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AEW Dynamite- March 24, 2021

by Samoa Rowe

From Daily's Place, with Jim Ross, Tony Shiavone, and Excalibur on the call.

AEW World Champion Kenny Omega (with Don Callis) vs. Matt Sydal

There's a backstory from Dark: Elevation, in which Omega ambushed Sydal and got a ceremonial pinfall. They urgently lock up and Omega controls the wrist for a takedown and maneuvers into a tight shoulder block. Omega hits a power slam and quick elbow drops, but Sydal comes back with a rana and teases KO kick. Match restarts with a test of strength, but Omega cheap shots the gut to regain control, and JOHN CENA IS ON DYNAMITE... in a Wipeout on TBS ad insert. I apologize for the lame trolling, which I could easily edit out, but I won't. Anyhoo, Omega is beating on Sydal like he owes him money. Sydal rallies with some spin kicks and a leaping rana. Brainbuster by Sydal gets 2. Omega dodges another super rana and Sydal bounces around awkwardly. Omega hits a sick neckbreaker, but Sydal blocks V-Trigger and nails a roundhouse kick and Flaming Spiral for a good nearfall. Omega reverses Meteora into a Buckle Bomb! Sitout Powerbomb by Omega and V-Trigger gets another good 2 count. Sydal eats another V-Trigger, but reverses One Winged Angel into a poison rana. Omega blocks a SSP and hits a leaping V-Trigger. Sydal blocks another One Winged Angel and rolls him up for a 2.999999 count. Omega pops up and finishes with One Winged Angel at 11:25. Good stuff here, with Sydal pushing Omega to a dramatic climax, ***½.
Winner: Kenny Omega

Alex Marvez interviews the Dark Order in their club house. John Silver is ready for his shot at the TNT title and proves it by dodging coffin drops from the guys. Hangman Page wishes Silver luck, the guys will be proud of him either way. So kind of Page to give Silver permission to eat a pinfall.

Hangman Adam Page vs. Cezar Bononi

Page is the more seasoned competitor and acts like it. Page hits a high kick and pulls the ropes to send Bononi to ringside. Bononi blocks a dive and slams Hangman onto the ring frame. Bononi enjoys some token big man jobber offense, and I'm praying this ends before a commercial. Page senses my concern and hits a suplex and Buckshot Lariat to win at 2:17. Good squash matches are so underappreciated. … Winner: Hangman Page

Lance Archer complains about Sting in an abandoned building. He gives Sting credit for inspiring him to become the Murderhawk, but now it's his time, and puts the Stinger on notice.

Video package highlighting last week's brutal Lights Out match between Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker, including emotional post-match comments from Rosa.

Tony Shiavone hosts Dr. Britt Baker on the stage and asks the fans to applaud her. She gets a mixed reaction that turns to boos as she heels it up on the fans. It's refreshing to see fans playing along with a heel again. Britt makes a strong case that she's a bigger star than all the washed up has-beens that Tony Khan has been signing lately. This promo was on fire.

The Pinnacle are summoned from the dressing room they stole from the Inner Circle.

Christian Cage has a friendly chat with the Varsity Blondes and Dante Martin. He's interrupted by Frankie Kazarian, who questions Cage's “Out work everyone” motto. “When does the work begin?” Cage says the work starts next week, and if Kazarian is free, he's welcome to step up. Kazarian accepts, and invites Cage to come watch him work on Monday on Dark: Elevation and see what he's up against.

The Pinnacle (Shawn Spears, Cash Wheeler, and Dax Harwood, with Tully Blanchard, Wardlow, and MJF) vs. Varsity Blondes (Griff Garrison and Brian Pillman Jr.) and Dante Martin

Spears starts with a waistlock takedown on Garrison, but soon gets flustered as the rookies make rapid tags. Spears retreats into a tag and Harwood tears Pillman apart. Dante makes a blind tag and moonsaults onto Dax and Spears. Garrison helps with a spear, and the Pinnacle retreat into a huddle, while Wardlow blocks a triple team dive. Cue the commercial! The rookies continue to dominate through the break, with Dante Martin getting some picture-in-picture shine. They return from commercial just as the Pinnacle cut Martin off, and Spears finishes with the C4 at 6:25! Well, that was abrupt. Glorified squash, but I liked it.
Winners: The Pinnacle

Wardlow pulls Garrison off the buckles for an awkward closed fist. The Pinnacle stick around for a victory promo. Wheeler says the Pinnacle is about family and he'd die for his stablemates. Harwood says the Pinnacle stands for professional wrestling, not comedy, and dares Inner Circle to step back up. MJF claims the Inner Circle are terrified of him. Shiavone protests, but MJF intimidates him into backing down. “When you are in the Pinnacle, you are always on top.”

Team Taz promo from the garage. Taz says the group is on the same page and claims that Brian Cage apologized for the nice things he said about Sting, and everyone gleefully accepted. Cage doesn't seem too thrilled about this, but plays along... for now.

Tony Shiavone interviews QT Marshall on the stage. QT is frustrated because people think he's only here because he's Cody's friend, and argues that no one else in AEW works as hard for the company as he does. QT does all the dirty work behind the scenes, forcing his poor wife to sleep alone. QT challenges Cody to an exhibition match next week, to prove he can hang in the ring. Cody Rhodes arrives with his arm in a cast. Cody tries to play the role of reasonable guy and will give QT the match, even if he doesn't like where this is going. He'll even let Arn be the referee. Cody says he won't hurt QT in the match, because he values their friendships, and everything QT did for AEW when they were first in business.

