SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
•Joey Janela vs. Cody – HIT: This Dynamite was the most lively wrestling show in quite some time. AEW was back at Daily’s Place for the first live edition of Dynamite in weeks. They performed in front of scattered wrestlers and staff. Jim Ross said that they were doing everything they could to keep the wrestlers safe with testing and they were “playing by the rules”. Cody and Joey Janela had a very good match with both wrestlers shining. The announce team played up Janela being on a win streak and tonight being a big opportunity to beat Cody. Cody won convincingly, keeping him strong going into his match against Lance Archer.
•Nyla Rose vs. Kenzie Paige – HIT: Absolutely loved the video package before the match. The women’s division has been one of the things that many people have picked on since the beginning of AEW. Although the in-ring work isn’t where it needs to be, they have some talented women who can grow into those spots. Nyla Rose made her way to the ring and cut a promo about being the dominant force of the women’s division before she squashed Kenzie Paige.
•MJF Promo – HIT: I’m glad to see MJF back as a regular feature on the show. He’s too good of a talker to not have him involved. This week, he hyped his return and said that he’s been compared to past greats like The Rock, Roddy Piper, and Ric Flair. He said he knows when he returns to the ring, that there is a top spot waiting for him. I liked that the interview took place in what looked like a green screen of a high rise condo. The background wasn’t very convincing playing into MJF being a phony.
•Shawn Spears Promo – HIT: Shawn Spears appeared to be setting himself up for another match against Cody. He blamed Cody for Dustin’s loss to Archer and said if he had a brother he would not have let that happen. This is a different direction than I thought they’d be taking with him. I thought him racking up wins against lesser opponents would lead to something like a match against someone like Jungle Boy. Instead Tony Schiavone announced MJF would be facing Jungle Boy at Double or Nothing. There wasn’t another logical feud for MJF at this point because going to a title match against Moxley now would feel too quick for something that should be built up.
•Frankie Kazarian vs. Jon Moxley – HIT: A slower pace, but a good match between these two. Frankie Kazarian is an underrated worker who is capable of having an entertaining match with just about anyone. In the post match, Dark Order stormed the ring to beat down Moxley and Kazarian. Brodie Lee emerged and demanded a title match against Moxley. Moxley smirked and told him he just needed to ask. It felt a bit rushed to shove Lee into the title picture, but I’m curious to see how he does in the highest position he’s ever been in his career.
•Lance Archer vs. QT Marshall – HIT: A pre-tape of Brandi played before the match. She is at her best when she’s in the position of cutting a promo about something personal to her. Jake Roberts made his return to Dynamite accompanying Lance Archer. He wore a mask down the ramp, but took it off and sat at a distance during the match. Archer proceeded to obliterate QT Marshall. In the post-match Britt Baker knocked over Brandi then tossed her into the ring. Roberts laid a snake across her body and mounted her in what was described on commentary as disturbing imagery. Archer and Roberts are trying to rattle Cody and make this feud more personal. I assume Cody is going to need to respond in the very near future.
•Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara vs. Matt Hardy & Kenny Omega – HIT: This match taken at face value was a ton of fun. I didn’t know what to expect from a partnership between Matt Hardy and Kenny Omega, but it surpassed expectations. Hardy started out the match as what appeared to be regular Matt Hardy before being dumped into a freezer and turning into Damascus. Omega played off of him turning into a wild savage which Omega plays perfectly. The teams brawled into the concourse which appeared to violate any sort of social distancing with all the spectators. There were several memorable spots including Omega landing a moonsault off of an industrial lift, Jericho and Guevara being hit by a golf cart and capping it off with The Inner Circle posing in front of an empty Jaguars stadium.
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