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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
NOVEMBER 2, 2022
BALTIMORE, MD. AT CHESAPEAKE ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON TBS
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone
[HOUR ONE]
-The Dynamite opening theme aired. Excalibur then introduced the show as pyro blasted in the arena. Tony Schiavone hyped Samoa Joe vs. Brian Cage. Excalibur hyped Jon Moxley vs. Lee Moriarty. Schiavone hyped Chris Jericho’s defense against a former ROH Champion. Excalibur plugged Orange Cassidy defending against Luchasaurus and Rey Fenix for the All-Atlantic Title.
(1) DARBY ALLIN vs. JAY LETHAL (w/Sonjay Dutt, Satnum Singh)
Darby made his entrance first. They aired a clip of Lethal throwing Darby into the garage door. Darby met Lethal in the aisle and went on the attack. As soon as the bell rang in the ring, Darby dove at Lethal. They tumbled to ringside. Sonjay Dutt and Satnum Singh walked out a minute into the match. Lethal monkey flipped Darby at ringside toward the steps. Darby’s momentum came to a halt, but then he launched himself into the steps anyway. It looked weird, and the announcers even tried to cover for it. Lethal focused on Darby’s ribs and they cut to a split-screen break. [c/ss]
During the break, Lethal stayed in control including an abdominal stretch. Lethal went for a flying elbow, but Darby rolled him into a two count. (This looked like Lethal was obviously changing his elbow drop techique to accommodate being rolled up.) When Darby set up a coffin drop off the top rope toward Lethal at ringside, Lethal scurried behind Singh. Darby dove through the ropes and collided with Singh. The ref ordered Singh and Dutt to the back. Taz said Dutt didn’t do anything. Excalibur defended it as “the right call” because his mere presence was enough of a distraction early in the match. Someone showed up dressed as Sting with a mask and the black hooded robe. He hit Darby with a bat and rolled him into the ring. Lethal then finished Darby with a Lethal Injection.
WINNER: Lethal in 9:00.
-Lethal’s music played. The Sting imposter entered the ring and hugged Dutt, Lethal, and Singh. They unmasked Cole Carter from The Factory. Fans didn’t react, understandably. They surrounded Darby and stomped away at him. Sting’s theme then played. Schiavone exclaimed, “It’s Stiiiinnngg!” The four heels awaited Sting’s arrival at ringside. Jeff Jarrett then entered the ring and hit Darby from behind with a guitar. Fans did react to that. Excalibur said he has a long history with Lethal and Dutt. Schiavone said he has a big history with Sting, too. Jarrett said Darby just got a lesson from the last outlaw. He said whatever you worship becomes your weakness. (I think Jarrett posted that on Twitter at some point.) He said his worshiping of Sting has become his biggest weakness.
Jarrett called the AEW fanbase “delusional.” He said his family got into the pro wrestling business in 1946. He said wherever the Jarretts went, they made an impact. (I see what he did there.) Fans chanted “You still suck!” He said from day one, his fingerprints, his father’s fingerprints, and his grandmother’s fingerprints have been all over AEW. He closed with: “When he’s done with this place, there’s going to be full bodybags. So AEW fans, you can choke on that, slapnuts.” Jarrett’s TNA theme song then played. Darby remained KO’d on the mat.
(Keller’s Analysis: Jarrett’s name value was buoyed recently in WWE so this feels like a “good get” for AEW in terms of star power. Jarrett building around his family legacy rather than just TNA is a good call. He tried to accomplish what Tony Khan has accomplished, which is a successful national cable and PPV company that can draw good crowds in arenas across the country. TNA had moments, and big cable TV audience, but just never got to the level AEW had pretty much out of the gate. That’s baked into the backstory of whatever his grudge is going to be with the AEW fans. The Cole Carter reveal was flat, but having someone dressed up as Sting distract Darby was a good set-up for the Jarrett promo about that which you worship becoming your weakness. Overall, that was one of Jarrett’s better promos.)
