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AEW DYNAMITE TV REPORT
MAY 27, 2020
LIVE IN JACKSONVILLE, FLA. AT DAILY’S PLACE
AIRED ON TNT
Announcers: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur
[HOUR ONE]
-A recap aired of the Double or Nothing PPV.
-The Inner Circle stood by a truck with Inner Circle Stadium Stampede Championship t-shirts. Not only was there a box full of them, but Santana and Ortiz opened the back of the truck, which was filled with them.
-The Dynamite opening theme aired. Then pryo shot off on the stage as the audience applauded. The announcers hyped what’s coming up on the show, including SCU vs. Kip Sabian & Jimmy Havoc battling, with the winning team getting a tag team title match next week.
-Backstage, “Hangman” Adam Page, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and “Broken” Matt Hardy were all all hanging out. Page and Omega left, and the Young Bucks asked if they could have a different version of him. Matt walked off camera, then returned a second later as pre-Broken Matt. They asked for an even earlier version of him. Matt walked off camera and then back and he was suddenly dressed like early Hardy Boyz. They joked that they were going to have a spotfest. (Well, it wasn’t really a joke.)
(1) THE YOUNG BUCKS (Nick & Matt Jackson) & MATT HARDY vs. JOEY JANELA & PRIVATE PARTY (Isaiah Kassidy & Marq Quen)
Ross said Nick hasn’t been on Dynamite in 98 days due to injury and the coronavirus situation. Ross quickly clarified he didn’t have the virus, but was being cautious. Excalibur said it’s a big moment for the Bucks getting to team with Matt Hardy for the first time, especially the Attitude Era version. Ross said Hardy’s no spring chicken, but he’s in the best shape he’s seen him in in years and it helps his endurance. Excalibur said Private Party upset the Young Bucks before, and they have a chance again. At 7:00, they set up a big dive. Janela got hung upside down from the top rope. The Bucks superkicked him. Private Party leaped over the top rope onto the Bucks at ringside. Marq Quen popped up quickly, but couldn’t put weight on his leg. Kassidy went over to check on him. Kassidy was checking on him and not focusing on the match. Matt Jackson superkicked Kassidy, then Matt leaped off the second rope with an elbow to the back of his head. Then came More Bang for Your Buck for the win.
WINNERS: Young Bucks & Hardy in 9:00.
-Hardy helped up Quen. Hardy and the ref helped him to the back. He crawled up the stairs to the stage and then got helped some more. Back in the ring, the Bucks were celebrating in the ring. Butcher & Blade attacked them.
-An old pick-up truck drove up and out came the former Dash & Dawson (Revival). Excalibur said they’re Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, FTR. The announcers wondered whose side they were on. They attacked Butcher and Blade, including a spike piledriver on Blade. The audience chanted “Holy shit!” They fended off Blade again. Then they turned and had an uneasy standoff with The Bucks. Ross called it a “dream tag team scenario.” FTR then left the ring. [c]
-Jon Moxley strutted to the ring with his AEW World Title belt as they replayed his win at Double or Nothing. Mox sat at ringside and said he was sitting on his couch the last couple days recovering after Brodie Lee gave him his toughest fight so far in AEW. He said then Brian Cage showed up “seemingly out of nowhere” and won the Casino Battle Royal to earn a title shot. He said it wasn’t what he expected, but he said nothing has been what he has expected in recent months, and he’s just rolling through. As they showed Brian Cage winning the battle royal on Saturday, Mox dropped a couple “Jesus Christs.”
(2) BRIAN CAGE (w/Taz) vs. LEE JOHNSON
As Taz and Cage walked out. Moxley said they don’t know Taz’s role with Cage yet. Taz watched from the stage with his signature orange towel, matching Cage’s spray tan, and cheered him on. Ross said, with a tinge of sarcasm, that Johnson is the underdog. Cage dominated Johnson, and won with the Drill Claw. Mox said he’s seen Cage wrestle a lot of times before, and he’s been doing more research in recent days on the couch.
WINNER: Cage in under 2:00.
