SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
DECEMBER 14, 2022
GARLAND, TEX. AT CURTIS CULWELL CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON TBS
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone
[HOUR ONE]
-The Dynamite opening aired.
-They went to the crowd as the old “NBA on NBC” theme song played. (Tony Khan tweeted earlier he was really excited to gain rights to that song.)
(1) DEATH TRIANGLE (Pac & Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero Miedo w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. THE ELITE (The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega w/Don Callis, Brandon Cutler) – Fourth match in Best of Seven Series for AEW Trios Titles
The Elite came out first. Then Death Triangle. The bell rang five minutes into the show. Callis joined in on commentary. The Bucks took it to Pac early, then tagged in Omega who got a nice pop. Omega went for a cover and Pac kicked out at one. Nick tagged in and indicated he had an injured ankle after kicking Pac. He talked with Matt and Kenny briefly, then tagged in his brother. He tried to walk it off on the ring apron. Then he dropped to ringside and at first Cutler checked on him. Taz said he’s more vulnerable to injury by not wearing transitional wrestling boots. Doc Sampson then checked on him. Taz said Matt was helped to the back. They cut to a split-screen break at 5:30. [c/ss]
Graphics in the corner of the screen advertised upcoming matches and segments. Pac tripped Omega running the ropes and then took control in the ring. Penta kicked Matt from behind as Matt was reaching for a tag. Then he gave him a Fear Factor piledriver on the ring apron. Fenix and Penta double-teamed Omega and scored a near fall after a top rope move by Fenix. Fenix tagged Pac back in. He went for a Black Arrow, but Omega moved.
Nick limped back out. Michael Nakazawa tried to stop him. Omega reached for the tag. Excalibur said that’s just what The Elite needed. Omega tagged in Nick to a big pop. Nick rallied and played to the hard camera. Penta hit Nick on his injured ankle with the ring bell hammer as the ref’s back was turned. Penta told Fenix to seize the moment. Fenix seemed hesitant, but then did apply an inverted knee bar. Pac held back Omega with his own hold. Nick tapped out. Excalibur said Death Triangle now have a near insurmountable lead.
WINNERS: Death Triangle in 14:00 to take a 3-1 lead.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good match with a mega-dose of athletic highspots packed into 14 minutes. The crowd enthusiasm, especially for hot-tags, helped elevate the experience. The finish with Nick having an injury which Penta exploited with an illegal blow puts heat on the heel trio.)
-Omega said after the match that he’s got a message for Death Triangle. He said a 3-1 deficit is pretty bad in sports. He said they’ve used a hammer in every match so far, so how about they make the hammer legal. Pac yelled, “Oh, bring it on!” Omega said he’s not one to lay down the hammer like them, so how about they make all weapons legal too. Omega said, “We are sick of playing by our rules, so let’s make it so there aren’t any rules at all.” He proposed no DQ. Pac was enthusiastic about it. Omega asked what the fans think. They cheered. “I was not formatted to cut this promo, so I will bid you adieu,” he said. Nakazawa and Callis helped Omega to the back.
-Alex Marvez interviewed MJF backstage. MJF applauded patronizingly Ricky Starks’s promo from last week. “They’re calling it a star-making performance,” he said. (That’s precisely what I called it in last week’s report.) He said the funny part is the first time he ever appeared on Dynamite, he was already a star. He said he’s been hitting 1.000 since then. He asked how many at-bats Ricky had before he hit that homerun. He said he made Starks a star, not Starks himself. He said he is a star-maker, “so you’re welcome for the rub, Rick.”
He said Starks then talked about how poor he grew up and how he had to live out of his car and eat out of a dumpster with raccoons. He said all that matters is whether you are the AEW Champion. He said the fans are whiners like Starks who relate to him. MJF said he, on the other hand, had it easy growing up. He said he was indeed born rich, pretty, witty, and better than Starks “and every future person on this planet.” He said Starks meandered for seven minutes and lost his place several times. He said he is already the guy with the Diamond Ring and the AEW Title. He said everybody wants to see his downfall. He said he doesn’t envy Ricky because everyone around the world wants Starks to win the big one in his adopted home state of Texas. He said that’s pressure. He said everyone will find out what happens when pressure is applied to the pebble. He said he could turn into a diamond or crumble into dust.
