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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
JANUARY 8, 2025
CLARKSVILLE, TENN. AT F&M BANK ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON TBS & MAX
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Attendance: WrestleTix reported right before showtime that 2,497 tickets had been distributed. The arena has a capacity of 6,000 spectators when configured for concerts.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch’s Dan Kuester 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.
Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
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[HOUR ONE]
-They opened cold, without The Pointer Sisters’ theme song, with a camera panning the audience as Excalibur introduced the show. He said Tony Schiavone was on assignment, but he was joined by Ian Riccaboni instead along with Matt Menard. He hyped the return of Kenny Omega.
(1) WILL OSPREAY vs. BUDDY MATTHEWS
As Ospreay made his entrance, they showed a clip from the Continental Classic of Ospreay vs. Brody King and Kyle Fletcher vs. Ospreay three days later at World’s End followed Kazuchika Okada beating Ospreay in the final. Excalibur said the intensity of this match is so elevated because Ospreay bounced Matthews’s partner, Brody, from the tournament on Christmas night. Matthews then made his entrance. They aired clips of Matthews winning matches last year as they touted how effective a singles wrestler he is.
The bell rang 4 minutes into the hour. They battled back and forth at a fast pace from the start. Matthews landed a flip dive at ringside and then a top rope meteora for a near fall at 7:00. Ospreay went for an OsCutter, but Matthews blocked it and tossed Ospreay onto the announce desk. The ref checked on him. Excalibur noted it’s a solid oak desk. Matthews barked and then landed a running kick to Ospreay. Excalibur noted that Brody wrestled in Japan at WrestleDynasty over the weekend and thus wasn’t at Dynamite. Ospreay came back with an OsCutter off the barricade at ringside at 9:00.
Ospreay hit another series of moves. Fans chanted “Fight Forever!” briefly. Matthews made a comeback with rapid-fire strikes and then delivered a lift-and-drop kick to the back of his head followed by a stomp for a near fall at 12:00. Ospreay bumped on top of his head as he took the stomp. Ospreay floated over Matthews and landed a Styles Clash for a near fall. Ospreay followed with a Hidden Blade as soon as Matthews sat up and got a three count.
WINNER: Ospreay in 13:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: I liked that they showed highlights of Matthews winning past matches as he made his way to the ring and the context of Ospreay having defeated Matthews’s partner Brody in the Continental Classic, but it’d be good to see AEW plan for this match a month ahead and give him a signature win or two including on Dynamite to make Ospreay’s back-and-forth battle and eventual win mean more.)
-Ospreay told Matthews afterward he’s admired him from afar. He said he’s now wrestled both King and Matthews and they don’t need a leader. He said they can do it by themselves. He said he could see tag gold in their futures or even singles gold. Matthews stood and listened. He said if he ever needs a man in his corner, “Buddy, I’m your guy.” He offered a hand shake. Matthews accepted it and patted him on the chest.
(Keller’s Analysis: Seems like a babyface turn for Matthews along with a writing off of Malakai Black and the House of the Black from AEW. Maybe Black shows up next week and takes issue with Ospreay trying to mess with his crew.)
-Excalibur threw to a highlights of Wrestle Dynasty in Japan on Sunday including Jack Perry, Willow Nightingale, Sammy Guevara, Konosuke Takeshita, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Claudio Castagnoli, Mercedes Moné, and others. Mercedes said everyone can call her “four-belts Moné.” The Bucks said they don’t know when they’ll return to Dynamite but they might return soon and maybe they’ll bring the IWGP Tag Team Titles with them. They closed with Omega leaning back after his match, still bloodied, saying, “What’s next? Yeah, I’m back.”
-Private Party came out onto the stage to their entrance theme. They were partying with some women who had drinks in their hands. They said they want to celebrate their latest successful defense. MVP, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin interrupted. MVP said he’s the one who invented partying like that. He toasted them on their recent win. Lashley then, in an ominous tone, toasted them taking the titles from Private Party. He poured out his drink and made his way to the ring.
