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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
JULY 3, 2024
CHICAGO, ILL. AT WINTRUST ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON TBS
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier today that 4,617 tickets had been distributed so far; arena is set up for 5,379.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by PWTorch’s Tony Donofrio to review AEW Dynamite LIVE tonight right after Dynamite. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Dynamite during the show.
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Dynamite. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
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LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER AEW DYNAMITE TONIGHT
[HOUR ONE]
-Renee Paquette introduced the show backstage. She said it’s a very special episode, “Beach Break.” She introduced Daniel Garcia as a man “who is quickly becoming the backbone of AEW.” He walked in with an enthusiastic Matt Mendard and said this is the most important match of his night and he’s not losing. MJF walked in and said he has a winning attitude and he’s going to win tonight. Garcia wanted to answer his question about the match at Wembley. MJF said they’d get to that later, but he wanted to be in his corner tonight. Garcia agreed, with enthusiasm. Menard, who seemed skeptical, actually told MJF that with all he has done for Garcia recently, he’s alright with him. They shook hands.
(Keller’s Analysis: There’s a time to get behind someone ahead of the fans’ perception of them, but calling Garcia “the backbone of AEW” feels way ahead of fan perception of him. I think Garcia is great and have been an advocate for featuring him, but that is an overstatement that undercuts fans naturally rooting for him to rise to that level some day.)
-They went to a wide shot of the arena and close-ups of cheering fans as Excalibur introduced the show.
(Keller’s Analysis: The Breach Break theme seems to consist of nothing more than those two words and a graphic on the entrance stage. Shouldn’t AEW come up with something that explains what’s different about this episode other than it has a nickname attached to it?)
(1) PAC vs. BRIAN DANIELSON – Owen Hart Tournament match
Excalibur asked Taz about the order of finding out who will be in the finals of the tournament and if it gives an advantage to the winner of this week’s match. Excalibur asked Tony Schiavone about Shingo working over Bryan Danielson’s neck at Forbidden Door and if that works against him tonight, just three days later. Taz said if you’re injured or sore, you still have to go 100 percent because if you go half-way, you’re more likely to get hurt. The bell rang 5 minutes into the hour and fans chanted “Holy shit!” Excalibur said these two have only met twice in singles matches in their careers, and it was more than 15 years ago.
Pac springboarded off the top rope onto Danielson at ringside at 5:00. He threw Danielson into the ring and applied a Brutalizer mid-ring. Danielson draped his leg over the bottom rope. They cut to a double-box break at 6:00. [c/db]
Pac gave Danielson a German suplex; Danielson landed on his feet and connected with a high kick. Both were slow to get up. Danielson landed kicks to Pac’s chest against the ropes. Pac caught a charging Danielson with a kick at ringside and then landed a leaping elbowdrop off a ringside table. Back in the ring, Pac landed a leaping elbowdrop followed by a leaping tombstone piledriver for a two count at 12:00. Danielson took over with a LeBell lock out of nowhere mid-ring. Corner graphics advertised upcoming matches and segments. Fans chanted, “Fight forever.”
Pac knocked Danielson off balance on the top rope. Pac then went for a Red Arrow, but Danielson moved. Fans chanted “Yes! Yes!” Danielson landed the Busaiku Knee. Both were down and slow to get up. Pac landed a Brutalizer out of nowhere. Danielson leveraged Pac’s shoulders back for a leverage three count.
Danielson held his shoulder afterward in pain as the AEW doctor checked on him.
WINNER: Danielson in 16:00 to advance.
(Keller’s Analysis: Excellent action. I loved the intensity and urgency throughout.)
-Renee interviewed Willow Nightingale backstage about her match later. She said she always says, “Nothing matters, smile anyways.” She said those are the words she lives by. She said she has to look on the bright side of she’d curl up into a ball. She said fans can relate. She said Statlander and Stokely Hathaway mock her. She talked about a friend “who has the devil in his bloodstream,” referring to depression, but is looking for the light every day. She said she’s going to win the Owen Tournament and then win the Women’s Title at Wembley. She closed, “Nothing matters! Smile anyway!”
(Keller’s Analysis: I’m not into that as a slogan to build a character in pro wrestling around. She says nothing matters, but at the same time wants people invested in her quest to win a tournament and win a title? Mixed bag in terms of her delivery, but overall I get a sense from these promos that she’s presenting these promos as if they’re profound in ways that they’re not and inspirational in ways they’re not.) [c]
-A vignette aired on Jack Perry celebrating his TNT Title win.
