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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
NOVEMBER 29, 2023
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. AT TARGET CENTER
AIRED ON TBS
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
[HOUR ONE]
-The Dynamite opening aired.
-They cut to the stage where pyro was blasting as Excalibur introduced the show. They panned the camera past the part of the lower bowl with fans, and the upper deck was blacked out. Bryan Danielson came out onto the stage to his music and joined Excalibur and Taz. They discussed a graphic showing the chart. Excalibur talked about there being three members of the Blackpool Combat Club in the tournament. Danielson said if they love fighting each other and even when training, they’ll go all out.
(1) JON MOXLEY vs. JAY LETHAL – Continental Classic Tournament
Mox came out first. Then Lethal. Excalibur clarified that the winner of the tournament will be the AEW Continental Champion (as part of the Triple Crown), so it’s an actual title belt that, in theory, will join the TNT Title, AEW World Title, and International Title that are defended regularly in AEW in the men’s division, not to mention the ROH TV Title and ROH Pure Title which make their way into AEW semi-regularly too. The bell rang six minutes into the show.
They locked up to start. Lethal applied an early figure-four near the bottom rope. Mox rolled himself and Lethal under the bottom rope to the floor. A minute later, Mox knocked Lethal off the ring apron and then dove through the ropes and knocked Lethal into the barricade. Lethal took Mox down with a Dragon screw back in the ring. Lethal landed a top rope elbowdrop at 4:00 and scored a two count. Lethal knocked Mox to the floor as they cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Lethal worked over Mox’s legs on the mat during the break. Lethal took Mox down with a Dragon screw off the ropes. Danielson said this is a different Jay Lethal than they saw last week. Mox caught Lethal with a sleeper, but Lethal escaped when leveraging Mox’s shoulders down while in Mox’s grip. He applied a figure-four again. Mox reached for the bottom rope and grabbed it to force a break. Mox applied a sleeper a minute later and then wrapped Lethal’s body with his legs and got a tapout win. Mox increased his tally from 3 points to 6 points with that win. Lethal remained as zero.
WINNER: Moxley in 12:00 in a Continental Classic match.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good match. Given the clown show he’s been part of lately, Lethal doesn’t come across as a candidate to win against the top tier talent, though, so that removes most of the drama. The announcers are doing a good job discussing the points and the grind of the tournament and the stakes of each match.)
-They cut to a promo recorded Saturday night after Eddie Kingston loss on Collision. He was sitting against a brick wall and said he knew it was going to be tough “because Tony Khan didn’t put any scrubs in this tournament.” He was a bit despondent over his position in the tournament, noting that he has to face Bryan Danielson on Saturday’s Collision. He was rubbing his sore arms and said he’d be ready by next Saturday.
(Keller’s Analysis: No one is doing promos that resemble Kingston’s approach. I like the setting and the delivery and the content here.)
-They went to the announcers at the desk. Danielson cut a promo about coming into the tournament to win it. He got fired up and talked about having surgery on his broken orbital bone. He said he won’t be humble in win or loss, but he’s in it to win it and become the first Triple Crown Champion. Excalibur hyped Andrade vs. Daniel Garcia and Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brody King on Collision this Saturday. Then he hyped the upcoming tournament matches tonight. [c]
-Backstage Tony Schiavone said Sting’s final match will be at AEW Revolution next March in Greensboro, N.C. at the Greensboro Coliseum where so many Sting matches were held. Schiavone brought up his match against Ric Flair in that arena in 1988. Sting and Ric Flair walked into view. Sting talked about his very first World Title match back then, and he said he never guessed he’d be standing with Flair and Schiavone talking about his career this many decades later. Sting awkwardly brought up that his 45 minute draw aired commercial-free and noted that hadn’t happened before. He then said that didn’t really matter to him, though. (Very Sting-like moment there.)
