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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
MARCH 8, 2023
SACRAMENTO, CALIF.
AIRED LIVE ON TBS
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
[HOUR ONE]
-The Dynamite opening was augmented to include highlights from Sunday night’s Revolution PPV.
-They cut to the stage as pyro blasted and Excalibur introduced the show alongside Tony Schiavone and Taz. “We are diving straight into the action tonight!” he said. (Isn’t that what they do every week?)
(1) ORANGE CASSIDY vs. JAY LETHAL – All-Atlantic Title match
Danhausen accompanied Cassidy with the Best Friends onto the stage with his right arm in a sling. Cassidy carried the belt to the ring in his backpack and then took it out and held it in the air. When Jay Lethal came out with his cohorts, three referees and producer Pat Buck ran out and insisted Jey go to the ring alone. (This was timed weirdly because they didn’t rush out when the Best Friends and Danhausen accompanied Cassidy onto the stage. Why not wait a few more seconds until it was clear that Jeff Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnum Singh were trying to go all the way to the ring with Lethal?) A clip aired of Lethal beating Cassidy back on Aug. 3 last year, but then Cassidy getting a win back on Jan. 18, 2023. Excalibur said this is the rubber match. The sound system started playing the commentators into the whole venue for a few seconds. Fans were thrown off and then laughed and cheered at the technical error. The bell rang four minutes into the show.
Graphics on the screen showed upcoming matches. Lethal bailed out a minute in to regroup after some early offense by Cassidy. Schiavone said Wardlow had a tough night last night and he’d elaborate later. Lethal took control after crotching Cassidy over the top rope and then clipping his knee. Cassidy fell to the floor and clutched his knee. Lethal strutted mid-ring as the ref began counting Cassidy out of the ring. Lethal went after Cassidy at ringside once he stood. He lifted him and rammed him knee-first into the ringpost. They cut to a split-screen break at 6:00. [c/ss]
Lethal continued to work over Cassidy’s knee during the break. Cassidy went for a Slum Dog Millionaire, but Lethal blocked it. Cassidy came right back with a vertical suplex to counter a tilt-a-whirl DDT attempt. Both were down and slow to get up. Lethal came back with a figure-four at 11:00. Cassidy reached the bottom rope to force a break. Lethal chopped Cassidy across his chest on the ring apron. Cassidy slo-mo chopped Lethal in return. Fans ate it up. Lethal got cocky and smiled, so Cassidy clotheslined him hard over the top rope back into the ring. Lethal kicked the back of Cassidy’s leg seconds later. Cassidy surprised Lethal with a small package for a two count. Lethal landed a Lethal Combination and then went for a top rope elbowdrop. Cassidy lifted his knees. Lethal came right back with a cutter for a believable near fall at 14:00. Schiavone said, “We’re getting a kick ass match tonight, aren’t we?”
Lethal went for a Lethal Injection again, but his arm gave out and he landed on his shoulder. Cassidy then hit a quick Orange Punch for the win.
WINNER: Cassidy in 15:00 to retain the All-Atlantic Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good match. It was odd the announcers didn’t talk more about the major headline from Sunday – the MJF win over Bryan Danilson in a classic. It was part of the opening montage, but otherwise they’re talking about key happenings at the PPV other than the biggest story by far. It seems you’d want to lead with that.)
-After the match, Lethal grabbed his stolen Golden Globe at ringside and was going to use it against Cassidy, but the ref got in his way and ordered him to return to the back. Jarrett then snuck in behind Cassidy and gave him his Stroke. He picked up his guitar and smashed it across Cassidy’s injured knee. Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta ran out for the save, so Jarrett retreated into the stands as fans booed.
-They showed footage of Wardlow’s car windows smashed. Excalibur said his bag was stolen including the TNT Title belt.
-Renee Paquette interviewed Powerhouse Hobbs. Hobbs said it’s so unfortunate what happened to him and his life is in shambled. He said all Wardlow has left is being called a champion and tonight he’s taking that.
-Excalibur hyped the main event of Wardlow vs. Hobbs for the TNT Title.
-Ricky Starks made his entrance in street clothes. He said he’s been in California for 10 or 11 days and added to his win over Chris Jericho, he’s having a hell of a week. He said people are asking him what’s next. He said he’s not sure. He said the question that weighs on his mind isn’t what he’s going to do next, but where he’s going to go next. He was interrupted by Bullet Club music. Juice Robinson then attacked Starks from behind. He gave him a DDT. Excalibur said they thought Juice left Bullet Club in Japan, “but apparently not.” He said, “This is incredible!”