-Excalibur reacted, then shifted to plugs for the next match.
-A video package aired recapping the MJF-Stokely Hathaway developments last week.
-They went backstage to Jon Moxley who said he can’t get enough of the energy of being on Dynamite. He called it a drug that he loves. He said for Lee Moriarty, it’s the biggest night of his life. He said if he relies on his talents and athleticism, he has a chance. He said Lee feels Blackpool Combat Club snubbed him, but they didn’t. He said he actually likes him, but he and Bryan Danielson decided he wasn’t mean enough and violent enough for BCC. He said they are teachers and he’ll give him a lesson in pain and perseverance. He told him to bring any angst from his past to the surface and use it in their match. He said he wants him to be mean, nasty, and violent “because I don’t have time for anything else.”
-They cut to a video of Kenny Omega wins and Omega & Young Bucks match files being deleted from a computer and then the image of the AEW roster removing the Bucks & Omega and replacing them with Death Triangle. [c]
(2) JON MOXLEY vs. LEE MORIARTY – Non-Title match
Ethan Page joined the announcers on commentary. They cut to a split-screen break a couple minutes in. [c]
Back from the break, Moxley took control as fans were standing and looking off to the side of the arena for a while and chanting “MVP!” Taz explained that the Baltimore Raven quarterback Lamar Jackson showed up. A fan held up a sign that said, “More AEW, Less ROH.” Lethal popped up from a Moriarty suplex and went for a submission. Moriarty reversed Mox and applied an STF. Ethan said Moriarty is one of the best technical wrestlers. Moxley escaped and applied a cross armbreaker for the tapout win.
WINNER: Moxley in 8:00.
-Ethan charged into the ring and delivered a boot to the face of Moxley.
(Keller’s Analysis: This is not the most egregious instance, but it’s another instance of angles in the first two matches on Dynamite being a bit too similar – in this instance, with the babyface wrestler being left lying on his back after a blindside attack. The match was fun, and I’m all for Moxley vs. Ethan Page.)
-Renee Paquette interviewed Sarayah alone, noting that Britt Baker no-showed. She said Baker only cares about herself. She touted her history in rapid-fire fashion. Renee asked Sarayah why she came to AEW. Sarayah said she saw AEW when it launched and it was the “rebel company” and she saw so many amazing faces show up and she wanted to be part of it. She said the division could use help getting built up more, but added it was already fantastic. Renee asked about her medical status. She said five years ago, she was injured in the ring and ended up with spinal stenosis. Sarayah said she will address that next week because there’s “one more doctor I want to consult on this.”
-Excalibur hyped the ROH Title defense was up next. [c]
-They showed Lamar Jackson sitting at ringside.
-Schiavone interviewed William Regal about the Moxley vs. MJF main event at Full Gear. Regal said MJF has all the potential in the world, but he has a long way to go to be a true villain. He said Mox is a real demon.
-The Acclaimed made their ring entrance. Max Caster rapped with Anthony Bowens and Billy Gunn with him. He said it’s Billy Gunn’s birthday. He made reference in his rap to Elon Musk making people pay. Bowens then yelled in the ring, “The Acclaimed have arrived.” Gunn’s hands were taped up. Fans chanted, “Go Scissor me, daddy!” Bowens said it’s been a tough week for them because Sneaky Swerve did some damage to Gunn’s fingers, preventing him from scissoring. There was a table in the ring with gifts. The first gifts for Gunn were scissor hands. They gave them to Gunn who put them on his hands. Excalibur mentioned the AEW merch website. Caster said AEW now stands for “Acclaimed Every Wednesday.” Bowens yelled, “Everyone loves the Acclaimed.” He said everyone loves Daddy Ass.