-Taz addressed Moxley. He said he respects what he’s done and the dues he’s paid and how he’s grinded and been super-successful. He said at Fyter Fest, he’ll be dealing with something different. He pointed at Cage and said he’s a machine. He told him to bring his grit and heart. He said Cage is going to reach into his chest and tear out his heart. The audience chanted “Moxley!” Taz closed with: “Beat him if you can, survive if he lets you!” he said. Mox and Cage eyed each other from afar. [c]
-Britt Baker came out in a wheel chair, pushed by Rebel. There was a poster on an easel that said, “The Rules of Being a Role Model.” Her right knee was in a Velcro wrap. Schiavone looked nervous introducing her and tried twice to get it right. Baker said Rule #3 is: “Don’t hurt the role model.” The audience booed. She said she has a broken tibia, and it was the result not of an accident, but a conspiracy. She pointed up at exhibit A. She talked about the three-on-one situation that she said was probably planned for months. She said without her, there is no Women’s Division. Rebel missed her cue to flip the giant poster-sized sheet to the next page. Rebel flipped past photos of each of the three who were part of the corner splash that injured Britt. First was Kris Statlander. “You being an alien is a crock of shit.” Then Shida. She said she’s a fraudulent champion. Then Nyla Rose. She said she’s seen Nyla come off the top rope hundreds, maybe thousands of times, and thus she had to be aiming for her leg. She called them all “conspirators.” Excalibur said those are very serious allegations she’s making. Next there was a board with photos of the women, the referee, and a photo of the injury. She said Aubrey Edwards the mastermind of the web of conspirators. “She just happens to be around every time I’m injured,” she said. She said the joke is on them because she will be back at All Out. So she’s saying her timetable for return is the end of summer, apparently.
(Keller’s Analysis: Just when it felt it was getting a little too long, she wrapped up. It was okay. Paced a little slowly and the punchlines weren’t great. When she doesn’t give Tony a hard time, the act loses something. Blaming referee Aubry Edwards was pretty funny. AEW definitely incorporates referee personalities more into storylines and matches than WWE does.) [c]
-Chris Jericho and the rest of Inner Circle were standing in front of a backdrop with Alex Marvez. Jericho told Marvez to shut his mouth and called him a fat head. He said it’s going to be a great pep rally with pomp & circumstance, cheerleaders, a drum line, and presents. He said they’re going to get back on track after they were robbed on Saturday. Orange Cassidy wondered past them in the background. Marvez made Jeremy Borash bug-eyes to sell what happened. Jericho asked, “Did he just do that?” They walked away, looking irritated. Sammy Guevara was on crutches.
(3) HIKARU SHIDA vs. CHRISTI JAYNES
Jaynes danced a little in the ring to samba music during her introduction. Excalibur called it a huge opportunity for her. Ross said Jaynes was born in Brazil, lives in Austin, Tex., and she came from a single-parent family with a mom who raised four kids while getting a doctorate. Schiavone plugged HBO Max, which had their logo on the ringposts. Ross mentioned his favorite shows, “Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Excalibur and Schiavone added theirs. Tony liked “Barry.” Excalibur endorsed “The Wire.”
Jaynes danced and tried to show up Shida. The announcers wondered if that was wise. Ross said Mike Tyson would be on later, and they don’t know what he’ll do. Jaynes did a nice sequence off the ropes into an arm drag. When Jaynes grabbed Shida’s hair and yelled, Shida yanked on her hair. Shida threw Jaynes into the top turnbuckle, then landed a running knee in the corner. Ross noted it is a non-title match. Shida took it to Jaynes at ringside with a running kneelift. Fans chanted “Holy Shida!” Shida Jaynes James down with a backbreaker and then an upper body chinlock. Ross touted the Shida-Nyla Rose match. Shida climbed the second rope. Jaynes landed a step-up enzuigiri. Jaynes climbed to the top rope and landed a top rope sunset flip. Shida rolled through. Jaynes stood and roundkicked her in the head. Ross said Jaynes appears to have a good upside, then when Shida took her down with an elbow, he added, “She goes down pretty well, too.” Shida hit Jaynes hit a falcon arrow for the win a minute later. Ross said she celebrated her win Saturday by eating a pint of very delicious ice cream.
WINNER: Shida in 5:00.
-They cut to a commercial break, including Shida celebrating, then a replay of her win. They cut backstage to Page and Kenny hanging out on a sectional. Page was drinking a beer; Kenny drank milk. They noticed the camera was on them in the corner of the room. Page got really close to the lens and seemed not sure if it was a camera spying on them. He was wearing a “Cowboy Shit” t-shirt. (Out of context out in public, that shirt has to get some strange looks.) Then he sat back and down. He and Kenny shared some laughs.
-A video package aired on the Cody victory over Lance Archer to become the first-ever TNT Champion.
-Cody and Arn Anderson walked out to Cody’s music as pyro blasted. The announcers said there will be other TNT Champions, but never another first-ever champion. The announcers plugged the Double or Nothing replay. Ross said “there was something for everybody.” Ross said Cody looks to be in a great mood, and added, “Why wouldn’t he be?”
