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AEW Dynamite
June 10, 2020

by Samoa Rowe

From an empty Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida. Jim Ross, Tony Shiavone, and Excalibur are calling the action. Chris Jericho, armed with "Floyd" joins commentary in short order. Justin Roberts is ring announcing for the first time since the quarantine!

The Butcher and Blade vs. FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler)

FTR continue to get the star treatment by arriving in a souped up antique truck. Blade and Harwood aggressively lock up. They trade knife edge chops and slug it out. Harwood builds some momentum before applying a side headlock. FTR make some quick tags while Jericho gushes about how they actually follow tag rules. Both teams stand off to a loud "FTR" chant. Wheeler builds some steam but injures his own shoulder hitting a dropkick, which allows Butcher and Blade to trap him for a beatdown. Desperation power slam by Wheeler allows the hot tag. The wrestlers in the crowd are so loud for Dax cleaning house, I forget the building is empty. FTR hit Butcher with a draping DDT. Harwood superplexes Blade in place for Wheeler's flying elbow for only 2! Meanwhile, Shawn Spears is seen sitting several rows behind Tully Blanchard, staring at the back of his head angrily. Blade gets a drive by knee, and Butcher hits a TKO for a good nearfall. FTR sneakily hit the Midnight Express and Mindbreaker for the win at 10:21. This was a physical, smash mouth-style match, unlike what we normally see in AEW. Bold statement by FTR, ***.
Winners: FTR

Shiavone's interview with FTR is quickly interrupted by the Young Bucks, who don't want to be rude, and offer their congratulations. Matt Jackson thanks them for helping them out when they were in a jam, but also want to give them a proper introduction. Matt declares that the Young Bucks have been carrying tag team wrestling on their backs for the past 15 years and are the best team in the world. They're ambushed by the Butcher and Blade, and Jimmy Havoc and Kip Sabian, and a big brawl breaks out. Kenny Omega and Hangman Page arrive to help restore order, leading to a 3 way staredown with FTR and the Bucks. Just shut up and take my money, dammit.

Backstage interview with The Natural Nightmares, who have earned a shot at the Tag Titles, presumably through winning many jobber matches on Dark. Brandi is upset that Allie is wearing Nightmare Family merch, and gives QT Marshall a hard time. Dustin Rhodes says he needs QT's head in the game, he cannot be distracted, so he better get Allie out of his system.

Penelope Ford (with Kip Sabian) and Nyla Rose vs. Kris Statlander and AEW Women's Champion Hikaru Shida

Rose and Ford get the jump before the bell, and but Statlander spears Rose into Ford. Shida and Statlander dominate Rose in their corner. Rose catches Kris with a nasty clothesline and takes over in time for a commercial. They return in time for Statlander to counter into a Pele kick and lariat. Britt Baker looks unimpressed, seated on her "Roles Royce" ride. Shida gets the hot tag and drapes Ford on the ropes for a running knee to the ribs. Missile dropkick by Shida and vertical suplex gets 2. Statlander plants Ford for a nearfall. Ford knees the face and tags Rose, who takes a roadhouse kick from Statlander. Ford does the Matrix duck to hit a stunner, but Shida blindsides her with a kick. Shida superplexes Rose, setting her up for Statlanders axe kick, but Rose kicks out! Shida tags but Rose blocks her suplex and hangs her and Statander on the rope for a big time flying knee! Statlander pulls Ford down to stop a double team, and Shida hits the Falcon Arrow for 2! Sabian trips Shida, so Statlander takes him down with a dive. Ford clocks Shida with her title and hits the Fisherman Suplex to win at 10:05! This was lively and energetic, and Ford finally gains some traction in the division, ***.
Winners: Penelope Ford and Nyla Rose

Darby Allin video package. He isn't cleared to wrestle, so he spends his free time trying to skateboard off a ladder. Tony Hawk watches on. He falls down many times before getting it right, an apt metaphor for his in-ring career.

"Inspirational" Britt Baker video package, as she tries to come back from injury. She has struggled her entire life, like that time she aced a science exam that she forgot to study for.

The Inner Circle (Santana, Ortiz, and Jake Hager) vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor, Trent, and Orange Cassidy)

Inner Circle jump Best Friends at the bell. Hager drags OC to the stage for a beatdown. Jericho: "It looks like Hager is beating up the 15 year old version of himself." I'm dying. OC is left in a heap, forcing Chuck and Trent to go at it in a 2 on 3 scenario. Best Friends save face with their Sole Food/German combo, and Chuck nails a somersault dive. Hager interferes to stop more double team attacks, and serves up Taylor for a beatdown. Hager looks murderous as he hits the Hager Bomb. They destroy Taylor through a commercial. Back from break, OC gets the hot tag and dodges everything Hager's got, and hits Santana and Ortiz with a double rana. OC dives onto Hager and catches Ortiz with a high crossbody. OC hits Santana with a tornado DDT and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't marking out. Sadly, OC flies into a Hager powerslam, but Best Friends make the save. Hager clotheslines Trent out and tags in Ortiz, who sets up a Santana cannonball off his back onto OC. Taylor disrupts the Street Sweeper, and OC rolls up Ortiz for the win at 10:10! This was so much fun, ***½.
Winners: Best Friends

Chris Jericho storms the ring and unleashes Floyd onto Best Friends. Just when you think Inner Circle has proved their point, Jericho fetches a bag full of oranges to club poor OC. Cassidy gets busted open, as Jericho declares that "Blood Orange Cassidy has just been juiced." I give AEW permission to empty my bank account.