-Mark Briscoe entered the ring. Excalibur said he came close to winning the TNT Title ladder match. He talked about representing the Briscoe Brothers tag team. He said Perry must’ve eaten a bowl of Lucky Charms and shoved an extra horseshoe up his ass. He said that was last week, but he’s into this week, which is Shark Week. (Forbidden Door was earlier *this* week.) He declared himself a member of Team AEW in Blood & Guts. Perry attacked Briscoe from behind. Kyle O’Reilly ran in for the save. Kazuchika Okada then entered and gave O’Reilly a Rainmaker. The Young Bucks strutted onto the stage and liked what they were seeing. Perry stood and gave Briscoe an extra stomp. The Bucks entered and gave Briscoe an EVP Trigger. The Acclaimed them came out followed by Billy Gunn. The Elite retreated to ringside and then over the barricade into the crowd. The announcers wondered who would round out the Blood & Guts match.
-Renee interviewed Toni Storm with Mariah May and Luther. Storm told May that she will love her even if she loses. She said she’s her only mate. “You digest thunder and defecate lighting,” Storm said. “There’s not a damn thing that can stop you.” May said, “Chin up, tits out, and watch for the shoe!” Storm said, “That’s my girl.”
(2) KRIS STATLANDER (w/Stokely Hathaway) vs. WILLOW NIGHTINGALE – Owen Hart Tournament match
Statlander met Willow on the ramp. Willow pounced Statlander down the ramp, then rammed her head into the mat over and over. Willow suplexed her on the floor and then threw her into the ring. The ref called for the bell at that point, 36 minutes into the hour.
Statlander slipped when she leaped on the second rope and had to regain her footing before leaping backwards with a back elbow. They cut to a break at 1:00. [c/db]
Statlander tried to suplex Willow off the side of the ring to the floor, but Willow held on and then Statlander fell back to the floor. Willow landed a cannonball at ringside and then a dropkick in the ring leading to a two count a 5:00. Willow suplexed Statlander off the second rope a minute later. Statlander came back with a running high boot. They exchanged leverage two counts. Willow set up a Death Valley Driver, but Statlander escaped and slammed Willow face-first to the mat for a near fall.
Stokely placed a chain near the ringpost and then distracted the ref. Statlander wound up the chain and swung at Willow, but Willow moved and rolled up Statlander for a three count.
WINNER: Willow in 8:00 to advance to the final.
-Renee asked Jeff Jarrett, with the rest of his crew, how he’s been able to prepare not knowing who his opponent is. Jarrett hung his head and walked away without comment. Jay Lethal stepped up and said tonight is about honoring one of his best friends, Owen Hart. [c]
-Schiavone stood mid-ring and introduced Britt Baker. She entered the ring and hugged Schiavone for several seconds. She then took the mic and Schiavone left the ring. Fans chanted, “Welcome back.” She said she missed the fans and she wanted to just talk with them tonight about three things. She said they have a past, a present, and a future. She said the past is their lesson, the present is a gift, and the future is the motivation.
She said she’s sure fans have been wondering where she was the last ten months. She said the answer was always that she was injured. She said it’d take more than a couple herniated disks and a hip labrum to keep her out of the ring. She said last October she was running on empty mentally, but she kept telling herself she was good “until one day I wasn’t.” She said one day she felt sick and the room was spinning and her vision was blurry. She said she tried to open a bottle of water, but she couldn’t. She said her whole right side stopped working. She said she was diagnosed with a Transient Ischemic Attack. She said doctors explained that’s an instance when your brain isn’t getting blood and it’s considered a mini-stroke. She said she told Tony she needed to stay home and get herself right. She said he told her to let him know when she’s good. Scattered applause.
She said now, in the present, she’s there and healthy. She said in her entire career, she was never more nervous than Sunday night at Forbidden Door. She said all she did was stand at the top of the ramp, but she never doubted herself more. She didn’t know if anyone was going to give a damn about her. She said the fear of rejection is common and persistent, and sometimes it’s worse than rejection itself. She said when she needed AEW and its fans, they welcomed her back. She said she will always be in their corner. She said at the end of the day, she’s one of them.
