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AEW Dynamite
November 25, 2020

by Samoa Rowe

Happy Thanksgivin' Thumpin' to you all. Stay safe and please eat way too much.

From Daily's Place because COVID-19 is still with us. Our hosts are Jim Ross, Tony Shiavone, and Excalibur.

Hangman Adam Page vs. John Silver (with The Dark Order)

Silver's emergence as a fan-favorite goofball on BTE is starting to pay off with more TV time. Silver wins the first exchange and flexes his muscle in Page's face. Page answers with a spinning fist to the face. Silver counters with an enziguri and tosses Page off the top rope. Silver hits measured kicks to the chest and Page answers with a vicious chop. They duke it out until Silver sprints into position for a German suplex. Page responds with a springboard clothesline. Page counters into a slingshot plancha. Sliding lariat by Page gets 2, as does a fallaway slam into a standing SSP. Silver blocks the Buckshot into a rana. Brainbuster by Silver only gets 2! Silver throws more kicks, to which Page smiles and fires up. Silver targets the face, but Page spins him with a clothesline, and the Liger Bomb gets 2. The Buckshot ends it at 9:20. Solid win for Page, but Silver really got to show us what he's made of, which seems to be a blend of Crash Holly and Daniel Bryan, ***.
Winner: Adam Page

Evil Uno tries to recruit Page into the Dark Order, making a good argument that The Elite are the real cult. This seems to strike a nerve with Page.

Alex Marvez interviews Kenny Omega backstage. Kenny is sick of seeing Moxley's face on all the magazine covers, so it's time for the return of the Cleaner and Best Bout Machine. He challenges Moxley to leave all the garbage wrestling at home and use his ability to beat him at Winter is Coming. Also, Jon's father wasn't that tough, and Kenny's dad could beat the sh!t out of him. Ye-ouch.

Black and white video of Darby Allin smashing a car with his skateboard and lighting it on fire. Darby looks nightmarish while posing with the TNT title in front of the flames.

Powerhouse Hobbs (with Taz) vs. Lee Johnson

I'm not sure how I feel about rebranding Hobbs to "Powerhouse" but I suppose we should feel grateful that he's not just outright losing his first name to be simply "Hobbs." The match is a complete slaughter, though Hobbs takes some time to stare at the Gunn Club in the front row. Hobbs effortlessly wins with a power slam at 1:45. Productive squash.
Winner: Powerhouse Hobbs

Taz saunters into the ring with the FTW title and order Hobbs to go celebrate while he takes care of business. Taz is fed up by AEW's refusal to recognize the FTW Championship and threatens to hold the show hostage until he gets an answer. The mic gets cut off, but Taz demands a backup from Justin Roberts. This goes on until Cody Rhodes comes out to order him out. Cody offers Ricky Starks vs. Darby Allin to placate him, but Taz still wants some respect for the FTW title. Cody says he'll “run it up the flag pole.” Taz wants to know if he has anymore corporate bullsh!t for him, like “Good luck with your future endeavors.” This angers Cody, who demands to kow why Taz' son is training with him instead of his own father. Cody calls for a camera cut, but Taz puts him down with the Tazmission. Taz hands the FTW title to his son, who appears out of nowhere, and they leave together. I liked this and it worked, though I'm left wondering what's going on with the Shaq issue.

Alex Marvez interviews Eddie Kingston backstage. Eddie is chomping at the bits for a war against Death Triangle, but he's interrupted by AEW Champion Jon Moxley. Eddie immediately knows what's up and looks Moxley in the eye to say it wasn't him who took him out.

Top Flight (Darius and Dante Martin) vs. TH2 (Angelico and Jack Evans)

TH2 don't like the idea of Top Flight leapfrogging them in the tag division and are looking to make a statement. I must say, I am so glad that they are following up with Top Flight on Dynamite for a second straight week, I was worried we wouldn't see them again for a month. Angelico goes for the arm of Darius, who cartwheels away. Darius floats out of the corner and maneuvers into a cool armdrag. Top Flight make a tag and swarm Angelico, but a kick to Dante's gut allows a tag to Evans, just in time for a picture-in-picture break. TH2 put Dante through the ringer through the commercial. As per usual, they return with a hot tag. Darius cleans house , hitting a strong missile dropkick for 2. Dante returns with a powerbomb on Evans, but Angelico saves the match. Evans tries a German off the apron but gets knocked onto his partner, setting up Darius' tope and Dante's somersault senton! Dante's frog splash on Evans gets a great nearfall. Evans hits a springboard moonsault elbow, and Angelico assists in a standing 450 splash for another good 2 count. Dante counters with Code Red, but Evans breaks the pin. Evans drops Darius back first on the floor, allowing Angelico to put Dante in a rough leglock for the submission at 10:45. High level spotfest here, best showing from TH2 in ages, and Top Flight are getting over as gutsy prospects who may be swimming over their heads, ***½.
Winners: TH2

TH2's post match beatdown is interrupted by the Young Bucks.

Vickie Guerrero and Nyla Rose complain about nepotism, in regards to Brandi Rhodes' position in AEW. This explains why they helped Jade Cargill beat the stuffing out of her.

FTR are licking their wounds after losing the Tag Team Championship to the Young Bucks at Full Gear, but Tully Blanchard feels that destiny dictates they will be the champions again soon.

