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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
MAY 1, 2024
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA AT CANADA LIFE CENTRE
AIRED LIVE ON TBS
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Attendance: WrestleTix reports today that 4,183 tickets have been distributed so far; arena is set up for 4,768.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
[HOUR ONE]
-Tony Khan opened the show with dramatic music playing in the background with a Jacksonville Jaguars logo on the wall behind him and three laptop computers in front of him. He said he isn’t cleared to leave Jacksonvile due to the head and neck issues he suffered. The screen got glitchy and then Matthew and Nicholas Jackson were shown sitting in the production truck saying they were having technical difficulties. Matt said Tony isn’t there, but they are. They explained that some are wondering why they aren’t fired, but that’s because they have iron clad founders contracts. Their contracts say they succeed TK in running a show if he isn’t able to. Matt said, “We’re in control now.” Nicholas then threw to a new opening theme. It featured just one scene of The Elite after another.
(Keller’s Analysis: There’s a baseline of concern anyone should have when a promoter or booker gets TV time and becomes a character. It’s also difficult to do a “heels take over a show” format and not have it devolve into a big unpleasant self-indulgent cheesy diversion from what pro wrestling fans tune into a pro wrestling show to see. That said, I’m also open to this working. I did like that the Bucks explained why they weren’t fired for what they did.)
-Pyro blasted as the camera panned the arena as Excalibur introduced the show. He noted that after Dynamite, Rampage immediately airs.
-Swerve Strickland’s ring entrance aired. He was accompanied by Prince Nana. He said he AEW deserves a champion who appears on all the shows in one week, and that’s what he’s done. He said what AEW doesn’t deserve are selfish, greedy, childish, power-hungry EVPs that think they can just throw their weight around and not face any consequence. “Whatever you all did, that was a bitch move,” he said. “That’s going to be handled at some point.” He then shifted to saying he is going to find out who his opponent will be at Double or Nothing. “Come present yourself, but be sure to wipe your feet before you step into Swerve’s House.”
The Bucks appeared on the screen. They said they’re also champions. Matt said it sounds like Swerve’s success has gone to his head. Matt said he’s insulting his bosses and using curse words. Nick said, “That’s a fine.” They said his opponent hasn’t been around in a while, and he’s from Winnipeg and is a former champion. After teasing it’d be Kenny Omega, out came Christian Cage. Excalibur said he had someone else in mind, and it took a sharp turn left.
Christian walked out with Luchasaurus, Nick Wayne, and “Mother” Wayne. When he entered the ring, he lifted the mic and then popped Swerve in the face with it. Swerve went down. Christian beat him down. Nana backed out of the ring. Swerve fought back and fended off Nick Wayne charging at him. Mother Wayne got in his face and Swerve stared her down. Luchasaurus then headbutted Swerve and then knocked over Nana. Christian then gave Swerve a Killswitch onto the title belt on the mat. Nick then gave a Wayne’s World to Nana. Christian stood over Swerve and said he never forgets.
He said he hasn’t forgotten that months ago he broke into “my son Nick Wayne’s gym and left him in a pool of his own blood.” He sold the silent crowd to keep it down why he conducts his business, which drew a brief rise from the crowd. He said Swerve lost at the biggest show in the company’s history and embarrassed himself. He said now is the best time to make him pay for those mistakes. He said he’ll end his title reign before it starts and make sure he’s a footnote in the history of AEW. He said his daughter barely knows him, but when he’s finished with Swerve, Swerve’s daughter won’t want to know him. He said when he’s done with Swerve, his daughter will have a father she can proud of the rest of her life. Schiavone said he’s the worst.
Christian turned to the crowd and picked on the Colorado Avalanche beating their Winnipeg Jets in the playoffs, he’s going to walk into Swerve’s house and rip the AEW World Championship out of his hands. He bent over and told Swerve that the pain has just begun. Killswitch then yanked out a chunk of Swerve’s hair and handed it to Hook. Excalibur called it a depraved act. Excalibut said the match is official for Double or Nothing on May 26.
(Keller’s Analysis: Not sure why Shayna was wearing six-inch heels, but it led to her towering over Swerve in their brief staredown. Christia is terrific in his role and a good first major PPV opponent for him. This segment also explains why Swerve brought up his daughter on his promo on Collision. It’d have been good to recap that for the Dynamite viewers who didn’t see that promo, though.)
-The vignette from Collision aired with House of Black accepting the Cope Open, but not revealing which of them would wrestle tonight.
