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GILL’S AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
OCTOBER 2, 2019
WASHINGTON D.C.
AIRED ON TNT NETWORK
Announcers: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Alex Marvez
[HOUR ONE]
– The premier episode of Dynamite opened with a colorful video highlighting Cody, The Young Bucks, Adam Page, and more of the roster. Cut to a live shot of the stage as fireworks went off and Jim Ross introduced us to AEW Dynamite. The stage has two tunnels on either side of a middle screen with TNT on full display. There are also two big screens above each tunnel. Cut to the announcers at their desk where they each ran down one off the three big matches tonight and then sent to the Cody-Guevara video package from last night’s countdown show.
– Lights turned off, angelic music plays, and a slow camera pan lead to Cody and Brandi Rhodes as his entrance music began. Cody received a very strong reaction and he (rightfully) milked it. Crowd continued to cheer for some time after the music ended. Sammy entered next to a decidedly less favorable reaction.
(1) Cody vs Sammy Guevara
The crowd was still chanting for Cody as the bell rang. The reset after a quick spar and allowed a few more AEW chants. Guevara is displaying a sort-of arrogant millennial persona firmly establishing him as the heel in this match. Some more athletic offense lead to Cody trying to slow things down with a few holds. A slap from Guevara resulted in a drop down face slap from Cody followed by a figure four. The announcers are speaking only about these two and this match which is refreshing and keeps you in the moment. Cody hit a jumping middle rope cutter for a two count and Guevara responds with his own for another two count. After a Cody brogue kick Guevara, Sammy falls the floor. Cody reveled in the moment for a second and set up for a middle rope dive to Guevara on the outside but instead he hit Brandi. The crowd did not like that. The replayed showed Guevara grabbed her and put her in the line of fire. Guevara takes control and missed a top rope moonsault, landed, tried a second, missed again but then hit a running moonsault for a two count. More back and forth lead to a drop toe from Cody to Guevara followed by a shot from Brandi for a realistic near fall. Cody with a reverse suplex from the top rope for near fall. Cody went back up to the high rent area and Guevara met him at the top with a spanish fly and then a shooting star press. Guevara went for the pin but Cody rolled him up for a three count and the win.
WINNER: Cody
(Gill’s Analysis: Very fun match. Fun near falls, athletic moves, and a clear cut heel-face dynamic. The announcers were on point the whole time. Great presentation all around. I enjoyed every last bit of it.)
– After the match, highlights were shown as Schiavone headed inside with a microphone. Guevara shook Cody’s hand and Chris Jericho attacked Cody from behind. Codebreaker and Ross sent to commercial break. The screen then cut into two as TNT continued to air Jericho’s attack
– Back from break and Jericho had a chair. He set up two and power bombed Cody on top of them. Jericho took the mic to boos and declared himself the champion and replays played. Brandon Cutler was out next followed by MJF. He came out and immediately started his promo as the crowd chanted “asshole”. He finished and entered the ring.
(2) Brandon Cutler vs. MJF
The match starts with a quick lock up and ended with MJf throwing Cuter out of the ring as he soaked in the crowd’s boos. Cutler sidestepped MJF and hits a running middle rope dive. Cutler threw MJF back in but hobbled and MJF took advantage and locked in an arm bar for the submission victory.
WINNER: MJF
– Back from break and Jim Ross hyped tonight’s ladder match. Chris Van Vliet was ringside and he introduced Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith. Vliet announced Chris Jericho would be in their upcoming movie. The interview is interrupted by Jack Evans and Angelico and they had a few words for the two actors. Private Party came out from the crowd and went face to face with the tag team. The bracket for the AEW Tag Team Championship was displayed and we were sent to some footage of SCU in D.C. Scorpio does an amazing Barrack Obama voice but ended with SCU’s standard “worst town ever..” schtick. Back live, Schiavone is interrupted by SCU. They did some more mic work until Fenix & Pentagon Jr. come out and declare they are the best tag team in AEW. They both did their catchphrase and a brawl ensued. Ross said they needed to get things figured out and cut to break.
