on the line.