She said as for her future, when you’re going through hard times, feel it all and then when you get through it, you’ll feel better. She said they all feel the impulse to be elite. She said she heard, speaking of elite, “we have a new female face of All Elite Wrestling.” She said it must be so rewarding for herself to call herself that after shedding blood and building the company from the ground up. She paused to let the sarcasm sink in. She then mocked the “CEO” chant by saying how manipulative it is to pipe in those chants to get fans to chant it. She said the only three letters that matter in AEW are “DMD.” A horn sounded and they showed Mercedes Moné arriving in an SUV outside the arena. She was greeted by The Bucks, who congratulated her for being a double-champion. Nicholas Jackson said her championship celebration was ready.
Back in the arena, personnel brought balloons to the ring. Schiavone and Taz said it was disrespectful to Baker, but typical CEO stuff. Schiavone noted Baker held her ground in the ring as Mercedes entered doing her dance bit. Mercedes smiled as fans booed her when her music stopped. A loud “DMD!” chant broke out. Mercedes frowned and snarled. Mercedes asked if she interrupted something. She said it’s time to celebrate her as a double champion. Baker said she outshined her moment at Forbidden Door, so now she’s trying to do that to her on Dynamite. Mercedes said she should’ve known she was trying to steal her spotlight. Fans chanted, “Shut the f— up!” She told her to take a look at what a real star looks like.
“All In,” said Baker. She said she wrestled at All In in Chicago and she was the first woman to sign with AEW. She said she wrestled at Wembley last year “when your ass was looking like a broken bitch with a broken leg in the stands.” She challenged her to a match at All In.
Mercedes extended her arm and palmed Baker’s head. Fans chanted, “You f—ed up!” Mercedes told Baker to “get in the back of the line, bitch.” Baker leaned in and said, “Bitch, what line?” Mercedes said, “There’s a price to pay when you mess with Mercedes Moné.”
(Keller’s Analysis: Really good promo from Baker. And it’s great to see Mercedes in a clear heel role. That was the most effective she’s been on the mic to date in AEW. That felt like a big match. Good lines and good delivery throughout, even if they did reset the Bitch-o-Meter three times.) [c]
-Excalibur commented on highlights of the finish of the Swerve Strickland vs. Will Ospreay match at Forbidden Door.
-Renee interviewed Ospreay backstage who was with Kyle Fletcher. Don Callis interrupted and asked for a moment. Ospreay said he didn’t have to say anything. He said it’s not Callis’s fault. He said he hit the ref and he couldn’t get himself to hit the Tiger Driver. He said he’s not that man anymore. He talked up what Callis did for him, but he said it’s time for him to leave the Callis family. Callis said he’s not normally in the habit of letting people out of signed agreements with him, but he’s so proud of what he’s done in his life, he’s happy to do him the favor. He said maybe one day he’ll ask him for a favor. They hugged. During the hug, Callis said, “You’re going to be the World Champion.” Fletcher watched suspiciously behind him. Callis had a look that suggested he was full of it.
-Chris Jericho made his entrance. He waved at the fans. Security stared at the announcers at ringside. Taz wondered what that was about. Jericho said he wasn’t scheduled, so he decided to do commentary. He said in his smarmy tone, he needed to get his TV time. He said the ultimate sign of disrespect is stealing someone’s finisher. He took issue with Taz cheering on Hook “like a mark.” He said Taz knows about gimmick infringement. He said he spoke to the Jacksons, who agreed that he can’t do commentary next to him. He said he is relieved from his announce duties for the rest of the evening. Fans booed. Jericho also said he has to leave the arena immediately. Schiavone said that was absolute bull. Security led him out.
(3) SAMOA JOE & KATSUYORI SHIBATA & HOOK vs. BRIAN CAGE & THE GATES OF AGONY
Excalibur read the paperwork after Jericho sat next to him. Jericho told Schiavone he knows the worst thing a wrestler can do is steal another wrestler’s move. He said Schiavone knows because he’s been around since the 1950s. The bell rang 12 minutes into the hour. They cut to a double-box break at 2:00. [c/db]
Hook hot-tagged Joe at 8:00. All six got into it a minute later. All three heels submitted at once to separate finishes.
WINNERS: Joe & Hook & Shibata in 9:00.