(Keller’s Analysis: Excellent MJF promo. It was all about the match and laid out a contrast between him and his opponent that made it clear who you’d root for if you’re a decent person. It also acknowledged last week’s segment which generated a buzz and he reframed it as something he deserves full credit for.)
-The Acclaimed made their entrance accompanied by Billy Gunn. Max Caster rapped with references to Britney Griner returning and Elon Musk getting booed. Sonjay Dutt, Satnum Singh, Jay Lethal, and Jeff Jarrett attacked them, interrupting the rap. Jarrett hit Caster with his guitar. “Yo, yo, yo, Acclaimed, do we have your attention now? Little bitch, why don’t you scissors this, slap nut.” He dropped the tag belt on Caster’s chest.
(Keller’s Analysis: I wasn’t anticipating Jarrett being such a central focus of a tag team title feud with Jarrett being one of the wrestlers, but he’s looked solid so far physically and he’s getting some crowd heat for his heel mic work. This is a back-to-the-basics angle.)
-Excalibur narrated clips of Claudio beating Chris Jericho to win the ROH World Title at Final Battle last Saturday night.
-Tony Schiavone interviewed the Jericho Appreciation Society backstage (Chris Jericho, Angelo Parker, Daniel Garcia, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager). Jericho said the giant swing should be banned. He said he’s going to take out his frustrations in a tune-up match later against some jobber to get ready for his rematch against Claudio. Jericho said he’s just as much a flash in the pan as Joe Exotic and Ricky Starks. Schiavone turned to ask Garcia about losing his Pure Title at the PPV also. As Garcia began to talk, Jericho took the mic and he shouldn’t have lost, but he needs a little more advice and experience. He told him to shadow his elder Sammy Guevara from now on. Garcia didn’t seem to like that. Garcia patted him on the chest. Sammy said he can start on Rampage on Friday. He said he’ll kick Jon Moxley’s ass on Friday. The segment closed with Hager yelling in the background, “I like this hat!”
(2) “THE MACHINE” BRIAN CAGE (w/Prince Nana) vs. “JUNGLE BOY” JACK PERRY
Cage made his entrance first. They aired a clip of The Embassy winning the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles at Final Battle. Perry got in early offense until Cage landed a back elbow and then a suplex into the ring. He flexed his arms and went back on the attack. He overhead tossed Perry and then gloated as they cut to a split-screen break. [c/ss]
Back from the break, Cage seemed to be on the verge of winning and the announcers were writing Perry off when Perry countered with a Destroyer for a two count. Perry applied the Snare Trap. Nana distracted the ref as Cage tapped. Perry got up to yell at Nana. Cage then charged at Perry, but he bumped into Nana. Perry then rolled up Cage for a leverage three count.
WINNER: Perry in 9:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: After the match, Perry said he beat Luchasaurus at Full Gear and he beat Brian Cage tonight, so he wants the biggest bitch of them all. He challenged “Big Bill.”)
Stokely Hathaway just happened to be standing by and walked out saying Perry pisses him off. He said he’ll see the bottom of his boot. Perry pursued him on the stage, but Lee Moriarty charged out. W. Morrisey joined him. They called him “Big Bill” as if that’s what he’s always been called. They double-teamed Perry in the ring. Hook came out to his theme song. The crowd popped big for him. The heels retreated. Hook helped Perry to his feet and they looked at each other and nodded.
-In a backstage interview, Jon Moxley stood in front of Claudio and Wheeler Yuta. He touted that Claudio and Yuta won belts at the ROH PPV. He said he choked Takeshita unconscious like a sack of potatoes last Friday too. He said that’s a small sample of what they will do. Claudio said they’re putting everyone on notice. Yuta said if he’s learned anything from them, if you want to achieve greatness, you have to fight like you’re already dead, so if you want some, they aren’t hard to find. Mox said Sammy Guevara is a brave kid whom he thinks will show up. He said he’ll stomp his face to a bloody mess and leave him for dead. “That’s what we do,” he said. He said to “Hangman” Page he knows where to find him, and he can bring his Dark Order buddies too.