(1) ADAM COPELAND vs. BUDDY MATTHEWS – TNT Title match
Copeland came out first. The lights went out and Malakai said they are messing with his head by not telling him who was coming out first. Matthews them made his ring entrance (as Schiavone “predicted/declared” prematurely on Collision on Saturday). The bell rang 18 minutes into the hour. Copeland ducked a charging Matthews who tumbled to ringside. Copeland then dove through the ropes and knocked him down. They cut to a double-box break at 3:00. [c/db]
They fought at ringside during the break. Back from the break, Matthews landed a draping DDT. Both were down and slow to get up. Matthews then methodically beat on Copeland and applied a chinlock. (It was almost as if they thought that’s when the break was taking place.) Copeland escaped. They battled on the second rope in the corner and they both knocked the other down to the floor at ringside. The ref began counting them both down. They stood and exchanged strikes and then collided mid-air with crossbody blocks. Both were down and slow to get up. The ref called for help from the ringside doctor since Matthews had blood coming out of his mouth. They cut to another double-box break at 13:00. [c/db]
During the break, Matthews was cleared to continue. Back from the break, Schiavone said it was a physical battle and everything they thought it would be. Matthews landed a sitout powerbomb for a near fall at 17:00. Copeland came back with an Impaler off the ropes in the corner and then scored a two count. An “AEW” chant started. Copeland stood and waited for Matthes to stand. When he went for a spear, Matthews caught him with a knee, two more knees, and a Jackhammer for a near fall. Matthews applied a crossface on the mat next. Copeland suplexed out of it.
Excalibur said they were at the 20 minute mark of the match and only ten minutes remained in the time limit. Matthews took over and went for a stomp, but Copeland moved and he speared Matthew for a three count.
WINNER: Copeland in 21:00 to retain the TNT Title.
-As Copeland celebrated and his music played, he turned and punched away at Matthews a few more times. He slid two chairs into the ring and then bashed Matthews with one of them. He then set up a conchairto. Schiavone said the mist that got in Copeland’s eyes has made him crazy. The lights went out before he could bash Matthews’s skull. When the lights came back on, Malakai Black was standing net to Copeland. Malakai told him to swing the chair. Copeland turned toward Black. The lights went out again and then when they came back on, Malakai and Matthews were gone. Excalibur said we’ll never know if he would’ve swung the chair. Taz said it’s more typical mind games from House of Black. [c]
(2) SAMOA JOE vs. ISIAH KASSIDY
When Kassidy came out, Excalibur said he sees his social media account and he has fun and sometimes wouldn’t mind living his life. Fans chanted “Joe’s gonna kill you!” as soon as the bell rang. When Kassidy charged at him, Joe grabbed him and threw him into the air. Kassidy shrieked comically. Schiavone asked if that was him. Joe went fora dove through the ropes, but Kassidy moved. Joe landed on his feet. Kassidy then snapped Joe’s neck over the top rope. When Kassidy went for a leaping flip dive over the top rope, Joe casually stepped aside and Kassidy went splat on the mat. Fans chanted “Joe! Joe! Joe!” Then they again chanted, “Joe’s gonna kill you!” Joe blocked a Kassidy attempt at a monkey flip out of the corner and then hit a Muscle Buster for the win.
WINNER: Joe in 3:30.
(Keller’s Analysis: Joe needs to be a babyface. Fans just love his badass demeanor. He’d be a great foe with a partner for current Young Bucks incarnation or just Jack Perry in a singles match.)
-A vignette aired with Skye Blue speaking about her rivalry with Willow Nightingale and facing her tonight for the TBS Title. [c]
-As Orange Cassidy made his ring entrance, they aired a clip from Saturday night on Rampage when Trent Beretta battled Chuck Taylor in a street fight including big moves on cars and heavy bleeding. He stood mid-ring and addressed the break-up of the Best Friends. “I hate this,” he said. He said he hoped Chuck and Trent would beat each other up and get everything out of their systems and then come back together as best friends. “That’s never going to happen,” he said. He said he had been told that because of what Trent did to Chuck after the match, he was told Chuck will never wrestle again. Fans and announcers gasped. Schiavone said, “Terrible news.”
Trent interrupted Cassidy as he was venting. Trend said Cassidy is making things about himself agian. Cassidy charged toward. Trent. Security held him back. Trent said it happened because he’s selfish. Kris Statlander came out to try to calm Orange down. Don Callis walked out and whispered something to Cassidy. He led him to the back. Statlander looked confused. Trent then raised a thumb and fans booed.
-They went to the announcers at ringside. Excalibur threw to Renee Paquette.
