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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
MARCH 13, 2024
BOSTON, MASS. AT TD GARDEN ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON TBS
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone
Ring Announcer: Dasha
Attendance: WrestleTix reported last night that 7,535 tickets had been distributed so far; arena is set up for 8,248.
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[HOUR ONE]
—Renee Paquette was standing in the parking lot as she introduced the show. A car drove up into the arena. There was a “Mercedes” symbol on the car. The car door opened. The camera cut away before the person stepped out.
—The camera zoomed around the TD Bank Arena with the crowd cheering. Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz ran down the card for the show. The crowd began to chant “AEW!”
—We heard a new entrance music playing that chanted “CEO! CEO! CEO!” The crowd went wild as Mercedes Moné’s name appeared on the screen. She came out wearing a big white robe which said CEO on the back. There was a huge chant of “CEO!” She soaks in the reaction from the crowd. She said her heart is beating out of her chest. She wanted to say thank you to the crowd for her back for the past two years. She thanked the crowd for giving her the courage to be here. She said she’s going to bring so much magic and many moments together. She said wrestling saved her life and gave her a place to dream. She name checks Eddie Guererro.
She said her dreams led her to lead an evolution, and to be the first African American woman to main event a PPV. She said she dropped out of school at 13 to take care of her brother. She spoke about how she started in Chaotic Wrestling. She said it’s time to get down to business. She said she is in AEW because she needs to be here.
She said she wants to be here to make the revolution global. She puts over the Dynamite main event between Willow Nightingale vs. Riho. She said she has some unfinished business with Willow. She said she’s All Elite. They showed a Mercedes Moné graphic on the screen. She thanked Tony Khan for the tweet. She thanked the fans. She said to say hello to their new CEO. Her music played. She danced inside the ring. There were loud “CEO” chants.
(Amin’s Thoughts: A really strong promo from Mercedes Moné. She put out her mission statement to make the revolution global. She’s teased she will have matches in both NJPW and STARDOM. I liked how she mentioned the Riho and Willow match teasing that she will appear again on the show. She came off like a big star.)
—Renee was backstage with AEW World Champion Samoa Joe. Renee asked Joe what he expects tonight in his match. He said tonight feels like money. He said he hasn’t forgotten the last time he was inside the ring with Wardlow. He said he hasn’t forgotten what debts need to be paid. He said Wardlow was far overdue. He said he doesn’t lose titles in the Garden.
—We saw a vignette or Adam Cole reading from a book. He spoke about Wardlow being deceived and lied too. He said he was locked away by an evil man (MJF). He said he freed him by becoming the warrior he was destined to be. He said he slayed many beats and was draped in gold. He said something was missing. He was waiting for a Kingdom who hated the evil man. He said he was ready to vanquish the champion Samoa Joe. He said he was going to fulfil his destiny and present his prize to the king. He said the precious gold was captured and the prophecy was fulfilled. He said the Kingdom became whole.
(1) SAMOA JOE vs. WARDLOW — AEW World Title Match
Samoa Joe got a great reaction. Wardlow came out on stage with Roderick Strong, Matt Bennett and Mike Taven. Wardlow came to the ring alone for the match. Wardlow wasted no time attacking Joe right away. The action quickly moved to the floor as Wardlow launched Joe into the barricade. Wardlow planted Joe with a spinebuster for a two count. Joe responded by catching Wardlow with a back elbow. Joe took the lead nailing Wardlow with a corner enzuigiri. Joe went for a super backdrop suplex but Wardlow blocked. Wardlow caught Joe with a flying corkscrew splash. [c]
Wardlow rocked Joe with a flying shoulder tackle for two as they returned from break. Joe batted back and nailed Wardlow with a running boot. Joe and Wardlow had a big strike exchange. Joe caught Wardlow coming off the ropes with a snap powerslam for two. Joe placed Wardlow on his shoulders. Wardlow escaped as he sold his leg. The referee held Joe back.
Wardlow took advantage, raking Joe in the eyes. Wardlow nailed Joe with a draping knee strike for two. Wardlow went for a swanton bomb but Joe moved out of the way. Joe rocked Wardlow with corner strikes. Wardlow broke free planting Joe with a powerbomb. Wardlow removed his straps. Wardlow looked at himself on the screen. Joe caught Wardlow coming off the ropes with a Coquina Clutch. Wardlow passed out.
WINNER: Samoa Joe in 11:00 to retain the AEW World Title
—“Swerve” Strickland came out after the match. Security stopped Strickland from making his way ringside. Strickland attacked the security. Joe rolled out of the ring and walked to the back.
