AEW DYNAMITE HITS & MISSES 5/12: Britt Baker shows next level star power, thumbs up for Moxley vs. Nagata, more

Jon Moxley vs. Yuji Nagata – HIT

It’s always a treat to see a star from another promotion. New Japan veteran, Yuji Nagata, put together a short, but fun match with Jon Moxley. Moxley came out to new old music as he entered Daily’s Place to Wild Thing by The Troggs. Not the same adrenaline rush of Moxley’s previous music, but a fitting tribute to his hero, Atsushi Onita. AEW is being patient with the New Japan stars they bring in which is aided by the pandemic restrictions. Using Nagata first wets the appetite of bringing in New Japan stars without giving too much away.

Cody Rhodes Announcement – HIT

Cody always finds a way to tie it all together, but he had me nervous. He started out talking about America and made remarks about the election being a mess and people being unsure of what to do for the national anthem. In 2021, a promo on immigrants reaping the rewards of America and not appreciating America’s gifts isn’t exactly a babyface promo. He segued into talking about the great things immigrants have done alluding to Bruno Sammartino and Shahid Khan. He used real emotion when speaking about his forthcoming daughter who will be black, white, and American. All of this led to a challenge to Anthony Ogogo at Double or Nothing. It would’ve been helpful to have heard what Ogogo said about Cody beforehand which would’ve given the promo more gravitas.

The Young Bucks vs. SCU – HIT

Excellent all out action from both teams. Emotions coming from both sides with Matt Jackson mimicking the I love you spot between Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair at WrestleMania. Christopher Daniels bled like a stuffed pig after being busted open on the ring post. The Bucks won in the end with a BTE Trigger. AEW quickly cut away to a backstage segment after the match. It took away the drama of seeing Frankie Kazarian and Daniels team together for the last time. While the story hadn’t been built well, there wasn’t much time to sink in the moment except for a quick clip of them hugging in the ring after the commercial break.

Christian Cage Promo – HIT

It is a real bummer that Ricky Starks will be out for several months. A feud between him and Christian Cage felt like a good spot for both men. Now Christian has his sights set on the Casino Battle Royal at Double or Nothing. In the meantime. Matt Sydal said he signed the open contract to fight Christian next week. Sydal being an underdog babyface may be positioning Christian as a heel in their upcoming match-up.

Orange Cassidy vs. Pac – MISS

This match didn’t have a real chance to get going. Orange Cassidy injured his neck early in the match throwing off much of what they had planned. AEW called an audible and had Don Callis come to the ring to distract Pac and allow Kenny Omega to hit him from behind with the belt leading to both men being unable to get to their feet. As Omega and Callis celebrated not having an opponent, Tony Schiavone came out to announce that the match would now be a three-way main event for the championship. A three-way was the original plan for the match, so they were able to create a work around with the injury. It’s the first time that AEW will have a three-way headline match. Cassidy vs. Omega isn’t a blow away athletic match, but the crowd reaction would have been tremendous in front of a full capacity Daily’s Place.

Hangman Promo – MISS

I still can shake the feeling of Hangman’s association with Dark Order feeling lower mid card. Hangman is the every man and can get along with everyone, but John Silver’s reaction to Hangman’s pun was a dud. Hangman vs. Brian Cage at Double or Nothing is a good spot for both men. It’ll be far different from their one sided match that took out Hangman.

The Coronation of The Pinnacle – MISS

Why is Chris Jericho already back on TV? They couldn’t sell falling off the cage for one week or did they want to acknowledge the crash pad and say his fall wasn’t too bad? He made his return in an arm brace after The Pinnacle celebrated their victory in the ring. MJF wore a crown and touted their win while Tully Blanchard gifted the team new watches. The Inner Circle crashed the party and asked for a rematch. MJF declined, so they sprayed them with A Little Bit of The Bubbly a la Austin in 1999 and many, many WWE angles since. Slipping in champagne, MJF granted their request and set a Stadium Stampede match for Double or Nothing. This time, they said it would be a more serious match, but they will run into the issue of how much of the match will be shown on the screen vs. in front of the live crowd.

Britt Baker Sit-Down w/Jim Ross – HIT

Jim Ross walked Britt Baker through her history in AEW and the match that broke her nose against Hikaru Shida. Baker continues to be hitting on all cylinders and feeling like a genuine star. Rebel has been great in her role, but without her Baker feels like a more serious contender.

Thunder Rosa vs. Jazmin Allure – HIT

A good way to get Thunder Rosa back on TV. I presume she will be the first challenger to Britt Baker if she wins the championship.

Jade Cargill Interview – MISS

So does Jade Cargill want a manager or not? She says she’s still looking, but at the same time she can take care of herself.

Darby Allin vs. Miro – HIT

After a tremendous title reign of proving himself week in and week out, Darby Allin has finally lost the TNT Championship. Miro is starting fresh after a lackluster debut of playing video games and hanging with Kip Sabian. Darby cut a cinematic promo before the match in which he explained where Miro had been. Miro attacked Allin before the bell and beat him down at ringside while Sting watched. They managed to have a dramatic match with several near falls before Miro won handily with the camel clutch. After the match, chaos ensued with Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky attacking Sting while the Dark Order ran out for the save. Lance Archer also came down the stage signaling a challenge towards Miro now that Allin had lost the title. Allin has made himself and doesn’t require the championship to feel important while Miro is on the ascension and reshaping his image.

CATCH-UP: 5/12 AEW DYNAMITE TV REPORT: Keller’s report on Darby vs. Miro, Bucks vs. SCU, Moxley vs. Nagata, Cassidy vs. Pac