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AEW DYNAMITE TV REPORT
FEBURARY 22, 2023
PHOENIX, AZ AT FOOTPRINT CENTER
AIRED ON TBS
REPORT BY TYLER SAGE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz
(1) ORANGE CASSIDY vs. WHEELER YUTA
Orange Cassidy ran the ropes to start, Wheeler Yuta countered and rolled out of the ring. Cassidy tried to place his hands in his pockets and Yuta ran in to stop that. Wheeler tried a roll up twice, until Cassidy tried on of his own, until Yuta rolled out. Claudio walked out and smacked Yuta and told him to go in and fight.
Yuta went in and did some BCC moves and then threw Cassidy out of the ring and tossed him into the barricade and the ringside table area. Yuta picked up Cassidy and tossed him into the ring post and then back into the ring. Wheeler laid in slaps and chops in the corner, Cassidy put his hands up and then put them in his pockets. Yuta laid in heavy forearms, then slapped Cassidy in the middle of the ring. Cassidy then did his shin kicks and then pulled his hands out and slammed Yuta’s head into a top turnbuckle as the crowd counted along.
Yuta fought back and hit a top rope elbow strike for a two count, Yuta then hit a drop kick that sent Cassidy to the outside as the first break started. [c]
Cassidy and Yuta traded strikes, with Yuta getting the advantage. Yuta missed a diving splash, Cassidy tried to take advantage and hit an arm drag, but Yuta hit a brain buster and got a near fall on Cassidy. Orange hit some up kicks from his back, Cassidy then hugged Yuta like the old days. Yuta laid in a head strike and then hammered the head of Cassidy. Yuta hut a German suplex, then Cassidy hit one of his own leading to a near fall.
Yuta tried a mouse trap pin and got a near fall, both men were on the mat after that. Each man then spit on the face of the other and then they traded slaps and forearms. They both tried lariats and took each other out, as the twenty minute time limit neared. Both men were on the apron, Cassidy hit a back drop and then a diving DDT on Yuta. Cassidy put Yuta in the ring, Cassidy hit a DDT then tried for a Beach Break. Yuta countered and hit a pile driver for a near fall. Cassidy then hit BCC elbows on Yuta. Cassidy hit Beach Break, but Yuta kicked out at two.
Orange then hit an Orange Punch for the pinfall win.
WINNER: Orange Cassidy
(Sage’s Analysis: A really fun opener that continues the character narrative of Cassidy, he kind of cares now!)
-Cassidy offered a hug, Claudio came out and told Yuta not to engage and Yuta complied.
-Renee was backstage with Hangman Page and Evil Uno, Evil Uno cut off Hangman and complained that Page thinks he is above Dark Order. He asked Page to not get involved tonight.
-Ricky Starks came out in street clothes. [c]
Ricky did a Cody Rhodes type Meta comment, Starks said that Jericho and the JAS have gotten in his way multiple times. He said that Chris Jericho doesn’t want a match and he is moving on. Starks said he had an open contract for a match with him at Revolution. Starks welcomed anyone to take that open challenge. Guess what? Jericho’s music hit and he walked out. Jericho said that Ricky was trying to bait him into another match, he said that he is done with Jericho when he says he is. He said Starks is not at his level and good luck with his open challenge.
Peter Avalon came out to answer the open challenge, Jericho hit a Judas Effect on him and then walked to the ring. Jericho said Starks can’t have Revolution without him. Starks asked why he needs the JAS and needs them to win. Starks said that Jericho should be able to get the job done by himself. Jericho grabbed the contract and said he can beat Starks one-on-one and made that a stipulation. Jericho did his pen click gimmick and signed the contract.
-A promo setting up all the teams in the tag team battle royal was shown.
(2) THE ACCLAIMED vs. BIG BILL & LEE MORIARTY
After an opening fight, Big Bill kicked Max Caster and Lee Moriarty took advantage. Anthony Bowens was tagged in and beat down Moriarty as the break started. [c]
The Gunn Club came out during the break, Big Bill was working over Max Caster. Once the full screen returned Bowens and Moriarty tagged in and ran the ropes. Bowens hit a leg lariat then a spinning suplex. Big Bill entered and Bowens fought back until Big Bill won the exchange and then went outside to attack Caster.
The Gunn’s got involved and after a mess of events, Caster hit a mic drop on Moriarty for the pinfall win.
WINNER: The Acclaimed
(Sage’s Analysis: Way too much going on here, this plus the bloated Tag Team Battle Royal to come does not inspire hope for the PPV match.)
-Literally seconds after the match ended, Christian Cage was introduced and he was jumped by Jack Perry on the stage area. Perry then brought out two chairs and put Cage’s face on one and set up a strike with the other. Cage hit a low blow to counter and hit Perry with one of the chairs, then slammed his head several times.
-A video recapping the Wardlow/Samoa Joe feud was shown.