(2) BOBBY LASHLEY (w/MVP, Shelton Benjamin) vs. MARK BRISCOE
MVP joined the commentators and said the pleasure is all theirs. The bell rang 26 minutes into the hour. A graphic advertised that MJF would appear live later, plus the Casino Gauntlet and Omega. Lashley dominated early and they cut to an early break at 2:00. [c]
Menard called Briscoe one of the most unpredictable wrestlers in AEW. Lashley knocked Briscoe off the ring apron. MVP laughed and said Briscoe will need a chiropractor. Briscoe jabbed Lashley with a chair, then set up the chair in the ring and launched off of it with a flip dive onto Lashley. MVP accused Briscoe of cheating. Briscoe bit at Lashley’s forehead and shoved him into the ringpost. Briscoe flipped off the top rope and grazed Lashley, then threw him back into the ring. Briscoe followed with a sliding lariat in the ring. He played to the crowd and signaled for and landed his top rope elbow for a one count at 7:00.
Lashley came back with a sudden spear followed by a chokeslam and then the Hurt Lock for the tapout win.
WINNER: Lashley in 8:00.
-Hurt Syndicate attacked Briscoe after the match, so Private Party ran out with chairs in hand. Lashley, Shelton, and MVP backed away right away.
(Keller’s Analysis: Competitive match with, of course, an inevitable winner.)
(3) CASINO GAUNTLET MATCH – Winner Receives a World Title shot against Jon Moxley next week
Jay White was known to be the first entrant. “Hangman” Page was the surprise second entrant. The bell rang 42 minutes into the hour. They battled back and forth, including White blocking a Buckshot Lariat and then hitting a superplex. The third entrant was Wheeler Yuta. White hit a Blade Runner on Yuta as soon as he entered; Hangman broke up the cover. When it was time for the fourth entrant, Swerve’s music played and Hangman stared at the entrance stage in anticipation. Instead, the music switched to Ricochet’s theme who strutted in a heelish fashion to the ring.
Hangman threw Yuta out of the ring, but then turned just as Ricochet leaped off the top rope with a clothesline. Menard said he’s been waiting years for this type of viciousness from Ricochet. He scored a near fall on Hangman after a moonsault press. They cut to a double-box break at 6:00. [c/db]
Adam Cole came out right after the break. He rallied against Ricochet and scored a near fall. Next out was Daniel Garcia. Garcia knocked everyone out of the ring, then he and Yuta exchanged strikes mid-ring. Powerhouse Hobbs was out next and he tossed around Ricochet, Yuta, Cole, White, and Hangman one after another. They cut to another double-box break. [c/db]
[HOUR TWO]
Hobbs continued to dominate after the break. He bodyslammed White, but White avoided his charge into the corner. Next out was Roderick Strong. He dropped Yuta onto Hangman. Cole and Garcia entered and went after Ricochet. Strong then kneed Ricochet in the chin. The three of them stomped away at Ricochet in the corner. Hobbs landed a clothesline at both Cole and Garcia. Hangman hit Strong with a discus lariat next.
Lance Archer entered next. He tossed around wrestlers and then squared off with Hobbs. Hobbs powerslammed Archer, but Archer popped up and no-sold it and then hit a chokeslam. He butted chests and then exchanged strikes. Next entrant was Kyle O’Reilly. Yuta met him in the aisle and they battle briefly. O’Reilly then entered the ring and worked with Strong against Ricochet. Jeff Jarrett entered next. Yuta hit him from behind in the aisle. The announcers said Mox ordered Yuta to do that.
Hobbs knocked Archer to the floor. O’Reilly kicked away at Hobbs, but Hobbs landed a spinebuster and scored a three count.
WINNER: Hobbs in 16:00 to earn a match against Mox next week on Dynamite.
-Renee Paquette interviewed Hobbs mid-ring. He said Moxley brought him to AEW, but next week he’s going to shock the world “and make Jon Moxley my bitch.” (Sigh. Do we have to bring the Bitch-o-Meter back?) As Hobbs walked to the back, Jarrett shook his hand and walked to the ring. Excalibur hyped Hook vs. Christian Cage would occur next week in their first ever one-on-one match.
