AEW Dynamite - February 28, 2024
by Doc Allen
Live from the Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama. Wrestletix estimates attendance at 3,143. Tony Shiavone, Excalibur, and Taz are on commentary.
Hangman Adam Page limps out on a crutch. Fans greet him with a "Cowboy Sh!t" chant. Page reveals that he’s too injured for the 3-way title match at Revolution. Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) comes out to "Swerve’s House" chants. Despite their long history of trying to kill each other, Swerve respects Hangman, and maybe this injury is simply fate. AEW World Champion Samoa Joe joins the party to "JOE" chants. The fans like everyone tonight. Joe’s challengers are accomplished, but hungry, because he’s starving their a$$es. Swerve promises to put Joe back into a poncho on commentary and become champion. Hangman takes the opportunity to beat Strickland down with his crutch, he’s not injured after all! Good sales pitch for the PPV.
Earlier today, Nicholas and Matthew Jackson arrive in a limo, ready to clock into work as super serious EVPs. Renee Paquette asks them about their conversations with Ric Flair, but the Jacksons deflect the question. They’re looking to give Sting his "exit interview" with a bat in hand, and go hunting.
The Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and Jon Moxley) vs. FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) and Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston
Claudio and Eddie start, they still hate one another. Eddie hits a flying shoulder block. Quick tags are made, Bryan mixes it up with Dax. Mox and Cash tag in for a stiff brawl. Match breaks down to a 3 on 3 fight. Back from commercials, the BCC have Cash cut off in their corner. Dax gets the hot tag and plows through Claudio with jabs and a neckbreaker. Dax cradles Mox for 2 and hits a springboard crossbody. Tiger Driver by Dax, Bryan breaks the pinfall. The BCC manage to keep Eddie at bay and soften up Harwood’s arm. Bryan gives Eddie a sliding dropkick at ringside. Match restarts with Claudio and Dax physically trading blows. Back from more commercials, Dax escapes Claudio’s headlock, but eats Moxley’s assisted lariat. Mox hammerlocks Dax’s arm for Bryan’s diving headbutt. Eddie finally enters with a hot tag and meets Danielson for a chopfest. Eddie cleans house with Exploders and no-sells Moxley’s lariat. The BCC swarm Eddie and he suffers Claudio’s Giant Swing. Mox hits a piledriver, Dax saves the match. FTR clean house while the fans chant "This is awesome!" FTR give Bryan a Doomsday Bulldog, but Claudio breaks the cover. Match breaks down into a triple chopfest. The BCC take control with triple submissions, but FTR and Eddie clasp hands and break free. The BCC suffer machine gun chops, but turn things around with turnbuckle punches. FTR recover for the Shatter Machine on Claudio, but this leads to a sequence of finishing moves. Bryan summons some YES chants and hits Eddie with the Bu Sai Ku knee. Not satisfied, Bryan stomps Eddie’s head in and flexes while applying a triangle choke for the win at 21:55. This might be hard to believe, but this totally ruled, and might be better than anything they’ve got in store for us on the PPV, ****¼.Winners: The Blackpool Combat Club
Renee Paquette interviews Chris Jericho backstage. Jericho is preparing to face Atlantis Jr., the son of his old mentor in CMLL. He explains that he’s going to replay Atlantis Sr. by giving his son a lesson in violence!
Tony Shiavone hosts Tony Khan’s latest human action figure, Will Ospreay, in the ring. The fans know who he is and give him a big ovation. Ospreay cuts a zany promo about losing and finding his luggage and coming dressed in a Kermit the Frog outfit, and the fans love it. Ospreay reminisces about his short resume of big wins in AEW and is ready to pick up where he left off. He’s interrupted by Don Callis, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Konosuke Takeshita. Callis assumes that Will is here to be a part of his stable. He thinks Ospreay vs. Takeshita will be like Michael Jordan facing Scottie Pippen but then going on to win championships. Ospreay and Takeshita shake hands, but neither man is willing to let go. This match alone might be worth purchasing Revolution.
Renee Paquette asks Eddie Kingston about how concerned he is about facing Danielson again at Revolution. Nicholas and Matthew Jackson interrupt to admonish Kingston for showing up to work looking like a slob. They continue their hunt for Sting while Eddie shakes his head.
