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2/26 AEW DYNAMITE TV REPORT: Keller’s report on final hype for Revolution PPV, Moxley vs. Pac in Iron Man match, Jericho-Mox weigh-in

By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

February 26, 2020

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AEW DYNAMITE TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 26, 2020
KANSAS CITY, MO. AT SILVERSTEIN EYE CENTER ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON TNT

Announcers: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts

[HOUR ONE]

-They went right to the arena as pyro blasted and Ross introduced the show, noting it’s the last stop on the road to AEW Revolution on Saturday night. They went to the announcing trio on camera who hyped Best Friends (w/Orange Cassidy) vs. The Butcher & The Blade (w/Bunny), Yuka Sakazaki vs. Big Swole vs. Shanna vs. Hikiaru Shida, Sammy Guevara & Santana & Ortiz vs. Jurassic Express, and Kenny Omega vs. Pac in the 30 minute Iron Man match. Also, a weigh-in for the Chris Jericho vs. Jon Moxley match.

(1) PAC vs. KENNY OMEGA (w/The Young Bucks) – 30 minute Iron Man match

The announcers talked about how Pac had been in training for weeks focused on just this match, while Omega has been active but in tag matches only. Omega landed a running flip dive over the top rope onto Pac at ringside at 3:00. Kenny stayed on offense for a few more minutes. Pac rolled to the floor to catch his breath. Fans booed. Kenny went after him, but Pac caught him with some punches to take over. He landed a tornado DDT on the floor at 6:00. Ross said that could be the difference-making moment of the match. Pac landed a top rope brainbuster suplex at 7:30. Fans chanted “Holy shit!” The pace kept up with big spots and near falls.

They stood mid-ring at 12:00 and exchanged blows. The crowd cheered with each blow. Omega landed a Tiger Driver ’98 for a believable near fall. Omega set up a One-Winged Angel, but Pac escaped. Omega turned it into a back suplex into a bridge for another believable near fall. Fans loudly chanted “AEW! AEW!” Omega lifted Pac onto his shoulders and climbed to the top rope, but Pac spun around and landed a powerbomb off the top rope. Pac then mounted Omega in another corner, but Omega dropped Pac face-first over the top turnbuckle and then followed up with a Snap Dragon Suplex and a V-Trigger for a very near fall.

Pac recovered magically quickly at ringside and began searching for something under the ring. Then he jabbed Omega in the head with the chair. The ref DQ’d him. The Young Bucks protested and jumped onto the ring apron. The ref turned to them, which gave Pac an opening to hit Omega in the back of his head with the chair. The Bucks entered and checked on Omega. Excalibur noted the clock was stopped for 30 seconds before the match restarted. Nick Jackson splashed water on Omega’s face.

FIRST FALL: Omega via DQ in 15:54.

Pac landed a Black Arrow off the top rope to get the fall back.

SECOND FALL: Pac at 16:39. [c]

They stayed with the action on split screen during a commercial which included a plug for the AEW Revolution PPV event. Back from the break, Pac sitout powerbombed Omega off the ring apron. Fans loudly chanted “Holy shit!” TNT muted the sound. Both were slow to get up. Pac dropkicked Omega off the ring apron and Omega landed on the referee, Paul Turner. Pac smiled and pulled a table out from under the ring. Ross said he’s been disqualified once already. Excalibur said that first DQ was strategic. Excalibur said that’s the first DQ they’ve had in AEW. (Wow.) Fans chanted “We want tables!” The AEW doctor checked on Omega. Ross said he could stop the match if Omega can’t defend himself. Pac put Omega on the table. Ross wondered if another referee would be to the ring soon. Pac elbowed Omega’s throat and then leaped off the top rope with a shooting star press through the table. Both were down and slow to get up. They cut to fans in the crowd reacting with gasps.

The Bucks and the doctor checked on the wrestlers on the floor. The ref started to countout both wrestlers. Ross wondered what happened if there was a double countout. Pac reentered the ring. Matt threw Omega into the ring to just beat the count. Ross said that was a judgement call by the referee. Pac went for a Black Arrow, but Omega lifted his knees at 25:00. Both again were slow to get up. Omega then delivered a V-Trigger to Pac’s jaw. Then a second to the side of Pac’s head. He scored a two count after a Uranage.

