AEW (Friday Night) Dynamite- June 11, 2021
by Samoa Rowe
Presented on tape delay at 10:00 at night, thanks to the NBA playoffs, from Daily's Place. Jim Ross, Tony Shiavone, and Excalibur are on the call.
The Pinnacle arrive via limousine and there's a lot of sour looks on their faces after coming up short in Stadium Stampede.
Show opens with Big Money Matt Hardy and TH2 in the ring. Hardy brags that he's made much more money in his career than Christian Cage has, and he'll never financially recover from losing to Angelico. Ah, Tiger King references give me a weird nostalgia for 2020, I think I need help.
Angelico (with Jack Evans and Matt Hardy) vs. Christian Cage
They exchange some holds and Angelico mocks with a resting pose. Christian slaps the taste out of his mouth and unloads some mounted punches. Angelico arm drags Christian off the ropes and goes to work on the arm. Christian finds an opening for a sunset flip, but Angelico rolls through. Christian blocks a deathlock, so Angelico hits a Penalty Kick. Christian escapes an armbreaker and counters into a swinging reverse DDT! Missile dropkick by Christian gets 2. Christian hits a neckbreaker into the top rope and then a diving headbutt, but Angelico kicks out! Angelico slams Christian's bad arm into the canvas, but dives into Christian's boots and nearly gets pinned. They bonk heads in a collision, Christian hits a pendulum kick and diving uppercut. The Killswitch finishes at 9:04. Good chemistry on display, ***.Winner: Christian Cage
Jack Evans and Big Money Matt assault Christian after the match, and he eats the Twist of Fate. Things are about to get much worse when Jungle Boy runs in for the rescue.
Tony Shiavone announces that Arn Anderson's son, Brock Anderson, will be Cody Rhodes' partner in a match against The Factory next week. Cody and Brock come to the ring, and the young Anderson looks more like Arn's younger clone, than son. Seriously, he's 23 going on 55, and his moniker should be "Brick Sh!thouse." I'm honestly frightened of him. Cody has faith that Brock will hit a homerun in his debut match and shakes his hand. QT Marshall interrupts and calls Cody out for bringing in yet another vanity project. Watch out QT, some would argue that you are among Cody's vanity projects. QT challenges Cody to a South Beach Strap Match at Road Rager in Miami. Cody thinks they should fight now instead. QT cheap shots Arn, and Brock tears into him. This works for me.
Pac, Penta El Zero Miedo, and Eddie Kingston vs. AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson) and Brandon Cutler (with Don Callis)
Eddie is reconnecting with Death Triangle because they have bigger Elite fish to fry. Matt amusingly oversells while getting triple teamed with punches. They force Cutler to tag in, and he gets eaten alive by Pac. Penta hits Cutler's netherregion with a missile dropkick, which is somehow NOT a DQ. The Bucks are less than concerned about the beating Cutler is taking. Pac throws Cutler into the Elite's corner and dares them to make a tag. Matt walks into a buzzsaw, but interference from the Elite finally allows Nick to take control of Pac. They return from commercials with Pac fighting out of the Elite's corner. Pac hesitates but ultimately makes the hot tag to Eddie, who goes on a suplexing spree. Penta tags and hits both Bucks with a high crossbody. Bucks miss superkicks and take down Cutler. Penta rolls through a Monkey Flip to hit a Destroyer! Penta hits Nick with a Backstabber onto the apron, and hits a sitout driver on Matt, but Cutler saves the match. Eddie stops Cutler from interfering, but Pac gets tripped up anyway. Nick lariats Eddie, but then gets tossed by Penta for a step up plancha! Pac hits Matt with a 450 Splash and Brutalizer. Nick can't kick Pac off his brother and gets ambushed by Eddie's enziguri. Eddie and Pac hit stereo dives for a show of unity. Matt pulls the tights to nearly pin Pac, Nick ambushes with an enziguri, and the Elite hit a buckle bomb/enziguri combo. Cutler misses a springboard elbow, and Pac pins him at 12:57! This picked up big time after the break, ***½.Winners: Death Triangle and Eddie Kingston
The Young Bucks waste no time putting the boots to Death Triangle after the loss! The Good Brothers join the party, but are interrupted by Stone Cold Frankie Kazarian, who clears the ring and drops Cutler with a clothesline.