Caster asked who brought gifts for Gunn. He pointed out fans in the stands with homemade scissors and signs. Caster reached into the crowd and grabbed scissors from a fan and presented it to Gunn. Gunn seemed satisfied, but Bowens said they’re not done with him yet. He said in 2006 he was voted part of the “worst worked segment of all time.” They revealed a “World’s Greatest Dad” trophy and it had “dy” added to “Dad.” Fans chanted, “Daddy ass!” Bowens said he had more planned including special guests from Gunn’s past. He said two cancelled at the last minute and the rest were upset he didn’t go to the reunion. Fans popped for that. Gunn crotch-chopped. Bowens said most importantly, over the last couple of months, he’s been a mentor and a father figure to them. Bowens then presented a Certificate of Adoption. He said his and Caster’s names are on it, so they just need Gunn to sign it. Gunn said, “I get to be your daddy?”
Austin and Colten Gunn walked out and said, “Hold on!” Fans chanted “Ass Boys!” at them. Austin asked Billy how he didn’t invite them, his sons, to his party. Colten said they got him a gift anyway. W. Morrisey then came up behind Gunn with a big boot. (That makes three babyfaces over the course of three segments being blind-sided mid-ring.) As Morrisey and the Gunns attacked The Acclaimed and Billy, FTR made the save. The Gunns and Morrisey left. FTR presented The Acclaimed with their belts, but looked at them like they were eager for a title shot.
-Schiavone interviewed Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter backstage. Baker took over immediately and said this segment is on her time in her world. Hayter and Baker said they just want to wrestle. They said they’d wrestle anyone on Friday on Rampage.
-Chris Jericho made his ring entrance with Jake Hager and Daniel Garcia. Jericho said he didn’t like Cesaro’s win last week. He said he’ll face any former champion of ROH – men’s or women’s – and “I’ll even whip Lamar Jackson’s ass.” He said tonight is going to be another monumental night in the Ring of Jericho Era.
(3) CHRIS JERICHO vs. COLT CABANA – ROH Title match
Fans chanted, “Welcome back!” Jericho looked shocked. Ian Riccaboni explained that the ROH World Title has eluded Colt for 20 years since his time in ROH dates back to 2002. Taz said Colt has wrestled all over the world.
[HOUR TWO]
Colt set up the Chicago Skyline on the top rope, but he and Jericho tumbled to the floor. They cut to a break two minutes in. [c/ss]
Back from the break, Jericho poked Colt’s eyes. Colt applied his Billy Goat’s Curse submission. Hager yanked on Colt’s arms. Colt flip dove onto Hager and Garcia at ringside. Back in the ring, Jericho caught Colt with a sudden Code Breaker for the win. Taz said Colt came up a tiny but short. Excalibur said it was basically three-on-one.
WINNER: Jericho in 9:00 to retain the ROH Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Colt appearing in this spot makes storyline sense, but you have to excuse the sense of deception that it wasn’t a former ROH World Chamkpion. It also felt like it might be related to the C.M. Punk situation.)
-After the match, Hager and Garcia grabbed Riccaboni and held him. Jericho slapped him. Sammy Guevara, Matt Mendard, and Angelo Parker joined Jericho, Garcia, and Hager. Claudio Castagnoli made the save. Bryan Danielson and Wheeler Yuta joined the fray. It turned into a big pullapart brawl.
-Renee interviewed Death Triangle backstage. She asked Rey Fenix about the chance to become a double champion tonight. He said it felt great. Pac said that as someone who knows about being double champion, he needs to use the hammer as his golden ticket. He said it’s something to think about. Pac walked away. Penta pulled Fenix aside to talk with him. [c]
(4) ORANGE CASSIDY vs. REY FENIX (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. LUCHASAURUS – All-Atlantic Title match
Schiavone said a lot of people didn’t take Orange seriously, but his demeanor works for him and he knows what he’s doing. They cut to a break after a few minutes of spots. [c]
Luchasaurus chokeslammed Fenix through a table at ringside. Luchasaurus blocked an Orange Punch on the stage and then set up a chokeslam, but Jungle Boy attacked Luchasaurus from behind with a chair. He chased Christian away, then leaped at Luchasaurus and they crashed off the stage through a table below. Fans chanted, “Holy shit!” Pac ran to ringside and threw Cassidy into the ring, then handed Fenix the hammer. Fenix threw it down and shook his head. Taz said he thinks it might be a mistake. Cassidy then rolled up Fenix. Fenix reversed it for a two count. Cassidy then caught Fenix mid-air with an Orange Punch for the win.