SCU (Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian) vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho and Jake Hager)

I feel like Jericho mixing up with Daniels is a low key dream match. They lock up and Jericho scores a shoulder tackle and slaps Daniels' bald head, which earns him a leg lariat. SCU make a tag and Jericho finds himself on the receiving end of a 2 on 1 beatdown. Quick tag to Hager, who almost gets carried away pummeling Kazarian into the buckles, and the Inner Circle take control. I sense a commercial, but instead Daniels gets something of a hot tag and cleans house until Santana trips him, which allows a Hager power slam. Santana, Ortiz, and Guevara beat down Daniels at ringside as the inevitable commercial finally happens. They return with Daniels still trapped by the Inner Circle. Kazarian gets the obligatory hot tag and cleans house, hitting guillotine leg drops on both Hager and Jericho. Kazarian takes time to dive onto Ortiz with a nearly botched rana. A tag allows Daniels to drop a boot into Jericho's chest and dive through the buckles onto Hager. High crossbody by Daniels gets 2 on Le Champion. Daniels walks into a soft Judas Effect, and he withstands a Hager onslaught to hit a leaping Flatliner. Best Moonsault Ever, but Jericho saves Hager. MJF arrives to clock Daniels with the Dynamite Diamond, and the Judas Effect makes Daniels easy prey for Hager's cover at 10:43. Rock solid match, and it shows MJF and the Inner Circle on the same page, ***.
Winners: The Inner Circle

Kazarian foolishly clocks MJF, which causes the entire Inner Circle to swarm them, but the entire group flees when Scorpio Sky arrives with a steel chair.

Miro, Kip Sabian, and Penelope Ford are trying to put on a show in their dressing room when they're ambushed by Orange Cassidy and Best Friends. They brawl into the parking lot, and Best Friends powerbomb Sabian into a portapotty, but Miro takes down the camera man for an abrupt ending.

Tony Shiavone tries once again to hold a formal contract signing between AEW Champion Jon Moxley and #1 Contender Kenny Omega. Kenny's entrance is interrupted when Moxley jumps him from behind and hauls him into the ring. Moxley hits a Paradigm Shift right onto the title belt. Moxley grabs a mic and speculates that Omega put a hit out on him, so next time he'd better do a better job. Moxley declares that Omega must turn into his old self if plans on becoming the first person to pin him in 18 months. Moxley signs the contract and stands tall, having proven his point.

Alex Marvez interviews the Inner Circle backstage. MJF is irate over Kazarian smacking him in the face. Jericho is outraged that they won fair and square, only to suffer an attack, and he challenges Kazarian to a singles match next week, where he'll end his career.

Video package for Shida vs. Jay, featuring footage of their previous match back at the closed tapings in Georgia. It was only Jay's 7th match ever, and she feels like Shida took advantage of her.

AEW Women's Championship:
Hikaru Shida © vs. Anna Jay (with Tay Conti and The Dark Order)

Shida is 20-1 in 2020, which is a great reminder that AEW protects their champions. They aggressively trade holds and Jay quickly goes for the Queen Slayer sleeper. Shida escapes and nails a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and running dropkick. Jay blocks a drive by knee lift and whips Shida into the rails. Cue the commercial! They return with Jay still in control. Conti passes a chair in full view of the ref, which was a red herring for Silver sliding in a kendo stick for a scary nearfall. Jay locks on the Queen Slayer but Shida rolls out and elbows the back of the head. Jay reverses a suplex for another tense nearfall. Shida pops up for a straight jacket German suplex but Jay kicks out. Shida's running knee ends it at 7:32. Overwhelmingly solid match that unfortunately got eaten up by a commercial break, **¾.
Winner and still AEW Women's Champion: Hikaru Shida

Shida limps away in victory, but the returning Abadon meets her on the stage. Abandon crawls over to the belt and licks it. In case that description is too subtle for ya, it means she wants a title shot.

Matt Hardy admits that 2020 has been a difficult year for him, but he's a survivor. He hopes us fans can find inspiration for our own struggles.

Team Taz talk to the camera. Ricky Starks is fired up, he loves AEW but has a problem with Cody Rhodes' ego. Brian Cage says they're the most dominant force in wrestling, who betta?

The Butcher and the Blade (with The Bunny and Eddie Kingston) vs. Death Triangle (Pac and Rey Fenix, with Penta El Zero M)

Everyone meets on the stage for a brawl before the bell. Butcher and Fenix tumble into the ring, but Fenix interrupts with a missile dropkick. Death Triangle hit stereo dives, but Butcher quickly comes back with a gut wrench on Pac. Quick tag to Fenix who floats in to put Blade in a tight armbar. Pac returns with a hard Irish whip on Blade. They slug it out until Blade hits a clothesline, but Butcher tags himself in to no-sell Fenix' springboard crossbody. The match breaks down and everyone hits the canvas to send us to commercial. Back from break, Death Triangle has the upper hand against Blade. Fenix gets hung up on the ropes, which allows Butcher to tag in for a big time power slam. Fenix stays alive with a back handspring cutter on Blade. Pac returns with furious drive by offense. Pac misses the Black Arrow and Blade hits a desperation power slam. Butcher tags and spins Pac with a clothesline for 2. Butcher throws Pac into Blade's gutbuster and powerbomb, but Fenix saves the match. Butcher dumps Fenix onto the stage, but he charges back to help Pac superkick Blade. Eddie Kingston has seen enough and tips Fenix off the top rope, which allows Butcher and Blade to hit their tandem powerbomb/neckbreaker for the win at 13:03. Good match that seemed to take a hard physical toll on the participants, ***½.
Winners: The Butcher and the Blade

Eddie Kingston DDT's Pac onto a steel cage while Butcher and Blade cut off Penta. Lance Archer randomly runs in to help Death Triangle. Kingston slips away before Archer can chokeslam him. Looks like some battle lines have been drawn, though I admit I'm baffled by Archer's involvement.

Final Thoughts: Another strong show that provided a slew of ***-ish matches and served as a go-hoe show for next week's Winter is Coming special.

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