Video package from director "Michael Kurosawa" gives a biased recap of Kenny Omega retaining the AEW title at Double for Nothing.
The Pinnacle come to the ring to talk about losing at Double or Nothing. Dax Harwood says he has a family to support, which justifies why FTR tried to end Santana and Ortiz' careers. Cash Wheeler doesn't have a family, so he doesn't give a sh!t about Santana and Ortiz' families. Shawn Spears calls Sammy Guevara a "glorified indie wrestler" and says the Pinnacle are what professionals look like. Wardlow says Jake Hager needs to keep facing him because he brings out the best in him. Wardlow is happy to face Hager in an octagon, because he'll still be in Wardlow's world. MJF says he is the best and has nothing else to prove. He tells a story about how excited he was to work with Chris Jericho at first, but then realized he's a false god. MJF rejects Jericho's challenge to a match, and turns his attention to Guevara, saying he has the speaking ability of Helen Keller, and should watch himself. They're interrupted by Chris Jericho on the big screen, he's sick of the Pinnacle's soliloquies, and they can keep yacking when walking home. The entire Inner Circle then destroys the Pinnacle's limousine, hopefully it was insured. They spray paint "El Barto" on the side, and I'm always in the mood for a good Simpsons reference. Hager drives a forklift into the limo and it crumbles in the air. I love it when AEW rips off the good parts of the Attitude Era.
We get a word with Darby Allin and Sting. Allin refuses to find a different tag partner against Ethan and Sky, preferring to go it alone in a handicap match. Darby asks Sting to stay home, he wants to prove that he can win without him. Sting argues that Darby has nothing to prove, they both won at Double or Nothing. Darby asks again, and Sting respects his wishes, but wants a fist bump. Allin leaves him hanging.
Evil Uno cuts a heartfelt promo about wanting to bring the TNT title back into the Dark Order to honor the late Brodie Lee.
TNT Championship:
Miro © vs. Evil Uno (with the Dark Order)
Miro backs Uno into the corner for a rough break. Miro hits some body shots and no-sells Uno's knife edge chops. Miro pulls Uno to ringside, misses a chop against the post, and Uno nails a somersault senton off the apron. Back to the ring, Miro pulls Uno into a hard back suplex. Feels like Miro should be finishing a squash, but they cut to commercials. Back from break, Uno looks to be in big trouble and is slumped on the floor. Stu Grayson and Alan Angels come back to will Uno into the ring to avoid a countout. Miro clotheslines Stu over the rail and chases Angels into the tunnel. Uno has room to hit a jawbreaker and step up rana. Big boot by Uno, and then a Swanton Bomb for only 2! The entire Dark Order returns to the stage to cheer Uno on. Uno stomps Miro's fingers and thrusts him into an exposed buckle for a tremendous nearfall. Uno's discus lariat has little effect, and Miro knocks him down with his own lariat. Game Over finishes it at 9:34. Miro breaks the collective heart of the Dark Order, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't get caught up in the emotion at the end, ***.Winner and still TNT Champion: Miro
Last week, Andrade El Idolo debuted. This week, we're treated to a video package highlighting just how well dressed he is. Next week, he'll have a friendly chat with Jim Ross.
Tony Schiavone hosts AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Don Callis in the ring, to talk about his upcoming title defense against Jungle Boy. Callis accuses Jungle Boy's victory at Double or Nothing as evidence of a conspiracy against Omega. Kenny knows he's supposed to sell this match against Jungle Boy, but he just can't bring himself to do it, because JB lacks guts. They're joined by the real life Jungle Boy, which amuses Kenny, because thinks he's too cowardly to say anything. JB says Omega talks way too much (coming soon to a Botchamania video near you). Omega snaps and attempts a beatdown, but Jungle Boy puts him into a Snare Trap. The Young Bucks rush in for the save, and JB retreats to fight another day.