-Excalibur hyped the MJF vs. Starks main event. [c]
-A vignette aired with Swerve Strickland who said he gave Keith Lee everything and he threw it in his face. He promoted his meeting with Lee next week. He said he’s not a friend, a partner, or family. He said he has no family in the business, just affiliates. “See you soon,” he said.
(3) HOUSE OF BLACK (Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews & Brody King w/Julia Hart) vs. THE FACTORY (Q.T. Marshall & Aaron Solo & Cole Karter (w/Nick Comoroto, Lee Johnson)
Before the match, Hart blew black mist in the face of Comoroto. A brawl broke out with everyone that spilled to ringside. Fans chanted “House of Black!” as Brody and Matthews eyed Marshall in the ring. Black then landed a spinning hook kick to knock down Q.T. Marshall for an easy three count.
WINNERS: House of Black in 1:00.
-A vignette aired hyping the Hikaru Shida challenging Jamie Hayter next week for the AEW Title.
[HOUR TWO]
-Renee Paquette interviewed Britt Baker and Rebel backstage. As Baker talked up Hayter, Skye Blue showed up. Baker said that was bold of her to interrupt her. Blue said everyone in the locker room could hear her because she talks so loudly. She asked if she can wrestle as well as she runs her mouth. They agreed to wrestle on Rampage on Friday.
(4) CHRIS JERICHO vs. ACTION ANDRETTI
Jericho made his entrance as fans sang “Judas.” Jericho gave the crowd two middle fingers. Jericho slapped Andretti twice and then gloated with his arms extended. Jericho gouged his eyes in the corner. Jericho clotheslined him in the corner, chopped his chest against the ropes, and then cross-chopped his throat. Andretti leapfrogged Jericho, but Jericho chopped him. Andretti rallied including a twisting splash. Jericho came right back with a Death Valley Driver. Fans chanted, “Let’s go jobber!” Taz called it an insulting comment. Jericho landed a Code Breaker for a near fall. Fans popped for the kickout. Excalibur exclaimed, “Improbably, this match will continue picture-in-picture.” They cut to a split-screen break. [c/ss]
Jericho beat him up methodically during the break. The announcers said Jericho is having a terrible week and is “taking it out on the kid.” Andretti rallied again, which the crowd was way into. Then they booed Jericho’s comeback. Andretti climbed to the top rope as fans went bonkers. Jericho lifted his knees, though. Jericho then went for a Judas Effect. Andretti rolled him up for a near fall. He landed a leaping enzuigiri and then clotheslined Jericho over the top rope. He slingshot splashed Jericho at ringside. Fans chanted, “Holy shit!” at him.
Andretti springboard dropkicked back into the ring, but Jericho set up a Walls of Jericho. Andretti countered Jericho into a small package for a near fall. Andretti dropkicked Jericho and then kipped up. He landed a leaping moonsault press for the pin. They called it the upset of the decade. Schiavone declared it an incredible moment on Dynamite. Excalibur said that wasn’t a tune-up for Jericho because he got tuned up. Andretti leaped into the audience as Jericho looked on in shock.
WINNER: Andretti in 9:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: That was a 1-2-3 Kid pins Razor Ramon moment. The crowd ate it up start to finish. That was masterfully done. Now will they capitalize on this?)
-Ricky Starks cut a promo backstage saying he is The Man tonight. He said it’s fitting he is getting a title match against Maxi Pad in his backyard. He said there’s been a long road for him since he arrived, and he acknowledges that. He said he’s going to win the title “because I have no other options.” He said he has grinded and paid his dues for 11 years and that comes to a head tonight. He said he’s been letting people know who he is since Day 1. He said MJF likes to find validation in drawing ratings. He said nobody cares about that. He said what people care about is seeing him beat his ass tonight. He said he has a lot of people looking up to him, something MJF doesn’t know about. He said he has people actually rooting for him. He said he is a reflection of what he wants to be. He said he’ll prove to everyone who had a doubt about him why he is absolutely the AEW Champion. He said don’t forget his name because nobody will forget his face.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good stuff. More Ric Flair with a touch of Gino Hernandez and babyface Eddie Gilbert than The Rock, I’d say.) [c]
-A segment aired with FTR sitting on chairs commenting on their match at the ROH PPV against the Briscoes. Dax said a lot of people are calling it the greatest trilogy of all time. They shifted to Colten and Austin Gunn attacking them afterward. Cash said they just finished the most brutal match they’ve ever been in and then the Ass Boys tried to capitalize on that. Dax said they have their attention now.