[HOUR TWO]
-Renee interviewed The Bucks and asked if they had nuggets for them about what’s coming up. Matt said she’s looking good, but they’re looking for their friend. Nicholas said they’ve had enough time, so they want to give “The Scapegoat” Jack Perry some time. Perry walked up to Renee. He said he meant it when he said he just wants what is best for AEW. He said people may not believe it yet. He said TK made him the scapegoat, but he accepts it was a sacrifice somebody had to make. “But we all have to sacrifice,” he said. “And thanks to you, we are entering a new era under The Elite.”
(3) CHRIS JERICHO vs. KATSUYORI SHIBATA – No DQ Weapons match
Jericho wore the FTW Title belt to the ring. They showed Jericho’s dad, Ted Irvine, in the front row. Taz said he’s not sure how Ted can be proud of his son. Jericho had a pasted-on smile and waved at the fans, channeling Eugene a bit, I’d say. Taz said Hook still isn’t cleared to wrestle. Taz got worked up because Jericho put his nameplate on the title. “Nobody tells me crap around here and I’m a little sick of it!” The bell rang 4 minutes into the hour.
Jericho smashed Shibata with a trash can lid. The announcers noted that Shibata has never in his decades of wrestling ever been in a no-DQ weapons match. Jericho emptied a black bag that was filled with hockey pucks. Shibata slammed Jericho onto the pucks as Jericho let him recover too long. He vertical suplexed Jericho next. They chopped each other for a while. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Back from the break, Jericho put a trash can over Shibata’s head and bashed the can with a kendo stick. Shibata stood and no-sold the shots and stepped toward Jericho. Schiavone said he was just following the sound. He backed Jericho into the corner and then headbutted Jericho as Jericho begged off. Shibata took the can off and put it in Jericho’s lap. He then dropkicked the can into Jericho. They sat mid-ring and took turns hitting each other with kendo sticks. Shibata leaned a table in the corner. Schiavone and Taz agreed that Shibata would make a great FTW Champion. Jericho caught him with a Code Breaker for a two count.
Shibata came back and set up a table. Big Bill ran in and attacked Shibata and chokeslammed him through the table. Then he left the ring. Jericho crawled over and scored a three count.
WINNER: Jericho to retain the FTW Title in 16:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Entertaining match.)
-A clip aired of the scuffle with Willow and Mercedes Moné last week on Dynamite with Statlander in the middle.
-Renee interviewed Willow, Statlander, and a frowning Stokely Hathaway. Statlander apologized for the miscommunication last week. She said Mercedes had no right to interrupt her and she wanted to defuse the situation. “I’m so sorryk” she said. Willow listened and gave off mixed signals. Renee turned to Willow who said last week’s fiasco left her in a fighting mood. She vowed to maim and massacre Skye Blue. Stokely ranted about what Skye Blue said about her. A producer stepped in and handed a message to Renee. Renee said the Bucks told her to smile more and said Statlander and Stokely were banned from ringside. “Aside from my own actions, what did I do to deserve this?” he asked.
(Keller’s Analysis: The Bucks haven’t caused that much disarray this week, but they interjected themselves there.) [c]
(4) CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI vs. BRIAN CAGE
As Claudio came out, a clip aired of Claudio putting his bag in his rental car trunk. He said he’s not the shiny new toy and never was, but rather he’s the wooden toy that won’t break. He said he is there day after day and he can’t be broken. He said he’s not the wrestler he wants to be, he’s the wrestler he has to be. The bell rang 27 minutes into the hour. They cut to a double-box break at 4:00. [c/db]
Claudio eventually gave Cage the lift-and-drop European uppercut for a two count. He followed by his giant swing and then a sharpshooter for the win.
WINNER: Claudio in 10:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: I like the idea of giving a win to a wrestler who just lost a high-profile match.)
-Renee interviewed Rocky Romero backstage. He opted out of taking sides in the issues with Chuck and Trent. He said he’s focused on himself and he wants a singles championship in AEW. He said he’s facing Kyle O’Reilly later because he brings out the best in him. He said they teamed together against Undisputed Kingdom.
(5) MARIAH MAY (w/Toni Storm, Luther) vs. SERENA DEEB
The bell rang 44 minutes into the hour. They cut to a double-box break at 2:00. [c/db]
Back from the break, Deeb snapped Mariah over the middle rope. May and Deeb countered each other mid-ring. Deeb landed a neckbreaker. May came back and landed a hip attack in the corner for a two count. Deeb ended up locking on a half crab mid-ring. She rammed May’s knee into the mat. Storm gasped with worry and then threw in a white towel.