(3) SARAYA vs. SKYE BLUE
Saraya pushed the face of Blue and then Blue countered a move, Blue then went to the top and was stopped by Toni Storm. Saraya then stomped the face of Blue, who rolled out and was suplexed by Storm. Saraya then got a two count on Skye Blue fought back and hit a cross body off teh top and then another slam. When she went to cover, Storm distracted the ref. Blue knocked Storm off the apron, Saraya then submitted Blue.
WINNER: Saraya
(Sage’s Analysis: Not much of a match, I don’t know why a top level heel needs to cheat to beat everyone. I think Saraya handling Skye Blue in five minutes works just fine.)
Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker ran off Saraya and Toni Storm. Ruby Soho came out and demanded a title match, one would presume Tony Khan will confirm this via Excalibur. [c]
-Bryan Danielson came out in street clothes, he said it was great to be back in Phoenix. He said it sounded like the crowd wants him to win the title at Revolution. Danielson said that he wanted to talk about MJF saying that he hates Danielson. He then went through all the reasons he should hate MJF, not the other way around. MJF’s music hit, MJF said he knows the real MJF and the real Danielson. He said that he has been hurt by everyone who ever loved him, except the girl he loved. He talked about a girl he loved, who left him. The crowd chanted “you deserve it.” He said the world title is the only thing he has left, the only thing that is stopping him from killing himself.
He said everyone loves Danielson everywhere he goes, he also has a wife and kids. He has it all, he has the life MJF wants. He hates Bryan Danielson because he should have retired. He hates him because he puts wrestling ahead of his family, everything MJF would kill for, for granted. MJF said he would punish him all hour of their match and punish him for all the things he takes for granted. MJF then said he wanted to talk to his children, Danielson said don’t bring his children into this. MJF then talked to Danielson’s kids and said that he will make sure that da-da can never play with them again. Pick them up again, etc.
MJF entered the ring and said he was going to give Danielson the gift of CTE. Danielson then attacked MJF and security guards came out and they did the classic Brock Lesnar visual. [c]
-Jamie Hayter and Britt were backstage, She talked about Saraya doing whatever she wants. Jamie said her and Ruby Soho were both deserving of a title shot. Jamie said it should be a three-way match. Classic Babyface making a match harder for themselves.
(4) TAG TEAM BATTLE ROYAL
Penta hit a fear factor to eliminate Tony Nese.
The Lucha Bros tossed out Ariya Daivari. [c]
Aussie Open and Darius Martin were thrown out by Butcher & The Blade.
The Blade was eliminated by Dark Order.
Alex Reynolds was eliminated by The Butcher.
Preston Vance was eliminated by Penta.
Penta was eliminated by Rush.
Rush was eliminated by Rey Fenix.
John Silver was eliminated by The Butcher.
2.0 was eliminated by The Best Friends.
Chuck Taylor was eliminated by Jeff Jarret and Jay Lethal. [c]
Dante Martin was eliminated by The Butcher.
The Butcher was eliminated by Rey Fenix.
Rey Fenix was eliminated by Jarret and Lethal.
Jay Lethal was eliminated by Trent.
Trent was eliminated by Jeff Jarret.
WINNER: Jeff Jarret & Jay Lethal
(Sage’s Analysis: A pretty standard battle royal, I like The Butcher being the AEW Big Show/Kane. That match must have been pretty rough live with no action during the breaks and all the eliminations happening so close together. Also, my wife (@goodvibeshive on Instagram) wanted me to write that Jeff Jarret should add some purple shampoo or conditioner to his hair to really make it pop.)
-House of Black challenged The Elite for the Trios titles. [c]
-Tony Khan was backstage, he introduced Adam Cole who announced the AEW reality show. He said that the night that show debuts he will also have his first match back.
-The lineup for Rampage was announced, along with some matches for next week’s dynamite.
(5) JON MOXLEY vs. EVIL UNO
Evil Uno charged and beat down Jon Moxley in the corner as the match started. Moxley fought back with chops and stomps in the corner. The two fought back and fourth until Uno booted Moxley to the outside. Uno hit a cannonball senton off the top and onto Moxley. Uno continued to attack Moxley, until Uno was tossed into the steel steps.
Moxley then slammed the head of uno into the stairs. The match was back in the ring, Moxley kick the head of Uno and then cross face punches as Uno was bleeding. Uno countered with a series of pile drivers leading to a near fall on Moxley. Jon Moxley applied a Sleeper Hold and then hit some elbows, Moxley then made it a Bulldog Choke and Uno that caused blood to shoot out of Uno’s head and onto his arm and mat. The ref called the match.
WINNER: Jon Moxley
(Sage’s Analysis: Well that was F’ing brutal, you know I like blood. But that spot with Uno at the end was too much. The brawl was fine, but then Moxley’s amount of blood was a lot. Like more than he will be bleeding at the PPV, very strange choices.)
-BCC members and Dark Order members came out. Hangman Page ran out with barbed wire and punched Moxley, who was bleeding as bad as Uno at this point.
Final Thoughts: An up and down episode of Dynamite that had some solid promos, but felt off throughout the show. Like the show was chasing too much to be a go home show for a PPV and didn’t balance things very well thought the night. But, I did like the MJF/Danielson moment and think that story has been great.
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