Mark Sterling and Jade Cargill talk to the camera about how Jade's metrics have improved since he joined her team. Jade has a family to feed, and her family has expensive tastes, so she demands that they come up with a big money catchphrase. For now, she's sticking with "that b!tch."
All Ego Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky talk to the camera to respond to Darby's decision to go it alone against them. Sky calls Darby a child who can't do anything right. Ethan accuses Darby of not understanding the consequences of dealing with them, and what will he do after they pin him in the middle of the ring?
Lance Archer (with Jake Roberts) vs. Chandler Hopkins
Hopkins avoids an instant chokeslam, but springboards into Archer's shoulder block. Archer hits a chokelsam and Blackout to win at 0:50. Fabulous squash!Winner: Lance Archer
Ryan Nemeth calls Orange Cassidy the worst dressed man in the business and offers him a makeover from the Wingmen.
Nyla Rose (with Vickie Guerrero) vs. Leyla Hirsch
Leyla throws a step at Vickie before the bell, and Nyla meets her. Leyla reverses a scoop slam into a cross armbreaker. Leyla smashes the face and sends Nyla to ringside with a shotgun dropkick. Tope suicida by Leyla, but Nyla blocks and drives her into the apron. Leyla attempts another armbreaker, but Nyla thrashes her into the rails. Nyla applies a neck vice to send us to commercials. They return with Leyla making her comeback. Leyla steps off the top rope to hit a German suplex! Springboard moonsault by Leyla only gets 2! Nyla reverses an armbreaker with a vicious power slam. Leyla gets hung up on the ropes but then meets Rose on the top rope. Rose blocks a rana and nails an avalanche Beast Bomb for the win at 8:45! Lots of surprising moves and counters after the break, that finish was totally bad-ass, ***.Winner: Nyla Rose Tony Schiavone interviews AEW Women's Champion Britt Baker (with Rebel, not Reba) backstage. Britt thinks Nyla should stick to flipping burgers full time. Britt has already surpassed Nyla's run as champion in a short time, she's the baddest b!tch in the back, and is making a whole new era all by herself.
Team Taz (FTW Champion Brian Cage and Powerhouse Hobbs, with Taz) vs. Dark Order's 10 and Hangman Adam Page
Cage immediately smashes Page into the buckles, but the Hangman turns it around with wild punches. Page hits a sliding lariat and standing SSP for a quick nearfall. Cage answers with a backbreaker. 10 makes a blind tag and unloads on Cage. Hobbs assists with a knee to 10's back, and helps Cage hit a tandem powerbomb. Team Taz has 10 right where they want him, so it's time for some commercials. They return with 10 fighting back against Cage. 10 hits a pump kick and collapses. Hangman punches Hobbs from the apron and makes the hot tag. Page sends Cage into the post wit ha rana, and lands a standing moonsault onto Hobbs for 2! Hobbs answers with a crossbody block, and 10 saves the match. Cage hits 10 with a 619! Hangman clears Cage out and punches Hobbs for 2. Cage returns with a German on 10, and Hobbs assists in high/low clotheslines for a great nearfall! Hook enters the ring to distract the ref while Ricky Starks throws the FTW title to Cage, who rejects the help! Starks slaps Cage, and gets chased out! That leaves Hobbs alone, but he hits 10 with a spinebuster for another good nearfall, but Hangman breaks it up. 10 hits a cutter on Hobbs, and Hangman helps with a Buckshot Lariat, giving 10 the cover at 11:19! Another good match, this one surpassed my expectations, ***.Winners: 10 and Hangman Adam Page
The Dark Order celebrate together with beer and water on the stage (better watch out what -1 is drinking).
Final Thoughts: Hey, if this is what it looks like when AEW "phones it in" then sign me up for more.
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