WINNER: Deeb via forfeit in 10:00.
-Excalibur said that locked in Deeb as the challenger for Storm at Double or Nothing.
-Renee interviewed Copeland backstage. She asked if he was okay “because you seemed a little out of sorts out there tonight.” Copeland indicated he was fine, gut he didn’t seem sure and he didn’t seem fine. O’Reilly walked in and said as a kid from Canada, his career meant a lot to him. He offered to have his back. Copeland thanked him. He said he’s got Brody King next week and he wished O’Reilly luck against Romero tonight. He caught O’Reilly eyeing his belt.
-Kenny Omega made his ring entrance with a big introduction from Justin Roberts. Omega walked out in a suit, making an actual fashion statement. Excalibur said he hoped Omega would address the situation with The Elite and Tony Khan tonight. Fans chanted “Kenny! Kenny!” He said: “You guys are making this tough on me. I’ve never been good at this stuff.” Fans chanted, “Welcome home!” He said he has to talk about sickness and weakness. He said he spent ten days in a hospital and doctors told him he was one of the lucky ones because he was 24 hours away from dying.
He said he told the doctor, “Cool story, doc, can you patch me up and send me back to Dynamite.” He said they told him they need to get what’s in him out of him. He said he’d need to wear a colostomy bag for six or twelve months or even possibly the rest of his life. He said he told the doctor if he didn’t get surgery, the doctor said for the rest of his life, he’d have a ticking time bomb inside him. He said blunt force to his stomach could send him to the hospital forcing surgery anyway or it could kill him. He said since that day, he can’t lie, he had to stop watching. He choked up and said as he watched, his hands would shake. He said he was scared for the first time in his career.
“I felt pathetic, I felt like a coward,” he said. He said he thought maybe this whole segment was going to be him announcing he was going to retire, but then he watched Dynasty. He said he saw Swerve make history and Will Ospreay and Bryan Danielson put on one of the greatest matches he’s seen in his life. He said he wishes he could say he was happy, but his hands were shaking again. He said the tremors got worse. He asked himself if he was really scared of being a wrestler. He said when heard the fans tonight, it made him realize something very important. He said yes, he was scared. He said that’s life and they’re all scared of something. He said he realized he was going through withdrawal, and he needs to be in the ring. He said being the best is what fueled him.
He said it hurt him that all the PPVs had matches and wrestlers being called the best and it seemed he was already forgotten. He promised everyone it isn’t over until he exhausts every option. He said if there’s a ten, or a five, or a one percent chance, “bag or no bag, you guys aren’t done with Kenny Omega again.” He said he’s going to change the world.
He then shifted to talking about the Bucks. He said they’ve been embarrassing themselves lately, and they are free to do that as EVPs, but they’ve forgotten he’s also an EVP. He said they can fire him from The Elite, they can’t fire him as EVP. He said that means part of the company still belongs to him, the Best Bout Machine. He was interrupted by Kazuchika Okada. Okada walked out with a mic in hand.
Excalibur said they were transitioning to Rampage momentarily. Okada entered the ring and got face-to-face with Omega. Fans chanted “Holy shit!” Omega spoke Japanese to him. “The Rainmaker, the Best Bout Machine,” he said. “We had a bit of a rivalry over in New Japan. What do you say you give me a couple of months and we settle it right here in an AEW ring. How did that grab you?” Okada said, “I’m sorry, Kenny. I’m the Best Bout Machine now.” Jack Perry then jumped Omega from behind. Fans booed. Schiavone called him a “snake in the grass.” Okada slid a chair to Perry. Omega ducked a swing and punched Perry. Omega then gave Perry a back suplex, but then went down, winced, and clutched his abdomen. Fans chanted “Kenny! Kenny!” Omega sammed his suit jacket down and yelled. He then ripped his shirt open and raised his arm and then pointed at Perry. He set up a V-Trigger, but Okada (sorta) tripped him as he ran the ropes. Perry then jabbed Omega in the abdomen. Omega went down as Okada and Perry laughed. “That’s bad guys,” said Taz.
The Bucks walked out and told Perry and Okada to relax. They appeared to be concerned they took. things too far. A “Kenny! Kenny!” chant started. Kenny tried to stand, but the Bucks grabbed his arms and delivered the EVP Trigger. Matt hugged Perry. Excalibur said they have an iron clad contract and cannot be fired. FTR then ran to the ring to come to Omega’s aid. Excalibur said he never thought he’d see FTR come out to help Omega. The heels left as Dynamite officially ended 11 minutes into the third hour.
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