Flair said he didn’t make Sting, Sting made himself. He said after that match, Sting walked back into the locker room with 25 wrestlers congratulating him. He said Sting didn’t rehearse or talk about it, he just went out there and did it. Flair said he’s 74 years old working for Tony Khan and standing next to Schiavone, and he’s heading back to Greensboro. He said he’s honored to be by his side. He shook Sting’s hand and said it’ll be one for the ages. They “woo’d.” Sting said, “This is the ’80s all over again, Ric!” Sting then shouted, “It’s showtime!”
(Keller’s Analysis: I mean, people have mixed feelings about Ric Flair being hired by AEW, but there’s something pretty cool about seeing those two on national TV in 2023 talking about one of them wrestling at the Greesnboro, Coliseum. As a side note, I’m not a fan of Flair’s clothing choices these days and wish he went back to suits and a more dignified persona that reflects his accomplishments and stature during his prime in the 1980s. I suspect he’s going for comfort and making a “statement” of some kind, though.)
(2) MARK BRISCOE vs. RUSH – Continental Classic Tournament
The bell rang 31 minutes into the hour. They exchanged rapid-fire strikes early. Briscoe landed a running elbowdrop off the ring apron. Back in the ring, Briscoe and Rush exchanged chops. Rush superplexed Brisco and landed a kick. Briscoe fired back with a hard lariat as the announcers laughed at Briscoe’s gum falling out of his mouth and then picking it up with his mouth. [c/db]
During the break, Rush grounded Briscoe with a leglock. At 9:00 they stood on the ring apron and chopped away at each other. Rush overhead-tossed Briscoe off the ring apron as Briscoe charged at him. Fans chanted, “Holy shit!” Briscoe rolled back in before being counted out. Briscoe landed a top rope elbow a minute later for a near fall. Rush backdropped out of a Jay Driller attempt, then landed a cannonball in the corner. He landed a running elbow to the chest and then a running basement dropkick for a three count. Rush picked up his first three points with that win.
WINNER: Rush in 11:00.
-They went to Toni Storm backstage. R.J. City sat on the couch with her. She put her legs on his lap and talked about JFK visiting her as she celebrated well into the evening at the compound. She said she’s feeling fatigued and dehydrated and has “a touch of the gout.” R.J. asked if she’s worried about defending her title. She mentioned famous names of the past and asked if they were worried. She asked R.J. to remove her shoes and he did.
-Schiavone joined in on commentary.
-MJF limped to the ring. He had a cane and mic in hand. He told AEW to cut his music. A graphic hyped his Dec. 30 defense of the AEW World Title against Samoa Joe. Excalibur noted that he has a partially torn labrum in his shoulder. MJF said when it comes to Samoa Joe as a person, he doesn’t like him. He said professionally, he respects him. He said one didn’t come to AEW to line his pockets, but he came to AEW because he believes in the three letters, A-E-W. Fans began chanting “AEW!” He said back in the early 2000s, he remembered getting a poster in his mail and it said, “TNA Wrestling.” He tuned in and couldn’t have been happier. He said he saw crazy athleticism and a new cast of wrestlers he had never seen before. He said Samoa Joe stood out.
He said Joe looked unconventional, but the fans didn’t care because he was the baddest man on earth. He said his talents were not recognized and he wasn’t afforded the chance to be a world champion in WWE, but what Joe did for the sport was bigger than that. He said he proved you didn’t have to be a massive male bodybuilder to be a star in the sport. He said Joe broke the mold and proved alternatives matter. He said Joe paved the path for people like him. He said without Joe, there’d be no AEW. “Thank you,” he said, prefacing it by saying it pains him to say it. Fans chanted “Thank you, Joe!”
He said he’s been happy to go down the road Joe paved, but he’s not so shabby himself. He said he has helped build a new alternative and has helped build it brick by brick. He said he did it by beating some of the biggest names in the industry including Cody Rhodes, Chris Jericho, C.M. Punk, Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, and Kenny Omega. He said Joe is the one opponent he’s defeated that he felt lucky to have survived. He said Joe is a wrestling legend, but Dec. 30 is not about Joe, it’s about his legacy. He promised everyone that he will show the world, despite how beat up his body is, that it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. He said he’ll have to put him down at World’s End. MJF broke the cane he was walking around with over his knee. The lights went black and then flickered.