-Jericho threw a fit backstage, bashing a chair against crates and throwing stuff and slamming doors.
(Keller’s Analysis: It’s a small thing, but that follow-up isn’t something AEW does as much as they should.)
-They showed Starks warming up backstage with stretch bands. Then they showed MJF getting a massage while scrolling on his phone.
(5) TAY MELO vs. RUBY SOHO
Sammy made out with Melo on the entrance stage. Melo attacked Soho before the bell at ringside. The ref checked on Soho and then called for the bell. They brawled up the ramp where Melo countered Soho and DDT’d her on the ramp. They cut to a split-screen break. [c/ss]
Solo landed Destination Unknown for the win.
WINNER: Ruby in 8:00.
-After the match, Anna Jay ran out and attacked Soho from behind.
-Alex Marvez interviewed “Hangman” Page backstage. Hangman said he probably won’t be cleared to wrestle soon. He said in October when he was lying facedown on the mat, then he was loaded into the ambulance. He said as he came to, he was asked about the date and his location. He got the answers right. He said the paramedics unlocked his phone and said his son messaged. They asked his son’s name. He said he didn’t know for a half hour. He said that was hell and he’ll take Mox’s ass with him to hell.
-Excalibur plugged Rampage including Moxley vs. Guevara, Baker vs. Blue, and Wardlow in action. Then a promo aired with Dustin Rhodes, Danhaussen, Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta, and Chuck Taylor. Excalibur then plugged the eight-man tag match with Dustin & Best Friends & Cassidy vs. Trent Seven & Kip Sabian & Butcher & The Blade. Excalibur then hyped Dynamite’s “Holiday Bash” featuring FTR vs. The Gunns, Hayter vs. Shida for the title, and match five in the Best of Seven series for the Trios Title. [c]
(6) MJF vs. RICKY STARKS – AEW World Title match with the Dynamite Diamond Ring at stake also
MJF mocked Starks’s pose early. He also did a Buddy Rogers/Fargo/Flair/Jarrett strut. Starks shoulder-tackled MJF to the floor and then got fired up. MJF jumped over the barricade and yelled at some fans. Excalibur said if the Trios Title series goes to match six, it will be a Falls Count Anywhere match. In the case of a seventh match, it’ll be a ladder match. Back in the ring, Starks hiptossed MJF and backdropped him. He landed a sunset flip for a two count. MJF thumbed Starks in the eye as the ref was breaking them up in the corner. MJF played to the crowd and smiled arrogantly. He then went back on the attack. MJF dropped Starks over the top rope. [c/ss]
MJF dominated during the break. Starks landed a sitout powerbomb for a near fall. Fans chanted “This is awesome!” MJF took over and stomped on Starks. They swung wildly at each other mid-ring. MJF poked Starks in the face and then landed a rolling elbow off the ropes. Starks fired right back with a spear. Both were down and slow to get up. Starks crawled over with a draped arm over MJF at the count of nine. MJF kicked out and immediately rolled into a Salt of the Earth armbar. Schiavone said MJF lured Starks right into it. MJF bit his hand. Starks reached for the bottom rope, but MJF yanked his arm back. Starks forced a break with his boot over the bottom rope to force a break. Starks rolled up MJF for a near fall. They countered each other on the mat. MJF went for a bridge up, but MJF’s boot slipped. They did another bridge up sequence that led to a two count. Starks then popped up and landed a superkick. Starks set up a Roshambo, but MJF blocked it. MJF hid behind the ref, then kicked Starks in the crotch. He followed up with a small package for the win.
WINNER: MJF in 16:00 to retain the AEW World Title and the Dynamite Diamond Ring.
(Keller’s Analysis: A good, smartly plotted, largely well-executed match with great crowd heat. MJF was all-out heel. Starks put up a great fight and looked every bit in MJF’s league.)
-As MJF returned to the back, Bryan Danielson came out to his music. He chased MJF to ringside. MJF ran away through the crowd. Danielson entered the ring and raised Starks’s arm as the show ended
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.