Schiavone interviewed Cody mid-ring. He asked Tony if he knows why Tom Brady is his favorite quarterback. He said it’s because Brady wasn’t the first picked, but he built a legacy. He said the parallel for him is that when Tony Khan imagined building a merit-based wrestling company and a bely-to-bell-based wrestling company, he would want to recruit the best wrestlers in the world. “So I wasn’t the first call,” he said. “I wasn’t the second call. I wasn’t even the third call.” He held up four fingers. He said it doesn’t bother him. He said he is the first-ever TNT Champion of “American’s greatest network.” He said his story isn’t one of nepotism or favoritism. “My story is of a 21 year old kid who got called up to TV before I barely knew how to hit the ropes.” He said he grew up right in front of everyone. He said he didn’t get the dominant genes. He said Dustin got all of Dusty’s genes. They cut to Dustin and Brandi at ringside. He said he has a mean old mom, a little Cuban woman who has a broken ankle she is probably standing on right now. He said his mother taught him everything he needs to know about grit and talent.
[HOUR TWO]
He said if you stand next to him on the track, he will outrun you, out-dog you, outlast you, and outwork you. He said if you are someone who is critical of him bell-to-bell, judge him for what he does next. He said he’s about to cut a schedule like no wrestler before. He said he will stand out there every week. “This is an open challenge,” he said. He looked down at his belt. He said they are still in the pandemic era of wrestling, and they are still without their greatest asset, the fan. He said they watch them for two hours every week and they blew away projections with their PPV buys on Saturday. He told viewers to follow him because this is where the fun begins. He waved at the audience and shook Tony’s hand. Ross said he isn’t shocked Cody is going to be a fighting champion, but he didn’t expect every week.
-Ross hyped SCU vs. Kip Sabian & Jimmy Havoc plus Mike Tyson were coming up. [c]
(4) KIP SABIAN (w/Penelope Ford) & JIMMY HAVOC vs. SCU (Scorpio Sky & Kaz w/Christopher Daniels)
Ross said Ford and Sabian are engaged “for those keeping score at home on Rats & Romance.” Ross said Havoc is as tough a wrestler as anyone on the roster and he likes violence. He said he likes his game, and he’s roommates with Sabian and Penelope. Excalibur said the Best Friends will get their tag title shot later this summer at Fyter Fest. Excalibur said Havoc has training and skills with the British catch style, but he chooses the death match style. Ross touted the British catch style. He said in the 1970s he refereed a match between two British wrestlers who taught him a lot about that. They cut to a break around 5:00. [c]
Back from the break, Sabian had Kaz grounded. They showed that during the break, Havoc and Sabian took turns kicking Kaz in the chest. Kaz finally hot-tagged Sky, and the audience popped. Sky went to work at a fast pace against both Havoc and Sabian. Sky landed a high dropkick on Havoc, a sling-shot twisting cutter on Sabian, then applied a Dragon Sleeper on Sabian. Havoc broke it up. Havoc tagged in and gave Sky a Death Valley Driver. Sabian tagged in and landed a double stomp off the top rope for a near fall. Some chaos broke out. Ross said it was coming unraveled. Kaz scored a two count after an assisted DDT. Kaz landed a cutter. Sabian broke it up with a senton, but it landed on Havoc when Kaz moved. Sky and Kaz set up Havoc for a finisher, but Penelope grabbed Kaz’s legs. Havoc and Sabian then gave Sky a Michinoku Driver/dropkick combo for the win. Excalibur said Sabian & Havoc will now get a tag title match against Page & Kenny next week on Dynamite.
WINNER: Sabian & Havoc in 12:00.
-Ross hyped the battle royal.
-MJF said he is clearly a breakout star in this company and he didn’t need to come from another company to get that rep. He said he’s been undefeated for over a year, so it’s pretty perplexing he has yet to receive a title shot. He said it seems maybe someone in the AEW office doesn’t like him very much. He said the battle royal was his perfect chance to get what he deserves. He said Wardlow, standing behind him, was his insurance policy and he knows what to do when they’re the final two. Wardlow didn’t seem to be on the same page. MJF laughed and said, “I got you! What a rib! We’re going to have fun out there.” Wardlow let out a loud sigh.
-Dasha stood mid-ring and explained the battle royal rules. MJF made his ring entrance first. [c]
(5) BATTLE ROYAL
The ring had filled quite a bit during the break including Colt Cabana, Christopher Daniels, Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, Sonny Kiss, Marko Stunt, Luther, Peter Avalon, and Brandon Cutler. Billy Gunn came out of the crowd to be part of it. His son Austin was super-excited for his dad. Orange Cassidy came out next. The match began, with Cassidy strolling casually to the ring. He was attacked by Santana and Ortiz.