AEW International Championship:
Orange Cassidy © vs. Nick Wayne (with The Patriarchy)
Wayne is aggressive at the bell, working a mean headlock. Cassidy answers with his own side headlock takedown. Nick reverses into a head scissors, OC escapes, Nick blocks Beach Break and hits a step up rana. Nick misses Wayne’s World but recovers with a leaping uppercut. They trade counters until Nick tweaks OC’s back and hits a moonsault to the floor. Cassidy trolls Nick by rolling away from a top rope move, but Wayne makes him pay with a leaping somersault plancha to ringside. OC blocks a superplex, but Christian hits him with the TNT title. The ref tosses The Patriarchy! Back from commercials, Orange escapes a Full Nelson with his hands in pockets. Cassidy makes a desperate comeback, hitting a high crossbody and tornado DDT! Wayne answers with a Fisherman Suplex for 2. Nick mockingly hits some sloth kicks, inspiring Cassidy to hit a legit superkick. OC’s sloth kicks turn into stiff kicks. Nick blocks the Orange Punch and hits a German suplex. OC Pops up for Beach break for 2. The Kingdom show up to distract Cassidy, and Nick nearly steals it with a Dragon suplex. Cassidy’s friends rush in to neutralize The Kingdom. Daniel Garcia distracts Nick, allowing Orange to finish with the Orange Punch at 10:59! High level action with a chaotic finish, ***¼.Winner and still International Champion: Orange Cassidy
Roderick Strong ambushes Cassidy after the bell, but Trent and Rocky Romero chase him away. Lots of moving pieces here.
Renee Paquette hosts the Bang Bang Scissor Gang backstage. Bullet Club Gold and The Acclaimed are still on friendly terms as the reigning Trios Champions of ROH and AEW. They have big plans for Collision.
Kris Statlander (with Stokely Hathaway and Willow Nightingale) vs. Skye Blue (with TBS Champion Julia Hart)
Aggressive brawl to start. Kris throws Skye across the ring and pummels her into the buckles. Skye blocks a slam, Kris kips up and nails a somersault senton for 2. Kris reverses a rana into a nasty throw. Kris press slams Skye into the front row! Back from commercials, Skye fights from behind, they both go down after butting heads. They slug their way to their feet. Lariat by Statlander, running knee lift, and power slam for 2. Skye answers with a spinning neckbreaker for another 2 count. They exchange kicks on the apron until Statlander nails a brutal German suplex. Julia shields Skye, prompting a confrontation with Willow. Skye hits a Canadian Destroyer and cradles Kris for 2. Kris throws Skye from the top rope and hits a Falcon Arrow for another nearfall. Stokely offers Kris a chain, but Kris opts to do the right thing. Julia ambushes her with the TBS title and Skye hits Code Blue to win at 9:40! Incredibly well paced and exciting TV match, that finish should have some solid storyline repercussions, ***.Winner: Skye Blue
Nicholas and Matthew think they have Sting cornered in his dressing room, but storm in only to find many baseball bats hanging from the ceiling.
Lionheart Chris Jericho vs. Atlantis Jr. (with Atlantis Sr.)
They start with an aggressive brawl. Atlantis scores a dropkick, enziguri, and high crossbody. Pair of monkey flips by Atlantis, Jericho reverses the third into the Liontamer. Quick rope break, so Jericho messes with Atlantis’ mask. Senior chokes Jericho with a towel, allowing Atlantis to hit a tope suicida. Jericho gets catapulted into the ring post. Jericho sends Atlantis bouncing into the ring steps with a reverse rana. Back from commercials, Jericho tries a comeback, but Atlantis hits a top rope armdrag. Atlantis counters into a wheelbarrow suplex! Jericho answers with a messy avalanche bulldog for a nearfall. Atlantis responds with a power slam, Jericho misses the springboard dropkick. Atlantis hits a plancha to ringside! Jericho recovers with an avalanche Frankenstiener, Atlantis comes back with a Torture Rack! Jericho escapes and locks on the Liontamer, Atlantis can’t quite get the ropes, and Senior throws in the towel at 12:06! Father time is catching up with Jericho, this wasn’t always pretty, but Atlantis provided the youthful energy. The third act provided the right kind of excitement, ***.Winner: Chris Jericho
Jericho makes nice with the Atlantis family, no hard feelings.
Nicholas and Matthew take their Sting hunt to the ring. Darby Allin is posing as a fan and ambushes them from the front row. The Jacksons get the better of Darby with baseball bats. They serve Darby an EVP Trigger and continue their bat assault. The Jacksons summon Ric Flair to join the fun, but Flair turns on them with an eye poke. Nicholas gives Ric a low blow and they put the boots to the Nature Boy. Sting’s music finally hits, and the Jacksons get ready for him on the stage. Instead, Sting descends from the rafters behind them. Sting dismantles the Jacksons with his trademark bat! Darby helps with a Coffin Drop! Scorpion Death Drop on Matthew! Sting stands tall on the eve of his last match at Revolution.
Final Thoughts: Every time I miss a few weeks of AEW, I forget how much I enjoy it. This was a top notch go-home episode, providing a grand mix of entertaining matches, promos, and angles to set the stage for Revolution. I know that ratings and ticket sales are down for AEW, but I’m not sure they can realistically be doing much better than this.
Sound Off!
Comment about this article on Da' Wrestling Boards!