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AEW DYNAMITE TV REPORT
MARCH 16, 2022
SAN ANTONIO, TX AT FREEMAN COLISEUM
AIRED ON TBS
REPORT BY TYLER SAGE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur
(1) ADAM PAGE & JURASSIC EXPRESS vs. ADAM COLE & REDRAGON
Jungle Boy and Adam Cole started the match, Cole did not accept the lock up challenge and hit a kick on Jungle Boy. After a few moves Jungle Boy took control and got Cole to the mat. Cole got Jungle Boy into his teams corner and tagged in Bobby Fish, who then tagged in Kyle O’Reilly. Luchasaurus was then tagged in, he took out O’Reilly and then was teamed up on outside the ring. Back in the ring, team Cole tagged in and out to work over the Dino man.
O’Reilly did a flashy hold and then tagged in Fish, but Luchasaurus was able to get the tag into Adam Page. He then went and took out all three members of the opposing team and hit several dives in the process. Page then hit a power bomb and was able to get a near fall. Page went for the Buckshot Lariat, but Fish rolled out of the ring. Jungle Boy then did a top rope dive on team Cole.
Then all three men of Team Page did Moonsaults all at the same time onto their opponents. It was then Jungle Boy and Fish in the ring, Cole hit a high kick on JB as the ref was distracted. O’Reilly then got a two count going into the break. [c]
When the show returned Luchasaurus hit a double slam and got a two count on a double pin. Cole hit a super kick on Jungle boy as he missed a top rope move. Page saved Luchasaurus from an O’Reilly hold, then to was Page and Cole in the ring as they traded strikes. Page hit a Deadeye on Cole, but Fish entered to distract as Cole rolled out of the ring. Jungle Boy then hit a double Doom’s Day Device on Fish and O’Reilly.
Cole hit the Boom knee on Jungle Boy after a set up from fish, leading to a pinfall win for Cole.
WINNER: Adam Cole & reDRagon
(Sage’s Analysis: A fun, dare I say old school AEW opening match. A high intensity match with top stars to get the show started. Cole needed this win if they were going to extend the feud. I don’t really think much can be done to make this specific feud feel any more important and I do not think another match is ideal for either man.)
-Keith Lee and Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs were backstage. Starks said that Keith Lee would take another Spine Buster if he came on Stark’s show Rampage, again. [c]
-Kris Statlander had a video of her taking off her makeup.
(2) BRAYAN DANIELSON & JON MOXLEY vs. CHUCK TAYLOR & WHEELER YUTA
Bryan Danielson and Wheeler Yuta started, Danielson was on the fall early and tagged in Moxley who hit a move and then several chops on Yuta. Danielson was tagged back in and he and Yuta traded more chops, with Yuta being knocked down onto his knees. Moxley was tagged in and he and Danielson tagged in and out as they controlled the match.
Chuck Taylor was tagged in Taylor was able t take out Moxley on the outside and then got a single leg crab on Danielson. But, Moxley was tagged in and hit an upper cut. Moxley and Danielson then worked together to work over Taylor like they did to Wheeler. [c]
Taylor hit a lucky move and tagged in Yuta, who hit an inverted atomic drop and then a splash in the corner on Moxley. Then hit a nice German Suplex, until Moxley hit a move and teamed up with Danielson to get a near fall on Yuta. On the the outside Moxley hit a Paradigm Shift on Taylor as Danielson hit yes kicks on Yuta. Wheeler hit forearms on Danielson then Moxley as he held his own for a moment. Danielson hit a suplex and hit a two count as the crowd chanted for Wheeler. Danielson hit head stomps as Moxley locked in the Bulldog Choke for the submission win.
WINNER: Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley
-Wheeler Yuta walked away from Chuck and the Best Friends and went into the ring. Here Regal slapped him and Yuta got in Regal’s face and walked away.
(Sage’s Analysis: A nice psychical contest when Yuta was in the ring. This was also a nice level up from last weeks competition. The angle with Yuta at the end was interesting and I hope something comes of it as Yuta has never felt move over than he was in this match alongside Danielson and Moxley.)