(Amin’s Thoughts: This was a good match as both Joe and Wardlow worked well together. The bigger AEW World Title picture is between Joe and Strickland. I expected Joe to keep his title. We just recently saw Wardlow cut fiery promos about coming for the world title. This match was the followup to Wardlow’s recent promos? I guess they could go in the direction of Cole being upset and that leads to Wardlow splitting away from Undisputed Kingdom. The main question is how can any fans be interested in Wardlow as they just moved him out of the world title picture.)
—They showed clips of Alex Marvez speaking with Kazuchika Okada, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson from earlier in the day. Marvez asked Okada why he joined The Elite? Nicholaus told Marvez to show more respect towards Okada. He told Marvez to call Okada by his full passport name: “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada. Matthew said they were the three best professional athletes in the world. He then spoke about the 14 years of friendship they share with Okada. He also mentioned there are 14 million reasons why. They were playing off the media reports that Okada signed for $14 million dollars. Okada said he’s coming for Eddie Kingston, Pac and Penta. He told Marvez to say happy birthday to Matthew. Marvez said happy birthday. Okada said no. He told Marvez to sing happy birthday. You could hear some laughter in the background. Marvez sang happy birthday. [c]
(2) KAZUCHIKA OKADA & MATTHEW & NICHOLAS JACKSON (The Elite) vs. EDDIE KINGSTON & PAC & PENTA EL ZERO MIEDO (w/Alex Abrahantes)
The crowd treated Okada like a big star. Okada teased starting the match with Kingston. Okada tagged Matthew into the match. Kingston rocked Matthew with a huge chop. Kingston tagged PAC into the match. PAC took control planting Matthew with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Matthew responded by rocking PAC right in the throat. Nicholas caught Penta with a cutter. Pena no-sold it as he nailed Nicholas with a superkick. Penta connected with a Northern Lights Bomb for two. Kingston tagged in. Nicholas caught Kingston with a jaw breaker. Okada tagged in. Kingston rocked Okada with huge chops. Okada responded by nailing Kingston with a standing dropkick. Okada and The Bucks posed as they went to break. [c]
Kingston caught Matthew flying off the ropes with an exploder suplex. Kingston went for a tag. Okada yanked PAC and Penta off the ropes. Kingston responded by sending Matthew flying with an overhead belly-to-bellly suplex. Penta ran wild catching The Bucks with a double DDT. PAC rocked Okada with a springboard dropkick. PAC and Penta delivered stereo dives to The Bucks on the floor.
Pac connected with a springboard 450 splash to Matthew but Okada made the save. Pac sent Okada flying with a German suplex. Okada stopped Kingston with a DDT. Matthew caught Pac with a wheelbarrow facebuster. Penta caught Matthew with a Canadian Destroyer. Nicholas nailed Penta with a superkick. Kingston nailed Matthew with a back fist. Nicholas nailed Kingston with a low blow with the referee distracted. Okada delivered the Rainmaker to Kingston for the win.
WINNERS: Kazuchika Okada & Matthew & Nicholas Jackson in 12:40
(Amin’s Thoughts: This was a very fun action packed party trios match with everyone hitting big moves. Okada was just tremendous here playing heel alongside The Bucks. Okada is one of the best wrestlers in the world. They have time for Okada to have great wrestling matches on TV and PPVs. The goal right now should be to present Okada like a star to a weekly television audience. This is a good way to start by having Okada pin Kingston right away. I would like to see this continue by having Okada just run through Kingston to win the Continental Crown Title.)
—They aired a highlight package hyping the “I Quit” match between Christian Cage vs. Adam Copeland for the TNT Title.
—Tony Schiavone was inside the ring. Will Ospreay came out to a big reaction. Huge chants of “Ospreay! Ospreay! Ospreay!” Schiavone asked Ospreay about his upcoming match with Bryan Danielson at the AEW Dynasty PPV. The crowd chanted “Bruv! Bruv! Bruv!” Ospreay said what you wanted to do? He said he wanted to speak to the beautiful people of Boston. He said this match with Danielson means so much to him. He said he wanted to emulate the career of Danielson whether that was in front of 5000, 500, or 50 people. He said he’s glad Danielson is a fan of his work.
Ospreay recalled Danielson telling him to prove he’s the best wrestler in the world. He brought up his match with Kenny Omega. He recalled everyone bringing up one move. The Tiger Driver 91.He said he had blood pissing out of his head and it was worth it. The crowd chanted “Bruv! Bruv! Bruv!” He said the moment he stepped foot into theHe AEW ring he spoke a phase that everyone knows. “Restore the Feeling!” He said he was the feeling. He said this match with Danielson was about finding who’s the best wrestler in the world.He said he’s on another level.
(Amin’s Thoughts: Ospreay was tremendous on the mic as he brought a lot of excitement and energy in this promo. Ospreay did a great job getting me excited wanting to see his match with Danielson. It’s great to see the crowds are really treating Ospreay like the top babyface star on the show.)