MJF interrupts Shiavone's interview with the Gunn Club. He's upset that despite being undefeated for a year and winning the Dynamite Diamond Ring, Jungle Boy got a shot at the TNT Championship before he did. Billy Gunn has heard enough and threatens MJF and Wardlow. They back off like cowardly cowards.

Last week, Colt Cabana lost to Chris Jericho and was approached by Mr. Brodie Lee and the Dark Order.

Sammy Guevara vs. Colt Cabana

Sammy wheels in on his scooter, but otherwise looks ready for in-ring action. Colt messes with the scooter, so Sammy gives it a kiss to make sure it's alright. They're all business when the bell rings, and Colt quickly hits a knife edge chop. Colt builds steam with a head scissors takedown and armbar. Sammy throws Colt through the ropes and lands a dive. Guevara controls the action through a commercial. They return just in time for Colt to escape a fireman's carry and blast Sammy with an elbow to the face. Colt hits his Bionic Elbow and Flying Apple. Colt's bouncing splash gets 2. Sammy answers with an enziguri, but his springboard is blocked and Colt hits a moonsault for 2! Colt can't hit the Chicago Skyline, so Sammy hits a modified Go To Sleep for the win at 7:29. Good action on display and a tough loss for Colt, **¾.
Winner: Sammy Guevara

Mr. Brodie Lee and the Dark Order arrive to continue their pursuit of Cabana. Lee helps Colt to his feet, and just leaves it at that. Colt looks torn and follows them through the tunnel. Sammy takes some time to brag on the mic, but he's interrupted by non-Broken Matt Hardy. Matt says he respects Sammy and sees a lot of himself in him. Matt argues that if Sammy ever wants to reach his full potential, he has to leave Chris Jericho. Sammy doesn't want advice from someone that tried to kill him with a golf cart. Matt shifts into Damascus, who is more interested in deleting the young man. Guevara backs off while Hardy loses his mind in the ring. I appreciate the effort, but this was just a hair too goofy at the end.

Video package for the criminally underutilized Joey Janela. Joey seems to have the same thoughts on his mind, as he sits at a bar and thinks about how he went from main eventing Fyter Fest against Jon Moxley, to losing his direction. Sonny Kiss pulls up outside the bar and offers him a ride. They take off, to be continued... I am so happy to see these guys get some direction.

Dasha tries to interview Colt Cabana about the Dark Order's recruitment. Colt ignores her and joins the Dark Order in their locker room.

Alex Marvez tries to interview AEW World Champion Jon Moxley in the parking lot. Moxley is in a real bad mood because Taz has been running his mouth about Brian Cage's chances of beating him at Fyter Fest. Moxley can't wait to pop Cage's head like a pimple and shut Taz up. The mere fact that anyone thinks they can beat him just pisses Moxley off, which causes him to train harder and become more violent. Taz interrupts because he's sick of Moxley's chirping. Brian Cage ambushes Moxley from behind and throws him into a metal barricade. Moxley fights back, but Cage slams him onto a car hood. Cage prepares a power bomb onto the concrete, but Taz calls him off, so he slams Moxley onto a car window instead. Not bad for an insta-feud.

Cody explains that he issued weekly TNT Championship open challenges because he wants to silence the critics who say he can't bring it bell to bell.

AEW TNT Championship:
Cody © (with Arn Anderson) vs. Marq Quen (with Isiah Kassidy and Matt Hardy)

They lock up and Cody goes right for Quen's recently injured ankle. Quen fires back with punches, but Cody hits a drop toe hold to set up an armbar. Quen shakes it off and hits a standing moonsault for only 1. Cody answers with an uppercut but the Disaster Kick is countered with a dropkick. Cody's head kick also gets 1. Cody goes for a surfboard stretch, but settles for a Dragon Sleeper to send us to commercial. Cody works over Quen's ankle throughout the break. I'm curious about Cody facing mostly babyfaces during this empty arena stretch, he seems so much more heel-ish when there aren't live crowds giving him the hero treatment. Cody nails a reverse superplex, but Quen bounces too far away for a cover. Quen desperately sprints into a springboard moonsault and then a standing moonsault for 2. Quen hits a crazy corkscrew DDT for a great nearfall! Quen is hobbled, but hits a pair of dives anyway. Quen blocks a bulldog and hits a third dive. Quen takes too long climbing the ropes and Cody rolls to the stage, but Quen hits a 450 splash anyway! The wrestlers chant "holy crap", LOL! Quen misses a shooting star press, and Cody puts him in an ankle lock! Quen taps at 11:43! I was totally buying the possibility that Quen could score an upset, they did a great job teasing the upset and using Quen's bad ankle to tell a story, ***¾.
Winner and still AEW TNT Champion: Cody

Cody and Quen hug it out. Quen hobbles away, but Jake Hager shows up and attacks Anderson! Cody tries to save his mentor and gets put down with a powerbomb. Private Party and Matt Hardy run in with chairs and remove Hager from the ring. Santana, Ortiz, and Guevara join the party and a brawl breaks out. Cody and Friends emerge victorious while referees restore order. Cody is happy to defend the TNT title against Hager at Fyter Fest.

Final Thoughts: Terrific edition of Dynamite. If that makes me an AEW Stan in your eyes, then fine, I'm an AEW Stan. I'll wear that hat proudly.

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