(Keller’s Analysis: Why is it “incredible”? That’s a strange way to characterize a heel jumping a babyface. Two segments in a row a heel attacked a babyface from behind. I’m not sure setting up Starks-Juice and Jarrett-Cassidy feuds is going to slow the erosion of AEW viewership or give a sense of momentum coming out of Revolution. What did Starks mean when he said the big question isn’t what he does next but where he’s going next. That could be read as a hint that he’s considering leaving AEW to go to WWE. Is Juice a suitably credible opponent to send a signal that AEW believes in Starks as a rising top tier babyface? I don’t think so. We’ll see where this goes, though, regarding the Bullet Club affiliation.) [c]
-Schiavone interviewed Wardlow backstage. Wardlow said he’s dealt with a lot of loss lately. He was wearing an FTR t-shirt and thanked them for loaning him some clothes. He said he wants Hobbs in an “falls count anywhere, anything goes” match because he’s dressed for the occasion. He said he may not physically have the belt, but he is the TNT Champion “and no man on earth is going to take that from me.”
(Keller’s Analysis: I know there are differing opinions on this, but Wardlow’s new look is so much better now. Solid promo there, too. No “Wardlow’s World” nonsense is a bonus.)
-Renee interviewed Ruby Soho and asked her why she joined Toni Storm and Saraya. Soho said it’s obvious and shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. “You all created this monster,” she said. She said when Brit Baker beat her, the fans were thrilled. Fans chanted “DMD! DMD!” Soho then talked about facing Kris Statlander in the Owen Hart Tournament. She said after she beat Statlander, fans booed her. She said at Revolution, when Hayter pinned her, she realized no one would ever come to her aid when she lost and no one in AEW would ever appreciate her. She said AEW didn’t respect Storm enough to call her an actual champion, but rather called her “Interim.” She said when Saraya arrived, the fans came after her. She said they’ve been outcasts since they came to AEW, yet they came to AEW to rebuild the Women’s Division. She said you cannot rebuild on a broken foundation, you have to tear down and build from scratch. She said the rookies in the back think they deserve the world because Tony Khan gives it to them. She called out Skye Blue. Blue made her way out to her entrance theme.
(2) RUBY SOHO vs. SKYE BLUE
Excalibur said that was “selective memory” from Soho. Taz said Soho made some legitimate points. Schiavone said she should get over it. Excalibur said some of the women had Soho’s back and she’s ignoring that. Soho controlled the match early. Soho controlled the action during the break. [c/ss]
Excalibur plugged that FTR and “Hangman” Page would speak later on the show. Blue made a comeback. Soho then finished Blue with a hair pull and Destination Unknown finisher.
WINNER: Soho in 7:00.
-After the match, Storm and Saraya came out with spray paint. Soho started spraying green paint on Blue’s chest. Willow Nightengale ran out. She confronted Soho and appeared to be pleading with her to change her mind. Soho and Storm attacked her from behind.
(Keller’s Analysis: Three segments so far where heels attacked a babyface from behind. At least this one came from the opposite direction! Soho’s promo was solid and her logic, while not entirely adhering to a fair portrayal of facts, showed at least her mindset for her decision. It also clears up why she didn’t align with Saraya during the match rather than after they lost the match.)
-Renee interviewed Hangman backstage. She asked how he’s doing. He said physically he’s been better. He said his heart went somewhere with no light not because he wanted to, but because he had to. He said that’s a warning that if you push him, he will take you to hell and rip your flesh off bones and choke you until the life leaves your body, “I’ll ride back out.” Renee asked if he’s done with Jon Moxley now. Hangman said he is sorry for what she had to see. He said if she wants to blame somebody, don’t blame him. He said he’s finished now.
(Keller’s Analysis: It seems inappropriate to assign Renee the job of interviewing Hangman considering what he did to her husband days earlier. I know AEW sees that as basically the compelling selling point of the situation, though.)
-Excalibur hyped Wardlow vs. Hobbs and the six-man tag match. [c]
-A vignette aired with a bloodied MJF backstage after his win on Sunday. He yelled that fans thought Danielson was on his level, but he snapped the Dragon’s wing clean off. He said he’s the devil with horns growing off his forehead. He said his back isn’t against the wall. He said it’s time to celebrate because “Daddy is single in San Francisco!” He said on March 15, his birthday, he’s going to stroll on in to Winnipeg and celebrate “that I am the most complete wrestler in the world.” He said nobody is going to dethrone the devil because his reign of terror has just begun.
