SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
I have to come clean before you continue reading. My beloved Maryland Terps basketball team lost in horrific fashion to Michigan State on a half-court buzzer beater right before I started watching Dynamite. I’m not in a great mood. I am counting on YOU, Tony Khan, to take me away from that misery and give me something fun to watch to help me cope. The pressure is on. Give me a good show!!!
HITS
HANGMAN – MJF, THE NEXT CHAPTER
It was almost perfect. I enjoyed MJF’s tattoo removal anti-fan speech to set up even more cheers for “Hangman” Page. I enjoyed Hangman coming out in street clothes and making short work of Aaron Solo. I enjoyed Hangman’s post match promo demanding MJF to come out. I enjoyed MJF’s speech as well and then they cut back too quickly to Christoper Daniels trying to make himself bleed more and it took me out of it. It was another lack of detail issue, but I am not going to let a two second shot ruin the segment as a whole as it was a great setup for what has been the highlight of Dynamite in recent weeks. This was still a solid segment to build to the match at Revolution. (Ugh, I still can’t believe that guy for Michigan State hit a 50-foot shot!)
OSPREAY VS. KEITH
I know this falls into one of those great matches that has a predictable ending, but Bryan Keith has not been in this kind of match very often. He really proved he could go toe-to-toe with the company’s best and it ended up being a really entertaining contest even though we knew Ospreay was going to win. It would have been better if Keith had a few wins under his belt in recent weeks, but I was impressed with the Bounty Hunter. There was also some great intensity afterwards by Ospreay and Fletcher. Ending the segment with Ospreay in the crowd with the people was also a great visual.
RICOCHET
I have to give credit where it’s due. Ricochet is killing it. He has embraced his heel role and is thriving. He is getting more heat from the fans than Don Callis at this moment. His delivery is on point right now. The story was well told as it was the AEW World Title shot stipulation that allowed Ricochet to agree to another match with Swerve.
As for Swerve, he continues to be motivated by Prince Nana. Nana is also crushing it. He is doing his job to get Swerve focused for the match, but also adding an extra incentive for Swerve to get Nana’s robe back. This was a great segment start to finish. (MUCH better than the finish of the Maryland-MSU game… ugh!!)
TAKESHITA VS. CASSIDY
This was a stellar main event. These two had great chemistry and some of the sequences were really special. The counters were very well executed. How about Bryce Remsberg?! An AEW referee actually got involved to stop interference by Don Callis! The last portion of the match was wild and crazy with some amazing near falls. It really looked like Takeshita just survived a war with a multi-time champion. Great stuff.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the “All Elite Conversation Club” with Joel Dehnel and Gregg Kanner, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
QUICK HITS
– Before the first commercial break, you had a promise from Adam Copeland to take out the Death Riders, the entire Hangman Page-MJF segment, Chris Jericho and Don Callis backstage promo, and Will Ospreay’s entrance and the beginning of his match with Bryan Keith. That’s some good production to keep people entertained for 21-plus minutes.
– The six-man tag match between the Undisputed Kingdom and Garcia & FTR was fun and showcased all six guys well. Having Cole pin Garcia and earn a TNT Title match made sense and it was smart to immediately announce that match for this week’s Collision. It’s important that they put big matches on that show and promote them. This is a positive step.
– The fan with an Alex Ovechkin jersey in the crowd when Cope was beating up Claudio! Go Ovi!! (Sorry for so many sports references!)
– I really enjoyed someone finally getting the better of the Death Riders. It’s been a long, sometimes frustrating, reign for this group and to see Jon Moxley having a temper tantrum when his partners were getting destroyed in the ring was a welcome sight. I’m sure this won’t be the end of the group and I don’t think Copeland is winning the title, but to see some chinks in the armor is a preview for whatever is to come over the next few months.
– Harley Cameron continues to show major improvements in the ring and it’s clear the push she received headed into Grand Slam Australia was not a one-off. Beating Deonna Purazzo is a big win and should help her gain momentum for whatever is next.
MISSES
THE OUTRUNNERS WIN
There is no way Lance Archer should be pinned on a rollup following a dumb distraction. None. I understand The Outrunners are a team that a lot of fans enjoy. They are not for me though, even though I’m also from the ’80s. The Murder Machines would be a great team to build and face the Hurt Syndicate, but that ship has now sailed. Even if they will eventually meet up, they are majorly damaged due to a loss to the Outrunners. This is bad booking in my opinion and not something that MVP, Lashley, and Benjamin should be involved in.
UNFORTUNATELY NOT THE GUY FROM MICHIGAN STATE
I wish he would have “missed.”
Thanks for allowing me to vent while writing about Dynamite. The show was able to allow me to escape that reality for a couple of hours… mostly. I thought this was a very good show that was an entertaining watch and set up multiple stories for the weeks to come and for Revolution, which is quickly becoming one hell of a card.
Don’t forget to check out the weekly free podcast I’m part of, “The All Elite Conversation Club” that typically drops on Fridays the PWTorch Dailycast lineup. Joel Dehnel and I have a great time breaking down all things AEW! Search “pwtorch” on your podcast app to subscribe. Send questions and comments to allelitecc@gmail.com.
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