-FTR were backstage and they talked about firing Tully. Cash said that Tully lost focus after they lost the belts. The Young Bucks walked in and made jokes. Matt Jackson said no matter what they do they will always be the second best tag team in AEW. [c]
-The Acclaimed were backstage. Max Caster said that he would be in the main event against Keith Lee. Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs came in and told them to take out Lee and all the newcomers. Swerve Strickland came in and said Friday nights are his nights.
-Chris Jericho and The Jericho Appreciation Society walk to the ring. One member of 2point0 said that the crowd has Jericho to thank for letting the crowd sing Judas, because he would not be so kind. He said that Jericho should be praised for his contributions to wrestling and the world at large. Jericho grabbed the mic and said that the world has been around for 4.5 billion years and that the crowd is lucky they get to live at the same time as him. Jericho said that he has put on 5 star matches, promos and stories and he built AEW.
Jericho said that instead of praising him, people make fun of him online and do not appreciate him. He said the AEW roster and The Inner Circle never respected him. He said that the men behind him did appreciate him and each other. He said the rest of the AEW roster are only pro wrestler’s, Jericho said that he is a sports entertainer (he did trademark that term a few weeks ago, btw). Dante Garcia grabbed the mic and said that he is a sports entertainer as well. Jericho talked about Garcia and his accident in 2019 and the origin story of how 2point0 got into AEW and their new names. He said that Hager is now know as the Hand of the King and that the JAS’s mission is to beat up pro wrestlers.
(Sage’s Analysis: I should say that this promo had too many insider stories and terms, especially the sports entertainer angle. But I can’t lie, this really worked for me. I think Jericho is at his best when he is a heel and when he is working on a new version of his character. At this point Daniel Garcia feels like a bigger deal already and even the new version of 2point0 feels like. bigger deal. I could be wrong, but I think this group can work in AEW as a different take on a heel group.)
-Serena Deeb and Hikaru Shida’s feud was recapped.
(3) SCORPIO SKY vs. WARDLOW
Scorpio Sky made fun of Wardlow’s conductor motion and then the two men locked up. With Wardlow hitting a high drop, sending Sky falling to the mat. Sky then got Wardlow into the corner and bit him. Wardlow quickly took control and chased Sky around the ring. Paige VanZant got into Wardlow’s face and then her husband and Wardlow tied up as Sky did a baseball slide out onto Wardlow. [c]
Sky was in control throughout the break, Wardlow then grabbed Sky by the throat and hit a belly-to-belly overhead slam and then another slam as Wardlow sold his thigh. Sky fought out of a power bomb, but Wardlow hit a choke slam and then went for a power bomb and hit the first, and then the second. Dan Lambert walk around as the third power bomb happened, Lambert then got on the apron and distracted Wardlow as Sky rolled to the outside. Wardlow went for a power bomb and Shawn Spears walked out with two chairs, MJF pushed Wardlow into the ring post.
Wardlow went back into the ring and Scorpio Sky hit a quick roll up pin on Wardlow.
WINNER: Scorpio Sky
(Sage’s Analysis: A good Wardlow match that had good selling by Wardlow and I thought Lambert was effective as a heel manager. The MJF angle was pretty predictable and that is ok as Sky with the TNT title and Wardlow taking on MJF feels like the best case for both men.)
-Sky, MJF and VanZant’s husband beat up on Wardlow, but he got to his feet and set up MJF for the power bomb. But, Spears hit him with a chair as all the heels beat up Wardlow. MJF then punched Wardlow with the diamond ring. [c]
-Jade Cargill was backstage with Mark Sterling, they talked who would be lucky number 30 vs Jade Cargill.
(4) THE HARDY BROTHERS vs. PRIVATE PARTY
Matt Hardy and Marq Quen started as the crowed yelled delete toward the general direction of Private Party. Jeff Hardy was tagged in and they took out Marq Quen, Isaiah Kassidy was tagged in and the Hardy’s teamed up to get the control over him as well. After a few moments Matt was tagged in and the brothers teamed up to take out Quen.