—Deonna Purrazzo said her issue with “Timeless” Toni Storm and Mariah May is far from over. She said if it’s a numbers game Storm and May. She said it’s a numbers game they will get. She said she has no problem finding a partner to face Storm and May in Toronto. She said she will also like a closeup look at seeing Storm and May who will be in tag team action on Rampage. She said she had no problem sending the shoe up both Storm and May’s ass.
(3) DARBY ALLIN vs. JAY WHITE
Darby got a great reaction. Darby’s ribs and back were tapped up. Darby was holding Sting’s baseball bat. White took control early, rocking Darby with shoulder tackles in the corner. Darby responded by launching White with a woo dropkick. Darby followed by hitting a Swanton Bomb onto White on the floor. Darby delivered a tope sending White crashing into the barricade. There was a sign ringside that said “We miss Sammy!” White responded by catching Darby with a headlock suplex, sending him crashing into the barricade. White took control as he whipped Darby over the ring steps on the floor. [c]
White went for a Stinger splash but Darby moved out of the way. Darby battled back catching White with a backpack stunner. Darby followed by hitting a Code Red for two. Darby went for a springboard Coffin Drop but White caught him with a backdrop suplex. White took control planting Darby with a huge uranage slam for two.
White went for a suplex from the ring apron. Darby reversed catching White with a Scorpion Death Drop. White placed his foot on the ropes to stop the count. Darby went for a flying Coffin Drop but White rolled to the ring apron. Darby went for a Coffin Drop onto the ring apron. White moved as Darby took a nasty crash on the floor. The crowd chanted “Holy S*it!” They teased a count-out but Darby made it back into the ring. White delivered a Bladerunner for the win.
WINNER: Jay White in 12:17
(Amin’s Thoughts: This was a solid match as both Darby and White worked great together. Darby was great here fighting till the end like a true babyface despite his body being in pain. White hasn’t been doing much for quite some time now. This was a much needed showing and clean win for White to get him back on track.)
—Austin & Colten Gunn came out to celebrate with White after the match. White offered Darby a handshake. White instead did the Bullet Club sign. The Gunns attacked Darby. White went to Pilmanize Darby’s leg with Sting’s baseball bat. The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn ran down to make the save. Gunn argued with White. Max Castor and Anthony Bowens helped Darby out of the ring. White swung a chair into Gunn’s face. This was pretty close to an unprotected chair shot as Gunn got his hands up at the last second. Bowens and Caster realized what happened. The Gunns took out The Acclaimed with the title belts. White gave Billy a Bladerunner. The Gunns placed Darby back into the ring. White grabbed Sting’s baseball bat and Pillmanized Darby’s leg.
(Amin’s Thoughts: This angle needed to happen. Bang Bang Scissors Gang stuff was getting lame really fast. Now that is needed for White and The Gunns to shelf away the ROH Six Man Tag Team Titles and move onto something better. The injury angle with Darby was also done to write him off TV. Darby is now off in a couple weeks to climb Mount Everest. Hopefully, Darby will have a good journey and return back safely.)
(4) CHRIS JERICHO & HOOK vs. GATES OF AGONY (Biship Kaun & Toa Liona)
Hook and Jericho shined early, planting Liona and Kaur with a pair of double suplex. Kaun responded by rocking Jericho with a running lariat. Liona connected with a running shoulder tackle sending Jericho to the floor. [c]
Jericho nailed Liona with a big boot as they returned from break. Jericho followed by hitting a Lionsault. Hook ran wild planing Kaun with a t-bone suplex. Hook followed by hitting a bridging Northern Lights Suplex to Kaun but Liona made the save. Hook planted Liona with an impressive German suplex. Kaun caught Hook with a gut buster for two. Jericho pulled Liona to the floor. Hook placed Kaun in the Red Rum. Hook and Jericho placed Kaun in a Red Rum/Walls of Jericho combo. Jericho nailed Liona with a springboard dropkick. Hook fully locked Kaun in the Red Rum for the submission win.
WINNERS: Hook & Chris Jericho via submission in 8:45.
(Amin’s Thoughts: This was a solid tag team match as both teams worked hard. I’m still not into this Hook and Jericho pairing. The problem is, it just doesn’t feel special seeing Jericho wrestle anymore. It just feels like Jericho is just another wrestler who’s part of the show. The bigger problem is Jericho has brought down people like Adam Cole, Ricky Starks and Konosuke Takeshita who he previously worked with. I didn’t mention Powerhouse Hobbs because that’s mostly on Tony Khan’s bad booking and no fault to Jericho who he put over clean.)