Omega charged at Pac with a knee, then lifted him onto his shoulders, but Pac revered a Snap Dragon attempt. Omega sold being out on his knees. He stood, but Pac gave him a swinging DDT. Pac locked on his Brutalizer submission with under three minutes left. Fans chanted “Kenny! Kenny!” Omega grabbed the bottom rope a minute later to force a break. Pac went right back to the Brutalizer. Schiavone called it great strategy. Fans chanted “Kenny! Kenny!” again. Omega leveraged Pac’s shoulders down for a soft two count before Pac leveraged Omega back into the Brutalizer with 45 seconds left. Omega struggled to break free as the clock counted down to zero. So they went 30 minutes with a 1-1 score. Pac was so upset, he elbowed the ref in the side of his head.

Justin Roberts announced that the match would continue under Sudden Death Rules. Omega charged with a knee to the side of Pac’s head. Ref Aubrey Edwards entered the ring and fans cheered. Omega landed a V-Trigger as fans chanted “Aubry! Aubry!” Omega hit another knee and scored a near fall. Omega lifted Pac onto his shoulders and then delivered the One-Winged Angel for the three count.

WINNER: Omega in 32:00.

(Keller’s Analysis: Crazy good 32-plus minute match that can really help put Omega on the map as one of the best wrestlers of this era. That signature match just hadn’t yet been on Dynamite yet. Pac is so good, too.) [c]

-During the break on split-screen, they showed Omega walk to the back. Then Schiavone met Pac on the stage for an interview.

-Schiavone asked Pac for his reaction to coming up short after all of his preparation and obsession with the match. Pac looked dismayed and disgusted and ready to snap. He asked Schiavone what he was getting at. Suddenly out walked Orange Cassidy. He strolled toward Pac. Pac said, “This just be a joke.” Cassidy took off his sunglasses. Pac nailed him in the head and stomped away at him on the ground. Quickly several officials ran out including Jerry Lynn and Billy Gunn to back him away.

-Ross threw to a commercial for Revolution.

-Back in the arena, Excalibur plugged the AEW Revolution Countdown show immediately following Dynamite.

-Lexi Nair stood outside of Chris Jericho’s locker room. She knocked. Jake Hager answered and stared her down, gave a look to the camera, and then went back inside.

(2) SANTANA & ORTIZ & SAMMY GUEVARA vs. JURASSIC EXPRESS (Jungle Boy & Marko Stunt & Luchasaurus)

Taz joined the announcers on commentary. Santana, Ortiz, and Guevara came out first. Then Jurassic Express came out next, with Luchasaurus carrying Jungle Boy on his shoulders. Stunt, JB, and Luchasaurus rallied early and cleared the ring, then Luchasaurus dropped Marko onto Santana and Ortiz. They caught him and threw him over their heads backwards into the arms of Jungle Boy. Back in the ring, Santana and Ortiz gave Luchasaurus a double flapjack. Marko tried to attack both of them, but then brushed off his offense until he head scissored Santana into the corner. They ended up triple-teaming Marko, though, before gloating. They cut to a break. [c]

Marko fought free from Guevara and hot-tagged in Luchasaurus, who took it to Guevara, then Santana, then Ortiz. All three Jurassic Express members triple-teamed Guevara including a triple kick in the corner. They followed with an assisted guillotine powerbomb for a near fall. Chaos broke out with everyone. Guevara scored a two count on JB, with Marko breaking up the cover. Marko pulled the top rope down as Ortiz and Santana charged, so they tumbled over the top rope. They yanked Marko to the floor, but Luchasaurus then dove onto them at ringside. Meanwhile, Guevara made a comeback against JB. He grabbed the loaded sock. Darby Allin came out and yanked it away from Guevara. JB then surprised Guevara with a snap huracanrana for the win.

WINNER: Jurassic Express in 10:00.

-After the match, Guevara charged at Darby, but Darby backdropped him over the top rope onto Santana and Ortiz at ringside. They cut to a split-screen commercial, during which Darby held up cue cards about facing Guevara at Revolution. [c]

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[HOUR TWO]

-A video package aired on Cody’s journey through the challenges issued by MJF.

(Keller’s Analysis: Great job recapping the journey with fast jump-cuts and a good choice of song in the background.)