(Keller’s Analysis: MJF gloating right after his match while still bloodied is great imagery. Teasing a longer in-ring segment next week is a good hook.)
-Excalibur said you have to give the devil his due because he is still AEW Champion.
-Schiavone introduced FTR from mid-ring. They made their entrance. Fans cheered for a while. Cash said they missed that. He said 2022 was a great year for them, but the last few months took a bad turn. He said they lost to The Acclaimed, they lost to The Gunns, they lost three sets of tag titles in a month, and they lost one of their best friends in wrestling. A “Jay” chant started. Cash said they needed a break and needed to recharge. He said they couldn’t sit at home in good conscience and watch the Gunns call themselves the best tag team in pro wrestling. He said they are good and they are the future, but they are also spoiled, entitled, disrespectful little assholes. “Your father gave you everything you could ever ask for,” he said. He said his dad couldn’t get him a job in “the best wrestling company in the world.” He said he taught him to fight and be respectful, and he’ll teach the Gunns that lesson.
Dax said he could talk about his wife and daughters, but he’s going to talk about the fans. He said he loves this industry because of the fans’ support for him. “Damn, I love y’all too!” he said. An “FTR!” chant broke out. He said the last memory he has of one of his best friends in the industry was taken away from him by the Gunns, so now it’s time for retribution. He said it’d be easy to find them and beat their ass, but they want to take the AEW Tag Team Titles from them “for us, for the Briscoes, and for all of y’all.”
(Keller’s Analysis: Good straight-forward reintroduction. The fans are clearly really behind FTR in a big way. If AEW makes them the centerpiece of the tag division for the next year and marches one heel team after another in front of them for memorable title defenses, it will shore up one area of AEW that’s been sidetracked but has a relatively easy fix.)
-Renee interviewed Jade Cargill backstage. She asked about her being 53-0 and if she feels challenged anymore. Jade said she’s blown through every opponent so far. She said they’re headed to Canada next week, so she asked for the best challenger Canada has.
-The Jericho Appreciation Society made their entrance to “Judas.”
[HOUR TWO]
(3) CHRIS JERICHO & SAMMY GUEVARA & DANIEL GARCIA (w/Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, Jake Hager) vs. TOP FLIGHT (Dante & Darius Martin & A.R. Fox)
Fox dove over the top rope into Jericho a minute into the match. Jericho crawled over and hugged Garcia. Garcia then tagged in. J.A.S. struck poses whenever they got the advantage. They cut to a split-screen break a few minutes in. [c/ss]
Fox made a comeback and landed a cutter on Garcia for a near fall. Darius tagged in and back suplexed Garcia into a bridge for another near fall. He tagged out to Jericho, but Fox landed a Spanish Fly and got an instant two count. Dante leaped through the ropes onto Garcia. Guevara hit him with a running knee. Fox leaped onto Guevarra at ringside. Jericho and Darius battled inside the ring. Darius used an inside cradle to counter Jericho’s Walls attempt for a two count. Hager hit Darius with the bat from behind. Jericho then landed the Judas Effect for the win.
WINNERS: Jericho & Guevara & Garcia in 10:00.
-Afterward, Parker said the fans just witnessed the single-greatest Trios victory in AEW history. He asked them to “light the beam!” (That’s what the Sacramento Kings do when they win games.) Menard bragged about being the epitome of sports entertainers. Garcia said it’s only fair that the J.A.S. are the no. 1 contenders for the Trios Titles now. Guevara added that they’re the sexiest group alive. Jericho said they’re deeming themselves the new top contenders for the Trios Championships. He called House of Black to turn off the lights and get their asses in the ring now. Instead, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks showed up on the stage as their theme song played.
Omega said for the better part of three years, they’ve stayed out of each other’s business. He said he’d like to think that comes from a place of mutual respect, but when you talk about the Trios Championships, that gets their attention. Don Callis took the mic from Omega. He said The Elite established the Trios Championships. He said it’s obvious that The Elite remain no. 1 contenders after the match at Revolution. He said he and Jericho have been friends for 33 years and he agrees with those who say Jericho is among the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. He said he’s only the second-best wrestler from Winnipeg, though. Schiavone said he’s got a point. “I think,” Schiavone added. “I’m not taking sides here.” Callis said if he had a couple months to train, Jericho would move down to no. 3. Jericho called them to the ring. The lights then went out.