Men in black masks then attacked MJF. Three held him as the biggest guy stood with a baseball bat. Samoa Joe arrived to his music and yanked the big masked guy out of the ring and then cleared the ring of the other three. The screen went black and silent for an awkward ten seconds, give or take. The screen then said: “In the shadows, our game begins. Next week, MJF & Samoa Joe, you will face the unknown in a tag match. Are you a hero, Max?”
Back in the ring, with the lights back on, Joe had some calming words for MJF. MJF yelled at the stage, “I’m so sick of your Scooby Doo bullshit!” He said he’s going to unmask him and take them out one after another. He said they’re on for the tag match. Joe wasn’t pleased, but MJF calmed him. As MJF’s music played, the music brief paused and the black masked men’s sound effects kicked in briefly, but then it went right back to MJF’s music. [c]
-They went to the announcers on camera. They reacted to what happened before the break. Excalibur said AEW’s security team are on the issue. Schiavone said they do believe it’s an internal matter as the people responsible have the power to tap into their lighting and broadcast system. He said during the break, MJF requested a tag team match for next week, against the wishes of Joe, and Tony Khan has agreed to book it. Excalibur said that match will take place next week in AEW’s debut in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
(3) WARDLOW vs. A.R. FOX
Wardlow walked out with his hair frizzed up like he had, oh, maybe just been wearing a mask over his head. Fox dove at Wardlow before the bell and kicked him off the ring apron. He followed with a dive over the top rope. Wardlow staggered. Fox then landed a running flip dive. Wardlow brushed it off and kneed Fox in the gut.
Fox fought back and went for backflip, but Wardlow caught him and slammed him on the ring apron. Wardlow threw Fox into the ring and entered the ring himself. The ref called for the bell to officially start the match 58 minutes into the hour. Wardlow took it to Fox at ringside and then tossed him into the ring between the middle and top ropes. Fox came back with a 450 splash a minute later for a one count.
[HOUR TWO]
Wardlow powerbombed Fox and then hit a clothesline. He continued on the attack including a flip senton off the top rope. He followed with another powerbomb. The ref called for the bell after checking on Fox, who appeared knocked out.
WINNER: Wardow via ref stoppage in 4:00.
-They went to the announcers on camera. They replayed Dante Martin’s lower leg injury back on March 31 on ROH Supercard of Honor. Excalibur warned viewers to look away if they’re squeamish. Taz said it was a horrific injury, but he’s back. Schiavone said they weren’t sure if they’d see him ever wrestle again.
(4) MATT & JEFF HARDY & BROTHER ZAY vs. DANTE & DARIUS MARTIN & ACTION ANDRETTI
The bell rang 5 minutes into the hour. After a lot of highspots early, they cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
More athletic highspots continued in and out of the ring for several minutes. The Hardys lifted Dante onto their shoulders. Brother Zay then springboard-dropkicked him off of their shoulders for a near fall. At ringside, Darius cut off Jeff as he was about to launch himself off a kneeling Matt. Back in the ring, more multi-man chaos as the ref stood and watched. Dante pinned Brother Zay after a turning uranage.
WINNER: Dante & Darius Martin & Andretti in 10:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: It’s nice it worked out to have Dante’s return match in Minneapolis, his home town. The match was just a bunch of moves without much backstory for the Dynamite audience. Have they ever explained the Brother Zay character to those who only watch Dynamite?) [c]
-Renee Paquette was about to interview Dante, Darius, and Andretti backstage when in walked Penta & Fenix & Komander with Alex Abrahantes challenging them to a trio match.
(5) JULIA HART vs. EMI SAKURA – TBS Title match fought under House Rules
Justin Roberts said the match cannot be won by submission. The bell rang 20 minutes into the hour. Julia dominated early until Sakura reversed her into the ringside steps. They cut to an early double-box break. [c/db]
Back from the break, Sakura was still in control. Julia flipped over into a sleeper on Sakura. She then maneuvered into a different submission hold. The ref told her House Rules dictated, via Sakura’s choice, that submissions don’t end the match. Julia stomped on Sakura and then leaped off the top rope with a moonsault splash. Sakura, for some reason, rolled like she was trying to get out of the way. Julia landed on her anyway, actually more than if Sakura hadn’t moved. Julia then covered her and got a three count. Julia seemed irked by the screw up.