(3) BEST FRIENDS (Chucky T & Trent w/Orange Cassidy) vs. THE BUTCHER & THE BLADE (w/The Bunny)

Butcher and Blade dominated for the first several minutes. They cut to a break. [c]

Trent made a comeback after the break and dove onto Blade at ringside, but Blade caught him and rammed him into the ringside barricade. Trent fired back with a spear. Cassidy and Bunny entered the ring and had staredown. Bunny took off Cassidy’s glasses and put them on. She tried to kick Cassidy. He grabbed her leg, spun her around, and then put on her bunny ears. He then put his hands in his pockets. Blade entered, but Cassidy ducked him and then dove onto Butcher at ringside with his hands in his pockets. Trent and Chucky gave Blade a leaping package powerbomb for the three count.

WINNERS: Best Friends in 8:00.

-After the match, Schiavone interviewed Best Friends and Cassidy in mid-ring. He announced that Pac will face Orange Cassidy at Revolution one-on-one. Fans cheered. Schiavone asked Chucky about moving up the ranks with a big win. Chucky said it feels good. He told Pac that Cassidy isn’t a joke and this time he’s going to try. Fans laughed. Ross said that’s a good idea. Trent said Cassidy didn’t tell them that, actually, and he might try or he might not. Fans chanted “He will try! He will try!” Cassidy gave a nonchalant thumbs up. He kept selling the jaw injury from Pac hitting him earlier.

(Keller’s Analysis: I like pivoting Pac from a monumental loss for him right to a grudge against Cassidy to get him on the show. Fans will be going crazy for Cassidy against Pac. And it’s good to hear from Chucky and Trent, too.) [c]

(4) BIG SWOLE vs. YUKA SAKAZAKI vs. SHANNA vs. HIKARU SHIDA

The other three knocked Sakazaki out of the ring. Fans booed. Shanna locked up with Shida. They invited Swole to join. She did. They had a three-way test of strength. Sakazaki entered in the middle and kicked all of them one at a time. Fans ate it up. Three minutes in they went to split screen as Shanna was strutting. [c]

Shida was in control after the break. She ended up scoring the pin on Swole after a running knee strike. Excalibur said she’s trying to make her case as the next challenger after Saturday night’s AEW Women’s Title match at Revolution.

WINNER: Shida in 8:00. [c]

-A Dark Order video aired with Evil Uno saying the Exhalted One is near and has given them assignments. He said that he and Grayson at Revolution will show the “true might” of Dark Order. He said while Kaz and Scorpio Sky are in for a rough night, Christopher Daniels will find out he is “truly obsolete.” Uno snapped his fingers and the segment abruptly ended.

(Keller’s Analysis: So they’re either trolling everyone with Matt Hardy hints and it’ll be a swerve, or they don’t mind at all basically giving away it’s him ahead of time. So in a way, the viewer doesn’t know, but if it’s not Matt, it better be good, right? What about Raven?)

-An interview aired from earlier in the day with Ross sitting with Omega & “Hangman” Page and The Young Bucks. Matt Jackson said he thought it’d be them on top of the tag team division, but he’s proud of them. Ross said he still thinks the Bucks are the best tag team in the world. He asked Omega and Page how they won the belts. Omega said they were in the right place at the right time. He said the Bucks are the best, and they inspire him. He said they just want to show the world they’re a top class tag team. Page sarcastically said, “This was just a big accident. That’s what I’m hearing.” Omega said that’s not what he’s saying. He said they earned it, but it’s really situational. Ross asked Page why he’s fidgeting. Matt asked Page if he really had to bring a drink to the interview, adding that he didn’t want to have to bring it up. Nick said at the end of the day, they really do care about him.

Ross asked the Bucks how they prepare to win knowing that Kenny and Page know every move they’re going to make. Matt said they know everything about him and they see them more than his own family. He said they’re his best friends in the world. He said he and Nick are competitors and human beings, and on Saturday they’ll see the competitive and aggressive Young Bucks who want to win the belts. He said they, not Omega & Page, are the best tag team in the world and they’re taking the belts. He said at the end of it, they’ll shake hands. When Matt said The Elite is bigger than the belts, Page took exception. He said he wanted to walk out of The Elite, and they wouldn’t allow it. Nick had enough and said he was just a jobber in Ring of Honor and they brought him into The Elite. Page said winning the tag titles is the biggest accomplishment of his career, and the first chance they get, they want to take it from him. The Bucks said it’s part of the business. Page said his glass is empty, so he’s out. Ross then plugged Revolution and said it’ll be personal and for championship gold.