House of Black showed up on the big screen and said they’d be happy to humiliate either of the teams in their home towns. Then they showed up on the ramp and said, “Come get them.” Fans chanted “House of Black!” Schiavone called them “creepy.” The lights went dark again. Excalibur said they can hear something is going on. When the lights came back on, the Elite were on the ramp alone and J.A.S. were still in the ring, but House of Black were missing.
(Keller’s Analysis: So who is getting the title shot next week? And who decides?)
-Excalibur said it’ll be a three-way match for the Trios Titles.
(Keller’s Analysis: Okay, that answers that. I was thinking they were going to have The Elite vs. J.A.S. on Rampage to decide who got the title shot next week, which might serve to rehabilitate the crashing viewership of Rampage.)
-They went backstage to Tony Khan who said Cassidy wants to defend next week against Jarrett. He said the All-Atlantic Title is the only title to ever change hands on foreign sale. He said next week, the title will be renamed the AEW International Championship because they’re “leveling up the championship.” He said it’ll be a huge milestone for AEW. He tied it into Warner Brothers releasing “Shazam,” but didn’t explain why.
(Keller’s Analysis: Uh, that’s better, but isn’t the AEW World Title also international in the sense that it represents “the world. Why not make it the AEW TV Championship and frame it as a title that’s defended more often than any other title in AEW, and go a step further to differentiate it such as saying only wrestlers who have never held the TNT or AEW World Title or challenged for either title are eligible to fight for it so it takes on a “future star” or “rising prospects” vibe. Even with a new name, it’s still a title without a purpose to differentiate it.) [c]
-A vignette aired on the MJF-Danielson match. Danielson said his first instinct when he was in the LeBell Lock was to fight, but then he realized he couldn’t feel his arms. His voice cracked as he said MJF predicted that he wouldn’t be able to play with his kids after the Iron Man match. He said MJF was right when he said he was putting himself ahead of his family. He said he was ashamed of tapping out. “It’s time for me to go home,” he said. He stood up and walked away.
(Keller’s Analysis: That sure sold the concent of the agony of defeat and put over the brutality – physically and mentally – of a match like that with MJF. I’m curious how Danielson is reintroduced. I don’t know if the AEW fanbase is going to love the idea that maybe they’re losing Danielson, too, though.)
-Excalibur said Danielson was obviously very emotional in those moments shortly after his match at Revolution.
(4) CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI & JON MOXLEY vs. DARK ORDER (John Silver & Alex Reynolds)
They cut to a split-screen break four minutes in. [c/ss]
Moxley got Reynolds to tapout to a submission hold.
WINNERS: Moxley & Claudio in 10:00.
-Afterward, Moxley re-applied the hold. Claudio blocked the ref from intervening. Silver ran in for the save. Claudio gut-wrenched Silver into the air and threw him over the top rope. Mox cinched on the hold. Evil Uno ran out and beat on Moxley. Wheeler Yuta clipped Uno from behind and then held him up for Mox. Hangman ran out for the save and got in Moxley’s face. Fans chanted “Cowboy Shit!” Hangman punched Claudio who fired back with an uppercut. Yuta, Moxley, and Claudio swarmed Hangman. Excalibur said Hangman was trying to put Mox behind him. Five referees separated everyone. Fans chanted, “Let them fight!”
(Keller’s Analysis: Dark Order feels beneath Claudio and Moxley unless it’s just to get plowed through. Having Hangman back in the mix with Moxley undoes the sense of the “score being settled” Sunday, which is a shame. I think everyone’s ready for them to go their separate ways.)
-A commercial aired for the AEW All-Access show premiering next week. [c]
-Renee interviewed The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn backstage. They were interrupted by Mendard & Parker. They said the J.A.S. loves The Acclaimed and they love rap music. Parker said they are sports entertainers at heart, so how about they unite. Max Caster, Anthony Bowens, and Billy Gunn laughed in their faces.
-They showed the exterior of Golden1 Center with the AEW logo and wrestlers on the marquee. Excalibur then hyped the Rampage line-up: Action Andretti vs. Guevara, The Acclaimed in action, Konosuke Takeshita vs. Preston Vance and Riho vs. Nyla Rose. Then Dynamite: Cassidy vs. Jarrett, MJF’s Re-Bar Mitzvah Celebraiton, and the three-way for the Trios Title.