WINNER: Cassidy in 10:00 to retain the All-Atlantic Title.
-Pac attacked Cassidy afterward briefly, then left the ring to find the hammer. Katsuyori Shibata then came out to his theme song, joined by Rocky Romero, Chuck Taylor, and Trent Beretta. Excalibur said they haven’t seen Shibata since Forbidden Door. Fans chanted “Holy shit!” Cassidy handed him a contract to sign for a dream match on Rampage on Friday. Taz said, “That’s big!”
-Schiavone interviewed Swerve Strickland and music producer Rick Ross. Ross said he’s there to be sure Swerve is the biggest recording star in the world in addition to being a successful pro wrestler. Keith Lee walked in and said Swerve hasn’t responded to his texts. Ross said they’re keeping it positive. Lee said they aren’t no. 1 contenders. Swerve said they’ll have an eight-man tag next week together with Gunn Club against FTR and The Acclaimed. Lee gave in and toasted them and smiled, but he seemed unsure.
(5) JADE CARGILL vs. MARINA SHAFIR – TBS Title match
Excalibur said Shafir is a close associate of Nyla Rose who was parading around with the TBS Title belt as if she earned it. Jade came out without the belt. As they locked up at the bell, Vickie Guerrero came out and squealed “Excuse me!” Nyla Rose was with her. Rose did commentary on the match. Taz said, “I think our jobs are secure.” Jade walked toward Rose and Vickie in the aisle. Rose said she better pay attention to the ref’s count. Jade ran back to the ring and dropped Shafir and then landed Jaded for the win.
WINNER: Cargill in 2:00 to retain the TBS Title.
-Afterward, Keira Hogan tried to take the TBS Title belt from Rose, but Rose hit her with it and left. Jade ran up and checked on her. [c]
-Excalibur hyped Samoa Joe defending the ROH TV Title next. He hyped Baker & Hayter vs. Madison Rayne & Skye Blue, Cassidy vs. Shibata, and the Full Gear Eliminator Tournament, plus Mike Tyson as guest commentator on Rampage on Friday. He also said Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter is official for Full Gear. A video aired with Storm saying she lived with Hayter in London during the pandemic and became like sisters. Storm said Hayter wouldn’t even talk to her or look at her when she arrived in AEW. Hayter said she thought she was being nice and she hasn’t changed. “Maybe people didn’t notice who I was before,” she said. Storm said it’s obvious she’s Britt’s friend now.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good video package on Storm and Hayter to give that match a little extra something.)
(6) SAMOA JOE vs. BRIAN CAGE – ROH TV Title match
Excalibur said these two hit each like Mack trucks. Cage got the better of Joe a minute in, but after he bragged, Joe recovered and hit Cage with a barrage of punches. Cage came back with a German suplex a minute later. They cut to a split-screen break at 3:00. [c/ss]
Cage dominated during the break, settling into a chinlock on the mat. Back from the break, Cage landed a running flip dive onto Joe on the floor. Joe didn’t step out of the way. Cage showboated afterward before throwing Joe back into the ring. Cage flexed his biceps over Joe. Joe recovered and took control including a senton for a near fall. After more back and forth, Cage landed a discus lariat for a near fall. Joe caught Cage seconds later with a rear naked choke for the tapout win.
WINNER: Joe in 10:00 to retain the ROH TV Title.
-Afterward, the Gates of Agony attacked Joe from behind. Wardlow’s music played and he marched out. Nana got his men to retreat immediately. Powerhouse Hobbs came up behind Wardlow and gave him a spinebuster. He then held up the TNT Title as Excalibur gave one final plug for Rampage as the show ended.
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