-A video package aired on the Hook-Christian feud.
-Ian entered the ring and interviewed Jarrett. He asked how was feeling after he could have had a storybook ending in his home state where his family helped put pro wrestling on the map. Jarrett said he had to ask himself if he still has what it takes to climb that mountain. He was interrupted by MJF. Excalibur said MJF is the lowest of the low and the most disgusting individual he’s ever met.
MJF called Ian “a Bible-thumping prick” and told him to get out of his ring. He told Jarrett he didn’t think he had the prior privilege of meeting him. He introduced himself. MJF said he wanted his World Title back. He said “Dictator Jon” has his belt. He said now Hobbs has the next title shot because of “your failure here tonight.” He mocked him for being beat up by Yuta. He said none of the men in the prior match are worthy of his belt. He said Jarrett might be, though, as he’s defeated some of pro wrestling’s biggest icons and has given blood, sweat, and tears for 35-plus years with 12 World Title reigns. Excalibur asked if MJF had finally learned what respect is. MJF said he had to Google all of that because he’s “not a dinosaur.” He said his dad told him he was a big fan of Jarrett’s when he was a little kid.
MJF said the clock is ticking. He said he did some digging and Jarrett hasn’t been fully forthcoming. He said his new AEW contract is only for one more year. He said that’s embarrassing because Jarrett doesn’t want to retire. He said he had to sign a one-year deal because that’s all that pro wrestling thinks he has left to give. He mocked his accent and said he’s there to help him, not piss him off. He said he’s only got one year left to prove he’s still got it. Fans chanted, “You still got it!”
He said he could help Jarrett win a title again. He said if Jarrett helps him regain his belt, then Jarrett can be first in line for a title shot. He did a strut and asked Jarrett if he wanted to make a deal with him. He offered a handshake. Jarrett took the mic and rejected the handshake.
Jarrett said MJF was the AEW World Champion and the longest reigning of all-time. He said he’s still too young to understand you learn more from your failures than your successes. He asked if he knows what they call “kids like you around here.” He said they’re called “one-hit wonders.” Fans chanted, “One hit wonder!” Jarrett said that could turn out to be a nice t-shirt, but that’s another story.
Jarrett said he knows the road he has to go down because he’s been at rock bottom. He said he’s comfortable there. He said he’s experienced that in pro wrestling and life, but he has experience scratching and crawling to get back to the top. He told MJF that he chose not to enter the Casino Gauntlet, but instead he chose to scheme. He said that yes he only has one year left, but what a difference one year can make. He said it comes down to one thing. He said he doesn’t need him. He said he isn’t buying what he is trying to sell him and called him “an entitled prick.” He shoved the mic back at his chest.
(Keller’s Analysis: As much as Jarrett isn’t helping AEW regain its cool factor, he was really effective here. He played off of MJF really well with his body language as MJF talked. MJF was at his best self, staying away from crudeness and jarring yelling and just being calm, cocky, and insulting.)
-Excalibur said Cope was up next. [c]
-A clip aired of The Death Riders’ attack on Rampage on Dec. 27 when they stomped Darby’s head and knocked him down metal stairs. He said no one has heard from Darby since and he has “essentially fallen off the map.”
-Cope made his entrance. A clip aired of Cope and Chris Jericho going at it in the six-man tag match on Collision last Saturday night. He said Mox claims wrestlers like Darby, Orange Cassidy, White, and Hangman don’t have what it takes for the grind to be champion. He said he disagrees. He said no one has fought through what he has fought through just to be standing there in the ring. He said he will die on that hill because he is a different animal. He said he broke his neck in a match with Eddie Guerrero. He said he got up, wrestled 20 more minutes, and won that match. He said he is looking at a man who fought Malakai Black in a barbed wire cage match and broke his leg. He said he got up and wrestled ten more minutes and won the match. He told Mox that he knows he’s one of the toughest wrestlers in pro wrestling but he asked what he thinks he can do to him that hasn’t been done before. Moxley’s music played.