(5) WARDLOW vs. POWERHOUSE HOBBS – TNT Title match
Wardlow didn’t come out when his music played. They cut to the parking garage area where Hobbs had attacked Wardlow. Hobbs hit Wardlow with the big golden ring. He threw Wardlow into the car door, breaking its hinges. Then he threw a keg. Wardlow ducked, and the keg dented the car. Hobbs suplexed Wardlow onto the hood. Next, Hobbs set up a move on Wardlow on the hood, but Wardlow backdropped him onto the windshield, which shattered. Wardlow got the first near fall of the match. Wardlow dragged Hobbs and threw him into a pile plastic crates. Then he bashed him with it. They cut to a split-screen break. [c/ss]
Wardlow bashed Hobbs with a chair across his back and then dragged him onto the entrance stage as they returned from the break. Hobbs gave Warlow a spinebuster, but Wardlow popped up. They exchanged punches mid-ring. Hobbs landed a second spinebuster and then a third for a near fall. Wardlow put Hobbs on a table at ringside, then leaped off the top rope and flipped onto Hobbs. That led to a near fall. Fans chanted, “This is awesome!” Wardlow powerbombed Hobbs on the ramp. Both were slow to get up. Warlow dragged Hobbs onto the stage and set up a powerbomb. Q.T. Marshall bashed Wardlow from behind with a chair, then gave him a low-blow, then jabbed him in the neck with the chair. The announcers were outraged. He then bashed Wardlow across his skull with the chair. Wardlow went down. Marshall laughed. Marshall helped Hobbs to his feet. They threw Wardlow off the stage onto a crash pad below. Schiavone said, “They might have broken his back.” The ref counted to ten. Taz said they hadn’t seen Marshall “in forever.” The show ended with Marshall raising Hobbs’s arm.
WINNER: Hobbs to capture the TNT Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: I’m not against Q.T. Marshall being a regular presence on AEW TV. I’m not sure he should pop in and out with big gaps between appearances and then show up and be the driving force of what should’ve been a bigger moment in Hobbs’s career. The announcers tried to explain a Marshall-Hobbs connection, but I don’t think it worked. Fans need to either care about both key players and have an idea of who they are and what defines their characters when a big angle happens, or they need to be taken on a journey where the two characters are working together before the big angle occurs. This situation is doing a big angle and then trying to get people to care about it afterward. Does Hobbs really need to be working with Marshall for his character to work? Is this just to give Hobbs someone to interfere on his behalf over and over so he can be a cheating heel instead of a dominant heel who might end up being cheered? I’m certainly willing to see if there’s chemistry that develops between Hobbs and Marshall. If so, great. Then stick with it and have the confidence in Marshall for him to be a weekly presence on AEW Dynamite. If he deserves to be part of this angle in the first place, then that means he should be on TV every week afterward adding to the show and enhancing rising star Hobbs’s act. The finish itself was lame. The crash pad stuff is just eye-roll inducing, made worse by the announcers having to pretend it looks devastating. And can we please stop anything resembling unprotected chairshots to the head. Do we need a refresher in all the wrestlers who took chairshots to the head who have had long-term series effects? We can’t make being a pro wrestler entirely safe for brain health, but we can easily eliminate one thing that was an epidemic of excess 15-20 years ago that is so visually disturbing to watch it just feels shameful to be part of an audience supporting that as part of the storytelling of a fight. There’s so many safer ways to tell a compelling story of physical battle and violence than that.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: This show had some good and some bad. The vignettes with MJF and Danielson were superb. Not leading the show off with reaction to that match was a mistake, I think. The new name for the All-Atlantic Title doesn’t address the core issue with that title’s existence. Ruby Soho’s promo was a good showing from her with an explanation that makes Sunday’s match and turn make more sense. Settling a feud between Moxley and Hangman in a Texas Death Match only to renew the feud immediately afterward undermines the investment fans had in the PPV match. It was time to move on. I still have no idea who Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks are other than they hang with a sleazebag Don Callis. Having FTR back helps revive the tag team division from the zany sideshow it has become and gives fans hope for a return to a stellar, serious tag division with stand out matches. Ricky Starts feuding with Bullet Club could be good for him as long as Juice Robinson is the beginning of something and not the sold person he’s feuding with. The exterior shot of the slick arena in Sacramento was a nice easy visual addition to the show that I hope they stick with. The montage of PPV highlights during the opening theme was a clever and effective way to eat your cake and have it too since it didn’t use any TV time but also showed the majority of the non-PPV buying audience snippets of what a wild night Sunday was.
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