-Jericho stood and applauded. Big Bill and Bryan Keith attacked Joe, Hook, and Shibata with chairs from behind. Jericho joined in and whipped Hook with the FTW belt. Fans chanted, “Please retire!” Jericho punched Hook with brass knuckles. Big Bill chokeslammed Hook through a table set up in the ring. The heel trio stood over him as fans booed. [c]
(4) JEFF JARRETT vs. “HANGMAN” ADAM PAGE
Jarrett came out first. Then Hangman came out to new, less catchy. more downtrodden music as the mystery opponent. Excalibur said they haven’t seen Hangman since March at Revolution. The bell rang 30 minutes into the hour. Schiavone said Jarrett had no idea who to prepare for, but he didn’t give a damn. Schiavone said Jarrett teamed with Owen 70 times before Owen’s death. Excalibur said they didn’t just wrestle as a team, they traveled together and spent time together as friends. They cut to a double-box break at 4:00. [c/db]
Back from the break, they battled mid-ring. Jarrett landed a Russian leg sweep and then an enzuigiri for a two count. Jarrett went for a figure-four, but Hangman punched out of it and then hit a Dead Eye. Schiavone said he could cover him, but he wasn’t. Excalibur said Hangman has an unsettled look in his eyes. Fans taunted him with a “Swerve’s House!” chant. He set up a Dead Eye, but Jarrett collapsed. Hangman tried again, but Jarrett avoided it and then applied a sharpshooter mid-ring. Fans popped and cheered. Hangman crawled to the bottom rope to force a break at 11:00. Hangman then landed a Buckshot. He pounded away at Jarrett with punches and then landed another Dead Eye for the win. Karen Jarrett checked on Jeff Jarrett afterward.
WINNER: Hangman in 12:00 to advance to the semi-final against Jay White on Collision this Saturday.
-They cut backstage to Hook being tended to when Big Bill and Keith attacked him. Bill threw a fireball at Hook. Jericho joined in as Keith trash-talked him. [c]
-Renee interviewed Hangman backstage. He was pacing and had a crazed look in his face. She asked if his level of aggression was completely necessary. The Bucks walked in and Matthew asked what Renee was still doing there. She left. Matthew said they’ll keep scratching his back if they scratch theirs. He asked Hangman to be their fifth man. Hangman said he’s not their puppet anymore or a child. He said he doesn’t need any more of their games. He said he’s going to win the Owen Tournament, then shoved Nicholas and left. Nicholas said that was embarrassing, so cut it.
(5) DANIEL GARCIA (w/MJF) vs. WILL OSPREAY
MJF made his entrance to cheers. He accompanied Garcia to the ring to his music. The bell rang 52 minutes into the hour. Ospreay slingshot himself onto Garcia at 3:00. MJF stood in front of Ospreay at ringside, then stepped to the side, but eyed him intensely. Ospreay threw Garcia into the ring as they cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Ospreay was in control after the break.
[OVERRUN]
They battled back and forth with big moves and near falls. Excalibur asked if they are about to witness the start of the Daniel Garcia era. Schiavone said they’d stay with the match as a long as it took. Ospreay landed a Styles Clash for a near fall. Garcia avoided a Hidden Blade and applied a front chancery mid-ring. Ospreay escaped and dropped Garcia face-first. Garcia escaped an OsCutter and then landed a leaping piledriver for a two count.
MJF offered Garcia his Dynamite Diamond Ring to use as a weapon. Garcia gave it back to MJF. MJF nodded in an understanding way. Ospreay then hit Garcia with a Hidden Blade for the win.
WINNER: Ospreay in 14:00 to retain the International Title.
-Afterward, Garcia cried in the corner as Ospreay gave him words of encouragement. MJF was shown watching behind him. Ospreay left and then MJF went over to him. Excalibur said Garcia is only 24 and he will have more opportunities. He said his future is bright. MJF told Garcia that loss is on him and he still busted his ass. He helped him up. He hugged Garcia, then kicked him in the crotch. Fans booed and MJF’s eyes got sinister. He reached into his pocket and put on the Dynamite Diamond Ring. He spit on Garcia and then told him to get up. He then hit Garcia with the ring. Schiavone said he knew it and he has a lot to explain in the opening segment on Collision.
MJF punched Menard with the ring as he tried to make the save. Then he fended off security as they leaped onto the ring apron. He then punched away at a now bleeding Garcia. He spit on him some more. They showed Menard bleeding heavily at ringside. MJF then delivered a leaping tombstone piledriver off the second rope. Christopher Daniels ran out and asked why he did that. Schiavone said he should be locked up. Excalibur called him depraved and disgusting. Ospreay ran back into the ring. MJF fled. A ref frantically waved for medical help from the back. Excalibur said they knew who. he was all along. The camera followed MJF into the crowd where he shoved a fan. Another fan got in his face angrily until security got between them.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by PWTorch’s Tony Donofrio to review AEW Dynamite LIVE tonight right after Dynamite. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Dynamite during the show.
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Dynamite. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
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