– Back live, The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega were shown getting ready followed by Jericho’s team. Ross finishes the plug and Excalibur hypes the Women’s Championship match. Adam Page’s music then hit as he entered out of the tube. (Forgive me, I haven’t yet noticed exactly which person enters each tube.) PAC was out next (out of the right tube) and he sauntered ominously to the ring.
(3) Adam Page vs. PAC
PAC finally entered as he and Page exchanged punches in the middle of the ring. Page hits a clothesline on PAC for a quick two count. Page continued the brawl outside the ring that ended with Page hitting a dive onto PAC. Page hit a standing moonsault but PAC quickly turned the momentum. PAC then hit a flying back flip off the middle rope from the apron onto Page on the outside. The match slowed down considerably for PAC to gloat and work over Page. Page fights back with a variety of crisp and well-timed moves including a gut wrench suplex on an in-motion PAC. Ross set us up for another break in the action. The match continued with the TNT picture-in-picture.
[HOUR TWO]
After the break, PAC was in full control on the match. The crowd continued to express their disdain as Page recovered and hit a spinebuster. Pop-up powerbomb followed for a two count. PAC rolled out of the ring and Page responded with a moonsault off the top rope. They tangled up with Earl Hebner and PAC low-blowed Page. PAC followed with a falcon arrow and a neutralizer for the ref stoppage victory.
WINNER: PAC
– After the match, PAC soaked it in as the crowd boo’d. Ross talked up PAC a little before a quick break. Dr, Britt Baker came out to cheers and video was shown of Britt being eliminated from the Womens Championship #1 contender battle royal. Nyla Rose is out first to a mix reaction and she is followed up (to cheers) next by Rhio. The announcers plugged next week’s show location and cut to break.
(4) Nyla Rose vs. Riho: Match for the first ever AEW Women’s Championship.
Back from break, Justin Roberts gave the introductions for both women as the ref held the new championship belt. Ross hyped up Riho’s heart and Schiavone talked up her training with Kenny Omega. The women started off with a classic David and Goliath story as Riho did her best to avoid Rose’s power by running around the ring. Rose eventually got her hands on Riho with a submission down on the mat. Riho reached for the ropes and got there as Britt Baker spoke on her desire to be in this match. Riho knees Rose out of the ring to the floor and jumped up to the top rope and dived into Rose’s arm. Rose, in an incredible show of strength, picked her up for a slam. Rose grabbed a chair but the ref convinced her to drop it and she continued the assault. Rose took out a bunch of chairs and stacked them up on the ramp with Riho on top. Rose steps onto the apron and JUMPS onto the chairs as Riho rolled away to safety. Followed by a foot stomp off the apron by Riho. (Wow.) Ross segues into another picture-in-picture commercial break.
-Back from the break (which mostly consisted of a submission hold after Rose took back control of Riho) Rose hit a nasty looking drop on Riho. Riho fought back with punches but was quickly neutralized. Attempted power bomb by Rose was then reversed into a believable near fall from Riho. Rose with a death valley driver onto Riho and a very close two count. Rose climbed to the top but Riho recovered and started punching Rose and delivered a great suplex off the top for a two count. Riho misses the running knee but then hits one right after. One more for good measure and the victory. Riho is the first AEW Women’s Champion.
[WINNER and first ever AEW Champion: Riho]
– After the match, Ross talked Riho up some more as she was being handed the belt. Michael Nakazawa came out to celebrate but Rose attacked from behind. Rose then attacked Riho and set her up for a slam off the apron to the outside as Kenny Omega ran out to help. (Imagine that, friends in wrestling.) Rose shoves Omega but things settle down and we went to a quick break. Back from that brief break, The Elite are out with the Young Bucks entering together first followed by Omega. Ross than sent to another (I’m assuming, longer) break.