Marq Quen was able to get a counter on Matt and Isaiah was tagged in as they teamed up on him. Jeff Ran in to defend his brother and the ref can in to stop him, at the same time Kassidy and Quen pulled Matt’s groin into the ring post as the break started. [c]
Private Party dominated throughout the break, once the full screen show returned Marq Quen hit a big flip dive out onto Matt Hardy. Quen got a two count a few moment later, then a near fall after a team move on Hardy. Isaiah Kassidy then punched Hardy and teamed up to beat down Matt as Jeff was begging for a tag in the corner.
Matt Hardy hit a move and got the hot tag to Jeff as he did a crotch stomp for a two count on Kassidy. Jeff then took off his shirt and went for the Swanton but he was then out by Marq Quen. Matt made the save and Jeff did a splash off the top. After an exchange both Hardy’s hit a twist of fate, then Jeff hit the Swanton Bomb for the pinfall win.
WINNER: The Hardy Brothers
(Sage’s Analysis: A fun return match for Jeff Hardy that felt like the appropriate level of appreciation and nostalgia for The Hardy’s first match together in AEW. I hope that momentum can continue as the hot tag pop was really all you could ask for if you are Tony Khan.)
-Andrade El Idolo’s music hit post match, Darby Allen’s music then hit as he and Sting came to the ring to even the odds.
-Red Velvet talked about her match with Leyla Hirsch
-The cage lowered for the main event, as the announce team tried to convince the viewing audience that these two have been waiting a year to wrestle again. Even though they wrestled two weeks ago. [c]
(5) BRITT BAKER vs. THUNDER ROSA
Britt Baker tried to escape the cage as soon as the match started, Thunder Rosa stopped her climbing several times. Rosa claimed it was her house as she threw Baker into the cage. Rosa then continued the assault and rubbed Baker’s face on the chain links of the cage. Baker was now bleeding, as Thunder Rosa continued to strike the cut and rub her opponents face on the cage. [c]
Baker took control of the match once the commercial break started. Baker put chairs into the ring as the show returned to full screen. Baker missed with a chair, then Rosa used the chair to her advantage. Rosa, who was now bleeding hit a stunner and a drop kick for a two count on Baker. Britt went for a super kick and hit the ref instead. Rosa hit the Fire Thunder Driver, but there was no ref to count.
Rosa put a Chair on Baker and went to the top rope. Britt got up and hit Rosa with the chair and stacked a pile of chairs on the mat in the corner that Rosa was on. Baker then hit a suplex onto the chairs. Ref Aubrey Edwards came in from the outside and made the pin count that was a near fall for Baker.
Baker then set up four chairs in the seated position, with on flat on all the seats, then another chair set up on the other chairs. Rosa fought back on the top rope with the chairs in frame as Baker fell onto the monstrosity that she set up. Baker then grabbed thumb tacs from under the ring, and sprayed them on the mat. Rosa was suplexed onto the tacs as Britt tried to hit the lock jaw, but Rosa slammed her hand into the tacs.
Rosa then hit a Fire Thunder Driver on the tacs for the pinfall win, to become the new AEW Women’s Champion.
WINNER: Thunder Rosa
(Sage’s Analysis: A great TV main event, that was the match the PPV should have been. I think AEW will write the PPV match out of this story and tell the story of 3/17/21 and 3/16/22 to tell the story of Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa. That being said this was a call back of last years battle with some new spots mixed in. The match went the way it needed to, with Rosa starting her championship run in exciting fashion.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: A really strong show with excellent wrestling from start to finish. The show also had a great Jericho talking segment to solidify his new group and did a good job explaining Garcia and 2point0 to the general audience in a way that hasn’t been done yet. The show also made a concerted effort to hype Rampage more than usual, which is nice to see. The main event felt important and it was the match I wanted to see between Baker and Rosa after last years epic match.
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