(Keller’s Analysis: Great segment. Whether you’ve followed Being the Elite all along or only have watched Dynamite, this segment gave the backstory necessary to be invested in the clash of long-time friends who have an undercurrent of building tension that feels like it could explode any moment. The fact that fans booed when Nick snapped that Page was a “jobber in Ring of Honor” before they saved him seems like the desired reaction, and perhaps indicates the Bucks are ultimately going to go heel here. That’d be smart because they’d be good in that role playing off of Page, who is more primed to become a breakout unexpected lead babyface after a slow start in AEW’s early months. Kenny caught in the middle as the nice guy who doesn’t want trouble fits his on-screen persona well.)

-They went to Ross, Taz, and Excalibur who reacted to the interview, then plugged the Revolution line-up. Ross then announced that Lance Archer has just signed with AEW. He called him one of the top stars internationally. They said the AEW World Title weigh-in was up next. [c]

-Schiavone stood mid-ring and introduced Gary Michael Cappetta as a special guest for the contract signing. Taz called him an iconic voice. Cappetta entered the ring and took the mic and asked fans if they’re ready for Revolution and the weigh-ins. He introduced Jon Moxley first. Then Jericho, who was accompanied by Santana, Ortiz, Hager, and Guevara. When Cappetta asked Jericho to step on the scale, Jericho called him a funny little man and said it’s no wonder WCW went out of business if he was their ring announcer. (I always blamed Dave Penzer for that, actually.) Jericho said the Painmaker always goes last. Cappetta apologized and asked Moxley to step on the scale. Moxley took off his shirt and weighed in at 234 pounds. Still wearing his eye patch, he flexed and stepped off the scale. Tazz said he could carry more weight, but he’s smart to be at that weight. Then Jericho walked up as his Painmaker Posse decked out in matching jackets applauded.

Jericho milked the moment and took off his sunglasses. He untied his bandana. Excalibur said that has to add three ounces. Jericho said, “Hey, Kansas City, shut your ass.” Boos. He cupped his ears. More boos. The crowd began singing a Kansas City Chiefs song to taunt him. Jericho told the crowd their quarterback is a “piece of shit.” Ross said, “Oh, the audacity.” Tazz said he thought it was pretty funny. He added he’s no longer a Jets fan, he’s a Jaguars fan. Jericho took off his jacket slowly. He continued to stall, then got into Moxley’s space. Mox headbutted him. The Painmaker Posse attacked Moxley. Jericho came up bleeding from his forehead. The Posse, though, swarmed Mox in the corner as Jericho tried to stand. Dustin Rhodes ran out to save Mox. He clotheslined Jake Hager over the top rope to the floor, and then brawled into the crowd with him. Jericho joined Santana, Ortiz, and Guevara in attacking Mox in the corner. Dustin and Hager brawled into the concourse and a camera followed. Fans began converging on the scene. “Not the Dippin’ Dots!” yelled Ross. Fans chanted “Dippin’ Dots.”

Darby Allin’s music played and he ran out with his skateboard. Guevara broke his skateboard over Darby’s head. Moxley fought back against Santana and Ortiz. He spotted Jericho and they stared each other down. Fans chanted “Moxley!” They brawled and fans roared. Mox set up a Paradigm Shift, but Santana gave him a low blow from behind. Jericho then gave Mox a Judas Effect back elbow. Then he gave Moxley a Paradigm Shift onto the scale mid-ring. Jericho stood on Mox’s back as Ross said it’s chaos.

(Keller’s Analysis: Great final angle that managed to build several matches all at once. The weigh-in format drew from the big fight atmospheres for UFC and boxing weigh-ins, and sets AEW apart from the cliched contract signings that are part of WWE. This was well-timed, exciting, effective, and entertaining, with the crowd tonight getting co-MVP honors for being into just about everything rabidly.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: Yes, it’s surprising and perhaps, for some, a letdown there was no final Cody or MJF interview on this show, and to a lesser extent no final hype for the Women’s Title match competitors, but with the Countdown Show that followed, and the effective angles in prior weeks, that’s no big deal at this point. The focus at the end was on the AEW World Title match. I think the lack of a final promo from Mox stating the importance of winning the AEW Title and his intent to do so points toward him not winning on Saturday, though.

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