Lucha Bros. (Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo) and Laredo Kid vs. AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson) and Brandon Cutler

I guess Pac is on the shelf, so his team with Fenix will have to wait. Fenix and Nick tease what they can do in a singles match with a quick exchange and stalemate. Matt and Penta make tags and have a cool mini-match. Cutler and Laredo Kid tag in and manage to hold their end of the bargain with an athletic sequence. The Bucks help clear Laredo Kid out, but Fenix catches him with a flipping double armdrag. Penta springboards onto the Bucks at ringside, but Cutler helps with a diving elbow, and then a springboard senton to ringside. Laredo pops up for a moonsault to the floor. The Bucks hit Laredo with a powerbomb/cutter combo and they head to commercial. Back from break, Penta stops a Bucks hot tag with a flurry of sling blades. Lucha Bros. hit superkicks and Laredo Kid nails a springboard frog splash for a nearfall. Laredo Kid follows with a springboard rana, leaving Nick to suffer flying double stomps and frog splashes. Nick comes back with a flurry of quick kicks, and spins Fenix with a lariat. Matt puts Laredo Kid through rolling Northern Lights Suplexes and then the powerbomb/enziguri combo. Bucks hit Risky Business, and Cutler hits Laredo with a springboard elbow drop. Bucks hit Penta with a draping somersault senton. Cutler assists the Bucks with an Indietaker, and Bucks dispatch the Lucha Bros, unfortunately leaving Laredo Kid to finish Cutler with a Spanish Fly at 12:29. Unapologetic high flying festival, that should upset the usual suspects, ***½.
Winners: Lucha Bros. and Laredo Kid

Kenny Omega runs in and attacks Laredo Kid with the AEW title and microphone. Omega explains that he's having flashbacks to Fyter Fest 2019. He claims he only came to AEW because of his loyalty to the Bucks, and the Bucks didn't show him the same loyalty, because of something to do with Cutler (I have no idea what he's talking about, Fyter Fest 2019 feels like ancient history). Omega demands the Bucks pledge allegiance with some Too Sweet, but they turn their backs on him. Don Callis can't do anything but watch as the Lucha Bros. and Laredo Kids lay Omega out. The Good Brothers conveniently arrive too late.

Jade Cargill video package. She's a bad b!tch and is going to hurt Red Velvet.

Backstage promo with Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston, sporting a broken leg, thanks to an attack by Omega and the Good Brothers. Eddie says this isn't New Japan and he's going to put them into the morgue. Moxley doesn't like the Young Bucks either and is fed up with all the Bullet Club melodrama.

Nyla Rose (with Vickie Guerrero) vs. Tay Conti (with The Dark Order)

Rose quickly takes control and steps on Conti's midsection. Conti comes back with a series of submission holds. Conti hits some Judo throws, but Rose counters into a chokeslam. Rose bites the fingers in an armbar. Rose hits her draping flying knee for only 2. They take a commercial. Back from break, Conti blocks a flipping senton with her knees, and hits some slick dropkicks. Rose counters with a backdrop, but Conti drop toe holds her into the ropes for a leaping knee strike. Rose absorbs a pump kick and hits a lariat. Conti blocks the Beast Bomb and hits a flurry of kicks and knee strikes. Hammerlock DDT by Conti wins it at 9:28! That's an upset, but Conti looked downright ferocious down the stretch, **¾.
Winner: Tay Conti

Vickie grabs Tay by the leg to allow a revenge attack by Rose. Hikaru Shida runs in to stop Rose with a kendo stick and lays her out. The Bunny assaults Shida, while Matt Hardy's group comes out to watch.

Hype video for Arcade Anarchy match. Miro is only accepting the match because Kip Sabian wants it, and he's ready to kick Butler Charles' @ss again.

Scorpio Sky personality video package. He says this dark side of his personality isn't new, we just haven't seen it. Sky's days of being underrated are over and he's going to prove it by beating Matt Sydal on Dark: Elevation. Sky brands himself The Face of the Revolution.

TNT Championship:
Darby Allin © vs. John Silver (with The Dark Order)

They lock up and Silver actually wins a test of strength, but Allin reverses into a wristlock and side headlock. Silver hits a running elbow to knock Allin to ringside. Silver throws Allin across the ring and flexes. Silver looks like a tiny heavyweight as he tosses Allin into the buckles. Brainbuster by Silver gets 2. Silver controls the action through a commercial break. Silver then misses a head of steam and crashes over the barricade, injuring his shoulder. Allin misses a a dive and hits Alan Angels. Silver hits a German on the floor, but the Dark Order get too close, so Sting arrives with a bat and fends them off. Silver stays in the fight with a series of kicks and reverses Allin's stunner into a rear naked choke! Allin escapes, but Silver hits a spike DDT for 2. Allin absorbs more kicks and answers with palm strikes, but Silver stiffs him with clubbing blows into the buckles. Allin hits a springboard coffin drop, but Silver answers with a pump kick. Allin knocks Silver off the buckles and takes the time to Coffin Drop onto the entire Dark Order. Silver meets him with an enziguri and super Falcon Arrow! Silver accidentally rolls Allin up into the ropes, giving Allin enough life to hit Code Red to retain at 13:41! Really strong main event, with Silver showing some serious fire that we don't see from him often, and pushing Allin to the limits, ***¾.
Winner and still TNT Champion: Darby Allin

Matt Hardy interrupts the post-match handshake and knocks Allin into the rails. Hardy's crew brawls with the Dark Order, and Allin catches Matt with a dive during the chaos.

Final Thoughts: This was an overwhelmingly decent episode of Dynamite.

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