WINNER: Julia in 8:00 to retain the TBS Title.
-R.J. City interviewed Mariah May backstage. She talked about having “quite the run” in Stardom in Japan. She thanked R.J. for connecting her to Toni. R.J. said Storm makes things happen and he’s happy to help. She seemed to be coming on to him a bit. He told her to go check in with Tony Khan. Mariah entered Khan’s office next.
-Schiavone said he sure hopes she’s not interrupting a meeting. Excalibur laughed, as if they had knowledge of that being something TK definitely doesn’t like.
-Christian Cage made his ring entrance alone. There was a line of five security guys standing behind him. Christian invited Adam Copeland to the ring. No response at first. Christian said he knows Copeland is back there. He said he wants to address some things he said last week, so he’d appreciate a response. Still nothing. Christian asked for AEW to play his music. They did. Copeland walked out to the ring, looking dead serious. Christian stood behind the five security guys in the corner.
Christian told Copeland that management wanted the security guys to be there, but he didn’t need them. He told them to vacate the ring. They did so. Christian said last week he challenged him to a match on Dec. 6 in Montreal on Dynamite. He said he wanted to tell him tonight that they won’t make it to Montreal. They approached each other mid-ring. Christian said, “We’re not going to make it to Montreal because… I’m sorry.” Edge’s facial expression softened. Christian said people think he’s only sorry because Copeland took out Killswitch and Nick Wayne and now he’s all alone. He said that’s not the reason, though. He said he was upset when he saw what Copeland did to Luchasaurus. He corrected himself to Killswitch.
Christian said he hopped in his car and went on a drive with the windows down. He said it turned into a road trip of soul searching as he tried to figure out how he became the person he’s become, doing such unsavory things. He reminisced about road trips when they were young, having the time of their lives on the road. He said they knew they’d make it, but they didn’t know how. He said they made it and they became the greatest tag team that ever lived. He talked about their world title reigns, too.
He said everybody knows Copeland grew up with a single mom. He said Copeland grew up without a father. He said he’s his brother, not a father-figure, though. “You might not have had a father, but in turn, my father became your father,” he said. “We brought you in like you were one of our own.” He said his dad disciplined him like he did his own kids, and to this day he’s still his biggest fan.
He said they weren’t two random guys thrown together. “I love you, man,” he said. “We are family.” He said when his mom died a few years ago, it was the hardest time of his life. He said before she died, she said she’d love to see them team together one last time. Copeland began to well up. Christian asked them to tag together one more time “for your mom.” Copeland looked down and seemed like he was considering it. As he turned around to think about it, Christian wound up to hit him with the TNT Title belt. Copeland saw him coming and kicked him in the crotch. Christian went down.
Copeland picked up the mic and said, “Nice try, dumbass.” He told him to shine up his TNT Title belt because “next week, she’s coming home with me.” He added, “Oh, I almost forgot, go f— yourself.” He was bleeped, but unfortunately three seconds after he said it. [c]
(6) JAY WHITE vs. “SWERVE” STRICKLAND – Continental Classic Tournament
The bell rang 46 minutes into the hour. Danielson was back on commentary. They cut to a double-box break at 4:00 after the action spilled to ringside. [c/db]
More back and forth action after the break. Fans began chanting, “This is awesome!” at 10:00. White chop-blocked Swerve’s leg and landed a uranage for a near fall.
[OVERRUN]
Swerve made a comeback and scored a near fall. White hit a Blade Runner out of nowhere for a near fall. White set up another Blade Runner, but Swerve escaped and leveraged White’s shoulders down for a three count.
WINNER: Swerve in 17:00 in a Continental Classic Tournament match.
-Excalibur discussed the updated point chart for the Gold League block.
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