—Renee interviewed Kyle O’Reilly backstage. She asked O’Reilly about the recent landscape of AEW. He spoke about the last two years being the darkest days of his life when he couldn’t pick up his daughter. He said his neck and arm got better. He said Bryan Keith can bring out the best in him. He hyped his match with Keith on Collision. Roderick Strong appeared screaming “Kyle!” Strong, Mike Bennett and Matt Taven entered the frame. Strong said O’Reilly knows how much love and respect he has for him. He told O’Reilly if he wants to do it on his own. He can do it on his own. O’Reilly and Strong shared a hug. O’Reilly bumped fists with Bennett and Taven.
—They aired a highlight package hyping the main event between Willow Nightingale and Riho. They showed clips of Riho winning the AEW Women’s World Title on the Dynamite debut show. They showed clips of Willow Nightingale defeating Mercedes Moné to win the NJPW Women’s’ Strong Title.
—Mercedes Moné greeted Riho backstage. She wished Riho good luck in her match.
—Renee was backstage with Chris Jericho and Hook. Renee brought up the team name of LionHOOK. She asked Jericho if Hook earned his respect in the match. Jericho spoke about Gates of Agony being no joke. He said Hook rose to the occasion. He said he sees Hook as a future world champion. He wanted to see what Hook could do standing opposite from him. He challenged Hook to a match next week on Dynamite. Hook and Jericho bumped fists. Hook told Jericho “let’s do this.’”
—Willow Nightingale came out with Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway. Willow gave Statlander and Hathaway a hug. The crowd gave Willow a solid reaction. Riho also got a solid reaction from the crowd.
(5) WILLOW NIGHTINGALE vs. RIHO
Riho and Willow began with a nice counter exchange. Willow shined early, catching Riho with a sliding crossbody for two. Riho responded by nailing Willow with a basement dropkick. Riho followed rocking Willow with a pair of rising knee strikes. Willow responded by sending Riho flying with a missile dropkick. [c]
Riho battled back catching Willow with a head scissors as they returned from break. Riho followed by hitting a flying crossbody for two. Riho went for a Northern Lights Suplex but Willow blocked. Willow called for a Dr. Bomb. Riho reversed catching Willow with a dragon hurricanrana for two. Riho caught Willow with a sloppy bridging Northern Lights Suplex for two. Willow looked like she might have landed on her head on the landing.
Riho went for a diving foot stomp but Willow moved. Willow sent Riho flying with a pounce. Willow went for a flying cannonball but Riho moved out of the way. Riho connected with a flying foot stomp from the ring apron to the floor. There was a light chant of “This Is Awesome!” Riho planted Willow with a Dragon Suplex on the ring stomp. Riho followed by hitting a flying foot stomp for two. Riho rocked Willow with a knee strike. Willow responded by nailing Riho with a running clothesline. Riho went for a jackknife cradle. Willow countered by catching Riho with a Dr. Bomb for the win.
WINNER: Willow Nightingale in 13:00.
(Amin’s Thoughts: This was a very fun action packed match. A great showing from both Riho and Willow as they worked really well together. A strong win for Willow building her up for a TBS Title match and possible showdown with Mercedes Moné at some point. It was nice to see the Women get the main event spot on Dynamite.)
—Willow and Riho showed each other respect after the match. The light went out. The crowd chanted “CEO!” TBS Champion Julia Hart stood on the entrance ramp. Skye Blue attacked Willow from behind. Blue and Hart attacked Willow. There were more “CEO” chants from the crowd. The music played as Mercedes Moné came out. Moné. decked Blue with a right hand. Moné entered the ring. Moné rocked Hart with a knee lift. Moné gave Hart the Money Maker. Hart was great here as she took an awesome bump for Moné. The crowd chanted “CEO! CEO! CEO!” Willow raised Mone’s hand. The crowd cheered. Willow left the ring. Moné. danced inside the ring.
(Amin’s Thoughts: This was a good closing angle to the show. They’ve set up a possible tag match with Moné and Willow against Hart and Blue. They’ve also set up different storylines here with Statlander who came out with Willow but didn’t make the save for her partner after the match. They’ve also teased some tension with both Moné and Willow wanting the TBS Title. Overall, this was well done as they presented Moné like a big star.)
FINAL THOUGHTS
This show was all about Mercedes Mone’s debut. The debut felt special as Moné was presented like a star. They added a hook of teasing Moné will appear in the main event. I will be interested to see if they were able to keep the viewers throughout the show. They also had Okada wrestling and also added an AEW World Title match. Overall, this was a fun episode of AEW Dynamite.
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s AEW Dynamite Hit List: Mercedes Mone debuts, Samoa Joe vs. Wardlow for the AEW World Championship, Willow Nightingale vs. Riho, Darby Allin vs. Jay White
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