At the start, MJF sat on the top turnbuckle with Wardlow guarding him. Luchasaurus tossed Luther over the top first. He hit the ring apron hard on his way down. Colt eliminated Sonny Kiss next. MJF rolled under the bottom rope and stomped away at Sonny. Ross said, “MJF is an arrogant Richard.” Ross said Sonny and Luther would make a nice couple and referred to Sonny Kiss as “she” and “her.” Gunn eliminated Cabana when he flew at him in the corner. A rep from Dark Order presented a disappointed Colt a flyer to recruit him. Ross called it an interesting development. [c]
They stayed with the action on split-screen. Brandon Cutler and Peter Avalon were eliminated during the break. Luchasaurus and Wardlow battled mid-ring. MJF chop-blocked Luchasaurus. Billy and Luchasaurus went nose-to-nose. Wardlow charged, but they both shoulder-tackled him. When they battled each other, MJF and Wardlow came up behind them and tossed them over the top. It came down to Wardlow, MJF, and Jungle Boy. Cassidy rolled into the ring. The announcers realized he was never eliminated. He gave MJF a soft shove to the chest. MJF used his Dynamite Diamond Ring and swung at Cassidy, but Cassidy ducked and MJF hit Wardlow instead. Jungle Boy then backdropped MJF over the top rope. Cassidy and Jungle Boy eliminated Wardlow next. So it came down to Cassidy and Jungle Boy. MJF had to be held back by referees at ringside. Cassidy hung onto the top rope with one hand, then returned to land a Superman-style flying elbow. Jungle Boy then head-scissored a flying Cassidy over the top rope to win. They showed Jungle Boy getting emotional in the ring as he contemplated this opportunity.
WINNER: Jungle Boy in 12:00 to earn a future TNT Title match.
-Excalibur said he’ll face Cody next week for the TNT Title. They hyped that Page & Omega will defend next week against Sabian & Havoc, and the winner will go to Fyter Fest to defend against the Best Friends. Ross said Jericho will be in action next week. Ross also noted that Moxley will defend against Brian Cage “sometime this summer” at Fyter Fest.
-A highlight package aired of Stadium Stampede. They cut to a commercial, but showed cheerleaders on split-screen for the pep rally. [c]
-Vickie Guerrero excitedly introduced the Inner Circle members one at a time, screeching the whole way through. Jericho said they will rise again. He opened the box and threw Stadium Stampede Champion t-shirts to the audience. Excalibur said there was a printing error. The audience members threw the shirts back at the ring. Sammy told Ortiz and Santana to calm down. Sammy said they didn’t win, but they did participate. He said he got everyone trophies. The small trophy for Jericho said, “King of Dad Jokes.” Sammy said there’s a pandemic going on, so he didn’t have a great selection. Ortiz handed out gifts. He gave Santana a cheese sandwich. He gave Sammy a small toy. He gave Jericho a framed photo of Marc Anthony. Jericho said Sammy is too cool to have nerdy crutches. He gave him a scooter with a sign that said, “The Hit Me-Up-Mobile.” Jericho put sound proof earphones on Ortiz, which stopped the ringing bell sound from Saturday. Ortiz declared, “I can hear! I can hear!” Hager dryly read a poem about happiness. He said he can’t wait to run over each Elite member with his Tesla. He said the pumpkin-headed dipshits might have won the Stampede, but the Inner Circle never loses and he’ll hunt them down where they sleep. He got super-intense and Jericho interrupted and calmed him down. Hager took a deep breath and said, “The end. I’m happy.” He didn’t smile at all.
Sammy asked Chris what he really, truly wants. Jericho said what he wants is Mike Tyson’s head on a platter. He said he hasn’t forgotten what Tyson did to him on Jan. 11, 2010 on a Monday night. The audience chanted, “Mike! Mike!” He said ever since that day, he has been dreaming of getting his hands on Tyson’s fat head. Sammy said he couldn’t get his head on a platter for him, but he said he got him a cheese platter instead with a little bit of the bubbly. Tyson strutted out with a posse of six other guys including Vitor Belfort.
Tyson got in Jericho’s face. Jericho told Tyson to shut his mouth when he’s talking to him. He said he has been dreaming of this moment for ten years. He said he turned on him and knocked him out. Tyson said he deserved it and because he stole the championship. Jericho said he was going to give Tyson one chance to apologize for knocking him out or he’ll knock him the hell out. Tyson tore off his t-shirt and flexed. Jericho said he looks great, but apologize. Tyson shoved him. Jericho shoved back. A brawl broke out. Total chaos. The locker room emptied. Tyson was backed up to the stage as the brawl continued in the ring. Ross said, “A lot of combat power in this one and it is breaking down in Jacksonville tonight.” Tyson almost broke free, but was dragged to the back. Ross apologized for the chaos, “but it is what it is.” The show ended with Jericho vowing revenge while he was held back by others
I am shocked that AEW would allow someone as dangerous as Tyson back inside the ring. Jericho better cover up his ears.