Mox, Yuta, and Claudio made their way through the crowd to ringside. FTR attacked them. Cope joined in the fight at ringside. Excalibur said the odds had been evened. Marina Shafir slid a chair to the ring. Cope grabbed her by her hair and yanked her onto the ring apron. Pac then hit Cope with a briefcase from behind. Mox applied a Bulldog Choke mid-ring as the rest of the Death Riders watched. Mox pulled out a plastic bag. Powerhouse Hobbs’s theme played and he walked out and lowered his straps. The Death Riders left the ring. [c]
-Mariah May was cutting a promo about “boning her opponents alive” when Harley Cameron interrupted. She said rolled into the scene and suggested they give everyone an appetizer on Collision on Saturday. She suggested a match with Mariah. Mariah said she couldn’t have a title match, but she said she’d give her a non-title match and rip her head off. Harley said she’d feel her wrath.
(4) TONI STORM vs. WILLOW NIGHTINGALE vs. KRIS STATLANDER – Winner Earns First Entrant Position in Casino Gaunlet match
The bell rang 37 minutes into the hour. After an early flurry of action, Storm dove onto Willow and Statlander, then catapulted Storm into the crotch of Statlander. They cut to an early break. [c/db]
Willow got in a stretch of offense. Statlander broke up a near fall by Willow on Storm, knocked Willow out of the ring, and then gave Storm a Saturday Night Fever for the win.
WINNER: Statlander in 10:00.
-Renee interviewed Storm backstage about her loss. She was dejected and said it can’t be Toni Time all the time. She said it’s just not her time.
-Kenny Omega made his entrance with an updated video and entrance theme. Excalibur said he was an early foundation of Omega. Ian talked about his confrontation with Kazuchika Okada and his return match in Japan. Fans chanted, “Kenny! Kenny!” Omega milked the moment as fans chanted, “Welcome back!” He said it was a little over a year ago when he checked himself into the hospital. He said he was given the bad news that he got diverticulitis. He said they took two feet of his intestines from him. He said the doctor told him he’d have been dead soon if he didn’t check himself into the hospital when he did. He said it’s been a roller coaster ride since then. He got choked up.
He said after surgery he asked the doctor how long recovery would take and how long before he could wrestle again. He said the doctor told him he’d be lucky to return to a normal way of life much less return to the ring much less return to the being wrestler he used to be. He said being a wrestler, he pushed things too hard. He said he ended in the hospital four more times, four weeks at a time. He asked himself if it was worth it. He said he did think giving up was the safest option, but then he asked what his purpose was if he didn’t have the fans with him. He said he tested that theory in Japan a few days ago, and he realizes if he’s not giving it all he has in the ring, he isn’t living.
He said he might not be able to do the things he used to do, but this is a new version who isn’t concerned about money, power, or revenge. He said he can still prove something. He was then interrupted by Don Callis’s music. As Callis said look who’s back from the dead, Omega charged after him. Archer, Brian Cage, and Kyle Fletcher attacked Omega. Ospreay made the save. Excalibur said there’s so much history between them and asked if they could ever bury the hatchet. Ospreay and Omega stared each other down as Omega clutched his ribs and his music played. Menard said he was fired up.
(Keller’s Analysis: Really good return promo from Omega. We’ve seen wrestlers come back from potentially career-ending injuries before, and this was along those lines, but he really seemed sincere and serious. The crowd was really hanging on his every word. He felt like a big centerpiece star with a mission. I would say this probably wasn’t the show for Cope to list all of his comebacks as it felt too similar to Omega’s planned promo, and this should have been Omega’s night.)
-Excalibur hyped next week’s Dynamite including Moxley vs. Hobbs, Christian vs. Hook, Omega vs. Brian Cage, and the Women’s Casino Gauntlet match. He said it feel good to have Omega back in AEW.
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 and PWTorch’s Dan Kuester 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.
Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
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