-Back from break, and it was Santana and Ortiz out next. Their theme had gun-shots and barking from dogs that led into music. Jericho was out next to his entrance music. He had on his scarf, hat, and jacket and received pyro. He had the AEW Championship with him and he made sure everybody knew.
(5) The Elite (The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega) vs. Santana & Ortiz & Jericho
The crowd wanted Omega and they got him. Then they wanted Jericho and he obliged but only briefly as he tagged out and Santana came in. Fun back and forth from Omega and Santana led to Jericho tagging back in. Omega runs at Jericho and he reverses it into a lion tamer. The Young Bucks entered and hit some superkicks and a pair of running dives over the top rope to Santana & Ortiz. The crowd cheered Omega to do the same and he posed but Jon Moxley entered the ring from the crowd and attacked Omega. They brawled into the fans as Moxley continued the assault. During all this, Jericho took control of The Young Bucks in the ring as the camera followed Omega and Moxley to the VIP area, Omega grabbed a mop and they teased his Cleaner gimmick. Moxley was in complete control and suplexed Omega onto the glass table! (That was crazy.) Ross needed more control so they went to break.
– Control was claimed as Ross recapped the Moxley attack but Matt Jackson was briefly able to turn the tide on Ortiz until Santana entered and the two former LAX members double teamed Matt. Jericho tagged in and went for a lionsault and Matt got his knees up but Santana was quick to get in and cut off the tag. Matt Jackson with a jumping cutter and a tag to Nick. Nick runs wilds with some kicks and knees followed by a bulldog. All three of Jericho’s team left the ring and Nick hit flips on all of them. Double team set up from The Bucks. Nick jumps onto the top rope and dove directly into a Jericho codebreaker. Santana & Ortiz double team Matt and throw his into a Judas Effect for the win.
[WINNER: Jericho, Santana, and Ortiz]
After the match, the heels continued the beatdown and Cody ran out for the save. Guevara and Dustin Runnels ran out as well. SUDDENLY Jack Hager (formerly Jack Swagger) enters the ring as he dismantles the faces. The crowd chanted “we the people” as Ross and Excalibur dissected what just happened. The heels (including Guevara) bring the podium into the ring and Hager gut wrench powerbombed Dustin onto it. Jericho ends the beat-down with a Judas Effect on Cody as the heels celebrated and the camera focused on Hager as the first AEW Dynamite ended.
(Gill’s Analysis: A nice way to end a real fun show. The big story coming out of this episode will probably be the general reaction from fans but don’t discount the Hager addition. Jager has evolved a lot after his departure from WWE. He brings a recognizable name, who isn’t past his prime, and has status outside of wrestling with his MMA backround. I am a lifelong WWE fan who has been looking for a viable alternative for a while. I tried TNA and ROH but never really bought into it. This show did a lot more to captivate me than any of them. I’d love to hear some other thoughts on this show from both the passive and diehard fans.)
You can follow me and my subsequent Dynamite reviews @Good_Ol_Gill
I have been a wrestling fan for years. I will admit I prefer wrestling to Sports Entertainment, but I have watched the WWE since the 80’s. Tonight felt different. It did not feel like a small show trying to big and trying to compete with the WWE. It just felt like a good wrestling show was put on, on a very large scale by a company that knows what they are doing. It was really a fun show to watch and the energy of the crowd was amazing. It will be interesting to see if they can maintain this momentum from week to week.
There also seems to be a genuine connection with the fans that is missing in the WWE. Vince gives the impression that you are lucky to be there and that is better than you. I don’t really think that is all character either, I think he probably really believes that. I have no idea what Cody and company think, but they sure give the impression they care about the product and the fans. In the PR dept. they are eons ahead of Vince.
I was surprised how big the crowd was. I have not seen a crowd that big in a non WWE event in the US since WCW. And JR was awesome at announcing the matches and it felt like wrestling and not entertainment. I feel WWE has real competition. I am glad AEW is not on Monday or Friday.